consequently he was before all time and the most ancient of all things Again as they affirm of their word that it is not separated from the first Good or Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. but of necessity is together with him being separatee from him only in personality Plot. En. 5. l. 1. c. 6. So S. Iohn affirms of his Word that it was with God from the beginning ver 2. that is in an inseparable union and conjunction for otherwise all other things were as much with God as he Again as they affirm of their Word that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause or artificer of the World for so all the Platonick Schools frequently stile him and so Plato himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. which World the Word which of all things is the most divine framed and set in order Epinom and Philo call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Instrument by whom God made the World Phil. lib. Chereb So S. Iohn affirms of his word that all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made ver 3. Again as they affirm of their word that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. if I may coin a word the Be-er and that this Be-er 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. is not a dead Be-er that is neither life nor mind but that mind and life and Be-er are the same thing Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 1. c. 2. So S. Iohn affirms of his word that in him was life ver 4. As they affirm that the life or being of their Word was knowledge or understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. neither is this Mind or Word in Potentia neither is it self one thing and its knowledge another but its knowledge is it self or its own being ibid. lib. 3. c. 5. So S. Iohn affirms of his Word that his life was the light of men i. e. that it consisted of knowledge which is the light of human minds ver 4. as they affirm that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Intelligible light proceeded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the word Phil. de Opif. mund and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that all light is from this word or wisdom Aristâ—b apud Euseb. praepar p. 324. So S. Iohn tells us of his Word that he was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world ver 9. In short as they stile their word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Son of God Plot. Enn. 5. l. 8 c 5 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Son or Child of God the full beautiful mind even the mind that is full of God as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the most ancient Son of the Father of the Universe Phil. lib. cui Tit. Deterius perfâ—ctiori semper infestum esse And also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the first born Son of God Ibid. lib. 1. de Agricuâ—t So S. Iohn stiles his Word the only begotten Son of the Father ver 14.18 Thus from first to last S. Iohn discourses of his Word and in the same Phrase and Language gives the same account of him as the Jewish and Gentile Divines did of theirs so that he must be supposed either to mean the same thing by him viz. a divine eternal Person or to design to make the World believe he meant so for he who speaks or writes must either equivocate and dissemble his meaning or mean according to the vulgar acceptation of the words and phrases he speaks or writes so that supposing S. Iohn doth here sincerely express his own meaning no man that understands the common use and acceptation of his phrases can reasonably understand them any otherwise than of a divine Person and whether this were not his meaning at least in all appearance I appeal to a very indifferent Judge viz. Amelius a Pagan Philosopher who very well understood the Language and Doctrine of the Gentile Schools concerning the divine Legos or Word so often mentioned in their Writings and who casting his eyes upon this discourse of S. Iohn doth with all confidence pronounce this to be the sense of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. this was that Word who according to Heraclitus existed from Eternity and made all things and whom by Iupiter the Barbarian places in the order and dignity of a Principal declaring him to have been with God and to be God and that all things were made by him and that in him all things that were had life and being Vid. Euseb Praep. Evan. 540. Page 51. Line 3. d For thus Porphyry as S. Cyril quotes him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the divine essence extends it self to three persons whereof the highest God is the Good after him the second is the Maker of the World and the third is the Soul of the World for to this Soul the Divine Essence extends it self And of these three divine persons Plotinus hath treated at large whom he expresly calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three persons that are principles viz. the Good or the One the Mind and the Soul assuring us that these Doctrines concerning this divine Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that they were no new or of yeâ—terday but were anciently though obscurely taught and that what is now discoursed concerning them is only a farther explication of them but we have faithful Witnesses that these Doctrines were taught of old and particularly in the Writings of Plato himself before whom also Parmenides delivered them And indeed Plato very frequently mentions these three divine Persons particularly Phileb p. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. but Wisdom and Mind can never be or act without Soul wherefore in the Nature of God there is a Kingly Soul and a Kingly Mind And indeed so ancient is this Doctrine of three divine Persons subsisting in the Godhead that Proclus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tradition of the three Gods in Timae Plat. p. 93. for so they sometimes call these three Persons three Gods though as themselves elsewhere explain it they are only three subsistences in the same divine indivisible Essence And the same Proclus calls this Doctrine of the Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the divinely inspired or delivered Theology which teaches that this World was compleated by these three By these and sundry other testimonies that might be produced it is evident that the ancient Divines of the Gentiles acknowledged a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the last of which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Soul for so thee Chaldee Oracle quoted by the above-named Proclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. after the Paternal mind which in our Language is God the Son I Psyche or Soul dwell and this Psyche or as our Scriptures phrase it Holy
20.28 not that the Divine Essence can suffer or bleed but being united into one Person with the Humane Nature the Properties of this Nature and also the Actions and Passions thence proceeding may be truly attributed to it and therefore since in the Person of Christ God was united to Man whatsoever his Humanity suffered may be truly called the suffering of God and being so it was a suffering every way equivalent to the Eternal damnation of the whole world of sinners Lastly As he was to appear as our Advocate at the right hand of God it was very fit he should be Man that so as the Apostle discourses having an High Priest that was in all points tempted like as we are as having been placed in our Nature and Circumstances he might be the more affectionately touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 i. e. that so our nature being a part of himself and that himself having experienced its weakness and infirmity he might be the more nearly concerned for it and be touched with a more tender compassion towards it consequently solicite its cause and interest at the right hand of God with greater zeal and importunity For so the same Author reasons Heb. 3.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People for in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And that he should be God as well as Man is no less requisite to create in us the greater confidence of the success of his Advocation For what Reason or Argument could be great enough to satisfie our guilty and therefore anxious minds that ever a meer man who had nothing beyond our selves to recommend him to God but only his Innocence and Vertue should be able to obtain such a prevailing interest in Heaven as not only to reconcile the Almighty Father of all things to a world of sinful men against whom he was so justly and so highly incensed but also to obtain of him to imbrace them with infinite Love and crown them with eternal Favours which is such a stupendous success as we could scarce have modestly hoped for from the most importunate intercession not only of the best man that ever was upon earth but of the highest Angel in Heaven For unless we could reasonably suppose God to be more pleased with one innocent man or Angel than he is displeased with a world of guilty sinners which is hardly supposable we could have no just ground to hope that the cries of the ones intercessions should be more prevalent with him than the cries of the others guilts But when we consider that he who hath undertaken our cause is the Son of God the Son of his natural Generation that from all Eternity was begotten of his Essence God of God Light of Light very God of very God what may we not expect from the Prayers of one so near and dear to the Eternal Father that is fit either for him to ask or for the Eternal Father to bestow For this we may be confident of that he can never be so highly displeased with us as he is pleased with his own Son who is the stamp of his very Essence and express Character of his Person and that therefore his pleasure in him will be far more prevalent than all his displeasure against us and while it is so we have all the security in the world that he will succeed in his Advocation and prevail in our behalf Thus that Christ should be God-man was in it self highly expedient to qualifie him for all the Parts and Offices of his Mediation and accordingly the holy Scripture expresly declares him to be so For first That he is God is as plainly asserted as any Proposition in the Bible For thus not to instance in the Old Testament where he is frequently stiled Iehovah the incommunicable name of God and the Mighty or Almighty God and Immanuel that is God with us In the New Testament he is not only called God Acts 20.28 where the Pastors are exhorted to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud which can be applied to none but Christ and Iohn 20.28 where Thomas calls him my Lord and my God which Confession of his our Saviour himself approves Verse 29. but moreover he is called the true God 1 John 5.20 And we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ he is the true God and eternal life and God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 and accordingly the Father himself is brought in thus bespeaking him Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Heb. 1.8 where his design is to shew the excellency of Christ above the Angels for saith he in Verse 7. Of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God c. which stile O God here must necessarily import something greater than was ever attributed to Angels and consequently something greater than a Nominal or Titular Deity which our Adversaries in this Article allow was frequently given to the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament If therefore that Angel of the Lord were a meer created Angel as they affirm he had as much attributed to him as our Saviour unless we suppose this stile O God to import real and essential Deity and not meerly nominal So also Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. For the clearing of which noble Text which our Adversaries with a world of Art have indeavoured to perplex and intangle it is to be considered that this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was a term of Art by which in that very Age when this Gospel was written and long before and after it both the Iewish and Heathen Writers were wont to express and signifie a divine Person by whom the Ancient Jews understood the Messias who is that very Person the Apostle here treats of Since therefore by this Phrase the Word both Jews and Gentiles when S. Iohn wrote this Gospel understood a divine Person and since by this divine Person the Jews understood the Messias there is no reason to imagine that S. Iohn here meant it in any other signification since in so doing he could not but foresee he should impose upon the World and take an effectual course to make us believe he meant what he never intended For he is so far from explaining this Phrase into any different sence from that of the Jewish and Gentile Writers that he all along explains himself in the very same Now it is hardly to be imagined by any one whose mind is not deeply tinctured with Heretical Pravity but that had the Apostle
proposed the divine light to their minds so he also illuminated their minds to discern and comprehend it he raised and exalted their intellectual faculties and as a vital form to the light of their reason did actuate and thereby enable it to comprehend his Revelations And hence Acts 19.6 we are told that the Disciples who upon St. Paul's laying his hands on them received the Holy Ghost spake with Tongues and Prophesied i. e. explained the deep Mysteries of the Gospel for so Prophesying in the New Testament doth most commonly signifie hence 1 Cor. 13.2 the Apostle makes Prophecy to consist in understanding divine Mysteries and Knowledge and in ver 9. We know in part saith he and we Prophesie in part so that the effect of their receiving the Holy Ghost you see was Prophecy that is a clear understanding of and ability to explain the Mysteries of Religion A plain evidence how effectually he taught them in that they no sooner became his Scholars but they were fit to be the Teachers of the World. For though it seems probable that he as well as our Saviour instructed them gradually in the knowledge of the Gospel since it was some time after this first descent that the Mystery of the calling of the Gentiles was revealed to them yet it is very apparent that he instructed them much faster than our Saviour had done and much fuller and that those impressions of divine truth which he made upon their understandings were much more vigorous and clear and therefore could not be so easily either forgotten or mistaken by them And accordingly our Saviour himself tells them that he had many things to say unto them but they could not bear them such was the narrowness of their capacity and the way of his teaching Howbeit saith he when the spirit of truth is come he shall lead you into all truth John 16.12 13. and teach you all things John 14.20 Thus the Holy Ghost fully instructed them what Doctrines they were to preach to the World and by his immediate inspirations enabled them to deliver down the truth to us the whole truth and nothing but the truth Thirdly The Holy Ghost enabled them to give the most convincing evidence of the Truth and Divinity of their Doctrines without which it was impossible they should ever have succeeded in their Ministry But the only certain evidence they could give that their Doctrine was divine was the testimony of Miracles For there is nothing which pretends to be divine can any otherwise evidence it self to be so but by something that is apparently divine and there being nothing apparently divine but what is plainly and evidently a miraculous effect of divine power it follows that Miracles only can attest the Divinity of any Doctrines Wherefore to enable the first Planters of the Gospel to convince the World that their Doctrine was divine it was highly requisite that they should be endowed with this divine power of working Miracles and accordingly so they were upon this miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon them For so Acts 2.43 upon this coming of the Holy Ghost on them we are told that many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles so also Acts 4.30 31. that upon their praying that God would stretch forth his hand to heal and that signs and wonders might be done by the name of Iesus God in answer to their Prayer filled them with the Holy Ghost that is enabled them by his Spirit to effect these signs and wonders they had prayed for It is true indeed they had in some measure this gift of the Holy Ghost before this miraculous Descent even while our Saviour was among them but that was very sparingly and only upon some particular occasions and for the effecting some particular Miracles but our Saviour promised them that upon his going to the Father to send the Comforter to them They who believed on him should not only do the Works which he did but greater works than those John 14.12 and accordingly when after his Ascension the Holy Ghost came upon them he continued with them and upon all occasions impowered them to do all kinds of Miracles for the confirmation of their Doctrine so that whereas before the greatest part of these miraculous signs of the divinity of the Christian Doctrine were performed by Christ himself in his own Person and by that means confined to the place of his Personal habitation which was too narrow a Theatre for many Spectators to behold them the Holy Ghost by working Miracles in his name of all sorts and upon all occasions in and by his Ministers who were presently to be dispersed over the face of the whole Earth did much more amply display his divine power and with greater speed spread the renown of it through the World and by constantly impowering so many persons in so many parts of the World to perform so many miraculous things in Christ's name did as it were carry him in open Triumph through the World and at once display his Majesty and Power over the face of the whole Earth For what Christ did in his own Person while he was on Earth that and much more the Holy Ghost did in the persons of all his Ministers and the Holy Ghost did that at the same time in a thousand parts of the World which Christ did only in one and by these miraculous effects which are therefore called the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 the Holy Ghost asserted to the World the truth and divinity of those Doctrines which the Ministers of Jesus taught For this gift of Miracles expired not with those Primitive Ministers but was continued down to their Successors for several Generations together until the Christian Doctrine was propagated through the World and then when it had done its work and accomplished its end it was withdrawn as being no longer necessary Fourthly and lastly The Holy Ghost conducted them by his own infallible advice through all the emergent difficulties of their Ministry For the work wherein they were ingaged was attended with difficulties that were utterly insuperable to Humane Wisdom and Power For first their work being such as required an invincible courage and firm integrity of mind a watchful prudence and spotless purity of manners it was highly needful especially at first a good beginning being of vast importance to all great undertakings that they should be infallibly directed what persons were fit to be ordained to it and which of those were mosâ— fit and proper for the several Countries and Provinces of the World and then through the whole course of their Ministry they were fain to contend with all the united Wit and Malice of the World and were very often sent to preach among strange Nations whose Tempers and Manners they understood not and still where-ever they came they had Spies upon them to watch their Designs and observe their actions and ever and anon they were accused and impleaded by subtil and
Holy Spirit when he left the World to recollect and explain to his Disciples the Doctrine he had taught them and to enable them also to prove and assert it by Miracles For as Elias the Great Prophet of Israel when he was snatched up into Heaven let drop his Mantle and with that derived that holy Spirit on his Disciple Elisha by which he Prophesied and wrought his Miracles so Iesus the Great Prophet of the World when he ascended into Heaven derived that divine Spirit upon his Apostles and Disciples by which he himself Prophesied and confirmed his Prophecies by miraculous Evidences while he was upon Earth Vid. supra p. 66 67 c. For in all likelihood the Holy Ghost descended on the day of Pentecost not only on the Apostles but also upon all the rest of the hundred and twenty Disciples of whom we read in Acts 1.15 For of these consisted the Prophetick School of our Saviour who in all probability separated them while he was yet upon Earth from the rest of his Followers to be the Heralds and Preachers of his Gospel to the World and if so we may reasonably conclude that the Holy Ghost fell on them all as well as on the Apostles to qualifie them for that work which together with the Apostles they had been fore-ordained to Indeed as the Apostles were placed in a higher station than any of the rest as being authorized by Christ to superintend and preside over them so they received a peculiar Gift of the Holy Ghost in which none of the rest communicated with them and that was conferring by imposition of hands the Holy Ghost upon others For so in Acts 8. we find that when Philip had converted the People of Samaria he could not confer the Holy Ghost on them but Peter and Iohn are sent thither for that purpose who laid their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost verse 17. Now by thus deriving his Holy Spirit on his Apostles and Disciples the blessed Iesus still proceeded by them to Prophesie to the World till through their Ministry he had fully consummated his Prophetick Office and revealed and explained the whole Doctrine of the Gospel For till such time as the whole New Testament was compleated his Ministers generally preached by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost who as I have shewn at large p. 67 c. not only recollected to their memories those Doctrines which Christ himself had taught them but also explained them fully to their minds and thereby enabled them to explain them fully to the World and when this was once finished and the whole Doctrine of the Gospel committed to Writing and collected into a Volume the Spirit of Prophecy was withdrawn from the Ministers of Christianity who were from thenceforth obliged to supply the want of it by their own study and industry For now the Gospel being fully revealed there needed no farther Revelation and for the Holy Spirit to reveal over again to mens minds what he had plainly enough revealed already and set before their eyes would have been but actum agere to multiply actions to no purpose Whilst the Gospel lay hid in the Eternal Counsel of God out of the reach and prospect of humane understandings it was necessary that the Holy Ghost should immediately reveal it to the minds of those who were to declare it to the World otherwise it is impossible it should ever have been known to Mankind but when once he had fully revealed it to them and declared it by them and transmitted their declaration by a standing Scripture to all succeeding Generations to what end should he still proceed to make new Revelations of it unless it were to gratifie mens sloth and idleness and excuse them from the trouble of searching and studying that Scripture in which he had taken care to transmit his Gospel to them But though that blessed Spirit hath never been wanting to Mankind in any necessary assistance yet when once he hath put things within our own power he always expects that we should do them and not sit still with our hands in our Pockets expecting that he should do them for us Since therefore by transmitting to us the Scripture he hath put it within the power of its Ministers to understand and teach the Gospel he expects that they should exercise that power in a diligent study of those things which lead to the true understanding of Religion and not depend upon new Revelations for the understanding of that which he hath already sufficiently revealed to them For thus till the whole Old Testament was finished God continued the Spirit of Prophecy in the Iewish Church after which he immediately withdrew it and wholly remitted his People to the conduct of the Priests and Levites who in their forty eight Cities which were so many Vniversities for their education in divine Learning diligently read and studied the Law and thereby accomplished themselves to preach and explain it to the People And in like manner God continued the same Spirit of Prophecy in the Christian Church till the whole New Testament was revealed and written and Copies of it dispersed through all the Churches and from thenceforth the Spirit of Prophecy ceased and in the room of its first inspired Ministers there succeeded an ordinary standing Ministry who by their Learning and Industry and diligent search of Scripture were to supply the defect of immediate Revelation and to qualifie themselves to teach and instruct the several Flocks that were committed to their Charge In short therefore the Spirit of Prophecy remained upon the Ministers of Christ till such time as it had fully revealed and clearly explained the Gospel to them and when this was done and they had transmitted its Revelations to writing there could be no farther need of it unless it be supposed either that he had not sufficiently revealed the Gospel to them or that he hath some new Gospel to reveal And thus you see what it is that our Saviour hath done in the discharge of his Prophetick Office. And considering all I know not what farther he could have added to compleat and perfect it and to render his Prophecy effectual to teach and instruct the World. So that if after all these mighty performances we still remain in darkness and ignorance the blame of it wholly redounds upon our selves for he hath in all respects abundantly performed his part towards the enlightening of the World and chalked out to us the way to our happiness with such plain and visible lines that if we are but willing to walk in it we cannot mistake or wander from it but if we will be so supine and negligent as to concern our selves no more about it than if it were only a Fanciful description of the Road to Vtopia or the High-way to the World in the Moon it is impossible we should be throughly acquainted with it how plainly soever it is described It is true there are some Doctrines in
and general account of it in Scripture where we are only told that they shall awake to everlasting shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 and that they shall come forth to the Resurrection of Damnation John 5.28 and that upon their Resurrection they shall be judged according to their works and cast into the Lake of fire Rev. 20.13.15 from whence it is apparent that they shall be raised for no other end but to be punished to endure that vengeance which shall then be rendered to them even the vengeance of eternal fire for that will be their doom Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Since therefore their Resurrection will be only in order to their being fetched from Prison to Iudgment and sent from Iudgment to Execution to be sure their bodies will be raised in full capacity to suffer the fearful execution of their doom that is with an exquisite sense to feel and an invincible strength to sustain the torment of eternal fire For since they must suffer for ever they must be raised both passive and immortal with a sense as quick as lightening to perceive their misery and yet as durable as Anvil to undergo the stroaks of it which to all eternity will be repeated upon them without any pause or intermission Thus shall they be raised with a most vivacious and everlasting sense of pain that so they may ever feel the pangs of death without ever dying so St. Cyril Catech. illum 4. p. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. wicked men shall be cloathed with eternal bodies that in them they may suffer the eternal punishment of their sins and so they shall have strength to suffer as long as vengeance hath will to inflict and therefore since it is the will of divine vengeance that they should suffer eternal fire the divine power will furnish them with such bodies as shall be able to endure everlasting scorching in that fire without being ever consumed by it for at their Resurrection their wretched Ghosts shall be fetched out of those invisible Prisons wherein they are now reserved in chains against the Judgment of the great Day to suffer in that body wherein they sinned and that therein they may be capable of lingring out an eternity of torment they shall be reunited to it in such a fatal and indissoluble bond as neither Death nor Hell shall ever be able to unloose And this is all the account we have from Scripture concerning the change that shall be made by the Resurrection in the bodies of wicked men viz. that from weak and corruptible bodies they shall be changed into vigorous and incorruptible ones and be endued with a quick and everlasting sense of all that everlasting punishment which they are raised to endure Thus having given an account at large of this second Regal Act which our blessed Saviour is yet to perform viz. Raising the dead I proceed to the III. And last viz. his judging the World. In treating of which great and fundamental Article of our Faith I shall endeavour First To prove the truth of the thing that our blessed Saviour shall judge the World. Secondly To give an account of the signs and forerunners of his coming to judge it Thirdly To shew the manner of his coming Fourthly To explain the whole process of his judgment I. I shall endeavour to prove the truth of the thing viz. that our Saviour shall judge the World than which there is no one Proposition more frequently and plainly asserted in holy Scripture Thus Acts 17.31 we are told that God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained and that this man is Jesus Christ we are assured Acts 10.42 And he commanded us to preach unto the People and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Iudge of quick and dead So also 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom And accordingly we are told that we shall all stand before the Iudgment seat of Christ Rom. 14.10 And all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 And to the same purpose our Saviour himself tells us that the Father judgeth no man that is immediately but hath given all judgment to his Son and afterward he gives the reason of it because he is the Son of man Iohn 5.22.27 that is because he dutifully complied with his Fathers Will in chearfully condescending to cloath himself in Humane Nature and therein to offer up himself a willing Victim for the sins of the World for so Rev. 5.9.12 Worthy is he alone to receive the Book of judgment and to open the Seals thereof because he was slain and hath redeemed us to God by his blood worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the power and honour the glory and blessing appendent to his high Office of judging the World. From all which it abundantly appears that this great action of judging the World is to be performed by Christ. I proceed therefore to the Second general Head I proposed to treat of which was to give an account of the signs and forerunners of his coming to judgment For before he actually appears he will give the secure World a fearful warning of his coming by hanging out to its publick view a great many horrible signs and spectacles for thus the Prophet Ioel Ioel 1.30 31. I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord which Prophesie of his is particularly exemplified by our Saviour Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars of Heaven shall fall and the Powers of the Heavens shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven Matt. 24 29 30. and more particularly Luke 21.11.25 Great Earthquakes shall be in divers places and Famines and Pestilences and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from Heaven and there shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations with great perplexity the Sea and the Waves roaring and then it follows then shall they see the Son of man coming It is true this Prophesie of our Saviour immediately respects the destruction of Ierusalem and was in part accomplished in it several of these very signs being a little before the Calamity of that City actually exhibited to the publick view of the World as both Iosephus and Tacitus assure us and several others of them were exhibited immediately after
hath given to the Soul agreeable to Iohn 6.33.35 such as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the House of the Father in which he dwells ib. de Migrat Abraham sutable to Iohn 14.10 but besides this I say they also attribute to him the very same Offices that the New Testament attributes to our Saviour for thus as the Scripture attributes unto Christ a Kingly Office under God the Father so they make this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine Word the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Governour of all things and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Viceroy of the great King Ib. de som de Agricul l. 2. where he also tells us that God who is King and Pastor of the World hath appointed the Word his first begotten Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to undertake the care of his Sacred Flock as his own Viceroy and Substitute and so also as the Scripture attributes to Christ the Office of an Intercessor between God and Man so also the same Author tells us which is highly worthy our observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. but this excellent gift the Father of all things hath bestowed upon the Prince of Angels the most ancient Word that standing in the middle he might judge between the Creature and the Creator and he always supplicates the immortal God for Mortals and is the Embassador from the supreme King to his subjects and in this Gift he rejoyces as highly valuing himself upon it saying I stood in the middle between you and the Lord as being neither unbegotten as God nor yet begotten as you but am a middle between the extreams and a pledge for both for the Creature with the Creator that he shall not wholly Apostatize from him so as to prefer disorder before order and beauty for the Creator with the Creature to give him an assured hope that the most merciful God will never abandon his own Workmanship for I declare peace to the Creature from him who makes Wars to cease even God who is the King of peace In which words the same Mediatorial Office which the New Testament attributes to our Saviour is expresly attributed to this divine Logos And in the above-cited Book de Agricult he expresly teaches that this Logos or divine Word was that Angel whom God had promised to send before the Camp of Israel of which Angel Moses Gerund as he is quoted by Masius upon Ioshua Chap. 5. thus speaks Iste Angelus si rem ipsam dicam est Angelus redemptor de quo scriptum est Quoniam nomen meum in ipso est ille inquam Angelus qui ad Iacob dicebat Ego Deus Bethel ille de quo dictum est Et vocabat Mosem Deus de rubo Vocatur autem Angelus quia mundum gubernat scriptum est enim Eduxit nos Iehovah id est Dominus Deus ex Aegypto alibi Misit Angelum suum eduxit nos ex Aegypto Praeterea scriptum est Et Angelus faciei ejus salvos fecit ipsos De quo dictum est Facies mea praeibit efficiam ut quiescat denique ille Angelus est de quo vates Et subito veniet ad Templum suum Dominus quem vos quaeritis Angelus foederis quem cupitis That Angel to speak the truth is the Angel Redeemer of whom it is written Because my Name is in him this I say is that Angel who said to Iacob I am the God of Bethel he is also that Angel of whom it is said And God called to Moses out of the Bush for he is called the Angel because he governs the World wherefore it is written Iehovah i. e. the Lord God brought us out of Egypt and elsewhere he sent his Angel and brought us out of Egypt besides it is written And the Angel of his face saved them Of this Angel it is also said My Presence shall go before the Camp of Israel and shall cause it to rest Lastly This is the Angel of whom the Prophet speaks The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple the Angel of the Covenant whom ye desire By which last passage it is evident that by this Angel he meant the Messias to whom all the ancient Jews refer that Prophesie so that the divine Word according to Philo is the Angel that went before the Camp of Israel and that Angel according to Moses Gerundensis is no other than the Messias and that Philo himself by this Word understood the Messias is evident by his applying those words Ezek. 6.12 which the ancient Jews unanimously understood of the Messias to him in lib. quod deter potiorib insid soleat But to put all out of doubt the Targums use the Word of the Lord and the Messias promiscuously for so on those words Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord the Chaldee Paraphrase thus descants Our Father Iacob said I expect not the Salvation of Gideon the Son of Ioas which is a temporal Salvation nor the Salvation of Sampson the Son of Manoah which is a transitory Salvation but I expect the Redemption of Messias the Son of David who shall come and gather together the Sons of Israel his Redemption my Soul expects with which the Ierusalem Targum concurs almost word for word only with this difference that instead of those words But I expect the Redemption of Messias the Son of David it hath these words But expect the Redemption which thou hast promised to give us by thy Word that he should come to thy people Israel which is a plain evidence that by the Messias and this Word they meant the same thing so also on those words Even I am he and there is no God besides me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal Ionathans Targum runs thus When the Word of the Lord shall be manifested to redeem his People he i. e. the Word of the Lord shall say to all the people see now because I am he who was and is to come and there is no other God besides me I kill in my revenge and reviving do revive the People of the House of Israel I will heal them in the last days by which last days is evidently meant the days of the Messias who therefore must be the same with this Word of the Lord here spoken of Page 35. Line ult c For as they affirm of their word that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. always without time and alone eternal vid. Porphyry quoted by S. Cyril C. Iul. lib. 1. p. 32. that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient Word of God Phil. de somn and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient of all things that are 16. Leg. Allegor lib. 2. So S. Iohn affirms of his Word that he was in the beginning that is according to the pluinest and most obvious sense at least that he actually existed in the very beginning of the World and that