11. Sect 4. Arg. 4 The fourth Argument may be drawne from the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Assumption of our Humane nature into the same personal union of the Son of God the Humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is onely that small bit lump portion of mans nature in general which God according to his eternal decree purpose before all time Eph 1.11 3.11 And promise and performance in time Gen 3.15 Esay 9.6 Joh 1.14 Galat 4.4 did vouchsafe and condescend in free grace and mercy to assume and take unto himself and so to become married thereunto in the unitie of the same person unto all eternitie Surely this is the summe and sense of these promises Gen 3.15 The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head And Hos 2.19 saith the Lord I will betroth thee unto mee for ever yea I will betroth thee unto mee in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies which gracious and most precious promises though made by God to his elect in Christ and are in an inferior secondary and subordinate degree and measure â—â—lfilled and discharged in all and each and every one of them for not one of them but in due time by Christs grace shall tread down Satan under his feet Rom 16.20 not one of them but is betrothed and espoused to Christ in righteousness for ever yet howsoever primarily and in the first place are they principally and completely fulfilled in Christ himself in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen For he is that in the primest sense according to the Apostles exposition Gal 3.16 the seed of the woman that doth bruise and batter the serpents head and thorough death destroy him that had the power of death that is to say the Devil His flesh his blood his humane nature it is in the first highest and sublimest sense that is betrothed and espoused unto the Lord in righteousness for ever and in him was this promise chiefly and principally fulfilled when God was manifested in the flesh when the word was made flesh and dwelt among us Joh 1.14 This is the sense and meaning of that soul-gladding expression and promise Esay 9 6. Unto us a child is borne unto us a Son is given c. In which words the holy Spirit joynes and marries God and man together in the unitie of the same person to all eternity for what is this child that is borne but the man Christ Jesus And what is this Son that is given but the eternall Son of God Who so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh 6.16 The same is the sense and meaning of that expression of wisdome it self Prov 9 1. Wisdome hath built her a house c Who or what is this wisdome But the eternal Son of God himself Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor 1.24 And what is this house that is built but his humane body even the same of which Christ by his eternal spirit speakes unto his Heavenly father Psal 40. according to the translation of the 70. A body hast thou prepared me The same of which he speaketh to the Jewes in another place Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will build it up Joh 2.19 This is that holy house that divine and Heavenly Temple So Christ and his Disciples call it Joh 2.19 25. In which dwelleth all the fulness of the Goahead bodily Colos 2.9 The sacred rendevous or meeting place wherein God and man meet together to hold an enterparle and treaty after a long and mortal enmity and hostilitie and to conclude both to the glory of God and joy of men and Angels an everlasting peace That holy and heavenly Herald St Paul thus trumpeteth out and proclaimeth to the world that agreement and reconciliation 2 Cor 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself In this personal union God shews himself to be reconciled to our Humane nature takes upon him to renew it by deriving his righteousness and holiness through the humane nature of Christ as through a channel or pipe of conveiance to as many of the sin-sick sons of Adam as he endues with true faith to receive it The Humane nature of Christ is that little leaven that leaveneth the whole masse and lump of all true believers by meanes of that is he made to us of God wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor 1. ult To redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a pâ—â—uliar people zealous of good workes Tit 2.14 For if the râ—ot be holy so are the branches and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one saith the Apostle Heb 2.11 And the same Apostle saith Colos 1.19 That it pleased the Father that in Christ all fulness should dwell And another That of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Job 1.16 Now then if the flesh and blood of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was the first of all other that the eternal Son of God vouchsafed and condescended to betroth and espouse to himself in righteousness and true holiness for which cause that holy thing that was borne of the Virgin was called the Son of God Luk 1.35 Shall we think that the same flesh and blood being thus gloriously deck't and trim'd with the robes of most full and perfect righteousness and holiness as the bride fitted and prepared for the bridegroome after it had finished it's course here on earth was not first of all others led home by the bridegroom the eternal Son of God to his own Fathers house so to enter into the Kings pallace Ps 45.15 and to be made partakers of his glory even his own glory Luk 24.26 which he had with the Father before the world was Job 17.5 especially since Christ himself so plainly avoucheth and declareth That no man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came downe from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven Joh. 3.13 The summe of this Argument may be recollected and rendred in this Enthymeme Christ's humane body was the first that had the grace honour of Assumption and personal union into the Divine nature and therefore it alone had the first honour and dignity of evection and exaltâ—tion unto glory Arg. 5 A fifth Argument is afforded us from those places of Scripture wherein the Apostle calls Christ the head of the Church Eph 1.22 And hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church that we may grow up in him in all things which is the head even Christ Eph 4.15 Christ is the head of the body Coloss 1.18 Now I suppose there is no man so headless so sensless so sottish but that he very well knoweth and understandeth where the site the place the position of the head in the body naturall
end for which he came with all other circumstances belonging to his manifestation The last of all the Prophets and that by Christ's own witnesse Math 11.13 was John the Baptist who immediately before his coming going before the face of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare his way preacht unto the people the doctrine of repentance and remission of sins saying repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand After the voice of this Crier immediately followed the eternall word of the Father in his own person clothed with flesh and blood to preach redemption to his people And here was the full performance of God's long promise now then to sit down and rest and breath a little after a long ramble and chase peradventure some may say quest Quorsum isthaec tam longo repetita circuitu What meanes this long narration of God's most mercisul dispensation to his Church in putting it in minde some way or other in all ages and generations of the promised Messias sol Answ That the necessity might the better appeare why the Father sent the servants in the first place before his son personally appeared in the last to gather his Saints together and to raise his Kingdome of grace these he did for these Reasons Reason 1 First for the better calling to mind and keeping his promise in perpetual remembrance For since from the first going forth of the promise and the performance thereof in the fulnesse of time by the incarnation and nativitie of the Son of God so great a Chasme and interval of time did intercede as the space and length of almost 4000. yeares according to the computation and account of Beroaldus had not God some way or other as saith Paul Heb 1.1 either by visions and revelations tradition Types and Figures Prophesies and Predictions of his servants the Prophets successively sent in all ages continually call'd his promise to remembrance and preserved and kept it fresh in the minds of his people in all reason his promise in so long a tract and duration of time would have been forgotten and the whole world have fell into a general and universal atheisme and apostacie faith unfeigned in the Lord Jesus Christ and in him alone being the undoubted and infallible ground worke and foundation of true and sound religion towards God so saith Christ to his heavenly Father And this is life eternal to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Joh 17.3 Reason 2 Secondly he did it for the strengthning the faith of all true believers which else through the weaknesse and infirmitie of the flesh had been apt every moment to faile had not God in all ages from the creation downward by some means and messenger or other still renewed and refresht his promise to his Church I say from the issuing forth of the first promise concerning the Messias from God in Paradise to the performance thereof there being so long a tract and continuation of time as the space of almost 4000 years had not God continually seconded and backt his first promise with fresh and new promises to his Church in all ages the faith of God's children had bin apt yea very apt to faile and not without cause might they have cried out and complained with David Psal 69.3 Mine eies faile while I wait for my God and 119.82 Mine eies faile for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort mee and 119.123 Mine eies faile for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousnesse And as he doth Psal 77.7 8. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore And for this cause God made the Saints of all ages as Saint Paul saith Heb 6.12 thorough faith and patience to inherit the promise both of the coming and incarnation of the Son of God that so both they and we might be made one Christ as saith Paul having broken down the middle wall of partition between us Ephes 2.14 And so as Saint Peter All of us be saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Act 15.11 We by faith in Christ that is come they by the same faith in Christ that was to come Reason 3 Thirdly this he did to whet and sharpen the desires and heighten the hope and expectation of his servants The wise Solomon yeelds us a most excellent saying to this purpose Prov 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life In which golden Text hope is set for the thing hoped for as it is likewise Heb 6.18 And this hope defer'd and delai'd saith Solomon maketh the heart sick that is to sigh and groan earnestly with desire and love and longing after the thing hoped for Thus the Apostle Saint Paul by a most elegant prosopopoeia Rom 8.21 22. maketh the whole creature the whole creation to groan and travel in pain together to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the Sons of God Thus the Church grew sick with desire and longing she had after Christ Cantic 2.5 and 5.8 Thus Jacob waited for the Lords salvation Gen 49.18 And David longed for it Psal 119.174 And his soule panted and thirsted after God with as much vehemencie and ardencie of desire as the Hart panted after the water brooks Psal 42.1 2. Thus the Prophet Esay maketh the Church to sigh and groan after the company and fellowship of Christ Chap 26.8 9. In the way of thy Judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within mee will I seek thee early c Thus Simeon earnestly looked and longed for him and all the Saints likewise that looked for redemption in Jerusalem Luk 2.38 And after the same manner the Apostles both Saint Paul Saint John make the whole Church to long after the comeing of Christ and the restitution of all things 2 Con 5.2 Apoc 22.17 18 20. This I say is the third Reason why the great Lord both of Heaven and earth sent so many of his servants in the first place before he sent his only Son that so the world being continually informed by the servants and messengers that went before concerning the comeing of their Lord Master that was to follow after the hearts of all true believers might be enflamed with the desire of him and long to see that day wherein Christ Jesus the desire of all Nations as Haggai calls him Chap 2.7 should come as the sick patient thinks every hour two till the Physitian comes who he believes will recover him and at his coming receive him the more joyfully and glorifie the Lord the more thankfully for that long lookt for was at last come and their eies with Simeon had seen the
And Christ a little before his passion Resurrection and Ascention told his disciples that he went to prepare a place for them Joh. 14.20 Arg. 2 A second Argument I draw from those words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.20 where he calls Christ the first fruits of those that slept But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep In which words the Apostle assures us of three things First that Christ is risen from the dead of that there is no doubt Secondly that he is first risen from the dead Thirdly that the resurrection of Christ the head is the sure pledge and in fallible earnest of the resurrection of all his members for which cause he calls him the first fruits of those that slept understand those latter words onely of all true believers for here the Apostle alludeth to the first fruits of the earth that the people did offer unto the Lord in the time of the Leviticall Law which were blessed and priviledged with a double property and qualification First Of presentation Secondly of Sanctification first to be offer'd of all other secondly to sacrifice all the other fruits of the Harvest Christ I say is the first fruits of all believers in two respects First in respect of his resurrection for that he is the first that ever perfecty and fully rose from the dead as the first fruits as I conceive were those that were rathest and soonest ripe for is est primus ante quem nullus He must needs be the first in order before whom there is not another saith Tertullian li. de carne Christi So saith Paul 1 Cor. 15.23 Christ is the first fruits and after they that are Christs at his coming In this respect the Apostle calls him the first borne from the dead Col. 1.18 And the first borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 Object If it be here objected that Elias raised the widow of Zarephtha's son to life and Elisha the Sunamites son from the dead And that his dead bones quickned and raised a dead man that touched them to life 2 King 13.21 which caused the wise Syracides to give this encomium and applause of him that after his death his body prophesied Ecclus. 48.13 and therefore Christ was not the first that rose from the dead Answ As before by way of occupation and prevention that Christ was the first that fully and perfectly rose from death to life first because he alone rose by his own power Having loosed the paines of death for that it was impossible that he should be holden of it as saith Saint Peter Act. 2.24 And Paul likewise saith Rom. 1.4 That Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead whereas the former instanced examples did not Secondly for that he alone rose victoriously and triumphantly over the dead as a man quite freed and disengaged from it never againe to returne to it nor to its bondage and captivitie so saith Paul of Christ's conflict with death He led Captivity Captive Eph 4.8 And againe Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more Dominion over him Rom 6.9 And Christ himselfe Apoc 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I live for evermore Whereas the former parties though they rose from death to life yet was it not to an immortal but a mortal life a life subject still to the bondage of corruption and consequently lyable to the law of death to return again to the place from whence they came viz the dark chambers and receptacles of death at the terme and end of life as a prisoner may be special dispensation part out of prison for a while having his keeper with him to return and bring him back thither again at pleasure and in due time And this Doctrine is strengthened with the opinion and suffrage of the Author that beares the name of Justine Martyr Quaest Respons ad Orthodoxos quaest 85. Justine Martyr's worke it is not as plainly appeares by the very next question wherein he cites Origen that lived 80. yeares after him for thus he speaketh very peremptorily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never was there any resurrection of any man to an immortal and incorruptible life besides our Saviour Jesus Christ for which cause he is called the first begotten of the dead and the first fruits of those that slept And this is the first reason or respect why Christ is termed the first fruits I say in respect of his Resurrection But secondly which makes more to my purpose Christ is called the first fruits in respect of is Ascention and entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven wherein he bears proportion and directly answers to the first fruits of the Levitical Law for as the first fruits as I conceive were so called not only for that they were some of the rath-ripes of the Crop Ex. 22.29 23.19 for of all living creatures also every first borne That which first opened the matrix was holy unto the Lord Exod 13.2 22.29 but also for that they had the prerogative and preeminence of presentation being first of all others presented and offered unto the Lord in the Tabernacle being both the representation and sanctification of the whole crop Rom 11.16 So Christ likewise is the first fruits of all true beleevers not only in respect of his resurrection being the first borne from the dead Colos 1.18 but also in respect of his Ascention and entrance into Heaven Typified by the earthly Tabernacle whither as our Captain Heb 2.10 Surety Heb 7.22 Fore-runner Heb 6.20 He is entred to appeare in the presence of God for us and to make intercession to God for us Heb 9.24 Rom 8.434 That so being made pertakers of his holiness here Heb 12.10 we may be partakers of his glory herafter This is that which Christ made intercession for to his Heavenly Father in our behalfe whiles he was here on earth Father I will that they also whom thou hast given mee be with mee where I am that they may behold my Glory Joh 17.24 And this is no more then reason that he who first and alone rose victoriously over death should first of all enter triumphantly into life as the Apostle saith Ephes 4.9 10. He that Ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens And v. 8. the Apostle plainly proveth from Ps 68.18 That the ground and cause that Christ first of all men entred into Heaven was for that he first of all men triumphed over death And led Captivity Captive And no doubt to be made but that the Psalmist by the spirit of prophesie pointed at the glorious resurrection and ascention of Christ when he said God is ascended up on high with a shout the Lord with a sound of a
Trumpet Psal 47.5 The summe of this Argument may be given in these few words That which befell the first fruits in relation to the earthly Tabernacle befell Christ in relation to the Heavenly for this cause the Apostle calls Christ the first fruits but the first fruits of all other were first presented and offered before the Lord in the Terrestriall Tabernacle therefore Christ of all men first entred and appeared before the Lord in the Coelestiall Arg. 3 A third Argument may be taken from the Priesthood of Christ and the collation and comparison of Christ with the High Priest of the Leviticall Law Christ is the High Priest of all believers so we believe and so the Apostle teacheth us all along his golden Epistle to the Hebrews Now as touching the properties and duties of the High Priest the Apostle plainly tells us Heb 5.1 2. That every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himselfe also is compassed with infirmities In which Text the Apostle as we may â—bserve sets down five proper Attributes of every-high Priest all which i a most excellent measure and after a most excellent manner are in our High Priests the Lord Jesus Christ 1. The High Priest was a man chosen from among men so is Christ the most perfect man that ever was 2ly He was to Act and deale with God as an Agent in the behalf of men so doth Christ There is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Jesus Christ 1 Tim 2.5 3ly He was to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for sins so doth Christ and as the Apostle makes the comparison Heb 9.13 14. If the blood of buls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who thorough the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God 4ly Every High Priest must be such an one that could have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way Such an one is Christ Heb 4.15 We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin 5ly He must be lawfully called and ordained for no man taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So Christ saith our Apostle glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee as he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedecb Heb 5.5.6 Now whereas the duties and offices of the High Priest were many and divers as first to pray for the people Secondly to offer sacrifice for sins Thirdly to carry the blood of the beasts that were sacrificed into into the Holy place And fourthly and lastly there to make intercession for the people Know and understand that some of these offices he did fulfill and discharge without the Sanctuary and some within the Sanctuary The offices which he did perform without the Sanctuary were two first to pray for the people Secondly to offer Sacrifice for their sins The offices which he did performe within the Sanctuary were likwise two First to take and carry the blood of the slain Sacrifice into the holy place and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat Levit 16 14. And secondly to make intercession for the people Even the like for all the world was done and performed by Jesus Christ our High Priest who was Typified and prefigured by the High Priest of the Levitical Law some parts of his Priesthood he did and performed on earth without the vail without the Heavenly Sanctuary First as our High Priest he prayed for us And in the daies of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 And Joh 17. before his last Passeover and passion and likewise in the garden of Gethsemene and upon the Crosse before his death and departure out of this world 2ly After this prayer for us he offered up himselfe a sacrifice for us on the Crosse Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us saith the Apostle 1 Cor 5.7 which sacrifice being once done performed and as Christ said Finished at his death the third day did he rise againe ascend and enter into the most holy place even the Heaven of Heavens perpetually â—resenting to his Holy and Heavenly Father the merit and value of his owne blood and bloody passion on our behalfe and perpetually appearing in the sight of God and making intercession for us The summe of this Argument may be rendred in these few words There is an infallible and undeniable Analogie and Correspondence betwixt the High Priest of the Leviticall Law and our Lord and dear Saviour Jesus Christ as the Apostle declareth at large in his Epistle to the Hebrewes and specially in the 5 7 8 9. Chapters But the High Priest of the Levitical Law only and but once a year first of all and insteed of all after he had ended his Sacrifice without entred with the blood thereof within the vaile to sprinkle it before the Mercy-seat and to make Intercession and Attonement for the people Exod. 30.10 whereas the people stood without Luk 1.10 And therefore I conclude That our High Priest our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ after he had once finished his bitter and bloody passion and death here on earth rose againe ascended up on high and first of all and insteed of all his elect in his Humane body intred into Heaven to present the merit of his death and passion to his Heavenly Father in our behalfe and as the Apostle saith Heb 1.3 Sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high there perpetually to make intercession for them Rom 8.34 and Heb 7.25 And this well agreeth with that ancient and excellent saying of St Ambrose in his Commentary on the 39. Psalme where he saith what is so proper to Christ as to stand by God the Father for an Advocate for the people And that of St Austin likewise pointing more to the present purpose on Psame 64. where he saith Christ is the Priest who being now entred into the vail alone there of them that have been partakers of flâ—sh doth make intercession for us In figure of which thing in that first people and in that first Temple the Priests only did enter into the Holy of Holies and the people stood without This likewise is the opinion and assertion of that famous Divine learned and religious Fulk who saith that Christ was the first that in his whole Humanity ascended into Heaven Annotat in Apoc