TWo Observations I have gone through I come now to the third and last 'T is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees the Regenerate from the Law of Sin or thus 't is by the mighty power of the living and regenerating Spirit that any are deliver'd from the power and dominion of Sin This is the great effect here spoken of and the Apostle shows who is the Author and Efficient of it or how 't is brought about the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of Sin I shall as much as conveniently I may contract in what I have to say upon this Point that I may draw towards the close of this Verse which I fear I have staid too long upon The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin Now here observe 1. The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin he is the true and proper Agent in the production of this Effect In reference to which you may consider him either essentially as he is God or personally as he is the third Person distinct from the Father and the Son in both of which considerations he makes free from the Law of Sin As to the first so there can be no question made of the thing * Factum Spiritus S. factum filii Dei est propter Natun◠Voluntatis unitatem Sive enim Pater faciat sive Filius sive Spiritus Sanct. Trinitas est quae operatur quicquid tres fecerint Dei unius est operatio Aug. in Qu. N. T. Quaest 51. because the Spirit so considered acts in common with the two other Persons and a they with him what the Father doth and the Son as God that the Spirit doth also and so vice versâ I speak of (b) August in Enchirid. c. 38. actiones ad extra which onely are indivisae As to the second so the thing is also clear because 't is the Spirits personal and proper act to weaken and dethrone Sin in the heart for as 't is the Sons proper act to free from the guilt so 't is the Spirits proper act to free from the power of Sin that being a thing done within the Creature this person is the proper author of it it belonging to the Son to do all without and to the Spirit to do all within The Father and the Son are by no means to be excluded yet 't is the Spirit which doth immediately bring about in the Soul that blessed freedom which I am upon If you cast your eye a little upon what lies very near the Text you 'l find all the Persons mentioned as all concurring to the advancement and promoting of the good of Believers 't is (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen Chrysostomes observation upon the Words That saith he which the Apostle always doth going from the Son to the Spirit from the Spirit to the Son and Father ascribing all to the Trinity that here he doth also For when he said who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord heshews that the Father doth this by the Son then he shews that the Spirit also doth this by the Son when he says that the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus c. then he brings in again the Father and the Son v. 3 4. But I say this freedom from the Law of Sin 't is the proper and immediate effect of the Spirit therefore 't is said * 2 Cor. 3.17 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty the meaning of which Scripture I had occasion to touch upon before That which God once said to Zerubbabel in reference to the building of the Temple * Zech. 4.6 Not by might not by power but by my Spirit is applicable to deliverance from Sins dominion which is not brought about by any external and visible force and strength but onely by the internal effectual operations of the Holy Spirit How the Spirit of Life comes in 2. Secondly observe this is done by the Spirit of Life he doth not say onely the Spirit had made him free from the Law of Sin but he joyns this with it the Spirit of Life What is contain'd in this as 't is consider'd abstractly and in it self I show'd at my first entrance upon this Verse but I conceive it here hath some special reference to the effect spoken of it being either a description of the Spirit who frees from the Law of Sin he is a living Spirit or it pointing to the special time when the Spirit doth this viz. when he quickens and regenerates a man or it noting the way and method of the Spirit wherein or whereby he frees from the Law of Sin that is by working the spiritual Life or regeneration The Spirit who renews when he renews by renewing brings Sin under these are distinct things and yet are all couch'd in this Spirit of Life I might enlarge upon each but I will not because that which I have in my eye doth not much depend upon them The Law of the Spirit frees from the Law of Sin 3. Then observe thirdly 't is the Law of the Spirit by which this is done 'T is a Metaphorical expression as was shown in the opening of the Words the Law of the Spirit is the power of the Spirit as the Law of Sin is the power of Sin Here is Law against Law power against power the power and efficacy of the Spirit against the power and efficacy of Sin The Apostle elsewhere speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inworking power Eph. 3.20 according to the power that worketh in us that is the same with the Law of the Spirit in the Text so that when he saith the Law of the Spirit c. he means this that through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost authoritatively and effectually working in him Sins power was abolish'd its dominion brought down its kingdom in him destroyed and not only so but likewise Christs kingdom was erected in him for this Law of the Spirit doth both conjunctly wherever it dethrones Sin it also at the same time inthrones Christ and Grace in the heart When I was upon the Law of Sin I told you it hath a twofold power a moral and a physical power in reference to both of which 't is called a Law so 't is with the Spirit he hath his Moral power as he doth persuade command c. and he hath his Physical power as he doth strongly efficaciously incline urge impell the Sinner to such and such gracious acts yea which is highest of all as he doth effectually nay irresistibly change his heart make him a new Creature dispossess Sin of its regency and bring him under the Scepter and Government of Christ The difference betwixt the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin And herein the Law of the Spirit is above the Law
several other Texts in order to the more undeniable proving of the Proposition before us as also to answer the various replyes evasions misinterpretations about them by such who dissent and yet I could most willingly engage therein did I think such an undertaking would be proper in such a Discourse as this or tend to the advantage of any but the truth is I fear I should but perplex private Christians with things that possibly would be too high for them and I 'm sure I should do that which is needless for Others who know where this is * Arnold Catech. Racov. major p. 27◠Galov Socin proflig p. 285. Cocceius against Socin in cap. 1. Joh. cap. 15. Bisterf against Crellius p. 564. Jacob. ad Portum against Ostorod p. 166. Owen against Biddle ch 13. p. 289. c. done already And indeed the whole matter in this Controversie is by Crellius himself brought into a narrow compass wherein we are very willing to joyn issue with him for he grants if Christ did praeexist before he was incarnate that then his incarnation must needs be believ'd and own'd according to our stating of it but I have * See p. 284. c. already proved and Others do it much more fully that he did so praeexist therefore upon that Concession the thing is clear and I need say no more upon it Only let me leave this one word with our Opposers their Homo Deus factus is the greatest falshood but our Deus Homo factus is the greatest truth 2. Prop. Christ the Second Person only was incarnate The second Proposition is this that Christ the Son of God the second Person in the ineffable Trinity he only was incarnate 'T is here said God sending his own Son in the likeness c. the taking then of flesh was that personal act which was proper to the Son alone and in that so often alledged Text 't is said * Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh which Title the Word is never attributed to the Father or to the Spirit but alwayes to the Son and you see he 's the person who was made flesh 'T is true Incarnation was the act of the whole Trinity approbativè but 't was only the Son's act terminativè all the Persons approved of it and * Sola persona Filii incarnata est operante tamen eandem incarnationem totâ Sanctâ Trinitate cujus opera sunt inseparabilia August Quest de Trinit tom 3. p. 1040. Vid. Anselm de Incam Verbi cap. 3. 4. concurred to it but it was terminated only in Christ the second Person The Schoolmen compare Christ's Flesh to a garment made by three Virgin-sisters which yet but One of them only wears A †See Lombard lib. 3. Dist 1. Dr. Jackson on the Creed 7th Book p. 255. Question is commonly here started why the second Person rather than the first or the third was thus incarnate which Some do venture to answer by assigning the Reasons of it I humbly conceive there is too much of curiosity in the Question and too much of boldness in the Answer why Christ was incarnate I can give several Reasons but why he rather than the other Persons there I must be silent 'T is also query'd * Of this see Zanchy de tribus Elohim l. 5. c. 6. p. 546. c. Tilen de Incarn Filii Dei Disp 1. Sect. 20. Aug. Serm. 3. de Temp. there being such an oneness betwixt all the Persons how the Son can be said to assume the Humane Nature and yet the Father and Spirit not assume it to which the Answer is obvious this difference might very well be upon that personal distinction which is betwixt them for this assumption of flesh being not the act of the Nature which is common but of the Person which is limited the second Person might so assume and yet the other Persons not 3. Prop. Christ not incarnate till the fulness of time Thirdly Christ's incarnation was in time and not till the fulness of time He was alwayes God for he that is not alwayes God is never God the Divine Essence admitting neither of beginning nor end but he was not * Neque enim Caro issa quae ex came Virginis nata est semper fuit sea Deus qui semper fuit ex carne Virginis in carne Hominis advenit Cassian de Incar Dom. Lib. 6. alwayes man there never was a time in which he was not God but there was a time in which he was not Man His Generation as the Son of God was eternal but his Generation as the Son of Man was but temporal In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a woman c. Gal. 4.4 The Evangelist sets him forth in his two Natures Joh. 1. with respect to his Divine Nature he shews that he was from everlasting In the beginning was the Word c. the same was in the beginning with God c. then he comes to his Humane Nature and that he shews was in time the Word was made Flesh he was not so ab aeterno but he was made so in time In such a sense Christ may be said to be incarnate from all eternity viz. in regard of God's eternal parpose and decree as in reference to that he is said to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 but as to the actuality of his Incarnation that was but 1600 and odd years ago A double enquiry here will be made As 1. if this was deferr'd so long what then became of those who lib'd and dy'd before Christ was inearnate The efficacy and benefit of Christ's Incarnation to those who lived before it if that was so necessary as hath been shown what became of the Patriarchs of all who liv'd under the Law before that was in being I answer they had the merit virine benefit of the thing though they had not the thing it self for God having decreed it and Christ having covenanted and ingaged to the Father that in the fulness of time he would take flesh the Father all-along look'd upon it as actually done and accordingly dealt with Believers under the Law as though it had been actually done insomuch that they had the same benefit by a Christ in Flesh which we now have Therefore 't is said Rom. 3.25 Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the trrnsgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Whatever our Lord is now since the actual exhibition of him he was the same before effectively and virtually for 't is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8
Hominem in Personam But now in the Mystical Vnion 't is otherwise there 't is the Vnion of Persons but not Personal Vnion this I 'le endeavour to clear as well as I can In the Mystical Vnion there is the Vnion of Persons the Person of Christ is united to the Person of the Believer and the Person of the Believer is united to the Person of Christ For Faith being the uniting grace and this faith receiving the Person of Christ * Joh. 1.12 Faith is a receiving of Christ himself we cannot receive the benefits that come by him without receiving of himself as in Marriage the Consent is I take thee not I take thine c. Vines on the Sacram. p. 120. To as many as received him c it must also unite to the Person of Christ In the Marriage-Vnion 't is person joyned to person and so 't is in the Mystical Vnion also How is a Believer said to be in Christ it cannot so properly be said that he is in the graces or in the comforts or in the gifts of Christ but the meaning is he is in the Person of Christ so that this is an Union of Persons For further this Vnion doth not lye only in some moral or spiritual acts qualities or gracious indowments as oneness of will or oneness of disposition c. but it lies in the Oneness of Persons And therefore * Nostra ipsius conjunctio non miscet Personas nec confundit substantias sed affectus consociat confaederat voluntates Cypr. Cyprian's explication of this Vnion with Christ is not full enough Our Vnion saith he with Christ does not mingle Persons nor confound Substances so far very true but it unites affections and wills if he meant that this was all then 't is conceived he came short there is more in it than so for there is besides this uniting of the Affections and Will the uniting though not the mingling of Persons The Father Son and Spirit are one not only in respect of Consent as some most falsely tell us but also in respect of Nature and Essence Now far be it from me to say that Christ and the Saints are one in this sense yet withall I say even between them there is an higher Vnion than barely that of oneness of affection and will I say no more than what * Vide Zanch. in Cap. 5. ad Eph. p. 245. Polan Synt. Theol. Lib. 6. cap. 35. p. 454. Hujus Unionis interventu fit ut tum Beneficiorum Christi tum Substantiae ipsius fiamus participes quia beneficia omnia vis illa vivifica quae animas nostras sustentat in vitam aeternam non possunt à Corpore Sanguine Christi cui inhaerent adeoque ab ipso Christo divelli Trelcat Inst Theol. Lib. 2. p. 189. Bucan L. C. 48. p. 818 819. 'T is not an Union of Christ with a Believer in Accidents only as in Opinion Affection in Consent of Mind and Heart or in likeness of Disposition and Conversation but it is an Union of Substances Essences Persons As Mr. Perkins saith the Person of him that believeth is united to the Person of Christ Reyn. Praec p 49. Others who write upon this Argument generally say But that you may not go too high I add this Vnion is not Personal 't is but Mystical not Personal For then Christ and the Believer would properly and physically make but one person and then it would be so many Believers so many Christs and then the Believer would have no subsistence but in Christ as the Humane Nature of Christ hath no subsistence but what it hath in the Godhead and then he would merit in what he did as Christ quà Man did by virtue of the Personal Vnion Therefore we must conclude that though here is an Vnion of Persons the Person of Christ in a mystical way being united to the person of Believers yet here is not any Personal Vnion they both notwithstanding this remaining several and distinct Persons These things may seem as indeed they are abstruse and dark to you I 'le come to that which will be somewhat more plain and easie For the further Explication of this Great Mystery there are Three Things which I 'le speak to 1. I 'le endeavour to open the several Kinds or Branches of that Vnion which is betwixt Christ and Believers 2. I 'le give you those Scriptural Resemblances by which 't is shadowed and set forth 3. I 'le give you the several Properties of it Vnion Mystical Legal Moral 1. First Let me open the several Kinds or Branches of this Vnion 'T is Threefold Mystical Legal and Moral A Believer is united to Christ three ways Mystically Legally Morally Take any of these singly and they will not be enough comprehensive but take them jointly so there 's all in them Of the Mystical Vnion 1. First there 's the Mystical Vnion so we usually call it Which may be thus * Vide Bodium in Ephes 5.28 p. 786. more fully describing of it describ'd 'T is that supernatural spiritual intimous Oneness and Conjunction which is betwixt the Person of Christ and the Persons of Believers through the Bond of the Spirit and Faith upon which there follows mutual and reciprocal Communion each with the other If this Description be taken in pieces it contains in it the most considerable things to be known about the Mystical Vnion For 1. Here is the proper General Nature of it viz. Oneness and Conjunction Christ and Saints are united how why in respect of that Oneness and Conjunction that is betwixt them This the Scripture-Expressions do mainly refer to and clearly hold forth They are said to be in Christ and Christ in them they are said to dwell in Christ and Christ in them to abide in Christ and Christ in them to be one with Christ as he is one with the Father the several Scriptures which speak to these things have been already cited They are further said to be (a) 1 Cor. 6.17 joyned to the Lord and to be one Spirit to be (b) Eph. 5.31 32. one flesh Christ (c) Gal. 2.20 lives in them he is the (d) Eph. 1.22 Head they the Members he the (e) Joh. 15.5 Root they the Branches he the (f) 1 Cor. 3.9 11. Foundation they the Building he the (g) Eph. 5.28 c. Husband they the Wife All these expressions I say point to that Oneness and Conjunction which is betwixt Christ and Believers in which the General Nature of the Mystical Vnion doth consist 2. Here 's the Qualities or Properties of this Vnion 't is a supernatural spiritual intimous Vnion to which I shall speak by and by 3. Here 's the Subjects of this Vnion Christ and Believers And that too is set down with this modification the Oneness and Conjunction is betwixt the Person of Christ and the Persons of Believers of which before 4. Here 's the Media or
justificari nisi ci inseramur uniamur unus spiritus cum eo fiâ—mus Sâ—â—eso the first Adam could do us no hurt were we not descended out of his loyns and in him as our common head and so the second Adam can do us no good unless we be made One with him and in him as our head also If we so be then there shall be gracious communications most blessed derivations from him but if not none of these can be looked for And who would not now desire to be in Christ who would not purchase this priviledge with a world nay who would not give ten thousand worlds for it O that you would all make sure of it Do not trouble your heads with curious enquiries into some difficulties about this union but let this be your business to make sure of the thing The poor low-gifted Christian may get it though the highest gifted man cannot grasp it VSE 3. Directions how to get into Christ But I must direct as well as perswade Methinks I hear some saying How may this blessed Vnion be attained what shall we do that we may be in the number of those who are in Christ Jesus For answer to this I must again refer you to its double bond and ligament the Spirit and Faith and advise you to get both of them Would you have Christ to be one with you then get the Spirit would you be one with Christ then get Faith 1. First get the Spirit which may be done by attendance upon the Word and by Prayer Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith the Apostle means the Hearing of the Gospel or the Evangelical Doctrine The Gospel doth highly conduce to the obtaining of the Spirit for 't is the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 Do any therefore want this Spirit let them wait upon the Gospel dispensation and publication and through the Grace of God attending that Dispensation they shall have it Let me also recommend Prayer as an excellent means for the procuring of the Spirit O Sirs what will bring you into Christ but the Spirit and what will bring the Spirit into you but Prayer you should be praying for the Spirit though you cannot as yet pray with the Spirit O that you would often go to God and plead with him for the giving of it to you Say Lord we read if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his now Lord we dread the thoughts of being none of Christs O to be out of Christ is a woful state and we perceive that is our state till we have thy Spirit we hear 't is the Spirit that knits the Soul to Christ till therefore we are partakers of it we cannot be knit to him wherefore we beseech thee to give it to us O whatever thou deniest to us do not deny us this good Spirit Thou hast promised * Luk. 11.13 to give thy Spirit to them that ask him Lord upon our bended knees we ask him of thee O now make good thy promise to us I say do you but thus pray and the thing shall be done a good God never denies his good Spirit to the good Seeker of it 2. Get Faith also This is a Grace highly precious and excellent the Apostle Peter speaks of several precious things and Faith is one of them 't is precious blood 1 Pet. 1.19 't is precious Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 't is precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 and 't is also precious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 Now amongst many other things which make it so precious this is one 't is the * Fidei Gratia incomparabilis haec est quod animam copulat cum Christo sicut sponsam cum sponso c. Luther tom 1.466 Grace which unites to Christ The woman consenting to take the man for her Husband upon that the matrimonial union follows so the Sinner consenting to the receiving and obeying of Christ which is one great act of Faith upon this he is united to him this I say makes Faith so precious O this is one of Faith's royal excellences nothing puts a greater worth and glory upon it than this great effect Well then see that you make sure of it are you yet without it in the sad state of unbelief You have no share in and can make no claim to this Mystical Union so long as 't is thus with you you must be put into another state and become true Believers then 't will be well These are the only persons who are in Christ we who believe are in him that is true 1 Joh. 5.20 For whom did Christ ask of his Father that they may be one even as we are one 't was for them that should believe on him Joh. 17.20 c. Therefore let it be your great endeavour to be Believers for let me tell you in the very first moment of believing you will actually be the members of Christ the Soul is in Christ as soon as ever Faith is in it I 'le say no more but only add this As you desire to get Faith first get the Spirit for if you once come to have that Spirit he will most infallibly work Faith in you Of all the several Graces he will not let that be wanting wherever he is The Vses hitherto have been General VSE 4. Several things press'd upon those who are in Christ To admire the Love of God I shall now more particularly direct my self to those who are in Christ Jesus And first is it thus with any of you that you are indeed taken into this near Vnion with Christ how should you admire the love of God! I here consider God personally and so I would excite you to admire the Love of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for indeed all the Persons have a great hand in this Vnion and the love of each of them in it is very admirable The Father first lays the foundation of it and then he orders the accomplishment of it therefore 't is said 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him i.e. of God the Father are ye in Christ Jesus c. and he also is said to call unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 The Son is willing to be One with you what a condescension is that and he is the person in whom the Vnion is primarily terminated Then the Holy Ghost brings it about as one great Agent therein So that all the three Persons are concerned in the Mystical Union 't is to the Son by the Will of the Father through the agency and operation of the Spirit O let Father Son and Spirit all be adored by you Which that I may the more effectually perswade you to let the Thing it self be considered and how you stand in reference to it To be in Christ Jesus so nearly so indissolubly united to him what mercy is this There are in the Vnion many things of a
the higher faculties under the filthiness of the Spirit So Eph â— 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the Lusts of our Flesh how why in fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the * Non Corpoâ—s tantum hâ—e partis ratione carentis sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opera esse vult omnes esmedi cupiditates quas ex solâ animae parte quae censetur rationis expers produci Platonici prohibent Salmas in Epictet p. 117. mind So that all Lusts do not he in the desires of the flesh but there are some which lie in the mind and in the highest faculties of the Soul Therefore the Apostle in this Chapter v. 6. speaks of the wisdom of the flesh where God willing we shall shew against the Papists that the Flesh and the Lusts thereof are not to be confined to the lower and sensitive part in man but that they do also extend to the nobler and higher part in him And to instance but in one place more you read Col. 2.18 of a fleshly mind These are the Lusts that are situated in the upper region of the Soul but then there are Others which reside in that region which is lower They are called fleshly Lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts c. They are also called worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 The grace of God which hath brought salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts They are stiled fleshly Lusts because they are altogether for the satisfaction of the fleshly and sensual part or because they reach no further than the fleshly part and they are stiled wordly Lusts because they are drawn forth by wordly Objects or because they draw out a man in eager propensions after worldly things What it is to walk after the Flesh in this particular consideration of it Now to bring this down to the business in hand The Flesh being thus particularly considered so to walk after it it 's this For a person to be under the regency and dominion of Lust in whatever part or faculty it may reside or exert it self so that he acts in a ready willing full subjection to it and compliance with it 'T is to be under the unbroken strength of sensual propensions and to follow them in the course of life More closely 't is to be carried out with vehemency of desire after some fleshly good so as wholly to be swallowed up in pursuits after it and delights in it even to the slighting undervaluing total neglect of what is truly and spiritually good this is Lust by which whoever is thus acted he is a walker after the Flesh For wherever Lust commands and is obeyed in one respect or another there 't is walking after the Flesh Oh doth it bear sway in any of you that you obey and act by it in heart and life the dark side of the Character is towards you you walk after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Saints in Christ Jesus do not thus walk the Flesh may sometimes be stirring and lusting in them but they dare not hearken or give way to it they repel its evil motions and propensions do not follow or steer their course by the commands and counsels thereof and they are not inordinately desirous of sensual things In general they do not they dare not * Rom. 6.12 obey sin in the lusts thereof or fall in with the cursed suggestions and follicitations of the Flesh to that which is evil They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 But let this suffice for the opening of the Negative who walk not after the Flesh much more might be added but that which follows will give more light about it Before I enter upon the applying of this let me proceed to the opening of the positive or affirmative part Such as are in Christ Jesus do not walk after the Flesh what then do they walk after why after the Spirit The Question here to be answered is Quest what is it to walk after the Spirit or when and how may persons be said to walk after the Spirit Ans What is meant by Spirit For the better answering of which Question we must first enquire what we are to understand by the Spirit for that being cleared the walking after it will be the more evident Here also not to insist upon the several significations and senses of the word Spirit in this place it must be taken either Personally for the Spirit of God the third Person in the Sacred Trinity or Habitually for Grace in us the Divine Nature implanted in the Soul in the work of regeneration or it must be understood of both You find Grace in Scripture set forth by Spirit Joh. 3.6 What is born of the Flesh is Flesh and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit where the latter Spirit must be understood of the heavenly and renewed Nature Jude 19. the Apostle speaks of some who were sensual having not the Spirit which though it be chiefly to be understood of the Spirit of Grace of which these persons were destitute yet it takes in the Grace of the Spirit too So Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh i. e. the corrupt Nature and the renewed and sanctified Nature do reciprocally oppose and contend each against the other So some interpret that of our Saviour Mat. 26.41 The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak but I cannot lay so great a stress upon this place for this import of the word And as the sinful Nature may very well be set forth by Flesh so Grace or the sanctified Nature may as well be set forth by this appellation of Spirit Why Grace is set forth by the Spirit And that for these reasons 1. because 't is of the Spirit of God it being immediately infused and created by him 2. Because 't is principally seated in the Spirit the Soul of man 3. Because 't is a spiritual thing and vents it self most in spiritual acts 4. Because of the nobleness and excellency of it Now you 'l ask in which of these senses is Spirit here to be taken I answer 't is best to take in both namely both the Spirit of Grace and also the Grace of the Spirit or the renewed Spirit in the Creature the thing here spoken of is applicable to both and therefore why should we limit it to one The word Spirit throughout in this Chapter is generally taken in the personal notion for the Holy Ghost himself and no sooner had the Apostle mentioned Spirit in this verse but presently in the second verse he speaks of the Spirit as consider'd personally the Law of the Spirit of Life c. he means the living and quickening Spirit of God therefore to be sure this sense must be taken in And Grace habitually considered or the renewed
held forth in Other places Isa 48.16 Come ye near unto me Christ is the Person here speaking hear ye this I have not spoken in secret from the beginning from the time that it was there am I and now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me a full Old-Testament proof of the distinction of the Persons But 't is most plainly held forth in the New-Testament At the Baptism of Christ there was a * Pater auditur in Voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus dignoscitur in Columbâ— August manifestation of God in the Father Son and Spirit the Spirit descended in the form of a Dove the Father gave the Testimony This is my beloved Son c. Christ was the object of it Christ directed his Apostles to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which surely he would not have done had there not been a personal distinction betwixt them Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter c. here 's all the Persons as distinct Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 12.44 He that believeth on me believeth not on me i. e. on me only but on him that sent me Joh. 5.32 There is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true many such places might be cited but these may suffice Here 's enough in the Text the same Person considered in the same respects cannot both send and be sent too therefore the Father and the Son are distinct Persons True as * Lib. 2. de Trin. c. 5. Vide Lombard lib. 1. Dist 15. Austine observes in some sense Christ might be said to send himself that is consider him Essentially so he did what the Father did so he sent himself but if you consider him Personally so he did not send but was sent upon which He and his Father are distinct So much for these three things which are but imply'd in Christ's Mission I come more closely to the Thing it self and to the Point which lies before us namely That Christ was sent and sent by God the Father The Redemption of lost Man was a blessed work a most glorious-undertaking never was there any like to it or to be parallell'd with it yet our Lord Jesus would not of his own head engage in it or thrust himself upon it no he must first be sent then and not till then did he undertake it And who sent him surely He who onely had Authority to imploy and commissionate him about such a work viz. God the Father God sent his own Són c. where as hath been already hinted God is to be taken in the * Personalitèr sumpto vocabulo quia opponitur Persona mittens Personâ—e misfae Grynaus Ubi ait quòd Deus misit Filium nominationè Dei Patrem intelligit ad quem Filius refertur Soto Personal Notion and as relating to the first Person This sending of Christ and that by the Father are two Points of such unquestionable verity to all who pass under the denomination os Christians that as to them and with Jews and Heathens I will not meddle 't is not necessary to spend the least time in the proving of them Yet even as to them 't is needful that these Truths should be a little opened and explained In order to which I will endeavour 1. To clear up the nature of the Act. 2. To remove a difficulty or answer an Objection about it 3. To give the Grounds and Reasons of it As to the first the Question is What was the Fathers sending of Christ in what respects is he said to be sent and sent by the Father for I shall open both together The Sending of Christ opened To which I answer 1. Negatively in Two things 1. This Sending of Christ was not his ineffable and eternal Generation or Sonship grounded upon that He was sent who was the Son of God but he was not the Son of God as he was sent nor said to be * Non eo ipsâ— quòd de Patre natus est missus dicitur Filius sed eò quod apparuit huic mundo verbum Caro factum est Aug. de Trin. l. 4. c. 10. Duobus modis dicitur mitti Filius praeter illam aeternam genituram quae ineffabilis est secundum quam etiam missus posset dici ut videtur quibuldam sed mcliùs ac veriùs secundum eam dicitur genitus Lomb. Lib. 1. Dist 15. sent as he was the Son of God his Sonship was the result of his Generation not of his Mission These two are very different things for Christ was begotten of the Father from everlasting but he was sent by the Father the sending being taken in its strict and most proper notion in time * Gal. 4. â— When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son c. He was a Son long before he was sent and he was not a Son because he was sent but he was sent because he was a Son 2. Christ's Sending was not any local Secession from his Father Non missus est mutando locum quia in mâ—ndo â—rat Quapropter Pater invisibilis unà cum Filio secum invisibili eundem Filium visiâ—ilem faciendo misisfe eum â—ictus est c. August de Trinit lib. 2. cap. 5. or any local motion from the place where he was to some other place where he was not You must not so conceive of it nor fetch your measures concerning it from your own sending of Persons for there when you send one upon your errand or business he leaves the place where he was and goes to the place where he was not but so it was not with Christ The Father sent him to this lower world yet here he was before the Father sent him from heaven yet as to his Godhead he remained in heaven still He saith indeed * Joh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father yet not so but that he was still with the Father and am come into the world yet not so but that he was there before for he was in the world and the world was made by him Joh. 1.10 again I leave the world and go to the Father he speaks in respect of his bodily presence Look as when Christ ascended he went from earth and yet he was on earth still as to his Spiritual presence for he saith * Mat. 28. ult Lo I am with you unto the end of the world †A quibus Homo abscedebat Deus non recedebat Aug. Tract 78. in Joh. Et abiit hic est rediit nos non dèseruit Idem Tract 50. in Joh. as Man he went from us but as God he is as much with us as ever so when Christ descended he came from heaven and yet he was in heaven still for he tells us ‖ Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up into
Essential Son of God 't is the very Title which they prefix before some of their Treatises in which One would think that they did concur with us holding the same thing which we do and giving the same honour and respect to Christ which we do when in truth there 's no such thing they do but speak fraudulently according to the custom of their * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. See much of the fraud of the Arrians in this in Epiphan adv Haeres lib. 2. tom 2. p. 738 Of them Hilarius speaks to the same purpose Tribuunt Christo Dei nomen quia hoc hominibus sit tributum Fatentur Dei verè Filium quia Sacramento Baptismi verè Dei Filius unusquisque perficitur Ante tempora saecula confitentur quod de Angelis Diabolis non est negandum Ita Domino Christo sola illa tribuuntur quae sunt vel Angelorum propria vel nostra Caeterum quod Deo Christo legitimum verum est Christus Deus verus i.e. eadem esse Filii quae Patris Divinitas denegatur Contra Auxent Mediolan old Predecessors for here 's the Fallacy they me an by all this nothing more than that Christ was the Son of God in regard of his wonderful Conception and Nativity by the Virgin Mary But to pass by their frauds let us come to the thing We say Christ's filiation or Sonship was grounded upon something of a far higher nature than this that he was the Son of God antecedently to it even from all eternity they ground his Sonship upon it only making it but then to commence when he was begotten by the holy Ghost conceived and born by the Virgin Against which dangerous Opinion we argue thus 1. If Christ's Sonship did result from this as the true and proper ground of it then the * Vide Stegm Photin Dip. 16. p. 180. Arnold Catech Racov. major p. 176. Holy Ghost the third Person should rather be intituled the Father of Christ than the First Person because that effect which was the foundation of Christ's Sonship was more immediately produced by him than by the First Person But this is notoriously false for all along in the whole current of the Word Christ is brought in as the Son of the Father and as standing in this relation to the Father and not to the Spirit 2. Christ himself never resolves his Sonship into his miraculous Conception or Birth You find him sometimes professedly treating upon it and giving the world ' an account about it what doth he then ground it upon why he carry's it up to his doing what the Father did Joh. 5.19 to his quickning whom he will even as the Father doth Joh. 5.21 to his having life in himself as the Father hath life in himself Joh. 5.26 to his being one with the Father Joh. 10.30 to his being in the Father and his Father in him Joh. 10.38 He doth not at all mention his miraculous Conception which in all probability he would have done if that had been the proper Ground of his Sonship but he insists altogether upon things tending to the proof of his participating of his Fathers Nature and Essence and by them he designs to make out his Sonship yea and that it was such a Sonship as did render him equal with his Father but this he could not have done either with truth or evidence had he been only the Son of God upon what is here pretended 3. Though Christ's Conception and temporal Generation was very wonderful yet that did but reach to his Flesh or Humane Nature and there terminate Now the Scripture doth not place his great Sonship in his Humane but in his Divine Nature therefore as to that it speaks him to be the * Qui factus est ex semine David secundum carnem hic erit Homo Filius Hominis qui declarandus est Filius Dei secundum Spiritum Sanctificationis hic erit Deus sermo Dei Filius Tertul. adv Praxean Torquetur frustra locus Luc. 1.35 c. A nuda enim conceptione nativitate Carnis ex Virgine manavit non Filii Dei sed Filii hominis appellatio Quod verò Angelus porrò affirmat illud est hâc Filiatione non obstante etiam vocandum Filium Dei adhibitâ exactè particulâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad conciliandam utramque Filii Hominis Filii Dei uni Christo tribuendam appellationem per communicationem idiomatum c. Cloppenb Ant. Smalc p. 71. Son and Seed of David or the Son of Man in contradistinction to his being the Son of God And his Sonship to God cannot be grounded upon that which was the ground of his Sonship to Man for where the Sonships are so different they must needs have different Grounds and foundations Pray let these two Texts be well weighed and they will sufficiently prove what I say Rom. 1.3.4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the Dead Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever The sum of all Christ hath two Natures according to which two Natures he hath two distinct Sonships he is the Son of God and he is the Son of Man these different Sonships must have different causes grounds therefore his Conception upon which he was the Son of Man cannot make him also to be the Son of God 4. As to the Text alledg'd by our Adversaries to prove their Opinion there 's a double Answer commonly given to it 1. The particle therefore in it is not causal but illative 'T is not brought in as signifying the Ground of Christ's Sonship but as a note of inference wherein something is inferr'd from what went before The Angel had told Mary that the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the power of the Highest should overshadow her and then adds therefore also the Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God therefore what may be the force of this word in this place 't is a meer deduction drawn from the premises to this effect Since such a thing shall be done by the Holy Ghost therefore according to what was prophesied Christ shall be called the Son of God The words plainly refer to the prophesie Isa 7 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel The Evangelist brings them in expresly in that reference Matth. 1.21 22 23. And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Behold a
both yet not the same Person When we speak of the communicating of the Divine Essence from the First to the Second and Third Persons we must be understood as was before hinted to speak this of them as Persons or as they are personally considered for that Essence simply and absolutely considered is not communicated to the Son and Spirit but only as it subsists in them as such Persons the Godhead it self they have in and from themselves but their distinct Personalities in which the Godhead subsists are of the Father It being thus from hence it follows that according to the distinction of the Persons there must also be a distinct communication of the divine Essence not that there is one Essence in the Son and another in the Spirit for both are God only that is distinguish'd according to their Personal Consideration and the Personal Properties belonging to them which notwithstanding their oneness in Nature do alwayes remain Well then Christ's Sonship being a Personal thing proceeding not simply from the Divine Essence but as it subsists in the second Person therefore it must be proper and peculiar to him and not common to the Holy Ghost he being another Person and the Divine Nature subsisting in him accordingly with respect to his Personal Properties 2. Because though the same Divine Essence be communicated to both yet not in the same way and manner For though both come from the Father yet 't is in divers respects the Son coming from him by Generation the Spirit by Procession And therefore though both are God and both come from God yet both are not the Sons of God because 't is coming from God in the way of Generation only which entitles to Sonship Thus * Quaeris à me si de substantiâ Patris est Filius de substantiâ Patris est etiam Spiritus Sanctus cur unus Filius sit alius non sit Filius Ego respondeo sive capias sive non capias De Patte est Filius de Patre est Spiritus Sanctus sed ille genitus est iste procedens August contra Maxim lib. 3. cap. 14 Austine answers it Thou askest of me saith he if the Son be of the substance of the Father and the Holy Ghost be of the substance of the Father also why is one the Son and not the Other I answer whether you comprehend it or not the Son is of the Father the Holy Ghost is of the Father but the Son is begotten the Spirit proceeds Thus this great Divine did solve this difficulty stopping here and going no further If any will be so curious as to enquire further wherein the difference lies betwixt eternal Generation and eternal Procession I am not asham'd to give them this answer I cannot tell 't is a mystery far above my reach God hath not revealed it and there is nothing in Nature which will give us any light about it therefore it becomes us rather to adore than to be inquisitive I know the Schoolmen who are privy to all secrets and have a key to open every difficulty though it be lock'd up never so close attempt the opening of it but they had better have let it alone here humble ignorance is better than sawey curiosity I think * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hujus differentiae scire credi ex divina revelatione At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est nobis incomprehensibile ineffabile Alting Theolog. Prolem loc 3. Problem 38. p. 238. they speak best who say we know and believe there is a difference 'twixt Generation and Procession but what that is and wherein it lies that is to us incomprehensible 'T is time therefore for me to leave this Point and to come to the Application of the main Truth Is Christ thus God's own Son I infer then Use 1. Three Things inferr'd from Christ's Sonship 1. That he is God 1. That he is God Not a meer titular or nuncupative God not a God by Office only not a made God a contradiction in the adject but he is God truly properly essentially Which great Truth is most strongly asserted and proved by various convincing Arguments against Jews Arrians Socinians all the Opposers of it I must not engage in so vast a Subject I 'le only argue from this Relation wherein Christ stands to God as he is his own Son which indeed by its self is sufficient if there was nothing more to demonstrate his Godhead He who is the true Son of God and such a Son of God is truly God but Christ is the true Son of God and such a Son of God his own Son therefore he is truly God c. The Apostle joyns the true Son and the true God together therefore the Argument is good 1 Joh. 5.20 We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal Life I do not say that every Son of God is God for the Saints are Sons and yet not God but I say he who is such a Son as God's own proper natural consubstantial coessential only begotten Son he is God where-ever this Sonship is there 's the Deity or the Divine Essence now Christ is thus God's Son therefore he is God What the Father is as to his Nature that the Son must be also now the first Person the Father of Christ is God whereupon he too who is the Son must be God also A Son alwayes participates of his Fathers Essence there is betwixt them more an identity and oneness of Nature if therefore Christ be Gods Son as hath been fully proved he must then needs have * Nisi esset Jesus Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturâ Deus non esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturâ seu Naturalis Dei Filius Cloppenb Anti-Smalc c. 3. p. 72. Vide Jacob ad Portum contra Ostorod c. 9. p. 59. Estwick against Bidale p. 442 c. that very Nature and Essence which God the Father hath in somuch that if the second Person be not really a God the first Person is but equivocally a Father Therefore he himself tells us †Job 10.30 I and my Father are one where he is speaking of a far higher oneness than that of Consent or Will only Christ being both the natural Son of God and also his Son by eternal Generation that makes the thing unquestionable for what is that Generation but the Fathers communicating of his own Nature and Essence to him This is that which is done in all Generations for Generation is alwayes the production of another in the same Nature * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haeres 69. p. 750. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phot. Ep. p. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Najanz Orat. 35. tom 1. p. 568. like ever begets like as 't is said of Adam he
Vnion Joh. 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you that day refers either to the time when the Spirit should be given which is promised v. 16 17 or to the glorisied state spoken of v. 19 upon the effusion of the Spirit men may come to know something of this Union but it will never be fully understood by them till they be in Glory In the opening of it so far as the present state and the height of the mystery will admit of I must look into the Word and keep to that and fetch all from that for 't is Revelation and not Reason which here must give us Light The Word having reveal'd it Reason may be useful as an Handmaid to shadow it out by such and such Resemblances thereby to help us the better to conceive of it but that which must be our first and main Guide about it is Scripture Revelation Now the Scripture speaks of a threefold Vnion 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature Of the Vnion of the Three Pexsons of the two Natures in Christ and of the Mystical Vnion 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct 1. There is the Vnion of three Persons in one Nature This is in the Trin-Vnity where you have three Persons united in the Godhead the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity One in Three in respect of Nature and Essence and Three in One in respect of Personality This is that ineffable incomprehensible Union which is between the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same common Nature of the Godhead Of which the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Here are Three and yet One Three as to their distinct Personal Subsistences and yet One as to their common Nature This a Mystery to be adored not to be fathomed a * The Union betwixt the Three Persons c. the knowledge of this is not nay cannot be attained unto by the Light of Nature No example can illustrate no Reason Angelical or humane can comprehend the hidden excellency of this glorious Mystery But it is discovered to us by a divine Revelation in the written Word and our Faith must receive and our Piety admire what our Reason cannot comprehend Cheynel of the Divine Trin-Unity ch ◠p. 19 Vide Aquin. p. 1. Qu. 39. Art 1 2. Lombard Lib. 1. Dist 2 3. Mystery much too deep for the Plummet of Reason to reach he that by Reason would go about to grasp it is as foolish as he that would attempt to put the Ocean into a bucket or to grasp the Universe in the hollow of his hand 2. There is the Vnion of two Natures in one Person This is that which we commonly call the Hypostatical Vnion or the Union of the two Natures in Christ his Godhead and his Manhood both making up but one Person You may thus conceive of it 'T is the substantial supernatural conjunction of the two Natures in Christ the Divine assuming the Humane and giving it a subsistence in its self so that both make but one Person and yet so as that the being and properties of both Natures are preserved intire As to this twofold Vnion I am not at present concern'd to speak to them when I shall come to the third Verse I shall have occasion there to speak to the latter 3. There is the Vnion of Persons where yet Persons and Natures are distinct and this is the Mystical Vnion The Mystical Vnion opened that which is betwixt Christ and Believers this I am only now to speak to Concerning which that you may not mistake the Nature of it you must know here is Vnion but no transmutation confusion or commixtion here is the union of persons but not personal union 1. Here is union but no transmutation confusion or commixtion I 'le put them together for brevity sake Believers are united to Christ but yet not so as that they are changed or transformed into the very essence or being of Christ so as to be Christed with Christ as some too boldly speak or that he is changed or transformed into the essence and being of Believers no you must not entertain a thought of any such thing Christ is Christ still and Believers are but Creatures still notwithstanding this Union though they be really and nearly united yet both keep their Natures distinct and are the same after the Union that they were before it As it is in the Persons in the Sacred Trinity (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de Orthod Fide lib. 1. cap. 11. pag. 42 there is Vnion but no confusion they are Essentially one yet they have their personal Properties and distinct Subsistences And as it is in the two Natures of Christ they are under a near Vnion they make but one Person yet for all this they are (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synod Calced distinct the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead they are united but not confounded or converted for both of them even after this Union do still retain their * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Dial. cap. 66. essential properties without confusion or conversion So 't is in the Union of Believers with Christ for thus far we may make use of the two former Vnions to open the Mystical Union by they all agree in This though in other things they differ You may take a lower resemblance of it if you please In Man there is a near Vnion between Soul and Body and these two united make up the man * Vide Nemes de Nat. Hom. p. 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. yet upon the union the Soul is not turned into the nature of the Body nor the Body into the nature of the Soul they are not confounded though united they yet retain their essence and properties distinct the Soul is the Soul still and the Body is the Body still So it is in the Vnion between Christ and Believers 2. Here is the Vnion of persons but not personal union And here lies the difference between the Mystical Vnion and the Hypostatical Vnion The Hypostatical Vnion is Personal but not of Persons the reason is because in Christ there are two Natures but there is but one Person there is this Nature and that Nature in Christ but not this Person and that Person in Christ as Nestorius held there is in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliud aliud but not alius alius as the Learned express it Christ did not assume the * Vide Lombard Lib. 3. Dist 5. Person of man but the Nature of man into his Person Non assumpsit Hominem Personam sed
14. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish c. they shall bring forth fruit c. O how fruitful should they be who are planted in the Lord himself Saints upon their being One with Christ should be one amongst themselves 9. Such as are one with Christ should be one amongst themselves Saints are under a double Vnion One with Christ and One amongst themselves and the Latter is as real as the Former and purchased by Christ as well as the former for the proof of which read and weigh Eph. 2.14 c. The members in the body natural as they are united to the head so they are also united each to the other and so 't is here O that this Vnion amongst Saints was more conspicuous and evident But with grief of heart be it spoken little is to be seen of that whilst much of that which is opposite to it is every where too apparent what schismes rents divisions are there to be found even amongst them is not this spoken of in Gath are not the great Enemies of Christianity too well acquainted with it Now what a sad thing is this that when they are all one in Christ Jesus as 't is Gal. 3.28 there should yet be such divisions fractions and distances amongst themselves Some Divines make this to be the matter of Christ's prayer Joh. 17. where he pray'd that all Believers might be one as the Father and he were one i. e. that they might be One in Vnity and Concord amongst themselves Which interpretation though the higher Vnion must by no means be excluded is very probable from the Argument with which Christ twice backs his prayer That the world may believe that thou hast sent me It must therefore be some external and visible Vnion of which the world in order to this conviction might take notice which the Saints Mystical Vnion with Christ is not but their Vnion or Unity amongst themselves is And it appears that upon this very prayer of Christ there was a little after great unity and concord amongst the primitive Christians Act. 2.46 And they continuing daily with one accord c. Act. 4.32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul c. just as Christ had prayed And O that the virtue of this prayer might reach us also at this time for surely our divisions are so many and so great our breaches so wide that I think nothing can or will unite us but the alone efficacy of Christ's intercession A stronger motive to Vnity cannot be set before the people of God than that which I am upon they who are so joyn'd to Christ should not be disjoyn'd amongst themselves as they have but one head and are all members of the same body so they should have but * Jer. 32.39 Believers upon this Vnion should know Christ better than others do one heart and one way 10. Are you in Christ You should then be well acquainted with him so as to attain to a considerable degree of the knowledge of him Others who are afar off from him may be ignorant of him but you who are so nigh to him should know him well He told his Disciples that he would * Joh. 14.16 17. pray the Father and he would give them the Comforter c. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This was spoken of the Saints knowledge of the Spirit but it holds true as to the knowledge of Christ himself the world knows him not but Believers know him how doth that come to pass why from this for he dwells in them and is in them and they in him O how should the consideration of this Union excite you to labour after a clearer knowledge of the Lord Jesus Persons we live with we know them fully Christ lives in you and you in him what a shame will it be if you do not so far as your capacity will admit of know him distinctly Surely saith Jacob * Gen. 28.16 the Lord was in this place and I knew it not whoever thou art if thou beest a gracious person surely the Lord is in thee and thou in him and yet thou neither knowest thy Vnion nor the Person to whom thou art united 'Pray let this put you upon the daily diligent studying of Christ that you may arrive at higher knowledge of him * Job 22.21 acquaint your selves with him and do it thoroughly upon the intimateness of the Vnion there should be intimateness of acquaintance Hitherto I have been speaking to such who are in Christ VSE 5. Comfort to them who are in Christ by way of Exhortation I shall now further speak to them by way of Consolation And you that are such O rejoyce and be exceeding glad let your hearts be even filled with joy what abundance of comfort is there wrapt up for you in this your union with Christ 't is a flower out of which all sincere Christians may suck a great deal of Evangelical sweetness For the setting forth of which let me go further than that special-priviledge which the Text holds forth As this speaks the dignity of their Persons 1. Are you in Christ Jesus this speaks the excellency and dignity of your persons How great and honourable must they needs be who are thus nearly united to so glorious a Person as Christ the Mediator the eternal Son of God! * Psal 149.9 this honour have all the Saints 'T is no great matter what the world says or thinks of you Men vilifie you and look upon you as the very scum and filth of the earth so they did long ago to far your betters 1 Cor. 4.13 The precious sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers Lam. 4.2 And 't is no great matter what your outward condition is in the world that may be mean and inglorious enough I say these are things not much to be regarded so long as you are the members of Christ you being so what a glory and greatness must this needs reflect upon you Mark that expression Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given them what glory doth Christ speak of it follows that they may be one even as we are one this is glory indeed 'T is a great honour to be a member of the Church so the good Emperour Theodosius judged of it who preferr'd his being a member of the Church before his being Emperour of the World but 't is a far greater honour to be a member of Christ 'T is an high expression concerning Israel that they were a people near to God Psal 148.14 You Believers are near to God indeed for you have not only communion with him who is God but union also you are one with the Father and one with the Son you must
life nay should God leave him to his liberty to make his own choice and fully assure him of his future blessedness let his choice be what it would yet he would chuse to live the spiritual rather than the carnal life was there no Heaven nor no Hell yet the sincere Christian would be for holy walking because of that excellency and intrinsick goodness which he sees in it 2. Walking after the Spirit is pleasant delightful comfortable walking that which begets true peace solid joy unspeakable comfort in the Soul The more spiritual a man is in his walking the greater is his rejoycing O * Psal 119.165 what peace have they who thus walk The Flesh must not vye with the Spirit about true comfort men exceedingly mistake themselves when they look for pleasure delight and satisfaction in a fleshly course alas 't is not there to be had It s very sweet is bitter there 's gall and wormwood even in its hony * Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness It promises indeed great things but it falls exceedingly short in its performances eminently it doth so in its promises of joy and comfort True peace is onely to be found in a holy course Rom. 8.6 To be spiritually minded is life and peace life hereafter peace here 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimoâ—â— of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world There 's no comfort like to that which attends * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 1. c. 9. holy walking the true Christian would not for a world exchange that joy which he hath in his Soul in and from Meditation Prayer the Word Sacraments Promises mortification of sin holiness communion with God the hope of glory for all that joy which the Sinner hath in the way of sin and in his sensual delights Would you have the * 1 Pâ—t 1 8. joy which is unspeakable the * Phil. 4.7 peace which passeth all understanding the * Job 15.11 consolations of God which are not small O walk after the Spirit Men have false notions of Religion which experience must confute the Devil belies and misreports the ways of God as if a godly life was a sad pensive melancholly life pray try and then judge be perswaded to fall upon this heavenly course and then tell me whether * Prov. 3.17 wisdomes ways be not ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches The Flesh is outdone by the Spirit if it gives some outward flashy joy the Spirit with advantage gives inward solid abiding joy should not this allure you to walk after it We always love to walk where our walking may be most pleasant and delightful surely to walk with God to live in communion with Father Son and Spirit to be taken up in the contemplation and fruition of heavenly things to be always sucking at the breasts of the Promises to act in the daily exercisâ— of Grace I say surely this must needs be pleasant and delightful Walking indeed And the Spiritual Walker hath not onely this peace and satisfaction whilst he lives but in a dying hour too he is full of comfort O the Soul-chearing reflexions which he then can make upon an holy life O that heart-exhilerating prospect which he hath of the World to come whether he looks backward or forward all administers ground of rejoycing to him Is it thus with the Sinner the Sensualist alas 't is quite otherwise when Death comes and lays his cold hands upon him what bitter pangs of Conscience doth he feel what dreadful terrours do sill his Soul how doth the sense of Judgment and Aeternity strike him with astonishment All his sensual Comforts do now fail him and he did not live so full of joy but he dyes as full of sorrow This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sâ—rrow Isa 50.11 but Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 3. This is blessed Walking for it evermore ends in salvation It doâ—â— not onely at present evidence Non-condemnation and Vnion with Christ but it assures of Heaven and certainly brings to Heaven at last Holiness and Happiness never were never shall be parted Every motion hath its terminus or end the End of this motion or walking is eternal rest Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Gal. 6.18 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousness is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death so that if you will be perswaded to enter into and to hold on in the way of the â—pirit it will infallibly lead you to eternal life and what can be spoken higher The sum of all is this I here set * Jer. 21.8 life and death before you if the One will not allure you to an holy heavenly conversation nor the Other deter you from a sinful carnal conversation I have then no more to say but surely such as have any sense of God of the worth of the Soul and of the things of the world to come they will resolve for the spiritual life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athenag Leg pro Christian p. 35. Athenagoras in his Apology for the primitive Christians states their practice thus If saith he we did believe that we should onely live the present life there might then be some room for suspicion that we might be as wicked as others indulging flesh and blood and drawn aside by covetuousness and concupiscence but we know that God is privy not onely to all our actions but to all our thoughts and words that he is all light and sees what is most hid in us and we are fully perswaded that after this life we shall live a much better life with God in Heaven and therefore we do not live as others do whose life will end in Hell fire O that we could as easily draw men to the heavenly life as we can apologize for those who live it or set down the grounds and reasons why they live it And now you who are Flesh-followers will nothing prevail with you shall all these Considerations be ineffectual will you yet persist in your fleshly course though an Angel with a drawn sword stands before you to stop you in your evil way yet * Numb 22.22 Balaam-like will you go on will you set your selves in a way that is not good as the wicked are described Psal 36.4 are you at that language * Jer. 18.2 We will every one walk after our own devices and we will every
Jesus is as much as (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumenius Lex Spiritus vitae i. e. gubernatio Spiritus vitalis quem suppeditat Christus non solum admonens nos exemplo mortis suae ad charitatis opera perficienda sed etiam operans illam in cordibus nostris Oecolamp by Christ Jesus the Spirit is given and doth work as a regenerating Spirit or the Spirit of life according to the will and good pleasure of Christ 4. (c) In Christo Jesu quia non datur nisi his qui sunt in Christo Jesu Aquin. As this Spirit is given onely to those who are in Christ Men out of Christ have nothing to do with it his Members are onely its Temples without the Spirit there 's no Vnion and without the Vnion there 's no Spirit As the Member doth not participate of the Animal Spirit but as 't is united to the Head so a man doth not participate of the blessed quickening Spirit of God but as he is united to Christ but these things will be more largely insisted upon when I come to the ninth and tenth Verses Now the Words which I am opening mainly point to this what is it which is in Christ Jesus why 't is the Spirit it self therefore (d) Placet supplementum qui ut referatur ad Spiritum in Graeco subaudiatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi scriptum sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscat So Erasm Some also would have an Article inserted here to make the reference to the Spirit more clear thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Then as to the Third and Last thing the Law of the Spirit that too is in Christ Jesus Thus that mighty power which the Spirit at any time doth exert in the work of Regeneration it is conveyed to a person and doth take hold of him in Christ Jesus that is in and through Christ viz. as this effectual Operation of the Spirit is grounded upon Christ's purchase and is put forth in pursuance of Christ's redeeming love This is a truth which might be largely opened but I fear I have been too long already upon the clearing up of this Branch of the Text And yet I cannot omit to tell you that there 's One reference more which * Quamquam nihil vetat quin illa verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 construantur cum verba sequente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Piscat in Schol. Some do mention as this in Christ Jesus may refer to and be joyned with the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made free Then the Sense would be this 't is by Christ that Saints are made free from Sin and Death whatever spiritual freedome Believers have they owe it all to Christ he hath the great hand in it as the Efficient and meritorious Cause thereof But this I 'le pass by because though it be a thing unquestionably true yet the generally received pointing of the Words will not admit it to be here intended I have now finished the Explicatory part the difficulty of the Words and the different Expositions put upon them all of which may be useful though all are not so pertinent and proper must be my Excuse for my being so redious and prolix upon it Having given you their proper sense and monning I should next draw out those Doctrinal Truths which are contained in them but that I shall not do at present Onely there 's One of them which I shall mention and briefly close with How the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Life 't is this The Holy and Blessed Spirit is the Spirit of Life so he is here expresly stiled the Law of the Spirit of Life Which Words are applied to the Witnesses Rev. 11.11 where 't is said of them that the Spirit of Life from God entred upon them but yet know though 't is the same words yet 't is not the same sense For by the Spirit of Life as applied to the Witnesses nothing is meant but their civil living again in their restunration to their former Power Office Liberties of Service c. but when 't is applied to the Great Spirit of God it carries a quite other and much higher sense in it What 's that why it notes his living in himself and also his being the Cause of Life to the Creature He 's the Spirit of Life 1. Formally 2. Effectively or Causally A few words to each 1. First as to the Formal Notion The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Life as he is a living Spirit as he lives in himself or hath life in himself For as the Father hath life in himself and hath given to the Son to have life in himself Joh 5.26 so the Spirit hath life in himself also And 't is not an ordinary or common life which the Spirit lives but 't is the self same life which the Father and the Son do live he being truly God lives the same increated infinite independent blessed life which the two Other Persons do * Genitivus Hebraico more pro Epitheto ponitur Calvin Est Genitivus Epitheti loco Estius Expositors generally observe that Life when 't is here joyned with the Spirit is not to be taken Substantive but Adjective 't is according to the Hebrew I diome where when two Substantives are put together the Latter of which is in the Genitive Case that is to be rendred as an Adjective or as an Epithete of the Former as the Bread of life is living bread the Water of life is living water the Glory of Grace is glorious Grace c. so here the Spirit of life is the living Spirit Theophylact joyning this Life with the Law going before saith this is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Law of Life was set in opposition to the Law of Sin and Death but Life is not to be joyned with the Law but with the Spirit himself 2. Secondly the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life Effectively or Causally He is a quickening a life-bestowing or life-working Spirit in the Creature he makes Sinners to live and is the spring of that heavenly and supernatural life which is in the gracious Soul As he hath life in Himself so he communicates it to Others he is not onely a living Spirit but he is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quickening Spirit And this is One of his great acts namely to quicken he 's the Spirit of * 2 Cor. 3.17 liberty and he 's also the Spirit of life he 's a teaching inlightning convincing strengthening comforting purifying Spirit and he 's also an enlivening and quickening Spirit And as the Father and the Son live in themselves and quicken * Joh. 5.21 whom they will so the Holy Ghost too hath life in himself and quickens whom he will as he is said to divide gifts to every one severally even as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 The Spirit is * Oecumen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the
of Sin for though that puts forth a great efficacy in the manner of its working yet it doth not rise to such a pitch or degree of efficacy in what is evil as the Spirit of God doth in what is good Set corrupt Nature never so high yet 't is but a finite thing and so hath but a finite power but the Spirit is an infinite being and in his saving and special workings he puts forth an infinite power and therefore He must work more efficaciously than Sin can do the Law of the Spirit must carry it against and notwithstanding the Law of Sin for though both pass under the same appellation of Laws yet they are Laws of a different kind and nature with respect to their power and efficacy This Law or power of the Spirit is that which I will speak to and for the better opening of the Truth in hand which mainly points thereunto I 'le do two things Two things propounded for the opening of the Observation 1. I 'le speak to the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the power of the Spirit in order to the freeing of men from the power of Sin 2. I 'le shew in what Way or Method the Spirit doth work and exert his power in his rescuing of Souls from Sins power In the First of these Heads three things are put together which must be spoken unto apart The Necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power 1. First of the necessity of the power of the Spirit Concerning which I may confidently affirm that 't is indispensably absolutely necessary for the divesting Sin of its long possessed soveraignty no less a power than the mighty power of this Spirit can bring down Sins power ô it s no easie thing to rescue the poor enslaved captive-soul out of its bonds Omnipotency it self is requisite thereunto that 's the * Luk. 11.21 22. strong man which keeps the palace till Christ through the Spirit which is stronger than it comes upon it and overcomes it Israel had never got out of their bondage under Pharaoh if God himself had not brought them out of it through a mighty hand and by an out-stretched arm as you read Deut. 5.15 and so 't is here Let 's bring it to a particular case take a Sinner who is under the Law of Vnbelief as there are too many such God knows nothing shall ever free this Sinner from the power of his unbelief unless a divine and an almighty power from above be put forth upon him 'till this be done all the Calls Commands Invitations Promises of the Gospel are all weak and ineffectual therefore 't is said to be the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 and the Apostle pray'd that God would fulfil the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and says the Prophet who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 without the revealing of Gods mighty arm there 's no believing and you read that God in sanctification and the working of Faith doth put forth the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. what can be spoken higher than this You see the Law of the Spirit is necessary to the freeing of a person from the Law of Vnbelief and is it not so in all other things wherein Sins power shows it self The power of Nature which some do so much magnifie can never conquer the power of Sin alas 't is impar congressus there 's no eaven match betwixt them and besides Natures greatest strength is on Sins side its relicks onely where 't is good are for God against Sin but its full and entire strength as 't is bad are for Sin against God God hath but its shattered sorces as it were but Sin hath its full Body what can enfeebled Nature what will depraved Nature do against Sin Let it be considered if the power of Grace in the Regenerate be so small that by that alone without the concurrence of divine and special assistance from above they can do nothing which Christ affirms Joh. 15.5 no not so much as think a good thought as the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 3.5 what then can be expected from meer Nature in the Vnregenerate in whom Sin is in its full strength as to the weakning or subduing of it In things of a spiritual nature the Scripture doth not onely deny the act but the power too Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God c. neither can the know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil So in that which I am upon 't is not onely the Sinner doth not free himself from the Law of Sin but of himself without the mighty power of the divine Spirit he cannot so do he that is not strong enough to subdue some one particular Lust how shall he be able to subdue the whole body of Sin in all its united and combined force as he that cannot conquer one single Souldier can much less conquer the whole Army If God leave a man to grapple with Sin meerly by his own strength woe be to him The necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power made out in some Particulars That the power of the Spirit is absolutely necessary to free from the power of Sin will be very evident if you consider those several advantages which it hath for the securing and holding up of its power in the Sinner As 1. 't is in possession 2. It hath been so a long time may be twenty forty theescore years to be sure from the time of the Sinners coming into the world for its power and his birth are of the same date now Vsurpers in possession and who have long been so are not so easily conquer'd 3. It s dominion is entire it hath all on its side the whole Soul is for Sin insomuch that when the Spirit of God comes to grapple with it he finds nothing there to side with him or to take his part which argues the necessity of his infinite power When there is a party within a Kingdom ready to fall in with the foreign force that comes to depose the Tyrant he may with more facility be vanquished but if all the people unanimously stick to him then the conquest is the more difficult As Christ once said * Joh. 14.30 the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me so the poor Sinner may say the Sin-subduing Spirit comes but he finds nothing in me to close with him 4. The natural man likes the power of Sin it hath his heart which is worst of all for the securing of its empire he
strongly defended of old by Austine against the Pelagians and of late by the Dominicans and Jansenists against the Jesuits and I could wish the Controversie had lodged there but there are other persons and parties concerned in it Well! I am thus fal'n upon it but I 'le presently get off from it for it being a point only incidental in my passage I am not bound to stay upon it In short therefore this I assert that Gratia liberatrix est Gratia efficax Soul-freeing Grace is effectual Grace where-ever and whenever the Spirit undertakes to deliver any man out of Sins power he doth it effectually he then puts forth such a mighty power as that he infallibly doth effect what he designed which is all that * Non aliam irresistibilitatem propugnant nostri quam realem efficacem operationem cujus vi effectum certò vel infallibilitèr existit Ames Coron Art 4. c. 3. Dicimus Gratiam efficacem quae operatur velle perficere adeo potenter in opere conversionis quovis opere salutari voluntatem movere ut certò caûsalitèr tollat non resistibilitatèm aut connatam aut adnatam aut etiam omnem actualem resistentiam sed actualem resistentiam vincentem adeo ut gratia semper eliciat consensum acceptationem ac proinde eo momento impossibile sit quod voluntas non annuat aut de facto resistat D. Ward Conc. de Grat. discrim p. 31 32. Divines mean by that so much disliked word irresistibly As the power of Nature take it at its best cannot much further this freedome so the power of Nature take it at its worst as to the final issue shall not be able to hinder it The Scriptures which hold forth the efficacy of saving grace in general are applicable to that particular branch of it which I am upon Cant. 1.4 Draw thou me we will run after thee Joh. 6.45 Every man that hath heard and learn'd of the Father comes to me Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them there 's much in each of these Texts to prove what is before me might I but stay upon them 'T is in the acts of Grace as 't is in the acts of Providence in which sometimes the stream runs with such a mighty force that there 's no resisting of it Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall let it and so I say 't is in the acts of Grace it works with such a power that none can let it Our Apostle himself here before Conversion was as much under the Law of Sin as ordinarily any are and yet as soon as the renewing acts of this Spirit took hold of him he yielded presently and made no prevailing opposition * Acts 9.5 6. indeed at first he was at his Who art thou Lord but 't was not long before he threw himself down at the feet of Christ saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do So much for the threefold consideration of the power of the Spirit with respect to the effect here mentioned making free from the Law of Sin The Ways and Methods of the Spirit in making free from the Law of Sin The Second thing propounded was to show In what Ways or Methods the Holy Spirit doth exert his power in the making a person free from the Law of Sin For the explaining of which we must distinguish of his Workings they are either those which are at the first Conversion by which Sins habitual dominion is destroyed or those which follow after Conversion and continue the whole life by which Sins actual dominion is prevented and kept down by the first he makes free by the second he keeps free from the Law of Sin With respect to each of these workings the Spirit hath his different Ways and Methods which therefore must be distinctly spoken unto 1. As to the first in the general he puts forth his power in and by the doing of the main work viz. the Converting of the Soul He comes and (a) Acts 26.18 turns it from Sin to God brings about the (b) 2 Cor. 5.17 new Creature in it (c) Gal. 4 19. forms Christ therein (d) Col. 1.13 translates it out of one state into another and herein you have the Law or mighty power of the Spirit exerted I say the mighty power of the Spirit for this is a work which calls for such power without which it would never be done ô 't is no easie thing to convert a Sinner indeed there 's nothing more difficult than that is Though all things are alike easie to an Almighty Agent as God and his Spirit are yet as things are considered in themselves and as we conceive of them so some are more easie or hard than others are as here 't is easier to create a World than to convert a Soul the new Creation is more difficult than the old for in the latter there was nothing to oppose or make resistance but in the former there 's Sin Satan a wicked heart within a cursed World without all uniting and combining in all their strength to oppose to their utmost the work of Conversion there the matter was indispos'd and unfit to be cast into such a form and that was all but here 't is not onely unfitness but renitency reluctancy the highest opposition that is imaginable it being so it follows that that must be a mighty power by which the work is done notwithstanding all this resistance The Spirit therefore puts forth such a power whereby he makes * Zech. 4.9 mountains to become plains cuts his way through the very rock conquers all that vast hoast which is mustered up against him in spite of all opposition converts the Sinner here 's the Law of the Spirit Now upon and by this he frees from the Law of Sin for upon Conversion Sin is as much depos'd and pull'd off from the throne as * 2 Kings 11. Athaliah once was then its Reign expires from that time forward it must not any more lord it as before it did but this hath been already spoken to Observe it 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Sin 't is not absolute or meer power that doth it but 't is power as regenerating as changing the heart as implanting the divine Nature by which Sin is brought under How he exerts his power upon the Vnderstanding But more particularly in freeing from the Law of Sin this is the way of the Spirit 1. He effectually works upon the Vnderstanding that being the leading faculty and there being in it several things by which in special Sins dominion is kept up and he working upon reasonable Creatures in that way which best agrees with them as such therefore there the Spirit of God begins and first exerts his power upon that
and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Eph. 3.9 c. Who created all things by Jesus Christ by him not as an instrument but as a social or coordinate cause Col. 1.16 17 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist Heb. 1.2 By whom also he made the worlds Now could Christ have thus cooperated with the Father in the Creation and yet not have a being before his incarnation which was so long after the Creation Joh. 1.15 John bare witness of him and cryed saying This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me how was Christ before John Baptist if he did then only exist when he was born for in reference to that John Baptist was before Christ he being born before him Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was mark the latter words with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Phil. 2.6 Who being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subsisting existing in the form of God c. Joh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father Joh. 6.62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before in respect of his Divine Nature or as he was the Son of God Do not these Scriptures sufficiently evince that Christ had a Being before he was Incarnate the drawing forth of their full strength and the answering of the several Cavils and Evasions of the Adversaries about them would fill up a Volume the Learned know where and by * See Arnold Catech. Racov Major de Personâ Christi p. 187. c. Hoorneb Socin Conf. Tom. 2. de Christo cap. 1. Calovius Socin Proflig de Filio Dei controv 1. But especially Placei Disput de Argum. quibus efficitur Christum prius fuisse quà m in utero Beatae Virginis secundum carnem conciperetur This is fully and learnedly discoursed of by Dr. Pearson on the Creed Art 2. p. 213. to p. 237. Whom both of these are fully done This Sending of Christ therefore speaks his existence before he assumed flesh he must have an antecedent Being otherwise he would not have been capable of being * Necesse est ut qui mittitur existat priusquam mittatur fatente Enjedino Calov Socin Proflig p. 183. sent And he was first sent and then incarnate his Mission being antecedent to his incarnation though this be dony'd by the †Misit à se per virtutem Spiritus Sancti genitum ex matte suâ natum ad virilem aetatem perductum non adhuc generandum oriturum quod dictu ipso absonum est Scripturae planè dissonum Slichting Enemies with whom we have to do for God sent him that is appointed that he should assume the bumane nature and this is his being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh as a judicious Expositor descants upon the words Of Christ's Personality 2. Secondly this Sending of Christ speaks his Personality He did not only exist before he took flesh but he existed as a Person he had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the notion of a Divine Person consists his manner of subsistence distinct from the subsistence of the Father and of the Holy Ghost but this explication of Christ's being a Person more properly belongs to the next head Here I say Christ was a Person by which I mean he was not a thing quality dispensation or manifestation as some fondly and dangerously speak but he was and is a Person having a proper personal subsistence And he must be so or else he could not be the Subject of this Sending 'T is very true God may be said to send or give that which is but manifestative as he sends his Gospel which yet is not a person but only a manifestation of his Will Grace Love Wisdom c. But now in Christ there is something more than bare sending even that which will amount to the proving of him to be nothing less than a Person For he is sent to be incarnate to take the likeness of sinful flesh upon him now a bare Quality or Manifestation are under an utter incapacity of being thus or doing thus who will be so absurd as to assert such a thing If Christ be sent by God the Father and upon that doth assume flesh then certainly he was a Person for none but a Person could do this had the Apostle only said that God sent Christ the Truth in hand had not been so evident at leastwise from this Text but when he adds he sent him in the likeness of sinful flesh this undeniably proves his personality 3. Thirdly it notes the distinction that is betwixt the Father and Christ Which appears not only as One is the Father and the Other is the Son though that evidently infers a distinction for the same Person in the same respects cannot be Father and Son too cannot beget and be begotten too but also as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan adv Haeres p. 740. See Gerhard Loc. Com. tom 1. cap. 6. p. 263. de personali Filii a Patre S. S. distinctione One sends and the Other is sent The Father and the Son are One in Nature and Essence with respect to which he saith †Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are One yet they are ‖ Una est Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Essentia in quâ non est aliud Pater aliud Filius aliud Spiritus Sanctus quamvis Personaliter sit alius Pater alius Filius alius Spiritus Sanctus Fulgent lib. 1. de Fid. Ecce dico alium esse Patrem alium Filium alium Spiritum Sanctum Male accepit idiotes quisque aut perversus hoc dictum quasi diversitatem sonet ex diversitate separationem pretendat Patris Filii Spiritus Ter tul adv Praâ—eam Of the distinction of the three Divine Persons See Dr. Cheynel of the Trin-unity c. 7. p. 181 c. et 227. to 248. distinct Persons The number and distinction of the Persons in the Trinity is usually taken notice of by Diviâ—â—s from this Scripture The Apostle faith Theophylact had spoken of the Spirit in the former Verse in this he speaks of the Father and of the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tenching the Trinity And saith * Ex his verbis apparet Divinarum Personarum in Sanctâ Triade Numerus Distinctio Pet. Martyr from these words the number and distinction of the Persons in the holy Trinity doth appear Which great Truth is also frequently
heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man which is in heaven So that in Christ's Sending there was no * Missio Divinae Personae convenire potest secundum quod importat ex unâ parte processionem originis à mittente secundum quod importat ex aliâ parte novum modum existendi in alio Sicut Filius dicitur esse missus à Patre in mundum secundum quod incepit in mundo esse per carnem assumptam tamen ante in mundo erat ut dicitur Joh. 1. Aquin. 1. part Qu. 43. Art 1. in corp Art Et in Resp ad 2. Illud quod sic mittitur ut incipiat esse ubi prius nullo modo erat suâ missione localitèr movetur Sed hoc non accidit in missione Divinae Personae quia Persona divina missa sicut non incipit esse ubi prius non suerat ita nec desinit esse ubi suerat mutation of place only upon that he assumed the humane nature and so became visible whereas before as God he was invisible He was but where he was only he was more than what he was for he was now God-man and he was here in a different manner for now he was visible You see what the sending of Christ was not 2. Secondly to open it Affirmatively this Sending of Christ lies in Five things 1. In God's chusing appointing ordaining of Christ from everlasting to the Office and Work of the Mediatour this I confess is somewhat remote from that strict notion of his sending in which the Scripture usually speaks of it however I take it in it being the foundation of his being sent in time God the Father from all Eternity did choose decree ordain that his Son should take flesh and in that flesh redeem man therefore he calls him his Elect Isa 42.1 Mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth And Rom. 3.25 't is said Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it relates to God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or purpose and it notes not only God's setting forth and revealing of Christ in the Gospel which was done in time but also and chiefly his decreeing fore-ordaining of Christ in his secret purpose from all eternity to the work and office of a Redeemer so the Word is used Eph. 1.9 and therefore the marginal rendring of it whom God fore-ordained is better than that in the text it self whom God hath set forth The Apostle Peter speaks expresly of it * 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you You read of a decree concerning Christ Psal 2.7 I will declare the decree c. but that which I am upon was not the matter of the decree there spoken of 2dly Christ's Sending I take it passively lies in God's qualifying and fitting of him for his great Work this also is more remote from the close intendment of the sending yet it also may be taken in The wise God first fits and then sends he never puts a person upon any special service but first he qualifies and fits him for that service you have it exemplified in Moses and in several Others Now the restauration of Man to God's image and favour the redeeming and reconciling of the Sinner to God was the greatest work that ever was undertaken and therefore if God will imploy Christ about such a work his Wisdom engag'd him first to fit him for it Which accordingly he did for in order thereunto whereas Christ must have a Body to fit him for dying and suffering that God provided for him * Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared or fitted me And whereas he must also have the Spirit in a large proportion and plentiful effusion thereof that too the Father doth furnish him with Isa 42.1 I have put my Spirit upon him Joh. 3.34 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Our blessed Saviour could need nothing more than a Body and the Spirit to qualifie and fit him for his work and both you see were given to him Joh. 10.36 Say ye of him whom the Father hath Sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God what was the Father's Sanctifying of Christ I answer 't was partly his setting of Christ apart to and partly his gifting and qualifying of Christ for his Office and undertaking the latter of which the Father did for him as well as the former and so he sanctified him And observe 't was first Sanctifying and then Sending whom the Father hath sanctified and sent c. 3. Thirdly It lies in God's authorizing and commissionating of Christ to what he was to be and to do The Father sent him that is gave him authority to engage as the Redeemer of the world Christ had a Commission from God under hand and seal as it were before he medled in his great negotiation Joh. 6.27 Him hath God the Father sealed or authorized by special commission for though that be not all which is intended in the sealing yet that is a great part of it As Princes when they send abroad their Embassadours or appoint their Officers at home they give them their Commissions sealed to be their warrant for what they shall do so God the Father did with Christ He did not intrude or thrust himself upon what he undertook no but though he had in himself a strong inclination thereunto yet first his Father must call him to it he did not run before he was sent as those Prophets did Jer. 23.21 So the Apostle tells us Heb. 5.4 5. No man taketh this honour to himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Joh. 8.42 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me You see how his Sending is opened by this the due consideration of which doth administer matter of great support and encouragement to Faith as you will hear in the applying of the Truth in hand 4. Fourthly This Sending of Christ consists in the Fathers authoritative willing of him to take mans nature upon him and in that nature so to do and so to suffer This is higher than the former God did not only authorize Christ to engage so as that he might if he so pleas'd undertake to redeem Sinners without any intrusion or usurpation but he made this known to him as his Will and to speak according to our conceptions he laid his command upon him to act accordingly So as that Christ was under an obligation which yet did not in the least destroy or lessen his Liberty or his Merit or his
improvement of it Was Christ sent and did God thus send him what doth this great act of God call for from us I 'le tell you in a few things 1. It calls upon us greatly to admire God Use 1. God to be admired for his sending of Christ O how should all our souls be drawn forth and elevated in the adoring of God for his sending of Christ What rich Mines of Grace have we in these few words God sent his own Son Here 's the greatest thing that ever God did or ever will do 't was much that he should make a World but what 's the making of a World to the sending of a Son The Apostle in the Text seems to ascend step by step and to crowd together variety of great and glorious things that he might the more heighten God's Love and draw up the hearts of Believers to the admiration of it For 1. here is Sending 2. God sending 3. God sending a Son 4. His own Son 5. The sending of this Son in our flesh Yea 6. in the likeness of sinful flesh Yea 7. in that Flesh to offer up himself as a Sacrifice for sin 8. Doing this for this End that sin might be condemned and that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us 9. Doing this too when the Sinners Case was desperate as to the Law is not here maguum in parvo and doth not the Apostle thrust things together heaping one thing upon another that he might the better set off and aggrandize the Love of God There 's enough in any One of them to make you stand and wonder but when you have them conjunct and all set before you in their proper emphasis and import how should you be affected and wrought upon to admire the Grace of God! The truth is take all together and you have here a representation of that Low Mercy Goodness which was too great and bigg for any but a God If you read no further than the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh there man is utterly lost but if you go on to God 's sending of his Son c. there the day of Salvation begins to dawn there 's an effectual remedy for a desperate malady now the case is altered O let the blessed God be therefore for ever magnify'd and adored 2. More particularly The Love of God the Father to be admired this calls upon you to admire the Love of God the Father and alwayes to entertain good thoughts of him they are distinct Heads however let me put them together I would not too curiously divide or distinguish betwixt the Sacred Persons in their several Acts much less would I set them in competition or prefer one before another as if we were more beholden to the One than to the Other As they center in the same common Essence 't is the same Love and the same gracious actings in all but yet they being personally distinct and they having those acts which are proper to them as so distinguished so they have their special and peculiar Love And 't is very good for us to understand what is immediately done by the Father what by the Son what by the Spirit which we must the rather endeavour after because the Scripture usually I do not say alwayes apply's this effect to the First that to the Second and another to the Third Person I am at present only to speak to the acts of the Father wherein he hath display'd that Love which is proper to him which if you please to look into as the Scripture sets them forth you will find your selves under a strong obligation to admire him as personally so considered For 'pray observe who did from all eternity predestinate elect choose you was it not God the Father Predestinating Love is the Father's Love Eph. 1.3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world c. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will After this came Redeeming Love and had the Father no hand in that Love nay had not He the first and the chief hand therein For did not he find out the ransom Job 33.24 I have found a ransom did not he contrive and lay the whole model and platform of Redemption in his eternal purpose and ordination therefore 't is said Isa 53.10 The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand that great Work resolves it self into the Will and pleasure of the Father as the first and principal Cause of it Christ as Mediator is brought in but as subordinate to him as being but the ministerial and executive agent in redemption for 't is but in his hands that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper Who chose sent called Christ to that Work and fitted him for it but the Father as you have heard So also who assisted and strengthened him in it but the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold of which upholding and strengthening Grace by the Father Christ assured himself beforehand as you read Isa 50. 7 9. and it was accordingly made good to him as you read Matth. 4.11 Luke 22.43 Then again who rewarded Christ when he had finished his Work but the Father therefore to him Christ pray'd for this Joh. 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And now Christ hath made the purchase who doth authoritatively collate upon persons the blessings purchased but the Father Rom. 8.33 It is God that justifieth 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ c. Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Who is it that works in Sinners their meetness for heaven but the Father Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Who is it that reveals the great mysteries of the Gospel but the Father Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Who bestows and gives the Spirit but the Father Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth And to shut up this who secures and keeps in a state of grace but the Father Joh. 10.29 My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's band Now Christians may
you not be fully convinced by all this that the Father's Love to you is very great and if so will you not admire him for it You must * Joh. 5.23 honour the Son even as you honour the Father and you must adore bless love the Father even as you do the Son God forbid that I should go about to lessen your most thankful sense of what the Son and Spirit have done for you but yet know that these the Father as the first Cause doth work by 't is He who by them doth do so great things for you 'pray think high of their love but then think high of his love too Further I would persuade you to entertain good thoughts of the Father 'T is a temptation though not so usual which some gracious Persons lie under they can with more comfort think of the Son than of the Father they do not so much question the Love of the Son as of the Father they cannot deny but that the Son is indeed a very gracious Person for he came from heaven * Luke 19.10 to seek and to save what was lost to * 1 Tim. 1.15 save Sinners yea the chiefest of them c. hereupon they can in some comfortable manner encourage themselves to hope in him But as to the Father they are not so confident they are more jealous and suspicious and have a greater dread of him than they have either of the Son or of the Spirit Doth Satan assault any of you in this manner or do such thoughts as these prevail over you O be convinced of your mistake You have as great encouragement for faith and hope from the Father as you have from the Son for you hear 't was He who sent Christ and whatever Christ was or did all was but in pursuance of his good pleasure therefore have you any reason to think otherwise than well of him Surely * 1 Joh. 4.16 God is Love this very thing his sending of his Son represents him as full of Mercy Goodness and Grace the Sinner hath not the least cause to be jealous or afraid of him O when unbelief and hard thoughts of God the Father begin to rise beat them down by arguing thus was not He the first spring from which redeeming Grace did flow the great contriver and willer of man's recovery who set Christ on work but he who sent him into the world to be a Saviour but he who imploy'd his own Son for the good of Sinners but he O that you would labour to get your Faith encourag'd and strengthened as to the first Person and that it might rise up to the first Cause of all and there fix and terminate that your faith and hope may be in God as the Apostle expresses it 1 Pet. 1.21 Christ sayes Joh. 14.1 Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe in me also and let me say he believe in Christ believe in God also as the fountain and original of all your happiness Christ to be loved for his ready submission to his Father in sending him 3. It calls upon us to love Christ greatly O how should the consideration of this endear Christ to every gracious heart God sent him but not against his will how willing was he to be sent upon the errand of your Salvation he freely consented to whatever the Father was pleased to put him upon for your good He very well knew before hand what would follow upon this sending what he was to undergo how he was to be abased if he do engage to redeem and save you yet notwithstanding this no sooner did the Father call him to it but he most readily and cheerfully obeyed O the infinite Love of Christ He came down from heaven that he might carry you up to heaven he that was a Son for your sake stooped to be a Servant that you of slaves might be made sons What had become of you if Christ had refused to come when the Father sent him O love the Lord Jesus let his Person be very dear and precious to you admit him into your hearts who was willing to take the whole business of your Salvation into his hands what Love can be enough for a Father sending and a Son coming 'T is true God sent him but his obedience to his Father was no diminution of his Love to you and 't is true in this Embassy he acted in a way of inferiority to his Father but 't was his pity to you which made him willing to put himself into such a state of subjection and inferiority for that did not proceed from his Nature before he had assumed yours but meerly from his dignation and gracious condescention and now after all this will you not love him how can you do otherwise than love him Suppose you had heard him as soon as ever God had signified his pleasure to him and said Son the fulness of time is come I must send thee down to earth to redeem man saying Father I am ready here I am send me whithersoever and about whatsoever thou pleasest to promote thy Glory and the good of Souls I am willing to go where-ever thou 'lt have me yea I le stick at nothing which thou shalt judge necessary for the preventing of the Sinners everlasting ruine Send me to be made Flesh I submit to lie in a Manger I submit to die upon a Cross I submit lay what Commands upon me thou pleasest to further the Salvation of Souls they shall all be obey'd Suppose I say you had heard Christ uttering such Words to his Father doubtless it would have wrought very much upon you your Hearts would have been all in flames of Love to him O wretched Creatures we know all this was spoken and done too by our Lord Jesus and yet how cold how weak is our Love to him Christ a Pattern herein for imitation 4. It calls upon you to imitate Christ in his carriage with respect o his being sent Thus never go till you be sent then go readily both of these were admirably done by our Lord Jesus He went not till he was sent before he would move one step he would have his Father 's Mission and Commission a great Mind he had to be at Redeeming Work his Heart was exceedingly set upon it yet he would stay till he was sent called authoriz'd thereunto by his Father But as soon as he was so called how readily and cheerfully did he engage * Heb. 10.7 Lo T come to do thy Will O God Now in this his deportment he hath set us an excellent copy to write after teaching us alwayes humbly to wait for a Call from God and when it comes let it be what it will faithfully to comply with it Whatever rank or station God hath set you in see that you therein * 1 Cor. 7.17.20 24. abide and that you meddle with no Work Employment Office Vndertaking further than as you are called thereunto
semel tantum missus est Dei Filius secundum alterum saepe missus est mittitur quotidie Nam secundum alterum missus est ut sit Homo semel tantum factum est secundum alterum verò mittitur ut sit cum Homine quomodo quotidiè mittitur ad Sanctos missus est etiam ante incarnationem ad omnes Sanctos qui ante fuerunt etiam ad Angelos Unde Aug. de Filio c. Lomb. L. 1. D. 13. twofold sending of him the one External and Visible the other Internal and Invisible the First was Christ's sending to be Man that 's past and over and was to be but once the Second is Christ's sending into Man that yet continues and is reiterated from time to time Now these two though they are of a different nature must not be parted he that would regularly hope for Salvation by Christ must have the latter as well as the former sending for 't is most certain that a Christ without if it be not also a Christ within will never save A Christ in our Flesh must be accompanied with a Christ in our Hearts there must be not only a Christ sent to us but also a Christ sent into us or else he will not profit us The whole business of Merit lies upon the Christ without as he took our Nature and therein fulfilled the Law but the fitting or qualifying of persons to have a share in the blessings merited that lies in the Christ within as he is received into the heart In a word the impetration is by Christ without but the application is by Christ within Now therfore I say you must nor rest in the One unless you find the Other too there are very dangerous mistakes abroad in the world about this Some are all for a Christ within making nothing of a Christ without a most pernicious Opinion and destructive of all Christianity Others again are all for a Christ without contenting themselves with this that he was sent into the world to save Sinners and this to them is enough for future happiness they look no farther But now whoever would be wise to Salvation must take in both so as to adore believe in rest upon a Christ as externally sent and yet so as to make sure of a Christ in * Col. 1.27 himself through the gracious operations of the Spirit Paul here in this Verse speaks of the External Sending in the 10 Verse he speaks of the Internal Sending And if Christ be in you all that live under the Gospel know the former but few know the latter O how is it with you Christ was sent to you but is he in you he was formed in the Virgins womh but is he formed in your hearts as the expression is Gal. 4.19 he came from heaven in a corporeal manner for you but did he ever in a spiritual manner come into you you have the external mission but have you also the mystical Vnion hath the Father who sent his own Son in your Flesh sent also his own Spirit into your hearts which is the great Promise of the New Testament as the former was the great Promise of the Old see Joh. 14.26 Joh. 15.26 Joh. 16.7 'Pray search diligently into these things for be assured that a Christ as only sent in the likeness of sinful flesh if He and his Spirit be not also received within I say a Christ so stated will never make you happy Men exhorted to believe in him whom God sent 6. Did God thus send Christ it calls aloud to you all to believe in him Hath the Father chosen him set him apart every way fitted him to be a Redeemer sent him into the world for that end and after all this will you not receive embrace fly to and venture your selves your All upon him O what an Argument is this to draw Sinners to an hearty closure with Christ what will engage Souls to believe on him if this will not Christ as sent is the Object the Ground and also the great Encouragement of Faith Sinners you may very safely believe on him for he 's no Impostor or Deceiver but that very person whom God sent to be the Saviour of the world And 't is not only so that you may safely believe on him but 't is your great duty to believe on him for he who sent him layes this as his grand Command upon you so to do 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that great Work which he injoyns that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 'T is observable how high Christ speaks of the knowledge of himself under this notion as he was sent of God Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent As also how desirous he was that the World might know and believe that he was thus sent of God Joh. 17.21 23. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me Now what was it that Christ propounded to himself in all this certainly he had more in his eye than the bare notional knowledge of or naked assent to this great Truth that he was the Person sent of God Yes his desire reach'd to a practical and fiducial knowledge of it to such a knowledge as might be attended with true and saving Faith So that 't is not enough for you to know and believe in a common and general way that Christ was indeed sent of God which will only make you differ from Jews and Heathens but you must so know and so believe it as to receive accept close with rest upon him in a saving manner which will make you differ from all outside and formal Christians Further let it be considered what was God's great design in the sending of Christ 't was this that Sinners believing in him might live So the Gospel tells you over and over * Joh. 3.16 17 God so loved the world that he gave or sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved is not here a strong engagement as well as an high encouragement to believe And it being God's act to send his Son he looks upon Himself as highly concerned according as men carry it towards him therefore saith Christ * Math. 10.40 He that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me * Luk. 10.16 He that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And especially this holds true in
am well pleased and then at his Transfiguration Matth. 17.5 Behold a voice out of the cloud which said This is my beloved Son The Apostle 1 Joh. 5.7 8. speaks of the Witness of Heaven and of Earth There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witness in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one Now what is the thing which they bear witness to 't is Christ's Sonship for that is instanc'd in as to the First and Supream Witness Vers 9. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater For this is the witness of God which he hath testified af his Son You see how fully this Truth is attested and how abundantly God was pleas'd to clear it up in the first promulgation of the Gospel it being the great thing necessary to be known and believed Indeed the Jews as to the Body of them had a vail before their eyes so that they could not discern this near relation of Christ to God they saw the Son of man but they did not see the Son of God they went no higher than * Matth. 13.55 56. Is not this the Carpenters Son is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joses and Simon and Judas and his sisters are they not all with us * Joh. 6.42 Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know how is it then that he saith I came down from heaven Nay when Christ plainly and boldly told them that he was the Son of God they could not bear it Joh. 10.33 For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy and because that thou being a man makest thy self God you may know what they meant by this by Christ's reply Vers 36. Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God Nay they were so offended at it that for this very thing they took away his life Joh. 19.7 The Jews answered him we have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God You have a full account of it Mark 14.61 to 65. Again the High Priest asked him and said unto him Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed And Jesus said I am c. Then the High Priest rent his cloaths and said What need we any further witnesses Ye have heard the blasphemy what think ye and they all condemned him to be guilty of death Thus the eyes of that people were then and O that they were not so still so blinded that they could not perceive Christ to be the Son of God but the Lord hath given sufficient evidence thereof to all who do not willfully shut their eyes upon the light 'T is a Truth out of all question to us who are called Christians yet about the Nature and Manner of Christ's Sonship there are some unhappy Controversies rais'd amongst us 2. Secondly Christ was God's own Son so 't is here signanter God sending hîs own Son I have told you in the Original 't is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of himself or his ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper Son as 't is Vers 32. God is Christ's proper Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 5.18 and Christ here is God's proper Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is not barely a Son but a Son in a special and peculiar manner God's own Son This being a Truth of very high import a most Fundamental Point I will endeavour first to explain and prove it and then to vindicate and make good its true and genuine Notion against Opposers Our Lord Jesus Christ is God's own Son whether you consider him comparatively and relatively I mean How Christ is God's own Son in reference to other Sons or absolutely as he is in Himself abstractly considered from all Other Sons God hath three sorts of Sons By Creation by Grace by Nature 1. Consider him Comparatively And so he is thus stiled to difference or distinguish him from all Other Sons For God hath three sorts of Sons 1. Some are so by Creation or in respect of their immediate Creation by God so the Angels are the Sons of God of whom Divines commonly interpret those passages in Job Chap. 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord Chap. 38.7 When the morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy So Adam upon this account he being immediately made by God is called the Son of God Luke 3.38 2. Some are the Sons of God by Grace viz. the Grace of Regeneration and Adoption thus Believers are the Sons of God as they are spiritually begotten of him and adopted by him Joh. 1.12 13. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God c. which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth c. Gal. 4.3 To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Chrildren by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Then 3. in contradistinction to these there is God's own Son or his Son by Nature one that is a Son of another rank and Order than the former in this respect God hath but One Son namely Christ True Believers are his Sons which speaks the exuberancy of Divine Love towards them * 1 Joh. 3.1 â—â— Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! therefore Christ owns them for his Brethren Heb. 2.11 Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren and Vers 17. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren But yet they are not Sons as Christ is his Sonship and theirs are of a very different nature differing no less than specifically Upon which account he sometimes appropriates the paternal relation in God unto himself Luke 10.22 All things are delivered to me of my Father c. Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions And elsewhere he distinguishes 'twixt God as being his Father and as being the Father of Believers Joh. 20.17 Go to
Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us And their sense and tendency is the same here Therefore also that Holy thing c. as if the Angel had said this being the thing which was foretold which must be accomplished and is now neer to be accomplished therefore it shall so be that which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God So that this Therefore is only a note of Consequence as to the Event or the fulfilling of the Prophesie not a note of causality as to the thing it self viz. Christ's Sonship to God 2. 'T is therefore he shall be called the Son of the most High 't is not therefore he shall be the Son c. but therefore he shall be called c. And so it points not to that which was constitutive of Christ's Filiation but only to that which was * Angelus non dixit quare sit Filius Dei sed quod sit Filius Dei quare fideles ipsum pro Filio Dei sint agnituri Christum autem ab aeterno à Patre esse genitum humanamque Naturam in Unitatem Filii esse assumendam satis indicavit dum dixit quod nascetur ex te Sanctum Filius Dei vocabitur c. Nec tamen hoc vult quod Mariae Filius quâ Mariae Filius est etiam sit Filius Dei sed quod inter alia signa ex quibus Christum Dei Filium esse agnoscatur etiam hoc sit Bisterf contra Crellium lib. 1. sect 2. cap. 31. p. 305. manifestative and declarative of it Christ was God before he assumed Flesh but he was God manifested in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 so Christ was the Son of God before he was thus conceived but this was a great manifestation or declaration that he was the Son of God 'T is true as to us our being †1 Joh. 3.1 called the Sons of God notes our being made the Sons of God but here as to Christ it only notes that he should be declared evidenced acknowledged to be the Son of God he was not now made the Son of God that was done by his eternal Generation only it was now made to appear that he was the Son of God In short the Lord Jesus who was thus miraculously conceived was the very Son of God but as he was thus conceived or because he was thus conceived so he was not the Son of God for of this there was an antecedent foundation that which was of a far more ancient date namely his being begotten of the Father from everlasting The Second False Ground of Christ's Sonship 2. Secondly 't is said that Christ was the Son of God in respect of his Sanctification and Mission Joh. 10.36 Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God Christ being sanctified by the Father that is the Spirit of Grace and Holiness being in so eminent a degree poured out upon him and he being designed and set apart and fitted by God to and for a most high and eminent Office as also he being sent upon a great work for an extraordinary end to redeem and save lost Sinners therefore upon these Grounds and not upon his being eternally begotten of the Father he was God's Son Christ not God's own Son in respect of his Sanctification or Mission Answ More is inferr'd from this Text than what it will bear we may thus far very well argue from it He who was sanctified and sent was undoubtedly the Son of God but if we go further and infer He who was sanctified and sent was therefore the Son of God as if the sanctification and mission were the ground of his being so * Ex loco Joh. 10.36 negamus hoc effici posse Jesum Christum Deum ac Filium Dei unigenitum dici aut esse c. Sanctificatiò Missio quâ Pater Filium Sanctificavit misit in mundum nec Deitaâ—enâ— Filii nec Filiationem fundat sed fundatur in illâ atque illam demonstrat à posteriori Quia ad munus mediatorium sanctificari mitti in mundum non poterat qui non esset co-aeternus co-essentialis Patri miâ—tenti Filius Cloppenb Compend Socin p. 38. we stretch the words too far and endeavour to fetch that out of them which is not at all in them There 's a great difference betwixt the applying of such a relation to such a Person and the assigning of the proper cause and foundation of that relation Christ being sanctified and sent is the Son of God upon these that relation may truly be attributed to him but yet they do not amount to the being the Cause of that relation Christus qui fuit sanctificatus missus est Filius Dei is a Proposition very true but Christus quà fuit sanctificatus missus est Filius Dei as pointing to the fundamentum Filiationis is a Proposition very false and there lies the Controversie betwixt us and our Opponents The words cited have reference to the preceding Verses where Christ is vindicating himself from that blasphemy which the Jews charged him with because he made himself God Vers 33. now this he doth first in a lower way by an Argument drawn from the Title usually given to Men in places of Office and Authority they are called Gods and if so then saith Christ do I blaspheme because I call my self God the Son of God whom God hath sanctified and sent and invested with such high Offices Do not mistake here Christ is not God only in a titular way because of his Office he is so truly properly in respect of his Nature and Essence this he speaks to Vers 30 37 38. but he instances only in his Office in this place and from thence fetches that Argument which was very proper to his present design viz. the vindicating of himself as to the charge of blasphemy Verses 34 35 36. Jesus answered them is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods If he called them Gods unto whom the Word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God Now what is there in this to undermine Christ's eternal Sonship or to make his sanctification and mission the * Hoc non dicit causam suae Filiationis sed praestantiae supra alios unde potiùs queat nuncupari Dei Filius quà m illi Dii Hoornb Socin confut de Christo c. 1. p. 39. ground of his filial relation to God One word further as to the latter of these if Christ was the Son of God before he was sent then his sending did not make him to become the Son of God but so he was for 't is said here in
as may be suitable to his Nature and Relation as he is the infinite God and the eternal only begotten Son of God and what Honour can be high enough for such a Person But more particularly there 's a twofold Honour which you must all give to Christ 1. The Honour of Worship Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth in the first-born into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him God will have his only begotten Son to be worshipped though he be very tender to whom that honour is given Divines do from hence strongly argue yet I know * Remonstr Apolog Cap. 2. 16. Episcop Inst Theolog. lib. 4. sect 2. cap. 34. 35. Some make but little of this Argument to prove the Godhead of Christ thus if religious Worship be God's peculiar if a God be the sole and adaequate object of Divine Worship if no Creature be to share with him therein it being that Glory which he will not give to another Isa 42.8 Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve and yet the Father will have Christ to be the proper Object of divine Worship hence it follows that then he is and must be more than meer Man that he is true and very God And surely it would be no better than flat Idolatry in us Christians to give proper and formal religious worship to Christ was he not truly God as well as truly Man Therefore as to this Franciscus David and Christianus Franken both Socinians were in the right against Socinus if Christ was but meer Man the common Principle in which they all agreed then he could not be worshipped with religious Worship without Idolatry whereupon they would not give any such worship to him And as this Worship proves Christ's Godhead so his Godhead is the * Of this see Zanch. de tribus Elohim l. 3 c. 12. Junius Def. Trinit contra Samosat Profess Leid Cens cap. 16. Voetius de Adorat Christi Cheynel Trin-unity very largely p. 334. c. Dr. Stillingfleet of the Idolatry of the c. chap. 2. p. 112 113 114. ground of it for the adaequate immediate proper ground of Divine Worship as attributed to Christ is his divine Nature Essence and Sonship true he as Man is to be worshipped but not because he is Man the Humane Nature of Christ is the Object of Worship but 't is only as 't is taken into Personal Vnion with the Divine As he is Mediator and set in such an Office he is to be worshipped but this is not the proper and fundamental reason thereof for though he never had been Mediator yet Worship would have been due to him as the Father and Spirit are to be worshipped though the Office of Mediator belongs not to them Further the Lord Jesus as he in our Nature hath done such great and excellent things for us is to be worshipped yet this is only a forcible motive and inducement thereunto not the proper ground of it it remains then that the alone reason of Worship given or done to Christ is his being God and the co-equal co-essential Son of God And he being so what an obligation doth this lay upon you to worship him there 's inward worship consisting in the trust fear reverence adoration of the heart there 's outward worship consisting in attendance upon and due observance of Gospel-institutions as Prayer Hearing the Word c in both of these respects let Christ be worshipped by you both are due to him as he is God's own Son Well may you tender your homage to him in this way when Angels themselves bow before him and worship at his throne 2. Secondly there 's the Honour of Obedience which you must also give to Christ This is annexed to the declaration of his Sonship at the same time in which the Father attested that Christ was his Son he enjoyned obedience and subjection to him * Matth 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased what follows hear ye him this hearing of Christ is the Creatures obeying of him in all his holy Laws Commands and Institutions and so 't is as if God had said here 's a Person whom I own for my Son in a special and peculiar way whom therefore I have set as * Psal 2.6 my King upon my holy Hill of Sion into whose hands I have put †Matth. 28.18 all power upon whose shoulders I have laid the ‖ Isa 9.7 Government therefore I charge you to hear him and to yield all Obedience and Subjection to him O Sirs 't is God himself and not such a poor worm as I who requires this of you it must be Reverence and it must be Obedience too this high relation of Christ calls for both and believe it without this Obedience he that is God's Son will never be your Saviour for Heb. 5.9 Being made perfect he became the author of eternal Salvation unto all them and to none but them that obey him I have spoken much to press believing on this Son upon you but let me add there must be obeying of him as well as believing on him Obedience is not so of the very essence of Faith but that Faith may very well be defin'd without it yet 't is an inseparable Adjunct or Consequent or fruit of Faith and these two do alwayes concur in the Subject though they be different in themselves and have a different influence upon justification and salvation But that which I aim at is this since Christ is the Son of God and this is clearly revealed to you since this Son hath made known to you in the holy Gospel what his Will and pleasure is how he would have you to live what to do what to shun I beseech you now hearken to him comply with him in all his excellent Commands give up your selves in an universal subjection to his blessed Laws let there be an obediential frame of heart to his whole Will this is indeed to honour him and to honour him in such a way as best answers his Sonship to God and his Lordship over you 4. Branch of the Exhortation To adore the Love of God 4. Fourthly is Christ no lower a Person than God's own Son what cause have we then to admire and wonder at the greatness of God's Love in his sending of him Here 's a glass indeed to transmit and represent unto us the Love of God O how shall we get our hearts affected with it what thankfulness in us can bear any proportion to the mercy before us For God to send to send a Son such a Son in such a manner as follows in the words here 's the Wonder of Wonders God never did the like before and hee 'l never do the like again and blessed be his name there is no need he should 'T would have been admirable mercy if God would have sent some other person upon this errand to redeem
some things as 't is plain he was for he knew not the * Vide Najanz Orat. 36. p. 588. precise time of the day of judgment Mark 13.32 as he was God he knew all things so his Vnderstanding was infinite he must therefore have some other Vnderstanding which was but finite in reference to which there might be something which he did not know He also had an humane Will distinct from his Divine Will for what could that Will be which he did submit and subordinate to the Will of his Father but this Luk. 22.42 Nevertheless not my Will but thine be don Then for those Affections which are proper to the Soul 't is clear Christ had them as namely Anger Mar. 3.5 Mar. 10.14 Love Mat. 10.21 Sorrow Mat. 26.38 Luk. 19.41 Fear Heb. 5.7 Joy Luk. 10 21. Joh. 11.15 Pity Mat. 9.36 Mat. 13.32 Now where these three things are most certainly there is a true and real Soul Yet here also our blessed Lord and Saviour is assaulted he hath two Natures which make up his Person his Deity and his Humanity but both of them by several persons are taken away as you heard but now and there are two Essential parts which make up one of his Natures his Manhood viz. Soul and Body but both of these too by several persons are taken away also Marcion divests him of a Body and * See Epiphan vol. 1. p. 743 771. Apollinaris of a Soul the Arrians also are charged with this Heresie these held that Christ had no Soul but that the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. lib. 5 contra Haeres cap. 11. Deity was to him instead of a Soul and supply'd the office thereof that what the Soul is to us and doth in our bodies all that the Divine Nature was to Christ and did in his Body O what light can be clear enough for their Conviction and guidance in the way of truth whom God hath given up to †2 Thes 2.11 strong delusions that they should believe lies Are not the Scriptures clear enough in this matter that Christ had a real Soul what was the subject of his inexpressible sorrow and agonies in the Garden but his Soul Matth. 26.38 My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death c. Joh. 12.27 Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say what did he in special recommend to God when he was breathing out his last gasp but his Soul Luk. 23.46 When Jesus had cryed with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost what was the part affected in his sore desertion when he cry'd out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me surely his Body could not be the immediate subject of a punishment purely spiritual no that must terminate in his spiritual part the Soul By all this it appears then that Christ was as truly God so also truly Man he having a true Body and a true Soul Yet a little further that I may take in the whole truth Of Christ's submitting to the common Adjuncts c. of the Humane Nature and leave out nothing which may tend to the heightning of Christ's incomparable Love and condescension to Sinners he was not barely sent in Flesh so far as the verity of the Humane Nature is concern'd in his assuming the Essential parts thereof but he also submitted to the common accidents adjuncts infirmities miseries calamities which are incident to that Nature He lay so many Weeks and Months in the Virgins womb received nourishment and growth in the ordinary way was brought forth and bred up just as common Infants are ' bating some special respects shown to him to discover the greatness of his Person had his life sustain'd by common food as ours is was hungry thirsty weary poor reproached tempted deserted c. liv'd an afflicted life then dy'd a miserable death was a * Isal 53.3 man of sorrows and acquainted with grief †Phil. 2.7 made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant was made in the likeness of man not only in the taking of their Nature but also in submitting to those abasements and miseries which now that Nature is lyable unto his whole life was a life of sufferings wherein as there was enough in his Holiness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Expos Fidei Miracles to shew him to be God so there was also enough in his meanness poverty sufferings to shew him to be Man In a word he took all our infirmities upon him take it with a double restriction 1. To all our †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen de Orthod Fid. l. 3. c. 20. sinless infirmities such as are culpable and carry sin in them they must be excepted for though he was made like to us in all things yet without sin Heb. 4.15 2. To all our Natural infirmities as to personal infirmities such as are proper to this and that Person as blindness deafness lameness c. these Christ did not put himself under for he did not assume this or that Person but the Nature in common and therefore was not lyable to the particular infirmities of Individuums How the Humane Nature in Christ and in us differs but only to those which properly belonged to the common Nature I would carry this a little higher though I have said so much concerning the reality and sameness of Christ's Humane Nature with ours yet you are not in all respects to equalize that Nature as 't is in him and as 't is in us for Substance and Essence 't is one and the same in both yet in other considerations there 's a great disparity for 1. The Humane Nature is solely and singly in us in Christ 't is conjunctly with the Divine 2. We have it in the way of common and ordinary generation Christ had it in a special and extraordinary way 3. 'T is tainted and defil'd in us in Christ 't is perfectly pure and holy 4. In us it hath its proper subsistence in Christ it subsists only in his Godhead Thus I have shewn what this sending of Christ in the Flesh is and what it imports viz. the truth of his Incarnation of his Body and his assumption of the whole entire and perfect Nature of Man and also as the several Heads fell in my way I have out of the Word given you the proof of them I say out of the Word for these Mysteries are only to be known and believed upon the light and authority thereof if it asserts them that certainly must be sufficient to command the belief of Christians who profess in all things to make the Scriptures to be the Rule of their Faith And as to the credibility of Christ's incarnation from rational Considerations in subserviency to and grounded upon Gospel-revelation sundry * Tertull. de Carne Christi Deo nihil impossibile nisi quod non vult
What this sending of Christ was not Page 289 What it was opened in Five things Page 290 How this was consistent with his equality with his Father explained Page 294 The Grounds of Christ's being sent Page 296 The Love of Father and Son to be adored upon this Page 302 c. All are to go when they are sent not before Page 307 None to rest in the external sending of Christ Page 309 Christ as sent to be believed on Page 310 Comforts from Christ's being sent Page 313 None free from Sin here Page 8 Sin a vile and base thing Page 190 The Tyranny of it Page 192 Its advantages against us Page 232 It hath not barely a Being but too great a power even in the Regenerate Page 203 The special and most prevailing Sin must be most resisted Page 222 Christ's Death the highest Demonstration of the Evil of Sin Page 541 What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 Of the breaking of the Heart for and from Sin upon Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 546 SOCINIANS dealt with and these great Truths made good against them 1. That Christ did praeexist before he was born of the Virgin Page 284 2. That Christ was the Son of God not in respect of the things which they alledge Seven of which are instanc'd in and largely refuted but in respect of his eternal Generation Page 323 c. 3. That he who was antecedently the Son of God was in time made the Son of Man or was incarnate Page 393 c. 4. That Christ was a true and proper Expiatory Sacrifice and the true notion of his Expiation is made good gainst them Page 481 c. 5. That he made Satisfaction to the Justice of God Page 515 6. The principal Ends of Christ's Death are asserted and their Ends thereof proved not to be the principal Page 517 c. 7. That Christ is truly and Essentially God Page 349 Sons of God by Creation by Grace by Nature Page 321 Christ God's Son Page 319 Scripture attestations of it Page 319 c. Christ God's own Son Page 321 That opened Comparatively and Absolutely ibid. His bâ—ing the Natural Son of God Co-equal Co-essential Co-eternal with the Father begotten of him by eternal Generation is explained proved and largely vindicated against Opposers Page 323 c. He is not God's own Son partly in respect of eternal Generation and partly in respect of his miraculous Conception c. Page 345 c. Of the different communications of the Divine Essence from the Father to the Son and to the Spirit Page 348 Christ's Godhead inferr'd from his Sonship Page 349 How Christ's Sonship is to be studyed Page 354 c. All are to believe Christ to be the Son of God and to believe on him as such Page 358 How he is to be Honoured as the Son of God Page 363 What Comfort doth arise from Christ's Sonship Page 368 How the Spirit is the Spirit of Life Page 162 How 't is said to be in Christ Jesus Page 161 He is the Spirit of Life Formally Page 162 Effectively Page 163 c. What is meant by the Law of the Spirit Page 158 His making free from the Law of Sin opened Page 228 Of the Necessity Sufficiency Efficacy of the Spirits Power and Operation in that Page 230 c. The Spirit the sole Efficient therein Page 243 How he secures against the Law of Sin after Conversion Page 240 Deliverance from Sins power is to be expected from this Spirit and to be ascribed to him Page 244 c. Of the Spirits greatness and glory Page 241 He is greatly to be honoured Page 247 How the Spirit may be obtain'd Page 70 The Spirit taken Personally and Habitually Page 104 What it is to Walk after the Spirit Vide Walking Of Christ's Substituting himself in the Sinners stead Page 483 The true Nature and Ends of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Page 528 c. Christ sympathizes with his Members Page 80 T. The Tabernacle a Type of Christ's Body Page 389 Of the Distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity Page â—87 Great relief under Troubles of Coâ—â—ence from Christ's Incarnation Page 513 U. How Sin reigns in the Understanding Page 181 How the Spirit works on the Understanding in order to freeing from the Law of Sin Page 236 Of the Union Of Three Persons in one Nature Of two Natures in one Person Of Persons where yet both Natures and Persons are distinct Page 44 Of the Hypostatical Union Page 399 Of the Sublimeness and Mysteriousness of it Page 400 Opened in Four things Page 401 c. The Mystical Union opened Page 42 c. That also is a great Mystery Page 43 Of the threefold Union 'twixt Christ and Believers Mystical Page 48 Legal Page 48 Moral Page 48 The Bonds of the former the Spirit and Faith Page 49 Several Scripture-Resemblances by which 't is set forth Page 52 c. Six Properties of it Page 54 c. How Persons may know whether they be under it Page 60 Of Natural and Spiritual Union with Christ ibid. Of External or Common and Internal or Special Union Page 61 Sinners exhorted to labour after this Union Page 68 How it may be attained Page 70 Without Union no Communion Page 69 Several Duties urged upon such who are united to Christ Page 72 c. Several Comforts directed to such Page 78 c. The Mystical Union made credible by Christ's Incarnation Page 444 W. Of Walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Page 88 Why the Apostle pitches upon this Evidence Page 90 Spiritual Walking not the Cause of the Priviledge but the Property of the Person to whom it belongs Page 93 The contrariety of the Two Walkings Page 95 Men must be in Christ before they can live the Spiritual Life Page 96 There alwayes was and alwayes will be different Walkers ibid. What it is to Walk after the Flesh opened Page 97 103 c. Walking in the Flesh taken in a good sense Page 98 Of the more gross and the more close Walking after the Flesh Page 120 Men dehorted from Fleshly Walking Page 121 c. The Dehortation enforced with diverse Motives Page 122 c. Directions in order to it page 129 c. What it is to Walk after the Spirit Page 104 106 Opened by the Spiritualness of the Principle Page 106 c. Guide Page 106 c. Affections Page 106 c. Propensions Page 106 c. Ends Page 106 c. All in Christ thus Walk Proved Page 112 This Walking Excellent Page 132 c. Pleasant Page 132 c. Saving Page 132 c. Spiritual Walkers are To be very thankful Page 136 To be yet more Spiritual Page 137 To take the Comfort of it Some Discouragements about it removed Page 139 The Will is the principal Seat of Sins Power Page 181 How the Spirit works upon the Will efficaciously yet without the infringing of its Liberty Page 238 Reader In the drawing up of this Index many things occasionally spoken unto have slipped me but thou wilt find them under those main Heads which I chiefly insist upon to each of which thou art here directed FINIS
and therefore not to be neglected In things of this nature men are very prone to run themselves upon one of these two rocks either they rest upon the means not looking up to the Spirit or they cast off the means casting all upon the Spirit * Quosdam nimia voluntatis suae fiducia extulit in superbiam quosdam nimia voluntatis suae diffidentia dejecit in negligentiam Illi dicunt quid rogamus Deum ne vincamur tentatione quod in nostrâ est potestate isti quid conamur benè vivere quod in Dei est potestate ô Domine ô Pater qui es in Coelis ne nos inferas in quamlibet istarum tentationum sed libera nos à malo August Agendae gratiae sunt quia data est potestas orandum ne succumbat infirmitas Bradw l. 2. c. 4. p. 473. either they are proud and can do all without God or dejected and slothful so as that God must and shall do all without them both of which are most dangerous mistakes You have heard that 't is the Spirits sole Act to free from Sins power that you your selves and all Causes and Means whatsoever are utterly unable to produce this effect what now will you draw from hence what that you have nothing to do that 't is a vain thing for you to use any endeavour on your part or to attend upon any means for 't is God and his Spirit that must do all ô pray do not so argue you 'l erre most perniciously if you do The Spirits sole efficiency as to the formal production of the act is very well consistent with the Creatures endeavours he indeed doth the thing yet he 'l have the Creature do what he can in order to it he doth all in us and for us yet he 'l do nothing without us therefore the confidence must be on him but yet diligence is requir'd of us 'T is the warmth and influences of the Sun which make the fruits of the earth to grow yet the Husbandman must plow the ground and sow his seed 't was the Angel stirring the waters that wrought the cure yet the poor Cripples were to lie by the pool side which allusion was before made use of upon this account and thus 't is here So then as to that which I am upon unquestionably 't is the power of the Spirit which alone frees from the power of Sin but yet you in your sphere are to be active and to do what in you lies in order to this very thing as namely you are to attend upon the Word the several Ordinances in and by which the Spirit works to read the Scriptures to be much in consideration of the evil of Sin and the sad effects of its dominion not to do any thing that may tend to the strengthening of its power by abstinence fasting c. to keep it under where it vents it self in some bodily lusts c. And in the doing of these things with all faithfulness and diligence you may with the greater confidence expect that the Spirit will exert his power for the real and thorough delivering of you from the Law of Sin 2. Such a◠are freed c. are to ascribe all to the Spirit 2. The Second word of advice is this Let such who are made free from this Law of Sin own the Spirit of Life as the author of their freedom and ascribe the glory of it to him Is this done for any of you you are infinitely engaged to God and to his Spirit How high should you be in the admiring of him how humble in the ascribing of all to him how should you evermore be crying out Not unto us ô Lord and Spirit not unto us nor unto any thing in all the World besides but unto thy name be all the glory Assuredly if this Spirit had not effected this liberty for you you had been to this day as much under Sins bondage as you your selves ever were or as any others yet are you may take the comfort but God must have the sole glory of it The Apostle praid for the Romans that God would fill them with all joy and peace in believing that they might abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 't is this power of the holy Ghost that hath done your work keep your eye there Acts 3.12 Why look ye so earnestly on us saith Peter as though by our own power we had made this man to walk possibly God was pleas'd to make use of such instruments in order to your spiritual rescue but why is your eye so much upon them as though they had done it by any power of their own no 't was not so all was done in the power of God We poor Ministers must say We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 and all other things whatsoever must say the same But is nothing to be ascrib'd to a mans self to the actings and determination of his own will to the improvement of his natural abilities is it not enough to ascribe part yea the better part to the Spirit but some part to the Creature ô this we like dearly to divide 'twixt God and our selves to share with him in part of the glory due upon his special grace (a) Aqnin 1.2 Quaest 109. A. 6 7 Syn. Trid. Sess 6. c. 2. Can. 3. Bellar. de Lib Arb. l. 6. c. 15. Remonst in Acta Syn. p. 1. p. 64. Armin. Declar. Sent. p. 98. in Ep ad Hip. Addo illum doctorem mihi maxime placere qui Gratiae quam plurimum tribuit c. Some seem highly to cry up the grace of God and very much to assert the impotency of Nature and yet in after-positions and distinctions the Creature must come in for a part may be God shall have the (b) J. G. Red. red in Praef. nine hundred ninety ninth proportion but the thousandth part man himself must have which if it be granted to him in a little time he 'l put in for more till at last it come to this man did all and God did nothing 'T is safest and best to ascribe all to God 't was a good speech of (c) Non est devotionis dedisse prope totum sod fraudis retinuisle vel minimum Contra Collat. c. ult Saints further exhorted Prosper 'T is not devotion to give almost all to God but 't is dishonesty to keep the very least part from him the all is not too much to be attributed to him the least is too much to be attributed to the Creature 1. I cannot confine my advice to Gods people to this only Head three things further I would say to them and I have done 1 To love and honour the Spirit You are greatly to love and honour the Spirit This you do or ought to do to the Father to the Son pray do the same to
the Spirit He 's the great agent in your Regeneration deliverance from Sins Soveraignty illumination conviction turning to God believing mortification c. from him your light life strength liberty joy peace do all proceed why do you not more love and honour the Spirit O love the Son for what hath been done without but love the Spirit also for what he hath done within the whole management of Soul-work within in order to salvation now lies upon the hands of the Spirit let him be adored and honoured by all Saints 2 To live under the Law of the Spirit As you have found the Law of the Spirit in your first Conversion so you should live under the Law of the Spirit in your whole Conversation There is the power of the Spirit at the first saving work that is here spoken of and there is in what sense you have heard the continuation of it in the whole life now this you are to labour after I mean two things 1. you are to live under the constant influences 2. under the constant government and rule of the Spirit Blessed is the man that hath it always working in him and ruling of him what a life doth he live who ever lives under the Spirits authoritative guidance Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts c. I and let the Spirit of peace rule in your hearts 'T is a great motive to men to come under the rule of Christ to consider that where he rules there he saves and 't is also a great motive to sanctified persons to live under the rule of the Spirit to consider where he rules there he comforts his governing and his comforting go together he that is acted by the Spirits command and yields up himself to the Spirits guidance shall neither want peace here nor come short of Heaven hereafter 3 To set Law against Law Set Law against Law the Law of the Spirit against the Law of Sin You yet find too much of this latter Law and it goes to the heart of you that Sin should yet have so great a power over you well what have you to do in this case why set Law against Law power against power the power of the Spirit against the power of Sin this should humble you that should support you That power which could baffle Sin when in its full strength can it not subdue it in the remainders thereof that power which could bring you in to God in spite of all opposition is it not sufficient to keep you now you are brought in to God 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation that very power is put forth for your establishment now which was put forth for your Conversion at the first ô fear not the Law of Sin against you so long as the Law of the Spirit is for you When you are beset and enemies press hard upon you see that you improve both for duty and comfort this power of Gods own Spirit Thus I have finish'd the three Observations which take in the summe of this Verse Rom. 8.2 Reader the Contents of this Chapter were insisted upon only in the close of a Sermon I having under the former Head the Law of Sin exceeded the bounds allowed by the Press cannot upon this Head the Law of Death make any considerable enlargement From the Law of Sin and Death CHAP. VIII Of the Law of Death The connexion 'twixt Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death Regenerate persons are made free from this Law that opened with respect to Death temporal and Death eternal Vse 1. Men persuaded to believe that Sin and Death go together dehorted from thence not to sin Vse 2. Of the happiness of Gods people Of the Law of Death THe Apostle here sets a twofold Law before us the Law of Sin and the Law of Death the former I have been large upon the latter I must dispatch in a few words And Death The word Law is not repeated but according to that interpretation which some put upon the Words 't is to be * Ut Lex ad utrumque ex aequo referatur Erasm Of the twofold Sense of the Words repeated 't is the Law of Sin and 't is the Law of Death too as if the Apostle had said The Law c. hath made me free both from the Law of Sin and also from the Law of Death In the * See pag. 152. opening of them I told you there is a twofold Sense given of them 1. Some tell us there is in them the Figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein one thing is set forth by two words therefore they render this and Death as being onely an Adjective or Epethite of Sin thus the Law c. from the Law of Sin and Death that is from deadly Sin or from the Law of Sin which is of a deadly nature 2. Others take the word substantivè making the Law of Death to be a Law by it self as well as the Law of Sin as if this Death was not to be melted into Sin and the deliverance from it into the deliverance from Sin but that they are distinct things and point to distinct deliverances Now both of these Senses are very true and good and indeed I know not which to prefer From the First The Matter contained in them one single point offers it self to us viz. That Sin is a deadly thing From the Second these three which mutatis mutandis perfectly answer to the three former under the Law of Sin 1. That men by Nature and before Regeneration are under the Law of Death 2. That upon Regeneration or such as are Regenerate are made free from the Law of Death 3. That 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Death The due handling of these Heads would take up a great deal of time but I having already staid too long upon this Verse and upon some other Considerations I am necessitated to contract and therefore for the better shortning of the work I must pitch upon another method wherein I may draw all into a narrow compass Three things abserv'd in the Words That Sin and Death go together Three things onely shall be observ'd 1. That Sin and Death go hand in hand together There 's an inseperable connexion or conjunction betwixt them they come here in the Text very near each to the other there 's but an and betwixt them and that too is copulative the Law of Sin and Death And well might the Apostle put them together when God himself in the methods of his Justice and in the threatning of his Law hath so put them together and surely what he hath so joyn'd no man can put asunder When Sin came into the world Death came along with it the one trod upon the heels of the other if man will sin he shall