him might be forgotten or disbelieved as the Gnosticks were busie it should he therefore by way of Prevention delivers this Testimony of God the Father in the behalf of Jesus Christ his Son our Lord and assures them that he was an Eye-witness of the Majesty of Christ at his Transfiguration ‖ Vers 16. and also an Ear-witness of the Voice from Heaven * Vers 18. We heard it when we were with him in the Holy Mount Moreover that the Tragedy of his approaching Death might not startle their Faith in this Article a little before his Passion while our Lord was Discoursing of it †John 12.28 There came a Voice from Heaven Attesting He was heard in what he desired for the Voice said I have both glorified my Name and will glorifie it again this was the Subject of our Saviour's Prayer I have glorified the Name of my Truth and Mercy to Mankind in sending my Son into the World according to my Purpose and Promise and I will also now Glorifie the Name of my Wisdom Mercy and Justice in exacting and taking of that my Son the Punishment due unto the Sins of Believers Our Saviour's Words justifie this exposition * v. 30. for he told the Disciples and the rest of the Spectators This Voice came not because of me but for your sakes I needed neither satisfying nor reminding me who I am or what I am to do my Father 's gracious intent in this Voice was your good it was merely for your sakes in compassion to your hard heartedness that you might believe you were not willing to believe me telling you that the Father and I were one but now you cannot refuse believing seeing he speaketh the same thing from Heaven God the Father did also testifie this Truth at the Ascension of his Son * Heb. 1.6 And again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the World he saith let all the Angels of God worship him If you look to the end of the †v. 3. you may know the particular date of this Command When he had by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High and then the Father said Let all the Angels of God worship him The same is also declared by St. Paul * Phil. 2.9 10. How that God the Father had highly exalted his Son Jesus Christ and had given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in the Earth and things under the Earth II. We pass on to the Testimony of the Holy Ghost The Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Truth because it is impossible he should bear false Witness testified the Deity of Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary at his Conception †Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee therefore also that holy thing that shall be Born of thee shall be called the Son of God The stress of which Words lies upon the Illative therefore and the Sence may be thus taken That the Son of God was designed to be Born of a Woman because the Holy Ghost shall over-shadow her the Blessed Spirit was concerned to prepare that Nature after an extraordinary manner which the God-head was determined to assume and seeing the Holy God was pleased to dwell in Flesh the Holy Ghost must prepare and form that Flesh Again At his Baptism the Holy Ghost testified the Deity of Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary for he Descended upon him * Mat. 3.16 as a Dove not in the shape or form of a Dove saith the learned Dr. Hammond on the place but he lighted upon him as Doves use to light who hover over and over-shadow the place first which they intend to light upon At this Baptism of our Saviour there was Concilium Augustissimum a most Majestical meeting of the Trinity God the Father spake from Heaven challenging and owning him whom John Baptized for his Son God the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily appearance God the Son was there clad in humane Nature and being in the form of a Servant he submitted himself to the fulfilling of all Righteousness Again the Holy Ghost particularly declared this Truth to Simeon †Luke 2.26 27. It was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see Death before he had seen the Lords Christ and that this Son of the Virgin Mary was he Simeon was informed by the same Holy Spirit as may be collected from his Action and Profession * v. 28 29 30. For he then in the Temple took this Son of the Virgin Mary up in his Arms and Blessed God saying Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy word i. e. promise by the Holy Ghost for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation the Person in whom Salvation is appointed This very Descent of the Holy Ghost upon our Saviour at his Baptism is called by St. Paul * 1 Cor. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Demonstration of the Spirit a Testimony given by God from Heaven intimating and confirming the Verity of Christ's God-head a Demonstration for the Holy Ghost then Demonstrated to John and others that he who was then Baptized was the Son of God I might have argued the Testimony of the Holy Ghost from the Prophecies of the Old Testament for as saith the Apostle †2 Pet. 1.21 The Prophecies came not by the Will of Man Men undertook not this office of their own Heads nor did they deliver their own fancies and perswasions for Prophecies But Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost as they were inspired and instructed by the Holy Spirit of God therefore they that deny the Deity of Jesus Christ would do well to take heed unto the sure word of Prophecy given by the Spirit of God and there they will find most ample Declarations that he who should be Born of the Virgin Mary was God as well as Man The gift of the Holy Ghost was the effect of Christ's promise the Time and Place of his coming was expresly assign'd by Christ * Luke 24.49 Tarry ye at Jerusalem till ye be endued with power from on High John Baptized his Disciples with Water but †Acts 1.4 5. Christ promised to Baptize his Disciples with the Holy Ghost and commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but there to wait for the completion of the promise and accordingly in the place and at the time we find the Holy Ghost was plentifully poured forth upon them †* Acts 2.1 2 3. When the day of Pentecost was fully come the Apostles were all with one accord in one place viz. in an upper Room of the Temple where they constantly performed their Devotions and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Farther the Holy Ghost did Testifie
a Sacrifice truly Propitiatory He that recovers for others the Lost Favour of God must be one that never did Displease Him He that can Remove Natural and to Humane Power Invincible Ignorance must be the fountain of Knowledge he that can reform unruly Wills must be the God of Spirits and he that can open the Kingdom of Heaven which Sin had shut must find out a new and a living way to it But all this Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary did and much more in order to redeem us he must be therefore God Man cannot Redeem his Brother * Psal 49.7 nor make an Atonement for him no though he should live long viz. in God's Service and to his Glory man cannot find a Ransom to give to God which he will accept of the Reason follows †v. 8. For the Redemption of their Soul is Precious or as it is in another Translation It cost more to redeem it God required more than Man could give so that Man must let the redeeming of his Brother's Soul alone for ever Man become guilty of the breach of God's Holy Law and consequently subject to the Penalty Eternal Condemnation it was impossible upon the account of God's Justice he should be restor'd i. e. acquitted received into God's Grace here and Glory hereafter unless a Righteousness were found sufficient to satisfie that Law as well in respect of the Obedience required by it as the Punishment justly due upon the Violation of it The reason of this is plain in that the Law was part of God's Will and must therefore have its Effect that is to say Man must either punctually observe it or suffer for the contempt of it otherwise God must depart from his Nature and leave his Justice unsatisfied which were Blasphemy to suppose * Mat. 5.18 now no Creature Man being fallen from his Integrity was in a capacity for either of these and had Man sought for help to the Angels he had been deceiv'd seeing that they were chargeable with Folly †Job 4.18 and for the suffering part if their Love could have engag'd them to the undertaking which is not Rational to conjecture yet having a nearer access to and a more intuitive Knowledge of God than Man was capable of they could not but have clearer Apprehensions of the fierceness of his Wrath than to expose themselves to the bearing of it and if which is too great a Peradventure their Love could have surmounted their Fear yet their Imbecillity would have sunk under the Burthen But we will go farther admit they could have sustained it yet the Dignity of their Persons being no way proportionable to the Honour of the offended Deity this would have occasion'd their Sufferings to fall short of their necessary Merit and so the Redemption by them hoped for must have been imperfect and of no sufficient Validity We are told farther * Heb. 10.4 That it is impossible the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins should by any Virtue inherent in them Expiate or Atone for sins these were but Typical nor can the blood of one Man though never so Righteous have satisfied for the sins of others because there could not be in his performances or sufferings a sufficient Merit He must be God therefore as well as Man that there may be found an infinite Value in all things done by him as a Redeemer We can never be assured that our Reconciliation is perfected that a compleat Reparation is made to the Honour and Justice of God except we are assured that the person who undertook this be of the same infinite Dignity as the offended for weak Causes can produce but weak Effects So that if our Redemption did not proceed from an infinite Power it would be imperfect and uncertain Therefore are we Taught that our Souls are Redeemed * 1 Pet. 1.19 With the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot We might collect a farther Justification of the Deity of Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary from his Omniscience It is proper to God only to know all things Yet it is apparent that the Holy Jesus knew all things Past Present and Future without the help of Discourse or Reasoning they were all present to him David ascribes to God as an Excellency of his Nature that he knew his Thoughts the Ideas and Reasonings that skulked in the most secret Recesses of his Mind †Psal 139.2 Thou knowest my thoughts afar off even before I know them my self and how often did our Saviour reprove the malicious Thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees thereby manif sting that he made the Heart seeing he was so privy to it It was an impertinent Question which the Jews put forth * Joh. 7.15 They marvelled saying How knoweth this Man letters having never Learned i. e. How does he thus understand the Law and the Prophets whenas we know he never was brought up in the School of the Prophets This I say was very ridiculous in them when they were daily sensible as is Recorded †Luk. 6.8 That he knew their Thoughts he could tax them with their evil Conceptions not yet brought forth in Words * Mat. 9.4 Wherefore think ye evil in your Hearts He that did understand what was conspir'd in the secret Cabinet of their Hearts could be no stranger to what was open and legible in the Books of their Law For our full satisfaction of the Son of the Virgin Mary's Omniscience let us hearken to the Samaritan Woman †Joh. 4.29 Come see a Man that told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ He hath discovered those things that it is not to be imagined how he should know them I had thought my Heart had been deeper than the Well but yet he whom I concluded uncapable to come at Water because he wanted a Bucket to draw with hath fetched up from the bottom of my Heart things that have been long kept Secret things that have been hid from others by Fear and Care and from my Self by the forgetfullness of many Years What can he be less than God to whose Eyes all things are so open and naked Heb. 4.13 If any judge the forecited instance not satisfactory to the point before us let them consult * Jo. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things c. This Jesus not only heard what Men were speaking but saw also what they were thinking If we reflect upon his Nativity such was the Mystery of his Incarnation a Virgin to become a Mother such the Majesty and Attendance as gave ample Testimony of his Deity St. John dances in the Womb a new Star arises in the East three great Kings led as may be supposed by Balaam's Prophecy * Num. 24.17 undertake a tedious Journey to pay their Homage to the King of Glory become incarnate a Choire of Angels usher'd in this King of Israel with their
the Deity of Jesus Christ because of the ends and purposes of his coming which our Saviour expresses to be two 1. He was to glorifie Christ †Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you whether he instructs whether he comforts you in all he shall accord with me and thereby it will be manifest that I came from God 2. He was to reprove the World * Joh. 16.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the learned Dr. Hammond observes is to act the part of an Advocate to convince the Accuser and maintain a Cause against all Gain-sayers inexcusabiles penitus demonstrabit arguet evidentibus Argumentis probationibus docebit ita ut tergiversari non possit The Holy Ghost was to plead and justifie the cause of Christ in three particular Acts. I. He was to convince the World of their Sin of Vnbelief †v. 9. His descent was an Argument of Christ's Deity what could they farther object against his being God when now their Eyes beheld the Effusion of the Holy Ghost The various Operations of this Spirit of Grace were so many proofs of the Deity of Christ II. He was to plead the cause of Christ and to convince the World as to the point of his Righteousness * v. 10. He shall reprove the World of Righteousness because I go to my Father The Spirit of Grace descending from above shall testifie my Ascension whereby by it will be manifest that I am God and that there was no Unrighteousness in me as they Blasphemously reported III. He was to plead the Cause of Christ and to reprove the World of Judgment * v. 11. Because the Prince of this World is judged not only that the Spirit of Grace sent by me shall manifest that he that Reigned in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience and excited them to Betray Condemn and Crucifie me was the Spirit of Errour and the Enemy of their Salvation but also this Spirit assisting my Disciples to work Wonders and Signs in my Name as curing Diseases and casting out Devils shall thereby judge over-power and conquer the Prince of this World III. The Scriptures also Testifie that Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary was God We are commanded to search the Scriptures to look into them carefully with an earnest desire and endeavour to find out the meaning thereof Whereupon St. Chrysostom's Exhortation was Audite saeculares comparate vobis Biblia but Bibles now are of little more estimation than old Almanacks if a matter of doubt arises we do sometimes but very rarely consult them our Hands delight not in handling the Word of Life whereas they are too busie with Romances and Play-books with Folly and Ribaldry and I fear this is not altogether the effect of Sloath Vanity or Laziness in the Laity but occasioned by an odd Fashion crept up of late among such whose lips should preserve Knowledge the only care and study now being that publick Discourses be well larded if not to Nauseousness with flowers of Rhetorick Terms of Philosophy Tropes and Figures to Tickle itching Ears are plenty but Quotations of Scripture so thin and sparing that sometimes in an hour's Discourse not one place of Scripture is to be found besides the Text this makes some conclude it a trouble to carry their Bibles with them seeing the spirit of the Prophets will not come to this Touch-stone and by degrees they arrive to the Opinion that they are as useless at Home as at Church I shall here presume to declare a true observation that when Scripture was used as a Principal part of the Sermon the Instruction sank deeper into Mens hearts and Piety and Holiness was much more visible in Mens Conversations I might add many Pernicious and Blasphemous Principles had yet lain in Darkness or at least had not been vented in Publick had not care been first taken to leave off the Light We are charged to search the Scriptures * Joh. 1.49 because they testifie of Christ We cannot turn over the Bible but the Majesty of Christ will appear he is as well the matter as the Author and if you will hearken to their Testimony you shall hear them declare that Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary is God Take heed therefore unto your selves †Acts 20.28 and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his Blood to any considering person two things here offer themselves 1. He that purchased the Church was God the Church of God which He hath purchased i. e. God 2. That this God was Jesus Christ because it is said he purchased the Church with his Blood neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost having any Blood but Jesus Christ as he assumed Humane Nature so that Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary was the God that purchased the Church with his Blood read likewise 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Rom. 9.5 Christ is called God blessed for ever Amen Great is the mystery of Godliness * 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached nto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory Now it is manifest this Scripture sets forth him to be God of whom all these things were verified and it is also manifestly set down in the Scriptures that all these were true of Jesus Christ he was found in the form of a Servant he took our Nature upon him he was justified by the Spirit of God to be the Messias he was preached unto the Gentiles as the true and only Saviour by Faith in whose Name they might receive Salvation he was believed on in the World while he was in the World his Disciples and some others believed him to be the Son of God he was received up into Glory he openly in the sight of many Witnesses ascended up into Heaven wherefore he that was thus manifest in the Flesh justified by the Spirit preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory was God and this is the great Mystery of Godliness or of the Christian Religion The Scriptures Testifie that Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary was God in that both the Prophecies Recorded in the Old and the performances in the New exactly accord and centre in Christ Adam that had the first Promise was told it should be in the Humane Nature that the Son of God should appear to redeem the World * Gen. 3.15 The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head Abraham was inform'd that he should be of his Posterity †Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be Blessed Jacob had a Revelation of his Tribe * Gen. 49.8 Judah thou art he whom thy Brethren shall praise David was told that he should be particularly of his Family