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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	nature_n	person_n	trinity_n	3,502	5	10.3197	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47437	Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preach'd on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is display'd through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book intituled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1698 (1698)	Wing K53; ESTC R24422	80,847	121

God but from the Devil 3. Moreover let no person now expect God should speak unto them by Dreams or Visions for tho' he did so frequently before Christ came yet Now in these last days God hath spoken unto us by his Son and we have a more sure Word of Prophecy God now as reverend Perkins notes doth not usually speak to us by Dreams yet he being a free Agent may so do if he please and no doubt sometimes he doth thus speak tho' not commonly for the Instruction and Consolation of his People Yet let a●● take heed they are not deceived by Dreams Luthe● observes how many in his time were deluded b● Dreams and Visions which they falsly attribute● to God as the immediate Author of them and fro● hence prayed earnestly about two things 1. That God would give him a good Understanding of the Scriptures and of his Mind revealed therein 2. That he would not send him Dreams or Visions Yea saith he I contracted with God that h● would not Brethren the holy Scriptures are those sacred Oracles by which God speaks to us and 〈◊〉 them i● contained all things which are necessary for us to know as to Faith and Practice being sufficient to make every Man Wise to Salvation thro' Faith in Jesus Christ and Perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works Therefore certainly such that are not satisfied to adhere to the holy Scriptures as a sufficient Rule in all points of Faith and Practice but desire God to speak unto them by Dreams o● Visions are deluded by Satan and do thereby cas● great contempt upon the holy Scriptures But no more as to Dreams in general we will now come to this remarkable Dream and Vision Jacob had And behold a Ladder c. II. Observ. The Lord Jesus may fuly be compare● to a Ladder that is set upon the Earth and the To● of it reaching to Heaven This Proposition I shall open God assisting And First I shall run a parallel between Jesus Christ and Jacob's Ladder And Shew that Christ may be compared to Jacob's Ladder In respect both of his Person and Offices Now Before I proceed I know not my Brethren why we may not run the Parallel so far as there is a clear Parity and it is consistent with the Analogy of Faith 1. A Ladder is the contrivance of the Wisdom of Man for the reaching attaining or doing of some thing which the Author designed thereby to do So JESUS CHRIST as Mediator GOD-MAN in one Person is the rare and wonderful contrivance of the infinite Wisdom of God for his attaining or accomplishment of his own most glorious design and purpose which is the Glory and Exaltation of his own Name and the Salvation of his Elect who on this Mystical Ladder must ascend to Heaven 2. A Ladder is a proper means or Medium to attain to that thing or accomplish that work which it was contrived or made for and possibly without which Medium it was impossible for the Person to reach to that thing or do that work which he designed and purposed to attain unto or to accomplish and bring to pass So JESUS CHRIST is the only way and means which GOD hath found out to bring us to Heaven The Builders of Babel thought to get up to Heaven by a contrivance of their own even by erecting a mighty Tower the top of which they said should reach to Heaven but they were soon confounded And like to them Mystery-babylon hath sought out other ways to Heaven then by this Mystical Ladder Jesus Christ they think to get Justification and eternal Life by their own good Works and by other Sacrifices then by the one Sacrifice of the Cross which they offer up for the living and the dead but they are but Babel-builders even blind and deceived Wretches whom God hath confounded and will confound Brethren there is no other way nor means to obtain eternal Life but by Jesus Christ alone I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me Jesus Christ went to Heaven as our blessed Head and Representative by his own Blood by his own Blood he entered in once into thy holy Place to shew that there is no other way by which Sinners can go to Heaven this only suiting with the Wisdom of God and every ways answering his own glorious Purpose and Design in manifesting and magnifying the Glory of all his blessed Attributes and making the Law honourable by Christ● fulfilling all the Precepts thereof and bearing the penalty of it to free us from the Curse thereof Some think to get to Heaven by a Sober Moral Life others by their own Faith and inherent Holiness and Obedience to the precepts of the Gospel but in opposition to all these 〈◊〉 Christ is the Way● it is by his Righteousness alone we are Justified in the sight of God his perfect Obedience to the Law is our Title to eternal Life and by his death who bore Hell pangs for us we are delivered from everlasting Wrath and Condemnation Neither is there Salvation in any other For there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we must be Saved For either Soul or Body there is no other Person no other Sacrifice no other Righteousness no other way or thing But by this Mystical Ladder Jesus Christ alone by which we can be Saved 3. A Ladder must be long enough to to reach the thing desi●ed Now Jesus Christ in respect of his two Natures is prepared so by the Wisdom of God that in his Person he may be said to reach from Earth unto Heaven 1. As touching his Humane Nature which is the F●ot of this Ladder this stands as it were upon the Earth And 2. As touching his divine Nature which is the Top of the Ladder this reacheth unto Heaven and in these two Natures in the Person of Christ we have what is represented by Jacob's Ladder for as these two Natures are in his Person united together Heaven and Earth are united together And now that he is God see John 1.1.2 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Christ in respect of his divine Nature is here called the Word he was before the beginning of the Word even 〈◊〉 everlasting or ever the Earth w●s He was with God and was God not a Creature he was not Created at the beginning but was the Creator the Maker of Heaven and Earth all things were made by him not as the Instrumental Cause of all things or any Instrument in the Father's hand but as a Principle Efficient Cause of all things Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh. The Word was made Flesh and dweit among us That is the Son of God or second Person in the Trinity The Evangelist as one observes rather saith he was made

Flesh then he was made Man more plainly to distinguish the two Natures in Christ to assert the truth of his Humane Nature to let us know that Christ assumed his Humane Nature in common not the particular Nature of any it is not said he was changed into Flesh but by his assuming it he was made Flesh or He the Word Took upon him the See● of Abraham even the same common Nature of all the Elect. Brethren Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect Man in one Person therefore his Person may truly be said to reach from Earth to Heaven Pray Observe Jacob saw the Foot of the Ladder to stand upon the Earth The Foot went not lower than the Earth this might signify Christ should take upon him the Seed of Abraham or the Nature of Man not the Nature of Angels it was to raise to Heaven the Inhabitants of the Earth not the infernal Spirits or Devils of Hell Had the foot of the Ladder only reached to the Air or come down into the middle Centre of the Earth it might have seemed doubtful whether st was prepared for Fallen Angels or for fallen Mankind to get up to Heaven but the foot of it standing on the Earth denotes no doubt the same thing which the Apostle speaks Verily he took not hold on the Nature of Angels but of the Seed of Abraham he taketh hold First It was requisite He should be MAN and so have his Foot upon the Earth 1. That he might in our Nature perform that perfect Obedience to the holy Law of God which was required of Mankind for no Righteousness short of that can Justify us or carry us to Heaven 2. He must be Man that he might be capable to Suffer and Dye for Mankind God considered simply in himself could not dye 3. Because the Justice of God required the same Nature which Sinned to suffer even the same Nature that broke the Law to dye and to bear the Wrath of God 4. He must be Man that so he might Simpathize with us or have a feeling of our Infirmities it must be such a Nature of Man that was cloathed with Infirmities which we have or are atttended with since the Fall because he came to raise fallen Man Now our Infirmities are of two sorts 1st Penal and Painful 2ly Sinful and Culpable Infirmities It was the first of these Christ did take he had a Nature that could Hunger and Thir●● 〈◊〉 be Weary and suffer Pain and Misery both 〈◊〉 and Body as we are liable to We have 〈…〉 Priest which cannot be touched with ●●e feeling of ●●r Infirmities but was in all points Tempted like as we are yet without Sin This shews he was really Man or had a true Humane tho not a Sinful Nature It behoved him to be made like unto ●is Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being Tempted he is able to succour them that are Tempted Secondly It was necessary also that he should be GOD. 1. That he might reach Heaven I mean the full demands of God's Justice by way of Satisfaction A mere Man could not satisfy infinite Justice or make up that Wrong our Sins ha● done to God but seeing both the Natures in Christ make but one Person when Christ dyed he that was truly God dyed Hence it is said God purchased the Church with his own Blood Which was an infinite Satisfaction to divine Justice had we all lain in Hell for ever we could not have paid one Farthing of that Debt we owed to God and because we could not Satisfy therefore must have Suffered for ever 2. That he might sustain in his Body the Wrath of God and severe Punishment due to us for our Sins for none but he that was God could bear so great a Burden and heavy Wrath as all the Sins of the Elect were and did incur Suppose the Sins but of one Person and he be none of the greatest Sinners neither yet if charged upon him would they not sink him down to Hell Oh! what Power what Strength then save the Strength of an infinite Person could bear as well as satisfy for all the Sins of so many Thousand Persons even the whole number of God's Elect. 3. He must be God that he might be able to overcome all our Enemies not only for us but also in us and preserve us from the greatest Evils and bestow upon us the greatest Good He must lay his Hands upon both viz. He must bring God down to us and carry us up to God I mean reconcile God to Man and Man to God which he could not do unless he be God blessed for evermore how could he know our Hearts our Wan● our Necessities except he was the Eternal Go● How also could he Quicken us and raise us from 〈◊〉 Dead and destroy the Power of Satan in o● Souls and take away that cursed Enmity which naturally is in our Hearts against God Now thus we may clearly perceive that the Spiritual Ladder is long enough to reach from Earth to Heaven Fourthly As a Ladder must be long enough 〈◊〉 reach to the thing or place desired so also must be broad or wide enough if there are mo●● than one to go up even many Persons it must 〈◊〉 wide enough for them all Even so this Ladder this way is broad enoug● for so many that are appointed or ordained to g● to Heaven or to be Saved Brethren Christ is a 〈◊〉 Way or Medium to carry all the Elect to Heaven Not One but All. 1. In that he took not into Union with his Divine Nature the Single Person of any but th● common Nature of all that Sinned who shal● be Saved Take here what a worthy Write Notes If Christ had only taken the Person 〈◊〉 a Man then there must have been two Persons 〈◊〉 Christ a Person Assuming and a Person Assumed yea then that only Person which Christ Assumed should have been advanced and Saved 〈◊〉 should have Saved that Person and no other 〈◊〉 he had Assumed the Person of a Man with us the Soul and Body united make a Person but in Christ the Soul and Body were so united as to have their subsistance not of themselves as in us but in the God-head No sooner was the Soul united to the Body but both Soul and Body had subsistance i● the second Person in the Trinity So not the Assuming of a Person but the Nature of Man common to all c. He took not the Nature of Angels b●● the Seed of Abraham Tho● it was the common Nature of all Men or of all the Sons and Daughter● of Adam which he took yet the Holy Ghost calls it the Seed of Abraham intimating that the design and purpose of God was that Christ should die for no more than were comprehended in the Election

of Angels 〈◊〉 their ministration to him than the Scripture Records yet perhaps no more is meant hereby than that Nathaniel and other Saints shall see or know that the holy Angels are far inferiour to the Son of Man and do administer to him And also that all that good Believers do receive by the ministration of Angels is alone in and through Jesus Christ our Mediator Moreover that God doth not only make use of the ministration of Angels in governing of the World but also in the preservation safety and good of his Church The way to Heaven is full of holy Angels some going to Heaven for Intelligence and ●thers coming from Heaven either to forward pro●ect or comfort the Saints 1. Angels are but Christ's Messengers he is the ●ead and Lord of all Principalities and Powers 2. They own themselves to be our Fellow-Ser●ants I am thy Fellow-Servant of thy Brethren 3. They move at his Command and go and come 〈◊〉 his Pleasure 4. And they move at his Word with all Alacrity ●●ey are speedy and swift in doing the Will of God 5. Moreover they are sent forth to minister unto ●hem that are the Heirs of Salvation Observe DOCT. That in and thro Jesus Christ the holy Angels minister to Believers while in this World In speaking unto this Proposition I shall take this method viz. 1. I shall speak a little to the nature of Angels 2. Open their Work and Office 3. Give you some Reasons why Christ imploys them to minister to the Saints And 4ly Apply it First They are Creatures they were created by God and within the six Days also By him were all things Created whether in Heaven or Earth visible or invisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him The Heavens and all the Angels which dwell therein were created by him i.e. by the Son of God Jesus Christ Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were Created And this was in the Beginning In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth c. If therefore they had been Created before there should have been a beginning of time work done before that or else Angels were from Eternity and so not Creatures but none is eternal or without beginning but God Besides 't is said that God wrought all his Works in Six Dayes but if it be demanded what day they were created I answer in all likelyhood on the First-day When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God ●●oued for Joy Even when God laid the foundation o● the Earth when the highest Heavens and first ma●ter was created of Nothing out of which other things were formed Secondly These excellent Creatures are true Substances and do really exist contrary to the Opinion of the Sadduces who denyed Angels and Spirits that is that they thought by the name of Angels wa● meant nothing but good or ill Inspirations or Motions or else the Wonders and Apparitions which were wrought of God 1. They were I say created therefore they are Substances and not Accidents in another Subject 2. They are endow'd with Understanding and Will by v●rtue of which they were capable of Sinning and of departing from the Truth of obeying or disobeying of God until confirmed by an Immutable Head 3. From their Office this is further evident They appear before God they serve him and we are commanded to make them our Patterns they come to us admonish us teach protect and comfort us 4. Because th●y are said to appear to Men as to Abraham Jacob and many others tho not in their own spiritual Form As so considered no mortal Creature doubtless could behold them for that is to render the Invisible World to be Visible Sometimes they have appeared in assumption of Bodies tho not for the doing of their Work but to manifest themselves to be familiar with men Aquinas adds That they might manifest the intelligible Society and Converse which men expect with them in another Life 5. Because Christ is said not to take unto him the nature of Angels and hath a Name given him above them And in the Resurrection we shall be like to them As to their Nature they are Spirits incorporate and immaterial Who maketh his Angels Spirits And again it is said Are they not all ministring Spirits Tertullian and some other ancient Fathers asserted they have proper Bodies tho invisible to us but yet he seems to mean no more than a Substance And as the same Author observes If they have any such Composition as may be called a Body it is certainly of the greatest Fineness and Subtilty a spiritual Body and therefore not like to be of that grosness that either the Air is or those Heavens that are framed out of the same Chaos but nearer the substance of the highest Heavens which seem to be made at the same time Lastly saith he it will be safe to say that in Comparison of God they are Bodies but in comparison of us they are pure and mighty Spirits To which let me add I see not that the Saints at the Resurrection tho in some things they shall be as the Angels of God yet not that their Bodies shall be such bodies as the Angels have for tho the Saints be made spiritual Bodies yet shall be material i.e. of the same matter they now consist of only refin'd Thirdly Let it be consider'd saith he that as it is God only that is without beginning so it belongs only to him to be without any possibility of change or shadow of change and that the Angels as Creatures are reducable to nothing by the same hand that made them tho not from their own Nature nor shall they ever cease to be no more than the Spirits of all men yet they are in God's hand tho the best pieces of Nature and if he withdraw his hand they all moulder to nothing Angels saith my Author may properly be called Incorruptible and Immortal because they are so by Nature I speak not saith he now of the changableness of their Wills but of their Nature and Substance The Reasons are First Because the Angels are not produced out of the power of Matter or corporal Substance as the Souls of Beasts but only by the word of God and therefore as they have internal principles of Being so they have none of Dissolution for there is the same reason of Being and not Being Secondly Angelical Nature as the Souls also of Men are not compounded of Matter and Form but are simple Forms and Substances subsisting by themselves Now all Corruption Mortality and Death is by the separation of the Form from the Matter as when the Soul is separated from the Body which is Corruption or Death or when the accidental Form is separated from the Subject as White from the Wall or Health from the Man Now whatever wants Matter