possessing one and the same Nature the one is suppos'd to have done what the other did Proceed we to the seventh Chapter where we meet with an Emphatical Proof of the Eternity of Christ The Apostle there teacheth us that Melchisedec is the true Portraiture of our Lord in this Type I find a King of righteousness and of Peace and so far the Resemblance is exact for we know that Righteousness and Peace kiss and embrace each other in the Original But consider we those other Lineaments that compose the Type He was without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life This according to the Letter cannot be said of any Man if Melchisedec was a Man he had Father Mother Descent beginning of Days and end of Life but nothing of all this is found in the Scripture where not the least mention is made of the Family nor of the Birth nor of the Death of Melchisedec which is very strange forasmuch as the Holy Ghost hath given us the Genealogy of many Persons much less considerable how comes it to pass that it hath neglected to give us these particulars concerning the great Melchisedec Why the reason is plain his Design was to represent to us a Portraiture that might resemble our Lord Being made like the Son of God saith our Author The Holy Ghost on purpose suppresseth the Birth and Death of Melchisedec to the end that this Illustrious Unknown might the better represent the Eternity of the Son of God who is without beginning of days as he is without end of life In the 9th Chapter we find a new Proof of the Eternity of our Saviour Heb. 9.14 It is said that Christ through the eternal spirit offered himself to God What is this Eternal Spirit here mention'd It is not the Soul of our Lord that is now here called the Eternal Spirit Besides the Soul of our Lord was a part of the Sacrifice it self whereas the words speak of the Nature that offers and not of that which is offer'd Neither is it the Holy Ghost the Third Person in the Sacred Trinity he did not offer up our Saviour but he offer'd up himself it must therefore have been an other Nature which our Saviour here calls the Eternal Spirit The Godhead of Christ perform'd the Priest's Office here upon the Manhood predestinated to be the Victim for Mankind I refer also to this That Argument which the same Author draws from the Eternity of Jesus Christ to engage the Christians to persevere in his Doctrine Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever The Apostle by these words renews the Notion he had given them in the beginning of this Epistle where we have seen that he asserts the Eternity of Jesus Christ from a Text of the Old Testamnnt Indeed we find the Author had this Eternity in his eye throughout to the very end of the Epistle and 't is with reference to this that we must explain this Elogy of our Saviour which comprehends all distinction of Time past present and to come He is the same yesterday to day and for ever which answers to the Explication St. John gives us of the Eternity of the Father Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was Rev. 1.4 and which is to come And the very same Expression is attributed to Christ by St. John or rather our Saviour attributes it to himself in St. John's Revelation Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha avd Omega the Beginning and the End saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come the Almighty Who is it that speaks thus He of whom it is said in the verse foregoing Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him is the same who in the following Verse saith I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last For St. John having turned himself to see who it was whose Voice he heard saw Jesus Christ Our Lord therefore is Eternal Immensity is the Second Attribute by which our Saviour is present in all places at the same time If it were not so how could he make good the Promise made to his Disciples For where two or three are gathered together in my name Matt. 18.20 there am I in the midst of them It is very observable that this is the Language of God under the Old Law where we see that in several passages he promises to dwell amidst his People Think we that any one but the Son drust have spoke like the Father Besides I will take the boldness to say that as Grace displays it self in the Gospel the Son by promising his presence in all places saith yet more than the Father The Father assures his People that he will dwell amongst them and sometimes does even restrain this his Habitation to the compass of the Tabernacle They shall make me a Sanctuary saith he in Exodus and I will dwell in the midst of them But our Saviour extends his Promise to a much greater compass even to a wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them As if he had said That place wheresoever it be shall be to me a Jerusalem a Tabernacle a Sanctuary What can this import less than Immensity at a time when Grace overflows the whole Universe without any distinction of People In all parts of the World our Lord is present in the midst of the least Assemblies where his Name is called upon He is in all places at the same time he sees what is done there he hears all that is said there he blesseth those whom he will bless In a word he is in all places where he is call'd upon as God was in the Sanctuary of old It is well enough known that when our Saviour promiseth his presence he means a presence of his Virtue and Influences Immensity is not the proper subject of a Promise That which of its own Nature is present in all places is there whether he promise it or not but because our Lord doth promise a presence of Virtue in all places we have good reason to conclude that he is in all places This Conclusion is evident our Saviour could not act in all places if he were not in all places Now-a-days 't is maintain'd that we cannot conceive the Existence of God in any place but by some Divine Operations God is every where say they because he operates every where Say we the same of our Saviour he is every where because he acts every where For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them We need no more than common sense to convince us that if our Blessed Lord had no other Amplitude but that of his Human Nature he could never fulfil this great Promise But still to open a further Light to his Immensity we need only call to mind his Discourse with Nicodemus in the third of
Expressions that the Existence of our Saviour did only precede the Creation of the World for a little time for to be before the World before the setling of the Mountains to be in the Beginning to be the Alpha of all things are Expressions the Scripture makes use of to signifie Eternity The Ground of this manner of speaking is very solid for the Holy Spirit in his Applications to men makes use of such Expressions as they understand Now when the Question is about time it is necessary that they who would be understood should represent to our Imagination some created Object to measure its Duration by Our Imagination cannot frame any thing to it self before the Creation of the World Whatsoever is beyond that is a duration that swallows up and confounds our Apprehension Eternity is an Abyss to our Finite Capacity Wherefore the Holy Ghost being willing to represent to our Minds the Duration of that which is without beginning contents himself simply to declare That it was before the beginning of the World It is not in favour of the Eternity of our Blessed Saviour that we speak thus because we know that the Eternity of the Divine Nature hath in some sort been limited by a like Phrase Doth not the Psalmist express himself thus Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting Psal 19.2 thou art God To take the Sense of the Scriptures let us say That our Blessed Saviour hath ever been This is the First Proposition Our Saviour was before he was man The Second Proposition is That our Saviour was in the Form of God before ever he was in the Form of a Servant before that he was Man he was in the Form of God It was not therefore by his miraculous Conception it was not by the power he had to do Miracles it was not by his Glorious Resurrection it was not by his Elevation to that Supereminent Dignity he possesseth in the Church that he was made the Son of God as the Enemies of his Glory would perswade us No he was God before that any of these things came to pass he was in the Form of God before ever he stooped to take upon him the Form of a Man You speak to us of a Glory whereof the Humanity of our Blessed Lord was as it were the Foundation and Rise whereas St. Paul here entertains us with the Glory he was possess'd of before his becoming Man he was like to God before ever he was made like to Men. Let us keep close to the Phrase of the Apostle Who being in the form of God emptied himself This Second Propostion supports and confirms the Frst evidently proving that our Lord was before his being Man yea and that he was from all Eternity for without this he could not have been in the Form of God That which is born in time bears no Resemblance with that which is Eternal Finite and Infinite are opposite to one another If Jesus Christ had began to be from his Conception in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin let us go farther if his Beginning had only been contemporary with that of the World it could not have been said of him That he was in the Form of God his Duration at the most would but have been of Six Thousand Years and what is that to all Eternity A Point bears more proportion to the Universe and one Drop of Water to the Ocean Was there a Being that had existed a Million of Years before the World that Being would still be at an infinite distance from Eternity neither should we be able to say though we should suppose nothing to be wanting in it but Time that it was like the Deity In a word had not our Saviour been Eternal he could not be said to be in the likeness of him that was confessedly so True it is that we do not depart from the Stile of the Scripture when we say That Man bounded and limited as he is bears the Image of God since God himself expresseth himself so at the Creation Gen. 1.26 Let us make man in our Image after our likeness and in the New Creation this Image is new drawn in Righteousness and true Holiness It cannot be denied but that the Beams God communicates to man do form a little Image of some of his Attributes but besides that it was never said of any man that he was in the Form of God before that he was man St. Paul delivers himself in such a manner as makes it manifest that the Divine Form he attributes to Jesus Christ was not an Image derived from the Original as is that which God communicates to men We need only sum all the Apostle's Words together if we would fully comprehend his meaning Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but emptied himself and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men Blessed be God we live in a time wherein there is no need at all to prove that our Saviour was really Man Though this Truth be unquestionable yet St. Paul makes no difficulty to assert that Jesus Christ took upon him the Form of a Servant and that he was made in the likeness of men At present we would not give the hearing to men who by some trifling Niceties should go about to renew an old Error and prove that our Lord only clothed himself with some appearances of our Nature because forsooth our Apostle saith That he took upon him the Form of a Servant and was made in the Likeness of men that is had a Human Resemblance only But we are all convinc'd that this Form and this Likeness were upheld by the Reality of our Nature that is to say That our Saviour was truly man This is an excellent Commentary on the words of St. Paul we enquire what his meaning is when he assures us that Jesus Christ was in the Form of God He himself acquaints us what was his meaning by saying of Jesus Christ who was true Man That he took upon him the Form of a Servant and the Likeness of Man Make we use therefore of the Key he affords us and we shall find that to be in the Form of God is to be really and truly God The Opposition that is here evidently intended would by no means be just if in the one part Figure only was meant and in the other Reality Reality must be oppos'd to Reality In the latter Member of this Opposition mention is made of the Reality of the Human Nature of Jesus Christ wherefore it is necessary that in the former part the Reality of the Divine Nature of our Saviour should be intended too Being in the Form of God he took upon him the Form of a Servant and the Likeness of Man St. Paul doth not say Having taken upon him the Form of God because our Saviour was invested
it self but uniting personally with the Man Jesus it appropriated to it self all the Infirmities of this Second Nature and it is true to say That God emptied himself that he was made man that he shed his Blood It would be matter of trouble to us should you believe that the Divinity of Jesus Christ passed through all these Degrees of Abasement No this is impossible it is of the Essence of God always to continue God Jesus Christ is in this respect the same yesterday and to day and for ever He has therefore only emptied himself by entring into Union with an Infirm and Mortal Man in such a manner as that the two Natures constitute only one Person much after the same manner as the Soul and Body united by the Bonds of Life make only one Person This Explication which we have thought necessary doth not hinder but that there remain still many Wonders in the Mystery of the Incarnation It is always true that the Word hath emptied it self It is always true that our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ hath found the Secret to be made Man and to humble himself for us We have in this Mystery two great Motives to Gratitude the Birth and Death of Jesus Christ The Child is born to us the Son is given to us we celebrate in one and the same Day two great Festivals Christmas and Easter It is our duty to solemnize them by a redoubling of our Zeal one only of these Mysteries claims all our Thankfulness What shall we do for a God who was willing for our sakes to live after the manner of men The Eternal Word which had no need of us hath emptied himself for to make us happy O Adorable Word Thou hadst not the same concern for the Angels that have left their Station Thou hast not clothed thy self with their Nature though more excellent than ours but hast honoured our Earth in taking it upon thee Our merciful Redeemer was willing to pass through the Womb of a Virgin there to take upon him Flesh like ours What shall we render to God for so great a Favour Let us take the Cup of Blessing and glorifie God in the Language of Angels Glory be to God on high Let us glorifie him as much as is possible for us Could we speak to the Angels as they spake to the Shepherds we would repeat to those Blessed Spirits the Words which they themselves have taught us This day a Child is born to us Glory be to God in the highest We cannot sufficiently glorifie him here on Earth do ye therefore help us to glorifie him If we be not able to render unto our Saviour all the Glory that is due unto him for his Birth what shall we say with respect to his Death which we have this Morning celebrated It was much in him to be born for us but it is much more to die for us What! have our hearts nothing to say on occasion of this Death Sure had they been dumb or insensible as to the Mystery of the Incarnation shall not the Death of Christ put life into them What can have any power over you if this Death can make no Impression upon you Pray what will be able to move you What will be able to engage you to serve God if this do not But I don't consider that I am speaking to those who for the most part have been entertain'd at the Lord's Table If all that Funeral Furniture wherewith he appears in the Eucharist if these Sacred Symbols which convey as it were the Death of Jesus Christ into your very Bowels have not been able to move your Hearts no Sermon will be of force enough to stir them In this case your heart must be altogether insensible so that Words can have no effect upon it We may suppose therefore that before your entring into this place you have fill'd your Souls with that double Solemnity to which this Day invites you and that after having seriously meditated the Birth and Death of our Saviour you have put your selves into a State of Repentance you have put on your Wedding Garments to go to meet your Bridegroom We must also suppose that you have renewed your Repentance in approaching to this Holy Table It is a hard thing so nearly to behold what our Blessed Lord hath done for us without being pierc'd and penetrated thereby At this happy meeting of your Heart with the Mercy of God you have bewailed your Sins and have promised a more holy Conversation for time to come We cannot believe that since that happy Moment you have chang'd your thoughts you are still the same and your Piety still preserves all its heat for otherwise what would be comparable to your Inconstancy what in two hours time to change your most solemn Vows and Promises into Perjuries this is scarce possible We suppose therefore that you are still in that good state even in that state of Repentance wherein you were when you communicated The only thing that still remains for us to do is to exhort you to persevere in these holy Motions We do not expect that you will always feel the same Unction or that you will be always in the same Recollection such a state is not consistent with our Frame nor with those different kinds of life to which Providence hath tied us But nothing can hinder you from performing your Promises you may live and live like Christians Were you engaged in ways of living that were inconsistent with the Spirit of our Holy Religion I would conjure you presently to quit those Professions wherein you could not be saved We must live 't is true but 't is more necessary we should be saved What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world if at the same time he loseth his own soul I can't think that amongst those that hear me there is any person whose Profession is directly contrary to Salvation but yet it is but too too visible that most Professions have their Rocks and their Dangers Snares rain down upon all the Children of Men as the Holy Spirit speaks All of you as many as are here apprehend well enough what I would say to morrow or the next day for I dare not say this day will meet with these dangers the occasions in which you have been formerly worsted will present themselves again Then be sure to call to mind your Promises to God this Day Represent this Holy Table to your Spirit recall the Solemnity of this Day be faithful to the Lord and pay your Vows to the most High We will not here run over the several Vertues to which his Service engageth you but we can do no less than specifie those to which St. Paul exhorts the Philippians upon occasion of our Lord's Example who when he was God did notwithstanding so abase himself as to be made Man yea to that degree as to die the Death of the Cross The two Vertues that are most dazling in
this Example are Humility and Charity O how happy would this Day prove might it see these two Virtues reigning in your Souls We are naturally proud and I don't know from whence that hardness and insensibility comes that we have for our Neighbour for even Nature inspires us with more Charity than appears in our Lives Proud Souls come and humble your selves in the presence of the Child Jesus he who is God was made Man that ye who are but mortal men might be persuaded to become like God Resemble him in his Humility not in his Glory He hath condescended to put himself in a Condition wherein he might be imitated It was the Crime of our First Parents That they would be as God Be satisfied ye Posterity of Adam at present it is a Vertue to be willing to resemble God Humble your selves as he humbled himself who being God was made Man He hath as you see run through infinite spaces to put himself within reach of us From Glory he hath stept down into Nothing You need not travel far to arrive at Annihilation you have no more than a step to take your Nature hath plac'd you almost on the same Level with Nothing You need only well to view and contemplate your selves and precisely keep your selves to the Idea of what you are and you 'll acknowledge that you want little of being Nothing Retire into your own Bosom set aside the Usurpations of Self-love and then tell us what you find over and above It may be your heart will bear you up against all this by repeating to you some advantages you possess as of Birth Wit Goods Employments but all this doth not much remove you from Nothing My design is not in the least to offend the Distinction which Providence it self hath established by the Variety of its Administration I have a consideration for Births Wit Merit and Employs But it were to be wished that those who have these Advantages did not glory in them and might be throughly perswaded that their Elevation doth not raise them much above Nothing Come hither and take a view of him who is infinitely above you he was God and yet was willing to become Man for this purpose he took his Birth from the Womb of a poor and humble Virgin Be not asham'd to enter into the Stable where he was born go thither to learn Humility For if you don't become like this little Blessed Child ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven If the example of the Birth of our Saviour be not sufficient to humble you follow him to Golgotha where you will see an example of the most Transcendent Humility conceivable When we think of a Crucified Jesus we cannot imagine how so much Pride should be amongst Christians For shame let them no longer call themselves the Disciples of a Crucified God Should we judge of the Character of their Master by the Quality of their Manners we would take him to have been some Proud and Self-conceited Philosopher whereas indeed he was a Crucified God Do you ever seriously consider this O ye Christians You are top-full of Pride and yet believe that there is no Salvation for you but by imitating a Master who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross O let us remember for whose sake our Lord hath thus Humbled himself and we shall see what a model of Charity we have to imitate 'T is for men that our Saviour was made Man 't is for the Redemption of men that this God-man died And pray what are these men Why Dust and Ashes miserable Sinners O surpassing Charity O Depth of Riches The Lord God Merciful and Gracious abundant in Goodness What shall we say No words are able to reach such a Love as this And indeed God requires actions rather than words Love for Love Let us Love God as he hath Loved us We cannot do that for him which he hath done for us let us Love him at least with all our strength as he hath Loved us according to the unbounded largeness of his great Compassion Let us Love those whom God hath recommended to our Charity what can we say against them that hinders us to exercise this Virtue towards them They have offended us And what then Had they done us nothing but Good it would not be Charity to Love them Charity consists in this That we Love our Enemies as God hath Loved us us I say that were his Enemies Let us Forgive as God Forgives us exercise also your Charity in distributing to the Poor according to your Ability God who was Sovereignly Rich made himself Poor for our sakes Let us have compassion on those Poor which our Lord hath left with us to prove the Love we bear to him O the happy Christmas this will prove to us in case we can but resolve to practice Humility and Charity For after that we shall have been made conformable to our Blessed Lord by the practice of these two Virtues we shall have a share in his Glory which is the Crown of them Amen The Second Discourse PHILIP II. 6. Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God WE know that the Scripture often speaks of God as of man but it never speaks of man as of God the reason whereof is very evident for the Divine Nature being wholly Spiritual it was but necessary that the Holy Spirit should clothe it with some sensible Representations to the end that entring our Souls by the assistance of these Colours it might make a deeper impression upon them This is done without any danger forasmuch as the Scripture doth elsewhere unfold these Metaphors Or if there be any danger in it with regard to the simpler sort of People 't is only this of falling into an Error which hath no influence upon Divine Worship Hence it is that Scripture makes no difficulty at all to speak of God as of a man but never doth it speak of man as of God For indeed to what purpose should this be So forc'd a Metaphor would be of no use at all and would darken the Stile of the Holy Ghost instead of making it more Intelligible Neither is this the worst that is in it for by this means we should be in danger of taking man for God which is the most dangerous of all other mistakes whatsoever God is too Jealous of his own Glory to set a Creature on equal ground with Himself and he is too much concerned for our Salvation to put us to the Hazard of such a Mistake We find also that the Scripture only bestows very plain encomiums upon the very greatest of men Moses is an emphatical Instance of this After the Death of that glorious Lawgiver and Commander all the Panegyrick God bestows upon him is compriz'd in these words Moses my servant is dead This was enough for a man Josh 1.2 God took care to hide the Body of this Great Law-giver for fear
Ideas of their Education bestows upon Jesus christ these very same Names in Writing to Titus And this is as much as if he had said to the Christians of that Island Jupiter was a Usurper he in whom you have believed is the only Saviour and the true God If we had nothing else to say concerning the Name of God attributed to our Saviour in the Scripture we should believe our Argument already very strong to prove the Divinity of Christ Nothing is call'd God as he is but that which is really so He is called God simply and absolutely and if I may make use of an Expression popular indeed but intelligible I say he is called God in plain terms and without ifs or ands I make bold to use this Expression that the most simple may conceive my Meaning and make the Application themselves as they read the Scripture To add more strength to this Argument we need only to observe that the Name of Jehovah it self is given to Jesus Christ in the Scripture This great Name this Incommunicable Name which the Jews dare not so much as pronounce so worthy do they esteem it of all respect and veneration is notwithstanding given to Christ Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God Deut. 6.16 as ye tempted him in Massah These are the Words of Moses If we will believe St. Paul our Lord is this Jehovah whom the Israelites tempted Neither let us tempt Christ saith he as some of them also tempted 1 Cor. 10.9 Isa 40.3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of Jehovah They are the Words of Isaiah Let us consult the Evangelists to know the meaning of them and they will tell us That John the Baptist is the Voice crying in the Wilderness Matt. 3.3 Mark 1.3 Isa 54.5 and that Jesus Christ is that Jehovah whose way is prepared For thy Maker is thine Husband Jehovah of Hosts is his name and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called Who is the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church St. Paul will inform us 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you saith he to the Corinthians with a jealousie of God observe that Expression for it was for Christ that St. Paul was jealous For I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chast Virgin to Christ I will save them by Jehovah their God they are the words of God by the mouth of the Prophet Hosea Hos 1.7 By whom is it that the Church is saved Who is it that is our Saviour and Redeemer We know that the New Testament most exprestly assures us in very many places that it is our Lord Jesus Christ It would be an easy matter to alledge several other Passages out of the Old Testament where the True God is most expresly spoken of which by the Writers of the New Testament are applied to Christ What think we can be the Design of these Holy Men herein if Jesus Christ be not indeed that True God In this case I make no difficulty to assert that they have deceived us most shamefully and that their Writings are no better than continual Blasphemies Pray what is Blasphemy if this be not to apply to a Creature what is due to the Creator only and to appropriate to a meer Man or even to an Angel those Oracles which the Holy Ghost hath dictated for the Honour of God alone What a monstrous Opinion is this the Consequences whereof turn the Holy Apostles into Blasphemers As for our part as long as we shall believe that they were not destitute of Common Sense nor of the Fear of God as long as we shall be persuaded over and above this That their Pens were guided by an Infallible Spirit we must be convinced that our Blessed Lord whom they call God either expresly or by application of the Prophetical Passages of the Old Testament was God indeed The Second Rank of our Proofs respects the Equality of Attributes and furnisheth us with a new Demonstration in favour of the Godhead of our Saviour Indeed if we find that the Scripture attributes to our Lord the very same things it appropriates to the Divine Essence will it not be manifest that Christ is God What is it to be God if it be not to have the Nature of God Now there is nothing that can be more easily prov'd than that our Lord hath the Properties of the Divine Nature and that in such a manner as belongs to God only I shall make choice of Six of the Divine Attributes to verifie my Argument Eternity Immensity Holiness Knowledg Power and Mercy The two first of these Attributes never were or can be attributed to any created Substance I mean Eternity and Immensity Having already in a former Discourse spoken of the Eternity of Jesus Christ it would be useless to insist any more upon it were it a Point of less consequence than it is Upon that account we esteem it our Duty to enliven your Faith by quoting the Sacred Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews In the first Chapter he presents them with a strong Motive of perseverance by the Description he gives them of the Majesty of our Lord whom he raiseth high above the Angels and to whom he ascribes Eternity by applying a Passage out of the 102 Psalm to him Psal 102.26 27. They the Heavens shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end To understand the true sense of this Oracle we must search for it at the Fountain-head I mean in the Psalm if self where we shall find it plainly signifies the Eternity of the Divine Nature not only Eternity to come but also that which is past We do not find that the Sacred Author hath added the least restriction to the words of the Text but attributes them in their whole and entire strength to Jesus Christ Our Saviour therefore is Eternal with regard to both sides of Eternity In runing over this Epistle we cannot silently pass over an Argument the Author insists upon in the Third Chapter to confirm Christians in their Perseverance by the Advantages which raise Christ far above Moses For this person was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath built the house Heb. 3.3 hath more honour than the house This way of reasoning amounts to nothing if it do not suppose our Saviour to be the Builder of the House But saith the Author in the Verse following He that built all things is God Jesus Christ therefore is God Nevertheless it appears that the Father also is the Builder of the House for it is said that Christ as Son is over the House of God But this is easily reconcil'd for the Father and the Son
they were infected before their Conversion Gal. 4.8 he tells them they served those things which by nature were no gods It is then according to St. Paul's Judgment a great Sin to serve that which is not God by Nature If therefore I find that St. Paul obligeth me to worship any Being I may have good reason according to the Opinion we have of him to conclude That this Adorable Being is God and God too by his Nature For it is not lawful for us to worship any Being save God alone Let us learn this from the Revelations that Book wherewith the Holy Ghost hath been pleased as it were to seal up the New Testament He that preacheth this Doctrine is an Angel one of those Spirits that are well inform'd how things are carried in Heaven I say it is an Angel that teacheth us that God alone is to be worshipped Rev. 22.9 St. John falls down to worship before the feet of the Angel See thou do it not saith he And why not for adds he I am thy fellow servant Conclude we then That whatsoever is bound to worship God cannot be an Object of Adoration Who then is it that we are to adore Worship God saith the Angel God only deserves the honour of Adoration under the New Testament as well as under the Old There is no solid Reasoning in the world if after having established this Principle I may not conclude thence that our Blessed Saviour is God with respect to one of his Natures seeing the Gospel makes it our Duty to worship him Will it be necessary to prove that this Adoration is a Worship practis'd and prescrib'd by the Apostles Why we need but open the Books of the New Testament and we shall meet with the Proof of it You will see the Apostles themselves and many other Believers worshiping the Lord without the least check from him or saying to them See thou do it not Let none wrangle here about the Word Adoration They take Jesus Christ for the Son of God and they adore him under that Notion He hath never rejected or disowned this Worship but hath received it as a Tribute due unto him We meet with a Character in the Stile of Sacred Authors which puts the Divine Adoration we owe to our Saviour out of the reach of any manner of Contradiction They are wont to interrupt their Stile by Doxologies to the Honour of God And the same they do to our Saviour and in the same Terms and that in several places 1 Pet. 4.11 Rev. 1.5 6. That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen They are the words of St. Peter Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God even his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen As St. John expresseth himself in the beginning of his Revelation What are we to conclude from hence that the Apostles make use of these kind of Doxologies to the honour of Jesus but this That he is truly equal with his Father and that they honour him after one and the same manner Pursue we this Point a little farther and examine more particularly wherein this Adoration doth consist that so we may be the better inform'd what the Eminency of his Divine Nature is In the Chapter that hath furnish'd us with our Text we see that our Lord hath a Name above every Name Phil. 2.9 10. that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Thus it is that the Scripture Language expresseth the whole Universe of things All things must bend the Knee to Jesus which yet is not to be understood of those five Letters as if that Name did merit a more singular veneration than the other Names of our Saviour The Custom which hath been introduc'd of bowing themselves at the pronunciation of the Name of Jesus is not founded upon these words of St. Paul but only because the Christians thought it necessary to make this Mark of Respect the Test of their Belief in his Divinity So that indeed it is to his person that we owe the honour of Genuflexion Every thing must bow before our Lord He hath received a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow We have an excellent Explication of those words in those Passages of Scripture where we see that in our Christian Religion all things must be done in the Name of Jesus Nothing can be imagin'd greater than this Honour Christians are baptized in this Name they believe in this Name they work Miracles in this Name they are justified in this Name they meet together in this Name they pronounce their Deliberations in this Name they preach in this Name they suffer for this Name they pray in this Name they return Thanks in this Name and in one word to make use of the words of St. Paul Whatsoever they do in word or deed they do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus I demand therefore Whether ever any Creature was thus glorified in Israel Is it not notorious that the Name of God only was named amongst that People no other Name was heard of amongst them in their Church but the Name of God only They did not swear but by the Name of God they did not bless but in the Name of God they heard of no Deliverances but in the Name of God they glorified no other Name but that of God only What therefore must we conclude him to be whose Name must be celebrated under the New Covenant that is throughout all the Earth as the Name of God was under the Old Covenant that is to say in a very small Corner of the World The Father allows the Son to be glorified more than he himself hath been as it were to make an amends to the Son for his Subordination under which he appears with regard to the Father Whatever it be the Name of the Son holds a Sovereigh Rank and not that of a Prophet or Ambassador These Deputies do all things in the Name of the Sovereign who hath deputed them not in their own Wherefore since the Name of Christ is made use of every where it is an uncontestable Mark that he is Master that he is King that he is Sovereign yea that he is God blessed for ever Let no body reply here That all this was done in time I am not afraid to assert God can constitute no Sovereign in his Church because in doing so he must renounce the unalienable Right of his Nature which admits no Peer neither in Heaven nor on Earth But the Name of Jesus Christ hath been thus elevated because according to one of his Natures he is the Son This is a Mystery he himself opens to us when after having said in the 11th Chapter