the East for their adoration Is not this he whose birth declared by one glorious Angell was celebrated by a multitude of the heavenly host with that divine Anthem of Glory to God in the highest and on earth Peace good will towards men Is not this he that filled the world with his divine and beneficiall miracles healing all diseases by his Word restoring limbs to the lame giving eyes to the borne blind casting out Devils raising the dead commanding windes and seas acknowledged by an audible voice from heaven Is not this he whom the very ejected Devils were forced to confess to be the son of the everliving God whom the heaven and al the elements owned for their almighty Creatour whose sufferings darkened the Sun and shooke the Earth and rent the Rocks in pieces and justly whom the dead Saints and the heavenly Angels attended in his powerfull Resurrect on and glorious Ascension O Saviour abundantly justified in the spirit against all the malignances of men and Devils SETC. VIII If thy malicious persecutours whose hand was in thy most cruell crucifixion shall for the covering of their own shame blazon thee for a Deceiver of the people How convincingly wert thou justified in the spirit by the dreadfull and miraculous descent of the holy Ghost in the cloven and fiery tongues and that suddain variety of language for the spreading of the glory of thy name over all the Nations of the earth If the unbeleiving world bewitched with their former superstition shall furiously oppose thy name and Gospell in the times immediately succeeding how notably art thou justified in the spirit by the suddain stopping of the mouths of their hellish Oracles by the powerfull predications of thine holy Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Doctors seconded by such undeniable miracles as shamed and astonished if not won the gainsayers But O Saviour being thus clearly instified in the spirit against the old spight of hell with what shame and horrour do I see thine eternall Godhead called into question by the misgoverned wits of certaine late mis-named Christians who as if they would raise up cursed Arrius from his hatefull grave have dared to renew those blasphemous cavils against thy sacred person which with so great authority and full evidence of the spirit were long since cryed downe to that hell whence to the great contumelie of heaven they were most wickedly sent up into the world Woe is me their damned sounder did not send down his soul into that fatal draught in a more odious way then these his followers vent themselves upward in most unsavoury and pestilent contradictions to thee the Lord of life and glory But even against these art thou justified in the spirit speaking in thy divine Scriptures whose evident demonstrations do fully convince their calumnies and false suggestions and vindicate thy holy Name and blessed Deity from all their devillish and frivolous argutations Is there any weak soul that makes doubt of thy plenarie satisfaction for his sinne of the perfect accomplishment of the great work of mans Redemption how absolutely art thou justified O blessed Jesu in the spirit in that thou raisedst thy selfe from the dead quitting that prison of the grave whence thou couldst not have come till thou hadst paid the utmost farthing wherein we stood indebted to heaven O Saviour not more concealed in the flesh then manifestly justified in the spirit for my all-sufficient Redeemer not more meekly yeilding to death for our offences then powerfully raised up again for our justification how should I blesse and praise thee both for thine humble self-dejection in respect of thine assumed flesh and for thy powerfull justification in thine infinite and eternall spirit that holy Ghost whereby thou wert conceived in the womb of the Virgin justified thee in thy life death resuscitation Now then how confidently can I trust thee with my soul who hast approved thy self so compleat and almighty a Reedemer O blessed Jesu with what assurance do I cast my self upon thee for thy present protection for my future salvation how boldly can I defie all the powers of darknesse whiles I am in the hand of so gracious and omnipotent a Mediator Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Even thou the God who wast manifested in the flesh and justified in the spirit shalt justifie and save my spirit soul and body in the day of our appearance before thee SECT. IX O Saviour it is no mysterie that being manifested in he flesh thou wert seen of men but it is no small part of the great mystery of Godliness that thou who art the God of Spirits wert seen by those heavenly spirits cloathed in flesh It could not be but great news to the Angels to see their God born and conversing as man with men For a man to see an Angell is a matter of much wonder but for an Angell to see God become man is a far greater wonder since in this the change concernes an infinite subject in the other a finite though incorporeall But pause here awhile O my soul and inquire a little into these strange spectators Seen of Angels who or what might those be Are three any such reall incorporeall permament substances or are they onely things of imagination and extemporary representations of the pleasure of the Almighty Wo is me that no errour may be wanting to this prodigious age do we live to see a reviction of the old Sadduciâ—â—â— so long since dead and forgotten Was Gabriel that appeared and spake to Daniel nothing but a supernatural phâ—ntasme And what then was a he Gabriel that appeared with the happy newes of a Saviour to the blessed Virgin What are the Angels of those little ones whereof our Saviour speakes which do alwaies behold the face of his Father in heaven What were those Angels that appeared to the shepherds with the tidings and gratulations of the Saviour borne at Bethlem What was that beneficent spirit that visited Peter in the Prison smote him on the side to wake him from his sleep shook off his chains threw open the iron gate and rescued him from the bloody hands of Herod What are those spirits who shall be Gods reapers at the end of the world to cut down the tares and gather the wheat into his barn Shortly what were all those spirits whereof both Testaments are full which God was pleased to imply in his frequent missions to the earth were these phantasms too Certainly though there may be many Orders yet there is but one generall condition of those Angelicall attendants on the throne of the Almighty Even in the old Testament was it a supernaturall apparition of fancie that in one night smote all the first borne in the land of Aegypt was it a supernaturall apparition of fancie that in one night laid an hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians dead upon the ground Could these be any other then the acts
upon the dark souls of these poor Infidels and enlighten them with the saving knowledge of the great mysterie of Godlinesse Let the beams of thy Gospell break forth unto them and work them to a sound beleef in thee their God manifested in the flesh Fetch home into thy fold all those that belong to thy mercifull election bring in the fulnesse of the Gentiles gather together the out-casts of Israel and glorifie thy self in completing a world of beleevers And for us on whom the ends of the world are come as we have been graciously called to the comfortable notice of this mysterie of godlinesse and have professed and vowed a steadfast beleef in thy name so keep us by thy good spirit in an holy and constant avowance of all those main truths concerning thy sacred Person Natures and Offices unto our last end For thou seest O blessed Jesu that there is now such an hell of the spirits of errour broken loose into the world as if they meant to evacuate this part of the mysterie of godlinesse Christ beleeved on in the world O do thou by thy mighty power restraine and quell these pernicious heresies and send down these wicked spirits back to their chains so as our most holy faith may ever remain inviolable till the day of thy glorious return Neither let us sit down contented that we hold fast and beleeve the meer historie of thy life death and resurrection without which as we can be saved so with it alone we cannot but do thou by thy good spirit work and settle in our souls a sound lively operative justifying faith in thee whereby we may not only beleeve on thee as a common Saviour but beleeve in thee as ours bringing thee home to our hearts and confidently relying upon thee for the acquittance of all our sins and for our eternall salvation O that thou mightest be thus beleeved on in the world and if not by them in the notion of their universality yet by us who professe thy name to thy great glory and our everlasting comfort SECT. XV IN these occurrences on the earth Great is the mysterie of godlinesse but the highest pitch of this great mysterie O Saviour is that thou thus manifested in our flesh wert received up into glorie even that celestiall glorie which thou enjoyest in the highest heavens sitting on the right hand of majesty seen and adored by all that blessed company of the souls of just men made perfect and the innumerable troops of glorious Angels If some erroneous fancies have placed their heaven here below upon earth ours is above and so is thine O blessed Jesu who wert taken up in glorie thou couldst not be taken up to any earthly ascent since thou tookest thy farewell on the top of Mount Olivet but from this globe of earth thou ascendest through the skies to that Empyreall heaven where thou remainest in glorie infinite and incomprehensible The many and intentive beholders of thy last parting did not cast their eyes down into the valley neither did see cause with the fifty sons of the Prophets to seek for thee as they would needs do for Elijah in vallies and mountains they saw and worishpped thee leasurely ascending up through the region of this lower heaven till a cloud intercepted thee from their sight neither then could easily be taken off either by the interposition of that dark body or by the interpellation of Angels And now O blessed Saviour how is my soul ravished with the mediation of thy glorious reception into thine Heaven Surely if the inhabitants of those celestial mansions may be capable of any increase of joy they then both found and shewed it when they saw and welcomed thee entering in thy gorlifi'd humanity in to that thy eternal palace of blessedness and if there could be any higher or sweter ditty then Hallelujah it was then sung by the Chore of Angels and Saints And may thy poor servants warfairing and wandring here upon earth ever second them in those heavenly songs of praises and gratulations for wherein stands all our safety hope comfort happinesse but in this that thou our Jesus art received up into glorie and having conquered all adverse powers sittest on the right hand of God the Farher crowned with honour and majesty O Jesu thou art our head we are thy body how can the body but participate of the glory of the head as for thy self therefore so for us art thou possessed of that heavenly glorie as thou sufferedst for us so for us thou also raignest Let every knee therefore bow unto thee of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth O blessed be thy name for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glorie and the victorie and the majestie for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head over all And now O Saviour what a superabundant amends is made to thy glorified humanitie for all thy bitter sufferings upon earth Thine Agonie was extreme but thy glorie is infinite thy crosse was heavie but thy crown transcendently glorious thy pains were unconceivably grievous but short thy glory everlasting If thou wert scorned by men thou art now adored by Angels Thou that stoodst before the Judgment Seat of a Pilate shalt come in all heavenly magnificence to judge both the quick and the dead Shortly thou which wouldst stoop to be a servant upon Earth rulest and raignest for ever in Heaven as the King of eternall glorie O then my soul seeing thy Saviour is received up into this infinite glorie with what intention and fervour of spirit shouldst thou fix thine eyes upon that heaven where he lives and raigns How canst thou be but wholly taken up with the sight and thought of that place of blessednesse how canst thou abide to grovell any longer on this base Earth where is nothing but vanity and vexation and refrain to minde the things above where is all felicitie and glorie with what longings and holy ambiâ—ion shouldst thou desire to aspire to that place of eternall rest and beatitude into which thy Saviour is ascended and with him to partake of that glory and happinesse which he hath provided for all that love him O Saviour it is this clog of wretched infidelity and earthlinesse that hangs heavie upon my soul and keeps me from mounting up into thy presence and from a comfortable fruition of thee O do thou take off this sinfull weight from me and raise up my affections and conversation to thee enable me constantly to enjoy thee by a lively faith here till by thy mercie I shall be received into thy glorie FINIS Prov. 16. â—7 Jer. 2. Hos. 4. 2. Actâ— 10. 35. Jude 3. phes 4. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 20 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse 1 Pet. 1. 12. God manifested In the flesh Job 1. 14 Job 25 6. Psal. 22. 6. Esay 53. 5. Mat. 17. 2. Mark 29. Luke 9. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 16. Rom. 1. 20. Justified in the Spirit Luk. 2. 9 10 13 1 Rom. 4. 25. Rom. 8 33. Seen of Angels Dan. 8. 19 17. Mat. 18. 10. Luk. 2. 9. 15. Act 12. 7 8 10. Luk. 22. 41. Heb. 1. 9. Mat. 28. 2 3 4. Joh. 20. 12. Act. 1. 10 11. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 9. Ephes. 3 8. Psal. 76. 1. Ephes. 2. 12. Esay 25. 7. Luk 2. 32. Esay 66. 18. Esay 2. 2 3. Esay 49. 2â— Esay 55. 5. Psal. 96. 7 Ps. 66. 4. Ps. 22. 27 Cant. 8. 8. Hos. 2. 19. Râ—m 11. 2â— Rom. 22. Rom. 11. 1. Rom. 11. 20 Act. 10. 11. â—2 Beleeved on in the world Esay 53. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 23. Mat. 21. 9. 1 Joh. 5. 19. Rom. 11. Psal 147. 2. Received up into glory Heb. 12. 22. 23. 2 King 2. 16. Phil. 2. 11. 2 Chr. 2. 11.
of living and powerful agents It is not for us to contend about words those that are disposed to devise paradoxes may frame to themselves what senses they please of their own terms this we are sure of that the Angels are truly existing spirituall intelligent powerfull eviternall Creatures whose being is not exposed to our sense but evidenced both to our faith and reason not circumscribed in any grosse locality but truly being where they are and acting according to their spiritual nature Of these Angels O blessed Saviour wert thou seen manifested in the flesh to their wonder and gratulation That thou who hadst taken our flesh wert visible was no whit strange herein thou wert a plain and happy object to all eyes but how the Angels being meerly spirituall substances could see thee may be part of this great mysterie Doubtlesse they saw thee both before and ever since thou camest into the world with eyes like themselves spirituall and not seldome saw thee being incarnate with the assumed eyes of those bodies wherein they appeared Thus they saw and adored and proclaimed thee in thy first saluration of the world when thou layest in that homely posture in the Manger at Bethlehem singing that sweet and celestiall caroll at thy nativity Glory be to God in the highest They saw thee in the wild desert where no creatures appeared to thee but either beasts or Devils there they saw thee pined with fasting conflicted with the Prince of darknes they saw thee foiling that presum ptuous enemy not without wonder doubtlesse at the boldnesse of that daring spirit and joyfull applause at thy happy victory they saw thee but as knowing there was no use of seconds in this duel of thine unseen of thee till the full end of that great combat then they shewed themselves to thee as willing to be known to have been the secret witnesses of the fight and glad congratulators of thy Triumph then they came and ministred unto thee Never were they but ready to have visibly attended thee hadst thou been pleased to requite so sensible a service but the state of a servant which thou choosedst to undergoe suited not with the perpetuity of so glorious a retinue whether therefore they were seen to thee or not seen it was their great honour and happinesse and a main part of the great mysterie of Godliness that thou who art the true God manifested in the flesh wert seen of Angels They saw thee in the garden in thy sad agonie and if Angels could have been capable of passion in that state of their glory could have been no doubt content to suffer in and with thee with what eyes do we think they lookt upon thy bloody sweat and the frownes of thine heavenly Father which they saw bent against thee in our persons for the sin of mankind which thou camest to expiate Now in this dolefull condition so wert thou seen of Angels that the Angels were seen of thee For lo there appeared an Angell from heaven strengthening thee O the deep humiliation of God manifested in the flesh that thou O Jesu the God and Lord of all the Angels of heaven shouldst in this bloody conflict with thy Fathers wrath for our sins need and receive comfort from a created Angel thy servant Whilest thou wert grapling with the powers of darkness there was no need of aid only after the fight Angels came and ministred to thee but now that thou must struggle under the wrath of thy Father for mans sin there was use of the consolation of one of those Angels whereof thou commandest millions O blessed Saviour had not the face of thy heavenly Father been clouded to thee standing in the stead of our guiltinesse it had been no lesse then presumption in any finite power to tender thee any suggestions of comfort but now alas those beatificall beams were so for the time hid from thine eyes and the sweet influences of light and joy arising there-from were for that sad instant suspended so as nothing appeared to thee that while but the darknesse of displeasure and horrour now therefore the comforts of a creature could not be but seasonable and welcome so that thou disdainedst not to be strengthened by an Angel Extreme distresse looks not so much to the hand that brings supply as to the supply it brings If but one of thy three drouzy clients could have shaken off his sleep and have let fall to thee some word of consolation in that heavy fit of thine thou hadst not refused it how much lesse the cordiall intimations of an heavenly monitor neither was it improper for thee who wast content to be made a little inferiour to the Angels to receive some spirituall aid from the hands of an Angell What then O Saviour was the strengthening which thou receivedst from this officious spirit in this pang of thine agony Doubtless it was not any communication of an additionall power to bear up under that heavy pressure of the sins of the whole world which drew from thee those sweats of blood No Angell in heaven was able to contribute that to the Sonne of God but it was a sweet and forcible representation to thy disconsolate humanity of the near approach of an happy eluctation out of those torments of thy sufferings and of the glorious crown of thy victory immediately succeeding SECT. X. ANd now soon after those Angels that saw thee sweating in thine agonie and bleeding on thy crosse saw thee also triumphing over Death in thy Resurrection they attended thee joyfully in the vault of thy sepulture and saw thee trampling upon the last enemie being then sutably habited to so blessed an occasion in white shining vestures how gladly were they imployed about that most glorious solemnity both as actors in the service and as the first heralds of thy victories over Death I find one of them obsequiously making ready for thy coming out of those chambers of death upon thine Easter morning rolling away that massy stone which the vain care of thine adversaries had laid curiously sealed upon the mouth of that Cave for the prevention of thy fore-threatned resurrection and sitting upon it with a countenance like lightning and his garment white as snow the terrour of whose presence made the guard to shake and to become as dead men I find two of them no lesse glorious sitting the one at the head the other at the feet of that bed of earth whereon thou hadst newly slept By these Angels wert thou both seen and attended and no doubt but as at thy first coming into the world when but one Angell published thy birth he was seconded by a multitude of the heavenly host praising God with hymns of rejoycing for thy nativity so when but one or two Angels were seen at thy second birth which was thy glorious resurrection there were more of that heavenly company invisibly celebrating the joyfull triumph of that blessed day wherein having conquered Death and Hell thou