seen and discovered as his wisdome power But no man saw God at any time the only begotten Sonne revealed him and the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in no Nature bodily but in our Nature which Christ had Thirdly God never manifested himselfe in such a straine of love as in our flesh it was the highest manifestation of Love that ever was that God loved our very Nature so as to be one with us herein was his love manifested and commended indeed that he would come down in our Nature to us And as one said well God did so love the very Nature of his Elect that though he had them not all with him in Heaven for the present yet he must have their picture of their own Nature in his Sonne to see them in and love them 1. Vse Then here is still ground of new admiration and wonder to soules God is come downe and hath left as it were his owne habitation to dwell amoâ—â— the sonnes of men This is the first and great mystery of the Gospell God out of infinite goodnesse would make a revelation of himselfe to the world to doe it in his pure glory would consume all flesh especially seeing it was to be a manifestation unto sinners but he cloths himselfe with flesh with our own Nature and so appears to us as in infinite love and sweetnesse there be many great designes in this one 1. By this he takes away the distance between his majesty and us for he is now become Immanuell God with us The thoughts of God would have been sufficient terror we could never have come nigh God for we were infinitely below him But now Gods taking up our Nature as one with himselfe and appearing as in our own form and likenesse hath broken down the wall of partition in Nature as that which takes away the dwelling nature of Gods glory yet reflects the reall sweetnesse of it to us 2. By this God would indeare and sweeten himselfe to his poor creature and fit a way of sweet converse with us if God had manifested himselfe in his own naked glory still while we are sinners we should not only be daz'led but shrunk up to nothing to see the Sun as it shines in its owne lustre would spoile the sight of the strongest eye But to look upon it as in an eclipse in water or thorough a glasse that is not offensive to consider God in himselfe is to have our soules swallowed up but to look on God in our nature brings down his glory to our eye and wooes us to behold it 3. By this God hath raised up a statue and visible monument of his own infinite love to his Elect for ever For rather then they shall want a sutable discovery of himselfe he will come and take up their owne nature and be called after their names as if he would be any thing to shew his love This is the fullest visible demonstration of God's love that ever was It was more for God to take our nature then simply to save us more then let a out bare mercy and grace in it selfe For a King to save a murtherer from the Gallowes by his owne prerogative and dispence with the Law is not such an act of love and mercy as to take the murtherers clothes and weare them as his richest livery and give as a mark of honour to his owne Sonne and to make an honourable order of the rags of that garment as that King did of a Garter God hath done more in taking our Nature what love was this that God will be no more God as it were simply but take up another Nature rather then the brightnesse of his owne glory shall undoe us 4. By this God would shew what he means to bring us unto he took our nature up to himselfe as a pattern or type of what he would bring all Saints unto God is come down in our likenesse to bring us up into his likenesse Nature was never so advanced it is the highest glory that is possible to be put upon nature it is more then to fill all our souls with a fulnesse of grace for our nature is united in a personall union with the second person then which there cannot be more glory What a faire step is now made for the bringing the person up to the injoyment of God Oh let none say now that God is not willing to save soules who is come down so low as live among us say not who shall goe up to Heaven to bring downe God or downe unto the deeps to fetch him up God is nigh you even in your owne flesh You may but turne about and see God manifested to your owne eyes we preach not fancy when we lay out the riches of Gods glory in love and mercy But as the Apostle saith what we have seen and what we have felt and tasted that we declare unto you 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3. Say not unbelieving soule how shall I come nigh God why God is come to thee he dwels in the Tabernacles of men In a word God is manifested in our flesh that our flesh may be taken up into his fulnesse SERMON IV. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. I Made an entrance on this the last day but there are new mysteries yet arising and no sooner doth one discovery passe but another comes on this bottomlesse depth of Gods glory in the Gospell can be sounded by none but God himselfe we have some manifestations of it and that in flesh or else we had never imagined what thoughts God had towards his poore Creatures besides what hath been spoken as to the opening of the words still this must be taken in That it is not God in flesh mystically but personally Or else thus It is not meant of God manifested in flesh that is in the whole mysticall body of Christ the Saints But only God assuming our nature into the union of Christs person and this had need to be observed because all these places where it is said that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.19 and that the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily Col. 2. and this place is spoken of Christ mystically or in his body not personally intimating that God dwels in the flesh of the Saints as much as in the humane nature of Jesus Christ and that there is no other distinction than of head and members Now to cleare up this to you I shall not need to go farther than this verse 1. This is spoken of a thing that is already done God is or was manifested in flesh now if it were meant of the whole mystical body of Christ it must have been said God will manifest himself in flesh for all that body is not yet made up are not capable of any such manifestation thousands of them being yet unborne 2. God that is manifested in flesh is justified in spirit and seen of Angels and preached unto
seemed to passe by and overlook the unworthinesse of his Creature himselfe disdaines not to be as they are to weare their own flesh and 2. That his justice may be satisfied and their hearts quieted he hath by the union of that flesh set up a person which is nothing but fulnesse and righteousnesse love and bowels to receive the first acts of our faith and to have immediate union and communion with us and yet still this is God himselfe manifested to us and though we pitch not our saith immediately on God yet at last we come to him and our faith lives in God before it is aware as it were through the sweet intervention of that person which is God himselfe called but by another name Take faith as it lies in adherence and recumbency or as it may be sometimes taken for an act of assurance both have enough to lay hold on in this mystery For the first Take the poorest soule that groanes under the saddest wants and burthens and seemes by sin to lye at the vastest distance from God yet he hath ground here to beleeve that is to go unto and rely and cast himselfe freely and fully with the greatest confidence on Jesus Christ For here is none other than God himselfe offering himselfe as the righteousnesse and riches of such a poore foule and that in such a way as he shall be judge with his own eyes and for the faith of assurance what a ground is there for a soule to be perswaded of all the reality and truth of Gods intentions seeing he hath so sensibly demonstrated it in taking our own flesh if God cannot content himselfe who shall And he professeth he is pleased and delighted in that Union and satisfaction by it which he hath in our nature This is my beloved Son in whom my soule is well pleased Mat. 3. ult Doubtlesse Gods heart must needs be much in yea and infinitely set on the salvation of the souls of poor sinners seeing he hath made such an overture to advantage it as the taking up our flesh which was so far below him and what can poore soules now beleeve otherwise but that God cannot be content with his own honour and glory alone but he must impart it yea and to those which have beene the most unworthy and most contrary to him and his glory So that Beleevers you see how heaven and earth God and man are combined together to do you good and what opportunity have you of living gloriously upon God in your owne nature Faith desires no more but an incouragement and a person to close with and in both you have a sutablenesse from this that God is manifest in flesh that God is manifested in such a way as flesh is enough to move any heart to beleeve that he is as he acts but this expression doth not only stir up hope but fits the very person so sweetly as if one would desire or propose a thing to ones desires it could not be more qualified than this that God is manifested in flesh for here is God himselfe brought downe to our termes and made subject to our owne propositions Oh that this exhortation might be of force but to improve this glorious designe to the supplying of all your wants and the making up all your losses and when you make use of Christ go not to him as one who hath something but all things yea let faith have its course and hinder it not from a full and immediate laying hold on the riches and fulnesse of God himselfe both for Justification and Sanctification for it is God himselfe which in your flesh is made the proper object of your faith Use 2. That seeing God is manifest in flesh that is so blessedly in Christ for us labour to get a manifestation of God in your own flesh for this is the comfort to your soules what if God be made one with a common nature in Christs person if he be not made one with my spirit You heare often that there is a mystery in Gods being discovered in Flesh but who among you have had the manifestation of this God in your own soules The Apostle speaking of the sweet fruit of his suffering saies it lay in this that the life of Christ was manifested in his mortall flesh doubtlesse Gods designe of manifesting himselfe in flesh in generall was that by that he might manifest himselfe to flesh in particular and these soules can have no speciall comfort in this that God is manifest in their nature that is in Christ except they have a speciall discovery of this God to themselves actions are sutable to the being of things if God be in our nature he will act in that nature what may be most glorious to the good of soules Look to your own hearts what manifestations of God are there Dost thou say thou beleevest that God was manifest in flesh And yet there is not a glimpse of Gods glory in thy own heart why the Devils can say as much and perish why hath God taken up our nature What for himselfe No But by that as a medium he might communicate himselfe to our persons Let not soules flatter themselves with generall notions of the Gospell and the mystery of it If God be not in thy person as truly though not as fully as in thy nature thou hast no particular comfort from this designe when Paul speaks of the Gospell in generall he speaks particularly of the manifestation of it to him as his comfort It pleased God to reveale Christ in me Gal. 1. whatever is done in our nature in common is to be done spiritually though not litterally on our persons and if God be revealed in Christ and that Christ be not revealed in us all is nothing the end of God is by that to bring up our hearts to himselfe and that we may know what is the riches of that glory which he intends to communicate by the first fruits of it in our own soules SERMON VI. 1 TIM 3.16 Justified in the spirit c. HAving spoken of the first and great mystery of godlinesse which the Apostle reckons up in this verse that God was manifested in flesh Another presents it selfe before our eyes to be admired In the things of the Gospell you go from glory to glory you can no sooner come out of one roome of blessednesse but you step into another as glorious every step to heaven is a new opening of Gods glory What would a soule expect more than a manifestation of God and in flesh so fitly for his good Who would not sit down under the shadow of this happinesse and go no farther but yet this is not all this God is set forth in another mystery as Justified in the spirit before one is able to go to the bottome of one mystery he is led into the bosome of another so thick and fast doth the glory of God break in upon the poore soule as he is not able to keep his
but know their work what a glorious and great Dispensation is committed to them how would they labour to behave themselves in that great charge Here be many things observable in the words 1. The Preface or Porch 2. The Fabrick it selfe In the Preface is 1. The manner of his speech and that twofold first the affection he speakes it with he is so as a man in rapture that speakes in pure sentences without Controversie c. He breakes off as it were from all that he had formerly spoken and sits down and wonders at the greatnesse of that Mystery which the Gospell held forth 2. That he speakes of its Godlinesse 3. The description he gives it he cals it a Mystery and that with this Adjunct that it is a great Mystery 4. The confidence he speakes it in without Controversie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest è ex confesso without doubt or question it is so none that ever knew God or ever felt the power of it but said it was a great mystery Then secondly you have this Mystery unfolded and cleared up in these severall particulars of it which he deduceth to these sixe heads God manifested in the flesh Justified in the spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World Received up into Glory So that here is Truth and that truth is Godlinesse and that godlinesse is a great Mystery and all that is laid out in various manifestations of God Here are many glorious things to be insisted on all Divinity comprehended in these few lines the very marrow and pith the foundation and fountaine of all that we need to know or to be acquainted with And before we come to Launch out in the Ocean we must cast an eye upon the Connexion of the words Obs First That which the Apostle cals Truth in the former verse he cals Godlinesse here Truth is not a fancy or notion but it is holinesse it selfe and none can know Truth in the nature and power of it but they must be godly First Truth is the patterne and platforme of Holiness it is the mould of Godlinesse that is godlinesse which is conformable to divine truth Truth is Gods mind and godliness is a soule conformable unto that mind or transformed into that truth therefore the Apostle when he would relate the godlinesse of the Romans Rom. 6.17 he saith they obeyed that doctrine or truth into the forme of which they were delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he makes the truth of the Gospell as a type a mould into which they were cast Secondly godlinesse is truth because truth works godliness Christ praies the Father to sanctifie them with truth Joh. 17.17 It is the nature of truth to sanctifie and worke holinesse truth is light and life and doth as the Sun both enliven and enlighten all soules on whom its beames shines errour never makes holy though it may be in a holy person and shadowed with the holinesse in whom it is but all the truths of Christ they are as fire that convert soules to its own nature whatever holiness is in the soule is no more but truth digested turned into life and spirit Use So that first let not the world mistake themselves concerning truth It is not enough that men have abundance of notions concerning God or Christ except it be holy truth sanctifying truth this world is growing exceeding knowing men boast of many great and mysterious truths which they know but where is godliness Truth without godliness is as an Oracle without a voice a body without a soule as letters in brass without life Brethren what is it for a man to have found a peece of Gold when he is hungry and can find no meat It is cleare men know little of truth they are so unacquainted with godliness that is truth indeed which moulds the soule into the nature of God which draws a soule into pure fellowship with God which elevates the spirit into the glory of God which turnes all things into life and power in the soule other things are but notions to have truth written in thy Bible and not in thy heart what is it For thee to have a forme of truth in thy understanding the letters transcribed in thy fancy and not be turned spiritually into that forme godliness is nothing else but truth baptized in the soule truth with a new name that soule hath not a sparkle of truth which hath not a motion of life from it truth came out of Gods bosome and is the manifestation of his life and glory and it will turne the heart sutable to that life Vse 2. Would you know what it is to be godly not to have a forme of this and that way of Religion of our owne making but to be conformable to divine truth as good principles and notions without divine impressions of it on the soule are nothing so godliness without a principle of truth to lead it is superstition as truth works godliness so godliness lives answerable unto truth godliness consists not in any forme of worship set us by men though never so glorious but by being one with truth in serving God after his own mind and heart Vse 3. Againe know who are the knowing and the godly men what those who barely and nakedly confess the Articles of faith who beleeve in a cursory manner what is said of God and Christ in the Gospell no but those which are made godly by these truths It is impossible for any to know Jesus Christ and the mystery of the Gospell but they must have the life of it in them if men will judge as God doth of their knowledge by their hearts how few knowing men shall we have in the world God values mens knowledge by their affections by the value they set on truth all our knowledge and speculations of truth without godliness is but a humane knowledge of divine things you know much you see great mysteries of truth what life what spirit hath it put in you If you have seen Jesus Christ as the Center and substance of truth where are the transformations and the raisings of your soules after this Christ apprehended When principles are turned into practice and speculations into power and notions into spirit then your truth is godliness Will you know the reason why there is so much profession of truth and so little practice of godliness why the heads of men have so outgrown their hearts I think it be this either first that which men call truth is errour or the fancies of their own braine not the Vision on the mount Or else secondly they have but the bare and leane apprehensions do not see them in their own nature men place Religion in knowledge and godlinesse in a meere conceit doubtlesse it truth were seene in her naked glory without her hood or gowne only as she comes out of the bosome of Jesus Christ the beames of her glory would pierce the very hearts and soules of men and
above any thing else There be these difficulties rise up for a soule to leap over 1. The greatnesse of sin which when it is once discovered to an inlightned soul is so great and vile that it cannot imagine how it can be pardon'd the Law pressing so hard for satisfaction and the soule can give none when it thinks of God he is so offended it thinks that he will never have mercy The sinner is now put to it in the full prospect of such a heart of such abominations to goe to Christ for salvation to beleeve all these sins though so amazing the soule and of such a damning Nature to be all done away and see more righteousnesse in Christ then sin in it this is a hard work But 2. That a soule should beleeve at such a time when yet among all the rest of its sins it hath such a root of unbeliefe within it springing from the power of selfe-love which keeps the soule under raiseth mists before the eyes of the souls selfe and it striving to evade all the arguments of the Gospell to elude and baffle the soule in all its apprehensions of Christ Unbeliefe saith there is no such thing as Christ it is but a mockery a delusion or else raiseth up a dust before the promise that the soule may not see it for him it tels the soule it is to no end to thinke of pardon thou art gone too farre to recover it is too late or else lessens the riches of mercy but multiplyes the misery of sin Thus unbeliefe like a strong man uncontrouled reignes in the heart But which is more 3. Sense and reason stand unsatisfied the soule can neither see cause why to beleeve nor find any ground in it selfe that if it believe it must goe beyond experience goe contrary to its own senses it feels nothing but the workings of deaths thorough sin sees nothing but hell before its eyes and a necessity of satisfying justice it hath nothing visibly held out to it but a generall promise of a Christ which unbeliefe evades it cannot see reason why God who hath been so highly displeased can ever passe by such affronts and take the soule into favour Now for a man to beleeve against his owne sense and reason as Abram beleeved against hope and above hope La mystery indeed To venture a mans eternall happinesse against his reason and sense on such generall termes as at first is presented to the soule is the great wonder of the world especially if we yet look further and consider 4. What prejudices and misprisions such a sinner hath of Christ The Devill presents him under cruell shapes to such a soule and unbeliefe is not backward to make hideous discoveries as that he is not so rich nor so mercifull one which hath but will not spare me which hath a stock but no heart either they thinke he cannot or will not give what the soule needs Christ lyes remote from the eye of the soule he is in Heaven and they see not his heart they must take things on trust receive him in the promises and that seems to be an uncertaine way of assurance That grosse ignorance of the Nature of the Gospell of the person of Christ is of it selfe invincible and oh what conceits are raised up in the heart against Jesus Christ The soule will run to this and that rather then Christ it will look to selfe if it can find any thing there which may give it but little a ease though it doe deceive it rather then goe to Christ it will court duties and performances Saints and ordinances if any of them will afford but a sparke of comfort to it that it may stay from Christ for selfe and sin cannot indure to heare a good word of Christ the Antipathy is in nothing stranger Lastly view the requisites to beleeving what is required to make one believe for it is above the power of Nature Why 1. There must a light from Heaven shine into our hearts All the light of Nature and reason can never shew what Christ is nor make a man capable of knowing any thing of this mystery The naturall man knowes not the things of God and it is impossible for him to discerne them 1 Cor. 2. Therefore Paul when he speaks of his conversion he describes it by a light that shin'd from Heaven above the light of the Sun He saith that Christ was revealed in him Acts 9. Gal. 1. Thus to make any soule beleeve he must have 〈◊〉 spirituall eye made on purpose and that eye inlightned immediately from God therefore you shall find beleeving and seeing all one in Scripture because Faith is a spirituall sight of the Lord Jesus But 2. All this will not doe but there must be an almighty power put forth even as in creation to make a soule beleeve so the Ap. saith Eph. 1. that the same power is put forth to make soules beleeve that was to raise up Christ from the dead the soule lyes in such darknesse and hath such an enmity to Christ that nothing can reconcile it or make a soule have good thoughts of Christ but to create a new heart in him there is no dealing with the old heart or working on it it will come to no termes of agreement at all for we are not only enemies but enmity it selfe there is not only in us an incapacity but an opposition Col. 1.21 So the Apostle expresseth it by the casting downe strong holds imaginations and every thing which exalteth it selfe against Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 There are such forts which unbeliefe hath raised in the soule such strong holds and mighty strange and yet strong imaginations against Jesus Christ that nothing but weapons made mighty thorough God can cast them downe These strong holds are such as will never yield take no quarter therefore they must be pull'd downe with a high hand and there are imaginations a thousand reasonings against Christ and the Gospell which can never be answered but they must be cast downe Christ must not only be fet out of Heaven in light and showne unto a poor soul but the power of the almighty God must come with him and cast downe all opposition against him if all the Angels should come else to perswade the soule nay if Christ himselfe should come in his owne person without this power he could not perswade the soule out of its Forts Therefore it is said None can come to Christ except the father draw him John 6. That is none can ever beleeve on Christ except God let out a mighty power which may bring him So Faith is called Faith of the operation of God because it is a worke peculiarly that goes thorough his hands it is beyond all other power to doe To summe up all then This must needs be a great mystery that Christ should be beleeved on in the world that darknesse should comprehend light enmity imbrace a union that such proud hearts as we have
leave impressions of an immortall nature on their spirits How can soules see Jesus Christ as the manifestation of God behold him as one received up into glory and sitting at the right hand of God and have it as truth within him and not be drawn out in strong desires of Communion with him and have the reflexions of his holiness and glory on the heart What is godliness but God shining in light and working in life in the soule Take thy picture of truth which thou thinkest thou hast in thy understanding and sit down and rejoyce in the high-flown notions of God and Christ thou knowing Professor while poore soules enjoy the life and power the beauty and substance of all truth within their hearts Obs 2. The second thing of worth is this How full Pauls heart is when he begins to speake of the things of the Gospell like a man that is full of griefe or joy longs to have vent and breakes off on a sudden from his former discourses so doth the Apostle he was to swim out into a great deep and his heart cannot hold he speaks as a man overmatched with matter that is faine to speake broken expressions without controversie c. High manifestations of God should be expressed with great affections as God let out himselfe so our hearts must be taken a little love and admiration will not serve when God manifests himselfe in a mystery the best frame of spirit a soule can be in when he is meditating or to speake of Gospell-mysteries is to be astonished at them as one that knows not where to begin or end you never have known the mysteries of God which have not admired them Use All the use I would make of this to you is to get affections sutable to manifestations to rise as God rises Oh let not your hearts be low when God is high in love and glory Souls which are wrapt up in the bosome of glorious enjoyments that apprehend God in his discoveries of himself cannot but be lost in the thoughts of them then are your soules in a spirituall frame when they worke in the sight of God in Christ and sutable to the openings of his heart the more your hearts are full of these apprehensions the more you will breake forth in admirations But now to the words themselves and in them first of the Preface without Controversie c. The Apostle speaks as one so confident that all did grant it to be truth that there need no farther debate but the laying down the very things themselves The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an absolute and cleare confession of a thing without doubt or scruple and it is as much as if the Apostle had said by the confession of all it is so it is a confessed truth by all the Saints not one disputing or denying it that godlinesse is a great mystery in all these particulars I need give you no confirmation at all of it it is without question to deny it is to be wilfully blind and desperate Obs That there are principles and mysteries of godliness cleare and undeniable to all the Saints He doth not say I confess it is so and all that I have conversed withall but all that have had any light of the spirit confesse this to be true it is a thing generally received without any controversie at all In the opening this I shall shew 1. That there are principles of godliness as of other things 2. That they are confest by the Saints For the first As there are principles in every Art or Science which are as the foundations of other things so likewise in divinity such as the Apostle Heb. 6.1 cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foundation and Heb. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first principles and now cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery and to prove 1. Because divinity or godliness is the most demonstrative and certaine knowledge of things that can be now principles are the foundation of all demonstration if there were not principles there could be no certainty of knowledge No man could speake any thing no man could beleeve any thing if there were not common and generall foundations or principles to build upon therefore this must be granted that God hath left something in Religion which is without dispute 2. If there were not set and absolute principles there could be no common faith or common experience among the Saints none could know the condition of one another or be able to judge of one another neither of things themselves Now the Apostle speakes of a common faith and in another place there is but one faith one baptisme one hope among all the Saints 2 Pet. 1.2 That other Foundation no man can lay than what is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 in Gal. 1. no preaching of anothor Gospell no though by an Angell from heaven But I need prove that no farther 2. These principles are confest by all the Saints this is that the Apostle aimes at that none of the Saints scrupled this That Godlinesse was a great mystery in every one of the particulars mentioned Consider 1. That which belongs to a Saint as a Saint to his very being he cannot be ignorant of as that Jesus Christ died and by his merits we are pardoned that from him is all life that God was manifested in him and accepts us by him that we come to him by faith and enjoy him by our union these things go to the constitution of a Saint faith towards our Lord Jesus and repentance towards God he is not a Saint which knows not this for they are the principles of his being indeed the largeness and extent of these principles The priviledge of his being he may be ignorant for they are successively manifested as the glory of his union and the fulnesse of grace and the rich assurance of it to his own soule these he may be doubtfull in but to question this whether Christ be the Son of God hath died and is risen againe these he cannot be ignorant of for his faith is vaine if these things be not true and granted by him he is no Saint if Christ be no Saviour but for the manner of making out this of what full efficacy Christs Death and Resurrection is and the like and the manner of applying this he may be exceeding darke in 2. The principles of godliness are laid down so positive and so plaine that the light that every Saint receives makes him beleeve them these things are exprest in absolute termes that Christ is the only Saviour and nothing to be joyned with him that justification is freely by grace that in Adam all have sinned that all which are in Christ are new Creatures with such like expressions so that the first and most common light of faith assents to them there be some things in the Word in which there lies a great deale of beauty and glory not so nakedly exprest nor so obvious
to every understanding as of the time of justification the manner of our union many things of the Kingdome of Christ and other things which may admit a Controversie they being not so cleare in themselves 3. Principles that are absolutely fundamentall God hath set them down as the objects of faith to be beleeved on not disputed And though we cannot see the reason of them yet we are to beleeve them their demonstration lies in Gods testimony of them Gods word for things is a Christian reason Vse Oh that in this sceptick age we would but observe this rule to hold to principles men are grown to question every thing fundamentals cannot scape some mens questions most mens criticks are above their judgements Some thinke Religion lies in a questioning all things That good notion of searching after truth deceives many by misapprehension the way to lose truth is to question the principles on which they are built the Apostle speaks unto Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to strive about words which tend to no profit 2 Tim. 2.14 and to hold fast the forme of wholsome words of doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 an express systeme of principles In all Sciences something must be taken for granted Philosophers have made a just Law Contra principia non est disputandum they hiss at men that shall deny principles received by all Schollars grounded on the absolute Law of Reason for there must be some granted rules and principles that men dispute by else it will be but a babble no dispute all argumentation is concerning the application of rules and deductions from principles So it is in divinity there be some truths are as foundation stones must not be touched lest the whole building fall with it I blame not Saints for searching after truth but condemne that stint of mens spirits to looke after no more than they have known great and noble spirits love to be reaching after perfection there is much to be discovered of the mystery of the Gospell of the glory and beauty of truth But this I urge that there are some things must be without controversie some truths that are written as with a Sun-beame confest and acknowledged by all that must be beleeved not argued There is a twofold questioning of things 1. Doubting whether they be so or no that is dangerous because men shall never want their scruples if they will dispute those things which are supernatural what God hath by his owne testimony in the Word and in the hearts of all the Saints put out of question It is Crimen laesae Majestatis but to name in doubting 2. Men question things to be more cleered and confirmed in them not so much for satisfaction of the truth of them as desire to see the farther beauty and excellency of them this is commendable for Saints to study all the principles wherein God hath manifested himselfe that he may have his heart more set upon them So the Bereans they were more noble they would enquire into the Doctrine that Paul preached and Paul commends them for it and saith they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of better breeding whatever comes from men you may question and search againe whether it be so or no but what you find in the Word laid down in express termes you may not question but beleeve though yet you may labour to be more cleare and to have the same thing more demonstrative and more spirituall to you the Apostle unto Timothy that the things he had heard of him among many witnesses he should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commit unto faithfull men who may teach the same to others 2 Tim. 2.2 the Apostle would have the same Doctrine to go from hand to hand and be transferred unto others for new principles to be revealed I expect not but those in a new way more of truth in a new kind of glory more full and enriching the light that the Saints have received is the same for kind and nature but not for degree therefore the Apostle saith If we or an Angel from heaven shall preach another Gospell that is different from what is preached in the revelation of Christ let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. It is one thing to preach another Gospell and another thing to have that same Gospell opened more gloriously and to have the sparklings of it more strong and glorious He that will know no more than he hath known is proud and knows nothing and he that will know any thing contrary or more than these principles of godlinesse containes and will by improvement come up to will be as one in the darke that knows not where he goes to stick on the bare principles and go no farther is as a child that learnes his Catechisme and thinks he needs no more learning and to seeke to know much with casting of principles is as one that would learne the Hebrew or Greeke and yet will cast aside the Characters and Rules That soule can never miscarry in divine knowledge that holding the foundation builds according to that Let your structure be as high and glorious as can be so your foundation be sure for a man to make a long and mysterious discourse and accent every expression with the best language and yet neither he nor any that heares can tell neither what he aimes at or to what head or principle naturall to reduce it how ridiculous is he in all wise mens eyes all the fine and curious webs of speculation which men spin and these stately structures in their own fancies will all be cut in sunder and fall down if they be not founded on the first same and eternall principles of godlinesse God hath saved all the Saints by one and the same way Christ and faith And though these things are more gloriously exprest now than before and the same heart more opened in the same Christ and faith acted with greater strength and cleereness than formerly yet the same love and faith and Christ continues still It is a pittifull thing to see soules stick still on the bare principles and not launch out into that deep mystery which is conteined in them and as sad it is to see men leave these principles and hug their own fancies Oh Beloved that unity in the spirit lies much in the onenesse and union of the foundation This one Principle That God was manifest in flesh and this Christ made a Mediatour of soules what an eternall ground of comfort doth it afford thou needest not goe seek a new manifestation of this God the studying but of this one may take up all thy thoughts every minute and moment of thy life and entertain thee with fresh and new wonders of Glory Every one of these Principles are a mystery and mysteryes though about the same things are opened but by degrees Angels desire to let out their thoughts in the reviewing of these unsearchable riches There is not a line or expression of Christ in
the Scripture but is matter enough for a whole Age to Comment upon so that thou needest not leave old principles for new discoveries for in them thou mayest find successive sweetnesse The Apostle in the 2 Colossians v. 2. speakes of a full assurance of understanding which the Saints may come unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the same with what the Text saith To be so fully assured in our understandings of all the truths of the Gospell that nothing can shake us To have all things so demonstrative and cleare and our judgements so convinced and setled in them that we may see round about all the objections that can be made of them Doubting in judgement makes doubting in conscience and Faith As your principles are so your practise will be therefore you had need have them cleare The holding of some things are so odious that a Saint should not answer them but contemne them So Paul when this objection came in that we might sinne because grace abounded Rom. 6.1 What doth he stand to confute it no he will not honour it with an answer but abominates the thoughts of it God forbid saith he To conclude this with a ground of comfort to all Saints Your salvation is without controversie the grounds of your eternall peace are not to be so much as questioned All things are carryed on in a mystery yet so sure as that it is death to question them You may as well doubt whether there be a God as doubt whether the everlasting foundation of your peace can be removed There is nothing for you to doe in this but to believe as these things in themselves are past dispute so doe you believe that they may be without doubt to you Get your assurances as unquestionable as Gods foundation for that stands sure and hath an eternall seal unto it put your propriety in this mystery out of dispute that you may be able to say without all controversy this mystery is in me and as God was manifest in flesh and I may not doubt it so God is manifest in me and I dare not deny it Art thou in Iesus Christ who is the summe of this great mystery why then let Devills and men question thy salvation it cannot hinder thy comfort Beloved get things at such a passe in your soules that all things are beyond dispute in your hearts either concerning the principles or the application of them to your conscience that you may come to the full assurance of Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospell not to doubt of the truth of them so come to the full assurance of Faith not to question your part in them That as this is sure that Christ is so you may be as sure that you are in Christ God hath not left the things of salvation the great truths of his Gospell to be judged by the pur-blind eye of a probable judgement but by the cleer and open eye of Faith And though they seem to lye never so contrary to the received principles of reason yet if they have God's stampe they must be beleeved by our Faith If we may but guesse and conjecture at things of the Gospell what a miserable condition were we in what a disparagement to the divine light of Truth that it is not so demonstrative and fit for knowledge as the maximes of Nature Indeed as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.8 The naturall man with all his accomplisht parts and light of reason cannot perceive the things of God the utmost of his knowledge is but conjecturall and common he sees not into the nature of these truths But the poorest soule which hath the least beame of supernaturall light in his Understanding beholds such infallible cleernesse in the mind of God that his whole soule fals down before the manifestation of it Ob. But can a soule be as much without controversy and doubt of his own salvation and of his being wrapt up in in that Mystery as he is of the truth of the things themselves Sol. I answer Yes the same that reveales the one reveales the other the same un-erring spirit that revealed the mystery in it selfe reveales it to the soule and the same closeth with the light of the one as with the other why may not a soule be assured that what the Holy Ghost hath written in his heart is as certaine as what he hath writ in the word Doubtlesse the worke of the spirit in the fleshly tables of our heart is as certaine and I may have as sure knowledge of it as of the writing in Tables of stone or in paper for the Mistery of God in the heart is but a transcript of what is in the word yea doubtlesse it is more glorious then the bare expression of the mystery in words What makes the soule be fully perswaded that this in the Bible is the word of God that these truths are certaine but because of that light and demonstration of the spirit which accompanies it every one sees not that infallible glory and beauty in these things only takes them up in a generall and customary notion but in the Saints they know it is so as they know that snow is white and the same light and power of the spirit assures their soules that what is written in their hearts is as absolute an undenyable truth The inequality of light from the spirit causeth the inequality of knowledge and assurance concerning them both And the Apopostle speaks as confidently of his own salvation as he speaks of the Truth of the Gospell we know that if this earthly house c. 2 Cor. 5.1 And we know we are of God though all the world lyes in wickednesse And there is a full assurance of Faith as of understanding Oh look therefore to come into an unquestionable condition once thou hast it demonstrative that thou art in Christ take heed of questioning it As every word which God hath spoken shall not passe away unfulfilled so every worke which God hath wrought in thee shall be perfected God giving the same assurance to thy spirit as he doth to his owne Truth SERMON II. 1 TIM 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse c. IN these words there is a full and summary comprehension of the deepest divine truths that ever came out of Gods heart and a seale of confirmation added to the assurance of them they are not things which hang on uncertaine grounds but have such demonstrations within themselves that they are without all controversy confest absolutely by al Saints not but that some doe deny them but that in themselves they are to be beleeved by the Saints There is no place in all the Scripture that in one verse doth Epitomize all Divinity as this that I may call it a Map of both worlds wherein at once you may behold all that which would cost you all your life to travell over and see in the fulnesse of its Glory All Divinity may be reduced to
two heads Gods manifestation in Christ and Christs manifestation in us God in Him and He in us and both these are laid out to the full in the Text. We may well admire the fullnesse and shortnesse of Divine expression in the Scripture that so much should be wrapt up in so little more then to have Homers Iliads compriz'd in a nut-shell Turn over all the Volumes of Nature all the large writings of Prophane or Divine Authors they containe not so much matter as one of these expressions will hold forth unto us That which I shall begin with is the generall description of Divinity which is laid down in these words Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein you have first the thing described that is Godlinesse or else you have The subject Godlinesse The predicate Mystery The adjunct a Great Mystery 2. The description it selfe it is a Mystery 3. The adjunct our Title to expresse by it is a Great Mystery The Apostle cannot containe himselfe in ordinary expressions to say it was a mystery is an exceeding large expression beyond our apprehensions but in that he cals it a great mystery he raiseth our thoughts and loseth our understanding This observe by the way you can never speake too high of nor admire too much any thing of the Gospell when you have spoken to the utmost and have lost your selfe and your hearers yet then you are below what glory is conteined in them you may speake too much of any creature and presently transgresse in your commendations but it is impossible that ever any expressions should reach Gospell-mystery Hyperboles in the world are the excretion of our frothy wits and serve but only to indulge our corrupt affections but as one saith Deus Coelum non patitur hyperbolen all the height of expressions and wit strained through the narrowest and purest fancy can never be too high in expressing Gospell-glory Gods own spirit is as it were streightned and at a losse for expressions to set forth the deep mysteries of the Gospell and though what is spoken of them be proper yet they are far under the things themselves and no more than Pictures and Phantasmes to the reality of those things themselves What words can be given to set forth invisible and immortall and immense glory God hath help'd our senses and understandings by those expressions though in all that is written he hath spoken below himselfe if a man should paint the glory of the sun what colours could he use or how would he limb out the nature of a soule why spirituall mysteries are far more invisible and glorious 1. I shall begin in the first place with the subject of the proposition that it Godliness 2. Shew that it is mystery 3. That it is a Great mystery That every word as well single as compounded may have its weight For the first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the right worshipping of God in the generall signification of it and it is used by the heathens to expresse the worship of their Gods But in that notion it is not meant here besides what was said the last time of the nature of Godlinesse in regard of the communion of the two expressions truth and godlinesse I shall proceed more particularly to express the nature of it It is used three waies in Scripture 1. For the whole doctrine of the Gospell as a generall word which containes whatever is demonstrated concerning God so it is called the doctrine which is according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 thus godlinesse is truth 2. It is put for the inward worke of all these truths on the heart for the gracious qualifications of a soule sutable to the truths of the Gospell they are put both together by the Apostle Tit. 1.1 2. the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godliness it imports the inward frame of the soule in conformity to the truths which are godliness 3. It is put forth the holy walkings of a Saint in the world from the patterne of these spirituall truths 1 Tim. 4.7 exercise thy selfe in godlinesse that is in all the waies of holiness by godliness here is meant the whole sum of divinity the circumference of all Religion especially that which contains the great contrivance of Gods wisdome and love in the Gospel and the manifestation and working of it in us It is not meant barely of the truths themselves but of the workes of these truths in the Saints So that godliness consists in the light of truth and in the life of grace God manifesting himselfe in the light of truth and working in the life of love and grace in the heart There is a forme of godlinesse which the Apostle speaks of 2 Tim. 3.5 a meere externall profession and garbe of godlinesse there is no mystery in that men may take up a curious picture of holiness without much ado nature can reach that mystery but there is a power of godliness which consists in the life and spirit of truth in the soule that is a mystery Will you know then what godliness is It is the openings of Gods glory in its selfe and the workings of it gloriously in the soule Godlinesse lies not in the bare expression of words nor in the externall forme of profession of these words But it lies in the divine glory of God which is wrapt up in these words and the gracious dispositions and affections of the soule to these things What a great matter is it for a man to confess Jesus Christ to be the Son of God to pray and express outward words accordingly But to see the mystery of that glory which is in this that Christ is Gods Son and to have the powerfull influence of it in the soule this is godlinesse and that which is called a great mystery Thus then the whole manifestation of God in the Gospell all the actings of his glory in truth and all those truths wrought in the soule is this godlinesse which the Apostle well cals a great mystery though this must be added that the Apostle especially aimes here at the truths themselves and Gods manifestation of his glory in them Now secondly This he cals a mystery It is a high expression and worthy to be appropriated unto godlinesse and the Holy Ghost ever makes use of it when he would set forth the unexpressible nature of Gospell-truth therefore to open it 1. It signifies some secret and hidden thing that is above vulgar apprehension its word that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to shut up and hide a thing that none may find it and know where it is as men hide jewels and precious things from common hands therefore Daniel saith It is God in heaven that reveales mysteries or secret things Dan. 2.28 Thus godlinesse is a mystery hidden from the eyes of thousands hidden in Gods own breast from everlasting and as the Apostle expresseth in Eph. 3. hidden from generations of men The
Gospell is Gods secret that which is his bosome counsell Angels nor men could not have known it if God had not revealed it so that it is a mystery which without revelation is unknown that which cannot be demonstrated or argued out but its nature consists in revelation Among the heathen they had their mysteries in their temples which they must not discover therefore there was an Image before the Temple with his finger before his mouth shewing that they must be silent in discovering hidden mysteries Though the Gospell be now revealed yet it is a mystery because once it was kept so secret 2. And which follows from thence that is a mystery which hath any thing in its owne nature which is not obvious and which lies not open to the quick and present apprehensions of men as some things in nature are said to be mysteries and in government there are arcana imperii hidden things of state that the vulgar cannot pry into secret wheeles that move many actions which they cannot see move only do behold the outward action the things of the Gospell are arcana Dei though we see the things done yet we see not these invisible glorious wheels which did act them and thus though the thing it selfe be revealed yet because the reasons of them lye under ground they are called mysteries thus the conversion of the Gentiles and the calling of the Jews are both called mysteries Rom. 11. thus divine truths are mysteries thou hearest of Christ and hast manifestations of God to thee but alas the infinite reason God hath acted from the secret wheels that have run along in every veine of Gods love that is unknown who hath searched his counsels saith the Apostle All Gods actions to us they have come from infinite and unsearchable counsels go into a Chymists shop there thou findest severall extractions of mettals which thou seest and tastest but how he did it thou know'st not that is a mystery to thee what art he used in so rare a thing which to thy eye seemes contrary and impossible godlinesse hath been acted in such an invisible way that it may well be called a mystery How hath the Load-stone pusled all the heads of the greatest ones in the world that they have left it as a mystery a thing only to be beleeved but the reason not known only have reduced its power under a generall notion of Sympathy and all because men knew not the occult reasons of its nature That God should carry himselfe in such a hidden way of glory that none can find out his steps but only by the effects of it and that we can only say it is so but not how or why it is so is the mystery of godlinesse 3. That is a mystery whose inward nature and excellency cannot be expressd but is wrapt up in outward figures and representations that which is so glorious in its own Nature as it cannot be seen or manifested to us but by the intervention of some externall medium Thus marriage is said to be a great myst'ry because it is set to convay the hidden and mystical Marriage between Christ and the Church Eph. 5. One would have thought all along that Chapter he spoke in a literall sence of marriage but at last he sums up all this a great mystery But I speak concerning Christ and the Church Thus all the Gospell in generall and in particular is full of mysteryes It s owne Nature is vailed in words and outward Types Gods relations to us and Christs under the notions of Husband and Wife Father and Children God compared to light Christ set out by a Lyon a Lambe a Shepherd Grace express'd by gold and silver and precious stones Heaven by Paradise All which things doe rather vaile then expresse these hidden glories in them and all these titles which are so many mysteries of Christ in which are contain'd the Nature of things far above them And under all these is covered the realtie that God is to the soul As Hieroglyphicks doe denote something that is internall so doe all the expressions of Scripture and all the manifestations of God but represent some hidden glorie that at first we cannot perceive Therefore Christ delivers the Gospell in Parables and tels his Disciples Unto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdome God makes many shapes and appearance of these inward beauties that we may come to learn what they mean by these sensible things As some stately pictures are covered over with a Curtaine that every one that comes into the room cannot see them So is it with the things of Heaven they are represented in grosse bodies which is as a Curtaine before them and untill that be drawn none can behold them The Sacraments they are outward signes of an invisible glory in Water and Bread and Wine are represented and vailed Christ in his person and merrits in all his holinesse to the soule he that comes and touches these things and tasts them may see but little in them more then in ordinary bread but only God discovers a mystery under these signes unto a Saints Faith makes the soule see Christ in his Nature and Merits and feel him in his Vertue So in preaching the high and unexpressible love of God is to be let forth in the words of a Minister which words can never expresse what that love is And soules may heare a thousand of the most Gospell-Sermons that can be preach'd and yet understand nothing of Divine Truth only there is a mystery vailed in these words and the great and inward things of God are manifested thorough these words And this is one great respect wherein the godliness is call'd a mystery because its own Nature is not to be exprest though it be represented by outward things 4. It is a mystery because of the fulnesse and vastnesse and variety of its manifestations it is so ful as that it cannot be discovered at once it is so vast as that it cannot be lookt into but by degrees the variety of its actings are so many as that you have it open'd in severall parcels As some looks that you have seen have so many several wards and turnings in them that though they be in one peece yet you must have divers keys and divers turnings to open it as severall artificiall Boxes folded in one another so is the mystery of the Gospell though one intire peece of Heavenly light yet interwomen with such varietie of turnings and spreading it selfe abroad into so vast a circumference that you cannot see but a little of its glory as you can see no more of the Sun then in your owne Horizon So saith the Apostle Rom. 1. The Righteousnesse of God is revealed from Faith to Faith And in the Revelations The Book of the Lambe had seven Seales Take godlinesse in its selfe and the whole bulk of it and it is so large as it reacheth from everlasting to everlasting and all along it is manifested
fathome them but the things of Religion are mysteries far above the reach of nature no marvell if the wise men and the noble men of the world are so foolish in these things for the Apostle gives the reason We speake the wisdome of God in a mystery 1 Cor. 2.7 the wisdome of God is made known in the Gospell and in a mystery what is that why it is vailed in outward and poore and low expressions which all their parts cannot see into The Apostle professeth that no naturall man can reach the meaning of them 1 Cor. 2.14 All the things of Christ they are paradoxes strange things to men of great judgements in the world and the reason is because they are spiritually to be discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a great objection against many things of truth such great men and wise men can see no reason for it it is no wonder for they are mysteries Those which will find out this riddle must plow with another Heifer than sense and reason and naturall endowments God hath so ordered that he hath chosen the foolish things of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confound the wise things of the world 1 Cor. 1.27 Therefore the Gospell is called the wisdome of God as opposite to the wisdome of men And the Apostle saith positively that it was wisdome in such a mystery that none of the Princes of this world knew Nay the Spirit jeeres all the learned of the world in this very thing because of their grosse ignorance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where is the Scribe Where is the wise Where is the disputer hath not God made foolish the wisdome of the world 1 Cor. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ he blesseth his Father for this that he had hid these things from wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes Mat. 11. There is a twofold knowledge of Religion A historicall or notionall and spirituall and mysticall the first these which are most wise may come unto the most exact knowledge of as far as letters and words will expresse things as much as outward Characters can expresse inward life and they may know the true sence and meaning of things in the Gospel according to what either the history or the tenor of such words will import and have as reall meaning of the words as the best of Saints may have But this is haerere in cortice to stick at the rind they can never spiritually see into that glorious mystery which God intends by those expressions But this I would have all to note though the mystery is more than can be exprest in word and there is a further glory hidden than is exprest in any sentences divine yet there is no mystery contrary to the very sense and meaning of the positive words of scripture Ob. So that if any aske how far the light of humane reason can go in the finding out these great mysteries Sol. I answer No farther than what the sense of words will beare and the deductions and conclusions from thence which yet may be as true for the notion as any knowledge which enlightned souls have but into the intimate glory and nature of the things themselves and Gods designe of love and glory in them all the light of nature cannot see for they are spirituall things though cloathed with earthly formes and expressing themselves by earthly mediums and they are to be judged in their owne nature and their ownlight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judging spirituall things by spirituall as the sun must be tried by its own light not by the stars or a candle for example suppose a mans soule be affected with joy or griefe or taken up with apprehensions of some high nature and it breakes forth in words or writing to expresse this any man which hath reason can tell what the words mean and so gives judgement of his workings But to see intimately how that soule works how the spirits flow up and downe in the workings of the soule on those apprehensions none can imagine but one that is possest with the very same passion and can go as it were purely into such a soule so may I say of all the mystery of the Gospell the sound of words the sense of things which they hold forth nature may see reason may apprehend But to behold the spirituall glory and beauty of God in these above all things else none but the spirituall man one who hath his heart in the bosome of those glories can see Therefore the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians Eph. 1.17 18. That they might have the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of their understanding being enlightned they might know c. 2. Vse What cause hast thou to blesse God for ever who hast any thing of this mystery made known to thee It was hid from ages and generations of men and hath God revealed it in any measure to thy poor soule Oh what a deal of wonder should it raise in thy heart It is as a great mystery to reveal this in thee as the things themselves doe hold forth The Apostle to the Colossians magnifies the dispensation of it 1 Col. 26 27. And he cals it the riches of the glory of the mystery which is Christ in you This mystery holds forth the unsearchable riches of Christ to the poor soul Oh men doe not know what a mercy it is to have a revelation of this glorious Christ in such a mystery in their owne soules that must needs be a glorious mercy which Christ doth so heartily thanke his Father for Mat. 11. There is not such an expression in all the Scripture againe where Christ doth so expressely thanke his Father as for the revelation of these great things to poore soules God might have shut up thee in blindness with the world given thee only parts and gifts in the world heightned thy understanding to have contemplated the secrets of Nature and it had born a great mercy or at most might have inlightned thy reason to have taken in the outward notion of the Gospell But hath he revealed Christ in thee let thee see into the wonders of glory which no tongue can expresse and given thee the light of his Glory in thy heart Oh how should thy soule be ravished with the riches of God's love to thee 3. Vse If Religion be a mystery how should we wait on God for the manifestation of every truth of it when we come to heare the Gospell we should come as to mysteries lay downe our owne carnall reason and unbeliefe and look for God to teach us and to reveale his owne glory in us There is a twofold vaile must be taken away the one from our eyes and the other from the things themselves 1. God must open divine truths to us in their owne Nature there is a vaile that lies on them viz. the darknesse of the expression of them nay the resplendentnesse and exceeding glory of
truth in its selfe is as a vaile before it as the glory of the Sun is as a vaile unto it that we cannot look stedfastly on it to behold its Nature Now God must remove all vailes from godlinesse and make its glory raking unto us and not only so But 2. The vaile must be taken off from our eyes though these things were never so lightsome yet if we are blind it is all one to us light and darkenesse is at one with a blind man The Apostle saith of the Jewes that when Moses was read there was a vaile on his face they could not see thorough these outward shadowes the living substance Jesus Christ but the reason was because the vaile was on their hearts But when the vaile is taken off then we behold with open face the glory of God as in a glasse 2 Cor. 3 ult Men strive to excell in knowledge in the world to dive into things that are not common which others understand nor Oh Brethren here is knowledge indeed to comprehend this mystery of godlinesse 1. In the knowing this a man comes to be privy to all God's eternall plots and designes of love and grace unto the world 2. Soules which behold this mystery they see their own persons and happiness wrapped up in it for it is a mystery for us and in us 3. In knowing this a soule is able to reconcile all contradictions both in himselfe and the world for they all have their reason here which in Nature are absurdities 4. There is no way to take thy heart or worke on thy soule by any truth but as thou seest in the hidden and mysterious excellency of it all outward apprehensions of divine things will goe no farther then the outward man SERMON II. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. I Am now come to these particulars wherein the Apostle layes down the greatnesse of the Mystery of godlinesse he might well elevate his voice and accent his words when he was to speak of such deep things to call it a great Mystery Godlinesse in generall is a mystery and every thing contained in it grace and the actings of so many mysteries But here indeed lyes the greatnesse of the mystery that is passing all knowledge that God is manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit So that the Apostle summes up all the mystery of godlinesse in these six particulars Before I come to handle each distinctly know in generall that all that is spoken of here in this mysterious enumeration of particulars it is spoken of in reference to Jesus Christ he is the summe and subject of it For God manifested in the flesh was no other then Christ who was also justified in the spirit and who is Preached unto the Gentiles and who is beleeved on in the World c. They all are so many severall openings of Christ according to the severall waies he may be apprehended Christ is the mystery wrapt up in all the mysteries of the Gospell he comprehends all the circumference of godlinesse he is the scope of all the Scriptures the Pearle hid in the large Field of God's word Every line is drawn to him as the centre all things and persons in the old world were types of him all the Prophets prophesied of him all the New Testament speaks of him all the Saints are joyn'd to him all Gods love runs thorough him all graces and gifts flow from him the whole eye of God is upon him his great designes in Heaven and Earth meet in him as man is an Epitome of the whole world so is Christ of all religion Eph. 1.10 There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summing up of all things in Heaven and Earth in Jesus Christ If you look on the Creation the world was made by Christ Col. 1.15 16 17. on evidences all things subsist in Christ have their being and well being in him If you eye what is the end of all things why it is Christ all things made for him Look againe how all things are redeemed why God was in Christ reconciling the world 2 Cor. 6. Will you know where to finde God why he is in Christ Will you know what is Heaven it is to be with Christ Phil. 1. Whence comes the spirit but from Christ what doth the spirit do in the World He shall glorifie Christ for he shall take of mine Joh. 16. What is the subject of the Old New Testament but a Christ to come and come What is the end of preaching but to bring men to Christ What use of ordinances but to set forth Christ Christ is the great center between Heaven and Earth God Angels Men and all creatures meet in him and are all vertually in him What is in the Saints but Christ What doe the Saints love and beleeve in but Christ He is the fulnesse of him that fils all in all 1 Ephes ult Use Let all creatures stand and gaze and wonder and admire at Jesus Christ he is the great wonder of knowledge Oh how should all our hearts be contracted in the beholding Jesus Christ What delight should soules take in the studying of this Christ Saints turne your eyes on the Lord and see his glory Whatever you know in the world labour to know him He is the mystery of all the glory of God When thou hast sought over all the world all the Gospell thou shalt find God laying out nothing but Christ all relations are found in Christ all excellencies are gathered up in him as beames in the Sun Come poor soule whose eyes run two and fro the world to find comforts and happinesse cast thy eye back and see Heaven and Earth in one and look what ever thy vast thoughts can fancie not only to be in this world but in the world to come or if thou canst imagine more variety see that and infinitely more shining forth from the person of the Lord Jesus Ministers must cry up Christ Saints must adore him Angels must stand amazed at him all creatures must vaile all their glory to him Here is an object of love a compendium of all glories here is one for a heart to be taken with that is made of nothing but of severall mysteries of glory Well might the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.2 Phil. 3. desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ to account all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ he knew all things in him Oh what mad men are sinners which reject this Christ they slight all at once nothing is ever to be had without Christ nothing but in Christ Why stand you gazing on the toyes of this world when such a Christ is offered you in the Gospell Can the world die for you can the world bring God to you can the world advance you to Heaven Oh let all cry out none but Christ studdy nothing but Christ goe to nothing but Christ admire nothing but Christ as he is the summe and substance of all
things so let him be the full and compleat subject of your Faith and Love and Joyes and Delights the more you see him the more your hearts will be lost in love to him you may see every day new mysteries of Love and Beauty in Jesus Christ new depths of wisdome and fulnesse Oh how could the Apostle choose when he thought of Christ but break out as he did Let them be Anathema Maranatha that love not the Lord Jesus Cursed for ever be those soules that cannot love such a Christ there can be no curse too dreadfull But so much only in the generall which yet is worth your observation The particulars in themselves are so glorious as they dazle my eyes something might be said of them but the depth and glory of them can never be exprest To begin with the first God manifest in flesh This is the bottome of all the mysteries in the Gospell every word speaks Paradoxes God manifested is wonderfull for no man ever saw God at any time But God manifested in flesh that is a contradiction it is more absurd to nature then to say a spirit is flesh God hath gone beyond us exceedingly in the work of our own salvation yet because that the thing is made known we must pry into the mystery of it and of all the mysteries in the Gospell this is the first and greatest the foundation of all the rest In the opening of it we must observe 1. What is meant by God 2. What by God manifested 3. What by flesh and the manifestation in flesh 4. How God hath manifested himselfe in flesh 5. The eminency of this manifestation above all other 6. The mystery of all this For the first By God is not meant God essentially the very God-head indefinitely but God personally in such a person though the whole god-head be included yet it is manifested but in one Person to wit the second Person Jesus Christ because all actions are done by Persons not by Natures Therefore this is a manifestation of God in his owne Son God's essence was never manifested no man ever saw God only the onely begotten Son He that came out of his bosome to reveale him And this is none other but an exact description of Christ which is God manifest in the flesh Now secondly by God is not barely meant an apparition of God in flesh which he meant to lay downe againe upon an occasion but as the word signifies passively conspicuus factus est in carne is made known and cleer to us in flesh This manifestation notes not a transcient shew of God to us but a cleer and constant demonstration of God and the only great and glorious first way of the manifesting God unto us as the word signifies a making of a thing to shine as the Sun to our eyes that convinceth every man of what he seeth And this not only as a glimpse of God which was very glorious and so away but as the cleerest and richest way of discovery that ever was or should be in this world But thirdly VVhat this flesh should be is a mystery Flesh is taken severall ways in Scripture First For sinne and its sinfull Nature we have See the lusts of the flesh that cannot be here meant God hath made no appearance of himselfe in sin Secondly Flesh taken for our humane Nature All flesh have corrupted their waies Gen. 6. That is all men their Natures are defiled So Rom. 7. in my flesh dwels no good thing that is in my Nature either in soule or body or both Thirdly Flesh is commonly taken for the weaknesse and infirmities of that Nature All flesh is grasse and the glory of it as the flower 1 Pet. 1. And the Holy Ghost speaking of the Aegyptian Horses tels you that they are flesh and not spirit it is weak and not strong So that Fourthly How hath God manifested himselfe in flesh not in the first sence but the two latter in appearing in our Nature in taking our infirmities and weaknesse sutable unto that Nature sin still excepted And what is here called the manifestation of God in flesh is in other Scriptures parallell explain'd As he is said to be Immanuell God with us Mat. 2. How can that be but only because of being in the same common Nature with us It is said the word was made flesh and dwelt among us 1 John 14. it is the same phrase with this for the word was God v. 1. And yet it was made flesh not that there was any transmutation of God into flesh that was blasphemy but only by reason of the union of flesh to him who was God This is farther exprest in the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 2.16 He took not on him the Nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He assumed not to himselfe that is God did manifest himselfe or appeared in any Angelicall Nature but in the Nature of men And was made in all things like unto us sin only excepted There is another cleer place Phil. 2.6 7 8. Which the Apostle urgeth about the manner of this discovery that Christ though he were in the forme of God and thought it no robbery that is did God no wrong to say he was equall with him yet assumed or took on him or appeared in the forme or the likenesse of a servant it is our Nature which was in subjection and servitude unto God So that now this manifestation of God in flesh is no other then God in the second person assuming to himselfe the humane Nature and so revealing himselfe to men sutably to their condition and this is Christ This manifestation is an effect of Gods assumption of our Nature so that this expression literally imports 1. The assuming of our Nature and the union with God God taking up us to himselfe as one in our common Nature 2. The full discovery of God to us in our owne Nature God acting forth his glory in our owne flesh And al this is stil but to denote out Christ who is the person set forth in the Gospell who was with God and was God and dwelt among us as the Apostle saith that is took up his Tabernacle of flesh in our Nature thereby to converse with us Yet many would faine wrest this Scripture from the person of Christ for some of the old Interpreters as Beza observes leave out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and put in only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod manifestè est omit God and put in which mystery manifested in flesh thereby to take off the glory of Christs as God Erasm by flesh here he understands the whole world and by manifestation the Gospell intimating that this is the mystery that God should be manifested to the world but that is contrary unto this place for he afterwards speaks of the Preaching of it to the Gentiles that is to the whole world It is doubtlesse meant of God as in our Nature making up the person of Jesus
Christ and this will yet appeare if you consider the 4 Thing that this was the greatest manifestation of God that ever was God was manifested in nothing like this for look first over the manifestation of God in the first creation there was but only some outside of God's glory discovered nothing of Gods Nature The whole world never saw what God was truly by that Indeed the Apostle saith Rom 1. That the invisible things of God were knowne by the things that are made even God's eternall power and wisdome but these were manifested in an ordinary and common way as a Picture shewes the art of the Painter but yet you may not know his person But in this God himselfe is manifested for first here is not only so much of God manifested as humane nature it selfe could demonstrate for then it had been a poor manifestation of God who can see God in seeing all the men in the world or in all the Saints in the world in their flesh but it sets out a speciall way of assumption of our Nature unto the person of Christ who was God making these two natures but one person 2. This manifestation was in union of flesh in the neerest way to God himselfe not as a lanthorne to hold the light only of God's glory but as one intire person to represent what God is in himselfe all the whole world was never united to God before though God did manifest some thing to our Nature as to Adam yet God did never unite any creature to himselfe before and though God was manifest to flesh yet never in flesh before that is the great mystery God is manifest to his Saints but he is not manifested in the flesh or in the Nature of any but Jesus Christ This is so great a manifestation as that God is become man as it were by reason of the union of their Natures the word was made flesh and dwelt among us as if God had relinquished his own Name and Nature and lost himselfe in our Nature he was found in the forme of a servant Now let us but thinke what a manifestation of God this must be which is God not only letting forth himselfe in a way of communication but God in union with the same Nature which we are in Therefore Christ is called the expresse image of the person of the Father not an image as he was the second person meerly for so he was not the image but God himselfe but an image because in that union of our Nature with God there was the exactest discovery of God himselfe as possible could be to the creature 2 Cor. 3 ult Therefore Christ is called a glasse wherein a man may with open face behold the bright glory of God But 6. How great must this mystery needes be God manifested in flesh how is that possible flesh hides God he is of a spirituall Nature it is as much as to say the Sun manifested in a cloud or light manifest in darknesse I confesse my heart could rather stand and admire then speak any thing more What ever is a medium of conveyance of any thing in Nature must be proportion'd unto the thing it discovers as the aire not a mud wall conveys the light of the Sun to us flesh and God what proportion is there between them let flesh be but thought God must needs be forgotten for they are at an infinite distance yea contrary yet this is the mystery 1. God not only setting our himselfe thorough flesh in a transient way shining thorough it but being made flesh being one with flesh 2. Not in innocent Nature but in the likenesse of sinfull Nature Rom. 8.3 To manifest himselfe in the flesh of Rebels and Traytours and honour that flesh which had so sinned and was so polluted this is a mystery 3. To act in this Nature in the world to dye and be despised and suffer the utmost contradiction of sinners who is able to fathom the depth of this mystery As one saith of the Trinity they were like three sisters which spun one piece of a garment and only one weares it so had all these three an hand in the making of this Nature but only Christ the second Person weares it and all their glory is laid out in it how one Person could be God and man how God should be put to death in our Nature to reconcile us to himselfe flesh filled with the fulnesse of God is beyond the apprehension of men and Angels to declare But we may tell that it is so and admire it as we speake Blessednesse to be made a curse Heaven let downe into Hell the God of the world shutting himselfe up as it were in a body the invisible God made visible to sense he which hath all things in Heaven and Earth at his command not have a house in the world glory it selfe of no comelinesse What shall I say all things become nothing making it selfe of no reputation And a thousand more such paradoxes are wrapt up in this one expression Oh how great a depth is in this glorious design of God he was manifested to Adam to Moses and many others but here was his utmost manifestation in our flesh For the nature of this manifestation know 1. It is not a bare manifestation of some attributes of God but it is a manifestation of God in his own nature the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in Christ bodily or really Col. 2. Not that God is circumscribed in our Nature but that the God-head it selfe is united to Christs body and dwels in it fils it and abides upon him 2. Neither is it a manifestation of God absolutely as in himselfe but as in order to reconciliation and salvation of soule For God might have been manifested else in our flesh to have consumed us But as the Apostle saith God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe That is God was in Christs Nature as a God in order to the reconciling poor soules and this is the great mystery God was offended by our Nature and God takes that Nature on himselfe to reconcile us to himselfe by himselfe God himselfe will pay the price out of his own glory for our offences only assumes our Nature as if it should be thought to act it out for us and joines it to his sonne and cals that Christ and this is the Gospell-notion of Christ God manifest in flesh in order to the reconciliation of poor soules Thus God must satisfie himselfe and save us himselfe only takes our Nature to doe it in and cals it Christ a Saviour when it is none other then God himselfe in our Nature transacting our peace This manifestation is a peculiar one For First God was never manifested as one with flesh before he was not one with Adam's Nature or with any of the first Creation but this is a manifestation of ownnesse Secondly God never manifested himselfe in his God-head before in such a manner many of his glorious attributes were
the brightnesse of his glory but to beseech them to see with their own eyes their eternall happinesse Let all poore soules come and put in their hands and they may feele Gods heart come and behold life and immortality inhabiting the tabernacles of earth and their own peace and eternall happinesse in their owne flesh Who can make any excuse now that he beleeves not Why do soules now stand off What can be desired by lost soules more Oh that I might see God say some soules why he is come down in the likenesse of man he walkes in our own shape Oh saith another might I have my heart united to God why he is come down on purpose and hath united our own nature to himselfe God hath left all the world without excuse he hath condescended below himselfe that we might be above our selves In a word by this the way of life is paved and all the bars and blocks taken out of the way all objections stifled in the birth and answered before they are made In this manifestation justice and mercy sweetly kisse each other and have their equall joy free grace and merit bounty and beauty fulnesse and nothingnesse are made one and triumph together the most hidden things revealed and the worst things advanced all things become nothing and nothing all things our nature which lay in rags enriched with the unsearchable treasures of glory that flesh which was so weake as not able to put forth a hand to save its own life enabled to save millions of soules and bring forth the greatest designes of God and that flesh which the Apostle cals a vile body enobled and advanced beyond the nature of Angels This this is the great mystery hid from Ages and Generations of men that God lives in our flesh and there acts all the parts of his glory It is now no wonder that man is made one to God and hath boldnesse through faith even to go into heaven seeing God is come to carry them up with him this was the first and great experiment which ever God did make of the fulnesse of his love and glory and we have now seene that in our flesh which could never have been seene in it selfe Vse 1. Seeing this is so great a mystery what use can we make enough of it doubtlesse it cannot be accounted lesse than a spring of unconceivable comfort to all poore soules yea in whatever condition they be give leave to extract some few grounds of strong support and joy and we need no chymicall art the consideration doth naturally drop the strongest spirits of rejoycing and incouragement that can be possible Unto two sorts I shall especially direct this use 1 To poor soules that are yet in the embryo under the first and lowest convictions of their owne condition who first for feare of there wrath to come and would faine draw neer but dare not touch the staffe of their eternall comfort this point will yield water of life at the first striking unto their poor soules yea and more then their soules are able to beare or their doubts are able to answer if they will but observe what the weight of this expression is 2. To beleevers who are yet trembling at the sight of their many sins and not yet cleered up in the spirituall notions of the Gospell For the first Let me speak to you drooping hearts who long after life and salvation and to see God as yours more then life it selfe what ailes thy heart who hath made thee afraid what is that shakes thy knees and dryes up thy marrow and breaks thy bones and cuts thy joynts and nerves Oh why dost thou start back in the day of thy trouble Why you will say God is mine enemy I am a stranger to him I shall never see a glimpse of the face of God where all my happinesse lies sin hath brought forth death and misery in my soule God's law condemnes me my owne conscience accuseth me and justice will have its due These and such like are the usuall apprehensions of such convinced soules Yet notwithstanding all this let word of the Gospell be heard let the truth be heard speak for it selfe God is manifested in the flesh VVhen thy soule lost seven fold more then it is the spirit of this expression is able to recover thee and set thee upon thy legs with a crowne of glory on thy head 1. God himselfe is come into the world to offer the tearms of love and peace unto thy poor soule because it was impossible for thee to come to God he is come to thee and hath laid aside as it were his owne glory while he converses with thee This is no ordinary design that God hath to drive when he is so wonderfully manifest in thy own flesh when God manifesting himselfe as formerly in Thunder and Lightning with an innumerable company of Angels all having their swords of justice and vengeance drawne well might poor soules tremble and run into corners for who would ever be able to indure his comming but loe poor soule God is come in flesh with an Olive branch of eternall peace in his hand and bids you all be witnesse he is not come to destroy but to save There be but two things in God which might discourage poor soules from making approaches to him the infinite brightnesse of his glory whereby there is such a great distance between God and his poor creatures 2. The infinite severity and exactnesse of his justice whereby he is clothed with vengeance but behold these terrifying sights are you God hath made his appearance as a man as one of us and there shall not be the least distance between us and this God is likewise in our own Nature to satisfie himselfe and to gratifie his own justice for this is the naturall meaning of this phrase that God hath taken flesh to reconcile flesh to himselfe Bring out thy sins and weigh them to the utmost aggravation of them and take in every circumstance both of law and Gospell and set but this in the other scale that God is manifested in flesh to take away sin how would all thy iniquities seem lighter then vanity yea be as nothing in comparison to that which is laid downe as a propitiation for these sins It is most true that nothing can reveale God at such a distance from a soule as sin it being that which is most contrary to his blessed Nature who is infinitely pure and holy Yet here is the mystery of godlinesse that God himselfe is become the satisfier of himselfe and that in our owne Nature The utmost height of sin lies in regard that it is a contradiction to the immortall God therefore it is so hainous that the death of Angels and men could never expiate it or reconcile sinners to God but if God will dye in our Nature and lay downe himselfe as a ransome how is the demerit of sin swallowed up in the incomprehensible redundancy of divine glory and
now how doth grace superabound infinite wise laid down for satisfaction of the transitory and finite transgressions of the poor creature the Law-giver suffering for the offences done against the Law Doth not your hearts yet begin to leap within you and the blood to come againe in your faces and strength into your sinews In the apprehensions of this mystery of comfort surely that soule is shut up in the inmost dungeon of unbeliefe where never a beam of the glory of God shines But yet will you have more at least to leave you without excuse This manifestation is not only a discovery in flesh but to flesh And therefore as he come in our Nature to satisfie so he comes in the Gospell freely and fully to offer the tearmes of love in the richest and most alluring expressions And if God cannot satisfie your death what will VVhat ever was done in our Nature in order to redemption was none other then God acting out his owne love and grace and glory So the Apostle saith the blood of God was offered meaning that the efficacy and life of all that offering was from God in our Nature using that as an Organ or instrument to act by Let unbeliefe come forth and make its plea and let it dare to appear before this consideration is not God enough to satisfie thy conscience Oh come nigh poor soules see what an infinite ground of comfort is laid in for you let the rich and glorious openings of the heart of the almighty overcome your hearts had God spoke from Heaven by himselfe and called poor creatures that lye in the midst of sin crying out who shall deliver and had he said I will pardon you by my owne prerogative I made the Law I will dispence with it rather then you shall perish what soule would not have been raised but up even from the bottome of Hell and yet unbeliefe might scruple and say what shall become of infinite justice shall that be dishonored to save me But alas that were not as much as for God to come in our flesh and come as a price and pay himselfe before our eyes In the Rom. 9. The Apostle gives this as the great reason of all his actions he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy if there were nothing else but God's will in the salvation of poor soules who hath contradicted his will But God hath not only showne his willingnesse but hath really undertaken the effect of it by his God-head and ingaged his owne honour and all his glory in the transacting of it Oh then why shouldst thou feare to cast thy selfe into the infinite Ocean of God's owne glory notwithstanding all thy vilenesse God himselfe stands to lead thee by the hand and hath put a price sufficient in the hands of justice to stop the clamors against thee and if thou yet fearest to come to God yet come to thy owne flesh goe to Christ as having thy owne Nature and knowes how to pitty thee VVhat can be said more to draw on thy trembling heart if God himselfe and God so fitted and qualified as it were will not must not men dye and perish in unbeliefe and who can pitty them that when God's justice is satisfied our Conscience should be unsatisfied that when God is come downe so low to us we should stand questioning whether wee should come to him what is it but to say all that God is and doth is lesse or too little to comfort me 2. Vse reacheth to these poor beleevers who yet stand afarre off and though they have hopes yet have little Faith and cannot so fully close in with the Gospell nor draw nigh so boldly befor God thorough the fears of their owne hearts This point opens a door of rich entrance into the presence of God himselfe the blessed God hath made a Portall into Heaven not of Iron or Brasse but of thy owne flesh this is that new and living way which is consecrated from Heaven and now with what freenesse and boldnesse of heart mayest thou draw neer to God Unbeliefe is strangled after this consideration since God is come in the flesh we may believe any thing for this is the greatest impossibility that could be VVhy is God come downe so sutable so lowly if he would have thy poor soule be afraid to come to him if he had any other intention but to give strong consolation to the most sad soules he would have appeared in another forme made use of another way which should have bespoke such a design But what is the meaning of this at first sight God manifest in flesh but this as if God had said you will not come to me I will come to you and that you may see how reall and tender I am of your good I have taken up your owne flesh to make my great discoveries in put your hand into my heart and see how love beates and look into your owne hearts and see what you want I have taken the same Nature that I may more sensibly supply you and that nothing may disquiet your hearts or dazle your eyes I have set out my owne glory in love and sutablenesse to your capacities this and much more of the like expressions are the very naturall speakings of this blessed mystery Oh consider once againe what a heart of love was in this design and what a ground of eternall comfort and support is there to thy heart in this God is in thy owne Nature to take upon him all the miseries of thy Nature and to supply thy flesh with his fulnesse this is none other then God's heart leaping out into our bosomes and as much as if God should have said expressely poor soules I cannot keep from you I love your very Nature I will be nothing so you may be something my glory shall not hinder me but I will vaile it rather then it shall hurt you I will take as much delight in your flesh as in my owne Son so I may but shew my selfe kind and tender to you and so I may have communion with you and you with me I care not if I become one with you live in your very flesh Oh that ever there should be a heart of unbeliefe after these sensible demonstrations of divine glory and love wilt thou stand off now doubt now why what wilt thou have God to doe can he manifest himselfe in a more taking alluring sutable way to thy condition Is there any thing below flesh wherein the great God can humble himselfe for our good think of another and a better way or else for ever beleeve VVhat art thou shye of God who is so sweet to thee many soules thinke it a great part of their humility to see their owne unworthinesse so as to draw back from God Oh it is pride to the utmost when God hath made himselfe low and is come so nigh to us not to take notice of him to draw back from such a blessed one who drawes
not wherewithall to lay his head he dies in that flesh and is glorified in it and joynes it so nigh as that there is a communion of properties between them that attributed to God which is proper to flesh as to be borne to suffer that to flesh which is only proper to God who can choose but wonder when he thinkes of this phrase that a peece of flesh should be called God and God who is immortall incomprehensible be made flesh and dwell among us flesh infinitely provoking God and God in the same Flesh infinitely pleased and satisfied God veiling himselfe with Flesh which was a way to darken his glory and yet unveiling at the same time the deepest and darkest of his designes in the most blessed and comfortablest way to soules this swallows up our thoughts and raiseth our faith to beleeve any thing after this when a soule can look on God as in his owne flesh and see him at one time as Saviour and his Father and his Friend and his Reconciler as his Justification and his Sanctification how can his heart containe within it selfe but leap out of it selfe as one lost in the admiration of it all the actings of Salvation turne upon this hinge when Christ was borne into the world the Apostle saith Joh. 1.14 We saw his glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth noting out that at first sight of him so much glory sparkled from him as could appear from none but a God walking up down the world or at least his own naturall Son that came out of his bosome I will adde but two things by way of use to shut up this point Vse 1. Study this mystery above all things nothing so pleasant nothing more deep come but once to know the mystery of God in our flesh and thou wilt desire soone to be taken into fellowship with it the Apostle desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified this is none other than the Lord Jesus whatever expression is given of godlinesse it is none other than God in Christ what delight should soules take in the looking on their own happinesse with what joy should we draw water out of this well of Salvation the great reason of the shallownesse of our comforts the shortnesse of our hopes the faintnesse of our spirits the lownesse of our graces is from the not knowing this mystery we looke on our selves on our present attainements at some scattered promises but not fully on God in Christ God in our own flesh a soule would see here a fountaine opened of grace and comfort that could never run dry 1. God hath set our own nature as a vast pipe to his Godhead that it may flow out in all manner of fulnesse upon our hearts our flesh stands not for a cypher but it is an Organ of life and grace to us If we saw such a fulnesse in our owne flesh laid in on purpose to inrich us would we be so poor want so much VVe eye this and that but know not that all the fulnesse of God lies in our own Flesh to be emptied upon us 2. God hath in our own flesh laid out the modell and draught of what he will doe unto all his Saints for ever for he made Christ the great Epitome of all his designe and thou maiest see thorough thy flesh at once what thou art design'd unto and how high and rich thou shalt be what a design God hath upon thee for look what was done to our Nature in Christ shall at length be done to all the persons of the Saints in Heaven If we knew this how high would our hopes be and how lofty our expectations after the utmost inrichings of the great God For to what end hath God made flesh so glorious but to shew what he will by that make us 3. What ever God is in himselfe thorough our flesh he is to us if he be good or mercifull or gracious or powerfull c. For this manifestation is a suiting of all that God is to us that when we eye this mystery we may see what ever God is acted out to the comfort and benefit of our owne poor soules God himselfe making all his attributes and glory serviceable to the good ends of his poor creature and that in and thorough their owne flesh Oh my Brethren let not such a strong hold be passed by not such a treasury be unlookt into In this mystery you have Heaven brought downe to Earth yea more then Heaven For God himselfe is come downe to open his heart to you Let nothing take off your eye from this set Faith on work immediately to eye this fulnesse one mite of Faith on God in Christ that is in our owne Nature brings in more grace and comfort then a thousand considerations of any thing else yea indeed it is the only spirituall way of conveighing all comfort to the soule there is no saving knowledge of God but as he is manifest in Christ and doe not thinke that God is gone out of flesh that is that Christ hath left his humane Nature behind him and is only gone up in his spirit to Heaven nor but this flesh of thine is received up into glory and stand as an eternall monument of love and is the great Ordinance unto the end of the world of life and salvation and God shall come againe in the same flesh though not as abased but glorified Oh Brethren what successive sweetnesse and without any intermission would flow out on your hearts if you did by Faith lay your heads at this pipe How canst thou want grace when thy own flesh hath it without measure and on purpose to fill thee why art thou sad when thy own Nature is made reconciler of thee to God Bretheren you live not like men under this design that know what such a mystery meanes you would see enough and to spare a redundancy of every thing you want in this Lord Jesus and the floods of immortality and glory would soone break over your unbeliefe and swell your hopes and joyes beyond all bounds God hath made our Nature a Myne of all sorts of rich and pretious graces that by digging into it we may see our estate Whatever the person of Christ hath in himselfe is all to convey unto us Oh that you were but insighted into these glories had but acquaintance with this discovery of God how blessed might you live What a happinesse must it needs be to see God in our own Nature and our Natures in him and to behold nothing else but love acting in a fulnesse of all grace and glory to a poor soule Let your whole spirits be carried out thus fully to Jesus Christ and with both hands even with heart and soule claspe about Jesus Christ and you will soon find depths of love and grace power and sweetnesse overflowing and swallowing up your heart A soule hath space enough to expatiate its selfe and hath a
sure Rock to rest on other things are narrow and circumscribe the thoughts all the promises of particular graces are gathered up in this one manifestation of God Thinke upon love in this or that communication either in outward or inward graces still we are shut up our thoughts can goe beyond all that but God manifested in Christ there is room enough for a soule to let out his utmost thoughts and to inlarge his affections and yet there is no taking in by one soule the vastnesse of this mystery or the compleatnesse of this fulnesse When a soule hath got out grace enough for this condition and yet still that fountaine runs and knowes no proportion if we would therefore study to know how to use this mystery we should find out comforts exceeding our doubts and our supplies our wants VVhen Saylers are out in the Ocean they feare not though storms arise and the Ship tosse But when they come nigh land then they feare Sand and Rocks then lye undiscovered So it is with a poor soule as long as he lancheth out by Faith into the fulnesse of Christ it is safe in the midst of the greatest stormes all the feares of unbeliefe are when we come nigh the shore of our own duties and performances and come to see the land of our weak workings then wee come into shallow water and stick fast in misprisions and are scattered by doubts and feares because there is not water enough not a stream deep enough to bear up the burthen of our sinking and dying soules That we may therefore know how to act our Faith to get strong consolation and full supplies 1. Faith must goe directly unto God as in our flesh that is unto Jesus Christ and take in nothing by the way which may divert its strength never stop untill it fasten on this fulnesse of God in Christ For when the eye of Faith roles here and there and takes in but partiall sights of Christ as in some particular promise only of this and that grace and doth not fully set on Jesus Christ as God in our Nature it loseth the efficacy of that influence which also would come and besides it divides the strength of its owne act which is most strong as it doth adaequately relye on Jesus Christ and singly closeth in with him for the truth is promises and actings or what ever way God lets out himselfe is but to allure and draw on the soule to an immediate close with the person of Jesus Christ 2. Know that though there be some things in Christ which are most proper for some acts of Faith as Christ dying and crucified for a recumbents Faith unto the satisfying of his soule in the pardon of sin yet the strongest and purest acts of Faith are these which take in Christ as such a person laid out in all his glory and all his offices as sutable to the condition of the soule And the more comprehensive acts of Faith are taken in Christ in his fulnesse the more are the injoyments of it and the more lively the influences As the more Iron is set at the advantage of the strongest point of the Loadstone and adaequately laid for an immediate close the stronger expression is left and the more powerfull it is attracted all such electricall bodies worke as all other according to the propinquity immediation and adaequatenesse of the approach of other things of a sutable Nature to them Therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 12. looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith standing and beholding as with a stedfast eye what he is from first to last as the Author and finisher of our Faith So in another place 1 Pet. 2. To whom come as to a living stone we are built up c. These loose and transient glances on the actions and offices of Christ bring in but loose and ordinary communications but hearty and full out-goings to him as God is in him and as such a person thus and thus qualified from Heaven carries power and life with it And these vast and serious spirits who are not content only with flashie or secondary actings on Jesus Christ but are longing to be diving into the depths of Christs glory and excellency carry along with them impressions of an abiding and transforming Nature Oh therefore be ambitious only of apprehending what is the riches of this glorious mystery and let not course and common apprehensions of Christ content you Some think it a carnall apprehension of Jesus Christ to know him as in flesh it is true to apprehend him absolutely so as only having flesh and going up and down in weaknesse But to consider Christ as God manifested in flesh and that flesh acted by God and filled with God is a true and spirituall apprehension of Christ and that wherein lies one of the greatest mysteries of godlinesse for we are not to understand this as a mystery only for that time As if God came and once manifested himself in flesh to satisfie for the sins of his Elect and so to leave it down againe but very flesh remaines to this day and shall remaine and all the spirit and life which the Saints shall have unto the end of the world is to be conveyed through that person which hath our flesh yea the Spirit it selfe dwels in it and is conveyed through it therefore looke upon this as a standing manifestation of God to your soules and beleeve perfectly on it See but how God hath fitted an object for faith in this mystery This expression that God was manifest in Flesh is so laid out that it doth as it were create faith in every soule that looks in it 1. What is fitter for a poore soule who hath nothing than God himselfe who is the utmost object of faith the happinesse of the poore creature depending on his relying on God But 2. Because God himselfe is offended and the soule cannot find ground for faith in God himselfe you have God manifested in our own Flesh that is God takes up our nature and joynes it to himselfe as one person and laies out that before faith So that here is God and God suited to the particular state and condition of the sinner and not only barely acting towards us but manifested in the greatest love and fulnesse to us whatever may feed the humour of unbeliefe is destroyed in this For God hath laid in that in our own nature which doth not only suit but swallow up the wants and miseries of poore soules There be but three things can hinder faith 1. The infinite exactnesse of divine justice which must be satisfied 2. The exceeding unworthinesse of the soule 3. And in the sight of both these the want of a Mediatour or some sutable person which may stand between the sinner and God which the soule may go unto and first close withall before it deales with the infinite glory of God himselfe Now in this mystery faith is fully satisfied 1. God hath
carried up unto his Fathers glory and sat downe at the right hand of God It cleerly did shew he was accepted and freed by God from that which was laid on him Therefore Christ saith that this shall be one of the great things which the spirit shall convince the world of viz. Of righteousnesse because I go to my Father Ioh. 16. That is that there is a compleat righteousnesse obtained and justification or else I had never been admitted into my Fathers presence and all this acted by the spirit And as a further evidence of this as soon as ever he was ascended he powrs down the spirit as a flood on his Apostles and the Saints with them and to demonstrate that he was not only accepted in his owne person and he personally justified in him and now grace and life must necessarily run out upon them In all these acts Christ was justified in the the spirit for the comfort of beleevers Acts 2. 1 2 3 4 5. Now how may your soules triumph and rejoyce in your justification in the thoughts of this that Christ yea God was justified for you and how ever you are in your selves yet you may be justified in the spirit beleevers have nothing to doe but to take out the personall assurance of this to their owne soules at that time when Christ was justified you were vertually so and yet but out of the particular discharge by the spirit to your hearts and your justification is compleat The great complaint of soules is in this that they are not justified in God's eyes But now we are not only acquitted by the spirit in our own hearts but God himselfe is justified in our Nature for us there is none to offend but God and none to be justified but sinners But now when God shall satisfie himselfe and justifie himselfe in our persons or in our stead what strong consolation have we God will not lay the payment on us but himselfe and he will justifie himselfe for us It was more for Christ to be justified then for any one of us for he had more laid on him then can be laid on us he standing not under the charge of one persons sins or many but of all the Elect and when he was justified a full discharge was given for all that he represented This is a mystery indeed God is offended and God takes that on himselfe in our Nature which lay on us and is justified for us When Christ was justified there was a publick record of it and now when we believe we goe but to that Court and take out the particular discharge to our own soules Christ receiv'd the first act on himselfe in our Name and it was as authentique as if it were formally done on our persons But when we believe it is done personally to us So that now beleevers you have nothing else to doe but apply that righteousnesse which issued forth from Christs justification and lay hold on it as your owne Goe to the Court and see your owne names in the Indenture and get out the coppy of it in your owne heart for there is a necessity if Christ be justified that we should be discharged therefore get holy and glorious triumphs in your heart over sin and Death in that Christ is not only dead but alive and that you are justified in him get out the speciall assurance of it by the spirit to the hearts 3 Vse If Christ were justified in the spirit Let it be your care to justifie Christ in your spirits God hath discharged him so doe you Q. How can we justify Christ you wil say S. VVhy when you believe what he hath done for you Christ hath done all things for you satisfyed wrath fulfilled the Law God hath acquitted him pronounced him just saith he is contented he can desire no more why now doe you justifie Christ in this by saying Amen in your owne Consciences to this Hath Christ dyed believe that your sins shall die Is he justified beleeve that so are you VVhen the surety hath paid the debt the principall as well as the creditor ought to give an acquittance Oh how are we to be blamed for our unbeliefe what aspersions doth it cast on Christ he hath done all things well but we say by unbeliefe he hath done nothing Unbeliefe professeth Christ is not dead or at least not risen the Law is still in force justice is not satisfied there is no justification procured Every doubt in a Saint casts a scandall on Christ God saw cause enough to justifie Christ even by his own spirit and to declare him in our names to be a righteous one and we in him but we see not cause to believe our owne justification or the remission of our sins what is it but to thinke that Christ is held under the paines of death hath not done any thing to purpose that the wrath of God is as open to destroy us as ever it was You keep Christ as it were in a prison and under condemnation when you believe not Oh soules will not you justifie Christ in all these glorious things he hath done for you Then you justifie Christ when you acknowledge him to be what he is made of God to you wisdome and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption I might goe torough all his Offices and Acts for us as then we justifie him in regard of his death when our hearts are satisfied with the offering up of himselfe and that satisfaction he hath made So in his resurrection when we believe we are freed from our sins our surety being risen for our justification so in regard of the whole worke of salvation we justifie Christ when we goe to him as a full and compleat Saviour having our conscience quieted by his righteousnesse and our hearts triumphing thorough his fulnesse Oh it is sad to see how Christ is crucified againe in our hearts thorough unbeliefe arraigned as a malefactor for this is certaine if there be not enough laid in for the satisfying and inriching of soules then Christ is not righteous and he is under condemnation How should we rejoyce to witnesse to Christ faithfulnesse and righteousnesse When we goe boldly to God by Christ then we acknowledge Christ to be a Mediator when we find the sence of our justification in our owne hearts then we acquit Christ and declare he was justified from our sins SERMON VII 1 TIM 3.16 Seene of Angels c. GReat mysteries have great admirers according as things are in themselves so they are adored Godlinesse is the greatest mystery that ever was it being made up of various workings of the glory of God and it hath the greatest and most glorious Creatures for to study it even the Angels themselves This is one of the particulars whereby the Holy Ghost sets forth the greatnesse of this mystery that it was seen of Angels The two former expressions set forth this mystery in its nature and essence under a twofold consideration of God
said in 1 Cor. 2. None knowes the things of God save the spirit he only searcheth these deep things of God none exclusively no not Angels Now the spirit is only promised to the Church and hath his offices on purpose in relation to the Church and herein lies the exceeding glory of God that he will discover such a mystery to his poor creature man which he will make his highest creatures admire Thus you see how Angels get their knowledge by the Church When Christ is preached and his glory laid forth and soules are taken into it as it were why Angels come down and listen hold their spirituall eares unto the whisperings of the Spirit in the Gospell to us and yet you must not understand it as if the knowledge they got by the Church were meerly a deduction of conclusions from principles but when they heare and see the Spirit speaking to the Churches and opening these eternall glories of God in Christ they see intuitively into it as we see when beames of the Sun on a sudden breake out on the world they are exceeding quick and take it as by revelation they catch up as it were the words that are spoken to us and before they come to our eare they are in their hearts for they being spirits know the meaning of the Spirit as soone as ever it is but revealed neither is it to be understood as if they had no knowledge of Christ without the Church for they knew Christ before the Church and preached Christ unto them but it is meant of the degrees and encrease of their knowledge in these mysteries the depth of them is laid out before them in the Church because the mystery of Christ concerned man it was first revealed to him after his fall though but very darkly and unto none else and so now in the discovery of it in the perfection of it there be some things that God reveales to none but those who are the subjects of it As we know not the nature of Angels nor their condition though we know Christ because it concernes us more peculiarly neither do Angels know all that Christ doth and will reveale to his Saints There is in the things of the Gospell the things themselves in the generall nature and use of them and the glory and depth the mystery and fulnesse of them the first Angels knew long since that God should come in our flesh and procure peace and that he was justified in the spirit and will save soules but the depth of this mystery the riches of the Glory of it the severall mysteries contained in it they doe not know but as it is opened to them and that by the Church for herein God shewes as his prerogative so his distinguishing love that some choice and blessed things of Christ shall never be manifested out of God's heart but to the Saints first and none shall know them but by him in converse with them As the mystery of Christ to the Saints is a peculiar design so they shall have the peculiar discoveries of it and others by them And the manner whereby they know things by the spirituall species wherein they are manifested and by the seeing of that glory which shines on them in their manifestation 3. This may well be put in as a mystery among the rest that God thus discovered is seen of Angels for it was a new design that was carried on in the most unvisiblest way that could be It being a mysterie so remote from their particular natures they having no need of such a discoverie and that God should act a thing unknown unto these high creatures not discover unto them but at second hand as it were that the greatest design of God should be hid from these creatures which lay in his owne bosome as it were for so long a time this is the mysterie which the expression seemes to imply Seene of Angels And then when God had acted it and laid out his glory in it he presents it as a sight of glory to the Angels that they might see and admire at what God had been doing all this while this comes nighest the meaning God hid it from them untill he had set up Jesus Christ in state and glory and then shewes him in a mysterie to his Angels that they might fall downe before him and see the unspeakable wisdome of God To this alludes that phrase Heb. 1.6 When he brings in the first borne into the world he saith let all the Angels worship him God shews the Angels this first begotten of his love and wisdome and they worship him As Nebuchadnezzar to shew his state and glory set up an image that all his Subjects must bow downe before So did the great God make an image of himselfe in Jesus Christ by whom he acted the greatest designes of his heart and set it before the Angels to adore but 4. Let us see what this mysterie containes that it should thus affect the Angels why if it were nothing else but the manner of its acting it were enough even to fill them with admiration that God himselfe should come and assume flesh and be one with it taking the forme of a servant emptying his glory as it were and making himselfe of no reputation This cannot but astonish the highest apprehensions meanes to do the very outside intimates that this is a depth that cannot be sounded It is a mystery of unsearchable riches Eph. 3. In this dispensation there are all the riches of the great God contained It is a way which God hath found out to bring the poore creature into the bosome of all his treasures It is a mystery in which all the decrees and purposes and thoughts of the heart of God himselfe are acted in which the manifold wisdome of God is most opened whatever he hath been acting in all the world hath been but in reference to this to set it forth the choisest love in the utmost act in the greatest variety at the extreamest disadvantages is manifested here and as it hath been a casting and contriving in God from eternity so it will be acting to eternity and there will be no end of it new wonders of glory will be brought forth through it the longer it is look'd into And for what concernes their particular they may well wonder at what God is about in this when he passeth by the most glorious of all the creation and acts out the brightest of his glory on poore sinners and takes them up to an onenesse with himselfe and advanceth them with Christ far above principalities and powers when they see such a designe towards those so far below them and which had never been so nigh God as themselves when flesh shall be set down at Gods right hand and exalted above all the Glory of the Creation and by that to let out eternall love to manifest infinite treasures of glory and all this over and above and besides what God hath to bestow on them
and not only is beleeving a denyall of the worst selfe sin and lust which yet is as a mans right eye yea as the Caule of a mans heart but he denies honest selfe and religious selfe selfe drest and adorn'd selfe righteousnesse and actings selfe adorned with the most glorious endowments and richest performances selfe naturall and acquired yea and a soul contrary to all its motions both rationall and seemingly godlie beleeves on Jesus Christ Take a raised and high spirit one who hath built his nest in the Starres in regard of speculation and one whom the world can say nothing in regard of converse unto for him to come and submit to a Christ to throw downe all that ever he hath studyed as dung and drosse to descend and come into the lower parts of the earth and looke on himselfe as the poorest despicablest and undonnest creature in the world one that knowes not the way to happinesse which he must doe if he beleeve why this is the mysterie Selfe is sometime so painted acted in so much state and so spirituallised as it were set out with such ornaments both of nature art and morally spirituall gifts that it would make any spirit in love with it yet when a soule comes to beleeve on Christ he must renounce all these as dung and drosse the worst of things in regard of saving his soule or in comparison of Jesus Christ This is death to a man Nature would as lieve be damned as entertaine such a proposition and cast it selfe out of such a priviledge that it looks on as its birth-right yet there was no soule that ever beleeved on Jesus Christ but did willingly doe this Paul when he begins to reckon up his priviledges both of his birth and education and the strictnesse of his life one would have thought he needed no more Phil. 3. and he thought so to selfe was so richly accomplished not only against the Law but the Gospell he was borne in the Church had the priviledges of a Saint was blamelesse in the Law yet when he came to beleeve he was glad to cast away all this as the off-scouring of the world he was alive once and thought himselfe a glorious one but he dyed to all these they were all as dead things to him For a man not only to deny his lusts that are his Nature and so deare as many venture the wrath of God for but his performances which he hath been in for a long time and throw down the glorious structure of duty he hath been building for 20 30 40 yeers together with all the curious paintings of formality You had better tell men of parting with God Christ Heaven yea of all the good of soule and body rather then of such a thing This selfe is the bottome and originall of all sinne it is that which is the very constitution of our Natures Selfe hath been borne and bred with us it lives in our bosomes hath been the old companion in all our actions and to be cast off at last and hated is very hard it is easier to change the course of the Sun and turne Heaven into Earth to place the Elements above and the Starres beneath to make the stream naturally run back from the same Fountaine it came yea to worke the greatest miracle in Nature then to make a man to deny himselfe especially selfe so ingratiated and clothed with gifts and honestie and righteousnesse of the Law Yet when a man beleeves this is the first thing done upon him selfe is turn'd against selfe Nature runs counter to its owne inclinations that darling and first borne of the soules delights and love is made the abomination of the heart and the soule most set against it Now let this be weighed which yet is but the first and rather implicite and supposed act of Faith then the Nature of it and you cannot but conclude that this is a great mysterie that Christ should be beleeved on in the world But 2. Which is yet farther for a soule to close in with Jesus Christ and fully to relye on him as his owne and expect all righteousnesse and grace in him alone and nothing from selfe first or last which is properly beleeving this sets it out yet farther For 1. It is a great venture for a soule to forsake selfe its dearest consort and leave all its strong ingagements to the flesh for that which yet he hath no particular assurance of but a bare tender and offer No man in reason will part with any thing in possession but upon a certainty of a better whereas the soule is still in doubt of what it may injoy though Christ be offered to all yet some goe without him and this may be the condition of the soule ' Yea 2. To close in with Christ against whom it hath naturally the greatest antipathy and whom it never saw to cast all the weight of its joy and comfort on Christ whom the heart hath offended and against whom it hath received such prejudices that his heart cannot indure him of any this is exceeding strange unto our apprehensions As Abram left all his owne Kindred and Fathers house and not knowing where he went binding up this reason and denying a present good only on the security of a generall and indeterminate promise was a miracle to all the world for this is the Nature of Faith on a bare word and promise to close in with Christ and venture its eternall comfort Faith comes by hearing and that of the word preached that is of the word of promise Now for a soule ingaged thus to sin and lust and selfe to leave all on a promise of a Christ which yet the soule is a stranger unto and is darke in the knowledge of this must needs be a mystery and that 3. If you consider that it is not only a bare taking of Christ as at a shift to make some present advantage of him to rid a man out of fears or preserve him from wrath which selfe may be willing unto out of its owne principles but it is a receiving Christ on his owne terms a submitting unto the tenure of all his commandements it is taking Christ nakedly with all his holinesse as well as his love yea with all his inconveniences unto flesh and blood even to take up a Crosse with him lye downe in the grave with him it is a giving up the soule unto Christ to be what he will and do what he will that a soule beleeves not only for peace and joy but for power and life and is led captive for ever unto the will of Christ therefore it is called the obedience of Faith by the Apostle this must needs be a mystery especially if you consider in the third place the difficulties and disadvantages the poor sinner meets withall in the way besides that naturall darkenesse and stupidity which lies on our hearts that we cannot judge of our own peace and that aversnesse from Faith in us
should be content to goe a begging to one we naturally hate for a man to deny his sense reason selfe righteousnesse lusts prejudices and submit to an unknowne Christ to be made nothing of live at the finding of another For this is the language of Faith I am nothing Christ is all I cannot live without him In a word there are the greatest paradoxes in the workings of Faith as any thing Nothing living as if it had all things unrighteousnesse making its selfe most righteous a soule at the greatest distance from God going most boldly to him one which hath most offended him most relying on him a soule which hath nothing but sin assured it shall have all grace in the midst of greatest unworthinesse triumphing in the compleatest righteousnesse The greatest enemy made submit to the hardest termes to his Nature with many such are found in the acting of Faith that you see what a mystery is in this expression beleeved on in the world and how it may be well rancked in the number of these great mysteries Us 1. If this be so then let shame cover our faces that ever this should be reckoned up as a mystery that we beleeve that God should manifest himselfe to us bring downe his owne glory to our eyes offer life and immortality to us and it should be a wonder for us to take it that God should act in so much love unto us and frame such a Fabrick of glory to take us into it may well be a mystery who can expresse it But that it should be a mystery for us to beleeve this and to take God on his owne word so faithfully spoken is our misery though in it selfe a mystery Must it be a wonder for hungry creatures to eat the bread set before them and for beggers to take the Almes offer'd them yet the Holy Ghost makes this a mystery that we beleeve on Jesus Christ What should shame us more then this that we have not a hand to take in our owne happinesse cannot swallow downe a drop of the water of life except it be poured in us What an aggravation must it be of our sin that we are harder to beleeve and take in what God hath done for us then for God to kill his owne Sonne and part with him out of his owne bowels We have nothing to doe but beleeve and yet it is a wonder we doe beleeve Oh strange creatures God manifested in flesh came in a sensible and demonstrative way of love and glory to wooe poor sinners and yet they will not beleeve Are you not yet ashamed what shall God present his owne heart in blood to you and yet you will not receive it Christ is come as justification and righteousnesse with peace and sweetnesse and yet men will not beleeve this is most unreasonable and wicked 2. Vse Have not slight thoughts of beleeving it is not an ordinary worke men thinke it is nothing to beleeve If a man doe but live under the Gospell and have a generall profession of it he thinks he is a beleever Oh know Faith is the highest worke of a Christian that which is the acting of a mystery if thou didst but know thy owne heart and see thy sinne thou wouldst wonder how ever thou camest to beleeve on Jesus Christ There is a common Faith indeed which the world hath but it is not worthy the name of Faith a Faith which is meerly historicall and traditionall but for the Faith here spoken of the Faith of God's Elect that is another manner of work thou wilt find it a mystery for thee to beleeve on Jesus Christ It is an easie matter for men to say they beleeve when they see neither sin nor Christ but hast thou ever had but an aspect into thy owne sinfull Nature and a right knowledge of thy wretched state then tell me whether Faith be a common or an easie thing it is that which many soules see it harder to act then remove Mountaines For a poor trembling soule who stands on the brink of Hell to leap into Christ's bosome and such a proud heart as thou hast to be willing to be at the disposing of Jesus Christ and make a totall resignation of selfe and all interest to Christ yea though thou mayest injoy them this is Faith and a great mysterie therefore deceive not thy own heart 3. Use Let us from hence see what is the great thing the Gospell requires of us it is to believe all is summed up in this all the mysteries of the Gospell are nothing to us without beleeving Though God be manifested in flesh and justified in spirit that is made redemption and justification for us yet if he be not beleeved on by the world it is nothing to us Faith brings downe the particular sweetnesse and comfort of all this unto us and puts us in actuall possession of it what ever God is to us before Faith yet we have no benefit really by it untill we beleeve Oh therefore make this your work admit of no exception against beleeving this is the great duty of the Gospell and the great way of God's revealing himselfe to us it is a taking hold of all that Christ doth and hath for us and gives us the actuall injoyment of it God requires no more of us but that we beleeve the work is done really for us in Christ's person and this is preached unto us and nothing else remaines but the putting to our seal by Faith that all is true The blood of Christ is drawn out and his graces run out in justification and sanctification nothing is behind but the laying of our mouths to his brests the stretching out of our hands to receive in that life and righteousnesse which is purchased for us Oh let not the work stick in you your beleeving doth as it were perfect the mystery of the Gospell According as God hath discovered himselfe so should we act Faith the mystery of God in Christ hath wrought exceeding strongly so should our Faith The mystery of your salvation is opened the materials of it made ready and brought downe to you to take only your worke is to beleeve lay hold on them by Faith God in flesh condemned and justified in spirit is preached to you that you may beleeve The blood of Christ is shed and fitly temper'd for to quiet your consciences only your mouth must be opened wide to receive it Faith is nothing else but the eying of what Christ hath done and taking it home to its selfe and living in the mystery as its owne Oh now God hath done all so well will not you set to your soule that it is true By beleeving you witnesse unto all the other mysteries The Apostle saith he that beleeveth not hath made God a lyer because he beleeveth not the record that God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.10 Unbeliefe belies God in all he hath done for us Let Faith have no stop nor stint in its actings
the rate of such a mystery aske of Christ communications according to his riches in glory let all your actings be glorious all your walkings joyes breathings let them all be as in glory view Christ and see him as in that relation and condition and you will soone have the sparkles of the same glory on your hearts bound not your faith and expectations within this poore world and the enjoyments of in it but ever and anon cast glances into glory and if you will be in such an estate you must get Christ that is received up into glory in you as the hope of glory Col. 1.27 It is only as Christ breakes forth in your hearts by faith that you come to have such sights of glory that glorified person that is now in heaven must be in you by his spirit of glory or else you can have no hope of glory beleevers you see your object you know his person never be quiet untill you come into his condition as you must go through all ordinances and creatures untill you come to Christ so through all the conditions of Christ untill you come to glory Let us now view it in the whole as it were as it concernes Christ and the Saints together and this is the end of that it is received up into glory As God in Christ was condemned in flesh so are the Saints and justified in the spirit so are they and at last they with Christ are received up into glory Quest Now the great question is How Christ and the Saints are received up into glory Sol. As for Christ it is cleare that he was taken up in his humane nature as he was God-man in the world so he is now in heaven Jesus Christ hath a reall body now in glory as he had in the world But it is taken into glory and so a glorious body Phil. 3. ult In any other respect Christ could not be taken up into glory for nothing wanted it but his humane nature And so must all the Saints be received into glory in the same way not only in their soules but bodies for the Saints have not phantasmes in heaven they are not annihilated in their being and made in another essentiall forme but are taken into glory in regard of the whole man as it consists of body and soule For that place in 1 Cor. 15. where it is said flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven therefore no reall bodies shall be there It is answered that the meaning is flesh and bloud without a change as it is mortall and weake not simply the being of flesh and bloud but it is expounded in the same verse neither can corruption inherit incorruption that is no flesh and bloud as subject to corruption as it is weake and sinfull shall not enter in For it shall be made a spirituall body still a body but spirituall and free from corruption having a being of immortality put to it And this is so cleare as it cannot be denied except we will imagine a chimaera of a man without soule or body let this be considered whether the man that sinned shall not be saved the same individuall man if the man then certainlie both in his soule and body without which he is no man the being of him as a man lying in the compositum And besides the same that is redeemed must be saved now we are redeemed in soule and body but yet this body shall be a glorious body so changed as that whatever may denote weakenesse and corruption shall be done away it shall put on incorruption And how strange is this that the same man which is justified and sanctified shall not be glorified But I leave that as the excrescency of the pride of this wanton age who would frame a glory to themselves out of their own fancie Let all us know that Christ and his body shall be taken up in their soules and bodies to one and the same glorie and though now we dwell in houses of clay and walke in raggs of dust and ashes we shall one day be taken into glorie This should comfort us in all conditions that this is not our place and draw out our spirits to scorne this world and to breath and long after another fulnesse which is to be revealed the more high and aspiring our spirits are from the world and all enjoyments to that glorie into which we are to be taken the more we expresse our assurance of it And this glorie is so great that there is no taking it in but we are received up into it Oh what a blessed time will that bee when the whole man shall be cast into glorie lost as it were in glorie as in an infinite Ocean Thus I have presented in a short view to your eyes that which hath been acted from eternitie and will be yet acted to eternitie It is little hath been said to what might have and to what shall be really done I have only shewed you the things in a rude lumpe let you see the outside of inward and unexpressible glory I have glanced at that which will be the prospect of the strongest eyes for ever but alas who is able for these things God must act it in us that we may know it in it selfe it is a worke for the spirit of the living God who searcheth the deep things of him I shall only in conclusion sum up all and set before your eye a small map of the whole continent of this mystery that you may see what God is adoing for poore sinners the Apostle comprehends all in this expression of a mystery and a great mystery and then laies it out in these particulars which are enumerated in this verse God manifested in flesh c. Here is a chaine of mysteries the first end of it is tyed to Gods heart and the other end 's in glory in the whole you may take notice of these things 1. The plot and designe 2. The contrivance of it 3. The way of acting it 4. The effecting and issue of it The plot was to save so many poore sinners who lay in the bottome of hell and had so offended God as that nothing but eternall wrath was their portion the spring of this and invisible wheeles from whence it was acted was Gods eternall love and goodnesse that he might discover it freely to his creatures because this designe might go on glorious It was contrived that the same nature which sinned should save and that the manifestation of God should not be untill the time of the sin and misery of the poore creature and that the riches of love might be showne wisdome contrived that God himselfe in another forme should act out all our salvation Thus God comes to be manifested in flesh and cals himselfe Christ takes up our nature and joynes it to his Godhead to be one person and in that person dies and suffers and satisfies himselfe and is justified as in our stead he himselfe is made