curse of thy sin and though thou seest that all the good of his abasement came to thee thou wilt endure nothing for him Ah conforme henceforth thy loue to his Secondly heere is an excellent ground of comfort that we haue a most perfect and all-sufficient Sauiour not onely the son of man but the Son of God almighty Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life All other sauiours were meere sonnes of men Ioshua the Iudges Iephte Samson c. And their deliuerances but temporall from the sonnes of men but heere is an eternall Sonne of God an heauenly Sauiour and Saluation from all spirituall enmities worthy the Sonne of God Hereupon namely the excellency and dignity of his Person ariseth the excellency price and merit of his obedience both actiue in fulfilling the law and passiue in satisfying the breach For being the naturall Sonne of God he cānot but be very God of the same substance and Godhead with the Father vnto which Diuine nature the humane being vnited it receiueth an excellency and dignity aboue all created natures of men and Angels for to which of the Angels did he at any time say Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1. 5 And hence all his obedience must needs bee of infinite merit the Person being so infinite else could he not haue sustained the infinite burden of mans sin nor appeased the wrath of his Father infinitly offended nor in so short time haue made so full and perfect satisfaction which must be of infinite worth and desert nor haue vanquished so infinite enemies as sin death hell and the deuill nor haue purchased for vs that infinite and eternall Crowne of righteousnes vnlesse he had been Immanuel God with vs and for vs blessed for euer Thirdly If Christ be that true Sonne of God so declared by the Prophets then wee are instructed 1. To beleeue in him for this is the Commaundement of GOD that we doe beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me And the reason is because the Father and the Son are one Besides no creature can be the obiect of faith which fixeth it selfe vpon God as Mar. 11. 22. Haue faith in God which word God in the Creed is but once named to note the vnity of essence yet in vnderstanding is to be referred to all the three persons in whome we beleeue and in nothing else And because we must beleeue in him wee must pray not onely by him as a Mediator but vnto him as God equal with the Father into whose name we are baptized Thus the Apostles prayed to him Lord increase our faith and a Leper came and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Math. 8. 2. And often it is made a marke or note whereby all Christians are described that they are such as call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus Christ Act. 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. In one word whatsoeuer diuine worship is due to the Father is due to this Sonne of God Rom. 15. 12. In him the Gentiles shall trust euery knee shall bowe vnto him and Ioh. 5. 23. That all men might honour the Son as they honour the Father 2. We must esteeme and affect him as the Sonne of God accounting him the chiefe of 10000. as the Church doth to loue and reuerence him aboue all other saying Thou art fayrer then the sonnes of men If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed 1. Cor. 16. 22. Yea account all things as losse and dung in comparison of him hate father and mother if need so require in respect of him and be so farre from being ashamed of him and his profession as to acknowledge it the greatest honour to suffer in his cause 1. Pet. 4. 13. 3. If Christ be the onely naturall Sonne then kisse the Son of God Psal. 2. 12. 1. In token of subiection as a kisse is if it be of an inferiour to a superiour so Pharaoh said to Ioseph All my people shall kisse thee Gen. 41. namely in token of subiection so Idolaters are said to kisse their Idols that is to be subiect and deuoted vnto them 1. King 19. 18. 2. In token of loue good will if from a superiour or equal thus the Saints must kisse one another with an holy kisse And thus must euery Christian kisse the Sonne of God both in token of their homage and subiection as also as a sure pledge of their loue and faithfull affection towards him especially wee must take his yoke vpon vs stoope vnder his Scepter and obserue whatsoeuer hee hath commanded vs. Doe as the people promised Ioshua chap. 1. 16. All that thou commandest vs wee will doe whither thou sendest vs we will goe whosoeuer rebell and will not obey thy words let him die the death and as Mary his mother said to the seruants Whatsoeuer hee shall bid you doe that doe Beloued Sonne The English is too short for the Greeke where we finde two articles and it soundeth thus This is that my Sonne that my beloued and such a beloued one as on whom all a mans loue is cast for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is commonly vsed of that which is but one as of Isaac Take now thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy onely Sonne thy beloued Sonne Christ is the proper obiect of Gods loue on whom all his loue is cast figured not onely in Isaac but in Salomon 2. Sam. 12. 25. The Lord also loued him and called his name Iedidiah that is the beloued of the Lord Christ is the true Iedidiah prophecied of Isa. 42. 1. Behold my Elect in whom my soule delighteth The Apostles expresse this loue in sundry phrases Ioh. 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father hath declared him that is who is intirely and inwardly loued with such affection as is due onely to her who is to be layd in the bosome who is thy best-beloued thy heart thy selfe And hee is called Gods deare Sonne Col. 1. 13. 1. God loues him as himself as being one with him The Father I are one saith Christ in nature in essence in will in operation looke with what loue he loues himselfe with the same he loues his Sonne the only begotten of the Father full of grace and trueth 2. Christ is capable of perfect and infinite loue as no creature is and therefore is perfectly and infinitely loued of his Father hence is it that the Father giueth him all that euer he hath Mat. 28. 18. All power in heauen and in earth hence he reuealeth and declareth his whole counsell to him who from eternity hath coexisted and layd in the bosome of his Father whereas all creatures are not capable of this knowledge 3. Christ as Mediator is most deare to his Father and
beloued as a sea or fountaine from whose fulnesse loue must be deriued to all other Eph. 1. 6. He hath made vs accepted in his Beloued the head of the body must be filled with sense and spirit and life because it must send these into all the members so the Head of the Church As the Apostle therefore saith In him are the treasures of wisedome so he is Gods store-house of loue whence all our supplies must be fetched Of consolation 1. In respect of Gods affection 2. Of Christs intercession 3. Of our owne acceptation The first if God thus dearely loue Christ the Head he must needes dearely loue the mēbers whence Christ prayeth thus Ioh. 17. 23. That the world may know that thou louest them as thou hast loued me namely with a fatherly and free loue What then if the child of God be in want distresse danger death it selfe God looking on him in Christ cannot but pitty him the wife and children cannot so pitty and helpe vs when they can weepe about vs. Psal. 103. 13. Secondly Christs intercession for vs must needes be powerfull and preuailing because he therefore euer liueth to make requests for vs and being also euer loued it must needes be fruitfull for vs he was heard in all things in the dayes of his flesh and much more now in his glory We see what great suits a Kings fauorite can carry away as Ahashuerosh because Hester found grace in his sight would not deny her to the halfe of his Kingdome and shee easily got her suit for her selfe and all her people But Christ shall not be denied the whole Kingdome if he aske it for his Elect. Thirdly hence comes in our boldnesse to come to God in the name and for the sake of Christ in whom our persons and prayers finde acceptance we in our selues being enemies to God strangers from God and his couenant hauing forfaited all are by his mediation receiued into such fauour as Aske what wee will in his name in faith and vnderstanding and wee shall be speeders Of instruction in two things 1. If God thought not his deare Sonne too deare for vs but although his whole loue was cast on him would not spare him shall wee thinke any thing too deare for him If benefits will binde search heauen and earth you shall not finde such a loue which is left with an admiration Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world c. And oughtest not thou to giue vp thy soule body and life it selfe as a reasonable sacrifice for him Oh the ingratitude of men that are so farre from this as that they will not part with a grain of their wealth with a dram of their credit nor with their base lusts The proud will not depart from his pride nor the drunkard with his drunkennesse nor the froward with his malice and reuenge for Christ and much lesse from liberty life c. And what is the reason Men loue their liues their lusts c. and did not God loue his Sonne more than thou canst loue these he set his whole loue euen an infinite loue vpon him and yet hee gaue him to death for thee and wilt thou doe nothing suffer nothing for him Wilt thou loue hatefull things better than God who loued not his dearest Sonne too well for thee 2. If God so dearely loued Christ his Sonne so must we we want no reasons or motiues thereunto for first hee loued vs first not existing yea resisting Secondly he hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts of body and soule yea by that inualuable gift of his owne bodie and soule Thirdly hee hath more to declare to vs hereafter in greater things which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard for hee will not be in heauen without vs. Fourthly God cannot loue vs if wee loue not his beloued Sonne Can a father who hath cast his whole affection on his childe and worthily endure that hee should be contemptuously entreated and despised The sentence is passed If any loue not the Lord Iesus let him bee accursed Fifthly the greatest reason of all is the strait vnion and band between Christ and the Christian he the foundation wee the building coupled he the roote we the branches ingrafted he the Head we the body vnited he the Husband we the wife married and hence is the communication betweene vs in natures goods estates he puts on our nature to cloath vs with his diuine nature he put vs in state of all his goods wisedome righteousnes sanctification and Redemption yea giues vs right to heauen to earth and the creatures he takes on him our low estate to aduance vs to his glory yea our troubles are his in our wrongs he is wronged and whatsoeuer is done to vs of well or woe hee takes it as done to himselfe either to recompence or reuenge it Now what an vnseemly and confused sight were it to behold the building falling off of the foundation the branches seuering from the roote the members cutting themselues from the head and the wife suing for a diuorce or at daggers with her husband Notes of our loue to Christ are these 1. Often to thinke of him and these thoughts bee deepe large frequent which argues abundant affection in the soule Often out of that abundance to speake of him and neuer but to his glory for where we heartily loue we can willingly praise Thus the loue of God in Dauids heart filled his mouth and pen with often praises Psal. 119. 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee Thus the Spouse in the Canticles loued much and praised much My beloued is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand chap. 5. 10. Yea by this meanes bring others to be in loue with him as wee doe with our deare friends Psal. 31. 23. O loue the Lord all ye his Saints Cant. 5. 16. His mouth is as sweet things he is wholly delectable this is my welbeloued and this is my louer O daughters of Ierusalem 2. To bee carefull to please and content him in all things the man I loue I will doe any thing wherby I may please him I will abstain from y t which will offend and incense him 2. Cor. 5. 9. We couet both at home and from home to be acceptable vnto him I will not forget his desire his word I will thinke the time short and well spent to do his requests I will not imprison his loue in my heart or mouth but expresse it in my whole course and calling as Peter was thrice enioyned to expresse his loue to Christ in feeding his sheepe and lambes Ioh. 21. 16. 3. Loue is bountifull I will spare nothing for my friend all I haue is his to command and vse because my selfe am sincere loue is communicatiue and will be at cost for Christ those that loue Christ first giue themselues to Christ and then their gifts their graces their goods to the vse of Christ and of his members
sincere loue is diligent and will refuse no paines to please or pleasure the partie loued what infinite paines will men that loue the world take for an handfull of it and such as loue Christ will refuse no paines to enioy to glorifie him as the Apostles and Martyrs in whom we see how loue ouercommeth all things and the hardest paines is pleasure to it 4. This Christian and holie loue is ready to defend Christ no man can endure to heare or see his friend abused loue carries a sympathy with it that is a fellow-feeling causing ioy or griefe to see his glory Word or Kingdom aduanced or hindred it carries a godly zeale to Gods house which consumed Dauid Psalm 69. 9. Paul and Barnabas when GOD was dishonoured were mooued and rent their cloathes and loue to Christ makes a mā take to heart things against his name and honour nay it makes the Christian ready to suffer with Christ and for Christ and accept of neuer so hard a conditiō with him Much water cannot quench loue nor the flouds drowne it Cant. 8. 6. Yea if all the world should forsake Christ and sincere profession of him sincere loue would loue the more and die with him rather than deny him 5. Now in his absence to loue him in his image in his seruants because they loue him in his Word Sacraments which are his letters and pledges in his gifts and graces which are his loue-tokens and long to obtaine his presence for the Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come yea euen to be sick of loue after him Cantic 5. 8. Thus may wee trie our loue of Christ and shame our selues for want of it and stirre vp our selues to grow vp in the image of God who hath set his whole loue vpon him and long after the day when wee also shall set our whole loue vpon him as he vpon vs. In whom I am well pleased Sect. 10. HEre is the fruit of this neere relation declaring to vs that God is not onely pleased with Christ his person his actions and perfections for hee saith not with whom but that in him whatsoeuer is presented is accepted and hee is pleased with that also Neuer is God appeased with any man but in and through his Christ whom hee so loueth as that all his wrath is appeased with all that are in him Eph. 1. 6. We are accepted in his Welbeloued Col. 1. 20. In him are all things reconciled and set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both in earth and in heauen that is the whole bodie of the Church which is partly in earth and partly in heauen by Christ vnited to God Luk. 2. At his birth the Angels sang Glory to God peace on earth good wil to mē teaching vs that now by Christ Gods good will was turned towards men Add hereto that all the fauors we receiue from God are ascribed vnto him Ephes. 1. We are elected in him adopted in him called with an holy calling iustified but all in him and vers 3. He hath blessed vs with all spirituall and heauenly blessings in Christ. For 1. If God look on vs in our selues in the common masse wee are so couered ouer with sin as he must needs pronounce of vs as once hee did of mankinde It repenteth me that I haue made man he must needes bring the curse of the Law vpon our neckes But looking on vs through Christ he changeth his voyce that as when wee behold a thing through a red or greene or coloured glasse euery thing looks as the colour of the glasse so God beholding vs through Christ we receiue the dye and tincture of his bloud and obedience and so are iustified and accounted innocent and pure And thus as it is said of the Church Ezek. 16. 14. we recouer our former beautie which is made perfect through his beautie 2. This was shadowed in the old Testament Ge. 8. 21. When the earth was destroyed and Noah came out of the Arke hee offered burnt-offerings to the Lord and the Lord smelled a sauour of rest and said I will no more curse the earth c. A notable type of Christ the Mediatour and maker of atonement betweene God and man from whose meritorious sacrifice God only smelleth a sauour of rest So likewise in Aaron the high Priest Exod. 28. 38. Aaron must beare the iniquitie of the offerings of the children of Israel and Holinesse to the Lord shall be alwaies vpon his forehead to make them acceptable to the Lord here saith Caluine must all our senses bee fixed vpon the forehead of the only high Priest from whom all holinesse floweth foorth to his Church neither could the Priest make the people acceptable in his owne person but as hee stood a type of Christ. 3. Consider Christ 1. in himselfe God was so pleased in him as hee was neuer displeased nothing was euer found in him displeasing no guile in his lips no spot in his person but was euer a beloued Sonne it is not so with vs who were before the sonnes of wrath and Lo-ammi Lo-ruhamah 2. Consider him as Head of the Church and Mediatour his obedience was so voluntary and satisfactory so full and meritorious as must needs appease his fathers wrath in him the Father hath his Law wholly fulfilled euen all righteousnes in him he hath the curse borne carried away in him he hath a new righteousnes of faith restored to beleeuers and a new image repaired vpon them so as now beholding them not in the first Adam but in the second not in the old roote but in the new plantation he loueth the members because he loueth the Head accepteth them as sons through his beloued Sonne To note the miserable condition of all them that are without Christ because they are as the Gentiles without God in the world without hope for nothing else in the world can put backe the wrath of God there is no name else vnder heauen in which a man can be saued How fearefully is the wrath of God come vpon the Iewes to the vttermost who reiect this Corner stone and yet expect a Messiah of their owne making Neither the cleere testimonies of the Prophets nor of Iohn nor Heare this voyce of the Father nor his own mighty works haue moued them because hardnesse is come vpon them till this day and the vaile is vpon their hearts which wee must pray that God would in his time remooue Those mightie kingdomes of Turkes and Heathens who refuse the Sonne of God and will not acknowledge him more than a man lye vnder Gods wrath and in the power of the diuell and reiect the onely meanes whereby they should come into fauor with God which when we consider as we are to pitie and pray for them so with praise and gladnesse wee are to acknowledge Gods goodnesse whose prouidence watched ouer vs to be borne in the places and times wherein Christ rideth most gloriously in
vnprobable that this worthy Witnesse of him who in the wombe sprang at his presence as if then he had knowne him who had immediatly before preached him to be so farre aboue himselfe as that hee was not worthy to vnloose his shooe that hee should not now know him to be him whom he preached 2. If he had conceiued him to haue been onely some worthy man hee would haue thought him fitter to haue been numbred among Gods people in their Baptisme rather than haue forbidden him 3. He must needs know him in his greatnes of Deity for none could bee greater than not to need Baptisme except the Son of God 4. He confesseth that he knew him to bee more and greater than a meere man euen the Sonne of God the King and Sauiour of his people who only washeth them with the holy Ghost and giueth them life eternall I haue need to be baptized of thee How is it then that Iohn saith chap. 1. 31 33. that he knew him not but by that signe giuen him by him that sent him Vpon whō thou shalt see the Spirit rest that is he the which signe was not yet accomplished vntill after the Baptisme of Christ Iohn was filled with the holy Ghost and by the same Spirit which caused him to acknowledge him in the wombe before he had seene his face was admonished that this was hee whom he preached But in that he said hee knew him not but by that signe hee must bee thus vnderstood 1. He knew him not by face before for hee had neuer seene him for the reason before alleaged 2. Though hee had in some sort knowne him when hee came to Baptisme yet hee knew him not so fully and cleerly as hee did afterward by that signe yea that former knowledge compared with the latter is scarce worthy the name of knowledge but of ignorance for as it was with the fathers and beleeuers of the old Testament so is it heere Christ was after a sort known to that ancient people but yet so obscurely as compared to that knowledge in his appearing it still carryeth the name of ignorance Ephes. 3. 9. Paul speaking of Christs manifestation in the flesh saith that now that mysterie was brought to light which was hid frō the beginning of the world The former was a darke knowledge as in a glasse or picture this is face to face at lest a knowledge by present 3. Though Iohn knew him before the signe by a speciall reuelation whereby he was after a sort manifested vnto himselfe yet was he not so inwardly confirmed as that hee durst preach him to be the man though he had preached much of such a one and therefore Ioh. 1. 34. As soone as hee had seene the Spirit rest on him hee saith I saw and bare record that this is the Sonne of God ver 36. pointed at him with his finger the next day saying Behold the Lambe of God for now hee was openly manifested by this signe others at his baptisme not to Iohn only but to all Israel Out of this knowledge of Christ and himselfe hee giueth this worthy testimony of him I haue neede to be baptized of thee I came of Adam and contracted pollution thou didst not but wast sanctified of the holy Ghost to be a sanctifier of all Thou art Spirit I am flesh can flesh wash the Spirit I am a sinfull creature thou who hast power to create hast also the power of sanctifying Why doest thou that art Lord of all rich ouer all seeke wealth at my hands a poore and needfull creature who should rather begge it of thee hath a sound man any neede of a Physician or a cleane man of cleansing what spot is there in the immaculate spotlesse Lambe of God I haue neede to be baptized of thee in which worthy profession 1. Note his humility hee acknowledgeth his neede and wants yet a man risen to great perfection then whom a greater was not borne of woman so holy in his life and so powerfull in doctrine that all men held Iohn for a great Prophet yet he confesseth his neede of Christ and of his baptisme The greater gifts and graces a man hath the more hee seeth his wants and will be humbled for them Iohn was priuiledged aboue all men to be not onely a witnesse to Christ but also one to whom Christ himselfe seeketh for baptisme now the more hee is exalted the more doeth he abase himselfe and in the presence of Christ thus honouring him he makes himselfe of no reputation Gen. 18. 27. Abraham cōming neere to God to intercede for Sodome and hauing preuailed with God in sundry suites was so farre from swelling in conceit of his familiarity with God as that most modestly in sense of Gods presence and his owne basenesse he saith I haue begun to speake and am but dust and ashes and the neerer the Saints come to God and are more graced by him the more is their sense of their owne wants Iob hauing heard of God by the hearing of the eare in the ministry now more familiarly and fully euen by the sight of the eye in the signes of his speciall presence breaketh out into these words I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes chap. 42. 5 6. Luk. 5. 8. When Peter saw the dignity and diuinity of Christ in that miraculous draught of fishes hee said Depart from me Lord for I am a sinfull man Why would Peter cast off his Master or be cast off No for he fell at his knees but the maiestie of Christ forced him to descend into himselfe and to see himselfe vtterly vnworthy of the cōpany or fellowship of Christ Besides the sight of his sinne made him feare lest if hee should be so neere Christ hee might reuenge his sinne 1. As a man the more hee looketh vpon the body of the Sunne the more shall hee discerne the weakenesse of his own sight so the bright beames of Gods grace and glory lets a man see his owne impotency and nothing 2. As in all other plants the roote groweth according to the encreasing of other parts so in this plant of grace in the ground of mans heart by Gods finger the roote of grace which is true humility groweth with euery other grace First then he that would see himselfe in the truest glasse must draw neere to God and Christ and he that would be something in himselfe let him stand neere God a little and he shall see his error Isa. 40. 15. All nations are before him as the drop of a bucket and as the dust of a ballance all nations are before him as nothing and counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Yea the Angels themselues are comparatiuely powerlesse and impure in his sight how much more those that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust Secondly examine thy selfe if thy grace be sound it lets thee see thy wants and weakenesse and keepes
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe and therefore not by generation Consider him in respect of his God-head and he is God of himselfe as the Father and holy Ghost but consider him in his Person and so hee is the Sonne begotten of the Father and not of himselfe for the Father is a beginning to the rest of the Persons And whereas the Athanasian Creed confesseth him God of very God and the Nicen Light of light and very God of very God the word God in both places must bee taken not essentially but personally namely the Sonne of God begotten of the Father But the God-head of the Son is from the Father because the Sonne is God The God-head of the Sonne is not begotten of the Father but the Person of the Sonne is begotten for the God-head of the Sonne is without beginning as the Father is but the Person of the Sonne is of the Father But the Son hauing the same Essence with the Father then the Father begetting the Sonne the Sonne begets himselfe also Person begets Person not diuine Essence begets diuine Essence the Person of the Father begets the Person of the Sonne but not the God-head of the Sonne If the Father and Sonne be one in Essence then the Sonne being incarnate so is the Father also It is a weake argument because Incarnation belongs not properly to the Essence but to the person or the diuine Essence of the Person of the Sonne became incarnate and tooke flesh or if to the Essence yet not absolute but limited The whole diuine Essence is the Father the Sonne is the whole diuine Essence therefore the Sonne is the Father not distinct or begotten There is an Homonymie in the word whole diuine Essence which is taken either essentially and absolutely as in the Proposition or personally limited to the second Person as in the assumption and therefore the reason is faulty because of foure tearmes in it But if the Father beget the Sonne then hee communicates either a part of his Essence or the whole but hee can doe neither not a part because it is indiuisible not whole for then he leaues none for himselfe The Father begetting communicates his whole Essence and yet retaines it wholly as a candle giuing light to another retaineth it wholly to it selfe If the Father begot the Son then either when the Son subsisted or when he did not if he did subsist how could hee beget him if he did not subsist then he had a beginning The Father begot the Sonne subsisting for generation and subsisting are in time together or rather both from eternity and in the Trinity there is nihil prius or posterius in time And thus also that obiection is stopt that the Father begetting must be before the Sonne begotten for the Father is not in time before the Sonne but in order But Christ is the first begotten and the first borne of many brethren Rom. 8. 29. and Col. 1. 15. therefore he is not the onely Sonne of God 1. The word Primogenitura is sometimes a word of dignity and not of order 2. Christ is called The first borne of euery creature because hee was begotten eternally before any creature 3. He is called First borne by a Metaphor and resemblance being shadowed by the first borne in the old Testament who were Heires and Priests in the family and had double portions c. All which types were verified in Christ who was first borne not of a few brethren in one family as they but of many brethren in all Tribes and Families Christ was the Sonne of the holy Ghost because he was conceiued by him No because he was conceiued not of the substance but power of the holy Ghost Againe consider him either according to the flesh so he was of the substance of the Virgin Mary not of the holy Ghost or according to his Deity and so hee was of the substance of his Father not of the holy Ghost But the Article he is that my Sonne is not to be omitted namely that promised seed Messias on whom all the fathers eyes haue been fixed whose day Abraham desired to see on whom all the Patriarkes cast their hopes whom all the Prophets with one mouth haue declared and poynted at as with one finger This is that my Son whom ye haue already seene borne of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. Come out of Bethleem Mic. 5. 2. Called out of Egypt Hos. 11. 1. Out of Egypt haue I called my Sonne This is he before whom Eliah hath prepared the way Mal. 3. 1. that is Iohn Baptist in the Spirit of Eliah And as ye haue seen these things already so expect the accomplishment of all other predictions concerning him till he hath finished his course the whole worke of mans Redemption Is Christ thus peculiarly the Sonne of God then note the wonderfull loue of God and of Christ God the Father setting his onely Sonne separated from sinners and higher then the heauens among sinners to receiue among them not only the badge of sin but the curse of sin wherein hee was cast lower then earth and hell it selfe that we might by him become the adopted sons of God for this was the Fathers end that we might be vnited to his naturall Son and so to himselfe by him and receiue our title of Son-ship And what father that loued his son would so debase him that hee might take in some strāger yea an enemy to be heire with him And yet the loue of God hath done thus for vs. Againe the loue of Christ is surpassing and appeareth in his voluntary and extreme abasement that he would be pleased from the height of his Glory being Gods naturall Son to become not onely like but lower then all other men in his life and death No man liuing euer was or can be so abased for hee that is lowest of all can fall but from one degree in earth to another but Christ falls from the highest degree of the glory of heauen to the very bottome of hell What doth this infinite loue call for at our hands but returne of loue for loue Shall we thinke any of his Commandements grieuous shall we think much of any conditiō which God seeth fit for vs and Christ hath sanctifyed be it neuer so base shall we refuse the lowest abasement for his sake seeing we cannot bee brought so low for him as hee for vs Who art thou that professest loue to Christ and wilt not endure a word a frowne of a superiour a checke and rebuke for his sake and good conscience Was Christs loue such to thee or if it had where had thy hopes and saluation been Had he disdayned the frownes of his Father for thee the rebukes and shame of the world the cursed death to which hee voluntarily subiected himselfe thou hadst bin layd for euer vnder the frownes of God the Father and the
was any ceremony in all the world so honoured as this Baptisme of Christ was The ancient sacrifices of Gods institution were honoured by manifest signes of his gracious presence as by the fire which came from heauen continually to consume them the Arke was honoured with speciall signes of his glorious presence sitting betweene the Cherubims answering by Oracle and voice vnto cases propounded the Temple it selfe at Ierusalem at Salomons prayer and dedication was filled with the glory of God manifested in that cloud that filled the House of the Lord 1. Kin. 8. 10. and this cloud still watched ouer the Tabernacle Exod. 40. 34. But these were all but shadowes to this wherein the Lord did not cloud and vaile his presence or reueale his presence in some signe but the Diuine Maiesty manifested it selfe distinctly as we may say in person yea in the distinction of all the three Persons the Father testifying his delight in his deare Sonne the Sonne standing in Iordan and receiuing his Fathers testimony and the holy Ghost descending in the visible shape of a Doue From whence is notably grounded the doctrine of the blessed Trinity of persons in the Vnity of diuine essence because they be so really distinguished although they cannot bee separated But the word Trinity is not to be found in the Scriptures Yet the doctrine is if not according to the letter yet according to the sense Mat. 17. 5. In the transfiguration of Christ the Sonne standeth the Father by his voice witnesseth and the holy Ghost ouershadowes him in a cloud as heere by a Doue So Matth. 28. 19. Baptize them in the name not names to note the vnity of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost And 2. Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the holy Ghost bee with you all Besides there is expresly the word three frō whence Trinity comes 1. Ioh. 5. 7. There be three that beare witnesse in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one So also Gal. 4. 6. God sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts Which is worthy to be by the way obserued as against sundry other damnable Heretikes so especially against the Iewes at this day who hold an indistinct essence in the Deity without distinction of persons and secondly against the wicked Arrians who deny the Sonne of God to bee begotten of the essence of the Father and to bee coeternall and coequall with him they hold him to be meere man onely borne without sin and receiuing the Spirit beyond measure and in all those places where he is called God they vnderstand it God by office not by nature as the Magistrate is called God and by this equiuocation they can deceiue the Magistrate and professe namely in this their sense that they verily beleeue him to bee God and yet meere man But this place and many other assume him into equall dignitie with the Father and holie Ghost as wee shall further see in the Fathers testimonie of him In the opening of the heauens consider 1. how they were opened 2. why they were opened For the former not the whole heauens but a part and that part ouer the earth where Christ prayed in the banke of Iordan and not to all the people of the earth but to those onely that were present with Christ were the heauens opened and therefore it is said The heauen was opened vnto him not as some say to Iohn but to Christ for so the phrase is vsed Act. 2. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 visae eis linguae i. supra eos The difficultie is in the manner Some think it was but an apparition in the aire because the densitie of the heauens as Philosophie teacheth cannot admit of any diuision in the same But this is vnlikely for in apparitions the eye is easily deceiued by thinnesse or thicknesse neerenes or remotenes light or darknesse of the parts of the heauens and clouds now God would not haue so notable a confirmation of Christs calling stand vpon the credit of a thing so liable to deceit as apparitions be Againe this was a miracle by which Christs office was exalted and therefore goes beyond nature and it is absurd to limit so transcendent a power within the rules and hedge of nature Others of the Fathers whom some Schoolemen follow think that there was no alteration in the heauēs to the bodily eye but it was a meer vision which none but Christ saw and that not with the eyes of his body but of his minde such a vision as Ezekiel and Steuen saw But this is not so for first to the eyes of Christs minde heauen was neuer shut Secondly Mark 1. 10. hee saw the heauens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clouen a word vsed in things really done and vsed of the rent garment Luk. 5. 36. and of the vaile of the Temple which was rent in twaine Thirdly the other signes were really and sensibly done the Spirits descending visible and the Fathers voyce audible and sensible which are things of greater difficultie to conceiue as wee shall see and visible and sensible were they not so much for Christs as for Iohns and the peoples confirmation that stood there It seemeth therefore to bee true that the heauen was sensibly diuided and rent in twaine euen as the earth was when Korah and his company were swallowed vp This is not vnreasonable to conceiue if wee consider that the Lord might well doe as much for his Sonne as he had formerly done for his seruants Henoch in his body as wel as in his soule was taken vp into heauen here either the heauens must diuide themselues or one body must pearce and penetrate another which euen glorified bodies cannot doe Eliah when Elisha prayed him that his spirit might be doubled on him answered thus Thou askest an hard thing yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee thou shalt haue it so 2. King 2. 11 12. and Elisha saw him when he was taken vp into heauen by a whirlewinde and consequently saw the heauens diuided to receiue his body now glorified in the act of translation When Christ had accomplished his whole ministery Act. 1. 9. while his Disciples beheld he was taken vp into heauen they did see the heauens opening themselues to receiue his glorious body and shall we think it absurd that according to the letter of the Scripture his Father should enter him into that ministery by a sensible opening of the heauens As easie it must bee for God to doe this as to make the Sunne stand still the Sea runne backe yea the Sea to diuide it selfe and stand like a wall for the defence of his people And that he thus did it is plaine because this serueth for the greater confirmation and glorie of the businesse in hand which aboue all other the Lord set himselfe to aduance commend to the world Now in the
second place the reasons why the heauens were opened were sundry 1. To manifest the truth and certaintie of the other signes which followed that seeing the heauens opened they might not conceiue that either the Doue or the voyce came from any other place 2. To shew that howsoeuer Christ stood there as a weake man and in similitude of sinfull flesh yet he was the Lord from heauen heauenly of whom was verified Ioh. 3. 31. Hee that is come from heauen is aboue all 3. That as his person so likewise his doctrine was diuine and heauenly ver 34. He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God and this was the speciall worke of his doctorall office to reueale the will of his Father And Io. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father hath declared him The power also and grace whereby he wrought miracles was not from Beel-zebub but from heauen 4. To shew that his office into which he was now entred was and is to open heauen again for vs who by sinne had shut it against our selues he hath made our way vnto y e throne of grace And thus this second Adam standeth in opposition with the first he shut vs out of Paradise a token that we were shut out of heauen but this lets vs into the Paradise of God againe The heauens are opened by his passion not by his baptisme Heb. 10. 19. They are opened by his death as by a common cause which must be specially and singularly applied and that is by baptisme therefore it is said Rom. 6. 3 4. We are baptized into his death that is to haue benefit by his death 1. Note hence that Christ by fulfilling all righteousnesse hath set heauen open vnto vs and consequently the iustification of a sinner is not onely by the obedience of his passion but also by his actiue obedience in fulfilling the Law for 1. the whole summe of the Law is to loue God with all the heart c. which if we performe not in our selues or in Christ then the whole Law is abolished whereof euery iot must be accomplished Math. 5. and Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it 2. The sanction of the Law Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all things cannot be auoided if all those things be not done in our selues or our surety 3. There are two parts of iustification 1. Remission of sinne which is by the blood of Christ which takes away all sin 2. Imputation of Christs righteousnesse neither can the one stand without the other as 1. Cor. 5. 21. Hee hath made Him sinne that knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in Him And this meetes with their maine obiection that when sin is taken away the Law is fulfilled and the sinner acquitted and iustified for that is not true for a sinner is not iustified when sinne is abolished vnlesse iustice be added Sinne must be couered indeed but that is but fulfilling of halfe righteousnesse vnlesse righteousnesse be imputed Rom. 4. 25. He was deliuered for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification where iustification is farre more then remission of sinnes 4. The words of Scripture are plaine Rom. 5. 18. By the obedience of Christ many are made righteous and 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse and not only to remoue vnrighteousnesse As for all those places wherein it is said that Christ hath purged all sinne with his blood c. they are to be meant exclusiuely in respect of the blood of beasts or any meritorious workes of men out of Christ but not to exclude the meritorious actiue obedience of the Sonne of God 5. Hee that is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole Law Obiect That was to make him a fit Sauiour Answ. No but that hee might redeeme them that were subiect to the Law and that they might receiue the adoption of sonnes vers 5. Hee speakes plainely of Christs actiue obedience We will conclude with Bernard Totus mihi datus totus in meos vsus expensus est When I can haue too much of Christ I will renounce his actiue obedience but if by fulfilling all righteousnesse he hath opened heauen I will lay fast hold vpon all his righteousnesse to bring mee thither Secondly hence wee note what we are to thinke of the doctrine of Christ who came from heauen and spake from heauen Heb. 1. 1. In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his Sonne and therefore our meanes of saluation are great and glorious the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of his Father hath reuealed the Fathers will vnto vs. Naturall light hath manifested much of God to many men supernaturall light hath made him more manifest both by the deliuery of the Law and the promises of the Gospell concerning Christ to come whereby the Iewes saw God after a sort through the vaile of types and shadowes but did not see him clearely and perspicuously till Christ was manifested in the flesh who was in his person the brightnes of his Fathers image and in his office the chiefe Doctor and Teacher of his Church Whence it followes Heb. 12. 25. That if they escaped not who refused him vvhich spake on earth much lesse shall we if we turne from him that speaketh from heauen and 2. 2. If the vvord spoken by Angels was stedfast c. how shal we escape if wee neglect so great saluation which was first begun to be preached by the Lord and is confirmed to vs by them that heard him Obiect Oh if we should heare Christ speake from heauen wee would obey Answ. The doctrine that we bring is from heauen heauen opened it selfe to giue confirmation to it the same it is which Christ taught which the Apostles receiued from him and we from them and of vs holding our selues to the Apostles doctrine our Sauiour saith Hee that heareth you heareth mee With how great danger therefore doe men refuse and turne away from our doctrine how shall they escape that refuse doctrine from heauen A iust thing it is that they be giuen ouer to Satanicall and hellish delusions who refuse doctrine from heauen 3. This opening of heauen being a signe of that which Christ had done affoordeth speciall comfort to all the members of Christ in that heauen being shut against vs by our sin for into it shall no vncleane thing enter Christ hath set the gate of it open vnto vs againe hee hath made a way and as it were a thorow-fare betweene heauen and earth By him saith the Apostle all things in heauen and earth are gathered into one Ephes. 1. 10. and Col. 1. 20. He hath reconciled to himselfe through him all things which are in earth and in heauen that is all elect and beleeuing men on earth and the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen and this followes that