6.3 in doing of which he even then Mediated for God with Men under the Great Mediator and so he hath continued to do through all successive Ages of the World. For there is nothing more apparent from Scripture than that it is under Christ that the Spirit acts in the Kingdom of God upon which account he is called the Spirit of Christ 1 Pet. 1.11 even as by the ancient Jews he is called the Spirit of the Messias as was observed before and this Spirit whom St. Peter calls the Spirit of Christ was as he himself there tells us the Spirit which was in the ancient Prophets by which it is evident that long before Christ came this Spirit was his and that he acted by him And even when he came down into the World to transact personally with men he generally acted by this holy Spirit For so at his Baptism we are told that the Holy Ghost descended on him in a bodily shape Luke 3.22 upon which it is said that he went away full of the Holy Ghost Luk. 4.1 after which it is plain that it was by this Holy Ghost in him that he Prophesied and wrought his Miracles for so Isa. 61.1 the Prophet attributes the whole Prophecy of Christ to the Spirit of the Lord which was upon him and in Matt. 12.28 our Saviour himself affirms that he cast out Devils by the Spirit of God and therefore he calls the Jews attributing his miraculous works to the Devil blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Matt. 12.31 because it was by the power of the Holy Ghost that he wrought them Now as the Father's acting by the Son implies the Son's Subordination to him so the Son 's acting by the Spirit implies the Spirit 's subordination to him which subordination of the Spirit in his Mediatorial Office is immediately founded in that Compact of the Son with the Father upon which he undertook the Mediation For the Spirit was a part of the purchace of the Son's Bloud and whatsoever he purchased he purchased of the Father by compact and agreement with him so that now he hath a right to the Spirit 's Ministry not only by vertue of his proceeding from him together with the Father but also by the purchace of his own Bloud whereby he obtained the promise of him from the Father For so the Holy Ghost is said to be shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour i. e. through the Intercession he makes in vertue of his meritorious Sacrifice Tit. 3.5 6. For whatsoever comes to us from God through Christ is part of what he hath purchased for us and in Rom. 5.5 6. he makes Christ's dying for the ungodly the reason of the giving the Holy Ghost to us The promise of the Holy Ghost therefore being part of the purchace of Christ's bloud he by his Advocation in Heaven obtained the performance of it of the Father even as he doth the performance of all his other promises For the Father being the supreme person in the Holy Trinity is the prime and Original Fountain of all our blessings and every good thing we receive is derived from him to us through the Son and by the Holy Ghost and even the Holy Ghost himself is derived to us from the Father through the Advocation of the Son. For so he himself tells us I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter namely the Holy Ghost Iohn 14.16 So that though Christ hath purchased the Holy Ghost of the Father as he hath also all the other blessings of the New Covenant yet it is plain this Purchace vests him not with a right to bestow and send him without the Father but only to obtain him of the Father upon his Prayer or Advocation and so of all those other blessings So that still the Father is the supreme Source from whence the Spirit and all those blessings are derived to us and it is from his hands that the Son procures them by his powerful Intercession in short therefore Christ by his death purchased a right of the Father to obtain of him by his Intercession Authority to send the Holy Ghost to Minister for and under him in his Mediation for God with men and accordingly he promises his Disciples that when he departed this World he would send the Comforter to them Iohn 16.7 where he uses the very same phrase as he did when he Commissioned his Apostles to minister under him As the Father hath sent me so send I you John 20.21 and accordingly his sending the Comforter must denote his Commissioning him by the Authority he had received from the Father to minister under him in his Mediation for the Father For so in Iohn 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me where first the Son is said to Commission or send him Secondly to Commission or send him from the Father i. e. by Authority from him And thirdly to Commission or send him to testifie of him and therein to minister to him and so in Luke 24.49 when he was just ascending into Heaven he tells his Disciples Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you i. e. the promise of the Holy Ghost and accordingly Acts 2.33 St. Peter tells us upon that miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost that Christ being exalted to the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost i. e. having by his Intercession received authority of the Father to send the Holy Ghost according to that promise which he had before purchased of him with his bloud he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear i. e. this Miraculous Gift of the Holy Ghost in all which places it is evident that the Holy Ghost was substituted commissioned and sent by the Son authorized thereunto by the Father to minister under him For as the Son acts by the Father's Authority as he is his Minister so all that authority which he communicates to others to act under him he must derive Originally from the Father and consequently that Authority by which he sent the Spirit to act as his Minister he must have derived from the Father whose Minister himself is and hence the Father is said to send the Spirit in the name of the Son i. e. to appoint the Spirit to act under the Son and by his authority Iohn 14.26 as the Son is said to send the Spirit from the Father i. e. by the authority which he had received of the Father and this I verily believe is the reason why the Apostle in Eph. 4.8 quotes the Psalmist with that variation he ascended up on high saith he speaking of Christ he led Captivity Captive he gave gifts unto men whereas the words of the Psalmist are He received gifts for men Psal. 68.18 to denote that that gift of the Holy Ghost which Christ gave
Ghost they stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most divine Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. whom we may truly say is God and not a Demon Plotin Enn. 3. l 5. c. 2. and the same Author tells us of this Psyche that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that it is the word of the Mind or Son as proceeding from him and the energy or active power by which he operates all which exactly accords with the Catholick Doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost Page 51. Line 3. e For so the above cited Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. when God accompanied with his two highest powers viz. Empire and Goodness the middle being one he impressed threâ—â—hantasms on the sensitive or visive Soul viz. of Abraham each 〈◊〉 which exceed all measure for these his Powers are all immense but themselves measure all things De Sacrif Abel Cain Now that by these Powers he means the second and third Person in the Triune Godhead is apparent because he afterwards calls God and these his Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the three measures and tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that the supreme God is Superior to these Powers of his and is to be seen without them and appears in them which plainly shews that by these two Powers he means some things that were really distinct from that God whose Powers they were and therefore since before he had told us that they were both immense what else can he mean by them but those two divine Persons the Son and the Spirit of God To the same purpose he discourses lib. de Cherub where after he had given some uncertain guesses at the mystical sense of those Cherubs that guarded Paradise he thus concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. but I remember I have heard something more learned from my own Soul which being often seised with a divine Enthusiasm prophesies of things which it understands not which so far as I can remember I will here deliver By which solemn Preface he gives us notice that some very great mystery is to follow and then he goes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. My soul said to me with that only true God there are two supreme and first powers viz. Goodness and Power and that by the first all things were made and by the second all things that are made are governed Since therefore as I have shewn before he frequently asserts that all things were made by the Son of God it is evident that by Goodness here he means the same Son and if so what else can he mean by Power but Psyche or the Holy Ghost And these three divine Persons he elsewhere stiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Being the Ruling and the Benefick power l. 2. de Agric. Nâ—â—e Thus far this learned Jew whose Writings being originally in the Greek Language have been delivered down to us without any considerable alterations but it is not to be expected that those Writings of the ancient Jews which are written and preserved in their own Language should be so express in this Article of the Trinity as those of the Gentiles because for several Ages they were solely in the possession of the Modern Jews by whom this Article hath all along been obstinately rejected and therefore may reasonably be supposed to be castrated by them in all those places where they more openly countenanced the Christian veriâ—y against them but yet after all there are sundry passages remaining in them which do very much favour this Article thus Voisin in Prooem Pug. fig. quotes this passage from the Book Reschit Chocmah c. 3. Tres sunt Dii ut explicatur in Zohar his verbis Quis est sensus inquit R Iose horum verborum Deut. 4.7 Cui sunt Dii propinqui dicendum erat cui est Deus propinquus Sed est Deus superior est Deus timoris Isaac est Deus inferior ita dicuntur esse Dii propinqui i. e. there are three Gods as it is explained in the words of the Book Zohar R. Iose said what is the meaning of those words Deut. 4.7 to whom the Gods are near whereas it should have been said to whom Gods are near but there is the superiour God there is the God of the Fear of Isaac and there is the inferiour God and so they are said to be Gods that are near And Martin Raimund Pug. fid p. 396. quoâ—es a passage out of Misdrasch Tillim in which there is mention made trium proprietatum quibus creatus est mundus i. e. of three Proprieties or Persons by whom the World was made And to the same purpose Rittangelius in his Notes upon the Book Iezirah quotes two passages out of Imre Binah Tria sunt primaria primordialia capita coaeterna idque testatur splendor eorum numerationesque intellectuales in aeternam testantur Trinitatem Regis There are three prime and primordial Heads and Coeternal and this their own light testifies and the intellectual numerations do eternally testifie the Trinity of the King p. 3. 36. So also Ainsworth on the first of Genesis quotes another passage from R. Simeon Ben Iocai in Zâ—ar to the same purpose which is this Come and see the Mystery of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by its self alone and yet notwithstanding they all are one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another But to name no more Grotius makes mention of some ancient Câ—bâ—lists quoted in a Book called Additamenta ad Lexicon Hebraicum Schindleri who distinguish God in Tria Lumina quidem nonâ—ulli iisdem quibus Christiani nominibus Patris Filii sive Verbi Spiritus Sancti i. e. into three Lights which some of them call by the same names we Christians do viz. Father Son or Word and Holy Ghost and indeed as their most ancient Writings do frequently make mention of the Word under the notion of a divine Person as hath been shewed before so they do also the Ruach Hakkodesh or Holy Spirit to whom their most ancient Writers attribute all Prophesie or Revelation for so as I find them quoted by learned men in Pirche R. Eliezer c. 39. R. Phineas inquit requievit Spiritus Sanctus super Iosephum ab ipsius Iuventute usque ad diem obitus ejus i. e. the holy Spirit rested upon Ioseph from his youth till the day of his death And c. 33. R. Phineas ait postquam omnes illi interfecti fuerant viginti annis in Babel requievit Spiritus Sanctus super Ezekielem eduxit eum in convalle Dora ostendit ei multa ossa c. i. e. R. Phineas said after they were all slain the holy Spirit rested twenty years upon Ezekiel in Babylon and led him forth into the Valley of Dora and shewed him a great number of bones and indeed it was a Proverbial speech of the Jewish Masters as Maimonides tells us More Nev. Part. 2. c. 45. Majestas divina habitat super eum loquitur per Spiritum Sanctum i. e. the divine Majesty dwells upon such a one and he speaks by the Holy Ghost and that by this holy Spirit they anciently meant a real Person is evident for so Ionathans Paraphrase on Gen. 1.2 Spiritu misericordiarum qui est ab ante Dominum stante super faciem aquarum i. e. the Spirit of mercies who is from before the Lord standing upon the face of the Waters and Bereschit Rabba speaking of the Spirit that moved upon the face of the Water Gen. 1.2 expresly affirms Hic est Spiritus Regis Messiae this is the Spirit of Messias the King. So Ead. Hal. c. 12. Tempore Regis Messiae quando constabilitum erit regnum ejus omnis populus ad ipsum collectus recensebuntur singuli ex ore Spiritus Sancti In the time of Messias the King when his Kingdom shall be established every one shall be called over by the mouth of the Holy Ghost in which places there are things and actions expresly attributed to the Holy Ghost which are proper only to a Person and since by him they understoodâ— a Person they must necessarily suppose him a divine Person since by what follows it evidently appears that in their own Scriptures divine perfections were ascribed to him and by what hath been said that they believed three divine Persons in the Godhead and accordingly Eusebius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. all the Hebrew Divines do acknowledge after the most High God and after his first-born Wisdom a third holy Power whom they call the Holy Ghost affirming him to be God by whom the Prophets were inspired Praep. Evang. p. 327. FINIS a Vide Note ad finem b Vide Note ad finem c Vide Note ad finem Vide Note d ad finem Vide Note e ad finem a Ezek. 39.28 29. Isa. 32.13 14 15. Isa. 59.20 21. compared with Rom. 11 26 27. b Isa. 66.8 Zach. 3.9 c Zach. 12.10 d Jer. 32 37 to 41. Ezek. 36.24 25. Chap. 37.21 22.25 Amos 9.14 15. Isa. 11.11 12. e Joel 3.1 2.9.14 Mich. 4.11 12. Isa. 24.21 22. Zeph. 3.8 Isa. 63.1.6 Isa. 34.1 Isa. 59.16 17. Zech. 14.13 Hag. 2.22 Zech. 12.2 3 4. f Isa. 66.16.18 19 20. Isa. 60.1.6 Jer. 14.33 Isa. 7.61 Ezek 38.16.21 22 23. Rom. 11.12 g Psal. 72.7 Isa. 66.12 and Chap. 23.4 Mich 4.3 Jer. 32.39 Zeph 3.8 9. Ezek. 19.21 22. Isa. 9.7 and Chap. 2.20 Hab. 2.14 h Rev. 13.7 i Dan. 7.21 22. k Rev. 17.16 17. l Isai 60.1 2 3 4 5. m Rev. 20.1 2 3 4 5 6. n Rev. 20.7 8 9 o Rev. 20.10 11 12 13 14 15.
Imprimatur CAROLUS ALSTON R.P.D. Hen. Episc. Lond. Ã Sacris Domesticis â—nii 26. 1686. THE Christian Life PART II. Wherein that FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF Christian Duty THE Doctrine of our SAVIOURS Mediation is Explained and Proved VOLUME II. By JOHN SCOTT D. D. Rector of S. Peters Poor London The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-head in S. Paul's Church-Yard and Thomas Horn at the South Entrance of the Royal Exchange 1687. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THis second Volume of the second Part of the Christian Life had long since been made Publick had it not been for an unfortunate Accident which befel me when it was almost finished by which I was necessitated almost to begin again and cast the whole into a different Method from what I first designed for according to my first Draught this second Volume had not ammounted to much above half of what it now is only I intended to have added some Notes at the end of it for the fuller proof and explanation of several Points therein handled which now I am forced to leave out the Book being already swell'd so much beyond my first Intention only three or four of them I am forced to Print with it because I had referr'd to them in two of the Sheets which were Printed before I new model'd the whole Design I pray God prosper this Work according to its honest Intention and that will be an abundant compensation for all the Pains and Labor I have undergone in composing it THE CONTENTS SECT I. OF the Signification and Notion of a Mediator pag. 4 c. Six general Articles proposed to our belief in Scripture concerning the Person and Offices of the Mediator First That he is designed and authorized to this Office by God who is our absolute Lord and Sovereign 6. Vpon what accounts the belief of this is necessary 8. Secondly That this Office to which he is Authorized consists in acting for and in the behalf of God and Men who are the Parties between whom he mediates 10. the belief of which Article carries with it the most indispensible Obligations to Christian Piety and Vertue 11. Thirdly That his Mediation proceeds upon certain terms and stipulations between God and Man which terms he obtained of God for us and in Gods Name hath published to us 17. what these terms are ibid. the performance of these Terms our Saviour solicits both of God and us 18. Fourthly That as he acts for and in the behalf of God and Men so be partakes of the Natures of both 23. That he should partake of the Nature of God was highly necessary to qualifie him for this sublime Office of mediating for God with Men 24. and the same necessity there was that he should partake of the nature of Man 27. That he should also partake of the nature of both no less requisite to qualifie him to Mediate for Men with God 30. That he is God as well as Man proved from Scripture 34. and also that he is Man as well as God 39. Fifthly That as he partakes of the Natures of both so that he might transact Personally with both he was sent down from Heaven to us and is returned from us to Heaven 42. Of the Birth and Personal Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in Christ 44. Of his Death Resurrection and Ascension 46 c. Sixthly That upon his return to Heaven there to mediate Personally for Men with God he substituted the Divine and Omnipresent Spirit personally to promote and effectuate his mediation for God with Men 49 50. This Divine Spirit is the third Person in the Triâ—une Godhead 50. That there is a third Person subsisting in the Divine Nature and that he is the same with the Spirit of God in the Old Testament 51. And first That this Spirit is a Person ibid. Secondly That he is a Divine Person 53. Thirdly That he is the third Divine Person 56. Of the subordination of these Divine Persons and that it arises not from any inequality of Essence but from the inequalities of their Personal properties 57 c. That there was always a subordination of the Son to the Father and of the Holy Ghost to both 58. That in the affair of the Mediation this subordination was founded not only in the inequalities of their Personal properties but also in a mutual compact and agreement 59. That the Holy Spirit acts and hath always acted under Christ in the Kingdom of God 60. That by the Holy Spirit Christ himself acted while he was upon Earth 60 61. That this Spirit is sent both from the Father and the Son and of the different nature of their Missions 61 c. Some things which the Holy Spirit hath done in the pursuance of his Ministry to our Saviour and hath long since ceased to do as first he inspired the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour with the gift of Languages 65 66. Secondly He fully instructed them by his immediate Inspirations in the Doctrine which they were to teach the World 67 c. Thirdly He gave the most convincing evidence of the Truth and Divinity of their Doctrine 70. Fourthly He conducted them by his infallible advice through all the emergent difficulties of their Ministry 72. Of the cessation of these miraculous Assistances 74 c. Other things which the Holy Spirit hath always done and always continues in pursuance of this his Ministry as being continually present with the Church 76. We receive him in our Baptism 77. Of the different manner of his ordinary Operations now from what it was heretofore 78 c. That these his ordinary Operations are all performed by impression of thoughts 81 82. they are all reduced to five Heads First Illumination 83 c. Secondly Sanctification 85. Thirdly Quickning or Excitation 88. Fourthly Comforting and supporting 90. Fifthly Intercession 93. SECT II. Concerning the particular Offices of Christs Mediation From the respective states and conditions of the Parties between whom Christ mediates is shewn the necessity of his being Prophet Priest and King 98. The order in which our Saviour proceeds in the discharge of these Offices 100. SECT III. Concerning the Prophetick Office of Christ. The great need of this Office 101. That the Messias was to be a Prophet 102. Of the import of the word Prophesie 103. The admirable accomplishments of our Saviour for this Office shewn in three Particulars First That when he came down to Prophesie to us he came immediately from the Bosom of the Father 104. Secondly That he came down into our own Natures 160. Thirdly That while he abode among us he was always full of the Holy Ghost 109. how effectualy he discharged this Office shewn in six Particulars First He made a full declaration of his Fathers Will to the World 113. Secondly He proved and confirmed what he declared by Miracles 116. Thirdly He gave a perfect example of Obedience to what he declared and proved to be his Fathers
20.28 not that the Divine Essence can suffer or bleed but being united into one Person with the Humane Nature the Properties of this Nature and also the Actions and Passions thence proceeding may be truly attributed to it and therefore since in the Person of Christ God was united to Man whatsoever his Humanity suffered may be truly called the suffering of God and being so it was a suffering every way equivalent to the Eternal damnation of the whole world of sinners Lastly As he was to appear as our Advocate at the right hand of God it was very fit he should be Man that so as the Apostle discourses having an High Priest that was in all points tempted like as we are as having been placed in our Nature and Circumstances he might be the more affectionately touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 i. e. that so our nature being a part of himself and that himself having experienced its weakness and infirmity he might be the more nearly concerned for it and be touched with a more tender compassion towards it consequently solicite its cause and interest at the right hand of God with greater zeal and importunity For so the same Author reasons Heb. 3.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People for in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And that he should be God as well as Man is no less requisite to create in us the greater confidence of the success of his Advocation For what Reason or Argument could be great enough to satisfie our guilty and therefore anxious minds that ever a meer man who had nothing beyond our selves to recommend him to God but only his Innocence and Vertue should be able to obtain such a prevailing interest in Heaven as not only to reconcile the Almighty Father of all things to a world of sinful men against whom he was so justly and so highly incensed but also to obtain of him to imbrace them with infinite Love and crown them with eternal Favours which is such a stupendous success as we could scarce have modestly hoped for from the most importunate intercession not only of the best man that ever was upon earth but of the highest Angel in Heaven For unless we could reasonably suppose God to be more pleased with one innocent man or Angel than he is displeased with a world of guilty sinners which is hardly supposable we could have no just ground to hope that the cries of the ones intercessions should be more prevalent with him than the cries of the others guilts But when we consider that he who hath undertaken our cause is the Son of God the Son of his natural Generation that from all Eternity was begotten of his Essence God of God Light of Light very God of very God what may we not expect from the Prayers of one so near and dear to the Eternal Father that is fit either for him to ask or for the Eternal Father to bestow For this we may be confident of that he can never be so highly displeased with us as he is pleased with his own Son who is the stamp of his very Essence and express Character of his Person and that therefore his pleasure in him will be far more prevalent than all his displeasure against us and while it is so we have all the security in the world that he will succeed in his Advocation and prevail in our behalf Thus that Christ should be God-man was in it self highly expedient to qualifie him for all the Parts and Offices of his Mediation and accordingly the holy Scripture expresly declares him to be so For first That he is God is as plainly asserted as any Proposition in the Bible For thus not to instance in the Old Testament where he is frequently stiled Iehovah the incommunicable name of God and the Mighty or Almighty God and Immanuel that is God with us In the New Testament he is not only called God Acts 20.28 where the Pastors are exhorted to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud which can be applied to none but Christ and Iohn 20.28 where Thomas calls him my Lord and my God which Confession of his our Saviour himself approves Verse 29. but moreover he is called the true God 1 John 5.20 And we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ he is the true God and eternal life and God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 and accordingly the Father himself is brought in thus bespeaking him Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Heb. 1.8 where his design is to shew the excellency of Christ above the Angels for saith he in Verse 7. Of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God c. which stile O God here must necessarily import something greater than was ever attributed to Angels and consequently something greater than a Nominal or Titular Deity which our Adversaries in this Article allow was frequently given to the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament If therefore that Angel of the Lord were a meer created Angel as they affirm he had as much attributed to him as our Saviour unless we suppose this stile O God to import real and essential Deity and not meerly nominal So also Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. For the clearing of which noble Text which our Adversaries with a world of Art have indeavoured to perplex and intangle it is to be considered that this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was a term of Art by which in that very Age when this Gospel was written and long before and after it both the Iewish and Heathen Writers were wont to express and signifie a divine Person by whom the Ancient Jews understood the Messias who is that very Person the Apostle here treats of Since therefore by this Phrase the Word both Jews and Gentiles when S. Iohn wrote this Gospel understood a divine Person and since by this divine Person the Jews understood the Messias there is no reason to imagine that S. Iohn here meant it in any other signification since in so doing he could not but foresee he should impose upon the World and take an effectual course to make us believe he meant what he never intended For he is so far from explaining this Phrase into any different sence from that of the Jewish and Gentile Writers that he all along explains himself in the very same Now it is hardly to be imagined by any one whose mind is not deeply tinctured with Heretical Pravity but that had the Apostle
And therefore to satisfie us in this also after he had abode some time upon Earth after his Resurrection and satisfied his Disciples by frequent converses with them that he was really risen and given them all necessary Orders for their future conduct in the propagation of his Gospel he carried them out to Bethany where after he had lift up his hands and blessed them he ascended before their eyes into Heaven upon which it is said Luke 24.52 That they worshipped him and returned to Ierusalem with great Ioy surely not because their dear Lord was gone from them never in this World to be seen by them more that was cause of sorrow rather than joy to them but because he was gone to the right hand of the Father there to intercede in Person for them and for ever to exhibite that wounded and bleeding body of his by which he had made expiation for the sins of the World and purchased the promise of the Spirit and of eternal life upon this account indeed they had great cause to rejoyce because now they knew they had a sure Friend in Heaven where their main hope and interest lay even that very Friend who not long before had freely exposed himself to a most shameful and tormenting death to rescue them from death eternal and who after such an instance of love they could not but conclude would employ his utmost interest with the Father in their behalf and in a word who being the only begotten of the Father whose precious Bloud he had graciously accepted as a ransom for the sins of the World could not but have an interest with him infinitely sufficient to obtain for them all the graces and favours that were fit either for them to ask or for his Father to bestow So that now if we heartily comply with him as Mediating for his Father with us we have all the encouragement in the world to depend on him as Mediating for us with his Father since he doth not Mediate with him by a second hand or at a distance but in his own Person in that very Person which is not only infinitely dear to the Father as being his only begotten Son but hath also infinitely merited of him by offering him his own life at his command as a Sacrifice for the sins of the World. And accordingly upon this consideration the Apostle founds the hope of Christians 1 Iohn 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin let him not presently give up himself as hopeless and irrecoverable for we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins VI. And lastly Another thing which the Scripture proposes to our belief concerning this Mediator is that upon his return from us to Heaven there to Mediate Personally for Men with God he substituted the divine and Omnipresent Spirit Personally to promote and effectuate his Mediation for God with Men. When he went up to Heaven there to Mediate for us with God he did not thereby abandon his Mediation for God with us but immediately substituted a certain mighty spiritual Being to act for him whom he calls the Advocate or as we render it the Comforter and the Holy Ghost and who was to Mediate with Men in his behalf even as he Mediated with them in the behalf of his Father and to Advocate for his Authority as he Advocated for his Father's For so he tells his Ministers whom he left behind him to assert and propagate his Authority in the World I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter or Advocate i. e. to plead for and inforce your Ministry in my behalf whose Ministers you are that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth c. I will not leave you comfortless or without an Advocate I will come to you that is by this Spirit of Truth who is to be my Vicegerent even as I am my Father's Iohn 14.16 17 18. But for the fuller explication of this great and necessary Article I shall first shew what this divine Spirit is which Christ hath substituted to Mediate for God with us in his absence Secondly I shall explain his subordination and substitution to Christ in this part of his Mediation Thirdly I shall shew what it is that he hath done and still continues to do in order to the effecting this Mediation First What this divine Spirit is which Christ hath substituted to Mediate for God with us in his absence I answer it is the third Person in the Tri-une Godhead For that besides the Father and the Son there is a third divine Person subsisting in the Godhead seems to have been a current Doctrine among the ancient Writers both Gentile and Iewish and is most plainly and expresly asserted in holy Scripture which third Person is known in Scripture by the name of the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of the Lord. For that the Holy Ghost so often named in the New Testament is the same with that Spirit of the Lord so much celebrated in the Old S. Peter expresly asserts 2 Pet. 1.2 For the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost from which words it is evident that this Holy Ghost whom S. Peter here mentions is the very same with that holy Spirit or Spirit of the Lord by whom as we are told in the Old Testament the ancient Prophets were inspired vid. Isa. 63.11 2 Sam. 23.2 Mich. 2.7 and abundance of other places and accordingly S. Peter applies that Prophecy of Ioel 2.28 I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh to that miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost Acts 2.16 17. but this is that saith he which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel c. which could not be true if Peter's Holy Ghost were not the same with Ioel's spirit of the Lord. But it is most certain that the Holy Ghost whom S. Peter and the New Testament so often mention was in the first place a real Person and not a meer Quality as the Socinians vainly dream For so we every where find personal properties and actions attributed to him Thus he is said to speak Acts 28.25 and Heb. 3.7 yea and his speeches are frequently recorded so Acts 10.20 The Spirit said unto Peter arise therefore get thee down and go with them for I have sent thee and Acts 13.2 The Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and how can we without horrible force to such plain historical relations which ought to be literal and not figurative attribute these speeches to a meer Vertue or Quality And elsewhere he is said to reprove the world Iohn 16.8 and to search into and know the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 11. and to divide his Gifts
Spirit or Holy Ghost whom Christ hath substituted to carry on his Mediation for God with men in his absence is no other than the third divine Person subsisting in the eternal Godhead And indeed considering the mighty part he was to act viz. to Mediate under Christ for God with men the same reason which rendered it necessary for Christ to be God to qualifie him for this Office vide Page 24. do render it altogether as necessary for the Holy Ghost to be so And indeed how is it possible he should operate upon so many men together at such remote distances as he is obliged to do by his Office and at once move every member of that vast Body of Christ the Catholick Church dispersed over the Face of the whole Earth unless like an Omnipresâ—nt soul he be diffused through the whole and co-exists with every part and if he be Omnipresâ—nt â—e must be God. And now having given an account of the Person and Quality of this Divine Spirit I proceed Secondly To explain his subordination and substitution to Christ in this part of his Mediatorship for God with men In order to which it is to be considered that this subordination of the sacred Persons in the holy Trinity proceeds not from any inequality of Essence but from the inequality of their personal Properties For as to their Essence they are all of them God i. e. infinite in being and perfections and being infinite they must all be equal there being no such thing as more or less in infinity and then being equal in Essence they must necessarily be equal in essential Power and Dominion and consequently as such are no way subject or subordinate to one another But as to their personal Properties it cannot be denied but they are unequal for the Father who begot must in that respect be superiour to the Son who was begotten and the Holy Ghost who proceeded must in that respect be inferiour to the Father and Son from whom he proceeded and upon this inequality their subordination is founded For as there is a stated Number in the Trinity by which the sacred Persons are determined to Three so there is also a stated Order by which they are ranked into a First a Second and a Third which Order is not made by mutual consent or arbitrary constitution but founded in the nature of those personal properties by which they are distinguished from one another For as the Father being the Fountain of Godhead to the Son must be first in order of nature and as the Son together with the Father was the Fountain of Godhead to the Holy Ghost and therefore must be second to the Father and in order of nature before the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son must of the Three be in order of nature the Third For so the Scripture expresly asserts that he proceeded from the Father John 15.26 and also that he is the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 and the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 and the Spirit of Iesus Christ Phil. 1.19 And being the Spirit both of the Father and the Son he must be supposed to proceed from both And where-ever the Holy Ghost is in the Old Testament called the Spirit of God it is in the Hebrew Ruach Elohim in the Plural which seems to intimate that he proceeded not from one but from two divine Persons i. e. not from the Father alone but from the Son also So that though as to their Godhead they are all equal yet in order of nature and in respect of their personal properties the third is inferiour the second superiour and the first supreme and being unequal in those personal Properties by which they stand related to each other it is very reasonable that according to these their personal inequalities they should be subordinate to one another and consequently that the Father who is the Fountain of the Divinity should be supreme in the Divine Monarchy and that the Son who was begotten of him should minister to him and that the Holy Ghost who proceeded from the Father and the Son should minister to both And accordingly in all its external actions and administrations this hath ever been the Oeconomy of the Holy Trinity for the Father to act by the Ministry of the Son and the Son by the Ministry of the Holy Ghost For so before the Fall of man and consequently before this Mediation of the Son commenced it is evident that even in creating the World the Father acted by the Son and therefore is said to have made the World by him Heb. 1.2 and the Son acted by the Spirit who is said to have moved upon the face of the Chaos Gen. 1.2 for that by the Spirit of God there is meant the third Person in the Holy Trinity we have reason to believe because he is elsewhere said to have made man and to have garnished the Heavens as hath been already shewn And in the same Method of subordination the Godhead hath always proceeded in its transactions with the world and that more especially and remarkably in this great affair of Mediating with mankind wherein the Father hath always used the Ministry of the Son and the Son the Ministry of the Holy Ghost but in the matter of the Mediation it is evident that this subordination of these sacred persons was founded not only in these their personal inequalities but also in a mutual agreement between them in which the Son agreed with the Father that in case he would be so far reconciled to Rebellious Mankind as to grant them a Covenant of mercy and therein among other blessings to promise them his Holy Spirit he himself would assume our natures and therein not only treat with us personally in order to the reducing us to our bounden Allegiance but also die a Sacrifice for our sins upon which agreement the Father long before the Son had actually performed his part of it even from our first Apostasie granted his Spirit to mankind which Spirit was granted to this end that under the Son he should Mediate with men in order to the reducing them to their due subjection to the Father For all that heavenly influence which the Holy Ghost sheds forth upon the minds of men is wholly Mediatorial in God's behalf and in order to the reconciling men's minds unto him and therefore in this his Mediation he must be supposed to act in subordination to the Son who is supreme Mediator and accordingly as the Son hath been and will be always Mediating with men by this blessed Spirit even from his Ascension to the end of the World so I make no doubt but he always Mediated with them by the same Spirit even from the Fall of man to his Incarnation For so in the time of the Old World we read of the Spirit 's striving with men i. e. in order to the subduing their stubborn Wills to a due subjection to the Will of the Father Gen.
which they are most endeared and familiarized into the divine and spiritual world there is no one duty whatsoever to the due performance of which our carnal affections are naturally more listless and averse and therefore as herein we have most need of the Holy Spirit 's assistance so herein he more especially operates on our minds exciting in us all those graces and affections which are proper to the several parts of our Prayer such as shame and sorrow in the confession of our sins a sense of our need of mercy and a hope of obtaining it in our supplications for pardon and forgiveness resignation to God's Will and dependance on his truth and goodness in our address for temporal mercies and deliverances hunger and thirst after Righteousness in our Petitions for his grace and assistance and in a word Gratitude and Love and Admiration of God in our praises and thanksgivings for mercy and in these divine affections the life and soul of Prayer consists And accordingly in Gal. 4.6 the Apostle tells us Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father that is by kindling devout and pious affections in your Souls enabling you to cry to God with all earnestness and assurance as to a kind and merciful Father and hence also we are said to pray in or by the Holy Ghost Iude 20. because all the proper graces and affections of Prayer are excited in us by him And this his excitation of the graces of Prayer in us is called his making Intercession for us Rom. 8.26 27. which imports no more than his enabling us to offer up the matter of our Prayers to God in a most devout and affectionate manner or as he there explains himself with sighs and groans that are not to be uttered that is with such earnest and flagrant affections as are too big for words to express And this is properly to intercede for us For as Christ who is our Advocate in Heaven doth offer up our Prayers to the Father and enforce them with his own Intercessions so his Spirit who is our Advocate on Earth begets in us those affections which render our Prayers prevalent and wings them with fervour and ardency the one pleads with God for us in our own hearts by kindling such desires there as render our Prayers acceptable to him and the other pleads with him for us in Heaven by presenting those desires and soliciting their supply and acceptance Now this Intercession of the Holy Spirit is also performed as all the aforegoing operations by suggesting to and imprinting such thoughts upon our minds as are most apt to raise and excite our affections which thoughts he often urges with that vehemence and presses with that reiterated importunity that if we do not wilfully repel them from our minds and refuse them admittance to our hearts and affections they cannot fail to stir up in us all the graces of Prayer and enflame our Souls with a servent devotion and accordingly whenever we harbour these suggestions of the Spirit and by seriously attending to them cherish and encourage them we find by experience they so affect and influence our devotions as that in every Prayer our Souls take wing and like the Angel that appeared to Manoah â—ly up to Heaven in the flames of our Sacrifice And thus I have given a brief account both of what the Holy Spirit hath done and of what he still continues to do towards the promoting and effectuating of Christ's Mediation for God with men And by what hath been said it abundantly appears that he hath done for us and still continues to do all that our case and necessity requires and that there is nothing imaginable wanting on his part towards the reducing and reconciling our minds to God. So that now he may justly say to us what God doth to his Vineyard Isa. 5.4 What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done Or as the Hebrew expresses it What is to be done more Not but that by his omnipotent power absolutely considered the Holy Spirit can do more for us than he ordinarily doth he can in an instant infuse a new nature into us in despite of all the resistance of our Wills and make such irresistible impressions on our minds as our most inveterate prejudice and enmity against God shall never be able to withstand but then his power always acts by the direction of his wisdom and can do no otherwise that is it can do no more than it can wisely do and it is certain that ordinarily and regularly it cannot wisely so act upon men as to determine their natural liberty to good and evil since by so doing he must not only commit a perpetual violence on the frame of our Beings and thereby reverse the established course of our natures but also destroy the very being of Vertue in us which is no longer Vertue than while it is free and unconstrained But whatsoever he can wisely do or which is all one consistently with the liberty of our nature he hath done and still continues doing So that now to the reduction of our Souls to God there is nothing wanting but our own consent and free co-operation which if we will refuse we may for for desperate obstinacy there is no remedy if we will not comply with the blessed Spirit it is certain he will not save us whether we will or no. So that when inquisition shall be made for the bloud of our Souls the utmost we can charge him with is that he did not drag us to Heaven in spite of our teeth and bind up our hands in the Cords of an irresistible Fate to hinder us from murdering our selves but if we have so little regard of our selves as to spurn at our own happiness it is by no means fit that he should force it upon us and it would be a very mean and unreasonable condescension in him to prostitute his grace to such as scorn and refuse it If therefore after all these things that the Spirit hath done for us we persist and finally perish in our enmity against God he may fairly wash his hands in innocency over us and charge our bloud upon our own heads and how deplorable soever our condition proves in the future state his Iustice will Triumph gloriously in our ruine and our own Consciences together with all the reasonable World will be forced to be his Compurgators and to pronounce him infinitely just and righteous in all his ways SECT II. Concerning the particular Offices of Christ's Mediation FOR the clearer stating what are the particular Offices of the Mediator it will be necessary briefly to enquire into the state and condition of the Parties between whom he Mediates as they stand related to one another For he being to officiate for and between God and Man to be sure his Offices must be such as their respective states and conditions do require For how can
severally to every man as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 And not only so but such things and actions are attributed to him as can in no sence be attributed to the Father which would be non-sence if he were only the vertue or power of the Father and not a real Person distinct from him Thus the Holy Ghost is said to come as sent from the Father in the name of Christ Iohn 14.26 and in Iohn 16. he is said to come as sent from Christ verse 7. And when he comes Christ promises them that he shall guide them into all truth for he shall not speak of himself saith he but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak ver 13. Again he shall glorifie me saith Christ for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you verse 14. And to name no more the Holy Ghost is said to make Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8.27 none of which things can in any tolerable sence be said of God the Father Since therefore not only personal actions but such personal actions also as cannot be attributed to the Father are frequently attributed to the Holy Ghost it hence necessarily follows that he is not meerly the vertue or power of the Father but a distinct principle of action from him that acts from and by himself and consequently is a real person or subsistence It being evident therefore from what hath been said that the Spirit of the Lord in the Old Testament is the same with the Holy Ghost in the New and that the Holy Ghost in the New is a real person distinct from the Father it hence follows in the second place that this Holy Ghost is a divine person because in the Scripture-forms of Baptism and Benediction he is always ranked with divine persons viz. the Father and the Son thus Baptism is in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 And the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all is the usual form of Benediction 2 Cor. 13.14 Now that the Father is a divine person all acknowledge and that the Son is so too hath been proved at large and therefore since the Holy Ghost is ranked with the Father and the Son both in our Baptismal Dedication and form of Benediction that is a sufficient evidence that he is a divine person also For what likelihood is there that in such solemn acts of Religion a meer Creature should be taken into copartnership with the divine Father and Son But besides both in the Old and New Testament divine actions and perfections are attributed to him Thus in Iob 33.4 Creation is ascribed to him The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life So also Iob 26.13 By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens Since therefore to Create is a divine Act and since every Act flows from the Essence of the Agent it follows that the Essence of this Spirit from which this divine Act of Creation flows is divine Again in Psal. 139.7 Omnipresence is attributed to this divine Spirit Whither shall I go from thy Spirit And if there be no place whither we can go from him as the Question plainly implies there is not then he must necessarily fill all places and be Omnipresent So again 1 Cor. 2.10 Omniscience is attributed to him for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God and that by searching here is not meant Enquiry but Knowledge and Comprehension the next verse will inform us For what man knows the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man save the Spirit of God. If then the Spirit 's search be knowledge and his Knowledge comprehends all things what else is this but Omniscience And as the Actions and Attributes which the Scripture attributes to the Holy Ghost are divine so are the Honours also For so 1 Cor. 6.19 our bodies are said to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in us now since there is nothing can make a Temple which as such is the house of God but only the Inhabitation of a divine Person and since no person can have right to the honour of a Temple which as such is made for divine Worship but he to whom divine Worship is due it will hence necessarily follow both that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person and that he hath right to divine Worship and accordingly 1 Cor. 3.16 the Apostle makes the Inhabitation of God's Spirit in us to be that which constitutes us Temples of God but how could his Spirit 's dwelling in us constitute us Temples of God unless he himself were God Besides all which he is in express words affirmed to be God. So in 2 Cor. 3.15 16 17. Even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is upon their hâ—arts nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty in which words the Apostle as all agree refers to Exod. 34.34 When Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him he took the Vail off until he came out from whence I argue that Lord whom Moses went in to speak with was Iehovah the true God this Iehovah the Apostle tells us is that Spirit this Spirit he also tells us is the Spirit of the Lord or the Holy Ghost therefore the Holy Ghost is Iehovah the true God. So also Acts 5.3 4. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost c. Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God i. e. in Lying to the Holy Ghost who is God for if he were not God as we are sure he is not man it might as well have been said thou hast not lied unto men only no nor to the Holy Ghost only but unto God and indeed it ought to be so expressed supposing that by the Holy Ghost and God he did not mean the same thing because the design of the words was to aggravate Ananias his crime from the consideration of the greatness of the Person against whom it was committed and therefore had the Holy Ghost been any thing less than God as we are sure the Apostles were to whom the lye was immediately told he ought to have pursued the 〈◊〉 as well to the Holy Ghost as to men and then it must have been it was not meerly to men that thou didst lye no nor to the Holy Ghost meerly but unto God himself since therefore he places the Aggravation of his lying to the Holy Ghost in this only that he lyed not unto men but unto God it is plain that by the Holy Ghost and God he meant the same thing From all which Testimonies it is very apparent that this great
to his Church was nothing but what he himself had first received from the Father so that though it was from the Father that the Son had his authority to send the Holy Ghost yet it was from the Son that the Holy Ghost had his Mission immediately And accordingly you may observe that after Christ's departure from this World the Holy Ghost acted immediately under Christ as the supreme Vicegerent of his Kingdom For next and immediately under Christ he Authorized the Bishops and Governours of the Church and constituted them overseers of the flock of Christ Acts 20.28 it was he that chose their Persons and appointed them their Work Acts 13.2 and gave them their several Orders and Directions Acts 15.28 Acts 16.6 in all which it is evident he acted under Christ and still continues to act as his supreme Substitute and Vicegerent and accordingly he is stiled by Tertullian the Vicarious vertue or power as he was the supreme Vicar and Substitute of Christ in mediating for God with Men so that now the Holy Ghost is subordinated to the Son not only by vertue of his procession from him together with the Father but also by vertue of his being purchased and obtained by him of the Father by his meritorious Death and Intercession I proceed III. To shew what it is that this Holy Spirit hath done and still continues doing in order to the effectuating this his Mediation For there are some things which he hath done and now ceases to do and some things which he hath always done and will still continue doing to the end of the World of both which I shall give some brief account in order to the fuller explication of the Ministry of the Holy Ghost under Jesus the great Mediator First therefore there are some things which he hath done and now ceases to do and of this sort were those extraordinary operations he performed in order to the Planting and Propagating Christ's Gospel in the World upon and after that his Miraculous Descent of which we read in Acts 2. For when Christ was departing from his Disciples into Heaven he ordered them to stay at Ierusalem and not to undertake that mighty work of Planting his Gospel through the World till they were endued with power from on high Luke 24.49 which power from on high was no other than that miraculous assistance which upon his Descent the Holy Ghost did afterwards vouchsafe them upon which Order they return to Ierusalem and there continue till the day of Pentecost fasting and praying together in an Upper Room when all of a sudden the Holy Ghost descended upon them in a visible body of bright shining fire and endowed them with all those Heavenly powers which were requisite to qualifie them for the propagation of Christ's Gospel through the World. For as they were to be the first Planters of the Gospel it was requisite First that they should be able to speak the several Languages of those Nations to whom they were to preach Secondly that they should be fully and clearly instructed in the Doctrines which they were to preach Thirdly that they should be able to give the most convincing evidence of the truth and divinity of their Doctrines Fourthly that they should be conducted by Infallible advice through all the emergent difficulties of their Ministry against all which necessities the Holy Ghost abundantly supplied them For First He inspired them with the gift of Languages without which they must have spent a great part of their lives before they could have been capable of preaching the Gospel to the World in learning the several Languages of the several Nations they were to preach to which must have very much retarded the progress of the Gospel And therefore the Holy Ghost upon this his miraculous Descent did in an instant infuse into them the Habit of speaking several Languages insomuch that all of a sudden and without any Rules of Grammar or previous instructions they were heard to speak to the great astonishment of their Auditors in the fifteen several Tongues of fifteen several Nations Acts 2.4 c. And though they were immediately dispersed abroad in the World and some of them into remote Countries whose names perhaps they had never heard of yet still where-ever they came they were inspired with the Language of the Country which they spake as freely as their own Mother Tongue And this was a vast advantage to them in their Ministry because they were not only enabled by it to preach the Gospel to all Nations but were enabled in such a manner as gave a mighty confirmation to their Doctrine For their very gift of speaking being a miraculous effect of divine power was an undeniable demonstration that what they spake was divine Secondly The Holy Ghost fully and clearly instructed them in the Doctrines which they were to preach and this was no more than what was necessary For what they preached who were the first Planters of the Gospel was to be the standard of truth and falshood to all succeeding Generations and therefore it was highly necessary that they should be fully and clearly instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel that so their Successors in all Ages might safely relie on their Authority But whilst they were under the Personal Discipline of our Saviour who instructed them by Humane Methods i. e. by proposing his Doctrine to their Ears and through their Mediation to their Vnderstandings it is plain they made but very slow and slender improvements For after all his pains with them they continued very ignorant of some of the most material Articles of Faith and at best they had but gross Apprehensions of the nature of Christ's Kingdom and of the ends and reasons of his Death and were very diffident even of his Resurrection and the reason was that Christ taught them as a man doth a man i. e. by words which are only the audible Images and Representations of things which being liable to misapprehension and oblivion some of them they utterly foâ—got and some of them they grosly misunderstood But when the Spirit came upon them a wondrous Light broke all of a sudden into their Vnderstandings by which they discovered farther into the Gospel Mysteries in an instant than they had done under all our Saviour's teaching For though the Spirit taught them no new Doctrines but did only repeat and explain to them what our Saviour had taught them before for he shall receive of mine saith Christ i. e. of my Doctrine and shall shew or explain it unto you yet it is evident he taught them much more effectually than our Saviour For he spoke not to their Ears but to their Minds and represented things more nakedly and immediately to their understandings he conversed with their spirits even as Spirits do with Spirits without involâ—ing his sense in articulate sounds or material representations but objected it to them in its own naked light and characterized it immediately on their understandings And as he immediately
that unless we do thus concur with him we shall for ever remain and perish in our sin notwithstanding all that grace which he affords us But as for the particular manner of the Holy Ghost's operation on our mind it is not to be expected that we who know so little of the nature and intercourse of Spirits should be able to render a clear and distinct account of it only thus much may be said that our Soul being a thinking Spirit whose very Essence consists in a power or principle of cogitation seems naturally incapable of any other passion from any external Agent but only the impression of Thoughts For how can a Spirit whose very Essence is thinking be any otherwise affected by any thing without it but only by being made to think or by having such thoughts and considerations impressed on it And by the same reason that bodies which are material substances are impressible only by matter Souls which are thinking substances must be impressible only by Thought And hence we find by experience that there is no Object we converse with can any otherwise affect our Mind than by suggesting such thoughts and cogitations to it and that all the pleasure and torment of our minds consists in joyful and tormenting thoughts which are plain Arguments that our mind is a sort of Being which nothing but thought can strike or touch and which hath no sense or feeling of any thing but only of dreadful or hopeful pleasant or painful Cogitations And if this be so then the way of the Holy Spirits working upon our minds supposing that he works sutably to their natures must be by inspiring or impressing them with thoughts For as he is an infinite Spirit he is always and every where present with our Spirits and hath an immediate access to them by vertue of which he can speak to our minds whenever and whatever he pleases and also urge what he speaks with that life and power as to excite our most serious consideration and attention and by this it is that he ordinarily works upon us in order to the reducing us to God viz. by inspiring such good thoughts into our minds as are most apt to move and perswade us to believe and obey the Gospel and by a continued repetition of them urging and pressing them upon us in order to the reducing our vain and roving minds to a fixed and serious attention to them For it is very apparent that our Faith and all our good Resolutions are the immediate effects of deep and serious consideration I considered my ways saith David and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies So that in reducing us to God the great work of the Spirit is to reduce us to a fix'd and steady consideration which being once effected there naturally follows a good resolution unless the Will be invincibly obstinate and to this as naturally succeeds the actual return of the Soul to God. Now to reduce us to this fix'd consideration the Holy Ghost in the first place suggests good thoughts to our minds and then to keep our minds fix'd and intent on them that so our worldly cares or pleasures may not divert us from them he most importunately urges and repeats the same thoughts or seconds them with a train and succession of new ones to the same purpose so that unless we are incorrigibly obstinate against all good motions we cannot avoid admitting them into our most serious consideration and when they are there they cannot fail of raising in us good desires and affections which if we carefully cherish will soon determine in holy purposes and resolutions In all which things you see it is only by impression of thoughts that the Holy Spirit operates on our minds But this will more plainly appear by considering those particular operations on our minds which the Scripture attributes to the Holy Ghost all which may be ranked under these five Heads 1. Illumination 2. Sanctification 3. Quickening or excitation 4. Comforting or supporting 5. Intercession First Illumination or informing our minds with the light of heavenly truth thus Eph. 1.17 18. the Apostle prays that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory would give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of their understanding being enlightned they might know what is the hope of Christ's calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and 1 Cor. 2.12 we are told that it is by receiving the Spirit of God that we know the things that are freely given us of God. Now this illumination of the Spirit is two-fold first External by that revelation which he hath given us of God's Mind and Will in the holy Scripture and that miraculous evidence by which he sealed and attested it for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 or as it is elsewhere expressed was delivered by holy men as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And all those miraculous testimonies we have to the Truth and Divinity of Scripture are as hath been already proved from the Holy Ghost and upon that account are called the demonstration of the Spirit So that all that light we receive from Scripture and all the evidence we have that that light is divine we derive originally from the Holy Spirit But besides this external illumination of the Spirit there is also an internal one which consists in impressing that external light and evidence of Scripture upon our understandings whereby we are enabled more clearly to apprehend and more effectually to believe it For though the divine Spirit doth not at least in the ordinary course of his operation illuminate our minds with any new truths or new evidences of truth but only presents to our minds those old and Primitive truths and evidences which he at first revealed and gave to the World yet there is no doubt but he still continues not only to suggest them both to our minds but to urge and repeat them with that importunity and thereby to imprint them with that clearness and efficacy as that if we do not through a wicked prejudice against them wilfully divert our minds from them to vain or sinful objects we must unavoidably apprehend them far more distinctly and assent to them far more cordially and effectually than otherwise we should or could have done For alas our minds are naturally so vain and stupid so giddy listless and inadvertent especially in spiritual things which are abstract from common sence as that did not the Holy Spirit frequently present importunately urge and thereby fix them on our minds our knowledge of them would be so confused and our belief so wavering and unstable as that they would never have any prevailing influence on our Wills and Affections So that our knowledge and belief of divine things so far forth as they are saving and effectual to our renovation are the fruits and products of this internal
edifie our understandings and therefore for this reason among others Christ thought meet to assume our natures that so he might treat with us in such a way as is most accommodate thereunto and deliver his divine Doctrines to us in a humane form and voice that so being conveyed to us in the most natural and familiar manner they might not so alarm our dread as to confound our attention but might instruct our minds instead of scaring and amusing them And therefore he did not only qualifie the terrour and dreadfulness of his divine Majesty by putting on our nature but together with it he put on all the condescensions and sweetnesses of a most familiar and endearing conversation and conversed among men in such a generous friendly and courteous manner as charmed and enamoured all ingenuous minds and thereby attracted their attention to his Doctrine So that as Christ was the Son of God he perfectly understood his Father's Will and as he was the Son of Man he was perfectly fitted to reveal and declare it to Mankind And as by being God-man he was most perfectly accomplished to declare God's Will to us so he was also to give us a perfect Example of Obedience to it which as I shall shew hereafter was a necessary part of his Prophetick Office. For without assuming humane Nature he could never have been an example of humane Vertue which consists in acting sutably to the nature of a Man who is a Compound of Spirit and Matter Reason and Sense Angel and Brute from which contrary Principles there arise in him contrary inclinations and affections in the good or bad government whereof all humane Vertue and Vice consists How then could he have practised those vertues which consist in the dominion of spiritual and rational faculties over brutal and sensitive such as Temperance Chastity Equanimity and the like had he not assumed that nature which is compounded of both How could he have shewn us by his own example how to govern the Passions and conduct our selves in the Circumstances of men had he not communicated with us in the Passions and Circumstances of humane Nature He might have come down from the Heavens to us inrobed with splendor and light or have preached his Gospel to the World in the midst of a Choir of Angels from some bright Throne in the Clouds and it would have been more convenient for himself to have done so because more sutable to the natural Dignity and Majesty of his Person but he consulted not so much his own convenience as ours he knew well enough that his appearance among us in such an illustrious equipage would have been more apt to astonish than to instruct us to have amused our thoughts into a profound admiration of his glories than to have directed our steps in the paths of Piety and Vertue and that it would be much more for our interest that he should conduct us by his example than amaze us by his appearance and therefore he rather chose to appear to us in our own nature that so by going before us as a man he might shew us by his example what became men to do and trace out to us the way to our happiness with the print of his own footsteps So that his coming among us in our own nature was of vast moment to his Prophetick Office both in declaring his Father's Will to us and setting us an example of obedience to it III. And lastly It is farther to be considered that as he came down immediately from the Father to Prophesie to us in our own natures so while he abode among us he was always endued with the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Lord from whom all Prophetick Inspiration proceeds rested on him and made its constant residence and abode in his humane nature So that whereas it descended upon other Prophets only at certain times and upon certain occasions by reason of which it was not in their power to Prophesie when they pleased but they were fain to attend the arbitrary motions of the Holy Ghost and like dead Organ Pipes were mute and silent as oft as he withdrew and ceased to breath into them his divine Enthusiasms our blessed Saviour had the Prophetick Influx at command and could Prophesie whensoever he pleased For the Holy Ghost resided in his mind and like an assisting Form or Genius was always present with his Understanding and being as was shewed before subordinate to him both by personal Property and Agreement with the Father it operated in him whensoever howsoever and whatsoever he pleased and was as intirely at his disposal as his own most voluntary motions So that whensoever he had occasion for a Revelation he no sooner willed it but the Holy Ghost immediately inspired it into him and whensoever he wanted a Miracle to confirm a Revelation he no sooner called for it but the Holy Ghost immediately exerted it by him For as I shewed before he did both Prophesie and effect his Miracles by the Holy Ghost that was in him and that was so entirely subject to him through the whole course of his Ministry that he could Prophesie and do Miracles by him whensoever he pleased and hence he is said to be anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power Acts 10.38 that is to be consecrated to the Prophetick Office by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon him by whom he was impowered to Prophesie and to confirm his Prophecy by Miracles for so it follows He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the Devil for God was with him and accordingly at his Baptism he was solemnly consecrated the great Prophet of God by a visible Vnction of the Holy Ghost who as St. Luke tells us descended on him in a bodily form or appearance Chap. 3. ver 22. which St. Matthew thus expresses the Spirit of God descended like a Dove and light upon him Chap. 3. ver 16. not as if he descended in the form of a Dove but as it seems most probable he assumed a body of light or fire and therein came down from above just as a Dove with its Wings spread forth is observed to do and gathering about our Saviour's head crowned it with a visible Glory For so in the Nazaren Gospel as Grotius observes it is said that upon this descent of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. there immediately shone a great light round about the place and Iustin Martyr tells us that when Christ was Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there was a fire lighted in the River Iordan that is by the reflection of that bright and flaming appearance in which the Holy Ghost descended the River seemed to be all on fire So that as God did signalize his presence in the Old Tabernacle by a visible Light or Glory so the Holy Ghost by descending on our Saviour in this shining appearance declared him to be the Tabernacle of his divine Presence wherein he meant from
thenceforth to reside and make his constant abode and from whence and by whom he would for the future communicate himself to Mankind And accordingly the sign which God gave to Iohn Baptist by which he might know the Messias when he saw him was this Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost i. e. who from himself or from his own fulness shall communicate the Holy Ghost to the World Ioh. 1.33 For so full was Jesus of the Holy Ghost that he not only prophesied himself and did miracles by it whensoever he pleased but he also communicated it to his own immediate Disciples and impowered them to communicate it to others and hence it is said that God gave not the Spirit by measure to him John 3.34 i. e. with limitations and restrictions to such particular times or ends and purposes but in that unlimited manner as that he could not only act by it himself whensoever or howsoever he pleased but also communicate it to others in what degree or measure soever he pleased For so Ioh. 20.22 it is said that he breathed upon his Disciples and bid them receive the Holy Ghost and Acts 8.17 we are told that upon their laying their hands upon others they also received the Holy Ghost And by this unlimited fulness of the Holy Ghost which our Saviour received at his Baptism he was perfectly accomplished for his Prophetick Office. For the Holy Ghost abode in him after that visible glory in which he descended disappeared even throughout the whole course of his Ministry and hence Luke 4.1 we are told that being full of the Holy Ghost he returned from Iordan and after he had finished his forty days Fast in the Wilderness he returned from thence in the power of the Spirit into Galilee ver 14. where in his own City of Nazareth he began to Prophesie declaring and manifesting that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him vers 18 to 23. and at Cana in Galilee he began to work Miracles and thereby to manifest forth his Glory Joh. 2.11 Thus by Prophesying and confirming his Prophecies by Miracles he exerted that fulness of the Holy Ghost which was communicated to him at his Baptism And now since before he came down to Prophesie to us he was from Eternity in the bosom of the Father and since when he came down he was clothed in humane nature and in that nature was inspired with such an unbounded fulness of the Holy Ghost as that he could not only Prophesie himself and confirm his Prophecy by Miracles when he pleased but also communicate these his Gifts to others in what measures and proportions he thought fit to enable them to Prophesie for him wheresoever he thought meet to send them what can we imagine farther necessary to compleat and accomplish him for the Prophetick Office I proceed therefore in the next place to shew how throughly and effectually he discharged this Office which will plainly appear by considering briefly what those things were which as a Prophet he performed all which are reducible to these six Heads First He made a full Declaration of his Father's Will to the World. Secondly He proved and confirmed what he had declared by Miracles Thirdly He gave a perfect Example of Obedience to what he had declared and proved to be his Father 's Will. Fourthly He sealed his declaration with his own Bloud Fifthly He instituted an Order of men to preach what he had declared to the World. Sixthly He sent his Holy Spirit when he left the World to recollect and explain to those men what he had declared and to enable them also to prove and assert it by Miracles I. He made a full Declaration of his Father's Will to the World viz. in those Sermons Parables and Discourses of his which we find recorded in the four Evangelists in which the whole Will of God concerning the Way and Method of our Salvation is fully and perfectly revealed For thus S. Paul declares to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus that he had kept back nothing that was profitable for them but had testified both to the Iews and Greeks repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Acts 20.20 21. and ver 27. he tells them that he had not shunned to declare unto them all the Counsel of God. Now it is certain that this whole Counsel of God which he had preached was only that account of our Saviour's Discourses and Actions which S. Luke gives us in his Gospel who as Irenaeus tells us was a follower of S. Paul and did compile into one Book that History of our Saviour's Life and Doctrine which S. Paul had taught and delivered and if so then the whole Counsel of God must be contained in this Gospel and accordingly S. Luke tells his Theophilus in the beginning of his Gospel That forasmuch as many had set forth a declaration of those things that were surely believed among Christians it seemed good unto him also having had a perfect understanding of all things from the first to write them down in order that he might know the certainly of those things wherein he had been instructed From whence I infer that supposing that S. Luke performed what he promised his Gospel must contain a full declaration of the Christian Religion For first by promising to give an account of those things that were surely believed among Christians he engaged himself to give an entire account of Christianity unless we will suppose that there were some parts of Christianity which the Christians of that time did not surely believe Secondly In promising to give an account of those things of which he had perfect understanding from the first and in which his Theophilus had been instructed he also engaged himself to give a compleat account of the whole Religion unless we will suppose that there were some parts of this Religion which S. Luke did not perfectly understand and in which Theophilus had not been before instructed And the sâ—me may be said of the three other Evangelists viz. that their Gospels do severally contain all the necessary Articles of Christianity though the last of them seems to have been wrote upon a more particular design viz. more fully to explain than any oâ— the former Evangelists had done the Article of the Divinity and eternal generation of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And if the whole of Religion be contained in these Gospels which are only Histories of our Saviour's Preaching and Actions then it cannot be denied but that he made a full revelation of God's Will to the World. It is true there are sundry other divine Writings annexed to these Gospels which together with them compleat the New Testament viz. the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles but these pretend not to declare any new Religion to the world For as for the Acts of the Apostles it is only an Historical account of the Preparations
sacrificed body to the Father he did what the High Priest did when he sprinkled the bloud of his Sacrifice i. e. he interceded for us with God and indeed he interceded more prevalently by this significant action than if he had used all the Eloquence of Men and Angels For his wounds are vocal and his bloud speaks yea and not only speaks better things for us than the bloud of Abel spoke but also expresses what it speaks far more powerfully and emphatically than it is possible for any verbal Oratory to do So that by the presenting to his Father his wounded and bleeding body which carries with it an inexhaustible fountain of Rhetorique and Persuasion he makes the most moving and pathetical intercession for us the sense of which is this though the full force and Emphasis of it no Language can express O my Father behold this sacrificed body of mine which by thy consent and approbation hath been substituted to bear the punishment which was due to thee from Mankind and through the wounds of which I have chearfully poured out the precious bloud of God as a ransom for the sins of the World for the sake of this bloud therefore be thou so far propitious to those miserable sinners it was shed for as upon condition they shall repent to accept it in exchange for the lives of their Souls which are forfeited to thee to release them from the Obligation they are under to die eternally and upon their final perseverance in well-doing to crown them with eternal life and that this bloud which at thy command I have willingly shed for them may not through their inability to repent and persevere be utterly ineffectual to them O send thy Holy Spirit to assist their weak faculties to excite their endeavours and co-operate with them This is the Language of Christ's sacrificed body in Heaven and these are the better things which his bloud bespeaks for us For his bloud bespeaks those good things for us in Heaven for which he shed it upon Earth i. e. the remission of our sins and our eternal life of which blessings his bloud being the price that God had promised to accept his presenting it to him in Heaven not only speaks for but humbly demands them as carrying with it the unanswerable claim of an accepted Price to a stated Purchace So that this address which Christ makes for us to God in heaven is not performed by him after the manner of a prostrate Supplicant with bended knees up-lifted hands and lowly supplications but in such a manner as comports with the Kingly Majesty he is advanced to and so as at the same time to assert his own right of purchace in the blessings he addresses for and yet to acknowledge God to be the supreme fountain and disposer of them And this the Scripture tells us he performs by appearing in the presence of God for us and presenting his sacrificed body to him as a standing motive to prevail with him to be propitious to us and to crown us with all those graces and favours in consideration of which he laid down his life for us And accordingly he is said to offer himself to God for us in heaven Heb. 9.25 and to offer his one Sacrifice i. e. to God in heaven for sin for ever Heb. 10.12 By which offering or presenting his Sacrifice to God he doth at once claim for us by the right of his purchace all those good things for which he paid down the price of his bloud and also by a silent desire pray to God to bestow them upon us whereby he acknowledges him to be the sovereign disposer of them So that this significant action of Christ's presenting his sacrificed body to God is both a Claim and a Prayer or rather it is a Prayer backt and enforced with a rightful claim to the blessings he prays for For so for that particular blessing of the Spirit he himself tells us I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14.16 not that he offers up any other Prayer to the Father but what his wounds and bloud continually make which with incessant importunity do move and solicite God in our behalf but his meaning is this by presenting that Sacrifice to my Father in Heaven which I am going to offer on the Cross and by which among other blessings I shall purchace of my Father his Holy Spirit for you I will pray him to send his Holy Spirit to you I will pray him by my wounds and bloud which are a thousand times more moving and eloquent than any vocal Prayer I can offer in your behalf for while they pray him to send his Spirit to you they lay an undeniable claim to what they pray for as being the dear and inestimable price by which I am purchasing his Spirit for you From all which it is evident that this address which Christ now makes for us to his Father in Heaven consists in the presenting his sacrificed body to him by which he both prays to him and claims what he prays for III. It is by the continued and perpetual oblation or presentment of this his sacrificed body to the Father that Christ continues and perpetuates this his address or intercession in our behalf For the fiâ—st presenting or oâ—lation of his sacrificed body in Heaven was the beginning and commencement of his intercession and the whole progress of his intercession is nothing but that same oblation continued and perpetuated For as the High Priest was interceding for the people all the time that he was presenting the bloud of the Sacrifice before the Lord so Christ is interceding for us all the while that he is presenting his sacrificed body in Heaven For it is by the presence of his sacrificed body that he intercedes and therefore so long as his body is present in Heaven so long he must be interceding by it in our behalf So that between the Iewish High Priest's Intercession and Christ's there is this vast difference that the former presented himself in the Holy of Holies with his Sacrifice and consequently interceded by it but once a year viz. on the great day of Expiation whereas the latter continually presents his Sacrifice in Heaven and so doth continually intercede by it and whereas the bloud which the High Priest presented was so mean and inconsiderable that the whole vertue of it was still spent in one Act of Intercession as not being available enough for him to intercede with it twice insomuch that in every new act of Intercession he was still fain to present new bloud the bloud of Christ was of that infinite moment and value as that though he makes a continued and perpetuated Intercession by it yet the vertue and efficacy the power and prevalency of it with God remains fresh and unimpaired so that he needs not sacrifice again that so he may have new bloud to present but with that
Gideon Judg. 6.22 and the Children of Israel Exod. 20.19 and Moses himself Exod. 3.6 So that among the Ancients it seems it was a received opinion that the appearance of this illustrious one did commonly abode death unto those that beheld him Since therefore the Prophet had the same dreadful apprehension upon his vision of God in the Temple that all men had before him upon the appearance of this Angel Iehovah to them it is at least very probable that that God and this Angel were the same divine person Fourthly That this divine Person was not the most High God the Father For besides that our Saviour tells the Jews that they had not heard the Father's voice at any time nor seen his shape or appearance John 5.37 which is a plain evidence that that divine Person who spake and appeared to their Fathers in a humane voice or shape was not God the Father of whom the same Apostle tells us that no man hath seen God at any time John 1.18 whereas it is expresly said of Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the seventy Elders of Israel that they saw the God of Israel viz. upon Mount Sinai and as it is evident from the Text it was in a humane shape that they saw him for there was under his feet as it were a paved work of Saphir stone Exod. 24.9 10. and if he appeared to them with feet it is reasonable to suppose that he appeared with all the other parts of a humane body for though Moses tells the People that they saw no similitude on the Mount but only heard a voice Deut. 4.12 yet this doth not at all hinder but that Moses and the seventy Elders with him might and did for so when Moses desired to see the glory of God upon the Mount God tells him thou art not able to see my face i. e. by reason of the glory and lustre of it for no man shall see my face and live i. e. no man can endure without great hazard of his life the brightness and splendor of my countenance and from this passage in all probability sprang that common opinion in mens minds that they should surely die whenever they saw God or the Angel Iehovah and then God proceeds and tells Moses that he would place him in the Clift of the Rock and cover him with his hand whilst he passed by and that when he was passed by he would take away his hand and permit him to see his back parts Exod. 33.20 21 22 23. by all which it seems evident that this Apparition of God upon the Mount which Moses and the Elders saw was in a humane form since it had not only feet but face and hands and back parts which is not only a farther Evidence that this God was the same divine Person with that Angel Iehovah who appeared so often in humane shape but also a plain argument that he was not God the Father who as S. Iohn tells us was never seen in any shape or appearance whatsoever besides all which I say how can the Father who is the first and supreme person in the holy Trinity from whom both the Son and holy Spirit are sent be in any sence stiled as this divine Person of whom we are treating is the Angel of Iehovah For the word Angel which imports a Messenger implies some kind of Inferiority to him whose Angel or Messenger he is therefore can in no sence be truly and properly applied to the most high God and Father Fifthly and lastly That this divine Person was God the Son. For First that it was he who appeared to the Patriarchs and particularly to Abraham those words of our Saviour plainly imply in Ioh. 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad where by Abraham's seeing of Christ's day must necessarily be meant his real and actual and personal sight of Christ himself for so the Jews understood it Thou art not yet say they in the following verse fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham As much as if they should have said How is it possible that ever thou shouldest personally and actually see Abraham or he thee as thy words do import when as yet thou art not fifty years old and it is many Ages since that Abraham died If therefore the Jews did not mistake Christ's sence it is plain that by seeing his day he meant personally and actually seeing himself but that they did not mistake him is evident because if they â—ad Christ ought to have corrected them by explaining himself into some other sence and not suffer them to run away with such a gross mistake in a matter of such mighty moment instead of which he plainly allows and câ—untenances their sence in the Answer which he gave them verse 58. Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am as much as if he had said it is no such impossible matter as you imagine that Abraham should see me and I hâ—m because I have a fix'd and eternal existence and therefore was in being before ever he was boâ—n So that either the Jews apprehended Christ aright and if so Abraham really and actually saw him or Christ in his Answer prevaricated with them and meerly plaid upon their mistake and if Abraham personally saw Christ it is certain that Christ must be that divine Person that appeared to him But then Secondly That it was he also that brought Israel out of Aegypt and descended upon Mount Sinai at the giâ—ing the Law to them i. e. who declared himself to be the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of Aegypt is apparent from Heb. 12.26 where it is expresly affirmed that it was Christ's voice which then did shake the Earth i. e. when the Law was delivered in Thunder from Mount Sinai which is a plain argument that Christ was that Iehovah who came down upon Mount Sinai and whose voice caused the whole Mount to quake greatly Exod. 19.18 the same also is evident from Eph. 4.8 Wherefore he saith i. e. the Psalmist Psalm 68.18 when he i. e. Christ of whom he had been speaking just before verse 7. ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men so that either Christ must be the Person of whom the Psalmist speaks or the Apostle must grosly mis-quote and mis-apply him and if he be the same Person then from that Psalm it is evident First That it was he that went before the People and marched with them through the Wilderness verse 7. to 15. Secondly That it was he that was among the thousands of Angels in Sinai in the holy place and by their Ministry promulgated the Law from thence verse 17. Thirdly That it was he who was the God and King whose goings were seen in the Sanctuary ver 24. Fourthly That it was he who was the God of the Temple at Ierusalem vers 29. For all these things are expresly spoken of him that
Third Person in the Holy Trinity of whose Person and Ministry under our Saviour in his Kingdom I have treated at large from P. 49. to P. 98. II. Therefore the next Order of Ministers by which Christ rules his Kingdom are the Angels of God that is the whole world of Angels whether they be good or bad Angels of Light or Angels of Darkness In the prosecution of which Argument I shall endeavour first to prove the thing viz. That the Angels both good and bad are the Ministers of Christ in the Government of his Kingdom Secondly To shew wherein their Ministry doth consist First That the Angels both good and bad are Christ's Ministers in his Kingdom For as for the good Angels they are subjected to Christ by the Order and Appointment of God himself who is the Father of Spirits and to whom they are inviolably obedient And for the bad they are subjected to him by just Conquest contrary to their own Wills and Inclinations Of each of which I shall endeavour to give some brief account First The good Angels are subjected to Christ by the Order and Appointment of God to whom they are always inviolably obedient It seems at least very probable that before our Saviour was Exalted upon his Triumphant Ascension into Heaven to the universal Empire of the World under God the Father the Angelical Powers were not all of them subjected to his Mediatorial Royalty but that some of them had their distinct Regencies and Presidentships immediately under God the most high Father over such and such Nations and Countries as he in his Grace thought meet to allot to them for so it is evident the Septuagint thought when in Deut. 32.8 instead of he i. e. God set the bounds of the Nations according to the number of the Children of Israel they render it He set the bounds of the Nations according to the number of the Angels of God for as the ancient Jews distributed the Gentile world into seventy two Nations so they also reckoned seventy two Angels that presided over them and indeed considering what follows ver 9. For the Lord's portion is his People Iacob is the lot of his inheritance it seems very probable that this translation of the Septuagint was the true sense of the Original viz. that whereas God distributed the Gentile world into so many Nations as there were President Angels to be their Guardians and Governours he reserved Israel to himself as his own Lot and Portion over which he intended to preside immediately in his own person and therefore as a learned Writer of our own hath observed it is not at all improbable but that instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Sons of Israel as it is now in our Hebrew Copies the ancient reading whence the Septuagint translated might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Sons of God and that El might either be mistaken by the Transcribers for a final abbreviation of Israel or changed into Il which is the contraction of Israel and if in the ancient Hebrew it was the Sons of God it is no wonder that the Septuagint rendered it the Angels of God the Sons of God being in Scripture a very common Appellation of Angels But whether this be so or not it is evident that when God threatned to withdraw his personal presence from Israel upon their worshipping the golden Calf and to put them under the Conduct of an Angel Exod. 33.2 3. the meaning of it was that he would no longer preside over them in his own Person but subject them to the Government of a President Angel and therefore ver 20. he bids them beware of this Angel and obey his voice and not provoke him for saith he he will not pardon your iniquities which plainly shews that this Angel was to have had a ruling power over them to pardon or punish them at his own pleasure so that that which God here Threatned was that he would put them in the same condition with other Gentile Nations who were subjected to the Government of particular Guardian Angels and so change their Theocracy into an Angelocracy And so as it is evident Moses understood him for ver 15 16. he thus prays If thy Presence go not with me carry us not up hence for wherein shall it be known here that I and thy People have found grace in thy sight is it not that Thou goest with us so shall we be separated I and thy People from all the People that are on the face of the Earth where it is very plain that that which distinguished Israel from all other Nations was this that God himself in his own Person immediately presided over them and that if this distinction were taken away by God's withdrawing from them and subjecting them to the Presidence of an Angel they would be left in the same condition with other Gentile Nations who must therefore be supposed to be under the immediate Conduct of President Angels And this is most evident of the Kingdom of Persia and the Kingdom of Greece in particular Dan. 10.13 20. where there is mention made of two Angels under the Character of the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece and also of a Third viz. Michael who is stiled one of the chief Princes and Michael your Prince ver 21. and elsewhere the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy People Dan. 12.1 and upon what other account can we suppose them to be stiled the Princes of those Countries but because they presided over them as their Guardians and Governours It is true as for the last of them viz. Michael he is supposed by very learned Expositors to be no other than God the Son who as I have proved at large was always the Prince and Guardian of Israel but if he were not God the Son but merely a created Angel it is certain he was not the President or Guardian of Israel since as was shewn before they had no other Guardian but God himself but in all probability he was the Prince of those Angels that ministred to God the Son in his Guardianship and Government of Israel and consequently that Angel of his to whom he intended to subject them when he threatened to withdraw his personal Conduct from them upon which account he might be called their Prince because under Christ he had a Principal share in the Protection and Government of them Now these Guardian Angels seem to have been Archangels or the Princes of the distinct Orders of Angels for so Michael is not only stiled an Archangel Iude 9. but he is also said to have an Army of Angels under his Command and Conduct and with them to have fought with the Dragon or Satan who was also an Archangel and his Angels Rev. 12.7 Now though Michael supposing him to be a created Spirit was not a Guardian Angel yet the Prophecy of Daniel by stiling him one of the Chief Princes plainly assures us that he was an
some terrible assault from these Infernal Powers so he tells his Disciples just before he went thither Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me i. e. give me leave now to discourse freely with you because within a very little while I shall be so engaged that I shall not be at leisure to discharge my mind to you for the Prince of Devils is just now mustering up all his Legions against me and is coming to make his last effort upon me but this is my comfort he will find nothing in me no sinful inclination to take part with him no guilty reflection to expose me to his Tyranny Iohn 14.30 and accordingly Luke 22.53 when the Jews had apprehended him he expostulates the case with them why they did not lay hands on him before when he was daily with them in the Temple and then answers himself But now is your hour and the power of darkness as much as if he should have said I need not wonder you did not seize me sooner for this alas is the appointed time wherein my Father had decreed to let loose the Devils and you upon me Which plainly shews that in that dismal hour he was assaulted by the Devils as well as by the Iews for in all probability those crafty and sagacious spirits had smelt out the merciful design of his approaching death viz. that it was to be a ransom for the sins of the World and therefore though they were desirous enough of his death as is apparent by their animating Iudas and the Jews against him yet dreading the end and intention of it they resolve to imploy all their Art and Power to tempt and deter him from undergoing it and either to prevail with him to avoid it by a shameful Recantation or at least not to consent to it that so being forced and involuntary it might be void and ineffectual In which black design of theirs God himself thought meet so far to favour them as to give them his free permission to try him to the utmost that so having experienced in himself the utmost force of Temptation that Humane Nature is liable to he might thereby be touched with a more tender sympathy with it or as the Author to the Hebrews expresses it That having suffered himself being tempted he might be able to succour them that are tempted Chap. 17.18 But then secondly if we consider the woful Circumstances of his Agony it is evident that it was the effect of some far more powerful cause than meerly a natural fear of his ensuing Death and bodily Torment for no sooner was he entered on that Tragick Stage but he began to be sorrowful saith S. Matthew Chap. 26.37 or to be sore amazed as S. Mark Chap. 14.33 or to be very heavy as both which words according to their native signification declare him to have been all on a sudden oppressed with some mighty damp which arising from some fearful spectacle or imagination overwhelmed his Soul with an unknown and inexpressible anguish an Anguish that sunk and depressed him into as deep a dejection as it was possible for an innocent mind to endure causing him to groan out that sad complaint My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. My Soul is encompassed with grief and like a desolate Island surrounded on every side with an Ocean of sorrows and that even unto death as if it had been strugling under some mortal Pang and the pains of Hell had got hold upon it And so intolerable was his Passion that though he liberally vented it both at his Eyes and Lips in Tears and Sighs and sorrowful complaints yet that was not a sufficient discharge for it but through all the innumerable Pores of his body it poured out it self as it were in great drops of bloud Luke 22.44 All which considered I can by no means think that that which occasioned this bitter Agony was meerly the prospect of what he was going to suffer from the hands of men since not only some Martyrs but some Malefactors have suffered much more with less dejection and if you consult the History you will find that he bore his death far better than his Agony from whence we have just reason to believe that the later was more grievous to him than the former and that the Crucifixion of his body on the Cross was nothing near so painful to him as the crucifixion of his mind in the Garden And since his sufferings in his Agony are described with more Tragical Circumstances than his sufferings on the Cross we have just reason to conclude they were inflicted on him by more spiteful and powerful executioners and consequently that he endured the Tortures of men only on the Cross but of Devils in the Garden where being left all alone naked and abandoned of the ordinary supports of his Godhead and having only an Angel to stand by and comfort him i. e. to represent such considerations to him of the benefits and advantages of his Death as were most proper to fortifie him against the Temptations which the Devils were then urging to deter him from it he was in all probability surrounded with a mighty Host of Devils who exercised all their power and malice to persecute his innocent soul to distract and fright it with horrid Phantasms to afflict it with dismal suggestions and vex and cruciate it with dire imaginations and dreadful spectacles Thirdly If we consider that strange unaccountable drowsiness which seized his Disciples whilst he was in his Agony it seems to have been the effect of a Diabolical power for before he entered into the Garden he had expresly told them that the Hour was come wherein he was to be taken from them by an untimely death so that one would have thought the dear love which they bore him together with the infinite Concern they had in him might have been sufficient to have kept them awake for a few hours yet notwithstanding he desired them to watch with him being loth it seems to be left alone in a dark night among a company of horrid and frightful Spectres upon his return to them he found them fast asleep and though he gently upbraided them with their unkindness What could ye not watch with me one hour Yet he no sooner left them but they fell asleep again for as the Text tells us their eyes were heavy Heavy indeed that could not hold up for a few hours upon such an awakening occasion It is true indeed S. Luke attributes this prodigious drowsiness of theirs to their sorrow and so it is usual in Scripture to put the apparent cause for the real when the real cause is secret and invisible But how can we imagine that meer sorrow should necessitate three men to fall asleep together under the most awakening Circumstances all things considered that ever hapned to Mortals Why did it not as well force them
by an Angel requiring him to send to Ioppa for St. Peter to instruct him in the Christian Religion in Acts 10.3 4 5. But since that Christ hath revealed his whole Will to his Church and transmitted it down by a standing Scripture this Ministration of the holy Angels is in a great measure ceased and to this written Word of his we are intirely referred as to the perpetual Rule of our Faith and Manners insomuch that if thenceforth even an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel to us than what we have there received he is pronounced accursed Gal. 1.8 Not but that sometimes and upon great Emergencies they may be still sent from heaven with new Messages to us to discover some useful secret or to inspire our minds with the notices of some future contingencies that are of great moment to us though this very rarely it being no part of their ordinary Ministry But since the Revelation of the Gospel was compleated to be sure they never reveal any new Doctrine to us they may be assisting Geniuses to our understandings to excite in them a true apprehension of what is already revealed by impressing our imaginations with clear and distinct Idea's and Representations of things that are revealed more obscurely But to suppose that they still reveal new Doctrinal truths to us is not only to deny the perfection of written Revelation but to open a wide door to all manner of Enthusiasm II. Another instance of the Ministry of Angels in the Kingdom of Christ is their guarding and defending his Subjects against outward dangers for thus the Angels are said to encamp round about those that fear God to deliver them Psal. 34.7 And though I see not sufficient reason to be fully persuaded that every faithful Subject of the Kingdom of Christ hath an appropriate Guardian Angel appointed to him yet from that Caution of our Saviour Matt. 18.10 it is evident that he imploys his Angels to attend as an invisible Lifeguard upon the persons of all good Christians for saith he Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven i. e. those blessed spirits which are appointed by God to be their Guardians upon Earth have yet their continual returns and recourse to God's glorious Presence in Heaven and having always access to him to offer up requests or complaints in their behalf it must needs be a very dangerous thing for any to presume to despise or offend them lest he thereby provoke those mighty spirits to sue out and execute some Commission of vengeance upon him From whence it is evident that the blessed Angels are greatly concerned in the vindication and protection of the faithful and that that promise Psal. 91.10 11 12. is still in force viz. There shall no evil befal thee for he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands left thou dash thy foot against a stone And this they do sometimes by removing such evil accidents from us as in the course of necessary causes must have befaln us for there is no doubt but these powerful Spirits have a mighty influence upon necessary causes at least upon a great many of them and can retard or precipitate or vary or divert their motions as they see occasion and thereby prevent a great many accidents which must otherwise have befaln had they permitted them to proceed in their natural courses Other times again they divert the mischievous intentions of our Enemies by injecting sudden fears into them and brandishing horrid Phantâ—sms before their imaginations as the Angel did the flaming Sword before Balaam when they are just upon executing their Malice Sometimes again they warn us of dangers approaching either by some external sign or unaccountable impression on our fancies by which we are vehemently solicited without any visible Cause or Reason either to proceed very cautiously in the ways where our danger lies or to stop and forbear a while or steer some other course Of all which there are innumerable instances to be found in History III. Another instance of the Ministry of Angels in the Kingdom of Christ is their supporting and comforting his faithful Subjects upon difficult undertakings and under great and pressing Calamities for thus not only our Saviour himself was comforted in his last Agony by an Angel from Heaven Luk. 22.43 but St. Paul also tells us that being in imminent danger of being shipwreck'd in a storm in his voyage to Rome there stood by him in the night an Angel of God whose he was and whom he served saying fear not Paul thou must be brought before Caesar and lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee Acts 27.23 24. So also when the Apostles by an Order from the High Priest were cast into the common Prison the Text tells us That an Angel of the Lord by night opened the Prison doors and brought them forth and said go stand and speak in the Temple to the People all the words of this life Acts 5.19 20. So also in the ancient Martyrologies of the Church we meet with sundry relations of the appearances of Angels to the suffering Martyrs and of the wonderful Comforts they administred to them to support their Faith and Patience under their Agonies and Torments And although since the Cessation of Miracles they do not Ordinarily perform this Ministry to us in visible appearances yet there is no doubt but as they are Spirits they have spiritual and invisible ways of conversing with our Spirits and of administring Comforts to us in our needs and extremities for though they can have no immediate access to our mind which is a dark Mysterious Chamber into which no other Eye can penetrate but his who is the searcher of all hearts yet that they can vehemently impress our Fancies with joyous Representations and thereby exhilarate our drooping spirits to that degree as to transport us into Raptures of bodily passion is not to be doubted there being so many sensible experiments of it in the ancient Prophets whose imaginations were sometimes so vehemently impressed with frightful Idea's by the Angels which conversed with them as that they immediately fell into an Agony and were seized with unaccountable horrors and tremblings and not only the Prophets themselves that saw the Angel were thus affected but sometimes their Companions too that saw him not of which you have an instance in Dan. 10.7 where Daniel tells us that he alone saw the vision of the Angel and that the men that were with him saw not the Vision but a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves which is a plain evidence of the great power which the Angels have over our bodily passions even when they are invisible to us so as to strike what note soever they please upon
is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repents Luke 15.10 we cannot but suppose that so far as their own ability and the Laws of the invisible World will permit them they do promote and further our repentance since in so doing they contribute to their own joy and in a word since the Scripture assures us that the Angels are present in our holy Assemblies which that passage of S. Paul seems necessarily to imply 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause ought the woman to have power over her head i. e. to be veiled in the sacred Assemblies because of the Angels or out of a decent respect and reverence to those blessed Spirits who are supposed to be present there since I say they are present in our Religious Assemblies we cannot reasonably suppose them to be present merely as Idle Auditors and Spectators who have nothing else to do but only to observe and gaze upon our holy solemnities and therefore must conclude that their great business there is to assist us in the performance of them to remove our indispositions and recollect our wandrings to fix our attention excite our affections and inflame our devotions for besides as they are the Ministers of the divine Providence they have many opportunities of presenting good objects to us and removing temptations from us of disciplining our natures with prosperities and afflictions and of so ordering and varying our outward Circumstances as to render our duty more facile and easie to us besides which I say as they are Spirits they have a very near and familiar access to our souls not that they can make any immediate impressions on our Vnderstanding or Will which are a sphere of light to which no created spirit can approach it being under the immediate Oeconomy of the Father of Spirits but yet being Spirits there is no doubt but they may and oftentimes do insinuate themselves into our fancies and mingle with the spirits and humours of our bodies and by that means never want opportunity both to suggest good thoughts to us and raise holy affections in us For that they can work upon our fancies is apparent else there could be neither Angelical nor Diabolical dreams and if they can so act upon our fancies as to excite new images and representations in them they may by this means communicate new thoughts to our understandiâ—g which naturally Prints off from the fancy those Ideas and Images which it there finds set and composed And as they can work upon our fancies so there is no doubt but they can influence our spirits and humours else they have not the power so much â—s to cure or inflict a disease and by thus working â—pon our spirits they can moderate as they please the violence of our passions which are nothing but the flowings and reflowings of our spirits to and fro from our hearts and by influencing our humours they can compose us when they please into such a sedate and serious temper as is most apt to receive religious impressions and to be influenced by the Heavenly motions of the Holy Ghost These things I doubt not the blessed Angels can and frequently do though we perceive it not and though by the Laws of the world of Spirits they may probably be restrained from doing their utmost for us that so we may still act with an uncontrouled freedom and be left under a necessity of a constant and diligent endeavour yet this we may be sure of that as the evil Angels are always busie to pervert and seduce us from our duty so the good are no less active to reduce us to and assist us in it VI. Another instance of the Ministry of Angels in the Kingdom of Christ is their conducting the separated Spirits of his faithful Subjects to the Mansions of Glory It was an ancient Tradition among the Jews that the Souls of the Faithful were conducted by Angels into Paradise of which the Chaldee Paraphrase makes mention on Cant. 4.12 and this Tradition of theirs is confirmed by our Saviour Luke 16.22 where he tells us that when Lazarus died he was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom i. e. into that place of refreshment where the Soul of Abraham who was the Father of the Faithful dwells and in all probability that fiery Chariot and Horses wherein Elias was mounted up to Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 was nothing but a Convoy of Angels and accordingly Tertullian de anima c. 52. stiles the Angels Evocatores animarum i. e. the Messengers of God that call forth the lingring souls out of their bodies and shew them the Paraturam diversorii the preparation of those blessed Mansions where they are to abide till the Resurrection And this Office the good Angels do perform to the Souls of the faithful not meerly to congratulate their safe arrival into the world of blessedness though there is no doubt but that they who do so heartily rejoyce in the Conversion of sinners are ready enough to congratulate their Glorification but that which seems to be the great reason of this Ministration of theirs is to guard holy Souls when they leave their bodies through those lower Regions of the Air which are the Seat and Principality of the Apostate Angels who may therefore be very reasonably supposed to be continually lying in wait there like birds of prey to seize upon the Souls of men as soon as they are escaped out of the Cage of their bodies into the open Air and either to sâ—are and terrifie them in their passage to Heaven or to lead them away captive into their dark Prisons of endless horrour and despair and therefore to prevent their affrighting good souls which is all the hurt they can do them as they pass along through their Territories they are no sooner parted from their bodies but they are taken into the custody of some good Angel or Angels who guard them safe through the Enemies quarters and beat off those evil Spirits from them that would fain be infesting and assaulting them and it is not at all improbable but that by this very thing those evil Spirits do distinguish what Souls do belong to them from what do not viz. their being destitute of or attended with this holy Guard of Angels When they behold a separated Spirit under this Heavenly Convoy they fly away from it with infinite rage and envy to see it irrecoverably rescued out of their power to make it miserable but when they perceive one destitute and abandoned of this Angelick guard they immediately seize it as their own and so commit it to their Chains of darkness And as the good Angels do guard good Souls as they pass through the Air against the power and malice of the Prince of the power of the Air so they also conduct and guide them to their Mansions of blessedness For when the departed Soul is wafâ—ed through the Air into those immense tracts of Aether wherein the Sun and all the Heavenly bodies
rewarded accordingly with the Government of ten Cities ver 16 17. the other had been faithful though not altogether so diligent and by his one pound had gained five and accordingly he is made Lord of five Cities ver 18 19. By which he plainly declares that by so much as we fall short of those improvements we might have made in Piety and Vertue so much he will substract from our furure reward So that the sense of the Law of perfection is this as you would not incur the forfeiture of some degrees of your happiness in the other life be sure you imploy your utmost diligence in this to improve your selves in every grace and vertue of Religion II. There is the Law of sincerity which requires the being and Reality of all Christian Graces and vertues in us together with the proper Acts and Exercises of them as we have opportunity and doth no farther forbid those gradual defects of them which are within our possibility to supply than as they are the effects of our gross continued and wilful neglect and so inconsistent with sincerity Now the Reality of these Christian Vertues in us consists in the universal and prevailing consent and resolution of our Wills to regulate our practice by them so as not wilfully to admit of any thing that is contrary to them upon any occasion or temptation whatsoever and so long as this resolution continues firm and prevails in our practice we are just in the eye and judgment of this Law of sincerity though we do not always exert it to the utmost of our possibility He therefore who hath so submitted his Will to God as to be throughly resolved without any reserve to obey him and not to do any thing that is contrary to his Will either against knowledge or through affected ignorance or inconsideration hath in this resolution the real being of all Christian vertues in him and so long as this holds he stands uncondemned in the judgment of the Law of sincerity But though this resolution includes in it the being and reality of all Christian vertue yet doth it not include the utmost possibility of it nor doth it at all follow that because I am sincerely resolved to conduct my life by the Laws of Piety and Vertue therefore I must be in all respects as Pious and Vertuous as it is possible for me to be considering my present state and circumstances I may be sincerely resolved and yet not be always equally diligent and active I may now be exceeding vigilant and watchful and what I am now I may always be if I always exert the utmost of my possibility yet it may so happen anon that though I am sincerely resolved still I may be more remiss supine and inadvertent and in this posture a temptation may surprize me before I am aware and hurry me into an action against which I am firmly resolved And there is no doubt but even the best of men might have beâ—n much better than they are had they always 〈…〉 their possibilities and applied themseâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 their utmost skill and diligence to the methods and Ministries of improvement Now though not to exert our utmost power in the avoidance of evil and the improvement of our selves in vertue and goodness is doubtless a sin yet it is only a sin against the Law of perfection the Penalty of which is only deprivation of some degree of our future reward but so long as we keep up a prevailing resolution in our Wills to govern our 〈◊〉 by the Laws of Piety and Vertue we stand â—â—ear in the eye of the Law of sincerity the Penalty of which is no less than everlasting Exile from the presence of God into the dark and horrible Regions of endless misery and despair only this proviso it admits that if after we have sinned against it we reassume our good Resolution and heartily repent and amend we shall be released from the obligation to this dreadful Penalty and be restored to that happy state of grace and favour from whence we fell by our transgression So that the great difference between the Law of Perfection and the Law of Sincerity is this that the penalty of the later is much more severe but the duty of the former much more comprehensive Having thus given this brief account of our Saviours Legislation and Laws I proceed to the II. Of those Regal Acts which Christ hath performed in his Kingdom once for all and that is his Mission of the Holy Spirit to subdue Mens minds to the Obedience of his Laws and to govern them by them For so the Apostle makes the Mission of the Spirit to succeed the Triumphal progress of our Saviour to his Coronation in Heaven Eph. 4.8 He ascended up on high he led captivity captive he gave gifts unto Men where by the gifts which he gave we are to understand the Holy Spirit and in him all those extraordinary Gifts which he poured out upon his Church on the day of Pentecost for so Acts 2.33 S. Peter makes the effusion of the Spirit by Christ to be the consequence of his advancement to his universal Royalty therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Now the end for which he sent his Spirit was to supply his room when he went from earth and in his absence to preside as his Vicegerent in his Kingdom below Since therefore this blessed Spirit acts as our Saviours Agent whatsoever he doth that our Saviour doth by him So that all those operations he performs in order to the subduing us to the obedience of Christ and to the governing of us when we are subdued are truly the operations of Christ himself It is he that conquers and governs us by his Spirit our hearts are the Territories which Christ invades by him and his inspirations are the victorious Arms by which Christ conquers and subdues them Our Wills are the Thrones on which Christ sits and rules and governs by him and his holy suggestions are the awful powers by which Christ himself commands our obedience But what it is that this blessed Spirit doth and hath done in order to the subduing Men to Christs Laws and governing them by them hath been already shewn at large and therefore of this I shall need say no more at present III. And lastly therefore another of those Regal Acts which Christ hath once for all performed in his Heavenly Kingdom is his erecting in it an external Polity and Government What this Polity is and what are the functions of it hath been shewn at large and it is as well by this external Government as by the internal Ministry of his Spirit that Christ now rules his Kingdom for in all just and lawful things the lawful Governours of his Church do act by his Commission and Authority as being substituted by him the visible representatives of his
Reward Had he continued to govern us by himself immediately we had wanted one of the most encouraging instances of his immense bounty in rewarding obedience that ever was given to the World and that is his advancement of our Saviour to that Mediatorial Royalty which he now exercises at the right hand of the Majesty on high for had our Saviour been God only he had been incapable of Reward his happiness as such being so immense as that it can admit of no addition but being Man as well as God he is thereby capacitated for all that vast reward which the possession of his Mediatorial Kingdom together with an everlasting Heaven includes and all this reward is the product of that perfect and profound obedience which he render'd to his Father whilst he was in this World. So that now in him by whom God hath promised to reward our obedience we have an illustrious instance of Gods liberality in rewarding Obedience by his happy fate we may be fully assured that we shall not serve God for nought but that the reward of our obedience shall ten thousand-fold exceed the labour and difficulty of it for he is a man as well as we though he be hypostatically united to God and this man for some few years faithful service upon Earth for revealing Gods Will to men and exhibiting a perfect example of obedience to it for exposing himself to some temporal Calamities and finally for offering up himself a spotless Victim for the sins of the World is now advanced to the utmost height of bliss and glory that it is possible for a Creature to arrive to he is set far above all principality and power he is served and Adored as the only Potentate under God the Father throughout all the Heavenly World he is worship'd and Celebrated by Cherubin and Seraphin by Archangels and Angels he is extol'd in the Songs of the Patriarchs and Prophets the Apostles and Evangelists the Confessors and Martyrs and his Name is resounded with everlasting praises and thanksgivings throughout all the vast Choire of the spirits of just men made perfect and in a word he hath all Power given him both in Heaven and Earth and to his all-commanding Will the whole Creation is subjected In this ever blessed King therefore by whom God now rules us we have for the assurance of our hope of a future reward the most stupendous instance of it that ever was given to the World. And indeed since the great end of Christs Mediation was to reduce men to their duty by giving them a sure and certain hope of the remission of their sins at present and of a glorious reward hereafter it was highly condecent that it self should be an Example of its own design and that the glorious part of it should be made the reward of the more painful and difficult that so having in the Mediation it self a signal instance of Gods immence liberality in rewarding obedience we might thereupon the more confidently expect that glorious recompence of Reward which God hath promised to those that obey him and be thereby the more vigorously excited to our duty And hence our Saviour proposes himself to us as an instance of the reward of obedience To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I have overcome and am sat down with my Father on his Throne As much as if he should have said that upon your overcoming the difficulties of your duty you shall receive a most glorious reward you need not at all doubt having so illustrious an Example of it in my self who having conquer'd the difficult parts of my Mediation which was to teach you as a Prophet and to expiate for you as a Priest am now crowned with the reward of transacting the glorious part of it i. e. sitting with my Father on his Throne and there reigning with him in unspeakable Glory and Beatitude and accordingly the Apostle bids us Look unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross despised the shame and is sate down on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on high Heb. 12.2 SECT XIII That Iesus Christ is this Mediator of whom we have been treating HAving in the foregoing Sections explain'd at large the nature and Offices of the Mediator between God and men all that now remains is to prove that Jesus Christ the Author of our Religion is the Person whom God hath ordained and constituted this Mediator between him and us And that he is so he himself openly averr'd whilst he was upon Earth and afterwards proclaimed it to the World by the Mouth of his Apostles but this singly by it self is no argument at all of the truth of the thing because a deceiver might have aver'd the same thing and since there were sundry pretenders to this Office as well as he it was necessary there should be some other evidence of his being invested with it besides his pretending to it otherwise it would have been impossible for us to distinguish him from those that falsly pretended to it and accordingly he himself tells us Iohn 5.31 If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true i. e. If I can produce no other testimony of my being the Mediator than my own bare word you have no reason at all to believe me and therefore he tells us that he had not only Iohn's Witness to it who was his forerunner but also a much greater than Iohn's even the Witness of his Father ver 32 33. 36 37. Now there are Three ways by which the Father Testified for him all which do abundantly evince his being the true Mediator First by sundry ancient predictions of him which were all exactly accomplished in him for the Testimony of Iesus saith S. Iohn is the spirit of Prophesie Rev. 19.10 Secondly by sundry Voices from Heaven by which the Father proclaimed him his well-beloved Son. Thirdly by Miracles which by the power of God he frequently wrought in his own Person while he was upon Earth and in the persons of his followers after his ascension into Heaven To treat of all which would require a Volume by it self and therefore for the first of these ways I shall refer the English Reader to the Reverend Mr. Kidders Demonstration of the Messias wherein the Testimony of Prophesie is handled at large with very great strength and clearness of Judgment And as for the second way of Gods bearing Witness to Jesus viz. by Voices from Heaven I refer the Reader to our Learned D. Hammonds reasonableness of the Christian Religion at the end of his Practical Catechism it being my intent to insist only upon the Third and last way of Gods attesting Jesus to be the Mediator viz. by Miracles for this way our Saviour himself most insists on and appeals to So in the aforecited Ioh. 5.36 But I have a greater witness than that of John for
bound and tremble as miserable Captives under our hands Others of them appeal to the Consciences of the Heathens themselves who had been Spectators of their miraculous Victories over these infernal Spirits So Minutius Faelix All these things are very well known to a great many of your selves that your Gods are forced by us to confess themselves Devils when by the torment of our words and by the fire of our Prayers they are chased out of human Bodies even Saturn and Serapis and Jupiter and the greatest of those Gods you worship being overcome with sorrow are forced to acknowledge what they are and tho it be to their shame especially when you are present yet they dare not lye but being adjured by the true and only God they quake and tremble in the bodies they possess and either leap out immediately or vanish by degrees Others of them offer to make the experiment even before the Tribunals of the Heathen and to answer for the success with their own lives So Tertullian in his Apologetick Let any man that is apparently acted by one of your Gods be brought before your own Tribunals and if that supposed God being commanded by any Christian to speak doth not confess himself to be a Devil as not daring to lye to a Christian take that malepert Christian and pour out his blood immediately Yea how often saith he a little after only upon our touch of and breathing upon possessed persons are these Gods you adore forced to depart out of their Bodies with grief and reluctancy you your selves being present and blushing at it And these things as Origen tells us cont Cels. lib. 7. were ordinarily performed even by the meanest Christians which is a plain Argument that it was done merely by the power of Jesus without any Conjuration or Magical Art. And can we imagine that the Devil without any constraint from some superior power would ever have quitted that Tyranny he had so long exercised over the bodies and consciences of men who had thitherto adored and worshiped him or that he would ever have confessed himself to be a Devil to those men who sought the ruin of his Kingdom and made use of his Confessions to that purpose had he not been forced to it by the Authority of the Father of Spirits Is it likely he would have exerted his power to the ruin of his own interest and the amendment of those Souls he had insnared and captivated as he must necessarily have done should he have impowered the Witnesses of our Saviours Resurrection to confirm their Testimony by Miracles And since they all along declared they did them in the name and by the power of Iesus to be sure if it had not been so the God of truth would never have impowered them to impose such a cheat upon the World. These Miracles of theirs therefore were plain signs and tokens of the truth of what they did attest viz. that Jesus was risen from the dead and that not only as they were so many divine seals by which God himself did confirm their Testimony whose goodness and veracity could never have permitted him to set the seal of his miraculous power to a lye But besides this the Apostles Miracles were so many plain demonstrations that Jesus was risen and alive since they did them all in his name and by his power For how is it possible that Jesus could have impowered them to do Miracles had he been still among the dead and in a state of inactivity A dead man can do nothing himself much less can he impower others to do Miracles So that by those miraculous Works which the Apostles did by the power of Christ they did in effect thus bespeak the World Look here O incredulous World if nothing else will persuade you that our Lord is risen and alive behold the vital operations which he exerts in us his Disciples tho of our selves we are as impotent as you yet no sooner do we invoke our great Masters Name and implore his Aid but we are presently enabled to perform mighty things beyond the power of any mortal Agent without any other Charm but his powerful Name we raise the Dead bind the Devils restore the Blind recover the Lame and cure all manner of Diseases and is not this as plain a token of his being alive as if he were now standing before you in our room and doing all these things in his own Person If he were dead still he could not act in us as you see him do and therefore if nothing else will convince ye that he is alive again behold these mighty powers which he exerts in us and be at length persuaded by these sensible tokens of his activity which we produce before your eyes that he is risen from the dead For it is worth observing that this gift of Miracles was never so plentifully communicated to the Apostles as after Christs Ascension into Heaven for before he ascended he commanded them to tarry at Ierusalem till they had received the Gift of the Holy Ghost or which is the same thing the Gift of Miracles Acts 1.4 5. and this gift as he himself tells them vers 8. was to enable them to bear Testimony to him unto all the World for he being now ascended into Heaven they could no longer produce his person to convince unbelievers of the truth of his Resurrection and therefore to supply this defect Christ gave them the gift of Miracles that that might be instead of his bodily presence a plain and sensible token of his being restored to life again And indeed this was as certain a sign of it as if he had continued upon Earth and openly conversed among men in the view of the World for the most crrtain sign of life is action and by what hath been said it is apparent that Christ did not more visibly act in his own Person when he was upon Earth than he did in the persons of his Apostles after he ascended into Heaven These miraculous Operations therefore which they performed by the Power of Jesus were all of them so many plain and sensible Signs and Tokens of the truth of what they did attest viz. that Jesus was risen from the dead So that considering all these circumstances of the Apostles Testimony I dare boldly affirm that from the beginning of the World to this day there never was any matter of Fact more sufficiently and credibly testified than this of the Resurrection of our Saviour and by raising him from the dead God hath bore witness to him before all the World that he really is what he pretended to be the true Messias and only Mediator between himself and us Which brings me to the second Head I proposed to shew what an excellent convincing Argument this is of the truth of our Saviours Doctrine and Mediation and how effectually it justifies his pretence of being the true Messias and only Mediator 'T is true all the Miracles which our Saviour wrought while he
will 118. Fourthly He sealed his Declaration with his own Blood 120. Fifthly He Instituted an Order of Men to Preach what he had declared to the World 121. Sixthly He sent his Holy Spirit when he left the World to recollect and explain his Doctrine to those whom he had ordained to Preach it and to inable them also to prove it by Miracles 123 124. SECT IV. Of Christs Priestly Office. To what persons the Priesthood antiently belonged 130. What the Melchisedecan Priesthood was and in what respects Christs Priesthood is of that Order 132. what the old Priesthood was and in what acts it consisted 136. That it consisted first in Sacrificing and secondly in presenting the Sacrifice to God by way of Intercession for the People 136 c. That this ancient Priesthood was in both these acts of it intended by God for a Type of the Priesthood of our Saviour 142 c. SECT V. Concerning the first Act of our Saviours Priesthood viz. Sacrificing That the death of Christ had in it all the requisite Conditions of a Sacrifice for Sin and what those Conditions are shewed in five Particulars 147 c. these Conditions applyed to our Saviours death as first In his death he was substituted in the room of sinful Men to be punish'd for them in order to their being released from their personal Obligation to punishment 151. Secondly He dyed a pure and spotless Innocent Thirdly His death was of sufficient intrinsick worth and value to be an equivalent commutation for the punishment that was due to the whole World of sinners 155. Fourthly His death was on his part voluntary and unforced 160 161. Fifthly His death was admitted and accepted of God in lieu of the punishment which was due to him from Mankind 164. The wisdom of this method of Gods· admitting Christs sacrifice for sinners in order to the reforming Mankind shewn in five Particulars â— First That the Sacrifice of Christs death was a most sensible and affecting acknowledgement of the infinite guilt and demerit of our sin 167. Secondly It was an ample declaration of Gods severity against sin 169. Thirdly It was a most obliging expression of the love of God and our Saviour to us 171. Fourthly It is a sure and certain ground of our hope of pardon if we repent and amend 174. Fifthly It is a seal and confirmation of the New Covenant 177. SECT VI. Of Christs Intercession or presenting his Sacrifice to God in Heaven by way of Advocation for us The Nature of it defined 183. The definition explained in the several parts of it which are four First It is a Solemn Address of our Blessed Saviour to God the Father in our behalf 184. Secondly This Address is performed by the presenting his Sacrificed Body to the Father in Heaven 186. Thirdly it is continued and perpetuated by the perpetual Oblation of this his sacrificed Body 190. Fourthly In vertue of this perpetual Oblation he doth always successfully move and solicit God 193. And that which he moves him to is First to receive and graciously accept our sincere and hearty Prayers 196. Secondly to impower him to bestow on us all those Graces and Favours which in consideration of his Sacrifice God hath promised to us 199. The admirable tendency of this method of Gods communicating his Favours to us through Christs Intercession to reform Mankind shewn in five Particulars First It naturally tends to excite in us a mighty awe of the Divine Majesty 204. Secondly It also tends to give us the strongest conviction of Gods hatred of Sin 206. Thirdly It secures us from presuming upon Gods mercy while we continue in our sins 208. Fourthly It encourages us to approach God with chearfulness and freedom 212. Fifthly It assures our diffident minds of Gods gracious intentions to perform to us all the good things which he hath promised to us upon our performing the condition of them 216. SECT VII Of Christs Kingly Office. Christs universal Royalty successâ—â—e to his Sacrifice and Intercession pag. 221 c. Christ had a particular Kingdom in this World viz. The â—ewish Church before his Incarnation and during his abode upon Earth 225. and therefore that which he was exalted to upon his ascension was the universal Kingdom of the World ibid. Six Heads proposed to be treated of concerning our Saviours Kingdom 226. SECT VIII Of the Rise and Progress of Christs Kingdom from the Fall to his Incarnation Of which an account is given at large in eight Propositions pag. 227. First That the Kingdom of Christ is founded in the new Covenant 228. Secondly That the new Covenant commenced immediatly after the Fall and was afterwards in a particular manner renewed to Abraham and his Posterity ibid. c. Thirdly That from its first Commencement Christ was Mediator of it and so he continued to be all along under that particular renewal of it to the People of Israel 233 c. Fourthly Christs being always Mediator of this Covenant necessarily implies his having been always King over all that were admitted into it and particularly over the People of Israel 235 c. and that he was the Divine King that reigned over Israel and who in the Old Testament is promiscuously called Jehovah and the Angel of Jehovah is proved in five Propositions 238 239 c. Fifthly That after his coming into the World he still retained this his right and title of King of Israel in particular 255 c. Sixthly That the main Body of the Jews rejected Christ from being their King and were thereupon rejected by him yet was there a remnant of them that received and acknowledged him 258. Seventhly That this remnant still continued the same individual Church or Kingdom of Christ with what it was before its main Body revolted they very much reformed and improved 259 c. Eighthly That to this individual Church or Kingdom of Christ thus reformed and improved was superadded all those Gentiles that were afterwards converted to Christianity 272 c. SECT IX Of the Nature and Constitution of Christs Kingdom The Kingdom and Church of Christ the same 275. The universal Church or Kingdom of Christ defined 277. This definition explained in the several parts of it which are eight 272 278. First It is one Vniversal Society consisting of all Christian People 278 c. Secondly It consists of all Christian People incorporated by the New Covenant 280 c. Thirdly These Christian People are incorporated by the New Covenant in Baptism 283 c. Fourthly They are incorporated under Iesus Christ their supreme Head 291. Fifthly This one Vniversal Society thus incorporated is distributed into particular Churches 292 c. Sixthly These particular Churches are distributed under Lawful Governors and Pastors 295 c. Seventhly These particular Churches thus distributed hold Communion with each other 298 c. Eighthly The Communion which these particular Churches hold is first in all the Essentials of Christian Faith 303 c. Secondly in all the