Christ seen in his Oracles In his Oracles In his Miracles First In his Oracles namely his discourses and Sermons and Heavenly sayings that proceeded out of his mouth They came from him with such a glory as amazed the hearers and made them acknowledge that he spake with authority Matth. 7. 28 29. It came to passe when Jesus had enae these sayings the people were aston shed at his Doctrine For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes Here was a dazelling glory shined out from the words of Christ in so much as they could scarce apprehend him they had not power to lay hold on him but returned and said Never man spake like this Man What was flatteringly said of Herod is true of the Lord Jesus Christ in regard of his Ministry The voice of God and not of man not of meer man but of him that was both God and Man So this glory the Apostles saw in his Oracles for they conversed with him Secondly In his Miracles Divine glory shined in them 2. In his Miracles As it is said of the first Miracle he did Joh. 2. 11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Canaan of Galilee and manifested forth his glory and his Disciples believed on him And so when he had raised Lazarus from the dead it is said Joh. 11. 4. This sicknesse is not to death but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby The Lord Jesus Christ intended his owne glory in raising of Lazarus And so by all his other Miracles This was a Divine glory Because never any raised the dead as he did Other instances ye have of others raising some dead ones as Elisha the Shunamites son 2 King 4. â—3 34. and Paul Eutychus Acts 20. 10. But here is the difference Christ raised them by his owne power they by the power of Christ So The glory as the onely begotten of God appeared onely in his Miracles and not in theirs Luk. 14. 7. It is said of Christ He touched the bier and they stood still And Christ said I say to thee Arise Here Christ speaks to men I say to thee whereas what the Apostles did they acknowledged it done not by their owne power but by Christ Acts 3. 12 13. And when Peter saw it he answered unto the people Ye men of Israel why marvail ye at this or why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power and holinesse we had made this man to walk The God of Abraham and of Isaack and of Jacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom ye delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate His Name through faith in his Name hath made this man whole So as it was the Glory of Jesus that appeared even in the Miracles of the Disciples These are the things wherein he did especially appear For the times they are these two 2. The times when The time of his Transfiguration The time of his Ascension First The Disciples beheld his glory as the glory of 1. At his Transfiguration the onely begotten of the Father at his Transfiguration of which ye read Matth. 17. When his Face shined and his Raiment glittered having Moses and Elias James Peter and John there who were the spectators of all This Moses had begged long before and said Lord shew me thy Exod. 33. 13. glory Some piece of an answer God gave him when he passed before him and shewed some piece of his glory But here God sheweth his glory upon mount Tabor when Christ was Transfigured We beheld his glory namely at the Transfiguration John was one there and Peter was another as well as John And he speaks dearly of it 2 Pet. 1. 17. For he telleth you of the voice that came from the excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Referring to that time and that place the time of our Saviours Transfiguration upon that Mount Mark 9. 2 3 4 5. vers And after six daies Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them and his raiment became shining exceeding white as snow so as no fuller on earth can whiten them And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses and they were talking with Jesus The second time wherein they beheld this glory of Christ was the time of his Ascension which the Disciples 2. At his Ascension were spectators of Acts 2. 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld him He was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight This cloud was Veh culum Regale a Royall Chariot wherein Christ rode up to glory And glory was not onely the terme to which he went but he went in a glorious way As you may understand that in Timothy Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh seen of angels believed of in the world received up into glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see by this time the truth of the Proposition Let us see what use we can make of it and then proceed First take notice of one great end of Christ's Incarnation Use 1 which was That his glory might be seen He was made Christ was incarnated to shew his Glory flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory Till then the glory of Christ was invisible but now by taking flesh he exposed himself and his glory to view God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. Indeed the flesh of Christ was a vail to him but a mirror and glasse to us To him a Vail to observe the glory which he had from all Eternity with God the Father as the Son of God but to us a Mirrour in which we beheld this glory of God which was never till now exposed to view or not so fully As God is invisible so his glory is too dazling for our weak eyes But we that cannot behold the Sun in its sphear may behold the Sun in a bason of water We that cannot behold the glory of God as in it self may behold it in Christ in the veil of his flesh Therefore he was manifested that he might be seen Secondly Be exhorted from hence to take a view of 2. Let us take a view of his glory as the Disciples did the glory of Christ as the Disciples did We cannot in the same manner yet we have one way wherein we may do it For Christ exposeth himself and his glory to believers in the glasse of the Gospell 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even aâ— by the Spirit of the Lord. To that end he hath appointed the Ministry of the Word and furnished his Ministers with gifts 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded light
even as the Angels It is said of them that they behold the face of God Matth. 18. 20. Christ saith there I say to you that in heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven So when men come to be like Angels in a state of glory they shall also see the face of God But no man hath seen God at any time during this life God in his Essence For this we have more than one place of Scripture the same words in the Text are repeated in 1 Joh. 4. 12. No man hath seen God at any time And Paul hath a place to the same purpose 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortality dwelling in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see There are but three waies that can be imagined by which man in a state of mortality can see God in his Essence either it must be by his Bodily eyes or by the eye of Reason or by the eye of Faith But a man cannot see God by any of these therefore no man can see God in that sense First No man can see God by his Bodily eye for the very 1. The eyes of our bodies cannot behold the Essence of God light wherein he dwelleth is inaccessible to the eye of sense we cannot so much as see our own souls or the Angels that are inferiour spirits How then shall we be able with our bodily eyes to see the Father of spirits the Lord of glory The Israelites could not so much as endure the shining of Moses his face How then can the eye of the body be imagined capable of that infinite glorious light that is in the essence of God And yet there is a place that speaks as if a man in the state of mortality by his bodily eyes had seen God Gen. 32. 30. Jacob called the name of the place Penuel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved Here is a man in the state of mortality that saw God face to face For this ye must know that Jacob did indeed see God but God in a representation not God in his essence He saw the Second Person in the Trinity in the shape of a man that wrestled with him This was all the sight of God that he had The Second Person in the Trinity before he took the nature of man took the shape of man such a shape had Christ taken here in which he wrestled with Jacob and this is that God which Jacob saw face to face not God in his essence but God in a representation And that very thing of God appearing in the Old Testament in a representation to the eyes of the body sheweth that he never appeared to them in his essence because his representations are many and his essence is one He appeared in a Bush to Moses and to Eliah in a still Voice to Jacob as a Wrestler to Joshua as a Captain of the Lord's hoast These were all representations that God was pleased to make of himself and thus men saw him But his essence all this while was invisible neither could it be diversified as his representations were being but one That is memorable which Isaiah saith Isa 6. 5. Mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts The Jews took this advantage against him and said he was a false Prophet Why He said he had seen the King the Lord of hoasts whereas God saith to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live Therefore they put him to death No man can see God in his essence and live But Isaiah saw him and he said true but it was in a representation Secondly No man can see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason Reason hath but three waies by which it 2. The eye of our Reason cannot behold him in his Essence Reason knoweth God three waies 1. By way of Causality comes to the knowledge of God and those are known to Schollars by these names Via causalitatis via Remotionis and via Eminentiae First By way of Causality and so reason comes to gather of God by all the creatures which it seeth lovely and looks at all these as effects of God as the cause of all and so comes to the knowledge of God as the first cause Thus Reason collects of God But how far is this from seeing the essence of God Reason discovers a God but not what God is in his Beeing onely that He is For no effect can shew the nature of its cause fully but either such as manifesteth the whole force of the cause or else such as is of the same kind with the cause as burning that sheweth the nature of the fire because the fire being a naturall agent burns to the utmost of its power Therefore burning sheweth what nature the fire is of as carrying the nature of the force in it As a child sheweth the nature of the father because of the same nature with the father But the creatures cannot shew God because they are of effects different from him These are parts of the way but how little proportion is readd of him The thunder of his power who can understand Neither are the creatures of the same rank and kind with God as the child is with the father they are all of them finite God is infinite So that all that Reason can do this way is to gather that there is a God but not what he is Secondly There is the way of Remotion by looking over 2. By way of Remotion all the creatures and by setting aside whatsoever savours of imperfection in them and ascribing the remainder to God Thus we say that God is Immortall Impassible Impeccable because we say that to die to suffer and to sin are the imperfections of the creature God cannot sin God cannot die God cannot lie God cannot suffer But this still comes short of seeing God in his essence for by this we see what God is not not what he is by this way of Remotion 3. The third way which is a way of Eminency Reason 3. By way of Eminency goeth over the creatures once again and looks whatsoever is good in them and savours of perfection in them and ascribes that to God as the Author of those perfections So when it seeth in Man wisdom and strength and goodnesse Reason can ascribe to God as the cause of them a more eminent goodness and wisdom and strength And this is the nearest and the farthest Reason can go And yet in all these it cometh short of the essence of God because in this way it findeth out what he is rather in regard of his qualities speaking after the manner of men then what he is in his essence Thus we cannot see God in his essence no not by the eye of Reason There is onely one more that is the eye of Faith which â— The eye of Faith cannot apprehend God in his
John knew neither Jewes nor Gentiles would indure the tearm of the Son of God They could not indure to hear of a sonship in the Deity and Godhead but with this tearm Word applied to the Godhead they were well acquainted both Jewes and Gentiles But John had often met with it in the Old Testament in this sense for the second person in the Trinity I shall shew you a place or two Psal 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his Mouth Here is JEHOVAH the Lord and the Word of the Lord for the Second Person and the Spirit of his Mouth for the Third The Creation is ascribed to the whole Trinity So here is Word In the same sense ye shall find Jesus Christ is called the Word 2 Sam. 7. 21. in that speech of David For thy VVord's sake and according to thine own Heart hast thou done all these great things What is that For thy VVord's sake 1 Chron. 17. 19. Compare these two places O Lord for thy Servant's sake and according to thine own Heart hast Thou done all these things Thou hast done them for thy VVord's sake saith Samuel Thou hast done them for thy Servants sake in the Chronicles And who is that Servant but Christ My servant whom I have Chosen and in whom I delight c. There is a place in Haggai that calleth Christ the VVord Haggai 2. 4 5. Yea now be strong Oh Zerobbabel saith the Lord and be strong Oh Joshua son of Josedeck the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land-saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the VVord that I Covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth amongst you fear ye not Here is JEHOVAH and VVord and Spirit according to ye may see by the Character is not in the Originall it is in another Letter in our Translation of it Therefore thus according to the Originall or more neerly I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts with that VVord in whom I covenanted with you In quo vobiscum pepegi I am with you together with that VVord in whom I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt So that God promiseth the Church deliverance in the Name of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Well then the Jewes you see were well acquainted with this tearm of VVord applied to the second Person in the Trinity They had it in the beginning and in the Chaldee Paraphrase which is applied to JEHOVAH it is rendred the VVord of God What JEHOVAH is said to do they translate it The Word of God did it applying the Word of God to Christ Yea the very Heathens whom John would likewise take and therefore baiteth his hook accordingly the Heathens had a strong notion of the Word They said There was an eternall Mind from which proceeded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Word which was the Creator of all things Ye have it in Plato Trismegistus and divers of the Philosophers yea the very Oracle Pheuros the King of Egypt sendeth to the Oracle to know Who should be the greatest in the World hoping the Oracle would have named him But he received this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressing the whole Trinity clearly and expresly First God saith the Oracle then the Word and together with them the Spirit So then this tearm Word being known and applied to God both by Jewes and Heathens and St. John knowing that Ebion and Cerinthus were better versed in this Philosophy than in the Scriptures of God he to win them baits his hook with this expression of the Word whereas the expression of the Son of God would have angred them In this sense John practiseth what St. Paul confesseth to become all things to all men He setteth forth Christ under the term of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which they would better receive Whence the third Quaerie doth arise which is the main How doth it appear that Christ is fitly called by this Quaerie 3 term The Word We must distinguish There is a two-fold Word There Respons is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word conceived in the mind I pray you set you selves to understand it As when ye read The fool hath said in his heart There is no God Here is what the fool thought He said that is within himself When the mind speaketh to a man's self that is a word conceived Secondly there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word delivered that is two-fold either verbum quod or verbum quo The word delivered is either that word which is one's mind expressed that is the thing which he hath spoken Then it is said he keepeth his word when he hath done the thing uttered And then there is the verbum quo that is that thing by which a man's mind is expressed Yet more plainly take it thus There is a three-fold word Verbum mentale A word conceived Verbum reale A word uttered Verbum orale A word uttering The word conceived verbum mentale is the Apprehension that a man hath in himself which we call a Notion or a Conception The word uttered verbum reale is the thing that is spoken In the Originall see Luk. 1. 37. With God nothing can be impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God no word shall be impossible So in the Originall There is nothing that God hath spoken but it shall come to passe Ye have a very clear place for that Matth. 4. 4. Man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God As I take it the most proper meaning of that place is By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God we understand every creature which God hath ordained for food And ye will be of that mind too if you see Deuter. 8. 3. He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not nor thy fathers before thee that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Whatsoever the word of God maketh food whatsoever God appointeth to be instrumentall as he did Manna here There is verbum reale Then verbum orale the word uttering is the expression by which that thing is delivered That is the end why God hath given us speech If we were to deal onely with God we should need no tongue or speech because God knoweth the thoughts of our hearts If we were to deal onely with our selves we should need no speech for every man knoweth Why the use of Speech is given to man what himself thinketh But because we are to deal one with another therefore God giveth us the use of speech that there might be a word uttering and declaring to one another what one another thinks Psal 139. 4. There
to be the Doctrine of the Divinity of Christ This is one word to Ministers to confute the gainsayers but it is not the main I will not therefore stand upon it in this Auditory As it is with the Angels that are ministring Spirits for the good of the Church so it should be with the Ministers that are called the good Angels of the Church The Angels are fometimes put upon conflicts with the Devil they have many combats with the wicked Spirits as may be gathered out of Daniel But this is but in order to their ministring for the good of the Elect. They conflict with evill Spirits that they may be serviceable for the good of the Church So should Ministers conflict with evill Angels but in reference to the good of the Church Speak comfortably to Jerusalem saith the Lord to the Angel Therefore I shall passe to another Use of Consolation The Word was God Beloved If this be not true say Hereticks what they Vse 2 can if this be not true That Christ was God our Preaching is in vain and your Faith in vain ye are yet in your sins Who can forgive sins but God Ye expect forgivnesse The promises cannot be made good if Christ be not God of sins by Christ What soul can get to Heaven if Christ be not God He hath promised eternall life to all that love him and believe in him How shall a man have this Promise made good if He be not God If a man that hath never a foot of land in England shall make his Will and bequeath to thee such and such Houses and Land in such a Town and County whereas he was never the owner of any such Houses or Land Certainly this Deed is null thou art never a whit the nearer enriching thy selfe with such a Legacy If Heaven be not in Christ's dispose how can we have it as his gift If Christ be not God we cannot have Heaven If Christ be not God we are all still in our sins For the Justice of God expects satisfaction to be made for the sins of men we cannot make satisfaction but our Surety must Christ is our Surety If Christ be not God our Satisfaction is null for an infinite Justice offended must have an infinite Price paid A man may satisfie the Justice of man but what man can satisfie the Justice of God Will God accept the first-born of thy body for the sin of thy soul No he will not Yet he will accept His First-born for the sins of the world for in him he is well pleased There lyeth a great deal of strength upon that place it is a speciall foundation of faith Act. 20. 28. Over which the holy Ghost Christ is God hath made you over seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood This must needs relate to Christ And Christ is here called God and Christ's Blood is called the Blood of God Christ could never have gone through with the purchase of the Church if the Blood he shed had not been the Blood of God Whatsoever the Justice of God can exact that the Blood of God can discharge The blood of man would not have done it the blood of men or Angels would not have done it Man sinned and Man must satisfie Therefore the Human Nature must be assumed by a Surety for a man cannot do it If an Angel should have assumed Human Nature it would Humane nature assumed by none but God have polluted him Human Nature was so defiled by sin that it could not be assumed by any but God Now Christ being God the Divine Nature purified the Human Nature which he took and so it was a sufficient Sacrifice The person offered in sacrifice was God as well as Man This is a ground whereupon a Beleever may challenge Satan to say his worst and doe his worst Let him present God as terrible Let him present me as abhominable in the sight of God by reason of my sins Let him aggravate the heighth of God's displeasure and the heighth and depth and length and breadth of my sins I grant all And against all this I oppose this infinite Satisfaction of Christ Though the Justice of God cannot be bribed yet it may be satisfied Here is a proportionable Satisfaction here is God answering God The VVord was God This Word was He that laid down his life and shed his blood for us And now let Satan urge the Justice of God as much as he can The Justice of God maketh me sure of Salvation Salvation assured by Gods Justice Why Because his Justice obligeth him to accept of an adequate Satisfaction of his own appointing The Justice of God maketh me sure of mine own happinesse because if God be just that Satisfaction should be had when that Satisfaction is made Justice requireth that the person for whom it is made shall be received into favour I confesse that unlesse God had obliged himself by Promise there were no pressing his Justice thus far because Noxa sequitur caput There was mercy in the Promise of sending Christ out of mercy to undertake for us otherwise we cannot say that God was bound in Justice to accept of Satisfaction unlesse he had first in mercy been pleased to appoint the way of a Surety Justice indeed requireth Satisfaction but it requireth it of the person that sinneth Here commeth in Mercy that a Surety shall be accepted and what he doth is as if the person that offended should have done it himself Here is Mercy and Salvation surely bottomed upon both So much sweet comfort floweth from this consideration That Christ is God I come now to the second Verse Vers 2. The same was in the beginning with God What the Evangelist had affirmed in the former Verse The Word was with God he now confirmeth in this second Verse The same was in the beginning with God There is a Repetition but with some Illustration It may be thought that some or all of these three things may be aimed at First it may be thought to aime at shewing us that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning are to be referred to all the three Clauses and Propositions in the first Verse whereas they are there annexed but to one of them In the beginning was the Word saith he vers 1. Now the second Verse knitteth the same words to the second Proposition The same in the beginning was with God and the same was God So that ye must put both into that Proposition which concerneth the eternall Existency of Christ and to that which concerneth the Personall Coexistency The Word was with God and the divine Essentialnesse with God The same was God Though he were with God in the beginning may some say yet it is questioned whether he were God then This addition will prevent such mistakes to shew you the words In the beginning is
we lost in the first Adam we shall have restored in the Second there is no other way to come by it but this The Mint in which Knowledge Holinesse and Joy are coyned it goeth in Heaven and no where else Christ is the Master of that Mint That you may be encouraged to seek to Christ for this set me tell you Beloved That if the Lord Jesus Christ be 1. Sweeter Knowledge by Christ then that we lost in Adam pleased to renew this Image in you and restore you to this state of light you shall have a sweeter Knowledge ye shall have a surer Holinesse and a more lasting Joy than Adam himself had in Paradise The light that the second Adam giveth is better in some respect than the light which the first Adam lost Ye shall know that which Adam never knew the heighth and depth and breadth and length of the love of God in Christ That which did not come within the compasse of Adam's knowledge to know what belonged to a Redeemer but that is made known to the Saints in whom the Image of God is renewed Ephes 3. 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of God which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Adam knew much of the love of God as a Creator but now we know the love of God as a Redeemer This must needs be a sweeter knowledge because this second is a greater love The misery of the person to whom love is shewed heightneth the love That which God in Christ Pitty in misery heightneth love sheweth to man fallen is love in mercy love joyned with mercy is greater love therefore the knowledge of this is sweeter knowledge And as ye shall have sweeter Knowledge so surer Holinesse 2. Surer Holinesse I do not say a purer Holinesse Adam was more pure in the state of Innocency than any man on this side Heaven he had no corruptions stirring in him But surer Holinesse That Holinesse which Adam had he was capable of losing it and did lose it That which Christ restoreth to them in whom this Image is renewed it is not left to their own keeping He himself keepeth it for them and no man shall take them out of his hand Joh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand As it fareth sometimes with a man that hath broke his leg or arm if he light upon a good Chirurgion that setteth it well again the arm or leg is stronger than before the breaking of it and we say He fell into the hands of a good Chirurgion So we were broken in Adam but we have by Christ a stronger Holinesse than we had at first And so you shall have a more lasting Joy than you could 3. More lasting Joy have in the first Adam It was a joyfull state as ye have heard but how long endured it The Psalmist saith Sorrow endureth for a night but joy commeth in the morning Here joy endured for the morning and sorrow came at evening Some think Adam did not stand in his integrity a whole night sure he did not stand long but lost his joy presently That joy which is given to whom this Image is renewed is such as no man or devill can take from them Joh. 16. 22. You all shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man tâ—â—e from you Bernard saith Gaudium â—â—it in fine sed Gaudium sine fine It shall be joy in the end but it shall be a joy without end which Adam's was not This is the Generall Use There is another more Particular that is to such as are Particular Use restored to this Image of God and a new state of life from which Adam sell that they might walk as children of the light How is that The Exhortation ye have Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord Walk as children of the light That is Walk knowingly walk piously walk cheerfully for light includeth all these three Hath Christ restored you to what ye fell from First then Walk knowingly have a care to see your way 1. Walk Knowingly before you whatsoever ye do it upon warrantable and good grounds take up no Opinion upon trust follow no Principles without a warrant from the Scripture He that walketh in darknesse faith Christ Joh 12. 35. knoweth not whither he goeth And so Prov. 4. 19. The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble So long as a man is in the dark he knoweth not whither he goeth nor at what he stumbleth he reeleth sometimes this way and sometimes that way runneth his head against a post or falleth into a ditch into this error or that He stumbleth now upon a mad Principle and then upon a bad Principle because he knoweth not whither he goeth In the dark there is no discerning of colours all things are alike fair So it is with men in the state of unregeneracy there is no difference between civility and grace between formality and truth between faith and fancy He that will walk as a child of light must discern of things that differ for It is light that maketh manifest Secondly As he must walk knowingly so Piously Put on saith the Apostle the armour of light and let us walk 2. Walk Piously honestly as in the day Rom. 13. 13. Would you know how Cast your eyes upon Ephes 5. 8 9 10. Walk as children of light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth proving what is acceptable to the Lord. This place sheweth you that the light of holinesse which is in the souls of the Saints it is a Prolificall Light which bringeth sorth fruit Walk as children of the light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth It is the light of the Sun that begeteth creatures which the light of a Candle doth not Many Creatures have no other father but the Light as Philosophers say Putredo mater Sol pater Putridity is the mother and the heat of the Sun that is the father of them So it is with all inferiour Lights they are like the light of a Candle the naturall light of Reason and the utmost improvement of naturall abilities this light make the best of it till it come to be supernaturall and to have infusion from Christ it hath no quickning power in it it will not reform a man's life it begets no work truly good Whereas the light of Holinesse like the light of the Sun it ingenders and bringeth forth good works The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse Then there will be a proving of what is acceptable to the will of God Men will not
came the Prophets after them the Evangelists and Apostles So as this Age enjoyes the benefit of all the light that former times have had Thus you see it is made good that a light from Christ hath continued to shine in all Ages ever since the Fall This letteth us see that ignorant persons in all Ages have been inexcusable they cannot say but that God sent them light more or lesse Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse No age can plead any thing for it self by way of excuse if it looketh not after God and this age least of all for Christ who hath continued to shine in all ages shineth out most gloriously now They had but as it were the Star-light before Moses afterwards I will take in all that under Moses too it was but a Star-light in comparison In John the Baptist's time they had as it were the light of the morning peeping out he was the Lucifer the Morning-star that came before the Day Then came the Day-spring from on high to visit us the Lord Jesus Christ himself in the Ministry of the Gospell he being both the Subject and Christ both the Subject and the Preacher of the Gospell the Preacher of the Gospell Then the Sun arose and so the light shined more and more to the perfect day He sent forth his Apostles and endowed them with infallibility of spirit And the holy men writ as being moved by the Spirit of God So as in the ages since God hath been pleased to make good that which was Prophecied of old by Isaiah first and afterwards by Habbakuk The time shall come when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord even as the waters cover the sea Isa 11. 9. Former times had but poor Ebb-tydes in comparison there are now Spring-tydes since the comming of Christ into the world The earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea You may see if you will a little by what degrees Light came in Heb. 1. 1. God revealed himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God revealed by degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in severall waies and at severall times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by piece-meals in many parts which the word implyeth As for instance He first made known to Adam that he would send Mankind a Mediator that should be born of a A little light revealed to Adam Woman there is the light with him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head And that manifestation goes no further After commeth a further light that is to Abraham a little more to Abraham where he telleth him In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed And to him is given Circumcision as a seal of this covenant of Grace A further light came in more to Jacob Jacob's time and discovered the time when Shiloe should come into the world Gen. 49. 10. After him the Propheticall Office of Christ is revealed to Moses A Prophet like more to Moses to me will God raise up to you of your brethren him shall ye hear Deut. 18. 18. Then commeth in another Sacrament and more afterwards to the Jews the Passeover and all the Ceremoniall Law which was the Jews Gospell every thing there pointed at Christ Afterwards clearer manifestation still Isaiah telleth you what kind of Mediator he shall be not descended of a pompous A clearer light to Isaiah way but as a man of sorrow He telleth you of whom he shall be born A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Micah more to Micha telleth you the very place where he shall be born Thou Bethlehem out of thee shall come forth to me him that shall be the Ruler in Israel Mich. 5. 2. And so by degrees light came in How much is this Age of the world bound to God We under the Gospell have all the light of former Ages for the enjoyment of all the light of former Ages so as if still we are ignorant of Christ we are of all men most inexcusable It was but a little that our fore-fathers enjoyed in comparison Look but back a few years to Henry the Eighth's time and to Queen Mary's daies the Protestants then had but little light in comparison of what they have now As it is in Reason our Reason should answer our Light so it is in Nature when the Sun appeareth at noon-day then it is hottest Naturalists say Calor Lux concrescunt Light and heat encrease together But alas notwithstanding the light in our heads what a coldnesse is there in the most of our affections Let me say this to you Our fathers in those daies they walked to Heaven as it were by Candle-light But Oh! if we shall now post to Hell by day-light What will become of us how inexcusable will our guilt and insupportable will our condition be I have done with the second Observation The light shineth in darkness It followeth The Darkness comprehended it not The Point from hence is this That it is naturall to man Observ 3 since the Fall not to comprehend the light of Christ The Apostle speaketh in plain tearms 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It is not with this Metaphoricall light as it is with the Naturall the naturall light scattereth the darknesse where it commeth Let the Sun arise Darknesse giveth way But here the Metaphoricall darknesse will not give way that resisteth the light when it commeth and prevaileth against it Thus in St. John's language It comprehendeth it not Job 24. 13. These are they that abhor the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof They are of those that rebell against the light For the light that shineth in the works of God darknesse comprehendeth Light shining in the Works of God it not God hath gloriously appeared in the works of Creation but with what issue 1 Cor. 1. 21. Seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe There was a great deal of wisdom appeared in the works of Creation In wisdom hast thou made them all saith the Psalmist of the works of God and yet the world by wisdom knew not God All that appeared of God by the creatures could not bring man to a taking knowledge of him Therefore you see God is put upon another way of saving man viz. The foolishness of Preaching as this place telleth you Something men did apprehend of this light but they comprehended it not fully The light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not Again This light
we might not sit in darknesse but wait for him as they that wait for the morning Men that have most businesse to do and cannot do it without light How do they watch for the morning Ho! the morning ho they cry out Phosphore redde diem Jesus Christ is that morning Star and yet gave himself therefore wait upon him for him It is observable that Rev. 22. 16. he calleth himself the morning-Star I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things to the Churches I am the root and off-spring of David and the bright morning-Star And Rev. 2. 26 28. He promiseth to give the Christ is the Morning-Star morning-Star He that over commeth and keepeth my word to the end I will give him the morning-Star What is that I will bestow my self upon him Other Commanders they give their souldiers some little pay other masters they give their servants some little wages But he that overcometh and keepeth my word I will give him My self I will give him the morning-Star That was the true Light that lighteth every man that commeth into the World Some difficulty is in this Clause therefore for the fuller explication of it there are two Conclusions to be cleared and two Queries to be resolved First two Conclusions to be cleared The first is this That whatsoever any man receiveth he Conclus 1 hath it from Christ That was the true light that lighteth Whatsoever man receiveth it is from Christ every man Indeed in this sense many take it as if one should say Such a Schoolmaster he teacheth every boy in the town This were true though every boy in the town did not go to school The meaning is this That every one that is taught is taught by such a Master And so though every man and every mothers son should not be enlightned yet it may truly be said that Christ enlightneth every man that commeth into the world because every man that is enlightned hath his light from him There is truth in that but that is not all the truth Thus far it is undeniable that whatsoever light any man hath he hath it from the Lord Jesus Christ who is therefore called The Sun of righteousnesse The Sun that is the well-head of light whatsoever light is in the Moon or Stars or inferiour Orbs it is derived from the Sun So all light whatsoever it is it is derived from Christ Conclus 2 The second Conclusion is this That every man and Every man and woman in the world some way or other is enlightned by Christ woman that is born into the world is enlightned by Christ some way or other Not onely every one that hath light hath light from him but Every one hath some light from him I say every one that commeth into the world is some way or other enlightned by Christ But that is the importance of the expression in the end of the Text Every man that is born into the world therefore every man cannot be restrained because born into the world is too large an expression Every man that commeth into the wrrld Ye may say What meaneth coming into the world Joh. 18. 37. To this end I was born and for this cause came I into the world Born and coming into the world is all one And so dying and going out of the world is all one Naked came I in and naked shall I go out We brought nothing into this world namely Job 1. 21. when we were born and we shall carry nothing out namely when we die So that man's coming into the world is Every man and woman that cometh by naturall generation into this world is born into it Come we now to resolve two Quaeries of more importance First Whether the same measure of light be communicated Quaerie 1 from Christ to all men yea or no To that the Answer must be Negative He doth enlighten every man that commeth into the world but not every Respons man alike To that end ye must know there is two sorts of light a Naturall and a Supernaturall Light and each of these comprehend three severall things under it The Naturall light that comprehendeth the light of the Sun the light of Reason the light of Conscience Naturall Light 1. Of the Sun First The light of the Sun that makes all other things visible Psal 74. 26. Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Secondly The light of Reason a naturall light In him 2. Of Reason was light and the light was the life of men Joh. 1. 4. where the meaning is That the light of Reason commeth from Christ to every man Thirdly The light of Conscience which is to be found even in every man by nature by which he is prompted to 3. Of Conscience good and taken off from evill and able to discern between right and wrong more or lesse And thus I understand that of Prov. 20. 27. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly The spirit it is often put for conscience The things of a man knoweth no man but the spirit of man which is in him Now this is called the Candle of the Lord because it lighteth and directeth all men We all by our Fall in Adam lost not onely our Supernaturalls but forfeited even our Naturalls All the light we had was blown out by that Fall therefore what we have now we owe to Christ The Naturall light we have it is the Candle of the Lord. Supernaturall light that comprehendeth three things Supernaturall Light The light of the Word The light of Grace The light of glory The light of the Word Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet 1. Of the Word and a light to my paths Psal 119. 105. The light of Grace Ephes 1. 18. The eyes of your understanding 2. Of Grace being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling the riches of his glory The light of Glory Col. 1. 12. He hath made us partakers 3. Of Glory of the inheritance of the Saints in light One of these maketh way for the other the light of the Word for the light of Grace and the light of Grace prepareth way for the light of Glory The light of Grace that is the fruit of the Word ingraffed and the light of Glory that is the crown and reward of Grace In all there are six sorts of Light three Naturall and three Supernaturall The First and Last of these cannot be understood in the Text the light of the Sun is the first and the last is the light of Glory which is not understood here Though it may be affirmed that the world continueth for Christ's sake That cannot be understood here because the Evangelist speaketh of a Sun proper to man whereas that is common to all the world to brute beasts as well as men It enlightneth every man The last of these the light of Glory cannot be
it is lame but yet it is of the Blood-Royall There is much in the light of Reason much more in the light of the Word and of Conscience and of Grace Do we want light as who doth not Seek to him that is the Father of light he is the Father of Supernaturall light as well as of Naturall Seek him but in a way of humility and sincerity otherwise little hope of finding him It is an excellent speech of Bernard saith he Superbo oculo non videtur veritas sincero patet Truth is not seen by a proud eye it openeth it self to a sincere one Humility sitteth lowest in the School Take out thy Lesson in the School of Christ seek it sincerely Painted Glasses hinder the light from comming into the room He that will too much paint that is play the hypocrite hinders the light from entring his soul It is the sincere heart that receiveth the light of the truth Thirdly Let us hence learn to serve him for all light tendeth to some work The Sun ariseth saith the Psalmist Use 3 Learn to Serve him Psal 104. 22 23. and man goeth forth to his work and labour till the evening God sheweth man light to work by and that is the end of the light that Christ scattereth abroad in the world not to loyter by but to do service with The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of the bowells Christ hath set up a candle in every one of our hearts not to play by as children use to do to play by the candle that they should go to bed by and go to bed in the dark when they have done Many men mispend their time which God hath given them and so lie down in darknesse Some men God giveth wit to and they employ it to the dishonour of Christ and the reproach of the Gospell for the true end of the light is that we may do service If ye give light to your servants to work by ye expect they should do more and better work than they that go to work in the dark Fourthly Blesse him for he it is from whom we have all our light those four lights I told you of The light of Use 4 Reason is that that distinguisheth us from beasts it is that Learn to Bless him which though it cannot find out the deep things of God yet when they are revealed it may help to confirm them As when men go to plant a Vine first they take out the earth and make way for the root but when they have planted the Vine they put in the earth again and that better confirmeth the grouth of the Vine There are some kind of mysteries of faith that a man must take away his reason before he goeth to believe them he must not first dispute and then believe but when faith is once planted lay to it reason and it helpeth to confirm the excellency of faith it self If so much in the light of Reason how much more in the light of Conscience which God hath set as a Schoolmaster in every man's bosom to teach him what is good and what is evill It is said to be a bridle to keep from evill to restrain a man that is to commit evill from the evill And for the light of the Word it is the crown of a Nation The Church is represented to us Rev. 12. as a Woman with a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles is the Crown of the Church And the light of Grace Peter telleth you what that is 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is a marvellous light Therefore may every true Convert say Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name I now proceed to the tenth Verse of this Chapter Vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Let me give you first the Connection of these words and then the Explication of them and so come to some Observations Look back a little into the fourth and fifth Verses there ye shall find these three Assertions laid down by the Evangelist First That Light commeth from Christ Light was the life of men Secondly That this Light from Christ shineth in darknesse Thirdly That the darknesse comprehendeth it not Now the Verse that followeth serveth to make good all these three Assertions First That light commeth from Christ That is proved two waies First By the testimony of John the Baptist who was a man sent from God to bear witnesse of this light Secondly By the effects of generall Illumination That was the true light which lighteth every man that commeth into the world Our Evangelist goeth on to prove the two other Assertions namely these Light shineth in darkresse and it comprehended it not First in reference to the Gentiles Secondly in reference to the Jewes In reference to the Gentiles in this tenth verse He was in the World and the World was made by Him There is the light shining in the World And the world knew Him not There is the light not comprehended of darknesse In reference to the Jewes Light shined there in darknesse but the darknesse comprehended it not for his owne received him not For the meaning of the words let us take them as they lye He was in the World He was present in the World There is a threefold presence of Christ 1. A generall presence of Christ 2. A speciall presence 3. And a singular presence First a generall presence of Christ by which he is with 1. A generall presence of Christ in the world all the Creatures preserving them and upholding them according to what is said Hebr. 1. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his glory and expresse Image of his person hath upheld all things by the word of his power Which is likewise spoken to Col. 1. 17. He was before all things and by Him all things consist He was in the World which He himself made as a Carpenter is in a house which he himself hath built A Carpenter buildeth an house to dwell in and then keepeth it in repaire Christ so made the World not as to leave it but so as to keep in it and preserve it as well as to make it As suppose a man that were both a Ship-wright and a Ship-master He first maketh the ship then goeth to Sea in it himselfe Christ hath so made the World as to preserve the World which he made as to look after it and every thing in it He was in the World and the World was made by Him These words are added to shew that he was not in the World as part of the World but as the Maker of it He was not in the World as a Creature but as the Creator of all things According to what the Evangelist hath taught us before By Him were all things made and without Him was nothing made that was made He was in
Hebr. 2. 17. He was made like unto his brethren in all things that he might be a mercifull high Priest Christ is therefore a mercifull high Priest because he was made like us in our infirmities It is a great invitation to mercy to see one in the same condition that we our selves have been in As she said Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco she Dido Lib. 3. Aenaeid had learned to pity others because she had born the like miseries her selfe As a woman that hath had a Child can more pity women that are in Travaile because she hath suffered the like pains than other women can that never have brought forth any Children at all So the Lord Jesus hath felt the like infirmities the penall not the sinfull therefore he is likely to pitty us when we lie under them Exod. 23. 9. Thou shalt not oppresse a stranger for ye know They that have suffered can best pitty them that are under sufferings the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt Christ knoweth the heart of a man under his infirmities when they are onely painfull and not sinfull because he himselfe did undergoe such in the dayes of his flesh Therefore this may comfort a man as in generall so in diverse particular Cases when we wrestle with infirmities suppose sorrow of heart it was Christ's owne case Time was when he cried out Matth. 26. 38. My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even to death The consideration of his sorrow may help to sweeten thine when thou art afflicted in body and pinched It was Christ's case He himselfe hungred in the wildernesse and was a thirst at Jacob's well He was buffetted and scourged yea Crucified in the end He felt the nails and spear Therefore saith Luther I am ashamed that men should count my sufferings any thing when I think of what Christ indured So be our sufferings never so great we are thereby made conformable to him who suffered the like things for us And so for poverty 2 Cor. 8. 9. Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he were rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be made rich The like may be said in many other Instances whatsoever infirmity it is we may expect Christ will relieve us against it But the soul saith Still you except sin I would have that taken away If Christ take not that away I am undone Object This doth not so much lie in my Text now yet I shall speak a word to it I told you Christ took our painfull infirmities and not Answ our sinfull And yet I must tell you he took our sinfull infirmities As Christ took our painfull infirmities by inherency so our sinfull infirmities by imputation too in another sense not in the same way as he took the other He took our painfull infirmities in a way of Inherency and our sinfull ones too in a way of Iniputation Quicquid sustulit tollit whatsoever Christ took away he took He took away our sins therefore he took our sins in one sense or other He could not take our sins as our sorrowes It was impossible that sin should be inherent in Christ His Divinity was a protection against all sins yet He took them away by imputation Therefore It is said by the Apostle God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin He knew no sin and yet is made sin How Not made sin by committing sin for Christ was not in a Capacity of sinning but made sin by bearing the Imputation of sin and so took upon him the guilt of sin and not the Inherency of sin There be two things in guilt a worthinesse of being punished and a destination to punishment The Demerit and the Destination It is false to say That Christ took the guilt upon him in a way of Demerit as if Christ himselfe had been worthy of being punished For all Demerit implieth sin either naturall or personall Now in Christ was neither originall Corruption nor actuall Rebellion But the other thing in guilt which is Poenae obligatio an obligation and destination to punishment In this sense Christ took guilt not because of any naturall Demerit but because of his Communion in that nature of which the Demerit was found He voluntarily became our Surety and took our Nature that in that nature He might suffer for our sins And in this capacity God doth destinate him to punishment in this sense He took our sinfull infirmities And thus ye see what matter of comfort this truth affordeth It affordeth us likewise matter of duty Lessons of piety and Lessons of thankfullnesse First Lessons of piety Oh If Christ the second Person 1 Lessons of piety in the Triuity did put on man how carefull should men be to put on Christ Put ye on the Lord Jesus saith the Apostle not making provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. If Christ assumed our human nature how should we wrestle with God to be made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine nature having escaped the corruptions that are in the World through lusts If Christ became thus one flesh with us how zealous should we be to become one spirit with Christ 1 Cor. 6. 17. Even as man and wife is one flesh so he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit So she is married to Christ and God looketh upon such a soul as his owne daughter now it is married to his Son therefore dealeth with it as Caleb did to Achsah He giveth her not onely the upper Land and nether springs not onely outward blessings and accommodations but comforts and refreshments with them not onely the nether springs of Ordinances but the upper springs of Comforts and Refreshments in and by those Ordinances Secondly Here are Lessons of thankfullnesse too Was the Word made flesh Did Christ take our nature yea 2 Lessons of thankfullness did he take our nature at the worst after the Fall What exceeding great cause have we to blesse his Name for ever for this Condescension of his Should all the Princes in the World have come from their severall Thrones and have gone a begging from door to door it was not so much as for Christ to become man for our sakes And he took our nature not in the integrity of it as in Adam before his fall but in the infirmities of it which came to it by the fall As for a man that can live of himselfe to wear a Noble man's Livery while this Noble man is in great favour in the Court and hath the King's eare this is no such great matter But when this Noble man is proclaimed a Traitor and is cast out of his Prince's favour then for this man to wear his Cloath and owne him this is
Faith and Love and Zeal The former are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Charites the former gifts the latter graces in a strict sense Thirdly There is grace bestowed upon the whole Person that is Acceptation Ye may call the first Gracefulnesse 3. Upon the whole Person in the body the second Grace in the soul and the third Gracefulnesse in the person As when we say Such a one is gratious at the Court when he partaketh of the grace and favour of the King Now Christ was full of grace in all these senses First If ye speak of active grace giving grace there 1. A fulness of active grace in Christ was a fulnesse of that in Christ a fulnesse of good-will out of which flowed so many accommodations to the sons of men both for soul and body Therefore at his birth the Angels sung Good-will towards men Whether ye look to his words or to his deeds ye shall find him full of grace in this sense If to his words ye know what the Evangelist saith Luk. 4. 42. They all bare witnesse and wondred at the gratious words which proceeded out of his mouth Gratious words It is prophecied of him and accordingly he made it good that he should not cry nor his voice be heard in the streets His cry should not be like that of Jonah in Niniveh Jon. 3. 4. a voice of destruction or of terrour but if he did cry it should be of mercy If any man thirst let him come and Isa 55. 1. drink If his voice be heard it is a voice of grace inviting sinners to come to him Ye that be heavy laden c. Grace Matth. 11. 24. in all his words And so grace in all his Actions He went about as the Scripture telleth us Act. 10. doing good And so ye know the Evangelicall History I do not think ye can give me an instance of any man that Christ sent away in the daies of his flesh that came to him for mercy without mercy He healed them all Luk. 9. 11. And the people when they knew it followed him and he received them and spake unto them of the kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing So here is active grace in Christ Secondly If ye look to Passive grace to grace given 2. Fulnesse of Passive grace in Christ upon his Body first there was grace given that fell upon his body which certainly was of excellent frame full of beauty Therefore it is said Thou art fairer than the sons of men grace is poured upon thy lips Psal 45. 2. This is not spoken of the Divinity of Christ for in that respect he was fairer than the Angels but of his Humanity and so he was fairer than the children of men There was indeed a time wherein no beauty was to be seen in him but he speaketh of him then as upon the Crosse when the ploughers made long furrowes upon his back and digged deep holes in his sides as he was besmeared with blood so no beauty in him And secondly upon his Soul Secondly Passive grace upon his soul grace given to that Whatsoever Indowment was requisite to fit him for a Mediator that he had some understand by Grace all the perfections of the Will and by Truth all the perfections of the Understanding Surely nothing was wanting either in will or understandingâ— or affectionâ— that might render the soul of Christ fully gratious It is prophecied in Isaiah 11. 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him He spake before of a rod of Jesse and a branch growing out of his root So now What grace was upon his soul Why The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of Wisdome and Understanding and of Counsell and Might and of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord. Thirdly Grace given such as filleth up the whole person 3. Grace given filleth up the whole person grace of Acceptation In that sense it is said Luk. 2. 40. speaking of Christ The Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him that is the favour of God So he interpreteth it in the last verse of that Chapter Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and men We needs must grant it to be so because Quod efficit tale magis est tale That which maketh another so is much more so it selfe Christ is he that procureth acceptation both of our persons and our services and therefore he himselfe is much more acceptable with God Our persons have no acceptation but through him We are said to be accepted through the beloved Ephes 1. 6. Our services have no acceptation but through him In that place of Peter we are a spirituall priest-hood 1 Pet. 2. 5 6. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ So as He himselfe is much more accepted Thus you see how he is full of grace Let us see now how Christ is likewise full of Truth Christ in the truth and the truth in Him The truth is said to be in Jesus and Jesus is said to be in the truth Truth is said to be in him Ephes 4. 21. If so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus He is said to be The truth John 14. 6. I am the way the Truth and the Life More distinctly Take truth in what notion you will it will appear Christ was full of truth Truth is sometimes opposed to Hypocrisie sometimes to Error sometimes to Lying sometimes to Shadowes Christ was full of truth in all these senses First If ye take Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie and as 1. Christ is full of Truth as opposed to Hypocrisie equipollent with sincerity not with the levened bread of malice but with the unlevened bread of sincerity and truth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. So Christ was full of Truth sincere in all When he lifted up his eyes he lifted up his heart to God When he bowed his knee he bowed his soul When he opened his mouth he opened his heart to his hearers Therefore he is said to be girt about the loins with faithfulnesse and truth Righteousnesse and truth shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reins As the girdle girts a man in so sincerity and truth girt in all the actions and speeches of Jesus Christ Secondly If ye take Truth as it standeth in opposition 2. As opposed to Error to Error thus Christ was full of truth because all Treasures both of wisdome and knowledge being hid in him it was impossible for him to have any misapprehension He conceived rightly of all things and spake truly of all even his enemies being witnesses Hear what they say Matth. 20. 16. They sent out to him their Disciples with the Hâ—rodians saying Master we know thou art true and teachest the way of God in
The merit of all these redound to thee if thou canst but believe Therefore may the poor soul say as David doth in the Psalms I will go out in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely But How comes it to passe then if there be such a fulnesse Object in Jesus Christ that so many of his Members are so empty so little grace to be seen in their conversation and belief to be found in their souls It is not for want of fulnesse in Christ but it is because Answ we are wanting to Christ and to our selves that we are so empty notwithstanding the fulnesse of our Head It is because we do not answer his fulnesse of worth and grace with the fulnesse of our affection Fulnesse should be answered with fulness As Excellency calleth for Respect so according to the degrees of the excellency should be the degrees of respect There is a full and abundant grace and merit in Christ therefore go with full assurance of faith when thou goest to him What is the reason thou art no fuller Quaer Why because thou dost open thy mouth no wider Respons Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Could we believe enough we should have enough But Christ saith as to many of his Patients Be it to thee according to thy faith According to the measure of thy Bucker so shall be the proportion of water that thou drawest out of the Well of Salvation Christ is the fountain and his blessings and graces are the water and faith is the bucket A large faith a faith drawn out fetcheth a large blessing from heaven and so as he expecteth fulnesse of faith that coming to a great God we should look for great things from him and not content our selves with outward Mediocrities but have our faith exercising it self in some proportion to the object upon which it acteth So also that we should come with the fulness of obedience in our lives as well as of faith in our hearts We should not onely draw near with assurance of faith but follow God fully as Caleb did Numb 14. get that spirit as was in Caleb to follow God fully We should have great comforts but we tread awry and so wrench our faith We go after God a little and the world a great deal when we are following God we are taken off from the pursuit of God Thence it is that our comforts are no more Suppose the head in the naturall body full of sense and spirits yet if the lower parts through which the influence should be conveyed to the vitall parts of the body be obstructed the lower parts may decay for want of the influence of the head because there is something that hinders that conveying of them namely those obstructions We suffer our understandings and wills and affections to be obstructed with the world and the things thereof therefore the fulnesse of our Head is not conveyed to us in so full a manner Herein do I exercise my self saith Paul to keep a good conscience towards God and towards man These exercises will open those obstructions and so make way for the influence of the Head That is the first Use by way of Consolation to them that are Within Secondly Here is matter of Invitation to them Without that they would from hence be perswaded to come in to Use 2 Jesus Christ because there is such a fulnesse in him as ye Matter of Invitation to them that â—â—e Without have heard of in other cases Fulnesse inviteth and why should it not do so in this The laden Bee that flyeth abroad into Gardens and Meadows Why Because they are full of flowers there is food to be had for them and something to carry home to their Hives Why doth the Merchant take such long voyages to the West Indies but because that is full of Mines of gold and silver And to the East Indies but because they are full of spices The sons of Jacob took a long journey from Canaan into Egypt because that was full of corn and they were loath to starve in their own Land The Queen of Shâ—ba came a great way to see Solomon because 1 King 19. 2. he was full of wisdom Will not all these rise up in judgment against us one day if we be not invited and drawn in by the fulness of Christ in whom there is more sweetness than in all flowers and spices more riches than in all mines of gold and silver more excellency and fulnesse than of milk and hony in Canaan than of corn in Egypt than of wisdom in Solomon Therefore me-thinks our souls should hasten to him and the rather because we all naturally affect a fulness and will be seeking it one where or other either in Christ or in the Creature and man doth dream of a fulness in the creature That which Agur speaks of speaking after the manner of men Prov. 30. 9. Give me not riches saith he lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord There is a fulnesse in wealth and pleasures and preferments that men may truly affect Let the very consideration of the emptiness of this fulnesse that is supposed to be in the creature be a motive to invite men to come in to Christ If ye go not after Christ ye will go after the high expectations of that fulnesse which will deceive you This of Christ is a filling fulnesse And That ye may call a fulnesse if ye will but it will prove emptiness in the issue Solomon at last comes to this conclusion Eccles 1. 14. I have seen all the works under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit that is emptiness so the word signifieth As empty the creatures are even as Cisterns that hold no water Jer. 1. 13. What refreshing can be had from a cistern that hath no water in it or but little ay but that little in the issue comes to nothing they are broken Cisterns and all runs out of them that seemeth to be put in broken Cisterns that can hold no water There is a meer delusion in all the creatures they make fair promises but when a man commeth to seek for comfort in them he is like a Traveller that comes to a Well for water and findeth nothing but aire there and so cries out It is an empty Well I remember a story of Semiramis that when she did lie upon her death-bed she caused her Monument to be made and this Verse written upon her Tomb Hîc fodâ—at quisquis si princeps indiget auro If any Prince standeth in need of Treasure let him dig in this Sepulcher and see what he can find there Many years after Darius passing by and beholding the Inscription caused the Monument to be digged open where instead of a great deal of treasure he findeth another Inscription to this purpose Had'st thou not been extreamly covetous thou wouldst never have digged into
found in this Relation as to take away the bitternesse of all other dispensations and providences though in other respects very averse Our Chroninicles tell us of King Edward the first when he was in forraigne parts newes was brought him at once both of the death of his father and of his son The King was exceedingly struck into sadnesse at the relation but especially at the death of his father For saith he I may have more sons but never another father We may have more friends and more estates if we lose our friends or estates but we can have no more fathers if we once lose our God we shall never have such a Father as he lose him once and all is gone Am not I said Elkanah to Hannah better to thee then ten sons Well may God say to us Am not I better to you then ten thousand sons and ten thousand times ten thousand estates All sweetnesse concenters in this Relation God is our Father we are his Children But there may be a great deal of wealth and honour 5. It is a safe estate and freedome and sweetnesse and yet no safety may attend this condition This is a safe estate that is the commendations of it This honour and riches and freedome and sweetnesse they shall all continue The servant he abideth not in the house for ever but the son abideth ever saith our Saviour Joh. 8. 35. Therefore fear not little flock saith Christ It is your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome Nothing shall intervene so as to hinder a son from the Inheritance It is his Fathers good pleasure and his will shall stand to give them a Kingdome in the issue So it is clear that this is an high priviledge What use shall we make of it First examine whether we be thus preferred yea or Vse 1 no. It is that which almost every one in the visible Church Examine our selves wherher we be sons or not pretendeth to be a son and daughter of God It is therefore worth the while to try whether the Lord Jesus Christ hath made us partakers of this priviledge It is a use both for the assurance of the Saints and for the discarding of Hypocrits that are but pretenders to it They favour even those men of whom Christ saith You are of your father the Devill They pretend sonship to God Joh. 8. 41. We say they be not born of fornication we have one Father even God And yet Christ saith to them ye are of your father the Devill We are of God say they ye are of your father the Devill saith Christ One way to try this and the onely one that I will name is by the spirit of adoption If we be sons then God hath sent forth into our hearts the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father This ye have expressely laid down in so many words Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father Wheresoever there is sonship there will be crying Abba Father Crying implyeth fervency of spirit as Why cryest thou to me faith God to Moses when he was in a great strait at the Red-sea Because both the profane persons and formall professors will put on for a share before we can break the childrens bread we must discard them from the comforts of this If crying Father and if praying argue my sonship Formality and Prophaneness reproved then I am a son saith the profane person for I say my prayers ever and anon Alas what is this to the purpose Thy praying is but craving yea thy praying is but houling in God's esteem Isa 7. 14. They have not cryed to me with their hearts when they houled upon their beds How irksom is the houling of dogs to the ears of men such is that which profane persons call Praying in the ears of God The truth is their praying is but a driving of contradictions because their life all the while giveth their tongue the lie Our Father saith the profane person which art in heaven and in the mean while he serveth his father the devill which is in hell Hallowed be thy Name so say his lips but in the mean time he dishonoureth God in swearing and lying and whoring and drinking and prophaneness Thy kingdom come and in the mean while he opposeth the Kingdom of Christ in his heart and in the lives of his Saints and doth what he can to hinder the comming of it Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven and in the mean while he doth the will of Satan that will which the damned do in hell Give us this day our daily bread seemingly acknowledging that he receiveth all even his outward mercies from God and in the mean while perhaps sacrificeth to his own net commending his own skill for the estate he hath gotten Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us and in the mean while he goeth on in malice and envy sinning to his very hour of death as it were Lead us not into temptation in the mean while he tempteth the devill to tempt him He cryeth Deliver us from evill and delivereth himself up to evill while he saith so He layeth the reins upon the neck of his lusts that run away with him into all mischief Call you this praying I but saith the formall professor I pray and that frequently not in distress onely but haply keep a constant course of prayer Surely I must go for a child of God That we be not deceived let us consider It is one thing to draw nigh with the heart and another thing to draw nigh with the lips You know the complaint of Isaiah compare two places together Isa 1. 15. When ye so read forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and when you make many prayers I will not hear you And yet he complaineth of them by Isaiah Isa 4. They make many prayers and yet none heareth that prayer Why Because Isa 29. 13. This people draw near to me with their mouths but remove their hearts far from me Therefore they pray and their prayers are no prayers because their hearts are not in them I will not deny but many a formall professor may have attained to the gift of prayer but that which I make an argument of Sonship was a spirit of prayer the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father What that is ye may see Zach. 10. 12. I will pour out upon Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication How worketh that They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn for me as one mourneth for his onely son Wheresoever the spirit Spirituall Prayer looks up to Christ of prayer is there will be a looking up to Jesus Christ in all our devotions The spirit of Adoption that commeth from the Son guideth to the Son and taketh us along with him in all our addresses to God They that
would have their voices to resound will make choice of Rocky places which send forth the best Eccho This Rock the Lord Jesus Christ is he that maketh our prayers to return with a blessing into our own bosoms You shall have many men that go to devotion and leave Christ behind them What a poor devotion is here The spirit of prayer is alwaies accompanied with Evangelicall humility with a mourning that floweth from our looking to Christ I know there is a great deal of legall sorrow in formall professors Men may go blubbering to hell without true repentance But here is a mourning that floweth from a looking up to Christ Where there is a spirit of Adoption men will speak from feeling which floweth from the apprehension of Christ and the certainty of God's grace in him Now this spirit of Adoption argueth Sonship But then commeth in the poor weak Believer and saith Object I am undone The other plead for themselves without a cause and he pleadeth as much against himself without a cause I cannot find such enlargement in prayer Surely the Spirit of Adoption is not in me if it were I should cry Abba Father with more importunity All Believers are not alike gifted there may be a gift of Answ prayer where there is not a spirit of prayer and a spirit of prayer where there are but poor gifts Haply thou canst onely chatter with Hezekiah like a Crane and Swallow yet consider whilst thou canst not speak there are two Spokes-men for thee the consideration whereof may render A Believer hath two Spokesmen to stand for him thee confident of success even in thy devotions how weak soever they be The lispings and stammerings of a child God liketh better then all the Oratory in the world The Spirit of God is in thee and the Blood of Christ is for thee The Spirit and We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession in us And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and heareth the least whispers of his own Spirit in the soul of a poor Believer And then The Blood of Christ that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel the Blood of of Christ As Christ saith of himself it may be said of this Blood Father I know thou hearest me alwaies But I pass now from matter of Triall and I come now to matter of Exhortation All Dignity ye Use 2 know calleth for Duty Such as are partakers of this Priviledge To exhort to Duties of being the children of God they are obliged to certain Duties that flow from hence First Obedience The sons of Jonadab they were obedient 1. To Obedience to the commandment of their father Jer. 35. I set before the sons of the family of the Rechabites pots ful of wine and cups and I said unto them Drink wine But they said We must drink no wine for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father hath forbid us saying Drink no wine you nor your sons for ever Neither build houses nor sow seed nor plant ye vineyards but dwell in tents all your daies that ye may live all your daies upon the face of the earth where ye are inhabitants So we have hearkned to the voyce of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he commanded us So we drank no wine all our daies we nor our wives nor our sons nor our daughters When God hath said Drink not of the world's cup taste not of the world's dainties lest you surfeit on them it becommeth an obedint child to say My Father hath commanded me I dare not drink when he is tempted to the enjoyment of any unlawfull pleasures Mal. 3. 17. Ye read there of a son that serveth Indeed the best service God hath done him is by his sons all other services are little worth in comparison I will spare him as a man spareth his own son that serveth him The son goeth naturally and ingenuously about his father's work he doth it kindly much more kindly than a servant will that doth it onely for his wages Therefore of old they were wont to set their children to the work The chief work lay in husbandry We read of Rachel's keeping her father's sheep Gen 29. 6. and so of Jacob keeping his father in law's sheep Would we approve our selves children of God we must do the works of God Our Saviour beateth off the Pharisees from their plea upon this ground We are the children of Abraham say they If ye were saith Christ then would you do the works of Abraham Abraham believed in me No man can ever approve himself the child of God that doth not abound in the work of the Lord. The second Lesson is for Imitation Ephes 5. 1. Be ye 2. For Imitation followers of God as dear children It is naturall to children to imitate their parents look what the father doth the child is apt to learn the same If we be dear children we must be followers of God and walk in love as Christ hath loved us Blessed are the mercifull they shall be called the children of God Why Because that maketh it appear they follow God And so Be ye holy saith Peter 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy Thirdly We should learn from hence this Lesson that is 3. Learn Dependency upon God of Dependency Children hang upon their parents so should we upon God if we will carry our selves as becommeth sons This Argument Christ useth Matth. 6. 22. Take no thought saying What shall we eat and drink and be cloathed with for your heavenly Father knoweth you have need of all these things Leave the care of all these to your Father If ye were Orphans and had no father or if your father were not willing or not able to supply your wants then ye might be carefull but seeing you have an heavenly Father that knoweth all these things cast all your care upon him for He careth for you Doth not he tell us That he that provideth not for his owne family is the worst of Infidells Ye are of Gods family therefore be sure He will provide for you if ye trust Him Fourthly It teacheth us a lesson of Patience Hebr. 12. 4. It teacheth us to be patient 5. Forget not the exhortation which speaketh to you as Children My son despise not thou the Chastisements of the Lord For whom the Lord loveth He chastiseth Faint not under the correction of a Father and because it is from a Father that will lay on no more no longer than the Child standeth in need of it Herein that of our Saviour should be often in our thoughts Joh. 18. 11. The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Why every affliction that befalleth me is a Cup out of my Fathers hand and from Him I should
to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hears that we should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Therefore in your attendance upon the Ministry of the Gospell let it be your aim still to see something of Christ's glory in it And do as the Disciples did We beheld his glory as in a Theater Let it be our care to view Christ and the things of Christ as they are represented to us in a Theater Ye know how greedy men are of such objects they cannot satisfie their eyes with seeing Pageants and such kind of showes besides things upon a Stage are seen with a great deal of delight Insomuch as Augustine when he would exphesse the joyes of Christians in the midst of their greatest sorrow hath this excellent expression of it Orantium dâ—lciores sunt lachrimae quà m omnium gaudia Theatrorum saith he The tears of praying Christians have morè sweetnesse in them than all the joyes of the Theaters or of the Stages Certainly there never came such a spectacle never such a thing to be viewed as the glory of Christ is never any thing so well worth the viewing Let it therefore be our care to do as the Apostle exhorts us to be looking up to Jesus That is very emphaticall Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath a double force in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking off first and then looking upon We must look off from the world which our hearts are too much glued to and then look up to Jesus otherwise if we busie our minds too much with carnall things our hearts will be so full of the relish of them as we cannot savour of the things of God Certainly brethren we have presidents for this take Paul a man that busied himself in this great work of beholding the glory of Christ throughout his whole course after his conversion therefore he desired no other learnlng but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified He valued no other wealth The knowledge of Christ to be preferred before all things but the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but losse and drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Where was his learning and wealth and joy and great delight It was in the beholding of Christ he gloried in nothing else Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved the Crosse of Christ shall be our Crown if we love to make the glory of Christ our study Thirdly take this third use into your meditations of 3. Meditation on Christ's excellency raiseth our apprehensions above all created glories the excellency of Christ raising your apprehensions above all created glories for his glory is the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Ye wrong Christ if your apprehensions of him be not higher than those you have of any creature His hath a glory far above theirs above the glory of the Celestiall bodies and the glory of Men above the Angels and Cherubims Therefore the Apostle taketh a great deal of pains to prefer Christ above the Angels that our thoughts may go beyond in the excellency of Christ above any other creatures Whence it is that Joh. 5. 23. all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him So I have done with that Clause 4. The fourth thing in my Text remaineth that is The singular Qualifications of Christ's Person Full of Grace and Truth Christ was full of grace and truth That is our Observation All sorts of grace in Christ It pleased the Father saith the Apostle Col. 1. 19. that in him should all fulnesse dwell all fulnesse of all sorts of grace whether ye look to the kinds or degrees of grace the fulnesse of both sorts There were all kinds of grace in Christ Those graces which were scattered amongst the Saints one excelling in this grace another in that Moses in meeknesse Job in patience David in thankfulnesse and Joseph in chastity and so in the rest they are all united in Christ So for the measure and degrees of grace as he hath of all kinds so the utmost degree of every kind To Ministers graces are given in a scant proportion and measured out according as God hath allotted to every one his proportion as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. 7. Unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ But to Christ himself it is above measure Joh. 3. 34. God gave not the Spirit by measure to him he doth not stand meting it out but poureth it out upon him So that look whatsoever grace a human nature void of sin is capable of that was all poured out upon Christ Full of grace It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should be the mansion-house of all fulnesse so as there shall be no defect Adam was full of grace in his condition but fell from it and the Angels full but many of them turned Apostates but Christ hath no defect in his Nature it is a fulnesse and a dwelling fulnesse But this is too generall Full Of what Full of grace and full of truth First Of grace Grace is a word of various acceptation 1. Christ is ful of grace and admitteth of many distinctions I shall onely meddle with such as are applicable to this place Grace is twofold it is taken either Active or Passive There is Active-grace Gratia gratis dans Givinggrace Passive-grace Gratia gratis data Grace given Active grace is that good-will out of which God bestoweth his benefits upon the gratious Passive grace grace given is that which is bestowed either upon the body or upon the soul or upon the whole person First A grace bestowed upon the bodies of men and r. Grace bestowed upon the bodies of men that is Beauty which properly cometh under the notion of grace in that sense Favour is deceitfull and beauty is vain Prov. 31. 30. Gratia fallax est saith the Latine translation grace is deceitfull taking grace for beauty So the Heathens they called those goddesses of theirs Charites the Graces That is grace upon the body but that is the lowest Secondly There is grace bestowed upon the Soul and 2. Upon rhe Soul those are rather Gifts tending to Edification as gifts of Prophecy and the like or to Salvation as