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<NAME>Lauren Proux</NAME>
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<P>&KHgr;&Rgr;&Igr;&Sgr;&Tcy;&Ocy;&Lgr;&Ocy;&Ggr;&Igr;&Agr;, OR, A DECLARATION OF THE GLORIOUS MYSTERY OF THE Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, GOD and MAN.</P>
<P>With the Infinite Wi&s;dom, Love and Power of GOD in the contrivance and con&s;titution thereof.</P>
<P>As al&s;o of the Grounds and Rea&s;ons of his Incarnation, the Na|ture of his Mini&s;try in Heaven, the pre&s;ent State of the Church above thereon, and the U&s;e of his Per&s;on in Religion.</P>
<P>WITH An Account and Vindication of the Honour, Wor&s;hip, Faith, Love and Obedience due unto him, in and from the Church.</P>
<P>By <HI>John Owen,</HI> D. D.</P>
<Q>Yea doubtle&s;s, and I count all things but lo&s;s for the excellency of the knowledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord; for whom I have &s;uffer|ed the lo&s;s of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chri&s;t,
<BIBL><HI>Phil. 3.8.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Nathaniel Ponder,</HI> at the <HI>Peacock</HI> in the <HI>Poultry,</HI> over again&s;t the <HI>Stocks-Market.</HI> 1679.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
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<HEAD>THE PREFACE,</HEAD>
<P>_IT is a great Promi&s;e concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as he was to be given unto the Church, (for he was a <HI>Child born, a Son given unto us, I&s;a.</HI> 9.6.) that God would lay him in <HI>Zion for a founda|tion, a Stone, a tryed Stone, a precious corner Stone, a &s;ure foundation, whereon he that believeth, &s;hall not make ha&s;te, I&s;a.</HI> 28.16. Yet was it al&s;o foretold concern|ing him, that this precious foundation &s;hould be <HI>for a &s;tone of &s;tumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the hou&s;es of</HI> I&s;rael; <HI>for a gin, and for a &s;nare unto the Inhabitants of</HI> Je|ru&s;alem: &s;o as that <HI>many a mong them &s;hould &s;tumble and fall, and be broken, and be &s;nared, and be taken, I&s;a.</HI> 8.14, 15. According unto this Promi&s;e and Prediction, it hath fallen out in all Ages of the Church, as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Pe|ter</HI> declares concerning the fir&s;t of them: <HI>Wherefore</HI>
<PB REF="3">(&s;aith he) <HI>al&s;o it was contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner &s;tone, elect and precious, and he that be|lieveth on him, &s;hall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious; but unto them that are di&s;obedient, the &s;tone which the Builders di&s;allowed, the &s;ame is made the Head of the corner, and a &s;tone of &s;tumbling, and a rock of of|fence, even unto them that &s;tumble at the Word, being di&s;obe|dient, whereunto al&s;o they were appointed,</HI> 1 Epi&s;t. Chap. 2. ver. 6, 7, 8.</P>
<P>Unto them that believe unto the &s;aving of the Soul, he is, he alwaies hath been precious; the Sun, the Rock, the Life, the Bread of their Souls, every thing that is Good, U&s;eful, Amiable, De&s;irable here or unto Eter|nity. In, from, and by him, is all their Spiritual and Eternal Life, Light, Power, Growth, Con&s;olation and Joy here, with everla&s;ting Salvation hereafter. By him alone do they de&s;ire, expect and obtain Deliverance from that woful Apo&s;tacy from God, which is accom|panied withal, which containeth in it virtually and me|ritoriou&s;ly, whatever is evil, noxious and de&s;tructive un|to our Nature, and which without relief will i&s;&s;ue in Eternal Mi&s;ery. By him are they brought into the neare&s;t Cognation, Alliance and Friend&s;hip with God, the firme&s;t Union unto him, and the mo&s;t holy Com|munion with him, that our finite Natures are capable of, and &s;o conducted unto the Eternal Enjoyment of him. For in him <HI>&s;hall all the &s;eed of I&s;rael be ju&s;tified, and
<PB REF="3">&s;hall glory, I&s;a.</HI> 45.25. For <HI>I&s;rael &s;hall be &s;aved in the Lord, with an everla&s;ting Salvation, they &s;hall not be a&s;hamed nor con|founded world without end, ver.</HI> 17.</P>
<P>On the&s;e and the like Accounts, the principal De&s;ign of their whole Lives unto whom he is thus precious, is to acquaint them&s;elves with him, the my&s;tery of the Wi&s;dom, Grace and Love of God, in his Per&s;on and Mediation as revealed unto us in the Scripture, which <HI>is Life Eternal, Joh.</HI> 17.3; to tru&s;t in him, and unto him, as unto all the everla&s;ting concernments of their Souls, to love and honour him with all their hearts, to endea|vour after conformity unto him, in all tho&s;e characters of Divine Goodne&s;s and Holine&s;s, which are repre&s;ent|ed unto them in him. In the&s;e things con&s;i&s;t the &s;oul, life, power, beauty and efficacy of Chri&s;tian Religion, without which, whatever outward ornaments may be put upon its exerci&s;e, it is but an u&s;ele&s;s, lifele&s;s car|ca&s;s. The whole of this De&s;ign is expre&s;&s;ed in tho&s;e heavenly words of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. <HI>Yea doubtle&s;s, and I count all things but lo&s;s, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord; for whom I have &s;uffered the lo&s;s of all things, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chri&s;t, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of God by Faith: that I may know him, and the Power of his Re&s;urrection, and the fellow&s;hip of his Sufferings, being made conformable unto
<PB REF="4">his Death; if by any means I might attain unto the Re&s;urre|ction of the Dead: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may appre|hend that for which I al&s;o am apprehended of Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> This is a Divine expre&s;&s;ion of that frame of heart, of that De&s;ign which is predominant and efficacious in them unto whom Chri&s;t is precious.</P>
<P>But on the other hand, according unto the foremen|tioned Prediction, as he hath been a &s;ure foundation un|to all that believe; &s;o he hath in like manner been a Stone of &s;tumbling, and a Rock of offence unto them that &s;tumble at the Word, being di&s;obedient, whereunto they al&s;o were appointed. There is nothing in him, nothing wherein he is concerned, nothing of him, his Per&s;on, his Natures, his Office, his Grace, his Love, his Power, his Authority, his Relation unto the Church, but it hath been unto many a Stone of &s;tumbling, and Rock of offence. Concerning the&s;e things have been all the woful Conte&s;ts, which have fallen out and been man|aged among tho&s;e that outwardly have made Profe&s;&s;ion of the Chri&s;tian Religion. And the Contentions about them do rather increa&s;e than abate, unto this very day; the di&s;mal fruits whereof the World groaneth under, and is no longer able to bear. For as the oppo&s;ition unto the Lord Chri&s;t in the&s;e things by men of perver&s;e minds, hath ruined their own Souls, as having da&s;hed them&s;elves in pieces again&s;t this everla&s;ting Rock; &s;o
<PB REF="4">in conjunction with others Lu&s;ts and Intere&s;ts of the car|nal minds of men, it hath filled the world it &s;elf with blood and confu&s;ion.</P>
<P>The Re-inthroning of the Per&s;on, Spirit, Grace and Authority of Chri&s;t in the hearts and con&s;ciences of men, is the only way whereby an end may be put unto the&s;e woful conflicts. But this is not to be expected in any degree of Perfection, among&s;t them who &s;tumble at this Stone of offence, whereunto they are appointed, though in the i&s;&s;ue he will herein al&s;o &s;end forth Judg|ment unto Victory, and all the meek of the Earth &s;hall follow after it. In the mean time, as tho&s;e unto whom he is thus a Rock of offence, in his Per&s;on, his Spirit, his Grace, his Office and Authority, are diligent and re&s;tle&s;s (in their various waies and forms, in le&s;&s;er or higher degrees, in &s;ecret Artifices, or open contradi|ctions unto any or all of them, under various pretences, and for divers ends, even Secular Advantages &s;ome of them, which the craft of Satan hath prepared for the en&s;naring of them) in all waies of oppo&s;ition unto his Glory; &s;o it is the highe&s;t Duty of them unto whom he is precious, who&s;e principal de&s;ign is to be found built on him as the &s;ure foundation; as to hold the Truth concerning him, (his Per&s;on, Spirit, Grace, Office and Authority) and to abound in all Duties of Faith, Love, Tru&s;t, Honour and Delight in him; &s;o al&s;o to declare his Excellency, to plead the cau&s;e of his Glory,
<PB REF="5">to vindicate his Honour, and to witne&s;s him the only Re&s;t and Reward of the Souls of men, as they are called and have opportunity.</P>
<P>This and no other is the De&s;ign of the en&s;uing Trea|ti&s;e, wherein as all things fall un&s;peakably &s;hort of the Glory, Excellency and Sublimity of the Subject treated of, for no Mind can conceive, no Tongue can expre&s;s the real &s;ub&s;tantial Glory of them; &s;o there is no doubr but that in all the Parts of it, there is a Reflection of fail|ings and imperfections from the weakne&s;s of its Author. But yet I mu&s;t &s;ay with con&s;idence, that in the whole, that Eternal Truth of God concerning the My&s;tery of his Wi&s;dom, Love, Grace and Power, in the Per&s;on and Mediation of Chri&s;t, with our Duties towards Him|&s;elf therein, even the Father, Son, and Eternal Spirit, is pleaded and vindicated, which &s;hall never be &s;haken by the utmo&s;t endeavours and oppo&s;itions of the Gates of Hell.</P>
<P>And in the acknowledgment of the Truth concern|ing the&s;e things con&s;i&s;ts that Faith in an e&s;pecial man|ner, which was the Life and Glory of the Primitive Church, which they earne&s;tly contended for, wherein and whereby they were victorious again&s;t all the troops of &s;tumbling Adver&s;aries, by whom it was a&s;&s;aulted. In giving te&s;timony hereunto, they loved not their lives unto death, but poured out their blood like water, under all the Pagan Per&s;ecutions, which had no other
<PB REF="5">de&s;ign but to ca&s;t them down and &s;eparate them from this impregnable Rock, this precious Foundation. In the defence of the&s;e Truths did they conflict in prayers, &s;tudies, travels and writings, again&s;t the &s;warms of Se|ducers, by whom they were oppo&s;ed. And for this cau&s;e I thought to have confirmed the principal pa&s;&s;a|ges of the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e with &s;ome te&s;timonies from the mo&s;t Antient Writers of the fir&s;t Ages of the Church; but I omitted that cour&s;e, as fearing that the interpo&s;ition of &s;uch pa&s;&s;ages might ob&s;truct in&s;tead of promoting the edification of the common &s;ort of Rea|ders, which I principally intended. Yet withal I thought not good utterly to neglect that de&s;ign, but to give at lea&s;t a <HI>Specimen</HI> of their &s;entiments about the principal Truths pleaded for, in this Preface to the whole. But herein al&s;o I meet with a di&s;appointment; for the Book-&s;eller having unexpectedly unto me, fini&s;hed the Printing of the Di&s;cour&s;e it &s;elf, I mu&s;t be contented to make u&s;e of what lyeth already collected under my hand, not having lei&s;ure or time to make any farther enquiry.</P>
<P>I &s;hall do &s;omething of this nature the rather, becau&s;e I &s;hall have occa&s;ion thereby to give a &s;ummary ac|count of &s;ome of the principal parts of the Di&s;cour&s;e it &s;elf, and to clear &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages in it, which by &s;ome may be apprehended ob&s;cure.</P>
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 1. The foundation of the whole is laid in the
<PB REF="6">vindication of tho&s;e words of our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour, wherein he declares him&s;elf to be the Rock whereon the Church is built, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. <HI>And I &s;ay al&s;o unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it.</HI> The pre|tended ambiguity of the&s;e words, hath been wre&s;ted by the &s;ecular Intere&s;ts of men to give occa&s;ion unto that prodigious controver&s;ie among Chri&s;tians, namely, whether Je&s;us Chri&s;t or the Pope of <HI>Rome</HI> be the Rock whereon the Church is built. Tho&s;e holy men of old unto whom Chri&s;t was precious, being untainted with the de&s;ires of &s;ecular Grandeur and Power, knew no|thing hereof. Te&s;timonies may be, they have been multiplied by others unto this purpo&s;e; I &s;hall men|tion &s;ome few of them.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;aith <HI>Ignatius Epi&s;t. ad Philadelph. He</HI> (that is Chri&s;t) <HI>is the way leading unto the Father, the Rock, the Key, the Shepherd,</HI> wherein he hath re&s;pect unto this Te&s;ti|mony. And <HI>Origen</HI> expre&s;ly denies the words to be &s;poken of <HI>Peter,</HI> in <HI>Matth. chap.</HI> 16. <HI>Tract.</HI> 1. <HI>Quod &s;i &s;uper unum illum Petrum tantum exi&s;times totam Eccle&s;iam aedificari, quid dicturus es de Johanne, &amp; Apo&s;tolorum unoquoque; Num au|debimus dicere quod adver&s;us Petrum unum non prevaliturae &s;unt portae inferorum. If you &s;halt think that the whole Church was built on</HI> Peter <HI>alone, what &s;hall we &s;ay of</HI> John, <HI>and each of the Apo&s;tles? what &s;hall we dare to &s;ay that the Gates of Hell
<PB REF="6">&s;hall not prevail again&s;t</HI> Peter <HI>only?</HI> So he according unto the common opinion of the Antients, that there was no|thing peculiar in the confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peter,</HI> and the an&s;wer made thereunto, as unto him&s;elf, but that he &s;pake and was &s;poken unto in the name of all the re&s;t of the A|po&s;tles. <HI>Eu&s;eb. Praeparat. Evangel. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 3. <GAP DESC="foreign"> &mdash; <GAP DESC="foreign">. He proves the verity of Divine Predictions from the glorious Accompli&s;hment of that Word and Promi&s;e of our Saviour, that <HI>he would build his Church on the Rock,</HI> (that is, Him&s;elf) &s;o as that the Gates of Hell &s;hould not prevail again&s;t it. For <HI>Unum hoc e&s;t immobile fundamentum, una haec e&s;t faelix fidei Petra, Petri ore confe&s;&s;a, Tu es filius Dei vivi,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Hilar. de Trin. lib.</HI> 2. This is <HI>the only immovable Foundation; this is the ble&s;&s;ed Rock of Faith, confe&s;&s;ed by</HI> Peter; <HI>Thou art the Son of the Living God.</HI> And <HI>Epiphanus, Haer.</HI> 39. <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>Upon this Rock of a&s;|&s;ured Faith I will build my Church.</HI> For many thought that Faith it &s;elf was <HI>metonymically</HI> called the Rock, becau&s;e of its Object, or the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t which is &s;o.</P>
<P>One or two more out of <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> &s;hall clo&s;e the&s;e te|&s;timonies. <HI>Super hanc Petram, quam confe&s;&s;us es, &s;uper me|ip&s;um filium Dei vivi, aedificabo Eccle&s;iam meam. Super me aedificabo te, non me &s;uper te; De verbis Dom. Serm.</HI> 13. <HI>Upon
<PB REF="7">this Rock which thou ha&s;t confe&s;&s;ed, upon my &s;elf the Son of the Living God, I will build my Church. I will build thee upon my &s;elf, and not my &s;elf on thee.</HI> And he more fully de|clareth his mind, <HI>Tract.</HI> 124. <HI>in Johan. Eccle&s;ia in hoc &s;eculo diver&s;is tentationibus, velut imbribus, fluminibus, tempe&s;tati|bu&s;que quatitur, &amp; non cadit; quoniam fundata e&s;t &s;upra Petram; unde &amp; Petrus nomen accepit. Non enim a Petro Petra, &s;ed Petrus a Petra; &s;icut non Chri&s;tus a Chri&s;tiano, &s;ed Chri&s;tianus a Chri&s;to vocatur. Ideo quippe ait Dominus &s;uper hanc Petram aedificabo Eccle&s;iam meam, quia dixerat Petrus, tu es Chri&s;tus filius Dei vivi; &s;uper hanc ergo</HI> (inquit) <HI>Petram quam confe&s;&s;us es, aedificabo Eccle&s;iam meam. Petra enim er at Chri&s;tus, &s;upra quod fundamentum etiam ip&s;e aedificatus e&s;t Pe|trus; fundamentum quippe aliud nemo pote&s;t ponere, praeter id quod po&s;itum e&s;t, quod est Je&s;us Chri&s;tus. The Church in this world is &s;haken with divers temptations, as with &s;howers, floods and tempe&s;ts, yet falleth not, becau&s;e it is built on the Rock (Petra) from whence</HI> Peter <HI>took his name. For the Rock is not called</HI> Petra <HI>from</HI> Peter, <HI>but</HI> Peter <HI>is &s;o called from</HI> Pe|tra <HI>the Rock; as Chri&s;t is not &s;o called from Chri&s;tian, but Chri&s;tian from Chri&s;t. Therefore &s;aid the Lord, upon this Rock will I build my Church, becau&s;e</HI> Peter <HI>had &s;aid, thou art Chri&s;t, the Son of the Living God. Upon this Rock, which thou ha&s;t confe&s;&s;ed, will I build my Church. For Christ him&s;elf was the Rock on which foundation</HI> Peter <HI>him&s;elf was built. For other foundation can no man lay, &s;ave that which is laid, which is Je&s;us Christ.</HI></P>
<PB REF="7">
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 2. Again&s;t this Rock, this Foundation of the Church, the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the Faith of the Church concerning it, great oppo&s;ition hath been made by the Gates of Hell. Not to mention the rage of the Pagan world endeavouring by all effects of violence and cruelty to ca&s;t the Church from this Foundation; all the Here&s;ies wherewith from the beginning, and for &s;ome centuries of years en&s;uing it was pe&s;tered, con|&s;i&s;ted in direct and immediate oppo&s;itions unto the eternal Truth concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. Some that are &s;o e&s;teemed indeed, never pretended unto any &s;obriety, but were meer effects of delirant Imagina|tions; yet did even they al&s;o one way or other derive from an hatred unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and centred therein. Their beginning was early in the Church, even before the writing of the Go&s;pel by <HI>John</HI> or his <HI>Re|velations,</HI> and indeed before &s;ome of <HI>Paul</HI>'s Epi&s;tles. And although their beginning was but &s;mall, and &s;eem|ingly contemptible, yet being full of the poi&s;on of the Old Serpent, they diffu&s;ed them&s;elves in various &s;hapes and forms, until there was nothing left of Chri&s;t, no|thing that related unto him, not his Natures, Divine or Humane, not their Properties nor Actings, not his Per|&s;on, nor the Union of his Natures therein, that was not oppo&s;ed and a&s;&s;aulted by them. E&s;pecially &s;o &s;oon as the Go&s;pel had &s;ubdued the <HI>Roman Empire</HI> unto Chri&s;t, and was owned by the Rulers of it, the whole world
<PB REF="8">was for &s;ome Ages filled with uproars, confu&s;ion, and &s;candalous di&s;orders about the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, through the cur&s;ed oppo&s;itions made thereunto by the Gates of Hell. Neither had the Church any Re&s;t from the&s;e con|flicts for about five hundred years. But near that pe|riod of time, the Power of Truth and Religion begin|ing univer&s;ally to decay among the outward Profe&s;&s;ors of them, Satan took advantage to make that havock and de&s;truction of the Church, by &s;uper&s;tition, fal&s;e wor&s;hip, and profanene&s;s of life, which he failed of in his attempt again&s;t the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, or the Doctrine of Truth concerning it.</P>
<P>It would be a tedious work, and it may be not of much profit unto them who are utterly unacquainted with things &s;o long pa&s;t and gone, wherein they &s;eem to have no concernment, to give a <HI>Specimen</HI> of the &s;eve|ral Here&s;ies whereby attempts were made again&s;t this Rock and Foundation of the Church; unto tho&s;e who have enquired into the Records of Antiquity, it would be altogether u&s;ele&s;s. For almo&s;t every page of them at fir&s;t view pre&s;ents the Readers with an account of &s;ome one or more of them. Yet do I e&s;teem it u&s;eful that the very ordinary &s;ort of Chri&s;tians &s;hould at lea&s;t in general be acquainted with what hath pa&s;&s;ed in this great conte&s;t about the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t from the begin|ing. For there are two things relating thereunto, where|in their Faith is greatly concerned. For fir&s;t, there is
<PB REF="8">evidence given therein unto the Truth of tho&s;e Prae|dictions of the Scripture wherein this fatal Apo&s;tacy from the Truth, and oppo&s;ition unto the Lord Chri&s;t, are foretold: And &s;econdly, an eminent In&s;tance of his Power and Faithfulne&s;s in the di&s;appointment and con|que&s;t of the Gates of Hell, in the management of this oppo&s;ition. But they have been all reckoned up, and dige&s;ted into methods of time and matter, by many Learned men of old, and of late, &s;o that I &s;hall not in this occa&s;ional Di&s;cour&s;e, repre&s;ent them unto the Rea|der again. Only I &s;hall give a brief Account of the waies and means whereby they who retained the Profe&s;|&s;ion of the Truth, contended for it unto a conque&s;t over the pernicious Here&s;ies wherewith it was oppo&s;ed.</P>
<P>The Defence of the Truth from the beginning, was left in charge unto, and managed by the Guides and Rulers of the Church in their &s;everal capacities. And by the Scripture it was that they di&s;charged their Duty, confirmed with Apo&s;tolical Tradition con&s;onant there|unto. This was left in charge unto them by the great Apo&s;tle, <HI>Act.</HI> 20.28, 29, 31, 31. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.13, 14. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.1, 2, 15, 23, 24. <HI>chap.</HI> 4.1, 2, 3, 4. And wherein any of them failed in this Duty, they were reproved by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2.14, 15, 20. Nor were private Believers in their places and capacities, either unable for this Du|ty, or exempt from it, but di&s;charged them&s;elves faith|fully therein, according unto commandment given
<PB REF="9">unto them, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.20, 27. <HI>chap.</HI> 4.1, 2, 3. 2 <HI>Joh.</HI> 8.9. All true Believers in their &s;everal &s;tations, by mutual watch|fulne&s;s, preaching or writing, according unto their calls and abilities, effectually u&s;ed the outward means for the pre&s;ervation and propagation of the Faith of the Church. And the &s;ame means are &s;till &s;ufficient unto the &s;ame ends, were they attended unto with con&s;cience and diligence. The pretended Defence of Truth with Arts and Arms of another kind, hath been the bane of Religion, and lo&s;t the Peace of Chri&s;tians beyond reco|very. And it may be ob&s;erved, that whil&s;t this way alone for the pre&s;ervation of the Truth was in&s;i&s;ted on and pur&s;ued, that although innumerable Here&s;ies aro&s;e one after another, and &s;ometimes many together, yet they never made any great progre&s;s, nor arrived unto any &s;uch con&s;i&s;tency, as to make a &s;tated oppo&s;ition unto the Truth, but the Errours them&s;elves and their Au|thors were as vagrant Meteors, which appeared for a little while, and vani&s;hed away. Afterwards it was not &s;o, when other waies and means for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of Here&s;ies were judged convenient and needful.</P>
<P>For in proce&s;s of time, when the Power of the <HI>Roman</HI> Empire gave countenance and protection unto Chri|&s;tian Religion, another way was fixed on for this end, namely, the u&s;e of &s;uch A&s;&s;emblies of Bi&s;hops and o|thers as they called <HI>general Councels,</HI> armed with a mixt Power, partly Civil, and partly Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, with
<PB REF="9">re&s;pect unto the Authority of the Emperours, and that Juri&s;diction in the Church which began then to be fir&s;t talked of. This way was begun in the <HI>Councel of Nice,</HI> wherein although there was a determination of the Doctrine concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t then in agi|tation, and oppo&s;ed, as unto his Divine Nature therein, according unto the Truth, yet &s;undry evils and incon|veniences en&s;ued thereon. For thenceforth the Faith of Chri&s;tians began greatly to be re&s;olved into the Autho|rity of men, and as much, if not more weight to be laid on what was decreed by the Fathers there a&s;&s;embled, than on what was clearly taught in the Scriptures. Be|&s;ides, being nece&s;&s;itated as they thought, to explain their conceptions of the Divine Nature of Chri&s;t, in words either not u&s;ed in the Scripture, or who&s;e &s;ignification unto that purpo&s;e was not determined therein, occa&s;ion was given unto endle&s;s contentions about them. The <HI>Graecians</HI> them&s;elves could not for a long &s;ea&s;on agree a|mong them&s;elves whether <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> were of the &s;ame &s;ignification or no, both of them denoting e&s;&s;ence and &s;ub&s;tance; or whether they differed in their &s;ignifi|cation; or if they did, wherein that difference lay. <HI>Atha|na&s;ius</HI> at fir&s;t affirmed them to be the &s;ame, <HI>Orat.</HI> 5. <HI>con. Arian.</HI> and <HI>Epi&s;t. ad African. Ba&s;il</HI> denied them &s;o to be, or that they were u&s;ed unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e, in the Coun|cel of <HI>Nice, Epi&s;t.</HI> 78. The like difference immediately fell out between the <HI>Graecians</HI> and <HI>Latins,</HI> about <HI>Hypo&s;ta&s;is</HI>
<PB REF="10">and <HI>Per&s;ona.</HI> For the Latins rendred Hypo&s;ta&s;is by <HI>Sub|&s;tantia,</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ona</HI> by <GAP DESC="foreign">. Hereof <HI>Jerom</HI> complains in his Epi&s;tle to <HI>Dama&s;us,</HI> that they required of him in the Ea&s;t to confe&s;s <HI>tres Hyposta&s;es,</HI> and he would only ac|knowledge <HI>tres Per&s;onas, Epi&s;t.</HI> 71. And <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> gives an account of the &s;ame difference, <HI>de Trinitate, lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 8, 9. <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> endeavoured the compo&s;ing of this difference, and in a good mea&s;ure effected it, as <HI>Gregory</HI> of <HI>Nazian|zen</HI> affirms in his Oration concerning his prai&s;e. It was done by him in a <HI>Synod at Alexandria</HI> in the fir&s;t year of <HI>Julians Raign.</HI> On this occa&s;ion many conte&s;ts aro&s;e even among them who all pleaded their Adherence unto the Doctrine of the <HI>Councel of Nice.</HI> And as the &s;ubtle Arians made incredible advantage hereof at fir&s;t, pre|tending that they oppo&s;ed not the Deity of Chri&s;t, but only the expre&s;&s;ion of it by <GAP DESC="foreign">; &s;o afterwards they countenanced them&s;elves in coining words and terms to expre&s;s their minds with, which utterly rejected it. Hence were their <GAP DESC="foreign">, and the like names of bla&s;phemy, about which the conte&s;ts were fierce and endle&s;s. And there were yet farther evils that en&s;ued hereon. For the curious and Serpentine wits of men, find|ing them&s;elves by this means &s;et at liberry to think and di&s;cour&s;e of tho&s;e My&s;teries of the Ble&s;&s;ed Trinity, and the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, without much regard unto plain Divine Te&s;timonies, in &s;uch waies wherein cunnning and &s;ophi&s;try did much bear &s;way, began to multiply
<PB REF="10">&s;uch new, curious and fal&s;e notions about them, e&s;peci|ally about the latter, as cau&s;ed new di&s;turbances, and tho&s;e of large extent and long continuance. For their &s;uppre&s;&s;ion, Councels were called one on the neck of another, whereon commonly new occa&s;ions of differen|ces did ari&s;e, and mo&s;t of them managed with great &s;candal unto Chri&s;tian Religion. For men began much to forego the Primitive waies of oppo&s;ing Errours, and extingui&s;hing Here&s;ies, betaking them&s;elves unto their Intere&s;t, the number of their Party, and prevalency with the pre&s;ent Emperors. And although it &s;o fell out, as in that at <HI>Con&s;tantinople,</HI> the fir&s;t at <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> and that at <HI>Chal|cedon,</HI> that the Truth for the &s;ub&s;tance of it did prevail, (for in many others it happened quite otherwi&s;e) yet did they alwaies give occa&s;ions unto new divi&s;ions, animo|&s;ities, and even mutual hatreds, among the principal Leaders of the Chri&s;tian People. And great conte&s;ts there were among &s;ome of them who pretended to be|lieve the &s;ame Truth, whether &s;uch or &s;uch a Councel &s;hould be received, that is plainly whether the Church &s;hould re&s;olve its Faith into their Authority. The &s;trifes of this nature about the fir&s;t <HI>Ephe&s;ine</HI> Councel, and that at <HI>Chalcedon;</HI> not to mention them wherein the <HI>Arians</HI> prevailed, take up a good part of the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical &s;tory of tho&s;e daies. And it cannot be denied but that &s;ome of the principal Per&s;ons and A&s;&s;emblies who adhered unto the Truth, did in the heat of oppo&s;ition unto the
<PB REF="11">Here&s;ies of other men, fall into unju&s;tifiable exce&s;s them&s;elves.</P>
<P>We may take an In&s;tance hereof with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Ne&s;torian</HI> Here&s;ie, condemned in the fir&s;t <HI>Ephe&s;ian</HI> Councel, and afterwards in that at <HI>Chalcedon. Cyrillus</HI> of <HI>Alexandria,</HI> a man learned and vehement, de&s;igned by all means to be unto it, what his Predece&s;&s;or <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> had been to the <HI>Arian.</HI> But he fell into &s;uch exce&s;&s;es in his undertakings, as gave great occa&s;ion unto farther tu|mults, For it is evident that he di&s;tingui&s;heth not be|tween <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <GAP DESC="foreign">, and therefore affirms, that the Divine Word and Humanity had <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>one nature only.</HI> So he doth plainly <HI>in Epi&s;t. ad Succe&s;&s;um;</HI> they are ignorant, &s;aith he, <GAP DESC="foreign">. Hence <HI>Eutyches</HI> the <HI>Archimandrite</HI> took occa&s;ion to run into a contrary extream, being a no le&s;s fierce ene|my to <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> than <HI>Cyrillus</HI> was. For to oppo&s;e him who divided the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t into two; he confounded his Natures into one, his delirant folly being confirmed by that goodly A&s;&s;embly the &s;econd at <HI>Ephe&s;us.</HI> Be&s;ides, it is confe&s;&s;ed that <HI>Cyrillus</HI> through the vehemency of his &s;pirit, hatred unto <HI>Ne&s;torius,</HI> and following the conduct of hie own mind in nice and &s;uble expre&s;&s;ions of the great My&s;tery of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, did utter many things exceeding the bounds of &s;obriety pre&s;cribed unto us by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12.3. if not tho&s;e of Truth it &s;elf. Hence it is come to pa&s;s, that many Learned men
<PB REF="11">begin to think and write that <HI>Cyrillus</HI> was in the wrong, and <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> by his means condemned unde&s;ervedly However it is certain to me, that the Doctrine condemn+ed at <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> and <HI>Chalcedon</HI> as the Doctrine of <HI>Ne&s;torius,</HI> was de&s;tructive of the true Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; and that <HI>Cyril,</HI> though he mi&s;&s;ed it in &s;undry expre&s;&s;ions, yet aim|ed at the declaration and confirmation of the Truth; as he was long &s;ince vindicated by <HI>Theorianus, Dialog. con. Armenios.</HI></P>
<P>However, &s;uch was the watchful care of Chri&s;t over the Church as unto the pre&s;ervation of this &s;acred fun|damental Truth, concerning his Divine Per&s;on, and the Union of his Natures therein, retaining their di&s;tinct Pro|perties and Operations, that notwith&s;tanding all the fa|ction and di&s;order that were in tho&s;e Primitive Councels, and &s;candalous conte&s;ts of many of the members of them; notwith&s;tanding the determination contrary unto it in great and numerous Councels, the Faith of it was pre&s;erved entire in the hearts of all that truly believed, and triumphed over the Gates of Hell.</P>
<P>I have mentioned the&s;e few things which belong un|to the Promi&s;e and Prediction of our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour, <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.18. the place in&s;i&s;ted on, to &s;hew that the Church without any di&s;advantage to the Truth, may be pre&s;erved without &s;uch general A&s;&s;emblies, which in the following Ages proved the mo&s;t pernicious Engines for the corruption of the Faith, Wor&s;hip and Manners of
<PB REF="12">it. Yea from the beginning they were &s;o far from be|ing the only way of pre&s;erving Truth, that it was almo&s;t con&s;tantly prejudiced by the Addition of their Authori|ty unto the confirmation of it. Nor was there any one of them wherein the My&s;tery of Iniquity did not work unto the laying of &s;ome rubbi&s;h in the foundation of that fatal Apo&s;tacy, which afterwards openly en&s;ued. The Lord Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath taken it upon him, to build his Church on this Rock of his Per&s;on, by true Faith of it and in it. He &s;ends his Holy Spirit to bear te|&s;timony unto him, in all the ble&s;&s;ed effects of his Power and Grace. He continueth his Word with the faithful Mini&s;try of it, to reveal, declare, make known, and vin|dicate this &s;acred Truth unto the conviction of gain|&s;ayers. He keeps up that Faith in him, that Love unto him, in the hearts of all his Elect, as &s;hall not be pre|vailed again&s;t. Wherefore although the oppo&s;itions un|to this &s;acred Truth, this fundamental Article of the Church and Chri&s;tian Religion, concerning his Divine Per&s;on, its con&s;titution and u&s;e, as the Humane Nature conjoyned &s;ub&s;tantially unto it, and &s;ub&s;i&s;teth in it, are in this la&s;t Age encrea&s;ed; although they are managed under &s;o great a variety of forms, as that they are not re|ducible unto any Heads of Oder; although they are pro|moted with more &s;ubtilty and &s;pecious pretences than in former Ages; yet if we are not wanting unto our Duty, with the Aids of Grace propo&s;ed unto us, we &s;hall
<PB REF="12">finally triumph in this cau&s;e, and tran&s;mit this &s;acred Truth inviolate unto them that &s;ucceed us in the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of it.</P>
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 3. This Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, which is the founda|tion whereon the Church is built, whereunto all &s;orts of oppo&s;itions are endeavoured and de&s;igned, is the mo&s;t ineffable effect of Divine Goodne&s;s and Wi&s;dom, where|of we treat in the next place. But herein when I &s;peak of the con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, I intend not his Per&s;on ab&s;olutely as he is the Eternal Son of God. He was truly, really, compleatly a Divine Per&s;on from eternity, which is included in the notion of his being the Son, and &s;o di&s;tinct from the Father, which is his compleat Per&s;o|nality. His being &s;o was not a voluntary contrivance or effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s, his eternal Gene|ration being a nece&s;&s;ary internal Act of the Divine Na|ture in the Per&s;on of the Father.</P>
<P>Of the eternal Generation of the Divine Per&s;on of the Son, the &s;ober Writers of the Antient Church, did con|&s;tantly affirm that it was firmly to be believed, but as un|to the manner of it not to be enquired into. <HI>Scrutator Maje&s;tatis ab&s;orbetur a Gloria,</HI> was their Rule. And the cu|rious Di&s;putes of <HI>Alexander</HI> and <HI>Arius</HI> about it, gave occa|&s;ion unto that many-headed Mon&s;ter of the <HI>Arian</HI> Here&s;y which afterwards en&s;ued. For when once men of &s;ubtle heads, and un&s;anctified hearts, gave up them&s;elves to en|quire into things infinitely above their under&s;tanding
<PB REF="13">and capacity, being vainly puffed up in their fle&s;hly minds, they fell into endle&s;s Divi&s;ions among them|&s;elves, agreeing only in an oppo&s;ition unto the Truth. But tho&s;e who contented them&s;elves to be wi&s;e unto &s;o|briety, repre&s;&s;ed this impious boldne&s;s. To this purpo&s;e &s;peaks <HI>Lactantius, lib.</HI> 4. <HI>de vera Sapient. Quomodo igitur procre|avit? Nec &s;ciri a quoquam po&s;&s;unt nec narrari opera Divina; &s;ed tamen &s;acrae literae docent illum Dei filium, Dei e&s;&s;e &s;ermonem. How therefore did the Father beget the Son? The&s;e Divine Works can be known of none, declared by none. But the holy Writings teach wherein it is determined, that he is the Son of God, that he is the Word of God.</HI> And <HI>Ambro&s;e de fide ad Gratianum. Quaero abs te, quando aut quomodo putes filium e&s;&s;e generaturum? mihi enim impo&s;sibile e&s;t &s;cire generationis &s;ecretum. Mens deficit, vox &s;ilet, non mea tantum &s;ed &amp; Angelorum; &s;upra pote&s;tates, &s;upra An|gelos, &s;upra Cherubims, &s;upra &s;en&s;um, &s;upra omnem &s;en&s;um. &mdash; Tu quoque manum ori admove; &s;crutari non licet &s;uperna my&s;teria. Licet &s;cire quod natus &s;it, non licet di&s;cutere quomodo natus &s;it; illud negare mihi non licet, hoc quaerere metus e&s;t. Nam &s;i Paulus ea quae audivit, raptus in tertium coelum, ineffabilia dicit, quomodo nos exprimere po&s;&s;umus paternae generationis arcanum, quod nec &s;entire potuimus nec audire? Quid te ista Quae&s;tionum tormenta delectant?</HI></P>
<P><HI>I enquire of you when and how the Son was begotten? Im|po&s;stble it is to me to know the my&s;tery of this Generation. My mind faileth, my voice is &s;ilent, and not only mine, but of the An|gels; It is above Principalities, above Angels, above the Cheru|bims,
<PB REF="13">above the Seraphims, above all undor&s;tanding. Lay thy hand on thy mouth; it is not lawful to &s;earch into the&s;e heavenly my&s;te|ries. It is lawful to know that he was born; that it is not lawful for me to deny; this I am afraid to enquire into. For if</HI> Paul <HI>when he was taken into the third Heaven, affirms that the things which he heard could not be uttered; how can we expre&s;s the my|&s;tery of the Divine Generation, which we can neither apprehend nor hear. Why do &s;uch tormenting Que&s;tions delight thee?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ephraim Syrus</HI> wrote a Book to this purpo&s;e, again&s;t them who would &s;earch out the Nature of the Son of God. Among many other things to the &s;ame purpo&s;e are his words, <HI>cap.</HI> 2. <HI>Infaelix profecto, mi&s;er, atque impuden|ti&s;simus e&s;t, qui &s;crutari cupit opificem &s;uum. Millia millium, &amp; centies millies millena millia Angelorum &amp; Archangelorum, cum horrore glorificant, &amp; trementes adorant; &amp; homines lutei, pleni peccatis, de divinitate intrepide di&s;&s;erunt? Non illorum exhor|re&s;cit corpus, non contreme&s;cit animus; &s;ed &s;ecuri &amp; garruli, de Chri&s;to Dei filio, qui pro me indigno peccatore pa&s;&s;us e&s;t, deque ip&s;ius utraque generatione loquuntur; nec &s;altem quod in luce cae|cutiunt, &s;entiunt. He is unhappy, mi&s;erable, and mo&s;t impudent, who de&s;ires to examine or &s;earch out his Maker. Thou&s;ands of thou&s;ands, and hundreds of thou&s;ands of millions of Angels and Archangels, do glorifie him with dread, and adore him with trem|bling; and &s;hall dirty men full of &s;ins, di&s;pute of the Deity with|out fear? Horrour doth not &s;hake their bodies, their minds do not tremble, but being &s;ecure and prating, they &s;peak of the Son of God, who &s;uffered for me unworthy &s;umer, and of both his Nati|vities
<PB REF="14">or Generations; at lea&s;t they are not &s;en&s;ible how blind they are in the Light.</HI> To the &s;ame purpo&s;e &s;peaks <HI>Eu&s;e|bius</HI> at large, <HI>Demon. Evan. lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 2.</P>
<P><HI>Leo</HI> well adds hereunto the con&s;ideration of his Incar|nation, in tho&s;e excellent words, <HI>Serm.</HI> 9. <HI>de Nativitat. Quia in Chri&s;to Je&s;u filio Dei, non &s;olum ad Divinam e&s;&s;entiam, &s;ed etiam ad humanam &s;pectat naturam, quod dictum e&s;t per Pro|phetam; Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? Utramque enim &s;ub&s;tantiam in unam conveni&s;&s;e per&s;onam, ni&s;i fides credat, &s;ermo non explicat; &amp; ideo materia nunquam deficit Laudis; quia nun|quam &s;ufficit copia Laudatoris. Gaudiamus igitur quod ad eloquen|dum tantum mi&s;ericordiae &s;acramentum impares &s;umus; &amp; cum &s;alutis no&s;trae altitudinem promere non valeamus, &s;entiamus nobis bonum e&s;&s;e quod vincimnr. Nemo enim ad cognitionem veritatis magis propinquat, quam qui intelligit, in rebus Divinis, etiam&s;i multum proficiat, &s;emper &s;ibi &s;upere&s;&s;e quod quaerat.</HI> See al&s;o <HI>Fulg. lib.</HI> 2. <HI>ad Thra&s;imund.</HI></P>
<P>But I &s;peak of the <HI>Per&s;on of Christ</HI> as unto the A&s;&s;ump|tion of the &s;ub&s;tantial Adjunct of the Humane Nature, not to be a part, whereof his Per&s;on is compo&s;ed, but as unto its &s;ub&s;i&s;tence therein by vertue of a &s;ub&s;tantial Union. Some of the Antients, I confe&s;s, &s;peak freely of the <HI>Compo&s;ition</HI> of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in and by the two Natures, the Divine and Humane. That the Son of God after his Incarnation had one Nature compo&s;ed of the Deity and Humanity, was the Here&s;y of <HI>Apolinarius. Eu|tiches, the Monothelites, or Monophy&s;ites</HI> condemned by all.
<PB REF="14">But that his mo&s;t &s;imple Divine Nature, and the Hu|mane, compo&s;ed properly of &s;oul and body, did com|po&s;e his one Per&s;on, or that it was compo&s;ed of them, they con&s;tantly affirmed: <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith <HI>Cyril</HI> of <HI>Alexandria. A Sanctis Patribus adu|natione ex Divinitate &amp; Humanitate Chri&s;tus Dominus no&s;ter compo&s;itus praedicatur. Pet. Diacon. lib. de Incarnat. &amp; Grat. Chri&s;ti, ad Fulgentium.</HI> And the Union which they intend|ed by this compo&s;ition they called <GAP DESC="foreign">, becau&s;e it was of divers natures; and <GAP DESC="foreign">, an Union by Compo&s;ition.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e there neither was, nor can be any com|po&s;ition properly &s;o called of the Divine and Humane Natures, and that the Son of God was a perfect Per&s;on before his Incarnation, wherein he remained what he was, and was made what he was not; the expre&s;&s;ion hath been for&s;aken and avoided; the Union being bet|ter expre&s;&s;ed by the A&s;&s;umption of a &s;ub&s;tantial Ad|junct, or the Humane Nature into per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence with the Son of God, as &s;hall be afterwards explained. This they con&s;tantly admire as the mo&s;t ineffable effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace; <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith <HI>Gregory Nazianzen, Orat.</HI> 12. in admiration of this my&s;tery.
<PB REF="15">Hereby God communicates all things unto us from his own glorious Fulne&s;s, the near approaches whereof we are not able to bear. So is it illu&s;trated by <HI>Eu&s;ebius, De|mon&s;t. Evang. lib.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 5, &amp;c. <GAP DESC="foreign">. The &s;en&s;e of which words with &s;ome that follow in the &s;ame place is unto this purpo&s;e. By the beams of the Sun, Light, and Life, and Heat, unto the procreation, &s;u&s;tentation, refre&s;h|ment and cheri&s;hing of all things are communicated. But if the Sun it &s;elf &s;hould come down unto the Earth, nothing could bear its heat and lu&s;tre; our eyes would not be enlightened, but darkened by its glory, and all things be &s;wallowed up and con&s;umed by its greatne&s;s; whereas through the beams of it every thing is enlight|ened and kindly refre&s;hed. So is it with this eternal beam or brightne&s;s of the Fathers Glory. We cannot bear the immediate approach of the Divine Being, but through him as incarnate are all things communicated unto us, in a way &s;uited unto our reception and com|prehen&s;ion.</P>
<P>So is it admired by <HI>Leo, Serm.</HI> 3. <HI>de Nativit. Natura Humana in Creatoris &s;ocietatem a&s;&s;umpta e&s;t, non ut ille Ha|bitator, &amp; ille e&s;&s;et habitaculum; &s;ed ut naturae alterae &s;ic
<PB REF="15">mi&s;ceretur altera, ut quamvis alia &s;it quae &s;u&s;cipitur, alia vero quae &s;u&s;cepit, in tantam tamen unitatem conveniret utriu&s;&abque; di|ver&s;itas, &amp; unus idem&abque; &s;it filius, qui &s;e, &amp; &s;ecundum quod verus e&s;t homo, Patre dicit minorem, &amp; &s;ecundum quod ve|rus e&s;t Deus Patri &s;e profitetur aequalem. Humane Na|ture is a&s;&s;umed into the &s;ociety of the Creator, not that he &s;hould be the Inhabitant, and that the habitation</HI> (that is, by an inhabitation in the effects of his Power and Grace, for otherwi&s;e the fulne&s;s of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily) <HI>but that one Nature &s;hould be &s;o mingled</HI> (that is, conjoyned) <HI>with the other; that although that be of one kind which a&s;&s;umeth, and that of another which is a&s;|&s;umed; yet the diver&s;ity of them both &s;hould concur in &s;uch an Unity or Union, as that it is one and the &s;ame Son, who as he was a true man, &s;aid that he was le&s;s than the Father, or the Father was greater than he; &s;o as he was true God, pro|fe&s;&s;eth him&s;elf equal unto the Father.</HI> See al&s;o <HI>Augu&s;t. de fide, ad Pet. Diacon. cap.</HI> 17. <HI>Ju&s;tinianus Imperator Epi&s;t. ad Hormi&s;dam, Romae Epi&s;cop.</HI></P>
<P>And the My&s;tery is well expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>Maxentius, Bib|lioth. Patr. par. prima. Non confundimus naturarum diver|&s;itatem; veruntamen Chri&s;tum non ut tu a&s;&s;eris Deum fa|ctum, &s;ed Deum factum Chri&s;tum confitemur. Quia non cum pauper e&s;&s;et, dives factus est, &s;ed cum dives e&s;&s;et, pau|per factus e&s;t, ut nos divites faceret; ne&abque; enim cum e&s;&s;et in forma &s;ervi, formam Dei accepit; &s;ed cum e&s;&s;et in forma Dei, formam &s;ervi accepit; &s;umiliter etiam nec, cum e&s;&s;et
<PB REF="16">caro, verbum e&s;t factum; &s;ed cum e&s;&s;et Verbum caro fa|ctum est. We do not confound the diver&s;ity of the Na|tures, howbeit we believe not what you affirm, that Chri&s;t was made God, but we believe that God was made Chri&s;t. For he was not made rich when he was poor; but being rich, he was made poor, that he might make us rich. He did not take the form of God, when he was in the form of a &s;ervant; but being in the form of God, he took on him the form of a &s;ervant. In like manner, he was not made the Word when he was fle&s;h; but being the Word, he was made fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>And <HI>Hierom</HI> &s;peaking of the effects of this My&s;tery, <HI>Comment. in Ezekiel, cap.</HI> 46. <HI>Ne miretur Lector &s;i idem &amp; principes e&s;t &amp; Sacerdos, &amp; vitulus, &amp; aries, &amp; ag|nus; cum in Scripturis Sanctis pro varietate cau&s;arum lega|mus eum Dominum, &amp; Deum, &amp; hominem, &amp; Prophetam, &amp; virgam, &amp; radicem, &amp; florem, &amp; principem, &amp; Re|gem ju&s;tum, &amp; Ju&s;titiam, Apo&s;tolum, &amp; Epi&s;copum, Bra|chium, Servum, Angelum, Pa&s;torem, Filium, &amp; Unigenitum, &amp; Primogenitum, O&s;tium, Viam, Sagittam, Sapientiam, &amp; multa alia. Let not the Reader wonder if he find one and the &s;ame to be the Prince and Prie&s;t, the Bullock, Ramb and Lamb; for in the Scripture on variety of cau&s;es, we find him called Lord, God, and Man, the Prophet, a Rod, and the Root, the Flower, Prince, Judge, and Righteous King; Righteou&s;ne&s;s, the Apo&s;tle and Bi&s;hop, the Arm and Servant of God, the Angel, the Shepherd, the Son, the only
<PB REF="16">begotten, the fir&s;t begotten, the Door, the Way, the Arrow, Wi&s;dom, and &s;undry other things.</HI> And <HI>Ennodius</HI> hath as it were turned this pa&s;&s;age of <HI>Hierom</HI> into ver&s;e.</P>
<Q><L>Corda domat, qui cuncta videt, quem cuncta tremi&s;cunt;</L>
<L>Fons, via, dextra, lapis, vitulus, Leo, lucifer, Agnus;</L>
<L>Janua, &s;pes, virtus, verbum, &s;apientia, vates.</L>
<L>O&s;tia, virgultum, pa&s;tor, mons, rete, columba,</L>
<L>Flamma, gigas, aquila, &s;pon&s;us, patientia, nervus,</L>
<L>Filius, excel&s;us, Dominus, Deus; omnia Chri&s;tus.</L>
<L>In natalem Papae Epiphanii.</L></Q>
<P><HI>Quod homo e&s;t, e&s;&s;e Chri&s;tus voluit; ut &amp; homo po&s;sit e&s;&s;e quod Chri&s;tus e&s;t,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Cyprian. de Vanitat. Judae.</HI> And, <HI>quod est Chri&s;tus erimus Chri&s;tiani, &s;i Chri&s;tum fuerimus &s;ecuti, ibid.</HI> And he explains his mind in this expre&s;&s;ion by way of admiration, <HI>Serm. de Eleomo&s;yn. Chri&s;tus hominis filius e&s;&s;e voluit, ut nos filios Dei faceret; humilia vit &s;e, ut po|pulum qui prius jacebat, erigeret; vulneratus e&s;t ut vulnera no&s;tra &s;anaret.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 4. That he was the Foundation of all the ho|ly Coun&s;els of God, with re&s;pect unto the Vocation, Sanctification, Ju&s;tification, and eternal Salvation of the Church, is in the next place at large declared. And he was &s;o on a threefold account. (1.) Of the ineffable mutual Delight of the Father and the Son in tho&s;e Coun|&s;els from all eternity. (2.) As the only way and means
<PB REF="17">of the accompli&s;hment of all tho&s;e Coun&s;els, and the communication of their effects unto the eternal Glory of God. (3.) As he was in his own Per&s;on as incar|nate, the Idaea and exemplar in the mind of God of all that Grace and Glory in the Church, which was de&s;ign|ed unto it, in tho&s;e eternal Coun&s;els. As the cau&s;e of all good unto us he is on this account acknowledged by the Antients.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith <HI>Clemens, Adhort. ad Gentes. He therefore is the Word, the cau&s;e of old of our Being, for he was in God, and the cau&s;e of our Well-being. But now he hath appeared unto men, the &s;ame eternal Word, who alone is both God and man, and unto us the cau&s;e of all that is good.</HI> As he was in God the cau&s;e of our Being and Well-being from eternity; he was the foundation of the Divine Coun&s;els in the way explained; and in his Incarnation, the execution of them all was committed unto him, that through him all actual good, all the fruits of tho&s;e Coun&s;els might be communicated unto us.</P>
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 5. He is al&s;o declared in the next place, as he is the Image and great Repre&s;entative of God, even the Father, unto the Church. On what various accounts he is &s;o called, is fully declared in the di&s;cour&s;e it &s;elf. In his Divine Per&s;on, as he was the only begotten of the
<PB REF="17">Father from eternity, he is the e&s;&s;ential Image of the Father, by the Generation of his Per&s;on, and the Com|munication of the Divine Nature unto him therein. As he is incarnate, he is both in his own entire Per&s;on God and Man, and in the Admini&s;tration of his Office, the Image or Repre&s;entative of the Nature and Will of God unto us, as is fully proved. So &s;peaks <HI>Clem. Alex|andrin. Admonit. ad Gentes;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The Image of God is his own Word, the na|tural Son of the (Eternal) Mind, the Divine Word, the origi|nal Light of Light; and the Image of the Word is man.</HI> And the &s;ame Author again <HI>Paedagog.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The Word is the face, the coun|tenance, the repre&s;entation of God, in whom he is brought to light and made known.</HI> As he is in his Divine Per&s;on his eternal e&s;&s;ential Image, &s;o in his Incarnation, as the Teacher of men, he is the Repre&s;entative Image of God unto the Church, as is afterwards declared.</P>
<P>So al&s;o <HI>Hierom</HI> expre&s;&s;eth his mind herein, <HI>Comment. in P&s;al.</HI> 66. <HI>Illuminet vultum &s;uum &s;uper nos; Dei facies quae e&s;t? utique Imago ejus. Dicit enim Apo&s;tolus imagi|nem Patris e&s;&s;e filium; ergo imagine &s;ua nos illuminet; hoc e&s;t, imaginem &s;uam filium illuminet &s;uper nos; ut ip&s;e nos illuminet; Lux enim Patris Lux filii e&s;t. Let him cau&s;e his face to &s;hine upon us; or lift up the light of his coun|tenance upon us. What is the face of God, even his Image?
<PB REF="18">For the Apo&s;tle &s;ays, that the Son is the Image of the Fa|ther. Wherefore let him &s;hine on us with his Image; that is, cau&s;e his Son, which is his Image, to &s;hine upon us, that he may illuminate us; for the Light of the Father and of the Son are the &s;ame.</HI> Chri&s;t being the Image of God, the face of God, in him is God repre&s;ented unto us, and through him are all &s;aving benefits com|municated unto them that believe.</P>
<P><HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> al&s;o &s;peaks often unto this purpo&s;e; as <HI>Demon. Evangel. lib.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 2. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Wherefore the holy Oracles &s;peaking theologically, or teaching Divine things, do rightly call him God begotten (of the Father) as he who alone bears in him&s;elf the Image of the ineffable and inconceivable Deity. Wherefore he both is, and is called God, becau&s;e of his being the character, &s;imili|tude or Image of him who is the fir&s;t.</HI> The Divine Per&s;o|nality of Chri&s;t con&s;i&s;ts in this, that the whole Di|vine Nature being communicated unto him by eter|nal Generation, he is the Image of God, even the Fa|ther, by whom he is repre&s;ented unto us. See the &s;ame Book, <HI>chap.</HI> 7. to the &s;ame purpo&s;e. Al&s;o <HI>De Eccle&s;ia&s;t. Theol. contra Marcell. lib.</HI> 2. <HI>cap.</HI> 17.</P>
<P><HI>Clemens</HI> abounds much in the affirmation of this Truth concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and we may
<PB REF="18">yet add from a multitude to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, one or more Te&s;timonies from him. Treating of Chri&s;t, as the Teacher of all men (his <GAP DESC="foreign">) he affirms that he is, <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>God in the figure or form of man;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>impolluted, &s;erving the Will of the Father, the Word, God, who is in the Father, on the right hand of the Father, and in or with the form of God.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>He is the Image (of God) unto us, wherein there is no blemi&s;h, and with all our &s;trength are we to endeavour to render our &s;elves like unto him:</HI> This is the great end of his being the Repre&s;entative Image of God unto us. And <HI>Stro|mat. lib.</HI> 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>As God (ab&s;olutely) falls not under demon&s;tra|tion (that is, cannot perfectly be declared) &s;o he doth not (immediately) effect, or teach us knowledge. But the Son is Wi&s;dom and Knowledge, and Truth unto us, and every thing which is cognate hereunto. For in and by him doth God teach us, and repre&s;ent him&s;elf unto us.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 7. Upon the Glory of this Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t depends the efficacy of all his Offices; an e&s;pe|cial Demon&s;tration whereof is given in his Prophetical Office. So is it well expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>Irenaeus: qui nil moli|tur inepte, lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 1. <HI>Non enim aliter nos di&s;cere pote|ramus
<PB REF="19">quae &s;unt Dei ni&s;i Magi&s;ter no&s;ter verbum exi&s;tens, homo factus fui&s;&s;et, Neque enim alius poterat enarrare nobis quae &s;unt Patris, ni&s;i proprium ip&s;ius verbum. Quis enim alius cognovit &s;en&s;um Domini? aut quis alius ejus con&s;ilia|rius factus est? Neque rur&s;us nos aliter di&s;cere poteramus, ni&s;i Magi&s;trum no&s;trum videntes, &amp; per auditum nostrum vocem ejus percipientes, uti imitatores quidem operum, fa|ctores autem &s;ermonum ejus facti, communionem habeamus cum ip&s;o. We could not otherwi&s;e have learned the things of God, unle&s;s our Ma&s;ter being and continuing the (eter|nal) Word, had been made Man. For no other could de|clare unto us the things of God, but his own proper Word. For who el&s;e hath known the mind of the Lord? or who el&s;e hath been his Coun&s;ellor? Neither on the other &s;ide could we otherwi&s;e have learned, unle&s;s we had &s;een our Ma&s;ter, and heard his voice,</HI> (in his Incarnation and Mini&s;try) <HI>whereby following his works,</HI> and yielding obedience un|to his Doctrine, we may have communion with him|&s;elf.</P>
<P>I do perceive that if I &s;hould proceed with the &s;ame kind of Atte&s;tations unto the Doctrine of all the Chapters in the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e, this Preface would be drawn forth unto a greater length than was ever de&s;igned unto it, or is convenient for it. I &s;hall there|fore chu&s;e out one or two In&s;tances more to give a <HI>Spe|cimen</HI> of the concurrence of the Antient Church in the Doctrine declared in them, and &s;o put a clo&s;e unto it.</P>
<PB REF="19">
<P><HI>Chap.</HI> 9. In the ninth Chapter, and tho&s;e follow|ing we treat of the <HI>Divine Honour</HI> that is due unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, expre&s;&s;ed in Adoration, Invocation, and Obedience proceeding from Faith and Love. And the foundation of the whole, is laid in the di&s;covery of the true nature and cau&s;es of that Honour: And three things are de&s;igned unto confirmation herein. (1.) That the Divine Nature which is individually the &s;ame in each Per&s;on of the holy Trinity, is the proper formal object of all Divine Wor&s;hip, in Adoration and In|vocation. Wherefore no one Per&s;on is or can be wor|&s;hipped, but in the &s;ame individual Act of Wor&s;hip, each Per&s;on is equally wor&s;hipped and adored. (2.) That it is lawful to direct Divine Honour, Wor&s;hip and In|vocation unto any Per&s;on, in the u&s;e of his peculiar Name, the Father, Son, or Spirit; or unto them alto|gether: But to make any reque&s;t unto one Per&s;on, and immediately the &s;ame unto another, is not ex|emplified in the Scripture, nor among the Antient Writers of the Church. (3.) That the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as God-man, is the proper Object of all Divine Ho|nour and Wor&s;hip, on the account of his Divine Na|ture; and all that he did in his Humane Nature, are Motives thereunto.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t of the&s;e is the con&s;tant Doctrine of the whole Antient Church, namely, that whether (for in&s;tance) in our &s;olemn Prayers and Invocations, we
<PB REF="20">call expre&s;ly on the Name of the Father, or of the Son, or of the Holy Spirit; whether we do it ab&s;olutely or relatively, that is, with re&s;pect unto the Relation of one Per&s;on to the other; as calling on God, as the Fa|ther of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; on Chri&s;t as the Son of his Love; on the Holy Spirit as proceeding from them both, we do formally invocate and call on the Divine Nature, and con&s;equently the whole Trinity, and each Per&s;on therein. This Truth they principally confirm|ed with the form of our initiation into Chri&s;t at Bap|ti&s;m; <HI>I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> For as there is contained therein the &s;umme of all Divine Honour, &s;o it is di|rected unto the &s;ame Name, not the Names of the Father, Son and Spirit, which is the &s;ame Deity or Di|vine Nature alone.</P>
<P>So &s;peak the Fathers of the &s;econd General Councel in their Letters unto the Bi&s;hops of the We&s;t; as they are expre&s;&s;ed in <HI>Theodoret. lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 9. This form of Bapti&s;m teacheth us, <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>To believe in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t; &s;eeing that the Deity, Substance and Power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is one and the &s;ame, their Dignity equal, their Kingdom co|eternal
<PB REF="20">in three perfect Per&s;ons. In nomine dixit, non no|minibus, ergo non aliud nomen Patris e&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>quia unus Deus, Ambro&s;. De Spirit. Sanct. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 14. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The one Name common to three is the Deity. Gregor. Nazianzen. Orat.</HI> 40. Hence <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> gives it as a Rule in &s;peaking of the Holy Trinity; <HI>Quando unus trium in aliquo opere nominatur, univer&s;a ope|rari Trinitas intelligitur. Enchirid. cap.</HI> 38. <HI>When one Per|&s;on of the three is named in any work, the whole Trinity is to be under&s;tood to effect it.</HI> There is one Lord, one Faith, one Bapti&s;m according to the Scriptures. Wherefore as there is one Faith in Chri&s;t, and one Bapti&s;m of Truth, although we are baptized, and believe in the Father, Son, and Spirit, <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>So plainly in my Judgment there is one and the &s;ame Adoration of the Father, the Son incarnate, and the Ho|ly Spirit. Cyril. Alex. de Recta Fide, cap.</HI> 32.</P>
<P>And this they profe&s;&s;ed them&s;elves to hold and be|lieve in that Antient <HI>Doxology</HI> which was fir&s;t invented to decry the <HI>Arian</HI> Here&s;y: <HI>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> The &s;ame Glory in every individual Act of its A&s;&s;ignation or A&s;cription, is directed unto each Per&s;on joyntly and di&s;tinctly on the account of the &s;ame Divine Nature in each of them. I need not produce any Te&s;timonies in the far|ther confirmation hereof: For in all their Writings
<PB REF="21">again&s;t the <HI>Arians</HI> they expre&s;ly and con&s;tantly contend that the holy Trinity, that is, the Divine Nature in three Per&s;ons, is the individual object of all Divine Adoration, Invocation, and all religious Wor&s;hip; and that by whatever per&s;onal Name, as the Father, Son, or Spirit, we call on God, it is God ab&s;olutely who is adored, and each per&s;on participant of the &s;ame Nature. See <HI>Augu&s;t. Lib. con. Serm. Arian. cap.</HI> 35. And <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 66. <HI>ad Maximum.</HI></P>
<P>For the &s;econd thing, or the Invocation of God by any Per&s;onal Name, or by the conjunction of the di|&s;tinct Names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to|gether, nothing occurs more frequently among them. Yea it is common to find in their Writings Prayers begun unto one Per&s;on, and ended in the name of another; yea begun unto Chri&s;t, and clo&s;ed in the name of his only begotten Son: It being one and the &s;ame Divine Nature that is called on. Yea the <HI>School|men</HI> do generally deny that the Per&s;ons of the holy Trinity, under the con&s;ideration of the formal Rea|&s;on which is con&s;titutive of their Per&s;onality, are the formal Object and Term of Divine Wor&s;hip; but in the wor&s;hip of one they are all wor&s;hipped as one God over all ble&s;&s;ed for ever. See <HI>Aquin.</HI> 22. <HI>q.</HI> 81. <HI>a.</HI> 3. <HI>ad prima,</HI> and <HI>q.</HI> 84. <HI>a.</HI> 1. <HI>ad tertium. Alexand. Alen&s;. p.</HI> 3. <HI>q.</HI> 30. <HI>m.</HI> 1. <HI>a.</HI> 3.</P>
<P>But yet although we may call on God in and by
<PB REF="21">the name of any Divine Per&s;on, or enumerate at once each Per&s;on (<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Epiphan. Ancorat.</HI> 8.22.) it doth not follow that we may make a Reque&s;t in our Prayers unto one Per&s;on, and then immediately repeat it unto another: For it would thence follow, that the Per&s;on unto whom we make that Reque&s;t in the &s;econd place, was not invocated, not called on, not equally adored with him, who was &s;o called on in the fir&s;t place, al|though the Divine Nature is the object of all religious Invocation, which is the &s;ame in each Per&s;on. Where|fore in our Divine Invocation we may name and fix our thoughts di&s;tinctly on any Per&s;on according as our fouls are affected with the di&s;tinct operations of each Per&s;on in Grace towards us.</P>
<P>For what concerns in the third place, the A&s;cription of Divine Honour in Adoration and Invocation unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; it is that which they principally contended for, and argued from in all their Writings again&s;t the <HI>Arians.</HI></P>
<P>Evidences of Infinite Wi&s;dom in the con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and rational Di&s;coveries of the condecencies therein unto the exaltation of all the other glorious Properties of the Divine Nature, are al|&s;o treated of. Herein we con&s;ider the Incarnation of the Son of God with re&s;pect unto the Recovery and Salvation of the Church alone. Some have contended
<PB REF="22">that he &s;hould have been Incarnate, had man never fallen or &s;inned. Of them are <HI>Rupertus, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>de gloria &amp; honore filii hominis. Albertus Magnus, in</HI> 3. <HI>di&s;tinct.</HI> 10. <HI>A.</HI> 4. <HI>Petrus Galatinus, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 4. as are <HI>Scotus, Ha|len&s;is,</HI> and others, whom <HI>O&s;iander</HI> followed. The &s;ame is affirmed by <HI>Socinus</HI> concerning the Birth of that man, which alone he fancied him to be, as I have el&s;ewhere declared. But I have di&s;proved this Figment at large. Many of the Antients have laboured in this Argument, of the nece&s;&s;ity of the Incarnation of the eternal Word, and the condecencies unto Divine Wi&s;dom therein. See <HI>Irenaeus, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 20, 21. <HI>Eu&s;ebius, Demon&s;t. Evangel. lib.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 1, 2, 3, 4, &amp;c. <HI>Cyril. Alexand. lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 7. <HI>lib.</HI> 1. <HI>de fide ad Regin. Chry&s;o&s;tom, Homil.</HI> 10. <HI>in Johan. &amp; in cap.</HI> 8. <HI>ad Rom. Serm.</HI> 18. <HI>Augustin, de Trinit. lib.</HI> 13. <HI>cap.</HI> 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. <HI>Leo, Epi&s;t.</HI> 13, 18. <HI>Sermo. de Nativit.</HI> 1, 4, 10. <HI>Ba&s;il. in P&s;al.</HI> 48. <HI>Albinus, lib.</HI> 1. <HI>in Johan. cap.</HI> 11. <HI>Dama&s;cen. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>de fide, cap.</HI> 15, 19. <HI>An&s;elm, quod Deus Homo, lib. duo. Guil. Pari&s;ien&s;is, lib. Cur Deus Homo.</HI> Some e&s;pecial Te&s;timonies we may pro|duce in confirmation of what we have di&s;cour&s;ed in the places directed unto. There is one of them, one of the mo&s;t antient, the mo&s;t learned, and mo&s;t holy of them, who hath &s;o fully delivered his thoughts concern|ing this My&s;tery, as that I &s;hall principally make u&s;e of his te&s;timony herein.</P>
<PB REF="22">
<P>It belonged unto the Wi&s;dom and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, that Satan &s;hould be conquered and &s;ubdu|ed in and by the &s;ame Nature which he had prevail|ed again&s;t by his &s;ugge&s;tion and temptation. To this purpo&s;e that holy Writer &s;peaks, <HI>lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 20. which becau&s;e his words are cited by <HI>Theodoret, Dial.</HI> 2. I &s;hall tran&s;cribe them from thence, as free from the in|juries of his Barbarous Tran&s;lator; <GAP DESC="foreign">. Words plainly Divine, an illu&s;trious Te&s;timony of the Faith of the Antient Church, and expre&s;&s;ive of the principal My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel. <HI>Wherefore as we &s;aid before, he united man unto God. For if man had not overcome the Adver&s;ary of men, the Enemy had not been ju&s;tly conquered. And on the other hand, if God had not given and granted Salvation, we could never have a firm unde&s;ea&s;ible po&s;&s;e&s;sion of it. And if man had not been united unto God, he could not have been partaker of Immortality. It behoved therefore the Mediator between God and Man, by his own participation of the Nature of each of them, to bring them both into friend&s;hip and agree|ment with each other.</HI> And to the &s;ame purpo&s;e &s;peak|ing
<PB REF="23">of the Wi&s;dom of God in our Redemption by Chri&s;t, with re&s;pect unto the conque&s;t of the Devil, <HI>lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 1. <HI>Potens in omnibus Dei Verbum, &amp; non de|ficiens in &s;ua Ju&s;titia, ju&s;te etiam adver&s;us ip&s;am conver&s;us est, Apo&s;ta&s;iam, ea quae &s;unt &s;ua redimens, ab eo, non cum vi, quemadmodum ille initio dominabitur no&s;tri, ea quae non erant &s;ua in&s;atiabiliter rapiens&mdash;Suo igitur &s;anguine redi|mente nos Domino, &amp; dante animam &s;uam pro anima no|&s;tra, &amp; carnem &s;uam pro carnibus no&s;tris,</HI> &amp;c. Again di|vinely; <HI>The all-powerful Word of God no way defective in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, &s;et him&s;elf again&s;t the Apo&s;tacy ju&s;tly al&s;o; redeeming from him, (Satan the head of the Apo&s;tacy) the things which were his own; not with force, as he bare Rule over us, in&s;atiably making Rapine of what was not his own&mdash;But he the Lord redeeming us with his own blood, giving his &s;oul for our &s;oul, and his fle&s;h for ours, wrought out our deliverance.</HI> The&s;e things are at large in&s;i&s;ted on in the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P>It belongs unto this great My&s;tery, and is a fruit of Divine Wi&s;dom, that our Deliverance &s;hould be wrought in and by the &s;ame Nature, wherein and whereby we were ruined. The Rea&s;ons hereof, and the Glory of God therein are at large di&s;cour&s;ed in the en&s;uing Treati&s;e. To the &s;ame purpo&s;e &s;peaks the &s;ame holy Writer, <HI>lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 14. <HI>Non in &s;emet|ip&s;o recapitula&s;&s;et haec Dominus, ni&s;i ip&s;e caro &amp; &s;anguis &s;ecundum principalem pla&s;mationem factus fui&s;&s;et; Salvans
<PB REF="23">Salvans in &s;emetip&s;o in fine, illud quod perierat in princi|pio in Adam. Si autem ob alteram quandam di&s;po&s;itionem Dominus incarnatus e&s;t, &amp; ex altera &s;ub&s;tantia carnem at|tulit, non ergo in &s;emetip&s;o recapitulatus e&s;t hominem, adhuc etiam nec caro dici pote&s;t&mdash;habuit ergo &amp; ip&s;e carnem &amp; &s;anguinem, non alteram quandam, &s;ed ip&s;am principalem Patris pla&s;mationem in &s;e recapitulans, exquirens id quod perierat.</HI> And to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, <HI>lib.</HI> 5. <HI>cap.</HI> 1. <HI>Neque enim vere e&s;&s;et &s;anguinem &amp; carnem habens, per quam nos redemit, ni&s;i antiquam pla&s;mationem Adae in &s;eip|&s;um recapitula&s;&s;et.</HI> That which the&s;e Pa&s;&s;ages give Te&s;timony unto, is what we have di&s;cour&s;ed con|cerning the nece&s;&s;ity of our Redemption in and by the Nature that &s;inned; and yet withall that it &s;hould be free from all that Contagion which in|vaded our Nature by the fall. And the&s;e things are divinely expre&s;&s;ed. <HI>Our Lord, &s;aith he, had not gathered up the&s;e things in him&s;elf, had not he been made fle&s;h and blood, according unto its original Creation.</HI> (The Reader may ob&s;erve, that none of the Antient Wri|ters do &s;o frequently expre&s;s the Fall of <HI>Adam,</HI> by our <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;y from God,</HI> and our Recovery by a <HI>Re|capitulation</HI> in Chri&s;t, as <HI>Irenaeus</HI> doth. His Recapi|tulation being nothing but the <GAP DESC="foreign"> mentioned by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. And he here affirms that unto this end, the Lord was made fle&s;h,
<PB REF="24"><HI>&s;ecundum principalem pla&s;mationem,</HI> as his words are ren|dred; that is plainly the original Creation of our Nature, in Innocency, Uprightne&s;s, Purity and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s.) <HI>So he &s;aved in him&s;elf in the end, what pe|ri&s;hed in</HI> Adam <HI>at the beginning. (The &s;ame Nature, in and by the &s;ame Nature.) For if the Lord had been In|carnate, for any other di&s;po&s;ition, (that is, Cau&s;e, Rea&s;on or End,) and had brought fle&s;h from any other &s;ub|&s;tance, (that is, coele&s;tial or aetherial, as the Gno&s;ticks imagined) he had not recovered men, brought our Na|ture unto an Head in him&s;elf, nor could he have been &s;aid to be fle&s;h. He therefore him&s;elf had fle&s;h and blood, not of any other kind; but he took to him&s;elf that which was originally created of the Father, &s;eeking that which was lo&s;t.</HI> The &s;ame is ob&s;erved by <HI>Au&s;tin, lib. de fide, ad Petrum Diaconum. Sic igitur Chri&s;tum Dei Fi|lium, id e&s;t, unam ex Trinitate Per&s;onam, Deum verum crede, ut Divinitatem ejus de Natura Patris natam e&s;&s;e non dubites; &amp; &s;ic eum verum hominem crede, &amp; ejus carnem non coelestis, non aeriae, non alterius cuju&s;quam pu|tes e&s;&s;e naturae, &s;ed ejus cujus e&s;t omnium caro; id e&s;t, quam ip&s;e Deus, homini primo de terra pla&s;mavit, &amp; caeteris hominibus pla&s;mat. So believe Chri&s;t the Son of God, that is one Per&s;on of the Trinity, to be the true God, that you doubt not but that his Divinity was born (by eternal Generation) of the Nature of the Father;
<PB REF="24">and &s;o believe him to be a true man, that you &s;uppo&s;e not his fle&s;h to be aerial, or heavenly, or of any o|ther nature, but of that which is the fle&s;h of all men; that is, which God him&s;elf formed in the fir&s;t man of the Earth, and which he forms in all other men.</HI> That which he &s;peaks of one Per&s;on of the Tri|nity, hath re&s;pect unto the heretical Opinion of <HI>Hormi&s;da</HI> the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> who contend|ed that it was unlawful to &s;ay, that <HI>one Per&s;on of the Trinity was incarnate,</HI> and per&s;ecuted &s;ome <HI>Scythian Monks,</HI> men not unlearned about it, who were &s;trenuou&s;ly defended by <HI>Maxentius</HI> one of them.</P>
<P>It carrieth in it a great condecency unto Di|vine Wi&s;dom, that man &s;hould be re&s;tored un|to the Image of God, by him who was the E&s;&s;ential Image of the Father, as is declared in our Di&s;cour&s;e: And that he was made like unto us, that we might be made like unto him, and unto God through him. So &s;peaks the &s;ame <HI>Irenaeus, lib.</HI> 5. <HI>Praefat. Verbum Dei Je&s;us Chri&s;tus, qui propter immen&s;am &s;uam dilectionem, factus e&s;t, quod &s;umus nos, ut nos perficeret quod e&s;t ip&s;e. Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Word of God, who from his own infinite Love, was made what we are, that he might make us what he is; that is, by the Re&s;tauration of the Image of
<PB REF="25">God in us.</HI> And again, <HI>lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 20. <HI>Filius Dei exi&s;tens apud Patrem, &amp; homo factus, longam homi|num expo&s;itionem in &s;eip&s;o recapitulavit; in compen|pendio nobis &s;alutem prae&s;tans, ut quod perdideramus in Adam, id e&s;t, &s;ecundum imaginem &amp; &s;imilitudinem e&s;&s;e Dei, hoc in Chri&s;to Je&s;u reciperemus, quia enim non erat po&s;sibile qui &s;emel victus fuerat &amp; eli&s;us per ino|bedientiam, repla&s;mare &amp; obtinere bravium victoriae; iterum autem impo&s;sibile erat ut &s;alutem perciperet, qui &s;ub peccato ceciderat, utraque operatus e&s;t filius Ver|bum Dei exi&s;tens a Patre de&s;cendens &amp; incarnatus, u&s;que ad mortem de&s;cendens, &amp; di&s;pen&s;ationem con&s;um|mans &s;alutis no&s;trae. Being the Son of God with the Father, and being made Man, he reconciled or gather|ed up in him&s;elf, the long continued expo&s;ing of men, (unto &s;in and Judgment) bringing in Salvation in this compendious way, in this &s;ummary of it, that what we had lo&s;t in</HI> Adam, <HI>that is, our being in the Image and likene&s;s of God; that we &s;hould recover in Chri&s;t. For it was not po&s;sible that man that had been once conquered, and broken by di&s;obedience, &s;hould, (by him&s;elf) be reformed, and obtain the Crown of Victory; nor was it again po&s;sible, that he &s;hould recover Salvation who had fallen under &s;in. Both were wrought by the Son, the Word of God, who de|&s;cending from the Father, and being Incarnate, &s;ub|mitted
<PB REF="25">him&s;elf to Death, perfecting the Di&s;pen&s;ation of our Salvation.</HI></P>
<P>And <HI>Clemens Alexandrinus</HI> to the &s;ame purpo&s;e; <HI>Adhort. ad Gentes.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The Word of God was made man, that thou mighte&s;t learn of a man, how man may become</HI> (as) <HI>God.</HI> And <HI>Ambro&s;e in P&s;al.</HI> 118. <HI>Octon.</HI> 8. <HI>Imago, id e&s;t, Verbum Dei, ad eum qui e&s;t ad imaginem hoc e&s;t, hominem venit, &amp; quaerit Imago eum qui e&s;t ad &s;imilitudinem, ut iterum &s;ignet, ut ite|rum confirmet, quia ami&s;it quod accepit. The Image of God, that is, the Word of God, came into him who was after the Image of God, that is man. And this Image of God &s;eeks him who was after the Image of God, that he might &s;eal him with it again, and confirm him, becau&s;e he had lo&s;t that which he had re|ceived.</HI> And <HI>Austin</HI> in one In&s;tance gives a ratio|nal account why it was condecent unto Divine Wi&s;dom, that the Son, and not the Father, or the Holy Spirit, &s;hould be incarnate; which we al&s;o enquire into, <HI>lib. de Definition. Orthodoxis, cap.</HI> 2. <HI>Non Pater carnem a&s;&s;ump&s;it, neque Spiritus Sanctus, &s;ed Filius tantum; ut qui erat in Divinitate Dei Pa|tris Filius ip&s;e fieret in homine, hominis Matris Filius; ne Filii nomen ad alterum tran&s;iret, qui non e&s;&s;et aeterna
<PB REF="26">nativitate filius. The Father did not a&s;&s;ume fle&s;h, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Son only; that he who in the Deity was the Son of the Father, &s;hould be made the Son of man, in his Mother of Humane Race; that the Name of the Son &s;hould not pa&s;s unto any other, who was not the Son by an eternal Nativity.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall clo&s;e with one Meditation of the &s;ame Author, concerning the Wi&s;dom and Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of God in this My&s;tery. <HI>Enchirid. ad Laurent. cap.</HI> 99. <HI>Vide&mdash;univer&s;um genus humanum tam ju&s;to judicio Divino in apo&s;tatica radice damnatum, ut etiam &s;i nullus inde liberaretur, nemo recte po&s;sit Dei vitu|perare ju&s;titiam; &amp; qui liberantur, &s;ic oportui&s;&s;e libe|rari, ut ex pluribus non liberatis, atque damnatione ju|&s;ti&s;sima derelictis, o&s;tenderetur, quod merui&s;&s;et univer&s;a con&s;per&s;io, &amp; quo etiam i&s;tos debitum Judicium Dei du|ceret, ni&s;i ejus indebita mi&s;ericordia &s;ubveniret. Behold, the whole Race of Mankind by the ju&s;t Judgment of God &s;o condemned in the apo&s;tatical root, that if no one were thence delivered, yet no man could rightly complain of the Ju&s;tice of God; and that tho&s;e who are freed, ought &s;o to be freed, that from the greater number who are not freed, but left under mo&s;t righteous condemnation, it might be manife&s;t what the whole ma&s;s had de&s;erved, and whither the Judgment of God due unto them would lead them, if his mercy, which was not due, did not relieve
<PB REF="26">them.</HI> The Reader may &s;ee what is di&s;cour&s;ed un|to the&s;e purpo&s;es: And becau&s;e the great end of the De&s;cription given of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, is that we may <HI>love him,</HI> and thereby be transform|ed into his <HI>Image,</HI> I &s;hall clo&s;e this Preface with the words of <HI>Hierom,</HI> concerning that <HI>Divine Love</HI> unto Chri&s;t which is at large declared. <HI>Sive legas,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>&s;ive &s;cribas, &s;ive vigiles, &s;ive dormias, amor tibi &s;emper buccina in auribus &s;onet, hic lituus excitet animam tuam, hoc amore furebundus; quaere in lecto tuo, quem de&s;iderat anima tua. Epi&s;t. ad Pammach. cap.</HI> 4. <HI>Whether thou reade&s;t or write&s;t, whether thou watche&s;t or &s;leepe&s;t, let the voice of Love</HI> (to Chri&s;t) <HI>&s;ound in thine ears; let this Trumpet &s;tir up thy &s;oul; being overpowered,</HI> (brought into an exta&s;y) <HI>with this Love, &s;eek him on thy bed, whom thy &s;oul de&s;ireth and longeth for.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="27">
<PB N="1" REF="27">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Peter's <HI>Confe&s;sion,</HI> Matth. 16.16. <HI>Conceits of the Papi&s;ts thereon. The Sub&s;tance and Excellency of that Confe&s;sion.</HI></HEAD>
<P>OUR Ble&s;&s;ed Saviour enquiring of his Di&s;ciples their Apprehen&s;ions concerning his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> and their Faith in him, <HI>Simon Peter,</HI> as he was u&s;ually the forwarde&s;t on all &s;uch occa&s;ions, through his peculiar endowments of Faith and Zeal, returns an an&s;wer in the name of them all, <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.16. <HI>And Simon Peter an|&s;wered and &s;aid, Thou art Chri&s;t the Son of the living God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Baronius</HI> and &s;undry others of the <HI>Roman</HI> Church, do af|firm that the Lord Chri&s;t herein did pre&s;cribe the <HI>form of a general Councel.</HI> For here, &s;ay they, the <HI>principal Article of our Chri&s;tian Faith was declared and determined by</HI> Peter, <HI>whereunto all the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles,</HI> as in duty they were obliged, <HI>did give their con&s;ent and &s;uffrage.</HI> This was done, as they &s;uppo&s;e, that a Rule and Law might be given unto future Ages, how to enact and determine <HI>Articles of Faith.</HI> For it is to be done by the <HI>Succe&s;&s;ors of Peter</HI> pre&s;iding in Councels as it was now done by <HI>Peter</HI> in this A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>But they &s;eem to forget that <HI>Chri&s;t him&s;elf</HI> was now pre|&s;ent,
<PB N="2" REF="28">and therefore could have no <HI>Vicar,</HI> &s;eeing he pre&s;ided in his own per&s;on. All the claim they lay unto the nece&s;&s;ity of &s;uch a vi&s;ible Head of the Church on the Earth, as may deter|mine Articles of Faith, is from the <HI>Ab&s;ence of Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ince his A&s;cen&s;ion into Heaven. But that he &s;hould al&s;o have a <HI>Sub|&s;titute</HI> whil&s;t he was <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> is &s;omewhat uncouth. And whil&s;t they live they &s;hall never make the <HI>Pope Pre&s;ident</HI> where <HI>Chri&s;t is pre&s;ent.</HI> The truth is, he doth not propo&s;e unto his Di&s;ciples the <HI>framing of an Article of Truth;</HI> but enquires af|ter their own Faith which they expre&s;&s;ed in this Confe&s;&s;ion. Such things as the&s;e will prejudice carnal Intere&s;t, and the prepo&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the minds of men with corrupt imagina|tions, cau&s;e them to adventure on, to the &s;candal, yea ruine of Religion.</P>
<P>This &s;hort, but illu&s;trious confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peter,</HI> comprizeth eminently the whole Truth concerning the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Office</HI> of Chri&s;t. Of his Per&s;on, in that although he was the <HI>Son of Man,</HI> under which Appellation he made his enquiry, <HI>(whom do men &s;ay that I the Son of Man am?)</HI> yet was he not only &s;o, but the eternal Son of the living God. Of his <HI>Office,</HI> that he was the <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> he whom God had anointed to be the Sa|viour of the Church, in the di&s;charge of his Kingly, Prie&s;tly and Prophetical Power. In&s;tances of the like brief Confe&s;|&s;ions we have el&s;ewhere in the Scripture, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.9. <HI>If thou &s;halt confe&s;s with thy mouth the Lord Je&s;us, and &s;halt believe in thy heart that God rai&s;ed him from the dead, thou &s;halt be &s;aved.</HI> 1 Joh. 4.2. <HI>Every &s;pirit that confe&s;&s;eth that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is come in the fle&s;h, is of God. And every &s;pirit that confe&s;&s;eth not that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is come in the fle&s;h, is not of God.</HI> And it is manife&s;t that all Divine Truths, have &s;uch a concatenation a|mong them&s;elves, and do all of them &s;o center in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> as ve&s;ted with his Offices towards the Church, that they are all virtually comprized in this Confe&s;&s;ion. And they will be &s;o accounted unto all who de&s;troy them not by con|trary
<PB N="3" REF="28">Errours and Imaginations incon&s;i&s;tent with them; though it be the duty of all men to obtain the expre&s;s know|ledge of them in particular, according unto the means there|of which they do enjoy. The danger of mens &s;ouls lyeth not in a di&s;ability to attain a comprehen&s;ion of longer-or more &s;ubtle Confe&s;&s;ions of Faith, but in embracing things contrary unto, or incon&s;i&s;tent with this foundation thereof. Whatever it be, whereby men cea&s;e <HI>to hold the Head,</HI> how &s;mall &s;oever it &s;eem, that alone is pernitious, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.18, 19.</P>
<P>This <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> therefore as containing the &s;umme and &s;ub|&s;tance of that Faith, which they were called to give Te&s;timo|ny unto, and concerning which their Trial was approaching, is approved by our Saviour. And not only &s;o, but eminent priviledges are granted unto him that made it, and in him un|to the whole Church, that &s;hould live in the &s;ame Faith and Confe&s;&s;ion, <HI>ver.</HI> 17, 18. <HI>And Je&s;us an&s;wered and &s;aid unto him, Ble&s;&s;ed art thou Simon Bar-jona, for fle&s;h and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. And I &s;ay al&s;o unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it.</HI></P>
<P>Two things doth our Saviour con&s;ider in the An&s;wer re|turned unto his enquiry. (1.) The <HI>Faith of Peter</HI> in this Con|fe&s;&s;ion, the Faith of him that made it. (2.) The <HI>Nature and Truth of the Confe&s;&s;ion;</HI> both which are required in all the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t; <HI>For with the heart man believeth unto Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and with the mouth confe&s;&s;ion is made unto Sal|vation, Rom.</HI> 10.10.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing which he &s;peaks unto is the <HI>Faith of Peter,</HI> who made this Confe&s;&s;ion; without this no outward Con|fe&s;&s;ion is of any u&s;e or advantage. For even the <HI>Devils</HI> knew him to be the Holy One of God, <HI>Luke</HI> 4.34. yet would he not permit them to &s;peak it, <HI>Mark</HI> 1.34. That which gives
<PB N="4" REF="29">glory unto God in any Confe&s;&s;ion, and which gives us an In|tere&s;t in the Truth confe&s;&s;ed, is the <HI>believing of the heart,</HI> which is unto Righteou&s;ne&s;s. With re&s;pect hereunto, the Lord Chri&s;t &s;peaks, <HI>ver.</HI> 17. <HI>And Je&s;us an&s;wered and &s;aid unto him, ble&s;&s;ed art thou Simon Bar-jona, for fle&s;h and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>He commends and &s;ets forth the Faith of <HI>Peter,</HI> (1.) From its <HI>Effect;</HI> (2.) From its <HI>Cau&s;e.</HI> Its <HI>Effect</HI> is that it made him <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> in whom it was. For it is not only a ble&s;&s;ed thing to believe and know Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as it is called <HI>Life Eternal, John</HI> 17.3. but it is that which gives an immediate Intere&s;t in the ble&s;&s;ed State of Adoption, Ju&s;tification and Acceptance with God, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.12. (2.) The immediate <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> of this Faith is Divine Revelation. It is not the effect or product of our own Abilities, the be&s;t of which are but <HI>fle&s;h and blood.</HI> That Faith which renders them ble&s;&s;ed in whom it is, is wrought in them, by the power of God revealing Chri&s;t un|to their &s;ouls. Tho&s;e who have more abilities of their own unto this end, then <HI>Peter</HI> had, we are not concerned in.</P>
<P N="2">2. He &s;peaks unto the <HI>Confe&s;sion</HI> it &s;elf, acquainting his Di&s;ciples with the nature and u&s;e of it, which from the be|ginning he principally de&s;igned, <HI>ver.</HI> 18. <HI>And I &s;ay unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it.</HI></P>
<P>From the &s;peaking of the&s;e words unto <HI>Peter,</HI> there is a controver&s;ie rai&s;ed in the world, <HI>whether the Lord Chri&s;t him&s;elf, or the Pope of</HI> Rome, <HI>be the Rock whereon the Church is built.</HI> And unto that &s;tate are things come in Religion among them that are called Chri&s;tians, that the greate&s;t number is for the <HI>Pope,</HI> and again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in this matter. And they have good rea&s;on for their choice. For if Chri&s;t be the <HI>Rock</HI> whereon the Church is built, whereas he is a <HI>Living Stone,</HI> tho&s;e that are laid and built on him mu&s;t be <HI>lively
<PB N="5" REF="29">Stones</HI> al&s;o, as this Apo&s;tle a&s;&s;ures us, 1 <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 2.4, 5. they mu&s;t be like unto Chri&s;t him&s;elf, partaking of his Nature, quickened by his Spirit, &s;o as it were <HI>to be bone of his bone, and fle&s;h of his fle&s;h, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.10. Nor can any be built on him, but by a living Faith, effectual in univer&s;al obedience. The&s;e things the generality of men like not at all. And there|fore the Fabrick of the Living Temple on this foundation is u&s;ually but &s;mall, &s;eldom con&s;picuous or outwardly glori|ous. But if the <HI>Pope be this Rock,</HI> all the Papi&s;ts in the world, or all that have a mind &s;o to be, be they never &s;o wicked and ungodly, may be built upon him, and be made partakers of all that <HI>Deliverance from the Powers of Hell,</HI> which <HI>that Rock</HI> can afford them. And all this may be obtained at a very ea&s;ie rate. For the acknowledgment of the Pope's Soveraign Au|thority in the Church, is all that is required thereunto. How they bring in the claim of their <HI>Pope</HI> by <HI>Peter,</HI> his being at <HI>Rome,</HI> being <HI>Bi&s;hop of Rome, Dying at Rome, fixing his Chair at Rome,</HI> devoting and tran&s;mitting all his Right, Title, Power and Authority, every thing but his Faith, Holine&s;s, and Labour in the Mini&s;try unto the <HI>Pope,</HI> I &s;hall not here enquire, I have done it el&s;ewhere. Here is fixed the root of the Tree, which is grown great, like that in <HI>Nebuchad|nezzar</HI>'s dream, until it is become a receptacle for the bea&s;ts of the field, and fowls of the Air, &s;en&s;ual men and unclean &s;pirits. I &s;hall therefore briefly lay an Ax unto the Root of it, by evidencing that it is not the Per&s;on of <HI>Peter</HI> who con|fe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;t, but the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> whom <HI>Peter</HI> confe&s;&s;ed, that is the <HI>Rock</HI> on whom the Church is built.</P>
<P N="1">1. The variation of the expre&s;&s;ions proves undeniably that our Saviour intended we &s;hould not under&s;tand the <HI>Per&s;on of Peter</HI> to be the <HI>Rock.</HI> He takes occa&s;ion from his name to declare what he de&s;igned, but no more. <HI>And I &s;ay al&s;o unto thee, thou art Peter.</HI> He had given him this name before, at
<PB N="6" REF="30">his fir&s;t calling, <HI>John</HI> 1.42. Now he gives the rea&s;on of his &s;o doing, namely, becau&s;e of the illu&s;trious Confe&s;&s;ion, that he &s;hould make of the Rock of the Church. As the Name of God under the Old Te&s;tament, was called on per&s;ons, and things, and places, becau&s;e of &s;ome e&s;pecial Relation unto him. Wherefore the expre&s;&s;ion is varied on purpo&s;e to de|clare, that whatever be the &s;ignification of the <HI>Name Peter,</HI> yet the Per&s;on &s;o called was not the Rock intended. The words are <GAP DESC="foreign">. Had he in|tended the <HI>Per&s;on of Peter,</HI> he would have expre&s;&s;ed it plain|ly, <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>Thou art a Rock, and on thee will I build.</HI> At lea&s;t the gender had not been altered, but he would have &s;aid, <GAP DESC="foreign">, which would have given &s;ome colour to this Imagination. The exception which they lay hereunto, from the u&s;e of <HI>Cephas</HI> in the <HI>Syriack,</HI> which was the name of <HI>Peter,</HI> and &s;ignifies a Rock or a Stone, lyes not only again&s;t the authentick Authority of the <HI>Greek Oiginal,</HI> but of their own Tran&s;lation of it, which reads the words, <HI>Tu es Petrus, &amp; &s;uper hanc Petram.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. If the Church was built on the <HI>Per&s;on of Peter,</HI> then when he died the Church mu&s;t utterly fail. For no building can po&s;&s;ibly abide when its foundation is removed and ta|ken away. Wherefore they tell us they do not intend by the <HI>Per&s;on of Peter,</HI> that &s;ingular individual <HI>Per&s;on alone to be this Rock; but he and his Succe&s;&s;ors the Bi&s;hops of</HI> Rome <HI>are &s;o.</HI> But this &s;tory of his <HI>Succe&s;&s;ors at Rome</HI> is a &s;hameful Fable. If the <HI>Pope of Rome</HI> be a true Believer, he &s;ucceeds in com|mon with all other Believers into the Priviledges which be|long unto this Confe&s;&s;ion. If he be not, he hath neither lot nor portion in this matter. But the pretence is utterly vain on another account al&s;o. The Apo&s;tle &s;hewing the In&s;uffici|ency of the <HI>Aaronical Prie&s;thood</HI> wherein there was a &s;ucce&s;|&s;ion of God's own appointment, affirms that it could not
<PB N="7" REF="30">bring the Church unto a perfect &s;tate, becau&s;e the <HI>High Prie&s;ts died one after another, and &s;o were many, Heb.</HI> 7.8, 23, 24. And thereon he &s;hews that the Church cannot be con|&s;ummate or perfected unle&s;s it re&s;t wholly in and on him, who <HI>lives for ever,</HI> and was made a <HI>Prie&s;t after the power of an endle&s;s life.</HI> And if the Holy Gho&s;t judged the &s;tate of the Jewi&s;h Church, to be weak and imperfect, becau&s;e it re&s;t|ed on High Prie&s;ts that died one after another, although their &s;ucce&s;&s;ion was expre&s;ly ordained of God him&s;elf; &s;hall we &s;uppo&s;e that the Lord Chri&s;t who came to con&s;ummate the Church, and to bring it unto the mo&s;t perfect e&s;tate whereof in this world it is capable, &s;hould build it on a <HI>&s;uc|ce&s;&s;ion of dying men,</HI> concerning which &s;ucce&s;&s;ion there is not the lea&s;t intimation that it is appointed of God. And as un|to the matter of <HI>fact</HI> we know both what interruptions it hath received, and what mon&s;ters it hath produced, both &s;ufficiently manife&s;ting that it is not of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is but one <HI>Rock,</HI> but one Foundation. There is no mention in the Scripture of two Rocks of the Church. In what others invent to this purpo&s;e we are not concerned And the Rock and the Foundation are the &s;ame; for the Rock is that whereon the Church is built, that is the Foundation. But that the Lord Chri&s;t is this &s;ingle Rock and Foundation of the Church, we &s;hall prove immediately. Wherefore neither <HI>Peter</HI> him&s;elf, nor his pretended Succe&s;&s;ors can be this <HI>Rock.</HI> As for any other Rock, it belongs not unto our Religion: They that have framed it may u&s;e it as they plea&s;e. For they that make &s;uch things, are like unto the things they make. So is every one that tru&s;teth in them. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 115.8. <HI>But their Rock is not like our Rock,</HI> them&s;elves being Judges, unle&s;s they will ab&s;olutely equal the Pope unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. Immediately after this Declaration of our Saviour's purpo&s;e to build his Church on the Rock, he reveals unto his
<PB N="8" REF="31">Di&s;ciples the <HI>way and manner</HI> how he would lay its Foun|dation, namely, in his Death and Sufferings, <HI>ver.</HI> 21. And thereon this <HI>&s;uppo&s;ed Rock,</HI> being a little left unto his own &s;tability, &s;hewed him&s;elf to be but a <HI>Reed &s;haken with the wind.</HI> For he is &s;o far from putting him&s;elf under the weight of the building, that he attempts an ob&s;truction of its Foun|dation. <HI>He began to rebuke Chri&s;t him&s;elf</HI> for mentioning his &s;ufferings, wherein alone the Foundation of the Go&s;pel Church was to be laid, <HI>ver.</HI> 22. And hereon he received the &s;evere&s;t Rebuke that ever the Lord Je&s;us gave unto any of his Di&s;|ciples, <HI>ver.</HI> 23. And &s;o it is known that afterwards through &s;urprizal and temptation, he did what lay in him to <HI>recall that Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> which here he made, and whereon the Church was to be built. For that no fle&s;h might glory in it &s;elf, he that was <HI>&s;ingular</HI> in this Confe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, was <HI>&s;o al&s;o</HI> in the denial of him. And if he in his own per&s;on manife&s;ted how unmeet he was to be the Foundation of the Church, they mu&s;t be &s;trangely infatuated who can &s;uppo&s;e his pretended Suc|ce&s;&s;ors &s;o to be. But &s;ome men will rather have the Church to be utterly without any Foundation, then that it &s;hould not be the Pope.</P>
<P>The vanity of this pretence being removed, the &s;ub&s;tance of the great <HI>My&s;tery</HI> contained in the Atte&s;tation given by our Saviour unto the Confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peter,</HI> and the promi&s;e thereunto annexed, may be comprized in the en&s;uing A&s;&s;er|tions.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> the Son of the living God, as ve&s;t|ed with his Offices, whereunto he was called and anointed, is the Foundation of the Church, the <HI>Rock</HI> whereon it is built.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Power and Policy of Hell</HI> will be alwaies engaged in oppo&s;ition unto the Relation of the Church unto this Foun|dation, or the building of it on this <HI>Rock.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Church that is built on this Rock,</HI> &s;hall never be
<PB N="9" REF="31">disjoyned from it, or prevailed again&s;t by the oppo&s;ition of the Gates of Hell.</P>
<P>The two former of the&s;e I &s;hall &s;peak briefly unto, my principal De&s;ign being a Demon&s;tration of a Truth that ari|&s;eth from the con&s;ideration of them all.</P>
<P>The Foundation of the Church is twofold. (1.) <HI>Real.</HI> (2) <HI>Doctrinal.</HI> And in both ways Chri&s;t alone is the Founda|tion. The <HI>Real</HI> Foundation of the Church he is, by vertue of the My&s;tical Union of it unto him, with all the Benefits whereof from thence, and thereby it is made partaker. For thence alone hath it &s;piritual life, grace, mercy, perfection and glory, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.15, 16. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.19. And he is the <HI>Doctri|nal Foundation</HI> of it, in that the Faith or Doctrine concern|ing him and his Offices, is that Divine Truth which in a pe|culiar manner animates and con&s;titutes the Church of the New Te&s;tament, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.19, 20, 21, 22. Without the Faith and confe&s;&s;ion hereof, no one per&s;on belongs unto that Church. I know not what is now believed, but I judge it will not yet be denied, that the external formal cau&s;e of the Church of the New Te&s;tament, is the confe&s;&s;ion of the Faith concerning the Per&s;on, Offices and Grace of Chri&s;t, with what is of us required thereon. In what &s;en&s;e we a&s;&s;ert the&s;e things will be afterwards fully cleared.</P>
<P>That the Lord Chri&s;t is thus the Foundation of the Church, is te&s;tified unto, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28.16. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation a &s;tone, a tried &s;tone, a precious corner &s;tone, a &s;ure foundation, he that believeth &s;hall not make ha&s;te.</HI> It is among the bold inroads, that in this late Age have been made on the vitals of Religion, that &s;ome in compliance with the <HI>Jews,</HI> have attempted the application of this Promi&s;e unto <HI>Hezekiah.</HI> The violence they have of|fered herein to the mind of the Holy Gho&s;t, might be evi|denced from every word of the context. But the Interpre|tation
<PB N="10" REF="32">and Application of the la&s;t words of this Promi&s;e by the Apo&s;tles, leaves no pretence unto this in&s;inuation. <HI>He that believes on him, &s;hall not be a&s;hamed or confounded,</HI> Rom. 9.33. <HI>chap.</HI> 10.11. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.6. that is, he &s;hall be eternally &s;aved; which it is the highe&s;t bla&s;phemy to apply unto any other but Je&s;us Chri&s;t alone. He therefore is alone that <HI>Foundation</HI> which God hath laid in and of the Church; &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 118.22. <HI>Matth.</HI> 21.42. <HI>Mark</HI> 12.10. <HI>Luke</HI> 20.17. <HI>Acts</HI> 4.11. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.20, 21, 22. <HI>Zach.</HI> 3.9. But this fundamental Truth of Chri&s;t being the only Foundation of the Church is &s;o expre&s;ly determined by the Apo&s;tle St. <HI>Paul,</HI> as not to need any farther confirmation, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.11. <HI>For other Foundation can no man lay, but that is laid, which is Je|&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Oppo&s;ition made unto the Church as built on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THere are in the words of our Saviour unto <HI>Peter</HI> con|cerning the <HI>Foundation of the Church,</HI> a promi&s;e of its pre&s;ervation, and a prediction of the oppo&s;ition that &s;hould be made thereunto. And accordingly all things are come to pa&s;s, and carrying on towards a compleat Accompli&s;h|ment. For (that we may begin with the oppo&s;ition fore|told) the <HI>Power and Policy of Hell ever were, and ever will be engaged in oppo&s;ition unto the Church built on this Founda|tion;</HI> that is, the Faith of it concerning his Per&s;on, Office, and Grace, whereby it is built on him. This as unto what is pa&s;t concerneth matter of fact; whereof therefore I mu&s;t give a brief Account; and then we &s;hall examine what evi|dences we have of the &s;ame endeavour at pre&s;ent.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="32">
<P>The <HI>Gates of Hell,</HI> as all agree, are the Power and Policy of it; or the actings of Satan both as a <HI>Lion,</HI> and as a <HI>Ser|pent,</HI> by rage and by &s;ubtilty. But whereas in the&s;e things he acts not vi&s;ibly in his own Per&s;on, but by his Agents, he hath alwaies had two &s;orts of them employed in his &s;ervice. By the one he executes his <HI>rage,</HI> and by the other his <HI>craft;</HI> he animates the one as a <HI>Lion,</HI> the other as a <HI>Serpent:</HI> in the one he acts as the <HI>Dragon,</HI> in the other as the <HI>Bea&s;t that had two horns like the Lamb, but &s;pake like the Dragon.</HI> The fir&s;t is the unbelieving world, the other Apo&s;tates, and Seducers of all &s;orts. Wherefore his work in this kind is of a double nature; the one an effect of his power and rage, acted by the world in per&s;ecution, the other of his policy and craft, acted by Hereticks in &s;eduction. In both he de&s;igns to &s;e|parate the Church from its Foundation.</P>
<P>The oppo&s;ition of the fir&s;t &s;ort he began again&s;t the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t immediately in his Humane Nature. <HI>Fraud</HI> he fir&s;t once attempted in his Temptation, <HI>Matth.</HI> 4. but quick|ly found that that way he could make no approach unto him. <HI>The Prince of this world came, but had nothing in him.</HI> Where|fore he betook him&s;elf unto <HI>open force,</HI> and by all means po&s;|&s;ible &s;ought his de&s;truction; &s;o al&s;o the more at any time the Church is by Faith and Watchfulne&s;s &s;ecured again&s;t &s;e|duction, the more doth he rage again&s;t it in open per&s;ecution. And for the example and comfort of the Church, in its con|formity unto him, no means were left unattempted that might in&s;tigate and prepare the world for his ruine. Re|proaches, contempt, &s;corn, fal&s;e and lying Accu&s;ations by his &s;ugge&s;tions, were heaped on him on every hand. Hereby in the whole cour&s;e of his Mini&s;try he <HI>endured the contradiction of &s;inners again&s;t him&s;elf, Heb.</HI> 12.3. And there is herein ble&s;&s;ed provi&s;ion made of ine&s;timable con&s;olation, for all tho&s;e who are <HI>prede&s;tinated to be conformed unto his Image,</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="33">when God &s;hall help them by Faith to make u&s;e of his ex|ample. He calls them to <HI>take up his Cro&s;s</HI> and follow him; and he hath &s;hewed them what is in it by his own bearing of it. Contempt, reproach, de&s;pightful u&s;age, calumnies, fal&s;e accu&s;ations, wre&s;tings of his words, bla&s;pheming of his Do|ctrine, reviling of his Per&s;on, all that he &s;aid and did as to his principles about Humane Government, and Moral Con|ver&s;ation, encompa&s;&s;ed him all his daies. And he hath a&s;&s;ured his followers, that <HI>&s;uch and no other,</HI> at lea&s;t for the mo&s;t part, &s;hall be their lot in this world. And &s;ome in all Ages have an experience of it in an eminent manner. But have they any rea&s;on to complain? why &s;hould the <HI>&s;ervant</HI> look for better mea&s;ure then the <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> met withal? To be made like unto him in the wor&s;t of evils, for his &s;ake, is the be&s;t and mo&s;t honourable condition in this world. God help &s;ome to believe it. Hereby was way made for his Death. But in the whole it was manife&s;ted how infinitely in all his &s;ubtilty and malice Satan falls &s;hort of the contrivances of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power. For all that he attained hy effecting his Death, in the <HI>hour of Darkne&s;s,</HI> was but the <HI>breaking of his own Head,</HI> the <HI>de&s;truction of his Works,</HI> with the Ruine of his Kingdom; and what yet remains to con&s;ummate his eternal mi&s;ery, he &s;hall him&s;elf work out in his oppo&s;ition un|to the Church. His re&s;tle&s;s malice and darkne&s;s will not &s;uffer him to give over the pur&s;uit of his rage, until nothing remains to give him a full entrance into endle&s;s torments, which he ha&s;teneth every day. For when he &s;hall have filled up the mea&s;ure of his &s;ins, and of the &s;ins of the world in being in&s;trumental unto his rage, eternal Judgment &s;hall put all things unto their i&s;&s;ue. Through that &s;hall he with the world enter into everla&s;ting flames, and the whole Church built on the Rock into Re&s;t and Glory.</P>
<P>No &s;ooner did the <HI>Church of the New Te&s;tament</HI> begin to
<PB N="13" REF="33">ari&s;e on this Foundation, but the whole world of <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> &s;et them&s;elves with open force to de&s;troy it. And all that they contended with the Church about was their Faith, and confe&s;&s;ion of it, that <HI>Je&s;us was the Chri&s;t the Son of the Living God.</HI> This Foundation they would ca&s;t it from, or exterminate it out of the Earth. What were the endeavours of the <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> in this kind, with what height of rage, with what bloody and inhumane cruelties they were exer|ci&s;ed and executed, we have &s;ome ob&s;cure remembrance in the &s;tories that remain from the <HI>Martyrdom of Stephen</HI> unto the days of <HI>Con&s;tantine.</HI> But although there be enough remaining on Record, to give us a view of the in&s;atiable ma|lice of the <HI>Old Murderer,</HI> and an a&s;toni&s;hing Repre&s;entation of humane Nature degenerating into his Image in the perpe|tration of all horrid inhumane cruelties, yet is it all as no|thing in compari&s;on of that pro&s;pect which the la&s;t day will give of them, when the Earth &s;hall di&s;clo&s;e all the blood that it hath received, and the Righteous Judge &s;hall lay open all the contrivances for its effu&s;ion, with the rage and malice where with they were attended. The &s;ame <HI>Rage</HI> continueth yet unallayed in its Principles. And although God in many places re&s;train and &s;hut it up in his Providence, by the cir|cum&s;tances of humane Affairs, yet as it hath the lea&s;t advan|tage, as it finds any door open unto it, it endeavours to act it &s;elf in le&s;&s;er or higher degrees. But whatever di&s;mal Ap|pearance of things there may be in the world, we need not fear the Ruine of the Church by the mo&s;t bloody oppo&s;i|tions. Former experiences will give &s;ecurity again&s;t future events. It is built on the Rock, and tho&s;e <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it.</P>
<P>The &s;econd way whereby Satan attempted the &s;ame end, and yet continueth &s;o to do, was by <HI>pernicious Errours and Here&s;ies.</HI> For all the Here&s;ies wherewith the Church was
<PB N="14" REF="34">a&s;&s;aulted and pe&s;tered for &s;ome <HI>centuries of years,</HI> were oppo|&s;itions unto their Faith in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. I &s;hall briefly reflect on the heads of this Oppo&s;ition, becau&s;e they are now after a revolution of &s;o many Ages lifting up them&s;elves again, though under new vizards and pretences. And they were of three &s;orts.</P>
<P N="1">1. That which introduced other Doctrines and Notions of Divine things, ab&s;olutely exclu&s;ive of the <HI>Per&s;on and Media|tion of Chri&s;t.</HI> Such was that of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> begun as it is &s;uppo&s;ed by <HI>Simon</HI> the <HI>Magician.</HI> A &s;ort of people they were with whom the fir&s;t Churches after the decea&s;e of the A|po&s;tles, were exceedingly pe&s;tered, and the Faith of many was overthrown. For in&s;tead of Chri&s;t, and God in him recon|ciling the world unto him&s;elf, and the obedience of Faith thereon according unto the Go&s;pel, they introduced <HI>endle&s;s Fables, Genealogies,</HI> and <HI>conjugations of Deities,</HI> or Divine Powers, which practically i&s;&s;ued in this, that Chri&s;t was &s;uch an <HI>Emanation of Light and Knowledge in them,</HI> as made them perfect; that is, it took away all differences of Good and Evil, and gave them liberty to do what they plea&s;ed with|out &s;en&s;e of &s;in, or danger of puni&s;hment. This was the fir&s;t way that Satan attempted the Faith of the Church, namely, by &s;ub&s;tituting a <HI>perfecting Light and Knowledge</HI> in the room of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; and for ought I know it may be one of the la&s;t waies whereby he will endeavour the Accom|pli&s;hment of the &s;ame de&s;ign. Nor had I made mention of the&s;e pernicious Imaginations, which have lain rotting in Oblivion for &s;o many Generations, but that &s;ome again en|deavour to revive them, at lea&s;t &s;o far as they were advanced and directed again&s;t the Faith and Knowledge of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Satan attempted the &s;ame work by them who <HI>denied his Divine Nature,</HI> that is in effect denied him to be the <HI>Son
<PB N="15" REF="34">of the living God,</HI> on the Faith whereof the Church is builo And the&s;e were of two &s;orts.</P>
<P N="1">1. Such as plainly and openly denied him to have any <HI>Praeexi&s;tence</HI> unto his Conception and Birth of the holy Vir|gin. Such were the <HI>Ebionites, Samo&s;etanians,</HI> and <HI>Photi|nians.</HI> For they all affirmed him to be a <HI>meer man,</HI> and no more, though miraculou&s;ly conceived and born of the Vir|gin, as &s;ome of them granted; though denied as it is &s;aid by the <HI>Ebionites,</HI> on which account he was called the Son of God. This attempt lay directly again&s;t the <HI>everla&s;ting Rock,</HI> and would have &s;ub&s;tituted <HI>Sand</HI> in the room of it. For no better is the be&s;t of humane nature to make a foundation for the Church, if not united unto the Divine. Many in tho&s;e daies followed tho&s;e pernicious waies; yet the Foundation of God &s;tood &s;ure, nor was the Church moved from it. But yet after a Revolution of &s;o many Ages, is the &s;ame endea|vour again ingaged in. The old enemy taking advantage of the prevalency of <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> and prophanene&s;s among tho&s;e that are called Chri&s;tians, doth again employ the &s;ame Engine to overthrow the Faith of the Church, and that with more &s;ub|tilty then formerly, in the <HI>Socinians.</HI> For their Faith, or rather Unbelief concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, is the &s;ame with tho&s;e before mentioned. And what a vain wanton Ge|neration admire and applaud in their &s;ophi&s;tical rea&s;onings, is no more but what the <HI>Primitive Church</HI> triumphed over through Faith, in the mo&s;t &s;ubtle mannagement of the <HI>Samo|&s;etenians, Photinians,</HI> and others. An evidence it is that Sa|tan is not unknowing unto the workings of that vanity and darkne&s;s, of tho&s;e corrupt affections in the minds of men, whereby they are di&s;po&s;ed unto a contempt of the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pel. Who would have thought, that the old ex|ploded pernicious Errours of the <HI>Samo&s;etanians, Photinians,</HI> and <HI>Pelagians,</HI> again&s;t the Power and Grace of Chri&s;t, &s;hould
<PB N="16" REF="35">enter on the world again with &s;o much o&s;tentation and triumph as they do at this day? But many men, &s;o far as I can ob&s;erve, are fallen into &s;uch a di&s;like of the <HI>Chri&s;t of God,</HI> that every thing concerning his Per&s;on, Spirit and Grace, is an abomination unto them. It is not want of un|der&s;tanding to comprehend Doctrines, but hatred unto the things them&s;elves, whereby &s;uch per&s;ons are &s;educed. And there is nothing of this nature, whereunto nature as corrupt|ed, doth not contribute its utmo&s;t a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</P>
<P N="2">2. There were &s;uch as oppo&s;ed his <HI>Divine Nature</HI> under pretence of declaring it another way, then the Faith of the Church did re&s;t in. So was it with the <HI>Arians,</HI> in whom the <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> &s;eemed once to be near a prevalency. For the whole profe&s;&s;ing world almo&s;t was once &s;urprized into that Here&s;ie. In words they acknowledged his Divine Per|&s;on; but added as a limitation of that acknowledgment, that the Divine Nature which he had was <HI>originally created of God,</HI> and produced out of nothing, with a double bla&s;phemy, de|nying him to be the true God, and making a God of a meer creature. But in all the&s;e attempts the oppo&s;ition of the <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> unto the Church, re&s;pected Faith in the Per|&s;on of Chri&s;t as the Son of the Living God.</P>
<P>Secondly, By &s;ome his <HI>Humane Nature</HI> was oppo&s;ed. For no &s;tone did Satan leave unturned in the pur&s;uit of his great de&s;ign. And that which in all the&s;e things he aimed at, was the &s;ub&s;titution of a fal&s;e Chri&s;t, in the room of him who in one per&s;on was both the Son of Man, and the Son of the Li|ving God. And herein he infected the minds of men with endle&s;s Imaginations. Some denied him to have any real Humane Nature, but to have been a <HI>Phanta&s;m,</HI> an appea|rance, a di&s;pen&s;ation, a meer cloud acted by Divine Power; &s;ome that he was made of <HI>Heavenly Fle&s;h,</HI> brought from above, and which as &s;ome al&s;o affirmed, was a <HI>parcel of the
<PB N="17" REF="35">Divine Nature.</HI> Some affirmed that his Body was not ani|mated as ours are, by a <HI>rational &s;oul,</HI> but was immediately acted by the Power of the Divine Being, which was unto it in the room of a living &s;oul. Some that his Body was of an <HI>aetherial nature,</HI> and was at length turned into the Sun; with many &s;uch diabolical Delu&s;ions. And there yet want not Attempts in the&s;e daies of various &s;orts to de&s;troy the verity of his Humane Nature; and I know not what &s;ome late <HI>Phanta&s;tical Opinions</HI> about the nature of glorified Bodies may tend unto. The de&s;ign of Satan in all the&s;e pernicious Imaginations, is to break the cognation and alliance between Chri&s;t in his Humane Nature and the Church, whereon the &s;alvation of it doth ab&s;olutely depend.</P>
<P>Thirdly, He rai&s;ed a vehement oppo&s;ition again&s;t the <HI>Hy|po&s;tatical &V;nion,</HI> or the Union of the&s;e two Natures in one Per&s;on. This he did in the <HI>Ne&s;torian Here&s;ie,</HI> which greatly, and for a long time pe&s;terd the Church. The Authors and Promoters of this Opinion, granted the Lord Chri&s;t to have a Divine Nature, to be the Son of the Living God. They al&s;o acknowledged the Truth of his Humane Nature, that he was truly a man even as we are. But the <HI>Per&s;onal &V;nion</HI> between the&s;e two Natures they denied. An Union they &s;aid there was between them, but &s;uch as con&s;i&s;ted only in <HI>Love, Power</HI> and <HI>Care.</HI> God did as they imagined eminently and power|fully manife&s;t him&s;elf in the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, had him in an e&s;pecial regard and love, and did more act in him then in any other. But that the Son of God a&s;&s;umed our Nature in|to <HI>Per&s;onal Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> with him&s;elf, whereby whole Chri&s;t was one Per&s;on, and all his Mediatory Acts were the Acts of that one Per&s;on, of him who was both God and Man; this they would not acknowledge. And this pernicious Imagi|nation, though it &s;eem to make great conce&s;&s;ions of Truth, doth no le&s;s effectually evert the Foundation of the Church
<PB N="18" REF="36">then the former. For if the Divine and Humane Nature of Chri&s;t do not con&s;titute one <HI>Individual Per&s;on,</HI> all that he did for us was only as a Man, which would have been al|together in&s;ufficient for the &s;alvation of the Church, nor had <HI>God redeemed it with his own blood.</HI> This &s;eems to be the Opinion of &s;ome among&s;t us at this day about the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. They acknowledge the Being of the Eternal Word the Son of God. And they allow in the like manner the verity of his Humane Nature, or owne that Man Chri&s;t Je|&s;us. Only they &s;ay, that the Eternal Word was in him and with him in the &s;ame kind, as it is with other Believers; but in a &s;upreme degree of Manife&s;tation and Power. But though in the&s;e things there is a great endeavour to put a new co|lour and appearance on old Imaginations, the de&s;ign of Sa|tan is one and the &s;ame in them all, namely, to oppo&s;e the building of the Church upon its proper &s;ole Foundation. And the&s;e things &s;hall be afterwards expre&s;ly &s;poken unto.</P>
<P>I intend no more in the&s;e In&s;tances but briefly to demon|&s;trate that the principal oppo&s;ition of the <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> unto the Church, lay alwaies unto the building of it by Faith on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>It were ea&s;ie al&s;o to demon&s;trate that <HI>Mahumeti&s;m,</HI> which hath been &s;o &s;ore a &s;troke unto the Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ion, is no|thing but a concurrence and combination of the&s;e two waies, of force and fraud, in oppo&s;ition unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>It is true that Satan after all this, by another way at|tempted the Doctrine of the Offices and Grace of Chri&s;t with the Wor&s;hip of God in him. And this he hath carried &s;o far, as that it i&s;&s;ued in a fatal <HI>Anti-Chri&s;tian Apo&s;tacy;</HI> which is not of my pre&s;ent con&s;ideration.</P>
<P>But we may proceed to what is of our own immediate concernment. And the &s;ame work with that before de|&s;cribed is &s;till carried on. The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, the Faith
<PB N="19" REF="36">of the Church concerning it, the Relation of the Church un|to it, the building of the Church on it, the Life and Pre&s;er|vation of the Church thereby, are the things that the <HI>Gates of Hell</HI> are ingaged in an oppo&s;ition unto. For</P>
<P N="1">1. It is known with what &s;ubtilty and urgency his Divine Nature and Per&s;on are oppo&s;ed by the <HI>Socinians.</HI> What an Acce&s;&s;ion is made daily unto their incredulity, what incli|nation of mind multitudes do manife&s;t towards their perni|cious waies, are al&s;o evident unto all who have any concern|ment in or for Religion. But this Argument I have labour|ed in on other occa&s;ions.</P>
<P N="2">2. Many who expre&s;ly deny not his <HI>Divine Per&s;on,</HI> yet &s;eem to grow weary of any concernment therein. A <HI>Natural Religion,</HI> or none at all, plea&s;eth them better then Faith in God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. That any thing more is nece&s;&s;ary in Religion, but what <HI>Natural Light</HI> will di&s;cover and conduct us in, with the <HI>Moral</HI> Duties of Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Hone&s;ty which it directs unto, there are too many that will not ac|knowledge. What is beyond the line of Nature and Rea&s;on is rejected as unintelligible my&s;teries or follies. The Per&s;on and Grace of Chri&s;t are &s;uppo&s;ed to breed all the di&s;turbance in Religion. Without them the common notions of the Di|vine Being and Goodne&s;s, will guide men &s;ufficiently unto eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. They did &s;o before the coming of Chri&s;t in the fle&s;h, and may do &s;o now he is gone to Heaven.</P>
<P N="3">3. There are &s;ome who have &s;o ordered the frame of ob|jective Religion, as that it is very uncertain, whether they leave any place for the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in it or no. For be&s;ides their denial of the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> of his Natures, they a&s;cribe all that unto a <HI>Light within them,</HI> which God will ef|fect only by Chri&s;t as a Mediator. What are the internal actings of their minds as unto Faith and Tru&s;t towards him, I know not; but from their outward Profe&s;&s;ion he &s;eems to be almo&s;t excluded.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="37">
<P N="4">4. There are not a few who pretend high unto Religion and Devotion, who declare no erronious conceptions about the Doctrine of the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> who yet manife&s;t them|&s;elves not to have that regard unto him, which the Go&s;pel pre&s;cribes and requires. Hence have we &s;o many Di&s;cour&s;es publi&s;hed about Religion, the practical Holine&s;s and Duties of Obedience, written with great eleganey of &s;tile, and &s;eri|ou&s;ne&s;s in Argument, wherein we can meet with little or no|thing wherein Je&s;us Chri&s;t, his Office or his Grace are con|cerned. Yea it is odds, but in them all, we &s;hall meet with &s;ome <HI>Reflections</HI> on tho&s;e who judge them to be the life and center of our Religion. The things of Chri&s;t beyond the example of his conver&s;ation on the earth, are of no u&s;e with &s;uch per&s;ons unto the promotion of Piety and Go&s;pel Obedience. Concerning many Books of this nature, we may &s;ay what a learned per&s;on did of one of old; there were in it many things laudable and delectable, <HI>Sed Nomen Je&s;us non erat ibi.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Suited unto the&s;e manife&s;t inclinations of the minds of men, unto a neglect of Chri&s;t in the Religion they frame unto them&s;elves, dangerous and noxious in&s;inuations con|cerning what our thoughts ought to be of him, are made and tendred. As (1.) It is &s;candalou&s;ly propo&s;ed and an|&s;wered, of <HI>what u&s;e is the con&s;ideration of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in our Religion.</HI> Such are the Novel Enquiries of men who &s;uppo&s;e there is <HI>any thing</HI> in Chri&s;tian Religion wherein the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is of no con&s;ideration; as though it were not the life and &s;oul that animates the whole of it, that which gives it its e&s;pecial <HI>form as Chri&s;tian;</HI> as though by vertue of our Religion we received any thing from God, any benefit in Mercy, Grace, Priviledge or Glory, and not through the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; as though any one Duty or Act of Religion towards God could be acceptably performed
<PB N="21" REF="37">by us, without a re&s;pect unto, or a con&s;ideration of the Per|&s;on of Chri&s;t; or that there were any lines of Truth in Re|ligion as it is Chri&s;tian, that did not relate thereunto. Such bold Enquiries with futilous An&s;wers annexed unto them, &s;ufficiently manife&s;t what acquaintance their Authors have either with Chri&s;t him&s;elf which in others they de&s;pi&s;e, or with his Go&s;pel which they pretend to embrace. (2.) A <HI>mock Scheme</HI> of Religion is framed to repre&s;ent the folly of them who de&s;ign to learn the mind and will of God, in and by him. (3.) <HI>Reproachful Reflections</HI> are made on &s;uch as plead the nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Acquaintance</HI> with him, or the knowledge of him, as though thereby they rejected the u&s;e of the Go&s;pel. (4.) <HI>Profe&s;&s;ed Love</HI> unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is traduced as a <HI>meer fancy</HI> and vapour of di&s;tempered minds, or weak Ima|ginations. (5.) The <HI>&V;nion of the Lord Chri&s;t and his Church</HI> is a&s;&s;erted to be <HI>political</HI> only, with re&s;pect unto Laws and Rules of Government. And many other things of an alike nature are a&s;&s;erted, derogatory unto his Glory, and repug|nant unto the Faith of the Church. Such as from the Foun|dation of Chri&s;tian Religion were never vented by any per|&s;ons before, who did not openly avow &s;ome impious Here&s;ie concerning his Per&s;on. And I no way doubt but that men may with le&s;s guilt and &s;candal fall under &s;undry <HI>doctrinal mi&s;apprehen&s;ions</HI> concerning it, then by crying <HI>Hail</HI> there|unto, to de&s;poil it of all its Glory, as unto our concernment therein, in our practical Obedience unto God. Such things have we de&s;erved to &s;ee and hear.</P>
<P N="6">6. The very name or expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Preaching Chri&s;t</HI> is be|come a term of Reproach and Contempt; nor can &s;ome, as they &s;ay, under&s;tand what is meant thereby, unle&s;s it be an <HI>Engine to drive all Rational Preaching, and &s;o all Morality and Hone&s;ty out of the world.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. That which all the&s;e things tend unto and center in, is
<PB N="22" REF="38">that horrible prophanene&s;s of life, that neglect of all Go&s;pel Duties, that contempt of all &s;piritual Graces and their effects, which the generality of them that are called Chri&s;tians in many places are given up unto. I know not whether it were not more for the Honour of Chri&s;t, that &s;uch per&s;ons would publickly renounce the profe&s;&s;ion of his Name, rather then practically manife&s;t their inward di&s;regard unto him.</P>
<P>That by the&s;e, and the like means, Satan doth yet attempt the Ruine of the Church as unto its building on the everla&s;t|ing Rock, falls under the ob&s;ervation of all who are concern|ed in its welfare. And whatever others may apprehend con|cerning this &s;tate of things in the world, how any that love the Lord Je&s;us in &s;incerity, e&s;pecially &s;uch as are called to declare and repre&s;ent him unto men in the <HI>Office of the Mini|&s;try,</HI> can acquit them&s;elves to be faithful unto him, without giving their Te&s;timony again&s;t, and endeavouring to &s;top what lyes in them, the progre&s;s of this prevailing declen|&s;ion, from the only Foundation of the Church, I know not; nor will it be ea&s;ie for them&s;elves to declare. And in that variety of conceptions which are about him, and the oppo&s;i|tion that is made unto him, there is nothing more nece&s;&s;ary then that we &s;hould renew and atte&s;t our confe&s;&s;ion of him, as the Son of the Living God, the only Rock whereon the Church of them that &s;hall be &s;aved is founded and built.</P>
<P><HI>Pauca ideo de Chri&s;to,</HI> as <HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;peaks; &s;ome few things concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t with re&s;pect unto the confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peter,</HI> and the promi&s;e thereunto annexed, wherein he is declared the <HI>&s;ole Foundation of the Church,</HI> will be comprized in the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e. And he who hath ordained &s;trength out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings, as he hath given ability to expre&s;s the&s;e poor mean contem|plations of his Glory, can rai&s;e by them a Revenue of Ho|nour unto him&s;elf in the hearts of them that do believe. And
<PB N="23" REF="38">&s;ome few things I mu&s;t premi&s;e in general unto what I do de&s;ign. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. The In&s;tances which I &s;hall give concerning the <HI>u&s;e and con&s;ideration of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> or of him as he is the Foundation whereon the Church is built, are but <HI>few,</HI> and tho&s;e perhaps not the mo&s;t <HI>&s;ignal</HI> or eminent which the greater &s;piritual Wi&s;dom and Under&s;tanding of others might propo&s;e. And indeed who &s;hall undertake to declare what are the chief in&s;tances of this incomprehen&s;ible effect of Divine Wi&s;dom? <HI>What is his Name, and what is his Sons Name if thou can&s;t tell? Prov.</HI> 30.4. See <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9.6. It is enough for us to &s;tand in an holy admiration at the &s;hore of this un&s;earchable Ocean, and to gather up &s;ome parcels of that Divine Trea&s;ure, wherewith the Scripture of Truth is enriched.</P>
<P N="2">2. I make no pretence of &s;earching into the bottom or depths of any part of this great <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, God ma|nife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI> They are altogether un&s;earchable unto the line of the mo&s;t enlightened minds in this life. What we &s;hall farther comprehend of them in the other world, God only knows. We cannot in the&s;e things by our utmo&s;t di|ligent &s;earch, <HI>find out the Almighty unto perfection.</HI> The <HI>Prophets</HI> could not do &s;o of old, nor can the <HI>Angels</HI> them|&s;elves at pre&s;ent, who <HI>de&s;ire to look into the&s;e things,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.10, 11, 12. Only I &s;hall endeavour to repre&s;ent unto the Faith of them that do believe, &s;omewhat of what the Scri|pture doth plainly reveal, evidencing in what &s;en&s;e the <HI>Per|&s;on of Chri&s;t is the &s;ole Foundation of the Church.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. I &s;hall not herein re&s;pect them immediately by whom the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is denyed and oppo&s;ed. I have formerly treated thereof, beyond their contradiction in way of reply. But it is <HI>their conviction</HI> which I &s;hall re&s;pect here|in, who under an outward confe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, do either
<PB N="24" REF="39">notionally or practically, either ignorantly or de&s;ignedly, God knows, I know not, endeavour to weaken the Faith of the Church in its adherence unto this Foundation. Howbeit neither the one &s;ort nor the other have any place in my thoughts in compari&s;on of the In&s;truction and Edification of others, who love the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t in &s;incerity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t the mo&s;t Ineffable Effect of Divine Wi&s;|dom and Goodne&s;s. Thence the next cau&s;e of all true Reli|gion. In what &s;en&s;e it is &s;o.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THE Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the mo&s;t Glorious and Ineffable Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom, Grace and Power,</HI> and there|fore is the next Foundation of all acceptable Religion and Wor&s;hip. The Divine <HI>Being</HI> it &s;elf is the fir&s;t formal Rea&s;on, Foundation and Object of all Religion. It all depends, on taking God to be our God, which is the fir&s;t of his Com|mands. For Religion and the Wor&s;hip performed in it, is nothing but the due re&s;pect of rational creatures, unto the Di|vine Nature, and its infinite Excellencies. It is the <HI>glorify|ing of God as God,</HI> the way of expre&s;&s;ing that re&s;pect, being regulated by the Revelation of his Will. Yet the <HI>Divine E&s;&s;ence</HI> is not in it &s;elf the next and immediate cau&s;e of Re|ligious Wor&s;hip. But it is the <HI>manife&s;tation</HI> of this Being and its Excellencies wherewith the mind of rational creatures is immediately affected, and whereby it is obliged to give that Religious Honour and Wor&s;hip which is due unto that Being, and nece&s;&s;ary from our Relation thereunto. Upon this manife&s;tation all creatures capable by an intelligent nature of a &s;en&s;e thereof, are indi&s;pen&s;ibly obliged to give all Divine Honour and Glory to God.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="39">
<P>The way alone whereby this manife&s;tation may be made, is by <HI>outward Acts and Effects.</HI> For in it &s;elf the Divine Na|ture is hid from all living, and dwelleth in that Light where|unto no creature can approach. This therefore God fir&s;t made by the <HI>Creation</HI> of all things out of nothing The Crea|tion of Man him&s;elf with the principles of a rational intelli|gent Nature, a con&s;cience atte&s;ting his &s;ubordination unto God, and of all other things declaring the Glory of his Wi&s;|dom, Goodne&s;s and Power, was the immediate ground of all <HI>Natural Religion,</HI> and yet continues &s;o to be. And the Glory of it, an&s;wers the means and waies of the manife&s;ta|tion of the Divine Being, Exi&s;tence, Excellencies and Proper|ties. And where this manife&s;tation is de&s;pi&s;ed or neglected, there God him&s;elf is &s;o; as the Apo&s;tle di&s;cour&s;eth at large, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.18, 19, 20, 21, 22.</P>
<P>But of all the Effects of the Divine Excellencies, the con|&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as the Foundation of the New Creation, as the <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s,</HI> was the mo&s;t ineffable and glorious. I &s;peak not of his Divine Per&s;on ab&s;olutely. For his di&s;tinct Per&s;onality and Sub&s;i&s;tence was by an inter|nal, and eternal Act of the Divine Being in the Per&s;on of the Father, or eternal generation, which is e&s;&s;ential unto the Divine E&s;&s;ence, whereby nothing anew was outwardly wrought or did exi&s;t. He was not, he is not in that &s;en&s;e, the Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power of God, but the E&s;&s;ential Wi&s;dom and Power of God him&s;elf. But we &s;peak of him only as <HI>incarnate,</HI> as he a&s;&s;umed our Na|ture into Per&s;onal Sub&s;i&s;tence with him&s;elf. His conception in the womb of the Virgin, as unto the integrity of Humane Nature, was a miraculous operation of the Divine Power. But the prevention of that Nature from any Sub&s;i&s;tence of its own, by its a&s;&s;umption into Per&s;onal Union with the Son of God, in the fir&s;t in&s;tance of its conception, is that which is above all miracles, nor can be de&s;igned by that name. A
<PB N="26" REF="40">my&s;tery it is, &s;o far above the order of all creating or pro|vidential operations, that it wholly tran&s;cends the &s;phere of them that are mo&s;t miraculous. Herein did God glorifie all the Properties of the Divine Nature, acting in a way of infinite Wi&s;dom, Grace and Conde&s;cen&s;ion. The depths of the my&s;tery hereof, are open only unto him who&s;e under|&s;tanding is infinite, which no created under&s;tanding can com|prehend. All other things were produced and effected by an outward emanation of Power from God: <HI>He &s;aid, Let there be Light, and there was Light.</HI> But this a&s;&s;umption of our Nature into <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> with the Son of God, this con&s;titution of one and the &s;ame Individual Per&s;on in two Natures &s;o infinitely di&s;tinct, as tho&s;e of God and Man, whereby the <HI>Eternal</HI> was made <HI>in time,</HI> the <HI>Infinite</HI> became <HI>Finite,</HI> the <HI>Immortal, Mortal,</HI> yet continuing Eternal, Infinite, Immortal, is that &s;ingular expre&s;&s;ion of Divine Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Power, wherein God will be admired and glo|rified unto all eternity. Herein was that change introduced into the whole fir&s;t Creation, whereby the ble&s;&s;ed Angels were exalted, Satan and his works ruined, Mankind recovered from a di&s;mal Apo&s;tacy, all things made new, all things in Heaven and Earth reconciled and gathered into one Head, and a revenue of Eternal Glory rai&s;ed unto God, incompa|rably above what the fir&s;t con&s;titution of all things in the order of Nature, could yield unto him.</P>
<P>In the expre&s;&s;ion of this my&s;tery the Scripture doth &s;ome|times draw the <HI>vail</HI> over it, as that which we cannot look into. So in his conception of the Virgin with re&s;pect unto this Union which accompanied it, it was told her, that <HI>the Power of the Highe&s;t &s;hould over&s;hadow her, Luke</HI> 1.35. A work it was of the Power of the mo&s;t High, but hid from the eyes of men in the nature of it; and therefore <HI>that holy thing</HI> which had no Sub&s;i&s;tence of its own, which &s;hould be
<PB N="27" REF="40">born of her, &s;hould <HI>be called the Son of God,</HI> becoming one Per&s;on with him. Sometimes it expre&s;&s;eth the greatne&s;s of the My&s;tery, and leaves it as an Object of our Admiration, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>Without controver&s;ie great is the my&s;tery of god|line&s;s. God was manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h.</HI> A my&s;tery it is, and that of tho&s;e dimen&s;ions as no creature can comprehend. Sometimes it putteth things together, as that the di&s;tance of the two Natures, &s;hall illu&s;trate the glory of the one Per&s;on. <HI>John</HI> 1.14. <HI>The word was made fle&s;h, and dwelt among us.</HI> But what Word was this? <HI>That which was in the beginning, which was with God, which was God, by whom all things were made, and without whom was not any thing made that was made, who was Light and Life.</HI> This Word was made <HI>fle&s;h;</HI> not by any change of his own Nature or E&s;&s;ence; not by a Tran&s;ub|&s;tantiation of the Divine Nature into the Humane: not by cea&s;ing to be what he was, but by becoming what he was not, in taking our Nature to his own, to be his own, where|by he <HI>dwelt among us.</HI> This <HI>Glorious Word</HI> which is God, and de&s;cribed by his Eternity and Omnipotency in works of Creation and Providence, <HI>was made fle&s;h,</HI> which expre&s;&s;eth the lowe&s;t &s;tate and condition of Humane Nature; <HI>Without controver&s;ie</HI> great is this my&s;tery of Godline&s;s. And in that &s;tate wherein he vi&s;ibly appeared as &s;o made fle&s;h, tho&s;e who had eyes given them from above, &s;aw <HI>his Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father.</HI> The Eternal Word being made fle&s;h, and manife&s;ted therein, they &s;aw his Glory, the Glory of the only begotten of the Father. What heart can conceive, what tongue can expre&s;s the lea&s;t part of the Glo|ry of this Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace? So al&s;o is it propo&s;ed unto us, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9.6. <HI>&V;nto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Government &s;hall be on his &s;houlder; and his Name &s;hall be called Wonderful, Coun&s;eller, thy Mighty God, the Everla&s;ting Father, the Prince of Peace.</HI> He is called in
<PB N="28" REF="41">the fir&s;t place <HI>Wonderful,</HI> and that de&s;ervedly, <HI>Prov.</HI> 30.4. That the <HI>Mighty God</HI> &s;hould be a <HI>Child born,</HI> and the Ever|la&s;ting Father a <HI>Son given unto us,</HI> may well entitle him unto the name of <HI>Wonderful.</HI></P>
<P>Some among&s;t us &s;ay, that if there were no other way for the redemption and &s;alvation of the Church, but this only of the <HI>Incarnation</HI> and Mediation of the Son of God, that there was no wi&s;dom in the contrivance of it. Vain man indeed, would be wi&s;e, but is like the wild A&s;&s;es Colt. Was there <HI>no wi&s;dom</HI> in the contrivance of that, which when it is ef|fected, leaves nothing but <HI>Admiration</HI> unto the utmo&s;t of all created wi&s;dom? Who hath known the mind of the Lord in this thing? or who hath been his Coun&s;eller in this work, wherein the Mighty God became a Child born to us, a Son given unto us? Let all vain imaginations cea&s;e; there is nothing left unto the Sons of men, but either to reject the <HI>Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> as many do unto their own de&s;tru|ction, or humbly to adore the My&s;tery of Infinite Wi&s;dom and Grace therein. And it will require a conde&s;cending Cha|rity to judge that tho&s;e do really believe the <HI>Incarnation of the Son of God,</HI> who live not in the admiration of it as the mo&s;t adorable Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>The Glory of the &s;ame My&s;tery is el&s;ewhere te&s;tified unto. <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. <HI>God hath &s;poken unto us by his Son, by whom al&s;o he made the worlds; who being the Brightne&s;s of his Glo|ry, and the expre&s;s Image of his Per&s;on, upholding all things by the word of his Power, by him&s;elf purged our &s;ins.</HI> That he purged our &s;ins by his Death and the oblation of him&s;elf therein unto God, is acknowledged. That this &s;hould be done by him, by whom the worlds were made, who is the E&s;&s;ential Brightne&s;s of the Divine Glory, and the expre&s;s Image of the Per&s;on of the Father therein, who upholds, rules, &s;u&s;tains all things by the word of his Power, whereby
<PB N="29" REF="41">God purcha&s;ed his Church with his own blood, <HI>Acts</HI> 20.28. is that wherein he will be admired unto eternity. See <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8, 9.</P>
<P><HI>I&s;aiah</HI> the &s;ixth there is a Repre&s;entation made of him as on a Throne, <HI>filling the Temple with the Train of his Glory.</HI> The Son of God it was, who was &s;o repre&s;ented, and that as he was to fill the <HI>Temple of his Humane Nature</HI> with Di|vine Glory, when the fulne&s;s of the Godhead <HI>dwelt in him bodily.</HI> And herein the <HI>Seraphims</HI> which admini&s;tred unto him, had <HI>&s;ix wings,</HI> with two whereof they <HI>covered their faces,</HI> as not being able to behold or look into the glorious My&s;tery of his Incarnation, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 2, 3. <HI>John</HI> 12.40. <HI>chap.</HI> 2.19. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.9. But when the &s;ame mini&s;tring &s;pirits under the name of <HI>Cherubims</HI> attended the Throne of God in the Ad|mini&s;tration of his <HI>Providence</HI> as unto the Di&s;po&s;al and Go|vernment of the world, they had <HI>four wings only;</HI> and co|vered not their faces, but &s;tedily beheld the glory of it, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 1.6. <HI>chap.</HI> 10.2, 3.</P>
<P>This is the Glory of Chri&s;tian Religion, the Ba&s;is and Foun|dation that bears the whole Super&s;tructure, the Root where|on it grows. This is its life and &s;oul, that wherein it dif|fers from, and inconceivably excels whatever was in true Re|ligion before, or whatever any fal&s;e Religion pretended un|to. Religion in its <HI>fir&s;t con&s;titution,</HI> in the &s;tate of pure in|corrupted Nature, was orderly, beautiful and glorious. Man being made in the Image of God, was fit and able to glorifie him as God. But whereas whatever perfection God had communicated unto our Nature, he had not <HI>united it unto him&s;elf in a Per&s;onal &V;nion,</HI> the fabrick of it quickly fell un|to the ground. Want of this Foundation made it obnoxious unto Ruine. God manife&s;ted herein, that no gracious Rela|tion between him and our Nature could be &s;table and perma|nent, unle&s;s our <HI>Nature was a&s;&s;umed into Per&s;onal &V;nion and
<PB N="30" REF="42">Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> with him&s;elf. This is the only Rock and a&s;&s;ured Foundation of the Relation of the Church unto God, which now can never utterly fail. Our Nature is eternally &s;ecured in that Union, and we our &s;elves, as we &s;hall &s;ee thereby. <HI>Col.</HI> 1.17, 18. <HI>In him all things con&s;i&s;t;</HI> wherefore whatever Beauty and Glory there was in the Relation that was between God and Man, and the Relation of all things unto God by Man, in the pre&s;ervation whereof Natural Religion did con|&s;i&s;t, it had no Beauty nor Glory in compari&s;on of this which doth excel; or the manife&s;tation of God in the fle&s;h, the Ap|pearance and Sub&s;i&s;tence of the Divine and Humane Natures in the &s;ame &s;ingle Individual Per&s;on. And whereas God in that &s;tate had given Man dominion <HI>over the fi&s;h of the Sea, and the fowl of the Air, and over the Cattel, and over all the Earth, Gen.</HI> 1.26. It was all but an ob&s;cure repre&s;entation of the exaltation of our Nature in Chri&s;t, as the Apo&s;tle de|clares, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8, 9.</P>
<P>There was true Religion in the world <HI>after the fall,</HI> both before and after giving of the Law; a Religion built upon and re&s;olved into Divine Revelation. And as for the out|ward Glory of it, the Admini&s;tration that it was brought in|to under the Tabernacle and Temple, it was beyond what is repre&s;ented in the In&s;titutions of the Go&s;pel. Yet is Chri|&s;tian Religion, our <HI>Evangelical</HI> Profe&s;&s;ion, and the &s;tate of the Church thereon, <HI>far more glorious,</HI> beautiful and perfect, then that &s;tate of Religion was capable of, or could attain. And as this is evident from hence becau&s;e God in his Wi&s;dom, Grace and Love to the Church, hath removed <HI>that</HI> &s;tate, and introduced <HI>this</HI> in the room thereof; &s;o the Apo&s;tle proves it in all con&s;iderable in&s;tances, in his <HI>Epi&s;tle to the Hebrews;</HI> written unto that purpo&s;e. There were two things before in Religion. The <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> which was the Life of it, and the <HI>In&s;titutions</HI> of Wor&s;hip under the Law, which were the out|ward
<PB N="31" REF="42">Glory and Beauty of it. And both the&s;e were nothing, or had nothing in them, but only what they before propo|&s;ed and repre&s;ented of Chri&s;t, <HI>God manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h.</HI> The Promi&s;e was concerning him; and the In&s;titutions of Wor|&s;hip did only repre&s;ent him. So the Apo&s;tle declares it, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.17. Wherefore as all the Religion that was in the world after the fall was built on the Promi&s;e of this Work of God in due time to be accompli&s;hed, &s;o it is the actual per|formance of it, which is the Foundation of Chri&s;tian Reli|gion, and which gives it the preheminence above all that went before it. So the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth it, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. God who at, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>All <HI>fal&s;e Religion</HI> pretended alwaies unto things that were <HI>my&s;terious.</HI> And the more men could invent, or the Devil &s;ugge&s;t that had an Appearance of that nature, as &s;undry things were &s;o introduced horrid and dreadful, the more Reverence and E&s;teem were reconciled unto it. But the whole compa&s;s of the craft of Satan, and the Imaginations of men, could never extend it &s;elf unto the lea&s;t Re&s;emblance of this My&s;tery. And it is not ami&s;s conjectured, that the Apo&s;tle in his de&s;cription of it, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. did reflect upon, and condemn the vanity of the <HI>Eleu&s;ynian My&s;teries,</HI> which were of the greate&s;t vogue and reputation among the Gentiles.</P>
<P>Take away the con&s;ideration hereof, and we de&s;poil Chri|&s;tian Religion of all its Glory, deba&s;ing it unto what <HI>Mahu|meti&s;m</HI> pretends unto, and unto what in <HI>Judai&s;m</HI> was really enjoyed.</P>
<P>The <HI>Faith</HI> of this My&s;tery ennobles the mind wherein it is, rendring it &s;piritual and heavenly, transforming it into the Image of God. Herein con&s;i&s;ts the excellency of Faith above all other Powers and Acts of the &s;oul, that it receives, a&s;&s;ents unto, and re&s;ts in things in their own nature ab&s;o|lutely incomprehen&s;ible. It is <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<PB N="32" REF="43"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.1. <HI>The evidence of things not &s;een;</HI> that which makes evident as by demon&s;tration, tho&s;e things which are no way objected unto &s;en&s;e, and which rea&s;on cannot com|prehend&punc; The more &s;ublime and glorious, the more inac|ce&s;&s;ible unto &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on are the things which we be|lieve, the more are we changed into the Image of God, in the exerci&s;e of Faith upon them. Hence we find this mo&s;t glorious effect of Faith, or the transformation of the mind into the likene&s;s of God, no le&s;s real evident and eminent in many, who&s;e rationally comprehen&s;ive Abilities are weak and contemptible in the eye of that Wi&s;dom which is of this world, than in tho&s;e of the highe&s;t natural &s;agacity, en|joying the be&s;t Improvements of Rea&s;on. For <HI>God hath cho|&s;en the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the King|dom, Jam.</HI> 2.5. However they may be poor, and as another Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh <HI>fooli&s;h, weak, ba&s;e</HI> and <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.27, 28. yet that Faith which enables them to a&s;&s;ent unto, and embrace Divine My&s;teries, renders them <HI>rich</HI> in the &s;ight of God, in that it makes them like unto him.</P>
<P>Some would have all things that we are to believe to be levelled ab&s;olutely unto <HI>our Rea&s;on</HI> and Comprehen|&s;ion, a principle which at this day &s;hakes the very Foun|dations of Chri&s;tian Religion. It is not &s;ufficient they &s;ay to determine that the Faith or Knowledge of any thing is nece&s;|&s;ary unto our Obedience and Salvation, that it &s;eems to be fully and per&s;picuou&s;ly revealed in the Scripture; unle&s;s the things &s;o revealed be obvious and comprehen&s;ible unto our Rea&s;on. An apprehen&s;ion, which as it ari&s;eth from the Pride which naturally en&s;ues on the ignorance of God and our &s;elves; &s;o it is not only an invention &s;uited to deba&s;e Reli|gion, but an Engine to evert the Faith of the Church in all the principal My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, e&s;pecially of the <HI>Tri|nity and Incarnation of the Son of God.</HI> But Faith which is
<PB N="33" REF="43">truly Divine, is never more in its proper exerci&s;e, doth ne|ver more elevate the &s;oul into conformity unto God, than when it acts in the contemplation and admiration of the mo&s;t <HI>incomprehen&s;ible My&s;teries</HI> which are propo&s;ed unto it, by Divine Revelation.</P>
<P>Hence things <HI>Philo&s;ophical,</HI> and of a deep rational Inda|gation, find great acceptance in the world, as in their proper place they do de&s;erve. Men are furni&s;hed with proper mea|&s;ures of them, and they find them proportionate unto the principles of their own under&s;tandings. But as for <HI>&s;piritual and heavenly My&s;teries,</HI> the thoughts of men for the mo&s;t part recoil upon their fir&s;t propo&s;al, nor will be encouraged to engage in a diligent enquiry into them, yea commonly reject them as fooli&s;h, or at lea&s;t that wherein they are not concerned. The Rea&s;on is that given in another ca&s;e by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>All men have not Faith,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.2. which makes them ab&s;urd and unrea&s;onable in the con&s;ideration of the proper Objects of it. But where this Faith is, the greatne&s;s of the My&s;teries which it embraceth, heightens its efficacy in all ble&s;&s;ed effects upon the &s;oul. Such is this <HI>Con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> wherein the glory of all the holy Pro|perties and Perfections of the Divine Nature are manife&s;ted, and do &s;hine forth So &s;peaks the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. <HI>Be|holding as in a gla&s;s the glory of the Lord, we are changed in|to the &s;ame Image from glory to glory.</HI> This glory which we behold is the glory of the Face of God in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>chap.</HI> 4.6. or the glorious Repre&s;entation which is made of him in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, whereof we &s;hall treat afterwards. The gla&s;s wherein this Glory is repre&s;ented unto us, propo|&s;ed unto our view and contemplation, is Divine Revelation in the Go&s;pel. Herein <HI>we behold it</HI> by Faith alone. And tho&s;e who&s;e view is &s;tedfa&s;t, who mo&s;t abound in that con|templation by the exerci&s;e of Faith, are thereby <HI>changed
<PB N="34" REF="44">into the &s;ame Image from glory to glory;</HI> or are more and more renewed and transformed into the likene&s;s of God &s;o repre&s;ented unto them.</P>
<P>That which &s;hall at la&s;t perfectly effect our utmo&s;t con|formity to God, and therein our eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, is <HI>Vi&s;ion,</HI> or &s;ight. <HI>We &s;hall be like him, for we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is,</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.2. Here Faith begins what Sight &s;hall perfect here|after. But yet <HI>we walk by Faith, and not by &s;ight,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.7. And although the life of Faith and Vi&s;ion differ in degrees, or as &s;ome think in kind, yet have they both the &s;ame Ob|ject, and the &s;ame Operations; and there is a great cogna|tion between them. The Object of <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> is the whole My&s;tery of the Divine Exi&s;tence and Will; and its Operation, is a perfect conformity unto God, a likene&s;s unto him, where|in our ble&s;&s;edne&s;s &s;hall con&s;i&s;t. Faith hath the &s;ame Object, and the &s;ame Operations in its degree and mea&s;ure. The great and incomprehen&s;ible My&s;teries of the Divine Being, of the Will and Wi&s;dom of God, are its proper Objects, and its Operation with re&s;pect unto us, is <HI>conformity</HI> and like|ne&s;s unto him. And this it doth in a peculiar manner in the contemplation of the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and herein we have our neare&s;t approaches unto the life of Vi&s;ion, and the effects of it. For therein, <HI>behold|ing the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, we are changed into the &s;ame Image from Glory to Glory;</HI> which perfectly to con&s;ummate is the effect of Sight in Glory. The exerci&s;e of Faith herein doth more rai&s;e and perfect the mind, more di&s;po&s;e it unto holy heavenly frames and affections, than any other duty whatever.</P>
<P>To be <HI>nigh unto God,</HI> and to be <HI>like unto him,</HI> are the &s;ame. To be alwaies with him, and perfectly like him according to the capacity of our Nature, is to be eternally ble&s;&s;ed. To live by Faith in the contemplation of the Glory of God in
<PB N="35" REF="44">Chri&s;t, is that initiation into both, whereof we are capable in this world. The endeavours of &s;ome to contemplate and report the Glory of God in Nature, in the works of Crea|tion and Providence, in the things of the greater and the le&s;&s;er world, do de&s;erve their ju&s;t commendation; and it is that which the Scripture in &s;undry places calls us unto. But for any there to abide, there to bound their de&s;igns, when they have a much more noble and glorious Object for their medita|tions, namely, <HI>the Glory of God in Chri&s;t,</HI> is both to de&s;pi&s;e the Wi&s;dom of God in that Revelation of him&s;elf, and to come &s;hort of that transforming Efficacy of Faith in the con|templation hereof, whereby we are made like unto God. For hereunto alone doth it belong, and not unto any natu|ral knowledge, nor to any knowledge of the mo&s;t &s;ecret re|ce&s;&s;es of Nature.</P>
<P>I &s;hall only &s;ay, that tho&s;e who are <HI>inconver&s;ant</HI> with the&s;e Objects of Faith, who&s;e minds are not delighted in the Admiration of, and Acquie&s;cency in things incompre|hen&s;ible, &s;uch as is this con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, who would reduce all things to the mea&s;ure of their own under&s;tandings, or el&s;e wilfully live in the neglect of what they cannot comprehend, do not much prepare them&s;elves for that <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> of the&s;e things in Glory wherein our Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s doth con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>Moreover, This Con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t being the mo&s;t admirable and Ineffable Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom, Grace and Power, it is that alone which can bear <HI>the weight of the whole Super&s;tructure</HI> of the My&s;tery of Godline&s;s; that whereinto the whole Sanctification and Salvation of the Church is re&s;olved, wherein alone Faith can find re&s;t and peace. <HI>Other Foundation can no man lay &s;ave that which is laid, which is Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.11. Re&s;t and Peace with God, is that which we &s;eek after; <HI>What &s;hall we do to be
<PB N="36" REF="45">&s;aved?</HI> In this Enquiry the Acts of the <HI>Mediatory Office</HI> of Chri&s;t are in the Go&s;pel fir&s;t pre&s;ented unto us, e&s;pecially his Oblation and Interce&s;&s;ion. Through them is he able to &s;ave unto the utmo&s;t tho&s;e that come to God by him. But there were Oblations for &s;in, and Interce&s;&s;ions for &s;inners un|der the Old Te&s;tament. Yet of them all doth the Apo&s;tle affirm that they could not make <HI>them perfect that came unto God by them,</HI> nor take away con&s;cience condemning for &s;in, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.1, 2, 3, 4. Wherefore it is not the&s;e things in them&s;elves that can give us re&s;t and peace, but their Relation unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. The Oblation and Interce&s;&s;ion of any other would not have &s;aved us. Hence for the &s;ecurity of our Faith, we are minded that <HI>God redeemed the Church with his own blood, Act.</HI> 20.28. He did &s;o who was God, as he was manife&s;ted in the Fle&s;h. His blood alone could purge our con&s;ciences from dead works, who did offer him&s;elf unto God, through the Eternal Spirit, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.14. And when the Apo&s;tle for our Relief again&s;t the guilt of &s;in calleth us unto the con&s;ideration of Interce&s;&s;ion and Propitiation, he mindeth us peculiarly of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> by whom they are performed, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.1, 2. <HI>If any man &s;in, we have an Advocate with the Father, Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our &s;ins.</HI> And we may briefly con&s;ider the order of the&s;e things.</P>
<P N="1">1. We &s;uppo&s;e in this ca&s;e con&s;cience to be awakened unto a &s;en&s;e of &s;in, and of <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> from God thereby. The&s;e things are now generally looked on as of no great concern|ment unto us, by &s;ome made a mock of, and by the mo&s;t thought ea&s;ie to be dealt withall at time convenient. But when God <HI>fixeth</HI> an Apprehen&s;ion of his di&s;plea&s;ure for them on the &s;oul, if it be not before it be too late, it will cau&s;e men to look out for <HI>Relief.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. This <HI>Relief</HI> is propo&s;ed in the Go&s;pel. And it is the
<PB N="37" REF="45">Death and Mediation of Chri&s;t alone. By them peace with God mu&s;t be obtained, or it will cea&s;e for ever. But</P>
<P N="3">3. When any per&s;on comes <HI>practically</HI> to know how great a thing it is for an <HI>Apo&s;tate</HI> &s;inner, to obtain the remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, and an inheritance among them that are &s;anctified, end|le&s;s <HI>Objections</HI> through the power of Unbelief will ari&s;e unto his di&s;quietment. Wherefore</P>
<P N="4">4. That which is principally &s;uited to give him re&s;t, peace and &s;atisfaction, and without which nothing el&s;e can &s;o do, is the due con&s;ideration of, and the acting of Faith upon this <HI>Infinite Effect</HI> of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> and Goodne&s;s in the con&s;ti|tution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. This at fir&s;t view will reduce the mind unto that conclu&s;ion, <HI>If thou can&s;t believe, all things are po&s;&s;ible.</HI> For what end cannot be effected hereby? what end cannot be accompli&s;hed that was de&s;igned in it? Is any thing too hard for God? did God ever do any thing like this, or make u&s;e of any &s;uch means for any other end what|ever? Again&s;t this no Objection can ari&s;e. On this con&s;i|deration of him, Faith apprehends Chri&s;t to be as he is indeed, the Power of God, and the Wi&s;dom of God unto the &s;alvation of them that do believe, and therin doth it find re&s;t with peace.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="38" REF="46">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t the Foundation of all the Coun&s;els of God.</HI></HEAD>
<P>SEcondly, The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the <HI>Foundation of all the Coun&s;els of God,</HI> as unto his own Eternal Glory in the Vocation, Sanctification and Salvation of the Church. That which I intend is what the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.9, 10. <HI>Having made known the My&s;tery of his Will, according to his good plea&s;ure which he purpo&s;ed in him&s;elf, that in the di&s;|pen&s;ation of the fulne&s;s of time he might gather together in one, all things in Chri&s;t, both which are in Heaven, and which are in Earth, even in him.</HI> The My&s;teries of the Will of God, according to his good plea&s;ure which he purpo&s;ed in him|&s;elf, are his <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> concerning his own Eternal Glory in the &s;anctification and &s;alvation of the Church here below, to be united unto that above. The ab&s;olute original hereof was in his own <HI>good plea&s;ure,</HI> or the &s;overaign Acting of his Wi&s;|dom and Will. But it was all to be effected in Chri&s;t, which the Apo&s;tle twice repeats; he would gather <HI>all things into an Head in Chri&s;t, even in him;</HI> that is in him alone.</P>
<P>Thus it is &s;aid of him with re&s;pect unto his future Incarna|tion and work of Mediation, <HI>that the Lord po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed him in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old, that he was &s;et up from everla&s;ting, from the beginning or ever the earth was, Prov.</HI> 8.22, 23. The <HI>eternal Per&s;onal Exi&s;tence</HI> of the Son of God is &s;uppo&s;ed in the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions, as I have el&s;ewhere proved. Without it none of the&s;e things could be affirmed of him. But there is a regard in them, both unto his future Incarnation, and the accompli&s;hment of the <HI>Coun|&s;els of God</HI> thereby. With re&s;pect thereunto, God <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed him, in the beginning of his waies, and &s;et him up from ever|la&s;ting.</HI>
<PB N="39" REF="46">God po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed him eternally as his E&s;&s;ential Wi&s;dom, as he was alwaies and is alwaies in the bo&s;om of the Father, in the mutual ineffable Love of the Father and Son, in the eternal Bond of the Spirit. But he &s;ignally <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed</HI> him in the <HI>beginning of his waies,</HI> as his Wi&s;dom acting in the Pro|duction of all the waies and works that are outwardly of him. The <HI>beginning of Gods waies before his works,</HI> are his Coun&s;els concerning them, even as our Coun&s;els are the be|ginning of our waies with re&s;pect unto future works. And he <HI>&s;et him up from everla&s;ting,</HI> as the Foundation of all the Coun&s;els of his Will, in and by whom they were to be exe|cuted and accompli&s;hed.</P>
<P>So it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>ver.</HI> 30, 31. <HI>I was by him as one brought up with him, I was daily his delight, rejoycing before him, rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the &s;ons of men.</HI> And it is added, that thus it was before <HI>the Foundation of the World was laid, or the chiefe&s;t part of the Du&s;t of the Earth was made</HI> that is, man was created. Not only was the delight of the Father in him, but his delight was in the habitable parts of the Earth, and among the Sons of men, before the creation of the World. Wherefore the eternal pro&s;pect of the work he had to do for the Children of men is intended herein. In and with him God laid the Foundation of all his Coun&s;els concerning his Love towards the Children of men; And two things may be ob&s;erved herein.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the Per&s;on of the Son, <HI>was &s;et up,</HI> or exalted here|in. I was <HI>&s;et up &s;aith he from everla&s;ting.</HI> This cannot be &s;poken ab&s;olutely of the Per&s;on of the Son him&s;elf; the Di|vine Nature being not capable of being &s;o <HI>&s;et up.</HI> But there was a peculiar Glory and Honour, belonging unto the Per|&s;on of the Son, as <HI>de&s;igned</HI> by the Father, unto the execution of all the Coun&s;els of his Will. Hence was that Prayer of
<PB N="40" REF="47">his upon the Accompli&s;hment of them; <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.5. <HI>And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own &s;elf with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was.</HI> To &s;uppo&s;e that the Lord Chri&s;t prayeth in the&s;e words for &s;uch a real communi|cation of the Propertys of the Divine Nature unto the Hu|mane, as &s;hould render it <HI>immen&s;e, omni&s;cient,</HI> and uncon|fined unto any &s;pace, is to think that he prayed for the de|&s;truction and not the exaltation of it. For on that &s;uppo&s;iti|on it mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily loo&s;e all its own e&s;&s;ential Properties, and con&s;equently its Being. Nor doth he &s;eem to pray only for the <HI>Manife&s;tation</HI> of his Divine Nature, which was eclip&s;ed in his exinanition or appearance in the form of a &s;ervant. There was no need to expre&s;s this, by the <HI>Glory which he had with the Father before the World was.</HI> For he had it not in any e|&s;pecial manner before the World was; but equally from eter|nity and in every moment of time. Wherefore he had a pe|culiar Glory of his own with the Father before the World was. And this was no other, but that e&s;pecial exaltation which he had when he was <HI>&s;et up</HI> from everla&s;ting as the Foundation of the Coun&s;els of God, for the &s;alvation of the Church. In tho&s;e eternal Tran&s;actions that were between the Father and the Son, with re&s;pect unto his Incarnation and Mediation, or his undertaking to execute and fulfil the eter|nal Coun&s;els of the Wi&s;dom and Grace of the Father, there was an <HI>e&s;pecial Glory</HI> which the Son had with him. <HI>The Glory which he had with the Father before the World was.</HI> For the manife&s;tation hereof he now prays; and that the Glory of his Goodne&s;s, Grace and Love in his peculiar undertaking of the execution of the Coun&s;els of God, might be made to ap|pear. And this is the principal de&s;ign of the Go&s;pel. It is the declaration as of the Grace of God the Father, &s;o of the Love, Grace, Goodne&s;s and Compa&s;&s;ion of the Son in under|taking from everla&s;ting the Accompli&s;hment of Gods Coun|&s;els
<PB N="41" REF="47">in the &s;alvation of the Church. And hereby doth he <HI>hold up the pillars of the</HI> Earth, or &s;upport this inferior Creation which otherwi&s;e with the Inhabitants of it would by &s;in have been di&s;&s;olved. And tho&s;e by whom his Eternal Divine Preexi&s;tence in the form of God, antecedent unto his Incar|nation is denyed, do what lies in them expre&s;ly to de&s;poil him of all that Glory which he had with the Father before the world was. So we have herein the whole of our de&s;ign. In the <HI>Beginning of Gods waies before his works of Old;</HI> that is in his Eternal Coun&s;els with re&s;pect unto the Children of men or the Sanctification and &s;alvation of the Church, the Lord po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, enjoyed the Son as his eternal Wi&s;dom, in and with whom they were laid, in and by whom they were to be accompli&s;hed, wherein his delights were with the Sons of men.</P>
<P N="2">2. That there was an <HI>ineffable Delight</HI> between the Father and the Son in this his <HI>Setting up</HI> or exaltation. <HI>I was,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>dayly his delights, rejoycing always before him.</HI> It is not ab|&s;olutely the mutual eternal delight of the Father and the Son, ari&s;ing from the Perfection of the &s;ame Divine Excellencies in each Per&s;on that is intended. But re&s;pect is plainly had unto the <HI>Coun&s;els of God,</HI> concerning the &s;alvation of mankind by him who is his Power and Wi&s;dom unto that end. This Coun&s;el of Peace was originally between <HI>Jehovah</HI> and the <HI>Branch; Zech.</HI> 6.13. or the Father and the Son as he was to be incarnate. For therein was he <HI>fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.20. Namely, to be a Savi|our and deliverer, by whom all the Coun&s;els of God were to be accompli&s;hed; and this by his own Will and concurrence in Coun&s;el with the Father. And &s;uch a Foundation was laid of the &s;alvation of the Church in the&s;e Coun&s;els of God as tran&s;acted between the Father and the Son, that it is &s;aid, that eternal <HI>Life was promi&s;ed before the World began, Tit.</HI> 1.2.
<PB N="42" REF="48">For although the <HI>fir&s;t formal Promi&s;e</HI> was given after the Fall; yet was there &s;uch a preparation of Grace and Eternal Life in the&s;e Coun&s;els of God, with his unchangeable purpo&s;e to communicate them unto us, that all the Faithfulne&s;s of God was engaged in them. <HI>God that cannot lye, hath promi&s;ed before the World began.</HI> There was eternal Life with the Fa|ther, that is in his Coun&s;el trea&s;ured up in Chri&s;t, and in him was afterwards manife&s;ted unto us, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 12. And to &s;hew the &s;tability of this purpo&s;e and Coun&s;el of God, with the infallible con&s;equence of his actual promi&s;e, and efficaci|ous Accompli&s;hment thereof, <HI>Grace is</HI> &s;aid to be <HI>given us in Chri&s;t Je&s;us before the World began,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P>In the&s;e Coun&s;els did God <HI>delight,</HI> or in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as his Eternal Wi&s;dom in their contrivance, and as the means of their Accompli&s;hment in his future Incarnation. Hence he &s;o te&s;tifieth of him, <HI>Behold my Servant whom I uphold, my Elect in whom my &s;oul delighteth, I&s;a</HI> 42.1. as he al&s;o proclaims the <HI>&s;ame delight</HI> in him from Heaven in the days of his fle&s;h, <HI>Matth.</HI> 3.17. <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.5. He was the delight of God, as he in whom all his Coun&s;els for his own Glory in the Redemption and Salvation of the Church, were laid and founded. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49.3. <HI>My &s;ervant in whom I will be glorified,</HI> that is, <HI>by rai&s;ing the Tribes of Jacob, re&s;toring the pre&s;erved of I&s;rael, in being a Light unto the Gentiles, and the Salva|tion of God unto the ends of the Earth,</HI> ver. 6.</P>
<P>We conceive not aright of the <HI>Coun&s;els of God,</HI> when we think of nothing but the Effect of them, and the Glory that ari&s;eth from their Accompli&s;hment. It is certainly true that they &s;hall all i&s;&s;ue in <HI>his Glory,</HI> and the Demon&s;tration of it &s;hall fill up Eternity. The manife&s;tative Glory of God un|to Eternity, con&s;i&s;ts in the Effects and Accompli&s;hment of his holy Coun&s;els. <HI>Heaven</HI> is the &s;tate of the actual Ac|compli&s;hment of all the Coun&s;els of God in the Sanctifica|tion
<PB N="43" REF="48">and Salvation of the Church. But it is not with God as it is with men. Let mens Coun&s;els be never &s;o wi&s;e, it mu&s;t needs abate of their &s;atisfaction in them, becau&s;e their conjectures (and more they have not) of their Effects and Events are altogether uncertain. But all the Coun&s;els of God having their entire Accompli&s;hment through Revolutions perplexing and &s;urpa&s;&s;ing all created under&s;tandings, enclo&s;ed in them infallibly and immutably, the great &s;atisfaction, com|placency and delight of the Divine Being is in the&s;e Coun&s;els them&s;elves.</P>
<P>God doth <HI>delight</HI> in the Actual Accompli&s;hment of his works, He made not this world, nor any thing in it for its own &s;ake. Much le&s;s did he make this Earth to be a Theatre for men to act their lu&s;ts upon, the u&s;e which it is now put to and groans under. But he made <HI>all things for him&s;elf, Prov.</HI> 16.4. He <HI>made them for his plea&s;ure, Rev.</HI> 4.11. that is, not only by an Act of Soveraignty, but to his own delight and &s;atisfaction. And a double Te&s;timony did he give hereunto with re&s;pect unto the works of Creation. (1.) In the <HI>Approbation</HI> which he gaveof the whole upon its &s;urvey. And <HI>God &s;aw all that he had made, and behold it was good, Gen.</HI> 1.31. There was that impre&s;&s;ion of his Di|vine Wi&s;dom, Power and Goodne&s;s upon the whole, as ma|nife&s;ted his Glory, wherein he was well plea&s;ed. For im|mediately thereon, all creatures capable of the conception and apprehen&s;ion of his Glory, <HI>&s;ang forth his prai&s;e, Job</HI> 38.6, 7. (2.) In that he <HI>re&s;ted from his works,</HI> or in them when they were fini&s;hed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.2. It was not a re&s;t of wea|rine&s;s from the labour of his work, but a re&s;t of compla|cency and delight in what he had wrought, that God <HI>en|tred</HI> into.</P>
<P>But the principal delight and complacency of God is in his <HI>Eternal Coun&s;els.</HI> For all his delight in his works, is but
<PB N="44" REF="49">in the effects of tho&s;e Divine Properties who&s;e primitive and principal exerci&s;e is in the Coun&s;els them&s;elves from whence they proceed. E&s;pecially is it &s;o as unto the&s;e Coun&s;els of the Father and the Son, as to the Redemption and Salvation of the Church, wherein they delight, and mutually rejoyce in each other on their account. They are all Eternal Acts of God's Infinite Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Love, a delight and complacency wherein is no &s;mall part of the Divine Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s. The&s;e things are ab&s;olutely unconceivable unto us, and ineffable by us; we cannot find the Almighty out unto perfection. However certain it is from the notions we have of the Divine Being and Excellencies, and from the Reve|lation he hath made of him&s;elf, that there is an infinite de|light in God, in the Eternal Actings of his Wi&s;dom, Good|ne&s;s and Love, wherein according to our weak and dark ap|prehen&s;ions of things, we may &s;afely place no &s;mall portion of Divine Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. Self-exi&s;tence in its own Immen&s;e Being, thence &s;elf-&s;ufficiency unto it &s;elf in all things, and thereon &s;elf-&s;atisfaction is the principal notion we have of Divine Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s.</P>
<P N="1">1. God delighteth in the&s;e his eternal Coun&s;els in Chri&s;t, as they are Acts of <HI>Infinite VVi&s;dom,</HI> as they are the highe&s;t In&s;tance wherein it will exert it &s;elf. Hence in the Accom pli&s;hment of them Chri&s;t is emphatically &s;aid to be the <HI>Wi&s;|dom of God,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.24. He in whom the Coun&s;els of his Wi&s;dom were to be fulfilled. And in him is the <HI>manifold VVi&s;dom of God</HI> made known, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.10. Infinite Wi&s;dom being that Property of the Divine Nature, whereby all the actings of it are di&s;po&s;ed and regulated &s;uitably unto his own Glory in all his Divine Excellencies, he cannot but delight in all the acts of it. Even among&s;t men, who&s;e <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> com|pared with that of God is <HI>Folly</HI> it &s;elf, yet is there nothing wherein they have a real rational complacency, &s;uitable unto
<PB N="45" REF="49">the Principles of their Nature, but in &s;uch actings of that Wi&s;|dom which they have, and &s;uch as it is, towards the proper ends of their Being and Duty. How much more doth God delight him&s;elf in the Infinite Perfection of his own Wi&s;dom, and its eternal acting for the Repre&s;entation of all the other Glorious excellencies of his Nature. Such are his Coun&s;els concerning the &s;alvation of the Church by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and becau&s;e they were all laid <HI>in him</HI> and <HI>with him,</HI> therefore is he &s;aid to be his <HI>delights continually before the VVorld was.</HI> This is that which is propo&s;ed as the Object of our Admira|tion, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.33, 34, 35, 36.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are Acts of <HI>Infinite Goodne&s;s,</HI> whereon the Di|vine Nature cannot but be infinitely delighted in them. As <HI>VVi&s;dom</HI> is the <HI>Directive principle</HI> of all Divine operations, &s;o <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> is the <HI>Communicative Principle</HI> that is effectual in them. He is <HI>Good and he doth Good;</HI> yea he doth Good be|cau&s;e he is Good, and for no other Rea&s;on; not by the ne|ce&s;&s;ity of nature, but by the Intervention of a free Act of his Will. His Goodne&s;s is ab&s;olutely infinite, e&s;&s;entially perfect in it &s;elf; which it cannot be if it belonged unto it <HI>naturally</HI> and nece&s;&s;arily to act and communicate it &s;elf unto any thing without God him&s;elf. The Divine Nature is eternally &s;ati&s;|fyed in and with its own Goodne&s;s; But it is that Principle which is the immediate fountain of all the Communications of Good unto others, by a <HI>free Act of the Will of God.</HI> So when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> de&s;ired to <HI>&s;ee</HI> his Glory, he tells him, that <HI>he will cau&s;e all his Goodne&s;s to pa&s;s before him, and would be gracious unto whom he would be gracious, Exod.</HI> 33.19. All Divine Operations in the gracious Commnnication of God him&s;elf, are from his Goodne&s;s, by the intervention of a free Act of his Will. And the greate&s;t Exerci&s;e and Emanation of Di|vine <HI>Goodne&s;s,</HI> was in the&s;e holy Coun&s;els of God for the Salvation of the Church by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. For whereas in all
<PB N="46" REF="50">other Effects of his Goodne&s;s he gives of <HI>his own,</HI> herein he <HI>gave him&s;elf</HI> in taking our Nature upon him. And thence as he expre&s;&s;eth the de&s;ign of man in his fall as upbraiding him with folly and ingratitude, <HI>Behold the man is become as one of us, Gen.</HI> 3.22; We may with all humble thankfulne&s;s expre&s;s the means of our Recovery, <HI>Behold God is become like one of us,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle declares it at large, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8. It is the nature of &s;incere Goodne&s;s, even in its lowe&s;t degree, above all other habits or principles of Nature, to give a <HI>Delight</HI> and complacency unto the mind in the exerci&s;e of it &s;elf, and communication of its Effects. A <HI>Good man</HI> doth both delight in doing good, and hath an abundant reward for the doing it, in the doing of it. And what &s;hall we conceive con|cerning eternal, ab&s;olute, infinite, perfect, immixed Goodne&s;s, acting it &s;elf in the highe&s;t in&s;tance, (in an Effect cognate and like unto it) that it can extend unto. So was it in the <HI>Coun|&s;els of God</HI> concerning the <HI>Incarnation of his Son,</HI> and the Sal|vation of the Church thereby. No heart can conceive, no tongue can expre&s;s the lea&s;t portion of that <HI>ineffable Delight</HI> of the holy ble&s;&s;ed God, in the&s;e Coun&s;els wherein he acted and expre&s;&s;ed unto the utmo&s;t his own E&s;&s;ential Goodne&s;s. Shall a <HI>liberal man devi&s;e liberal things,</HI> becau&s;e they are &s;uited unto his inclination? Shall a <HI>Good man</HI> find a &s;ecret refre&s;hment and fatisfaction in the exerci&s;e of that low, weak, imperfect, <HI>mixed Goodne&s;s</HI> that his Nature is inlaid withal; and &s;hall not be who&s;e <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> is <HI>E&s;&s;ential</HI> unto him, who&s;e <HI>Being</HI> it is, and in whom it is the immediate Principle of communicating him&s;elf unto others, be infi|nitely <HI>delighted</HI> in the highe&s;t exerci&s;e of it, which Divine Wi&s;dom did direct?</P>
<P>The effect of the&s;e Eternal Coun&s;els of God in future Glory, is re&s;erved for them that do believe; and therein will there be the neare&s;t manife&s;tation of the Glory of God him&s;elf unto
<PB N="47" REF="50">them, when he &s;hall be <HI>glorified in his Saints, and eternally admired in all that believe.</HI> But the Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Delight</HI> and &s;a|tisfaction of God, was and is, in tho&s;e Coun&s;els them&s;elves, as they were Acts of his infinite Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s. Herein was the Lord Chri&s;t <HI>his Delight continually</HI> before the Foundation of the World; in that in him were all the&s;e Coun|&s;els laid, and through him were they all to be accompli&s;hed. The Con&s;titution of his Per&s;on was the only way whereby <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s</HI> would act and communicate of them&s;elves unto mankind, in which actings are the eter|nal <HI>Delight</HI> and Complacency of the Divine Being.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Love and Grace</HI> have the &s;ame Influence into the <HI>Coun|&s;els of God,</HI> as Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s have. And in the Scrip|ture Notion of the&s;e things they &s;uperadd unto Goodne&s;s this Con&s;ideration, that their Object <HI>is Sinners,</HI> and tho&s;e that are unworthy. God doth univer&s;ally communicate of his Goodne&s;s unto all his Creatures, though there be an e&s;pecial exerci&s;e of it towards them that believe. But as unto his <HI>Love and Grace</HI> as they are peculiar unto his <HI>Elect,</HI> the Church <HI>cho|&s;en in Chri&s;t before the Foundation of the World,</HI> &s;o they re|&s;pect them primarily in a lo&s;t undone condition by &s;in, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.8. <HI>God commendeth his Love unto us in that whil&s;t we were yet Sinners Chri&s;t dyed for us. God is Love,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, his Nature is e&s;&s;entially &s;o. And the be&s;t Conception of the natural internal actings of the Holy Per&s;ons is <HI>Love.</HI> And all the Acts of it are full of Delight. This is, as it were, the womb of all the Eternal Coun&s;els of God; which renders his Complacency in them ineffable. Hence doth he &s;o won|derfully expre&s;s his delight and complacency in the <HI>actings of his Love</HI> towards the Church, <HI>Zeph.</HI> 3.17. <HI>The Lord thy God in the mid&s;t of thee is mighty; he will &s;ave; he will re|joyce over thee with joy; he will re&s;t in his Love; he will re|joyce over thee with &s;inging.</HI> The Rea&s;on why in the Salva|tion
<PB N="34" REF="51">of the Church, he <HI>rejoyceth with joy,</HI> and <HI>joyeth with &s;inging,</HI> the highe&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of Divine Complacency, is becau&s;e he <HI>re&s;teth in his Love,</HI> and &s;o is plea&s;ed in the exer|ci&s;e of its effects.</P>
<P>But we mu&s;t return to manife&s;t in particular how all the&s;e <HI>Coun&s;els of God</HI> were laid in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> to which End the things en&s;uing may be di&s;tinctly Con&s;i|dered.</P>
<P N="1">1. God made all things in the Beginning <HI>Good, exceeding Good.</HI> The whole of his work was di&s;po&s;ed into a perfect <HI>Harmony,</HI> Beauty and Order, &s;uited unto that manife&s;tation of his own Glory which he de&s;igned therein. And as all things had their own individual Exi&s;tence, and Operations &s;uited unto their Being, and capable of an End, a Re&s;t, or a Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, congruous unto their Natures and Operations; &s;o in the various re&s;pects which they had each to other in their mutual &s;upplys, a&s;&s;i&s;tances and Cooperation, they all tended unto that ultimate End, of his eternal Glory. For as in their <HI>Be|ings</HI> and exi&s;tence they were effects of <HI>Infinite-Power,</HI> &s;o were their mutual re&s;pects and Ends di&s;po&s;ed in <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom.</HI> Thereon were the eternal Power and Wi&s;dom of God glori|fied in them; the one in their Production, the other in their di&s;po&s;al into their order and Harmony. <HI>Man</HI> was a Creature that God made, that by him he might receive the Glory that he aimed at in and by the whole inanimate Creation, both that below which was for his u&s;e, and that above which was for his <HI>Contemplation.</HI> This was the End of our Nature in its Original Con&s;titution. Thereunto are we again re&s;tored in Chri&s;t, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.18. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104.24.136.5. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.20.</P>
<P N="2">2. God was plea&s;ed to <HI>permit the entrance of Sin,</HI> both in Heaven above and in Earth beneath, whereby this whole Order and <HI>Harmony</HI> was di&s;turbed. There are yet <HI>Characters</HI> of Divine Power, Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s remaining on
<PB N="49" REF="51">the works of Creation, and in&s;eparable from their Beings. But the <HI>primitive Glory</HI> that was to redound unto God by them, e&s;pecially as unto all things here below, was from the <HI>Obedience of man</HI> unto whom they were put in &s;ubjection. Their Good e&s;tate depended on their Subordination unto him in a way of <HI>natural u&s;e,</HI> as his did on God in the way of <HI>moral Obedience, Gen.</HI> 1.26, 28. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8.6, 7, 8. Man, as was &s;aid, is a creature which God made, that by him he might receive the Glory that he aimed at, in and by the whole inanimate Creation. This was the end of our Nature in its Original con&s;titution. Thereunto are we again re&s;tored in Chri&s;t, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.18. But the <HI>Entrance of &s;in</HI> ca&s;t all this Order into Confu&s;ion, and brought the Cur&s;e on all things here below. Hereby were they deprived of that e&s;tate wherein they were declared <HI>exceeding Good,</HI> and ca&s;t into that of <HI>Vanity</HI> under the burden whereof they groan, and will do &s;o to the End, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.17, 18. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.20, 21. And the&s;e things we mu&s;t a|gain con&s;ider afterwards.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> was no way <HI>Surprized</HI> with this di&s;|a&s;ter. God had from all eternity laid in Provi&s;ions of Coun|&s;els for the <HI>Recovery</HI> of all things into a better and more permanent E&s;tate than what was lo&s;t by Sin. This is the <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>Revification,</HI> the <HI>Re&s;titu|tion</HI> of all things, <HI>Act.</HI> 3.19, 21. The <GAP DESC="foreign">, or the <HI>gathe|ring</HI> all things in Heaven and Earth into a new head in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>Ephe.</HI> 1.10. For although it may be, there is more of Curio&s;ity than of Edification, in a Scrupulous enquiry into the <HI>Method or Order</HI> of Gods eternal Decrees or Coun&s;els, and the di&s;po&s;al of them into a &s;ub&s;erviency one unto another; yet this is nece&s;&s;ary from the Infinite <HI>Wi&s;dom, Pre&s;cience</HI> and and Immutability of God, that he is <HI>&s;urprized</HI> with nothing, that he is put unto <HI>no new Coun&s;els</HI> by any Events in the Works of Creation. All things were di&s;po&s;ed by him, into
<PB N="50" REF="52">tho&s;e waies and methods, and that from Eternity which con|duce unto, and certainly i&s;&s;ue in that <HI>Glory</HI> which is ulti|mately intended. For as we are careful to &s;tate the <HI>Eternal Decrees of God,</HI> and the actual operations of his Providence, &s;o as that the <HI>Liberty</HI> of the Will of man as the next Cau&s;e of all his <HI>Moral Actions,</HI> be not infringed thereby; &s;o ought we to be careful not to a&s;cribe &s;uch a <HI>Sacrilegious Liberty</HI> unto the Wills of any Creatures, as that God &s;hould be <HI>&s;ur|prized,</HI> impo&s;ed on, or <HI>changed</HI> by any of their actings what|ever. For <HI>known unto him are all his works from the Founda|tion of the world,</HI> and with him there is neither <HI>variablene&s;s nor &s;hadow of turning.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. There were therefore <HI>Eternal Coun&s;els of God</HI> whereby he di&s;po&s;ed all things into a <HI>new order</HI> unto his own Glory in the Sanctification and Salvation of the Church. And of them two things may be con&s;idered. (1.) Their <HI>Original.</HI> (2.) The <HI>De&s;ign</HI> of their Accompli&s;hment.</P>
<P>Their fir&s;t Spring or Original was in the <HI>Divine Will and Wi&s;dom</HI> alone, without re&s;pect unto any external moving Cau&s;e. No Rea&s;on can be given, no cau&s;e be a&s;&s;igned of the&s;e Coun&s;els, but the <HI>Will of God</HI> alone. Hence are they called or de&s;cribed by, the <HI>good plea&s;ure which he purpo&s;ed in him&s;elf, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.9. <HI>The purpo&s;e of him who worketh all things according to the Coun&s;el of his Will; v.</HI> 11. <HI>Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Coun&s;eller, or who hath given fir&s;t unto him, and it &s;hall be recompenced to him again; for of him, and through him, and to him are all things, Rom.</HI> 11.34, 35, 36. The Incarnation of Chri&s;t, and his Me|diation thereon were not the <HI>procuring Cau&s;e</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Eternal Coun&s;els</HI> of God; but the Effects of them as the Scripture con&s;tantly declares. But the De&s;ign of their <HI>Accompli&s;hment</HI> was laid in the Per&s;on of the Son alone. As he was the E&s;|&s;ential Wi&s;dom of God all things were at fir&s;t created by
<PB N="51" REF="52">him. But upon a pro&s;pect of the Ruine of all by &s;in, God would in and by him, <HI>as he was fore-ordained to be incarnate,</HI> re&s;tore all things. The whole Coun&s;el of God unto this End centred in him alone. Hence their Foundation is rightly &s;aid to <HI>be laid in him,</HI> and is declared &s;o to be by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.4. For the Spring of the Sanctification and Salva|tion of the Church lies in <HI>Election,</HI> the decree whereof com|pri&s;eth the <HI>Coun&s;els of God</HI> concerning them. Herein God from the beginning <HI>chu&s;eth us unto &s;alvation through the &s;an|ctification of the Spirit,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.13. The one being the <HI>End</HI> he de&s;igneth, the other the <HI>Means</HI> and Way thereof. But this he did <HI>in Chri&s;t;</HI> He <HI>chu&s;eth us in him before the foundation of the world, that we &s;hould be holy and unblameable before him in love;</HI> that is, <HI>unto &s;alvation through the &s;anctification of the Spirit.</HI> In him we were not actually, nor by Faith, before the foundation of the world; yet were we then <HI>cho|&s;en in him,</HI> as the only Foundation of the execution of all the Coun&s;els of God, concerning our Sanctification and Sal|vation.</P>
<P>Thus as all things were originally made and created by him, as he was the <HI>e&s;&s;ential Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> &s;o all things are renewed and recovered by him, as he is the <HI>provi&s;ional Wi&s;|dom</HI> of God in and by his Incarnation. Therefore are the&s;e things put together and compared unto his Glory, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.15, 16, 17, 18, 19. <HI>He is the Image of the Invi&s;ible God, the fir&s;t born of every Creature. For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth, vi&s;ible and in|vi&s;ible, all things were Created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things con&s;i&s;t; and he is the Head of the Body the Church, the beginning, the fir&s;t born from the dead, that in all things he might have the Prehemi|nence.</HI></P>
<P>Two things as the Foundation of what is a&s;cribed unto the
<PB N="52" REF="53">Lord Chri&s;t in the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e, are a&s;&s;erted, <HI>v.</HI> 15. (1.) <HI>That he is the Image of the Invi&s;ible</HI> God; (2.) That he is the <HI>fir&s;t-born of every Creature;</HI> Things &s;eeming very di&s;tant in them&s;elves, but gloriou&s;ly united and centring in his Per&s;on.</P>
<P N="1">1. He is the <HI>Image of the Invi&s;ible God;</HI> or as it is el&s;ewhere expre&s;&s;ed; he is in <HI>the form of God,</HI> his <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> Form, for other Form there is none in the Divine Nature. The <HI>Bright|ne&s;s of the Glory,</HI> and <HI>expre&s;s Image</HI> of the Fathers Per&s;on. And he is called here the <HI>Invi&s;ible God,</HI> not ab&s;olutely with re&s;pect unto his E&s;&s;ence, though it be mo&s;t true, the Divine E&s;&s;ence being ab&s;olutely <HI>Invi&s;ible,</HI> and that equally whether con&s;idered as in the Father or in the Son. But he is called &s;o, with re&s;pect unto his <HI>Coun&s;els,</HI> his <HI>Will,</HI> his Love and his Grace. For &s;o <HI>none hath &s;een him at any time, but the only begotten which is in the bo&s;ome of the Father,</HI> he declares him, <HI>John.</HI> 1.18. As he is thus the <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> the <HI>eternal Image</HI> of the Invi&s;ible God, his Wi&s;dom and Power, the <HI>Efficiency of the fir&s;t Creation,</HI> and its <HI>con&s;i&s;tence</HI> being created, is a&s;cribed unto him, <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17. <HI>By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and in Earth, vi&s;ible and invi&s;ible;</HI> And becau&s;e of the great Notions and Apprehen&s;ions that were then in the World, e&s;pecially among the <HI>Jews</HI> unto whom the Apo&s;tle had re&s;pect in this Epi&s;tle, of the <HI>Greatne&s;s and Glory of the Invi&s;ible part</HI> of the Creation in Heaven above, he mentions them in particular, under the mo&s;t Glorious Titles that any could, or then did a&s;cribe unto them; <HI>whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities or Powers.</HI> All things were cre|ated by him and for him; the &s;ame expre&s;&s;ion that is u&s;ed of God ab&s;olutely, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.36. <HI>Rev.</HI> 4.11. Add hereunto tho&s;e other places to this purpo&s;e, <HI>John</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. and tho&s;e that are not under the efficacy of &s;piritual infatuations, cannot but admire at the power of <HI>&V;nbelief,</HI> the blindne&s;s of the minds of men, and the craft of Satan, in them who deny
<PB N="53" REF="53">the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. For whereas the Apo&s;tle plainly affirms, that the works of the Creation do demon|&s;trate the <HI>Eternal Power and Godhead</HI> of him by whom they were created, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.19, 20. And not only &s;o, but it is un|controulably evident in the light of Nature; it being &s;o di|rectly, expre&s;ly, frequently affirmed, that all things what|ever, <HI>ab&s;olutely,</HI> and in their di&s;tributions into Heaven and Earth, with the things contained re&s;pectively in them, were made and created by Chri&s;t, it is the highe&s;t <HI>Rebellion</HI> a|gain&s;t the light and teachings of God, to disbelieve his Di|vine Exi&s;tence and Power.</P>
<P>Again it is added, that he <HI>is the fir&s;t-born of every Crea|ture;</HI> which principally re&s;pects the <HI>New Creation,</HI> as it is de|clared <HI>v.</HI> 18. <HI>He is the Head of the body the Church, the begin|ing; the fir&s;t-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preheminence.</HI> For in him were all the Coun&s;els of God laid for the Recovery of all things unto him&s;elf; as he was to be <HI>Incarnate.</HI> And the Accompli&s;hment of the&s;e Coun|&s;els of God by him, the Apo&s;tle declares at large in the en|&s;uing Ver&s;es. And the&s;e things are both conjoyned and compo&s;ed in this place. As God the Father did nothing in the <HI>fir&s;t Creation</HI> but <HI>by him</HI> as his Eternal Wi&s;dom, <HI>John</HI> 1.3. <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.2. <HI>Prov.</HI> 8. &s;o he de&s;igned nothing in the <HI>New Crea|tion</HI> or Re&s;toration of all things unto his Glory, but in him as he was to be incarnate. Wherefore in his Per&s;on were laid all the <HI>Foundation of the Coun&s;els of God</HI> for the Sanctifi|cation and Salvation of the Church. Herein he is glorified, and that in a way un&s;peakably exceeding all that Glory which would have accrewed unto him from the fir&s;t Crea|tion, had all things abode in their primitive Con&s;titution.</P>
<P>His Per&s;on therefore is the Foundation of the Church, the great <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of <HI>Godline&s;s,</HI> or the <HI>Religion</HI> we profe&s;s; the entire life and &s;oul of all &s;piritual Truth; in that all
<PB N="54" REF="54"><HI>the Coun&s;els of the Wi&s;dom, Grace and Goodne&s;s of God, for the Redemption, Vocation, Sanctification and Salvation of the Church, were all laid in him, and by him were all to be ac|compli&s;hed.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. V.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t the great Repre&s;entative of God and his Will.</HI></HEAD>
<P>WHat <HI>may be known</HI> of God, is his <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Exi&s;t|ence,</HI> with the Holy <HI>Coun&s;els of his Will.</HI> A <HI>Re|pre&s;entation</HI> of them unto us, is the Foundation of all Religion, and the means of our Conformity unto him, wherein our pre&s;ent Duty, and future Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s do con&s;i&s;t. For to <HI>know God,</HI> &s;o as thereby to be made <HI>like unto him,</HI> is the chief End of man. This is done perfectly only in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> all other means of it being &s;ubordinate thereunto, and none of them of the &s;ame Nature therewithal. The End of the <HI>Word</HI> it &s;elf is to in&s;truct us in the knowledge of God in Chri&s;t. That therefore which I &s;hall now demon&s;trate is, that in the <HI>Per&s;on and Mediation of Chri&s;t (which are in&s;eparable in all the re&s;pects of Faith unto him) there is made unto us a Ble&s;&s;ed Re|pre&s;entation of the Glorious Properties of the Divine Nature, and of the holy Coun&s;els of the Will of God.</HI> The fir&s;t of the&s;e I &s;hall &s;peak unto in this Chapter; the other in that which en&s;ues, wherein we &s;hall manife&s;t how all <HI>Divine Truths do center</HI> in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. And the Con&s;ideration of &s;undry things are nece&s;&s;ary unto the Explication hereof.</P>
<P N="1">1. God in his <HI>own E&s;&s;ence,</HI> Being and Exi&s;tence is ab&s;olutely <HI>incomprehen&s;ible.</HI> His Nature being Immen&s;e; and all his
<PB N="55" REF="54">holy Properties <HI>e&s;&s;entially infinite,</HI> no Creature can directly or perfectly comprehend them, or any of them. He mu&s;t be <HI>infinite</HI> that can perfectly comprehend that which is <HI>infinite.</HI> Wherefore God is perfectly known unto him&s;elf only; but as for us <HI>how little a Portion is heard of him?</HI> Hence he is cal|led the <HI>invi&s;ible God,</HI> and &s;aid to dwell in light inacce&s;&s;ible. The <HI>Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> of his mo&s;t &s;ingle and &s;imple Nature in <HI>three di&s;tinct Per&s;ons,</HI> though it rai&s;es and ennobles Faith in its Re|velation, yet it <HI>amazeth</HI> Rea&s;on which would tru&s;t to it &s;elf in the Contemplation of it; whence men grow giddy who will own no other guide, and are carried out of the way of Truth. <HI>No man hath &s;een God at any time; the only begotten who is in the bo&s;ome of the Father he hath declared him, Joh.</HI> 1.18. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. Therefore we can have no direct <HI>intuitive Notions</HI> or Apprehen&s;ions of the Divine E&s;&s;ence, or its Properties. Such <HI>Knowledge is too wonderful for us.</HI> Whatever is pleaded for an <HI>intellectual Vi&s;ion</HI> of the E&s;&s;ence of God in the light of Glory, yet none pretend unto a po&s;&s;ibility of an immediate <HI>full com|prehen&s;ion</HI> of it. But in our pre&s;ent &s;tate God is unto us, as he was unto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> under all the external manife&s;tations of his Glory, <HI>in thick Darkne&s;s, Exod.</HI> 20.21. All the rational Con|ceptions of the Minds of men, are &s;wallowed up, and lo&s;t, when they would exerci&s;e them&s;elves <HI>directly</HI> on that which is ab&s;olutely Immen&s;e, Eternal, Infinite. When we &s;ay <HI>it is &s;o,</HI> we know not what we &s;ay, but only that it is not otherwi&s;e. What we <HI>deny</HI> of God, we know in &s;ome mea|&s;ure, but what we <HI>affirm</HI> we know not; only we declare what we <HI>believe</HI> and adore. <HI>Neque &s;en&s;us e&s;t ejus, neque phan|ta&s;ia, neque opinio, nec ratio, nec &s;cientia,</HI> &s;aies <HI>Diony&s;. De Devin. Nomini:</HI> 1. We have no means, no corporal, no intellectual in&s;trument or power for the comprehen&s;ion of him. Nor hath any other Creature; <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<PB N="56" REF="55"><HI>For that which is God</HI> (the E&s;&s;ence of God) <HI>not only have not the Prophets &s;een, but neither the Angels nor the Archangels. If thou wilt enquire of them, thou &s;halt have nothing of the &s;ub|&s;tance of God, but only hear them &s;ay, Glory to God on high. If thou aske&s;t the Cherubims and Seraphims, thou &s;halt only hear the prai&s;e of Holine&s;s, the whole Earth is full of his Glory,</HI> Says <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> in <HI>cap.</HI> 1. <HI>Joh. v.</HI> 18. That God is in him&s;elf ab|&s;olutely incomprehen&s;ible unto us, is a nece&s;&s;ary Effect of our Infinite di&s;tance from him. But as <HI>he externally repre&s;ents</HI> him&s;elf unto us, and by the Notions which are ingenerated in us by the effects of his Properties, are our Conceptions of hsm, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19.1. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.21.</P>
<P>This is declared in the An&s;wer given unto that Reque&s;t of <HI>Mo&s;es; I be&s;eech thee &s;hew me thy Glory, Exod.</HI> 33.28. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had <HI>heard a voice</HI> &s;peaking unto him, but he that &s;pake was <HI>in thick Darkne&s;s,</HI> he &s;aw him not. Glorious Evidences he gave of his <HI>Maje&s;tatical Pre&s;ence,</HI> but no Appearance was made of his E&s;&s;ence or Per&s;on. Hereon <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> de&s;ireth for the full &s;atisfaction of his &s;oul (as the nearer any one is unto God, the more earne&s;t will be his de&s;ire after the full fruition of him) that he might have <HI>a &s;ight of his Glory,</HI> not of that created Glory in the tokens of his Pre&s;ence and Power which he had beheld, but of the <HI>increated Glory</HI> of <HI>his E&s;&s;ence</HI> and Being. Through a tran&s;port of Love to God, he would have been in Heaven whil&s;t he was on the Earth; yea de&s;ired more than Heaven it &s;elf will afford, if he would have &s;een the <HI>E&s;&s;ence of God</HI> with his Corporeal Eyes. In an&s;wer hereunto God tells him, <HI>that he cannot &s;ee his face and live;</HI> none can
<PB N="57" REF="55">have either bodily &s;ight or direct mental Intuition of the Di|vine Being. But this I will do, &s;aith God, <HI>I will make my Glory pa&s;s before thee, and thou &s;halt &s;ee my back parts, Exod.</HI> 33, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, &amp;c. This is all that God would grant, namely, &s;uch <HI>external Repre&s;entations</HI> of him&s;elf in the Proclamation of his Name, and created Appearances of his Glory, as we have of a man who&s;e <HI>back parts only</HI> we be|hold as he pa&s;&s;eth by us. But as to the <HI>Being of God,</HI> and his &s;ub&s;i&s;tence in the <HI>Trinity of Per&s;ons,</HI> we have no direct Intuition into them, much le&s;s Comprehen&s;ion of them.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is evident therefore that our Conceptions of God, and of the Glorious Properties of his Nature, are both ingenerated in us, and regulated under the Conduct of <HI>Divine Revelation,</HI> by Reflections of his Glory on other things, and Repre&s;entations of his Divine Excellencies in the Effects of them. So the in|vi&s;ible things of God, <HI>even his eternal Power and Godhead, are clearly &s;een, being manife&s;ted and under&s;tood by the things that are made, Rom.</HI> 1.20. Yet mu&s;t it be granted, that no meer Creature, not the Angels above, not the Heaven of Hea|vens, are meet or able to receive upon them, &s;uch <HI>Cha|racters</HI> of the Divine Excellencies, as to be a compleat &s;atis|factory Repre&s;entation of the <HI>Being</HI> and <HI>Properties</HI> of God, unto us. They are all <HI>finite</HI> and limited, and &s;o cannot pro|perly repre&s;ent that which is <HI>infinite</HI> and immen&s;e. And this is the true Rea&s;on why all Wor&s;hip or <HI>Religious</HI> Adora|tion of them is Idolatry. Yet are there &s;uch effects of God's Glory in them, &s;uch impre&s;&s;ions of Divine Excellencies upon them, as we cannot comprehend nor &s;earch out unto Per|fection. How little do we conceive of the Nature, Glory and Power of <HI>Angels?</HI> &s;o remote are we from an immediate comprehen&s;ion of the uncreated Glory of God, as that we cannot fully apprehend, nor conceive aright, the re|flection of it on Creatures in them&s;elves finite and limited.
<PB N="58" REF="56">Hence they thought of old when they had <HI>&s;een an Angel,</HI> that &s;o much of the Divine Perfections had been manife&s;ted unto them that thereon they <HI>mu&s;t dye, Judg.</HI> 13.21, 22. Howbeit they come infinitely &s;hort of making any <HI>compleat Repre&s;entation</HI> of God, nor is it otherwi&s;e with any Creature whatever.</P>
<P N="4">4. Mankind &s;eemed to have alwaies had a <HI>common Appre|hen&s;ion,</HI> that there was need of a nearer and more full Repre|&s;entation of God unto them, than was made in any of the Works of Creation or Providence. The <HI>Heavens indeed de|clared his Glory,</HI> and the Firmament always &s;hewed his han|dy work. The <HI>Invi&s;ible things</HI> of his eternal Power and Godhead, were continually made known by the things that are made. But men generally mi&s;carried and mi&s;&s;ed it in the Contemplation of them, as the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> declares, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. For &s;till they were influenced by a common Pre&s;umption, that there mu&s;t be a <HI>nearer</HI> and more evident Manife&s;tation of God; that made by the Works of Creation and Providence being not &s;ufficient to guide them unto him. But in the per|&s;uit hereof, they utterly ruined them&s;elves. They would do what God had not done. By common Con&s;ent they <HI>fra|med Repre&s;entations of God</HI> unto them&s;elves; and were &s;o be&s;otted therein, that they utterly lo&s;t the benefit which they might have received by the Manife&s;tation of him in the Works of the Creation, and took up with mo&s;t fooli&s;h Imaginations. For whereas they might have learned from thence, the <HI>Be|ing of God,</HI> his Infinite Wi&s;dom, Power and Goodne&s;s, name|ly, in the Impre&s;&s;ions and <HI>Characters</HI> of them on the things that were made; in their own <HI>Repre&s;entations</HI> of him, they changed the <HI>Glory of the Invi&s;ible God into an Image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed bea&s;ts, and creeping things, Rom.</HI> 1.23. Wherefore this common Pre|&s;umption that there was no way to attain a due &s;en&s;e of the Divine Being, but by &s;ome <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of it, though true
<PB N="59" REF="56">in it &s;elf, yet by the craft of Satan, and fooli&s;h &s;uper&s;titions of the minds of men, became the occa&s;ion of all <HI>Idolatry</HI> and flagitious wickedne&s;s in the world. Hence were all tho&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign">, or &s;uppo&s;ed <HI>illu&s;trious Appearances</HI> of their Gods, which Satan deluded the <HI>Gentiles</HI> by; and hence were all the waies which they devi&s;ed to bring God into Humane Na|ture, or the likene&s;s of it. Wherefore in all the Revelations that ever God made of him&s;elf, his Mind and Will, he al|waies laid this practice of <HI>making Repre&s;entations of him,</HI> un|der the mo&s;t &s;evere Interdict and Prohibition. And this he did evidently for the&s;e two Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e it was a bold and fooli&s;h intrenching upon his <HI>Provi&s;ional Wi&s;dom</HI> in the Ca&s;e. He had taken care that there &s;hould be <HI>a Glorious Image and Repre&s;entation</HI> of him &s;elf, infinitely above what any created Wi&s;dom could find out. But as when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> went into the Mount, the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> would not wait for his Return, but made a <HI>Calf</HI> in his &s;tead; &s;o mankind refu&s;ing to wait for the actual Exhibition of that <HI>Glorious Image</HI> of him&s;elf which God had provided, they broke in upon his Wi&s;dom and Soveraignty, to make <HI>&s;ome</HI> of their own. For this Cau&s;e was God &s;o provoked, that he gave them up to &s;uch &s;tupid blindne&s;s, that in tho&s;e things wherein they thought <HI>to &s;hew them&s;elves wi&s;e,</HI> and to bring God nearer unto them, they became contemptibly fooli&s;h, aba&s;ed their Nature, and all the Noble Faculties of their minds unto <HI>Hell,</HI> and departed unto the utmo&s;t di&s;tance from God, whom they &s;ought to bring near unto them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e nothing that can fall into the Invention or Imagination of men, could make any other but <HI>fal&s;e Repre|&s;entations</HI> of him, and &s;o &s;ub&s;titute an <HI>Idol</HI> his place. His own immediate works have great <HI>Characters</HI> of his Divine Excellencies upon them, though unto us ob&s;cure and not clearly legible without the Light of Revelation. Somewhat he did of old repre&s;ent of his glorious Pre&s;ence, though not
<PB N="60" REF="57">of his Being, in the Vi&s;ible In&s;titutions of his Wor&s;hip. But all mens Inventions to this End which are neither <HI>Divine Works of Nature,</HI> nor <HI>Divine In&s;titutions of Wor&s;hip,</HI> are all but fal&s;e Repre&s;entations of God, and therefore accur&s;ed by him.</P>
<P>Wherefore it is granted that God hath placed <HI>many Cha|racters</HI> of his Divine Excellencies upon his Works of Crea|tion and Providence; many of his <HI>glorious Pre&s;ence</HI> upon the Tabernacle and Temple of old; but none of the&s;e things ever did or could give <HI>&s;uch a Repre&s;entation</HI> of him, as where|in the &s;ouls of men might fully acquie&s;ce, or obtain &s;uch Conceptions of him as might enable them to wor&s;hip and honour him in a due manner. They cannot, I &s;ay, by all that may be &s;een in them, and learned from them, repre&s;ent God as the <HI>Compleat Object</HI> of all our Affections, of all the actings of our &s;ouls in Faith, Tru&s;t, Love, Fear, Obedience, in that way whereby he may be glorified, and we may be brought unto the everla&s;ting fruition of him. This there|fore is yet to be enquired after. Wherefore</P>
<P N="5">5. A meer <HI>external Doctrinal Revelation</HI> of the Divine Na|ture and Properties, without any <HI>Exemplification,</HI> or real Re|pre&s;entation of them, was not &s;ufficient unto the End of God in the manife&s;tation of him&s;elf. This is done in the Scrip|ture. But the whole Scripture is built on this Foundation, or proceeds on this Suppo&s;ition, that there is a <HI>real Repre&s;enta|tion</HI> of the Divine Nature unto us, which it declares and de|&s;cribes. And as there was &s;uch a notion on the minds of all men, that &s;ome Repre&s;entation of God, wherein he might be near unto them, was nece&s;&s;ary, which aro&s;e from the con|&s;ideration of the infinite di&s;tance between the Divine Nature and their own, which allowed of no mea&s;ures between them; &s;o as unto the Event God him&s;elf hath declared that in his <HI>own way</HI> &s;uch a Repre&s;entation was needfull unto that End of the
<PB N="61" REF="57">Manife&s;tation of him&s;elf which he de&s;igned. For</P>
<P N="6">6. All this is done in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI> He is the com|pleat Image and Perfect Repre&s;entation of the Divine Being and Excellencies. I do not &s;peak of it ab&s;olutely, but as God propo&s;eth him&s;elf as the <HI>Object of our Faith,</HI> Tru&s;t and Obe|dience. Hence it is <HI>God</HI> as <HI>the Father</HI> who is &s;o peculiarly repre&s;ented in him and by him; as he &s;ays; <HI>he that hath &s;een the Son hath &s;een the Father al&s;o, Joh.</HI> 14.9.</P>
<P>Unto &s;uch a <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> two things are required. (1.) That all the Properties of the Divine Nature, the know|ledg whereof is nece&s;&s;ary unto our pre&s;ent Obedience and future Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, be <HI>expre&s;&s;ed</HI> in it, and manife&s;ted unto us. (2.) That there be therein the <HI>neare&s;t approach</HI> of the Di|vine Nature made unto us whereof it is capable, and which we can receive. And both the&s;e are found in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> and therein alone.</P>
<P N="1">1 In the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t we con&s;ider both the <HI>Con&s;titution</HI> of it in the <HI>&V;nion of his Natures,</HI> and the Re&s;pect of it unto his <HI>Work of Mediation,</HI> which was the End of that Con&s;titu|tion. And (1.) Therein as &s;o con&s;idered, is there a ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> made unto us of all the Holy Properties of the Nature of God; of his Wi&s;dom, his Power, his Goodne&s;s, Grace and Love, his Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Truth and Holine&s;s, his Mercy and Patience. As this is affirmed concerning them all in general, or the Glory of God in them, which is &s;een and known only <HI>in the face of Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;o it were ea&s;y to manife&s;t the &s;ame concerning every one of them in particu|lar, by expre&s;s te&s;timonies of Scripture. But I &s;hall at pre&s;ent confine my &s;elf unto the proofs of the whole A&s;&s;ertion which do en&s;ue.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is therein the mo&s;t <HI>incomprehen&s;ible approach of the Divine Nature made unto ours;</HI> Such as all the Imaginations of men did ever infinitely fall &s;hort of; as hath been before de|clared.
<PB N="62" REF="58">In the <HI>A&s;&s;umption of our Nature into Per&s;onal &V;nion</HI> with him&s;elf, and our Cognation unto God thereby, with the Union which Believers obtain with him thereon, being <HI>one in the Father and the Son, as the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, Joh.</HI> 17.20, 21. there is the neare&s;t ap|proach of the Divine Being unto us, that the nature of things is capable of. Both the&s;e Ends were de&s;igned in tho&s;e Re|pre&s;entations of God, which were of Humane Invention. But in both of them they utterly failed. For in&s;tead of repre|&s;enting any of the <HI>Glorious Properties</HI> of the Nature of God, they deba&s;ed it, di&s;honoured it, and filled the minds of men with <HI>vile Conceptions</HI> of it. And in&s;tead of bringing God <HI>nea|rer unto them,</HI> they put them&s;elves at an infinite moral di|&s;tance from him. But my de&s;ign is the Confirmation of our A&s;&s;ertions from the Scripture.</P>
<P><HI>Col.</HI> 1.15. <HI>He is the Image of the In&s;i&s;ible God.</HI> This Title or Property of <HI>Invi&s;ible,</HI> the Apo&s;tle here gives unto God, to &s;hew what need there was of an <HI>Image</HI> or <HI>Repre&s;en|tation</HI> of him unto us, as well as of one in whom he would declare the Coun&s;els of his Will. For he intends not only the <HI>ab&s;olute Invi&s;ibility of his E&s;&s;ence,</HI> but his being <HI>unknown unto us</HI> in him&s;elf. Wherefore as was before ob&s;erved, man|kind was generally prone to make <HI>vi&s;ible</HI> Repre&s;entations of this <HI>Invi&s;ible</HI> God, that in them they might contemplate on him, and have him pre&s;ent with them as they fooli&s;hly ima|gined. Unto the Craft of Satan abu&s;ing this Inclination of mankind, <HI>Idolatry</HI> owes its Original and Progre&s;s in the World. Howbeit nece&s;&s;ary it was that this <HI>Invi&s;ible God</HI> &s;hould be &s;o repre&s;ented unto us by &s;ome <HI>Image</HI> of him, as that we might know him, and that therein he might be wor|&s;hiped according unto his own mind and Will. But this mu&s;t be of his own contrivance, an Effect of his own infinite Wi&s;|dom. Hence as he ab&s;olutely rejecteth all <HI>Images and Repre|&s;entations
<PB N="63" REF="58">of him</HI> of mens devi&s;ings for the Rea&s;ons before mentioned, and declares that the honour that any &s;hould think would thereby redound unto him, was not given unto him, but unto the <HI>Devil;</HI> &s;o that which he hath provided him&s;elf, unto his own holy Ends and Purpo&s;es, is every way approved of him. For he will have all <HI>men honour the Son even as they honour the Father;</HI> and &s;o, as that he who <HI>ho|noureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father, John</HI> 5.23, 25.</P>
<P>This <HI>Image</HI> therefore is the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; <HI>He is the Image of the Invi&s;ible God.</HI> This in the fir&s;t place re&s;pects the Divine Per&s;on ab&s;olutely as he is the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Father; which mu&s;t briefly be declared.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Son is &s;ometimes &s;aid to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>in the Fa|ther,</HI> and the Father in the Son. <HI>John</HI> 14.10. <HI>Believe&s;t thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me.</HI> This is from the <HI>&V;nity</HI> or &s;amene&s;s of their Nature; for <HI>he and the Father are one, John</HI> 10.30. Thence <HI>all things that the Fa|ther hath are his, chap.</HI> 16.15. becau&s;e their Nature is one and the &s;ame. With re&s;pect unto the Divine E&s;&s;ence ab&s;o|lutely con&s;idered, wherein the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, the one cannot be &s;aid to be the <HI>Image</HI> of the other. For he and the Father are one; and one and the &s;ame thing, cannot be the Image of it &s;elf in that wherein it is one.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Son is &s;aid not only to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>in the Father,</HI> in the Unity of the &s;ame E&s;&s;ence; but al&s;o <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>with the Father, or with God</HI> in the di&s;tinction of his Per&s;on. <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.1. <HI>The Word was with God, and the Word was God.</HI> The Word <HI>was God,</HI> in the Unity of the Divine E&s;&s;ence; and the Word was <HI>with God,</HI> in its di&s;tinct per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence. The <HI>Word,</HI> that is, the Per&s;on of the Son, as di&s;tinct from the Father, was <HI>with God,</HI> or the Father. And in this re&s;pect he is the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Father, as he is
<PB N="64" REF="59">called in this place, and <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.2. and that becau&s;e he partakes of all the &s;ame Divine Properties with the Father.</P>
<P>But although the <HI>Father</HI> on the other &s;ide be partaker of all the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Divine Properties of the Son,</HI> yet is not he &s;aid to be the <HI>Image of the Son.</HI> For this Property of an <HI>Image</HI> re&s;pects not the things them&s;elves, but the <HI>manner</HI> of the participation of them. Now the <HI>Son receives all from the Father,</HI> and the Father nothing from the Son. Whatever belongs unto the Per&s;on of the Son, as the Per&s;on of the Son, he receives it all from the Father by Eternal Generation; For <HI>as the Father hath life in him&s;elf, &s;o hath he given unto the Son, to have life in him&s;elf, John</HI> 5.26. He is therefore the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Father, becau&s;e all the Properties of the Divine Nature are communicated unto him, together with Per&s;onality from the Father.</P>
<P N="3">3. In his <HI>Incarnation</HI> the Son was made the <HI>Repre&s;entative Image</HI> of God unto us, as he was in his Per&s;on the <HI>e&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Father by eternal Generation. The <HI>Invi&s;ible God</HI> who&s;e Nature and Divine Excellencies our Under&s;tandings can make no approach unto, doth in him repre&s;ent, exhibit, or make pre&s;ent unto our Faith and &s;piritual &s;en&s;e, both him|&s;elf and all the glorious Excellencies of his Nature.</P>
<P>Wherefore our Lord Je&s;us, Chri&s;t the Son of God may be con&s;idered three waies.</P>
<P N="1">1. Meerly with re&s;pect unto his <HI>Divine Nature.</HI> This is one and the &s;ame with that of the Father. In this re&s;pect the one is not the Image of the other, for both are the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="2">2. With re&s;pect unto his <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> as the Son of the Father; the only begotten, the eternal Son of God. So he receives as his <HI>Per&s;onality,</HI> &s;o all Divine Excellencies from the Father; &s;o he is the <HI>e&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Fathers Per&s;on.</P>
<P N="3">3. As he <HI>took our Nature upon him;</HI> or in the A&s;&s;umption of
<PB N="65" REF="59">our Nature into <HI>Per&s;onal &V;nion</HI> with him&s;elf, in order unto the work of his Mediation. So is he the only <HI>Repre&s;entative Image</HI> of God unto us; in whom alone we &s;ee, know and learn all the Divine Excellencies, &s;o as to live unto God, and be directed unto the Enjoyment of him. All this him&s;elf in&s;tructs us in.</P>
<P>He reflects it on the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> as an Effect of their Blind|ne&s;s and Ignoranee, that they <HI>had neither heard the Voice of God at any time, nor &s;een his &s;hape, Joh.</HI> 5.37. And in oppo|&s;ition hereunto he tells his De&s;ciples, that <HI>they had known the Father and &s;een him, Chap.</HI> 14.7. And the Rea&s;on he gives thereof, is <HI>becau&s;e they that knew him, knew the Father al&s;o.</HI> And when one of his De&s;ciples not yet &s;ufficiently in&s;tructed in this <HI>My&s;tery,</HI> replied, <HI>Lord &s;hew us the Father and it &s;ufficeth us, v.</HI> 9. His an&s;wer is, <HI>have I been &s;o long time with you, and ha&s;t thou not known me; he that hath &s;een me hath &s;een the Father, v.</HI> 10.</P>
<P>Three things are required unto the ju&s;tification of this A&s;|&s;ertion.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the Father and he be of the <HI>&s;ame Nature,</HI> have the &s;ame E&s;&s;ence and Being. For otherwi&s;e it would not follow, that he who had <HI>&s;een him had &s;een the Father al&s;o.</HI> This Ground of it he declares in the next ver&s;e, <HI>The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.</HI> Namely, becau&s;e they were one in Nature and E&s;&s;ence. For the Divine Nature being &s;imply the &s;ame in them all, the Divine Per&s;ons are <HI>in each other</HI> by Vertue of the Onene&s;s of that Nature.</P>
<P N="2">2. That he be <HI>di&s;tinct from him.</HI> For otherwi&s;e there can|not be a <HI>&s;eeing of the Father</HI> by the <HI>&s;eeing of him.</HI> He is &s;een in the Son as repre&s;ented by him, as his Image; the Word, the Son of the Father, as he was with God. The Unity of Na|ture, and the di&s;tinction of Per&s;ons, is the Ground of that A&s;&s;ertion of our Saviour; <HI>he that hath &s;een me, hath &s;een the Father al&s;o.</HI></P>
<PB N="66" REF="60">
<P N="3">3. But moreover the Lord Chri&s;t hath a re&s;pect herein un|to him&s;elf in his entire Per&s;on as he was <HI>incarnate,</HI> and there|in unto the di&s;charge of his Mediatory work. <HI>Have I been &s;o long time with you, and ha&s;t thou not known me.</HI> Whil&s;t he was with them, dwelt among them, conver&s;ed with them, he was the great <HI>Repre&s;entative</HI> of the Glory of God unto them. And notwith&s;tanding this particular mi&s;take, they did then <HI>&s;ee his Glory, the Glory of the only begotten of the Fa|ther; Joh.</HI> 1.14. And in him was manife&s;ted the Glory of the Father. <HI>He is the Image of the Invi&s;ibe God.</HI> In him God was, in him he dwelt, in him is he <HI>known,</HI> in him is he wor|&s;hipped according unto his own Will, in him is there a <HI>nea|rer approach</HI> made unto us, by the Divine Nature, than ever could enter into the Heart of man to conceive. In the Con&s;ti|tution of his Per&s;on, of two Natures, &s;o infinitely di&s;tinct and &s;eparate in them&s;elves, and in the Work it was de&s;igned unto, the Wi&s;dom, Power, Goodne&s;s, Love, Grace, Mercy, Holine&s;s and Faithfulne&s;s of God, are manife&s;ted unto us. This is the One Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Image of the Invi&s;ible God</HI> wherein we may learn, wherein we may contemplate and adore all his Divine Perfections.</P>
<P>The &s;ame Truth is te&s;tified unto, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.3. <HI>God &s;pake unto us in the Son, who is the brightne&s;s of his Glory, and the expre&s;s Image of his Per&s;on.</HI> His Divine Nature is here in|cluded, as that without which he could not have made a perfect Repre&s;entation of God unto us. For the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of him, as of him <HI>by whom the worlds were made,</HI> and who <HI>upholdeth all things by the word of his Power.</HI> Yet doth he not &s;peak of him ab&s;olutely as he was God, but al&s;o as he, who <HI>in him&s;elf purged our &s;ins, and is &s;at down at the right hand on the Maje&s;ty on High,</HI> that is, in his whole Per|&s;on Herein he is <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>Effulgency,</HI> the <HI>Re&s;plendency</HI> of Divine Glory. That wherein the Divine
<PB N="67" REF="60">Glory &s;hines forth, in an evident manife&s;tation of it &s;elf un|to us. And as a farther explication of the &s;ame My&s;tery, it is added, that he is the <HI>Character or expre&s;s Image</HI> of the Per&s;on of the Father. Such an impre&s;&s;ion of all the glorious Properties of God is on him, as that thereby they become legible unto all them that believe.</P>
<P>So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle affirms again, that he is <HI>the Image of God,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.4. In what &s;en&s;e, and unto what End he de|clares, <HI>v.</HI> 6. <HI>We have the knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Still it is &s;uppo&s;ed that the Glory of God, as e&s;&s;entially in him is <HI>invi&s;ible</HI> unto us, and incomprehen&s;ible by us. Yet is there a <HI>knowledg of it</HI> nece&s;&s;ary unto us, that we may live unto him, and come unto the Enjoyment of him. This we obtain only in the <HI>face</HI> or <HI>Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t <GAP DESC="foreign">; for in him that Glory is repre&s;ented unto us.</P>
<P>This was the Te&s;timony which the Apo&s;tles gave concern|ing him, when he dwelt among them in the dayes of his fle&s;h. <HI>They &s;aw his Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Fa|ther, full of Grace and Truth, Joh.</HI> 1.14. The Divine Glory was manife&s;t in him, and in him, they &s;aw the Glory of the Father. So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle witne&s;&s;eth again who recor|ded this Te&s;timony, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.2. <HI>For the life was manife&s;ted, and we have &s;een it, and bear witne&s;s that eternal life was with the Father, and was manife&s;ted unto us.</HI> In the Son incarnate that eternal life which was originally in and with the Father, was <HI>manife&s;t</HI> unto us.</P>
<P>It may be &s;aid, that the <HI>Scripture</HI> it &s;elf is &s;ufficient for this End of the <HI>Declaration of God unto us,</HI> &s;o that there is no need of any other Repre&s;entation of him; and the&s;e things &s;erve only to turn the minds of men from learning the Mind and Will of God therein, to &s;eek for all in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. But the true End of propo&s;ing the&s;e things, is to draw men unto the <HI>diligent Study of the Scripture,</HI> wherein alone they are
<PB N="68" REF="61">revealed and declared. And in its proper u&s;e, and unto its proper End it is <HI>perfect</HI> and mo&s;t &s;ufficient. It is <GAP DESC="foreign">, the Word of God; Howbeit it is not <GAP DESC="foreign">, the inter|nal e&s;&s;ential Word of God, but <GAP DESC="foreign">, the exter|nal word &s;poken by him. It is not therefore, nor can be the <HI>Image</HI> of God, either e&s;&s;ential or Repre&s;entative, but is the Re|velation and Declaration of it into us, without which we can know nothing of it.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t is the Image of the Invi&s;ible God, the expre&s;s Image of the Per&s;on of the Father. And the principal End of the whole <HI>Scripture,</HI> e&s;pecally of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> is to declare him &s;o to be, and how he is &s;o. What God promi&s;ed by his Pro|phets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t; that is fully declared in the Go&s;pel, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3, 4. The Go&s;pel is the declaration of Chri&s;t as <HI>the Power of God, and the Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.23, 24. Or an evident Repre&s;enta|tion of God in his Per&s;on and Mediation unto us, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.1. Wherefore three things are herein to be con&s;idered.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Objectum reale &amp; formale fidei;</HI> the real formal Object of our Faith in this matter. This is the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> the Son of God incarnate, the <HI>Repre&s;entative Image</HI> of the Glory of God unto us; as in the Te&s;timonies in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Medium revelans,</HI> or <HI>lumen deferens;</HI> The means of its Revelation, or the <HI>Objective Light</HI> whereby the perception and knowledge of it is conveyed unto our minds. This is the <HI>Go&s;pel;</HI> compared unto a <HI>Gla&s;s</HI> becau&s;e of the pro&s;pect which we have of the <HI>Image of God</HI> therein, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. But without it, by any other means, and not by it, we can behold nothing of this Image of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Lumen praeparans, elevans, di&s;ponens Subjectum.</HI> The Internal light of the mind in the &s;aving Illumination of the Holy Spirit enabling us by that means, and in the u&s;e of it,
<PB N="69" REF="61">Spiritually to behold and di&s;cern the Glory of God in the face of Chri&s;t, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.6.</P>
<P>Through both the&s;e, in their &s;everal waies of Operation, there proceedeth from the <HI>real Object of our Faith,</HI> Chri&s;t as the Image of God, <HI>a transforming Power,</HI> whereby the Soul is changed into the <HI>&s;ame Image,</HI> or is made conformable unto Chri&s;t, which is that whereunto we are prede&s;tinated. But we may yet a little farther contemplate on the&s;e things, in &s;ome In&s;tances wherein the Glory of God and our own Duty are concerned.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>The Glory of Gods Wi&s;dom</HI> is exalted, and the Pride of the Imaginations of men is proportionably deba&s;ed. And in the&s;e two con&s;i&s;ts the real Foundation of all Religion in our Souls. This God de&s;igned in the di&s;pen&s;ation of him&s;elf and his Will, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.29, 31. This he calls us unto, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 2.22. <HI>Zech.</HI> 2.13. As this frame of Heart is prevalent in us, &s;o do all other Graces &s;hine and flouri&s;h. And it is that which influences all our Duties, &s;o far as they are acceptable unto God. And there is no Truth more in&s;tructive unto it, than that before us. It is taken for granted, and the Event hath demon&s;trated it to be &s;o, that &s;ome <HI>expre&s;s Repre&s;entation</HI> &s;hould be made of God unto us; wherein we might contem|plate the glorious Excellencies of his Nature, and he might draw nigh unto us, and be pre&s;ent with us. This therefore men <HI>attempted</HI> to effect and accompli&s;h, and this God alone hath <HI>performed</HI> and could &s;o do. And their &s;everal waies for this End are herein manife&s;t. As the way whereby God hath <HI>done</HI> it, is the principal exaltation of his infinite Wi&s;|dom and Goodne&s;s, as &s;hall be immediately more fully decla|red, &s;o the way whereby men <HI>attempted</HI> it, was the highe&s;t In&s;tance of wickedne&s;s and folly. It is, as we have declared, in <HI>Chri&s;t alone</HI> that God hath done it. And that therein he hath exalted and manife&s;ted the Riches, the Trea&s;ures of his
<PB N="70" REF="62">infinite Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s, is that which the Go&s;pel, the Spirit and the Church do give Te&s;timony unto. A more glori|ous Effect of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> and Goodne&s;s, a more illu&s;tri|ous manife&s;tation of them, there never was, nor ever &s;hall be, than in the finding out and Con&s;titution of this way of the Repre&s;entation of God unto us. The waies of men for the &s;ame End were &s;o far from giving a <HI>right Repre&s;entation</HI> of the Perfections of the Divine Nature, that they were all of them below, beneath and unworthy of our own. For in no|thing did the blindne&s;s, darkne&s;s and folly of our Nature in its depraved condition ever &s;o exert and evidence them|&s;elves, as in contriving waies for the <HI>Repre&s;entation of God unto us,</HI> that is in <HI>Idolatry</HI> the wor&s;t and vile&s;t of evils. So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 115.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 44. <HI>Revel.</HI> 1.19, 20. &amp;c. This Pride and Folly of men, was that which lo&s;t all knowledg of God in the World, and all obedience unto him. The <HI>Ten Com|mandments</HI> are but a tran&s;cript of the Light and Law of Na|ture. The fir&s;t of the&s;e required that God, the only true God, the Creator and Governour of all, &s;hould be <HI>acknow|ledged,</HI> wor&s;hipped, believed in, and obeyed. And the <HI>Second</HI> was, that we &s;hould not <HI>make unto our &s;elves any Image or Repre&s;entation of him.</HI> Whatever he would do him&s;elf, yet he &s;trictly forbid that we &s;hould make any &s;uch <HI>un|to our &s;elves.</HI> And here began the <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> of the World from God. They did not ab&s;olutely reject him, and &s;o ca&s;t off the fir&s;t Fundamental Precept of the Law of Nature. But they &s;ubmitted not unto his Wi&s;dom and Authority in the <HI>next,</HI> which was evidently educed from it. They would <HI>make Images</HI> and Repre&s;entations of him <HI>unto them&s;elves.</HI> And by this Invention of their own, they fir&s;t <HI>di&s;honoured</HI> him, and them <HI>for&s;ook</HI> him, giving them&s;elves up unto the Rule and Service of the Devil. Wherefore as the way that God in Infinite Wi&s;dom found out for the <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of him|&s;elf
<PB N="71" REF="62">unto us, was the only means of Recovery from the fir&s;t <HI>Apo&s;tacy.</HI> The way found out by men unto the &s;ame End, was the great means of ca&s;ting the generality of mankind in|to the farthe&s;t degree of a <HI>New Apo&s;tacy</HI> from God whereof our Nature is capable. And of the &s;ame kind will all our contrivances in what belongs unto his Wor&s;hip and Glory, be found to be, though unto us they may appear both &s;pe|cious and nece&s;&s;ary. This therefore &s;hould lead us into a continual admiration of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and Grace of God; with a due &s;en&s;e of our own <HI>vilene&s;s and ba&s;ene&s;s</HI> by Nature. For we are in nothing better or wi&s;er than they, who fell into the utmo&s;t folly and wickedne&s;s, in their de&s;igns for the highe&s;t End, or the Repre&s;entation of God unto us. The more we dwell on &s;uch Con&s;iderations, the more Fear and Reverence of God, with Faith, Tru&s;t and Delight in him will be encrea&s;ed; as al&s;o Humility in our &s;elves, with a &s;en&s;e of Divine Grace and Love.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is a peculiar Ground of the Spiritual Efficacy of this <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of God. The Revelation that he hath made of him&s;elf, and of the glorious Properties of his Na|ture in the works of Creation and Providence, are in them|&s;elves <HI>clear, plain</HI> and <HI>manife&s;t, P&s;al.</HI> 19.1, 2. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.21, 22. Tho&s;e which are made in Chri&s;t are <HI>&s;ublime</HI> and <HI>my&s;terious.</HI> Howbeit the <HI>Knowledge</HI> we have of him as he is repre&s;ented unto us in Chri&s;t, is far more clear, certain, &s;teady, effectual and operative, than any we can attain in and by all other waies of Revelation. The Rea&s;on hereof is, not only be|cau&s;e there is a more <HI>full and exten&s;ive Revelation</HI> made of God, his Coun&s;els and his Will, in Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel, than in all the works of Creation and Providence; but be|cau&s;e this Revelation and Repre&s;entation of God is received by <HI>Faith</HI> alone, the other by <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> only; and it is <HI>Faith</HI> that is the Principle of Spiritual <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Life</HI> in us. What
<PB N="72" REF="63">is received thereby is <HI>operative</HI> and <HI>effectual</HI> unto all the Ends of the <HI>Life of God.</HI> For we <HI>live by Faith</HI> here, as we &s;hall by <HI>Sight</HI> hereafter. Rea&s;on alone e&s;pecially as it is corrupted and depraved, can di&s;cern no Glory in the <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of God by Chri&s;t. Yea all that is &s;poken thereof or declared in the Go&s;pel, is <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> unto it. Hence many live in a profe&s;&s;ion of the Faith of the <HI>letter of the Go&s;pel,</HI> yet having no Light, Guide nor Conduct, but that of <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> they do not, they cannot really behold the <HI>Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> nor hath the Revelation of it any <HI>Efficacy</HI> upon their &s;ouls. The manife&s;tation of him in the <HI>Light of Na|ture</HI> by the works of Creation and Providence, is &s;uited unto their Rea&s;on, and doth affect it: For that which is made in Chri&s;t, they &s;ay of it, as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> did of <HI>Manna</HI> that came down from Heaven, <HI>what is it?</HI> we know not the meaning of it. For it is made unto <HI>Faith</HI> alone, and all men have not Faith. And where God <HI>&s;hines into the heart,</HI> by that Faith which is of <HI>Divine Operation,</HI> there, with <HI>open face we be|hold the Glory of God as in a gla&s;s,</HI> or have the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. There is not the meane&s;t Belever, but in the real exerci&s;e of Faith in Chri&s;t, hath more <HI>glorious apprehen&s;ions of God,</HI> his Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Grace, of all his glorious Excellencies, than the mo&s;t learned and wi&s;e in the world can attain unto, in the exerci&s;e of Rea&s;on, on the proper objects of it. So are tho&s;e things oppo&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. Wherefore <HI>Faith in Chri&s;t</HI> is the only means of the true Knowledge of God; and the di&s;coveries which are made of him and his Excellencies thereby, are tho&s;e alone which are <HI>effectual</HI> to conform us unto his Image and Likene&s;s. And this is the Rea&s;on why &s;ome men are &s;o little affected with the Go&s;pel, notwith&s;tanding the continual Preaching of it unto them, and their outward profe&s;&s;ion of it: It doth not <HI>inwardly
<PB N="73" REF="63">affect</HI> them, it produceth no ble&s;&s;ed effects in them. Some &s;en&s;e they have of the <HI>Power of God</HI> in the Works of Creation and Providence, in his Rule and Government; and in the Workings of Natural Con&s;cience. Beyond the&s;e they have no real &s;en&s;e of him. The Rea&s;on is, becau&s;e they <HI>have not Faith,</HI> whereby alone the <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> that is made of God in Chri&s;t, and declared in the Go&s;pel, is made effectual unto the &s;ouls of men. Wherefore</P>
<P N="3">3. It is the highe&s;t <HI>degeneracy</HI> from the My&s;tery of Chri|&s;tian Religion, for men to &s;atisfie them&s;elves in natural di&s;|coveries of the <HI>Divine Being</HI> and Excellencies, without an <HI>Acquaintance</HI> with that perfect Declaration and Repre&s;enta|tion of them which is made in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as he is revealed and declared in the Go&s;pel. It is confe&s;&s;ed that there may be good u&s;e made of the Evidence which <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> gives, or takes from its own innate Principles, with the Con|&s;ideration of the external works of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power, concerning the <HI>Being</HI> and <HI>Rule</HI> of God. But to re&s;t herein, to e&s;teem it the <HI>be&s;t</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>perfective</HI> Knowledge of God that we can attain, not to ri&s;e up unto the more full, perfect and evident manife&s;tation of him&s;elf that he hath <HI>made in Chri&s;t,</HI> is a declaration of our <HI>&V;nbelief,</HI> and a Vir|tual Renunciation of the Go&s;pel. This is the &s;pring of that <HI>Declen&s;ion</HI> unto a meer <HI>Natural Religion,</HI> which di&s;covers it &s;elf in many, and u&s;ually ends in the expre&s;s denial of the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. For when the <HI>proper u&s;e</HI> of it is de&s;pi&s;ed, on what grounds can the <HI>Notion</HI> of it be long re|tained? But a &s;uppo&s;ition of his <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> is the Foun|dation of this Di&s;cour&s;e. Were he not the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of the Father in his own Divine Per&s;on, he could not be the <HI>Repre&s;entative Image</HI> of God unto us, as he is incarnate. For if he were a man only, however miraculou&s;ly produced and gloriou&s;ly exalted, yet the Angels above, the glorious Hea|vens,
<PB N="74" REF="64">the Seat and Throne of God, with other Effects of creating Power and Wi&s;dom, would no le&s;s <HI>repre&s;ent</HI> his Glory than it could be done in him. Yet are they no where joyntly nor &s;eparately &s;tiled the <HI>Image of the Invi&s;ible God;</HI> the <HI>brightne&s;s of his Glory, and the expre&s;s Image of his Per|&s;on;</HI> nor doth God &s;hine into our hearts to give us the Know|ledge of his Glory in the face of them. And it argues the woful Enmity of the <HI>Carnal Mind</HI> again&s;t God, and all the Effects of his Wi&s;dom, that whereas he hath granted us &s;uch a <HI>glorious Image</HI> and Repre&s;entation of him&s;elf, we like it not, we delight not in the contemplation of it, but either de&s;pi&s;e it, or neglect it, and plea&s;e our &s;elves in that which is incomparably beneath it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e God is not <HI>thus known,</HI> it is that the Know|ledge of him is &s;o barren and fruitle&s;s in the world, as it ma|nife&s;ts it &s;elf to be. It were ea&s;ie to produce, yea endle&s;s to number the Te&s;timonies that might be produced out of Hea|then Writers, given unto the <HI>Being</HI> and <HI>Exi&s;tence</HI> of God, his <HI>Authority, Monarchy</HI> and <HI>Rule:</HI> Yet what were the Effects of that Knowledg which they had? Be&s;ides that wretched <HI>Idolatry</HI> wherein they were all immer&s;ed, as the Apo&s;tle declares, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. it re&s;cued them from no kind of wickedne&s;s and villany, as he there al&s;o manife&s;ts. And the <HI>Vertues</HI> which were found among them, evidently derived from other Cau&s;es, and not from the Knowledge they had of God. The <HI>Jews</HI> have the Knowledge of God by the <HI>let|ter of the Old Te&s;tament.</HI> But yet not knowing him in Chri&s;t, and having lo&s;t all &s;en&s;e and apprehen&s;ion of tho&s;e Repre&s;en|tations which were made of his being in him in the Law, they continue univer&s;ally a people carnal, ob&s;tinate and wicked. They have neither the <HI>Virtues</HI> of the Heathens among them, nor the <HI>Power</HI> of the Truth of Religion. As it was with them of old, &s;o it yet continueth to be; <HI>they
<PB N="75" REF="64">profe&s;s that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and di&s;obedient, and to every good work reprobate, Titus</HI> 1.16. So is it among many that are called Chri&s;tians at this day in the world. Great pretence there is unto the Knowledge of God; yet did flagitious &s;ins and wickedne&s;s &s;carce ever more abound among the Heathens them&s;elves. It is the Knowledge of God in Chri&s;t alone that is effectual|ly powerful to work the &s;ouls of men unto a conformity un|to him. Tho&s;e alone who behold the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, are changed into the &s;ame Image from Glory to Glory.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t the great Repo&s;itory of Sacred Truth. Its Relation thereunto.</HI></HEAD>
<P>DIvine Supernatural Truth is called by the Apo&s;tle, the <HI>Truth which is according to Godline&s;s, Titus</HI> 1.1. Whereas therefore the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the great <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s,</HI> we mu&s;t in the next place enquire what is the Re|lation of &s;piritual &s;upernatural Truth thereunto. And this I &s;hall do in pur&s;uit of what was propo&s;ed in the foregoing Chapter, namely, that he is the great <HI>Repre&s;entative</HI> unto the Church, of God, his holy Properties, and the Coun&s;els of his Will.</P>
<P>All <HI>Divine Truth</HI> may be referred unto two Heads. Fir&s;t, that which is <HI>e&s;&s;entially</HI> &s;o, and then that which is &s;o <HI>declaratively.</HI> The fir&s;t is God him&s;elf, the other are the Coun&s;els of his Will.</P>
<P>God him&s;elf is the fir&s;t and only <HI>e&s;&s;ential Truth,</HI> in who&s;e
<PB N="76" REF="65">Being and Nature the Springs of all Truth do lie. Whatever is <HI>Truth,</HI> &s;o far as it is &s;o, derives from him; is an emanati|on from that eternal Fountain of it. <HI>Being, Truth,</HI> and <HI>Good|ne&s;s,</HI> is the Principal Notion of God, and in him they are all the &s;ame. How this is repre&s;ented in Chri&s;t, as he is in him&s;elf the e&s;&s;ential Image of the Father, and as Incarnate the Re|pre&s;entative Image of him unto us, hath been declared.</P>
<P>The <HI>Coun&s;els of God</HI> are the next Spring and cau&s;e, as al&s;o the &s;ubject matter or &s;ub&s;tance, of all Truth, that is &s;o <HI>decla|ratively. Divine Truth is the Declaration of the Coun&s;els of God, Act.</HI> 20.27. Of them all, the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the &s;acred Repo&s;itory and Trea&s;ury; In him are they to be learn|ed. All their efficacy and u&s;e depends on their Relation un|to him. He is the Center and Circumference of all the lines of Truth, that is, which is Divine, Spiritual, and Supernatu|ral. And the beauty of it, is pre&s;ented unto us only in his <HI>face or Per&s;on.</HI> We &s;ee it not, we know it not but as God &s;hines into our Hearts to give us the knowledge of it therein, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.6.</P>
<P>So he te&s;tifieth of him&s;elf, <HI>I am the Truth, John</HI> 14.6. He is &s;o <HI>E&s;&s;entilly</HI> as he is one with the Father, the God of Truth, <HI>Deut.</HI> 32.4. He is &s;o <HI>efficiently;</HI> as by him alone it is fully and effectually declared. For <HI>no man hath &s;een God at any time, the only begotten who is in the bo&s;om of the Father, he hath declared him, Joh.</HI> 1.18. He is &s;o <HI>&s;ub&s;tantially</HI> in oppo&s;i|tion unto the <HI>Types</HI> and Shadows of the Old Te&s;tament; for in him <HI>dwelt the fulne&s;s of the Godhead bodily, Col.</HI> 2.9. The Body is of Chri&s;t, <HI>v.</HI> 17. He is &s;o <HI>Subjectively;</HI> For all Di|vine Truth relating to the &s;aving Knowledge of God, is trea|&s;ured up in him.</P>
<P>In him <HI>are hid all the trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Knowledge, Col.</HI> 2.3. That is the Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God in his Coun&s;els concerning the Vocation, Sanctification and Salva|tion
<PB N="77" REF="65">of the Church; concerning which the Apo&s;tle falls into that holy Admiration; <HI>O the depths of the Riches both of the Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God, Rom.</HI> 11.33. And they are called <HI>Trea&s;ures</HI> in a twofold account both mentioned together by the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O Lord, how great is the &s;umme of them?</HI> They are Trea&s;ures becau&s;e <HI>precious</HI> and unvaluable, and are therefore u&s;ually preferred above all earthly trea&s;ures which men mo&s;t highly e&s;teem, <HI>Prov.</HI> 3.14, 15. And they are &s;o becau&s;e of the <HI>greatne&s;s</HI> of the &s;umme of them; and therefore al&s;o called <HI>un&s;earchable Riches, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.8. The&s;e precious un&s;earchable Trea&s;ures of the Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God, that is, all Divine &s;upernatural Truths, are <HI>hid,</HI> or &s;afely depo&s;ited in Chri&s;t, in and from whom alone they are to be learned and re|ceived.</P>
<P>So are we &s;aid to <HI>learn the Truth as it is in Je&s;us, Eph.</HI> 4.21. And the knowledge of all Evangelical Sacred Truth, is in the Scripture mo&s;t frequently expre&s;&s;ed by the Knowledge of him, <HI>John</HI> 8.19. <HI>chap.</HI> 17.3. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.14. <HI>chap.</HI> 4.5, 6. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.17 <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.8, 10. 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.1, 2. <HI>chap.</HI> 2.4, 13, 14. <HI>chap.</HI> 5.20. 2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.20.</P>
<P>Setting a&s;ide what we have di&s;cour&s;ed and proved before concerning the <HI>laying of the Foundation of all the Coun&s;els of God in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the Repre&s;entation of them in the ineffable Con&s;titution thereof, I &s;hall give &s;ome few In&s;tances of this <HI>Relation</HI> of all &s;upernatural Truth unto him; manife&s;ting that we cannot learn them, nor know them, but with a due re&s;pect thereunto.</P>
<P N="1">1. There are two things wherein the <HI>Glory of Truth</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t; fir&s;t, its <HI>Light.</HI> Secondly, its <HI>Efficacy</HI> or Power. And both the&s;e do all &s;upernatural Truths derive from this Rela|tion unto Chri&s;t. No Truth whatever brings any <HI>Spiritual Light</HI> unto the mind but by vertue thereof. <HI>In him is Life,
<PB N="78" REF="66">and the Life is the Light of men, John</HI> 1.4. He is the <HI>true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, v.</HI> 9. Wherefore as Truth is the only means of Illumination, &s;o it cannot communicate any light unto the mind, but only as it is a <HI>beam from him,</HI> as it is an Organ to convey it from that Fountain. Separated from him and its Relation unto him, it will not retain, it cannot communicate any real &s;pi|ritual Light or Under&s;tanding to the &s;ouls of men. How &s;hould it, if all Light be originally in him, as the Scripture te&s;tifieth? Then alone is the mind irradiated with heaven|ly Truth, when it is received as proceeding from, and lead|ing unto the <HI>Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> the ble&s;&s;ed &s;pring of all &s;piritual Light which is Chri&s;t him&s;elf. Whatever <HI>no|tional Knowledge</HI> men may have of Divine Truths, as they are doctrinally propo&s;ed in the Scripture, yet if they know them not in their re&s;pect unto the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> as the Foundation of the Coun&s;els of God; if they di&s;cern not how they proceed from him, and center in him, they will bring no &s;piritual &s;aving Light unto their Under&s;tanding. For all &s;piritual Life and Light is in him, and from him alone. An In&s;tance hereof we have in the <HI>Jews.</HI> They have the Scriptures of the Old Te&s;tament, wherein the &s;ub&s;tance of all Divine Truth is revealed and expre&s;&s;ed. And they are diligent in the &s;tudy of them. Howbeit their minds are not at all <HI>il|luminated,</HI> nor irradiated by the Truths contained in them, but they live and walk in horrible darkne&s;s. And the only Rea&s;on hereof is, becau&s;e they know not, becau&s;e they re|ject the <HI>Relation</HI> of them unto Chri&s;t, without which they are deprived of all enlightning Power.</P>
<P><HI>Efficacy</HI> or Power is the &s;econd Property of Divine Truth. And the End of this Efficacy is to make us like unto God, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4.20, 21, 22, 23, 24. The Mortification of &s;in, the Renova|tion of our Natures, the Sanctification of our minds, hearts
<PB N="79" REF="66">and affections, the Con&s;olation of our &s;ouls with their Edifica|tion in all the Parts of the Life of God, and the like, are the things that God hath de&s;igned to effect by his Truth, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.17. Whence it is able to <HI>build us up and give us an Inheri|tance among all them that are Sanctified, Act.</HI> 20.32. But it is from their Relation unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, that they have any thing of this Power and Efficacy. For they have it no otherwi&s;e but as they are conveyances of his Grace unto the &s;ouls of men, So 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.1, 2.</P>
<P>Wherefore as <HI>Profe&s;sors of the Truth,</HI> if &s;eperated from Chri&s;t as unto real Union, are <HI>withering branches;</HI> &s;o <HI>Truths profe&s;|&s;ed</HI> if doctrinally &s;eparated from him, or their re&s;pect unto him, have no living Power or Efficacy in the &s;ouls of men. When Chri&s;t is formed in the Heart by them, when he <HI>dwel|leth plentifully</HI> in the &s;oul through their Operation, then and not el&s;e do they put forth their proper Power and Efficacy. Otherwi&s;e they are as waters &s;eparated from the Fountain, they quickly dry up or become a noi&s;om puddle; or as a beam interrupted from its continuity unto the Sun, is imme|diately deprived of light.</P>
<P N="2">2. All Divine Spiritual Truths are <HI>declarative</HI> either of the <HI>Grace</HI> and Love of God <HI>unto us,</HI> or of <HI>our Duty,</HI> Obedience and Gratitude <HI>unto him.</HI> But as unto the&s;e things <HI>Chri&s;t is All and in All.</HI> We can have no due apprehen&s;ions of the Love and Grace of God, no under&s;tanding of the Divine Truths of the Word wherein they are revealed, and whereby they are ex|hibited unto them that believe, but in the Exerci&s;e of Faith on Chri&s;t him&s;elf. For in, by and from him alone it is, that they are propo&s;ed unto us, that we are made partakers of them. It is from <HI>his fulne&s;s</HI> that all Grace is received. No Truth concerning them can by any Imagination be &s;eparated from him. He is the <HI>life and &s;oul</HI> of all <HI>&s;uch Truths</HI> without which as they are written in the Word, they are but a dead
<PB N="80" REF="67">Letter, and that of &s;uch a <HI>Character</HI> as is <HI>illegible</HI> unto us as unto any real di&s;covery of the Grace and Love of God. And as unto tho&s;e of the other &s;ort, which are <HI>in&s;tructive</HI> unto us in our Duty, Obedience and Gratitude, we cannot come un|to a practical compliance with any one of them but by the Aids of Grace received from him. For <HI>without him we can do nothing, Joh.</HI> 15.5. And he alone <HI>under&s;tands</HI> Divine Truth who <HI>doth it, Joh.</HI> 7.17. There is not therefore any one Text of Scripture which pre&s;&s;eth our Duty unto God that we can &s;o under&s;tand as to perform that Duty in an acceptable man|ner, without an actual regard unto Chri&s;t, from whom alone we receive Ability for the performance of it, and in or through whom alone it is accepted with God.</P>
<P N="3">3. All the <HI>Evidence of Divine Spiritual Truth,</HI> and all the Foundation of our real Intere&s;t in the things whereof it is a declaration, as to benefit, advantage and comfort, depends on their Relation unto Chri&s;t. We may take an In&s;tance in one Article of Divine Truth, which &s;eems to be mo&s;t di&s;|engaged from any &s;uch Relation, namely, <HI>the Re&s;urrection of the dead.</HI> But there is no man who rightly believes or com|prehends this Truth, who doth it not upon the Evidence gi|ven unto it, and Example of it in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t <HI>ri&s;ing from the dead.</HI> Nor can any man have a comfortable expe|ctation or Faith of an e&s;pecial Intere&s;t in a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;urre|ction</HI> (which is our whole concern in that Truth, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.11.) but by vertue of a My&s;tical Union unto him as the Head of the Church that &s;hall be rai&s;ed unto Glory. Both the&s;e the Apo&s;tle in&s;i&s;ts upon at large, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. So is it with all other Truths whatever.</P>
<P>Wherefore all Divine Supernatural Truths, revealed in the Scripture, being nothing but the Declaration of the&s;e Coun&s;els of God, who&s;e Foundation was laid in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; and whereas they are all of them <HI>expre&s;&s;ive</HI> of
<PB N="81" REF="67">the Love, Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Grace of God unto us, or <HI>in&s;tructive</HI> in our Obedience and Duty to him, all the actings of God towards us, and all ours towards him, being in and through him alone. And whereas all the Life and Power of the&s;e Truths, all their Beauty, Symmetry, and Harmony in their Union and Conjunction which is expre&s;&s;ive of Divine Wi&s;dom, is all from him who as a living Spirit diffu&s;ed through the whole <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> both acts and animates it, all the Trea&s;ures of Truth, Wi&s;dom and Knowledge may be well &s;aid to be <HI>hid in him.</HI> And we may con&s;ider &s;ome things that en&s;ue hereon.</P>
<P N="1">1. Hence it is that tho&s;e who reject the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, who believe it not, who di&s;cern not the Wi&s;dom, Grace, Love and Power of God therein, do con&s;tantly re|ject or corrupt all other &s;piritual Truths of Divine Revela|tion, nor can it otherwi&s;e be. For they have a <HI>con&s;i&s;tency</HI> only in their Relation unto the My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, <HI>God manife&s;t</HI> in the fle&s;h; and from thence derive their &s;en&s;e and meaning. This being removed, the Truth in all other Ar|ticles of Religion immediately falls to the ground. An In|&s;tance hereof we have in the <HI>Socinians.</HI> For although they retain the common Notions of the Unity and Exi&s;tence of the Divine Nature, which are indelibly fixed on the minds of men, yet is there no one Truth that belongs peculiarly unto Chri&s;tian Religion, but they either deny it, or horribly deprave it. Many things concerning God and his E&s;&s;ential Properties; as his Immutability, Immen&s;ity, Prae&s;cience, they have greatly perverted. So is that fulfilled in them which was &s;poken by <HI>Jude</HI> the Apo&s;tle, <HI>v.</HI> 10. <HI>They &s;peak evil of the things which they know not, and what they do know naturally as brute bea&s;ts, in them they corrupt them&s;elves.</HI> So they do in the things mentioned whereof there are natural Notions in the minds of men. But of <HI>Evangelical Truths,</HI>
<PB N="82" REF="68">which they know not, they &s;peak evil, and deride them. The <HI>Holy Trinity</HI> they bla&s;pheme; the <HI>Incarnation</HI> of the Son of God they &s;corn; the work of his Mediation in his Oblation and Interce&s;&s;ion, with the Satisfaction and Merit of his Obedience and Suffering they reject. So do they whatever we are taught of the Depravation of our Natures by the fall, of the Renovation of them by the Holy Gho&s;t, and unto all other Articles of our Faith do they offer vio|lence to corrupt them. The beginning of their Tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion or Apo&s;tacy is in a disbelief of the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. That being rejected, all other Sacred Truths are re|moved from their <HI>Ba&s;is</HI> and <HI>Center;</HI> that which gives them their Unity and Harmony. Hereon they fluctuate up and down in the minds of men, and appearing unto them under various deceiving Colours, are ea&s;ily mi&s;apprehended or di&s;|believed. Yea there can no direct proper Repre&s;entation be made of them unto the Under&s;tandings of men. Di&s;&s;olve the Knot, Center and <HI>Harmony</HI> in the mo&s;t beautiful Com|po&s;ition or Structure, and every part will contribute as much unto the deformity and ruine of the whole, as it did before unto its beauty and con&s;i&s;tency. So is it with every Doctrine, &s;o is it with the whole Sy&s;teme of Evangelical Truths. Take the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t out of them, di&s;&s;olve their Harmony in Relation thereunto, whereby we no lon|ger <HI>hold the Head</HI> in the Faith and Profe&s;&s;ion of them, and the minds of men cannot deliver them from an irreconcilable difference among them&s;elves. Hereon &s;ome of them are immediately Rejected, and &s;ome of them Corrupted. For they lo&s;e their Native Light and Beauty. They will neither agree nor con&s;i&s;t any where but in Chri&s;t. Hence it is, that no in&s;tance can be given of any who from the Original of Chri&s;tian Religion, rejected the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and pre&s;erved any one Evangelical Truth be&s;ides pure and uncor|rupted.
<PB N="83" REF="68">And I do freely confe&s;s, that all which we believe concerning the Holy Trinity, the eternal Coun&s;els of God, the Efficacy of the Mediation of Chri&s;t, his Satisfaction and Me|rit, the way which we owne of the Sanctification, Ju&s;tifica|tion and Salvation of the Church, are to be e&s;teemed Fables as the <HI>Socinians</HI> contend, if what we believe concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, be &s;o al&s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hence it is that the Knowledge and Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth with many is &s;o <HI>fruitle&s;s, inefficacious and u&s;ele&s;s.</HI> It is not known, it is not under&s;tood nor believed in its Relation un|to Chri&s;t, on which account alone it conveys either Light or Power to the &s;oul. Men profe&s;s they know the Truth, but they know it not in its proper Order, in its Harmony and u&s;e. It leads them not to Chri&s;t, it brings not Chri&s;t unto them, and &s;o is lifele&s;s and u&s;ele&s;s. Hence ofttimes none are more e&s;tranged from the life of God, than &s;uch as have much notional Knowledge of the doctrines of the Scripture. For they are all of them u&s;ele&s;s and &s;ubject to be abu&s;ed, if they are not improved to form Chri&s;t in the &s;oul; and transform the whole Per&s;on into his likene&s;s and Image. This they will not effect where their Relation unto him is not under&s;tood, where they are not received and learned as a Revelation of him with the My&s;tery of the Will and Wi&s;dom of God in him. For whereas he is our life, and in our living unto God we do not &s;o much live as he liveth in us, and the life which we lead in the fle&s;h is by the Faith of him, &s;o that we have nei|ther principle nor power of &s;piritual life but in, by and from him, whatever Knowledge we have of the Truth, if it do not effect an <HI>&V;nion</HI> between him and our &s;ouls, it will be lifele&s;s in us, and unprofitable unto us. It is <HI>learning the Truth as it is in Je&s;us</HI> which alone reneweth the Image of God in us, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4.21, 22, 23, 24. Where it is otherwi&s;e, where men have Notions of Evangelical Truths but know not Chri&s;t in them,
<PB N="84" REF="69">whatever they profe&s;s, when they come really to examine them&s;elves they will find them of no u&s;e unto them, but that all things between God and their &s;ouls are &s;tated on Natural Light and common Pre&s;umptions.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Power and Efficacy communicated unto the Office of Chri&s;t for the Salvation of the Church from his Per&s;on.</HI></HEAD>
<P>IT is by the Exerci&s;e and Di&s;charge of the <HI>Office of Chri&s;t</HI> as the <HI>King, Prie&s;t</HI> and <HI>Prophet</HI> of the Church, that we are redeemed, Sanctified and &s;aved. Thereby doth he immedi|ately communicate all Go&s;pel Benefits unto us, gives us an Ac|ce&s;s unto God here by Grace, and in Glory hereafter. For he &s;aves us as he is the <HI>Mediator</HI> between God and Man. But hereon an Enquiry may be made, whence it is that the <HI>Acts</HI> and <HI>Duties</HI> of this <HI>Office</HI> of Chri&s;t in their exerci&s;e and di&s;|charge, &s;hould have &s;uch a <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Efficacy</HI> with re&s;pect unto their Supernatural and Eternal Ends. For the things which depend upon them, which are effected by them, are all the principal means of the Glory of God, and the only concernments of the &s;ouls of men. And this I &s;ay is his holy <HI>My&s;terious Per&s;on;</HI> from thence alone all Power and Efficacy is derived and transfu&s;ed into his Offices, and into all that is due in the di&s;charge of them.</P>
<P>A Truth this is of that Importance, that the Declaration and Demon&s;tration of it, is the principal de&s;ign of one <HI>en|tire Book</HI> of the holy Scriptures, namely, of the <HI>Epi&s;tle of Paul the Apo&s;tle unto the Hebrews.</HI> That the glorious Ex|cellency of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t doth enable him in the di&s;|charge
<PB N="85" REF="69">of his Offices to accompli&s;h tho&s;e Ends which none other though ve&s;ted with the &s;ame Offices, could in the ex|erci&s;e of them attain unto, is the &s;umme and &s;ub&s;tance of the <HI>Doctrinal Part</HI> of that Di&s;cour&s;e. Here therefore we mu&s;t a little fix our Meditations; and our Intere&s;t calls us thereunto. For if it be &s;o, it is evident that we can receive no good, no benefit by vertue of any Office of Chri&s;t, nor any fruits of their exerci&s;e, without an actual re&s;pect of Faith unto his Per&s;on, whence all their Life and Power is de|rived.</P>
<P>God gave of old both <HI>Kings, Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Prophets</HI> unto the Church. He both anointed them unto their Offices, directed them in their di&s;charge, was pre&s;ent with them in their work, and accepted of their Duties. Yet by none of them, nor by all of them together was the Church &s;uper|naturally enlightened, internally ruled, or eternally &s;aved, nor could it &s;o be. Some of them, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in particular, had as much Power, and as great a Pre&s;ence of God with him, as any meer man could be made partaker of. Yet was he not in his Mini&s;try the Saviour of the Church, nor could he be &s;o any otherwi&s;e than <HI>Typically</HI> and <HI>Temporally.</HI> The Mini&s;try of them all was &s;ub&s;ervient unto that End, which by its own Power it could not attain.</P>
<P>It is evident therefore, that the Redemption and Salva|tion of the Church do not depend meerly on this, that God hath given one to be the <HI>King, Prie&s;t</HI> and <HI>Prophet</HI> of the Church, by the actings of which Offices it is redeemed and &s;aved; but on the Per&s;on of him who was &s;o given unto us, as is fully atte&s;ted, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9.6, 7, 8.</P>
<P>This mu&s;t be declared.</P>
<P>Two things were required in general unto the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t, that his <HI>Offices</HI> might be effectual unto the &s;alvation of the Church, and without them they could not &s;o have
<PB N="86" REF="70">been. And they are &s;uch as that their <HI>Contrivance</HI> in the Con&s;titution of one and the &s;ame Per&s;on, no created Wi&s;dom could reach unto. Wherefore the Infinite Wi&s;dom of God is mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly manife&s;ted therein.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t of the&s;e is that he &s;hould have a <HI>nature provided for him,</HI> which Originally was not his own. For in his <HI>Divine</HI> Nature &s;ingly con&s;idered, he had no &s;uch Relation unto them for whom he was to di&s;charge his Offices, as was nece&s;&s;ary to communicate the Benefit of them, nor could he di&s;charge their principal Duties. God could not die, nor ri&s;e again, nor be exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour in his <HI>Divine Nature.</HI> Nor was there that e&s;pecial Alliance between it and ours, as &s;hould give us an e&s;pecial Intere&s;t in what was done thereby.</P>
<P>It was mankind in who&s;e behalf he was to exerci&s;e the&s;e <HI>Offices.</HI> He was not to bear them immediately with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Angels,</HI> and therefore he took not their Nature on him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.16. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>He took not the Nature of Angels unto him,</HI> becau&s;e he was not to be a Mediator for them, a Saviour unto them. Tho&s;e of them who had &s;inned were left unto everla&s;ting Ruine, &amp; tho&s;e who retained their Original Righteou&s;ne&s;s, needed no Redempti|on. But God <HI>prepared a Body for him;</HI> that is, an Humane Nature, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.5. The Promi&s;e hereof, namely that he &s;hould <HI>be of the &s;eed of the Woman</HI> was the Foundation of the Church; that is, he was made &s;o unto the Church in and by that Promi&s;e, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15. In the accompli&s;hment thereof he was made of a Woman, that &s;o he might be made under the Law, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.4. <HI>And took upon him the &s;eed of Abraham, Heb.</HI> 2.16. <HI>For becau&s;e the Children were partakers of fle&s;h and blood, he al&s;o him&s;elf took part of the &s;ame, v.</HI> 14. <HI>For in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Prie&s;t in things appertaining unto God, v.</HI> 17. And this was ab&s;olutely ne|ce&s;&s;ary
<PB N="87" REF="70">unto the di&s;charge of his Offices, on the twofold ac|count before mentioned. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Tho&s;e Acts of his Offices whereon the Sanctification and Salvation of the Church do principally depend, could not be performed but in and by that Nature. Therein alone could he yield Obedience unto the Law that it might be <HI>fulfil|ed in us,</HI> without which we could not &s;tand in Judgment be|fore God. See <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.3. <HI>chap.</HI> 10.3, 4. Therein alone could he undergo the <HI>Cur&s;e of the Law,</HI> or be <HI>made a Cur&s;e for us,</HI> that the ble&s;&s;ing might come upon us, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.13, 14. It was nece&s;&s;ary that as a Prie&s;t he &s;hould have &s;omething of his own to offer unto God to make Atonement for &s;in, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8.3. The like may be &s;aid of his whole Mini&s;try on the Earth, of all the Effects of his Incarnation.</P>
<P N="2">2. Herein that <HI>Cognation</HI> and <HI>Alliance</HI> between him and the Church, which were nece&s;&s;ary to entitle it unto a Par|ticipation of the Benefits of his Mediation, do depend. For hereby he became our <HI>Goel,</HI> the next of kin, unto whom be|longed the Right of Redemption, and from whom alone we could claim relief and &s;uccour in our lo&s;t condition. This is divinely and at large declared by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Having at large explained this Con|text in our Expo&s;ition of that Chapter, and therein declared both the nece&s;&s;ity and benefit of the Cognation between the Church and its High Prie&s;t, I &s;hall not here farther in&s;i&s;t up|on it. See to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.25, 26, 27. Where|fore had he not been partaker of our Nature, we could have received no Benefit, not that without which we mu&s;t eter|nally peri&s;h, by any Office that he could have undertaken. This therefore was nece&s;&s;ary unto the Con&s;titution of his Per&s;on with re&s;pect unto his Offices. But</P>
<P N="2">2. There was yet more required thereunto, or to render his <HI>Offices</HI> effectual unto their proper Ends. Not one of them
<PB N="88" REF="71">could have been &s;o had he been no more than a man, had he had no Nature but ours. This I &s;hall particularly demon|&s;trate, con&s;idering them in their u&s;ual di&s;tribution, unto the Glory of his Divine Per&s;on, and our own Edification in Be|lieving.</P>
<P N="1">1. He could not have been the <HI>great and &s;ingular Prophet of the Church,</HI> had he been a man only, though never &s;o excellent and glorious, and that for the&s;e three Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, He was to be the Prophet of the <HI>whole Catholick Church,</HI> that is of all the Elect of God, of all that &s;hall be &s;a|ved in all Ages and Places, from the Beginning of the World unto the End thereof. He had a <HI>Per&s;onal Mini&s;try</HI> for the In&s;truction of the Church whil&s;t he was on the Earth, but his <HI>Prophetical Office</HI> was not confined thereunto. For that was limited unto one Nation, <HI>Matth.</HI> 15.24. <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.8. and was for a &s;hort &s;ea&s;on only. But the Church was never without a Prophet; that is one on whom it was incumbent to reveal unto it, and in&s;truct it in the Will of God, nor can be &s;o unto the Con&s;ummation of all things. This is Chri&s;t alone. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. I take it for granted, that from the Beginning from the giving of the fir&s;t Promi&s;e, the Son of God did in an e&s;peci|al manner <HI>undertake the care of the Church</HI> as unto all the Ends of the Wi&s;dom, Will and Grace of God. And I take it for granted here; becau&s;e I have proved it at large el&s;ewhere. It e|vidently followeth on the Eternal compact between the Father and him unto this End. In the work which belonged here|unto, that which concerned its In&s;truction in the Will of God, its &s;aving Illumination and &s;piritual Wi&s;dom, is of &s;uch Im|portance as that without it, none can be partaker of any o|ther Ble&s;&s;ings whatever. In this In&s;truction and Illumination con&s;i&s;ts the di&s;charge of the Prophetical Office of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Upon the account of his &s;u&s;ception of his Office even
<PB N="89" REF="71">before his Incarnation, con&s;idered as God, he is &s;aid to act in it &s;o as to be <HI>&s;ent of God</HI> unto his Work, <HI>Mich.</HI> 5.2. <HI>The Ru|ler of I&s;rael who&s;e goings forth have been from of Old, from e|verla&s;ting. His goings forth</HI> are not his <HI>eternal Generation,</HI> which con&s;i&s;ts in one individual, eternal act of the Father. But it is the egre&s;s, the exerci&s;e of his Power and Care for the Church; that is &s;o expre&s;&s;ed. The&s;e were from the <HI>be|gining,</HI> the fir&s;t Foundation of the Church, in an&s;wer unto his everla&s;ting Coun&s;els, <HI>Zach.</HI> 2.8. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts, after the Glory hath he &s;ent me unto the Nations that &s;poiled you; and I will &s;hake mine hand upon them, and they &s;hall be a &s;poil to their Servants, and ye &s;hall know that the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;ent me.</HI> He who is &s;ent calleth him&s;elf the <HI>Lord of Ho&s;ts,</HI> and affirms that he will de&s;troy the Na|tions by the <HI>&s;haking</HI> of his hand, who can be no other but God him&s;elf. That is, it was the Son of God who was to be incarnate as is declared in the next words. <HI>Sing and rejoyce Oh Daughter of Sion, for lo I come and will dwell in the mid&s;t of them &s;aith the Lord, and many Nations &s;hall be joyned unto the Lord in that day, and &s;hall be my people, and I will dwell in the mid&s;t of them, and thou &s;halt know that the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;ent me unto thee, v.</HI> 10, 11. He promi&s;eth that he will <HI>dwell</HI> in the mid&s;t of the people, which was accom|pli&s;hed when the <HI>word was made fle&s;h and dwelt among us, Joh.</HI> 1.14. which was the time of the calling of the <HI>Gentils,</HI> when many Nations were to be joyned unto the Lord; and tho&s;e that were &s;o called, were to be his people; <HI>they &s;hall be my people;</HI> and yet in all this he was &s;ent by the Lord of Ho&s;ts; thou &s;halt know <HI>that the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;ent me unto thee.</HI> Wherefore with re&s;pect unto his &s;u&s;ception of his Offices to|wards the Church, the <HI>Lord of Ho&s;ts</HI> in the Per&s;on of the Son, is &s;aid to be &s;ent by <HI>the Lord of Ho&s;ts,</HI> that is in the Per&s;on of the Father. So was he the <HI>Prophet</HI> of the Church
<PB N="90" REF="72">even before his Incarnation, &s;ent or de&s;igned by the Father to in&s;truct it, to communicate Spiritual and &s;aving Light unto it. So he te&s;tified concerning him&s;elf unto the <HI>Jews, before Abraham was I am, Joh.</HI> 8.55. Which as it invincibly proves his eternal preexi&s;tence unto his Incarnation, &s;o it is not only intended. He was &s;o before <HI>Abraham,</HI> as that the Care of the Church was then and alwaies from the Beginning on him. And he di&s;charged this Office four waies.</P>
<P N="1">1. By <HI>Per&s;onal Appearances</HI> in the likene&s;s of Humane Na|ture, in the &s;hape of a man as an Indication of his future In|carnation; and under tho&s;e appearances in&s;tructing the Church. So he appeared unto <HI>Abraham,</HI> to <HI>Jacob,</HI> to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> to <HI>Jo&s;uah,</HI> as I have proved el&s;ewhere. And tho&s;e peculiar Appearances of the Per&s;on of the Son for the In&s;truction of Believers, are a full demon&s;tration that the care and work of it were commited unto him in a peculiar manner. And I am not without thoughts, although I &s;ee &s;ome difficulty in it, <HI>That the whole Old Te&s;tament wherein God perpetually treats with men by an a&s;&s;umption of Humane Affections unto him&s;elf, &s;o to draw us with the cords of a man, proceeded from the Per&s;on of the Son, in a Preparation for, and pro&s;pect of his future Incar|nation.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. By the <HI>Mini&s;try of Angels.</HI> Upon his undertaking to be the Mediator for the Church with God, the Angels were in a peculiar manner put into dependance on him, even as he became a new and immediate Head unto the whole Creation. This belonged unto that e&s;pecial Glory which he had with the Father <HI>before the world was,</HI> whereof we have treated before. All things were to be anew gathered into an Head in him, <HI>both which are in Heaven, and which are on Earth, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. And he became the <HI>fir&s;t-born of every Creature, Col.</HI> 1.15. the Lord and Proprietor of them. Hence the whole Mini&s;try of Angels was &s;ubordinate unto
<PB N="91" REF="72">him; and whatever In&s;truction was thereby given unto the Church in the-Mind and Will of God, it was immediately from him, as the great Prophet of the Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>By &s;ending his holy Spirit</HI> to in&s;pire, act and guide the Prophets by whom God would reveal him&s;elf. God &s;pake unto them by the <HI>mouth of his holy Prophets from the begin|ing of the world, Luke</HI> 1.70. But it was the <HI>Spirit of Chri&s;t</HI> that was in them, that &s;pake by them, that revealed the things which concerned the Redemption and Salvation of the Church, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11, 12. And by this Spirit he him&s;elf <HI>Preached unto tho&s;e that were di&s;obedient in the daies of Noah,</HI> who are now in pri&s;on for their di&s;obedience, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.19, 20. For he was &s;o the Prophet of the Church alwaies as to ten|der manifold In&s;tructions unto the peri&s;hing unbelieving world. Hence is he &s;aid to <HI>lighten every man that cometh into the world, Joh.</HI> 1.9. by one way or other communicating to them &s;ome notices of God and his Will: For his Light &s;hineth in, or irradiates darkne&s;s it &s;elf; that darkne&s;s which is come on the minds of men by &s;in, though the <HI>darkne&s;s comprehend it not, v.</HI> 5.</P>
<P N="4">4. By the <HI>Mini&s;try of Holy Men,</HI> acted and moved by his Spirit. So he gave forth the word that was written for an everla&s;ting Rule of Faith and Obedience unto the Church.</P>
<P>Thus were the Office and Work of In&s;tructing and Illumi|nating of the Church on his hand alone from the beginning, and thus were they by him di&s;charged. This was not a work for him who was no more but a man. His Humane Nature had no Exi&s;tence until the fulne&s;s of time, the latter daies, and therefore could effect or operate nothing before. And whereas the Apo&s;tle di&s;tingui&s;heth between the &s;peak|ing of God <HI>in the Son,</HI> and his &s;peaking <HI>in the Prophets,</HI> op|po&s;ing the one to the other, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.1, 2. He doth it with re&s;pect unto his Per&s;onal Mini&s;try unto the Church of the
<PB N="92" REF="73"><HI>Jews,</HI> and not with re&s;pect unto his being the peculiar Foun|tain of Life and Light unto the whole Church in all Ages.</P>
<P>It is true, we have under the Go&s;pel many un&s;peakable Advantages from the <HI>Prophetical</HI> Office of Chri&s;t, above what they enjoyed under the Old Te&s;tament. But he was the Prophet of the Church equally in all Ages. Only he hath given out the knowledge of the Mind of God in diffe|rent degrees and mea&s;ures; that which was mo&s;t perfect, be|ing for many Rea&s;ons re&s;erved unto the times of the Go&s;pel; the &s;umme whereof is that God de&s;igned him unto a prehe|minence above all in his own Per&s;onal Mini&s;try.</P>
<P>If any &s;hall now enquire how the Lord Chri&s;t could be the Prophet of the Church <HI>before</HI> he took our Nature on him and dwelt among us; I &s;hall al&s;o ask how they &s;up|po&s;e him to be the Prophet of the Church, now he hath left the world and is gone to Heaven; &s;o as that we neither &s;ee him, nor hear him any more? If they &s;hall &s;ay that he is &s;o by <HI>his Sprit, his Word,</HI> and the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> which he hath ordained, I &s;ay &s;o was he the Prophet of the Church before his Incarnation al&s;o. To confine the Offices of Chri&s;t, as un|to their Vertue, Power and Efficacy unto the Times of the Go&s;pel only, is utterly to evacuate the fir&s;t Promi&s;e, with the Covenant of Grace founded thereon. And their Minds are &s;ecretly influenced by a disbelief of his Divine Per&s;on, who &s;uppo&s;e that the Re&s;pect of the Church unto Chri&s;t in Faith, Love, Tru&s;t and In&s;truction commenceth from the date of his Incarnation.</P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>full Comprehen&s;ion of the Mind and Will of God,</HI> of the whole Divine Coun&s;el concerning his Glory in the Sanctification and Salvation of the Church, could not at once re&s;ide in the mind of any meer Creature. Yet was this nece&s;&s;ary unto him who was to be the Prophet of the Church, that is the Fountain of Truth, Life and Know|ledge
<PB N="93" REF="73">unto it. Hence is his Name <HI>Wondeful, Coun&s;eller,</HI> as he who was participant of all the Eternal Coun&s;els of God; whereon in him as incarnate all the Trea&s;ures of Divine Wi&s;dom and Knowledge were hid, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.3. In him this could be alone, in whom was life, and the <HI>life was the light of men, John</HI> 1.4. God did reveal his Mind and Will by An|gels and Men. But as he did it at &s;undry times, &s;o he did it by &s;everal Parts, or various Parcels, not only as the Church was fit to receive it, but as they were able to com|municate it. The whole of the Divine Coun&s;els could not be comprehended, and &s;o not declared by any of them. Hence the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves notwith&s;tanding their Re&s;i|dence in the Pre&s;ence of God beholding his face, and all the glorious Me&s;&s;ages wherein they were employed, learned more of his Mind after the <HI>Per&s;onal Mini&s;try</HI> of Chri&s;t, and the Revelation of the My&s;teries of his Coun&s;el therein, than ever they knew before, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.8, 9, 11. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.13. And on the account of their imperfection in the Comprehen&s;ion of his Coun&s;els, it is &s;aid that <HI>he chargeth his Angels with folly, Job</HI> 4.15. And the be&s;t of the Prophets not only re|ceived Divine Truth by Parcels, but comprehended not the depths of the Revelations made unto them, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11, 12.</P>
<P>To this purpo&s;e is that Divine Te&s;timony, <HI>John</HI> 1.18. <HI>No man hath &s;een God at any time, the only begotten Son who is in the bo&s;om of the Father he hath declared him.</HI> It is of all the Prophets concerning whom it is affirmed that no man hath &s;een God at any time. So is it evident in the <HI>Anti|the&s;is</HI> between <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> the Principal of them, and the Lord Chri&s;t in the ver&s;e foregoing. <HI>For the Law was given by Mo&s;es, but Grace and Truth came by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Wherefore no man, no other man or Prophet whatever, hath &s;een God at any time; that is, had a perfect comprehen&s;ion of his Coun&s;els, his Mind and Will as they were to be declared
<PB N="94" REF="74">unto the Church. This is the Priviledge of the <HI>only begot|ten Son,</HI> who is in the bo&s;om of the Father; not only as being his Eternal Delight and Love, but al&s;o as one acquaint|ed with all his &s;ecret Coun&s;els, as his fellow and participant of all his bo&s;om thoughts.</P>
<P>He &s;aies that all <HI>that ever came before him were Theeves and Robbers, but the &s;heep did not hear them, Joh.</HI> 10.5. This &s;ome of old impiou&s;ly applied unto the Prophets of the Old Te&s;tament; whereas he intended it only of tho&s;e <HI>fal&s;e Pro|phets</HI> who pretended of them&s;elves that they, any of them were the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> the great Shepherd of the &s;heep, whom his elect &s;heep would not attend unto. But it is true that all who went before him, neither &s;eparately nor joyntly had the Knowledge of God &s;o as to declare him fully unto the Church.</P>
<P>It is the mo&s;t fond and wicked Imagination of the <HI>Socini|ans,</HI> invented to countenance their disbelief and hatred of his Divine Per&s;on, that during the time of his fle&s;h <HI>he was ta|ken up into Heaven and there taught the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel,</HI> as <HI>Mahomet</HI> feigned concerning him&s;elf and his <HI>Alcoran.</HI> The Rea&s;on and Foundation of his perfect Knowledge of God was his being the only begotten Son in the be&s;om of the Father; and not a fictitious rapture of his Humane Na|ture.</P>
<P>To this Purpo&s;e have we his own Te&s;timony, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.11. <HI>And no man hath a&s;cended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven.</HI> The matter whereof he treats is the Revelation of Heavenly things. For finding <HI>Nicodemus</HI> &s;low in the under&s;tanding of the Doctrine and nece&s;&s;ity of Regeneration, which yet was plain and evident in compari&s;on of &s;ome other heavenly My|&s;teries, he asks of him, <HI>if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not;</HI> (things wrought in the Earth and in your
<PB N="95" REF="74">own brea&s;ts) <HI>how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things,</HI> if I declare unto you the deep Coun&s;els of the Will of God above, <HI>v.</HI> 12. But hereon a Que&s;tion might ari&s;e, how he &s;hould him&s;elf come to the knowledge of the&s;e heavenly things whereof they had never heard before, and which no other man could tell them of, e&s;pecially con&s;idering what he had &s;aid before, <HI>v.</HI> 11. <HI>We &s;peak that we do know, and te&s;tify what we have &s;een.</HI> Hereof he gives an account in the&s;e words. Wherefore the <HI>a&s;cending into Heaven</HI> which he de|nies unto all men whatever, <HI>no man hath a&s;cended up to Hea|ven,</HI> is an entrance into all the Divine heavenly Coun&s;els of God; no man either hath or ever had a full Comprehen&s;ion of the&s;e heavenly things but he him&s;elf alone. And unto him it is a&s;cribed on a double Account; fir&s;t, <HI>that he came down from Heaven,</HI> &s;econdly, that when he did &s;o, <HI>he yet &s;till continnued in Heaven;</HI> which two properties give us &s;uch a de&s;cription of the Per&s;on of Chir&s;t, as declare him a full Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of all the Coun&s;els of God. <HI>He de&s;ended from Heaven</HI> in his Incar|nation whereby he became the Son of man; and he is and was then in Heaven in the E&s;&s;ence and Glory of his Divine Na|ture. This is the full of what we a&s;&s;ert. In the Knowledge and Revelation of heavenly My&s;teries unto the Calling, San|ctification and Salvation of the Church, doth the Prophe|tical Office of Chri&s;t con&s;i&s;t. This he po&s;itively affirms could not otherwi&s;e be, but that <HI>he who came down from Hea|ven,</HI> was al&s;o at the &s;ame In&s;tant <HI>in Heaven.</HI> This is that glorious Per&s;on whereof we &s;peak. He who being alwaies in Heaven in the Glory and E&s;&s;ence of his Divine Nature, came down from Heaven not locally by a mutation of his Re|&s;idence, but by di&s;pen&s;ation in the A&s;&s;umption of our Na|ture into Per&s;onal Union with him&s;elf; he alone is meet and able to be the Prophet of the Church in the Revelation of the Heavenly My&s;teries of the Coun&s;els of the Will of God. <HI>In
<PB N="96" REF="75">him alone were hid all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Knowledge, Col.</HI> 2.3. Becau&s;e in him alone <HI>dwelt the fulne&s;s of the God|head Bodily. v.</HI> 9.</P>
<P>I do not hereby a&s;cribe an Infu&s;ion of <HI>Omni&s;cience,</HI> of Infi|nite Under&s;tanding, Wi&s;dom and Knowledge into the Hu|mane Nature of Chri&s;t. It was and is a Creature finite and limited, nor is a capable &s;ubject of Properties ab&s;olutely in|finite and immen&s;e. Filled it was with Light and Wi&s;dom to the utmo&s;t capacity of a Creature. But it was &s;o, not by being changed into a Divine Nature or E&s;&s;ence, but by the Communication of the Spirit unto it without mea&s;ure. The Spirit of the Lord did re&s;t upon him, <HI>the Spirit of Wi&s;dom and &V;nder&s;tanding, the Spirit of Courage and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and of the Fear of the Lord, and made him of quick under&s;tanding in the Fear of the Lord, I&s;a.</HI> 11.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Spirit of God dwelling in him in all the fulne&s;s of his Graces and Gifts, gave him an under&s;tanding peculiar unto him&s;elf; as above that of all Creatures, &s;o beneath the E&s;&s;ential Omni&s;cience of the Divine Nature. Hence &s;ome things as he was a man he <HI>knew not, Mark</HI> 13.32. but as they were given him by <HI>Revelation, Rev.</HI> 1.1. But he is the <HI>Prophet</HI> of the Church in his whole entire Per&s;on, and re|vealed the Coun&s;el of God, as he was in Heaven in the bo|&s;om of the Father. Cur&s;ed be he that tru&s;teth in man, that maketh fle&s;h his arm, as to the Revelations of the Coun&s;els of God. Here lies the Safety, the Security, the Glory of the Church. How deplorable is the darkne&s;s of mankind in their Ignorance of God and Heavenly things? In what waies of vanity and mi&s;ery have the generality of them wan|dred ever &s;ince our fir&s;t Apo&s;tacy from God? Nothing but Hell is more full of horrour and confu&s;ion, than the minds and waies of men de&s;titue of heavenly Light. How mi&s;erably did tho&s;e among them who boa&s;ted them&s;elves to
<PB N="97" REF="75">be <HI>wi&s;e, wax fooli&s;h</HI> in their Imaginations? How wofully did all their Enquiries after the Nature and Will of God, their own State, Duty and Happine&s;s, i&s;&s;ue in curio&s;ity, uncertain|ty, vanity and fal&s;hood? He who is infinitely good and compa&s;&s;ionate did from the beginning give &s;ome relief in this woful &s;tate by &s;uch parcels of Divine Revelations as he thought meet to communicate unto them by the Prophets of Old, &s;uch as they were able to receive. By them he &s;et up a <HI>light &s;hining in a dark place,</HI> as the light of Stars in the night. But it was the ri&s;ing of the <HI>Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> alone that di&s;pelled the Darkne&s;s that was on the Earth, the thick Darkne&s;s that was on the people, bringing Life and Immor|tality to light by the Go&s;pel. The Divine Per&s;on of the Son of God, in whom were all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Knowledge, who is in the bo&s;om of the Father hath now made known all things unto the Church, giving us the perfect <HI>Idea</HI> and certainty of all &s;acred Truth, and the full a&s;&s;urance of things invi&s;ible and eternal.</P>
<P>Three things are nece&s;&s;ary that we may have the benefit and comfort of Divine Light or Truth. <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> the <HI>Fulne&s;s</HI> of its Revelation; <HI>Secondly,</HI> the <HI>Infallibility</HI> of it, and <HI>Thirdly,</HI> the <HI>Authority</HI> from whence it doth proceed. If either of the&s;e be wanting, we cannot attain unto &s;tability and a&s;&s;u|rance in the Faith of it, or Obedience unto it. <HI>Full</HI> it mu&s;t be, to free us from all attempts of <HI>fear</HI> that any thing is detain|ed or hidden from us, that were needful for us to know. With|out this the Mind of man can never come to re&s;t in the Knowledge of Truth. All that he knows may be u&s;e|le&s;s unto him, for the want of that which he neither doth nor can know, becau&s;e not revealed. And it mu&s;t be <HI>Infallible</HI> al&s;o. For this Divine Truth whereof we treat, being con|cerning things <HI>&V;n&s;een, Heavenly, Eternal</HI> My&s;teries tran&s;cend|ing the reach of Humane Rea&s;on, nothing but the <HI>ab&s;o|lute
<PB N="98" REF="76">infallibility</HI> of the Revealer can bring the mind of man to a&s;&s;urance and acquie&s;cency. And whereas the &s;ame Truth enjoyns unto us Duties, many of them contrary unto our Inclinations, and cro&s;s unto our &s;everal Intere&s;ts, the <HI>great Guides of corrupted Nature;</HI> the Revelation of it mu&s;t pro|ceed from Soveraign Authority, that the Will may comply with the Mind in the embracement of it. All the&s;e are ab|&s;olutely &s;ecured in the <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> of the great Prophet of the Church. His Infinite Wi&s;dom, his Infinite Goodne&s;s, his E&s;&s;ential Veracity, his Soveraign Authority over all, give the highe&s;t A&s;&s;urance whereof a created under&s;tanding is ca|pable, that nothing is detained from us, that there is no po&s;&s;ibility of Errour or mi&s;take in what is declared unto us, nor any pretence left of declining Obedience unto the Com|mands of the Truth that we do receive. This gives the &s;oul <HI>a&s;&s;ured Re&s;t</HI> and Peace in the belief of things which <HI>Eye hath not &s;een, nor Ear heard,</HI> nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive. Upon the A&s;&s;urance of this Truth alone can it with joy prefer things invi&s;ible and eternal above all pre&s;ent &s;atisfactions and de&s;ires. In the per&s;wa&s;ion hereof can it forego the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of pre&s;ent enjoyments, and undergo the <HI>wor&s;t</HI> of pre&s;ent evils; namely, in the experience of its pre&s;ent Efficacy, and choice of that future Recompence which it doth &s;ecure. And he believes not the Go&s;pel unto his own Advantage, or the Glory of God who&s;e Faith re&s;ts not in the <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the great Prophet of the Church. And he who there finds re&s;t unto his &s;oul, dares not admit of any Copartners with him as to In&s;truction in the Mind of God.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> It was requi&s;ite unto the Office of this great Pro|phet of the Church, and the Di&s;charge thereof, that he &s;hould have <HI>Power and Authority</HI> to &s;end the Holy Spirit to make his Revelations of Divine Truth effectual unto the minds of
<PB N="99" REF="76">men. For the Church which he was to in&s;truct, was not only in Darkne&s;s by rea&s;on of <HI>Ignorance,</HI> and want of Ob|jective Light or Divine Revelations, but was <HI>incapacitated</HI> to receive &s;piritual things in a due manner when revealed. Wherefore it was the work of this Prophet, not only to make known and declare the Doctrines of Truth, which are our external directive Light, but al&s;o to <HI>irradiate</HI> and illumi|nate our minds, &s;o as that we might &s;avingly apprehend them. And it is no wonder if tho&s;e who are otherwi&s;e minded, who &s;uppo&s;e them&s;elves able to <HI>receive</HI> &s;piritual things, the things of God in a due manner upon their <HI>exter|nal propo&s;al</HI> unto them, are regardle&s;s of the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as the Prophet of the Church. But hereon they will never have experience of the Life and Power of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, if the Apo&s;tle is to be believed, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.9, 10, 11, 12. Now this <HI>internal Illumination</HI> of the minds of men unto the acknowledgment of the Truth, can be wrought in them only by the Holy Spirit of God, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.17, 18, 19. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. None therefore could be the <HI>Pro|phet</HI> of the Church, but he who had power to &s;end the Ho|ly Spirit to enable it to receive his Doctrine by the &s;aving Illumination of the minds of men. And this alone he could do, who&s;e Spirit he is, proceeding from him, whom he there|fore frequently promi&s;ed &s;o to &s;end.</P>
<P>Without a re&s;pect unto the&s;e things, we cannot really be made partakers of the &s;aving Benefits and Fruits of the Pro|phetical Office of Chri&s;t. And this we can have only in the exerci&s;e of Faith on his <HI>Divine Per&s;on,</HI> which is the eternal &s;pring from whence this Office derives all Life and Efficacy.</P>
<P>The Command of God in re&s;pect unto him as the Pro|phet of the Church, is, <HI>This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well plea&s;ed, Hear him.</HI> Unle&s;s we actually regard him by Faith as the only begotten Son of God, we can perform
<PB N="100" REF="77">no duty aright in the <HI>hearing of him,</HI> nor &s;hall we learn the Truth as we ought. Hence it is that tho&s;e who deny his <HI>Divine Per&s;on,</HI> though they pretend to attend unto him as the Teacher of the Church, do yet learn no Truth from him, but embrace pernicious Errours in the &s;tead thereof. So it is with the <HI>Socinians,</HI> and all that follow them. For whereas they &s;carcely own any other Office of Chri&s;t but his <HI>Prophetical,</HI> looking on him as a man &s;ent to teach the Mind of God, and to confirm his Doctrine by his Sufferings, whereon he was afterwards highly exalted of God, they learn nothing from him in a due manner.</P>
<P>But this re&s;pect unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is that which will ingenerate in us all tho&s;e holy qualifications that are nece&s;&s;ary to enable us to know the Mind and Will of God. For hence do <HI>Reverence, Humility, Faith,</HI> Delight and A&s;&s;urance ari&s;e and flow, without who&s;e continual exerci&s;e in vain &s;hall men hope to learn the Will of God by the utmo&s;t of their endeavours. And the want of the&s;e things is the cau&s;e of much of that <HI>life|le&s;s,</HI> un&s;anctified knowledge of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, which is among&s;t many. They learn not the Truth from Chri&s;t, &s;o as to expect all teachings from his Divine Power. Hence they never come to know it either in its <HI>native beauty</HI> drawing the &s;oul into the Love and delight of what they know, nor in its <HI>transforming Efficacy</HI> changing the mind into its own Image and likene&s;s.</P>
<P>Secondly; The &s;ame al&s;o is the &s;tate of things with re&s;pect unto his <HI>Kingly Office and Power.</HI> But this I have at large trea|ted on el&s;ewhere, and that much unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e; namely in the <HI>Expo&s;ition of the third ver&s;e of the fir&s;t Chapter of the Epi&s;tle unto the Hebrews.</HI> Wherefore I &s;hall not here en|large upon it.</P>
<P>Some &s;eem to imagine, that the <HI>Kingly Power</HI> of Chri&s;t, to|wards the Church, con&s;i&s;ts only in <HI>external Rule</HI> by the Go&s;|pel
<PB N="101" REF="77">and the Laws thereof, requiring Obedience unto the <HI>Of|ficers</HI> and <HI>Rulers</HI> that he hath appointed therein. It is true, that this al&s;o belongs unto his Kingly Power and Rule. But to &s;uppo&s;e that it con&s;i&s;teth &s;olely therein, is an ebullition from the poi&s;onous Fountain of the denial of his <HI>Divine Per|&s;on.</HI> For if he be not God overall, whatever in words may be pretended or a&s;cribed unto him, he is capable of no other Rule or Power. But indeed no one act of his Kingly Office can be aright conceived or acknowledged, without a re&s;pect had unto his <HI>Divine Per&s;on.</HI> I &s;hall in&s;tance only unto this Purpo&s;e in two things in General.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Extent of his Power and Rule</HI> gives evidence here|unto. It is over the <HI>whole Creation of God. All Power is given him in Heaven and Earth, Matth.</HI> 28.18. <HI>All things are put under his feet, he only excepted who put all things under him,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.27. And he is made <HI>Head over all things unto the Church, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.22. Not only tho&s;e who are above the Rule of external Law, as the holy Angels; and tho&s;e who have <HI>ca&s;t off</HI> all &s;uch Rule, as the Devils them&s;elves; but all things that in their own Nature are not capable of obedience to an external Law or Rule, as the whole <HI>inanimate Creation,</HI> Heaven and Earth and the Sea, with all things in them and un|der them, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.10. with the <HI>dead bodies of men</HI> which he &s;hall rai&s;e at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>For this Power over the whole Creation is not only a <HI>mo|ral Right</HI> to Rule and govern it; but it is al&s;o accompanied with <HI>vertue, force,</HI> or almighty Power to act, order, and di&s;|po&s;e of it at his plea&s;ure. So is it de&s;cribed by the Apo&s;tle from the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.10, 11, 12. <HI>Thou Lord in the be|ginning ha&s;t laid the Foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens are the work of thy hands. They &s;hall peri&s;h, but thou remain|e&s;t, and they &s;hall all wax old as doth a Garment. And as a Ve&s;ture &s;hall thou fold them up, and they &s;hall be changed; but
<PB N="102" REF="78">thou art the &s;ame, and thy years fail not.</HI> That Power is required unto his Kingly Office, whereby he created all things in the beginning; and &s;hall change them all as a man folds up a ve&s;ture, in the End. Omnipotency accompanied with Eternity and Immutability, are required hereunto.</P>
<P>It is a vain Imagination to &s;uppo&s;e that this <HI>Power</HI> can re|&s;ide in a <HI>meer Creature</HI> however glorified and exalted. All e&s;&s;ential Divine Properties are concurrent with it; and in&s;e|parable from it. And where are the Properties of God, there is the Nature of God; for his Being and his Properties are one and the &s;ame.</P>
<P>If the Lord Chri&s;t as <HI>King</HI> of the Church be only a meer man, and be as &s;uch only to be con&s;idered, however he may be exalted and glorified, however he may be endowed with Honour, Dignity and Authority, yet he cannot put forth or act any <HI>real Phy&s;ical Power</HI> immediately and directly, but where he is pre&s;ent. But this is in Heaven only; for the <HI>Heavens mu&s;t receive him until the time of the Re&s;titution of all things, Acts</HI> 3.21. And hereon his Rule and Power would be the greate&s;t di&s;advantage unto the Church that could befall it. For &s;uppo&s;e it immediately under the Rule of God even the Father; his Omnipotency and Omnipre&s;ence, his Omni&s;ci|ence and Infinite Wi&s;dom, whereby he could be alwaies pre|&s;ent with every one of them, know all their wants, and give immediate Relief according to the Coun&s;el of his Will, was a &s;table Foundation for Faith to re&s;t upon, and an ever|la&s;ting &s;pring of Con&s;olation. But now whereas all Power, all Judgment, all Rule is committed unto the <HI>Son,</HI> and the Father doth nothing towards the Church but in and by him, if he have not the &s;ame Divine Power and Properties with him, the Foundation of the Churches Faith is ca&s;t down, and the &s;pring of its Con&s;olation utterly &s;topped up.</P>
<PB N="103" REF="78">
<P>I cannot believe in him as my Heavenly King, who is not able by him&s;elf, and by the Vertue of his Pre&s;ence with me, to make what changes and alterations he plea&s;eth in the Minds of men, and in the whole Creation of God, to re|lieve, pre&s;erve and deliver me, and to rai&s;e my body at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>To &s;uppo&s;e that the Lord Chri&s;t as the King and Head of the Church, hath not an <HI>Infinite, Divine Power,</HI> where|by he is able alwaies to relieve, &s;uccour, &s;ave and deliver it, if it were to be done by the alteration of the whole, or any part of God's Creation, &s;o as that the fire &s;hould not burn, nor the water overwhelm them, nor men be able to re|tain their thoughts or ability one moment to afflict them; and that their di&s;tre&s;&s;es are not alwaies <HI>Effects</HI> of his Wi&s;|dom, and never from the <HI>defect</HI> of his Power, is utterly to overthrow all Faith, Hope, and the whole of Religion it &s;elf.</P>
<P>A&s;cribe therefore unto the Lord Chri&s;t in the exerci&s;e of his <HI>Kingly Office,</HI> only <HI>a moral Power,</HI> operative by Rules and Laws, with the help of external In&s;truments; deprive him of Omnipre&s;ence, and Omni&s;cience, with infinite Divine Power and Vertue to be acted at his plea&s;ure in and over the whole Creation, and you ra&s;e the Foundation of all Chri&s;ti|an Faith and Hope to the ground.</P>
<P>There are no true Believers who will part with their Faith herein for the whole World; namely, that the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is able by his <HI>Divine Power</HI> and Pre&s;ence immedi|ately to aid, a&s;&s;i&s;t, relieve, and deliver them in every mo|ment of their &s;urprizals, fears and dangers, in every trial or Duty they may be called unto, in every difficulty they have to conflict withal. And to expect the&s;e things any otherwi&s;e but by vertue of his Divine Nature, is wofully to deceive our own &s;ouls. For this is the Work of God.</P>
<PB N="104" REF="79">
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Rule</HI> of Chri&s;t as King of the Church is <HI>internal</HI> and <HI>&s;piritual</HI> over the Minds, Souls and Con&s;ciences of all that do believe. There is no <HI>one gracious acting of Soul</HI> in any one Believer at any time in the whole World, either in oppo&s;ition unto Sin, or the Performance of Duty, but it is influenced and under the Guidance of the Kingly Power of Chri&s;t. I &s;uppo&s;e we have herein not only the Common Faith, but al&s;o the common &s;piritual &s;en&s;e and experience of them all. They know that in their <HI>Spiritual life</HI> it is he that liveth in them as the efficient cau&s;e of all its acts, and that without him they can do nothing. Unto him they have re&s;pect in every the mo&s;t &s;ecret and retired actings of Grace, not only performed as <HI>under his Eye, but by his a&s;&s;i&s;tance;</HI> on every oc|ca&s;ion do they immediately in the internal actings of their minds look unto him, as one more pre&s;ent with their &s;ouls than they are with them&s;elves; and have no thoughts of the lea&s;t di&s;tance of his Knowledge or Power. And two things are required hereto.</P>
<P N="1">1. That he be <GAP DESC="foreign">, that he have an actual <HI>In|&s;pection</HI> into all the frames, di&s;po&s;itions, thoughts and inter|nal actings of all Believers in the whole world, at all times, and every moment. Without this, he cannot bear that <HI>Rule</HI> in their Souls and Con&s;ciences which we have de&s;cribed, nor can they act <HI>Faith</HI> in him, as their occa&s;ions do require. No man can live by Faith on Chri&s;t, no man can depend on his Soveraign Power, who is not per&s;waded, that all the <HI>frames of his heart,</HI> all the <HI>&s;ecret groans and &s;ighs of his &s;pirit,</HI> all the <HI>inward labourings of his &s;oul</HI> again&s;t &s;in, and after con|formity to him&s;elf, are continually under his Eye and Cog|nizance. Wherefore it is &s;aid that <HI>all things are naked and opened unto his eyes, Heb.</HI> 4.13. And he &s;aies of him&s;elf, that he <HI>&s;earcheth,</HI> that is, knoweth the <HI>hearts and reins of men, Rev.</HI> 2.23. And if the&s;e things are not the peculiar Proper|ties
<PB N="105" REF="79">of the Divine Nature, I know nothing that may be &s;o e&s;teemed.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is required hereunto, an <HI>Influence of Power</HI> into all the internal actings of the &s;ouls of Believers; an intimate efficacious operation with them in every duty, and under every temptation. The&s;e all of them, do look for, expect and receive from him, as the King and Head of the Church. This al&s;o is an Effect of Divine and Infinite Power. And to deny the&s;e things unto the Lord Chri&s;t, is to ra&s;e the Foun|dation of Chri&s;tian Religion. Neither <HI>Faith</HI> in him, nor <HI>Love</HI> unto him, nor <HI>Dependance</HI> on him, nor <HI>Obedience</HI> unto his Authority, can be pre&s;erved one moment, without a per|&s;wa&s;ion of his immediate <HI>Intuition</HI> and In&s;pection into the hearts, minds and thoughts of all men, with a <HI>real Influ|ence</HI> into all the actings of the Life of God in all them that believe. And the want of the Faith hereof, is that which hath disjoyned the minds of many from adherence unto him; and hath produced a lifele&s;s carca&s;s of Chri&s;tian Reli|gion, in&s;tead of the &s;aving Power thereof.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The &s;ame may be &s;aid concerning <HI>his Sacerdotal Office,</HI> and all the Acts of it. It was in and by the <HI>Humane Nature</HI> that he offered him&s;elf a Sacrifice for us. He had <HI>&s;omewhat of his own</HI> to offer, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8.3. And to this end a <HI>Body was prepared for him, chap.</HI> 10.5. But it was not the work of a man by <HI>one offering,</HI> and that <HI>of him&s;elf,</HI> to expiate the &s;ins of the whole Church, and for ever to perfect them that are &s;anctified, which he did, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.14. <HI>God was to purcha&s;e his Church with his own blood, Acts</HI> 20.28. But this al&s;o I have &s;poken to at large el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P>This is the &s;umme of what we plead for. We can have no due Con&s;ideration of the <HI>Offices</HI> of Chri&s;t, can receive no benefit by them, nor perform any <HI>Act of Duty</HI> with re&s;pect unto them, or any of them, unle&s;s Faith in his Divine Per|&s;on
<PB N="106" REF="80">be actually exerci&s;ed as the Foundation of the whole. For that is it whence all their Glory, Power and Efficacy are de|rived. Whatever therefore we do with re&s;pect unto his <HI>Rule,</HI> whatever we receive by the <HI>Communication of his Spirit</HI> and Grace, whatever we <HI>learn</HI> from his <HI>Word</HI> by the Teach|ings of his Spirit, whatever Benefit we believe, expect and receive by his <HI>Sacrifice</HI> and Interce&s;&s;ion on our behalf, our Faith in them all, and concerning them all, is terminated on his <HI>Divine Per&s;on.</HI> The Church is &s;aved by his <HI>Offices,</HI> be|cau&s;e they are <HI>his.</HI> This is the &s;ub&s;tance of the Te&s;timony gi|ven concerning him, by God even the Father, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.10, 11. <HI>This is the Witne&s;s that God hath te&s;tified concerning his Son, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.</HI> Eternal Life is given unto us, as it was wrought out and procured by the Mediation of Chri&s;t on our behalf But yet <HI>in him</HI> it was originally, and <HI>from him</HI> do we receive it in the di&s;charge of his Office; for this Life is in the Son of God.</P>
<P>Hence it is that all tho&s;e by whom the <HI>Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> is denied, are forced to give &s;uch a de&s;cription of his <HI>Offices,</HI> as that it is utterly impo&s;&s;ible that the Church &s;hould be &s;aved by the di&s;charge of them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="107" REF="80">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Faith of the Church under the Old Te&s;tament in and con|cerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Brief View of the <HI>Faith of the Church under the Old Te&s;tament</HI> concerning the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, &s;hall clo&s;e the&s;e Di&s;cour&s;es, and make way for tho&s;e that en|&s;ue, wherein our own Duty with re&s;pect thereunto &s;hall be declared.</P>
<P>That the Faith of all believers from the Foundation of the World had a <HI>re&s;pect unto him,</HI> I &s;hall afterwards demon&s;trate; and to deny it, is to renounce both the Old Te&s;tament and the New. But that this Faith of theirs did principally re&s;pect <HI>his Per&s;on,</HI> is what &s;hall here be declared. Therein they knew was laid the Foundation of the Coun&s;els of God for their De|liverance, Sanctification and Salvation. Otherwi&s;e it was but litle they clearly under&s;tood of his <HI>Office,</HI> or the way whereby he would redeem the Church.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> in the Confe&s;&s;ion he made of him <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.16, exceeded the Faith of <HI>the Old Te&s;tament</HI> in this, that he applied the Promi&s;e concerning the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> unto that individual Per&s;on. <HI>Thou art Chri&s;t the Son of the living God.</HI> He that was to be the Redeemer and Saviour of the Church. Howbeit <HI>Peter</HI> then knew little of the way and manner whereby he was principally &s;o to be. And therefore when he began to declare them unto his Di&s;ciples, namely that they &s;hould be by <HI>his death</HI> and <HI>&s;ufferings,</HI> he in particular was notable to comply with it, but &s;aith he, <HI>Ma&s;ter that be far from thee, v.</HI> 22. <HI>As fle&s;h and blood,</HI> that is his own Rea|&s;on and under&s;tanding did not reveal or declare him unto <HI>Pe|ter</HI>
<PB N="108" REF="81">to be the Chri&s;t the Son of the living God; but the Father which is in Heaven; &s;o he &s;tood in need of fre&s;h a&s;&s;i&s;tance from the &s;ame <HI>Almighty hand</HI> to believe that he &s;hould re|deem and &s;ave his Church by his death. And therefore he did refu&s;e the external Revelation and Propo&s;ition of it, though made by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, untill he received internal Aid from above. And to &s;uppo&s;e that we have Faith now in Chri&s;t or his death, on any other Terms, is an evidence that we have no Faith at all.</P>
<P>Wherefore the Faith of the Saints under the Old Te&s;tament did principally re&s;pect the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> both what it was, and what it was to be in the fulne&s;s of time when he was to become the <HI>&s;eed of the Woman.</HI> What his e&s;pecial work was to be, and the My&s;tery of the Redemption of the Church thereby, they referred unto his own Wi&s;dom and Grace; only they believed that <HI>by him</HI> they &s;hould be &s;aved from the hand of all their Enemies, or all the evil that befell them on the account of the <HI>fir&s;t &s;in</HI> and Apo&s;tacy from God.</P>
<P>God gave them indeed <HI>Repre&s;entations</HI> and <HI>Pre&s;igurations</HI> of his office and Work al&s;o. He did &s;o by the <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> of the Law, the <HI>Tabernacle</HI> with all the Sacrifices and Services thereunto belonging. All that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> did as a Faithful Ser|vant in the Hou&s;e of God, was but a <HI>Te&s;timony of tho&s;e things which were afterwards to be declared, Heb.</HI> 3.5. Howbeit the Apo&s;tle tells us that all tho&s;e things had but a <HI>&s;hadow of good things to come, and not the very Image of the things them&s;elves, Heb.</HI> 10.1. And although they are now to us full of <HI>Light</HI> and In&s;truction, evidently expre&s;&s;ing the principal Works of Chri&s;ts Mediation, yet were they not &s;o unto them. For the <HI>Vail</HI> is now taken off from them in their accompli&s;hment, and a declaration is made of the Coun&s;els of God in them by the Go&s;pel. The meane&s;t believer may now find out more of the Work of Chri&s;t in the <HI>Types</HI> of the Old Te&s;tament, than
<PB N="109" REF="81">any <HI>Prophets</HI> or <HI>Wi&s;e men</HI> could have done of old. Therefore they alwaies earne&s;tly longed for their accompli&s;hment; that the day might break, and the <HI>Shadows</HI> fly away by the ri&s;ing of the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s with healing in his Wings. But as unto his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> they had glorious Revelations concerning it, and their Faith in him was the life of all their Obedience.</P>
<P>The <HI>fir&s;t Promi&s;e</HI> which e&s;tabli&s;hed a new intercour&s;e be|tween God and man was concerning his <HI>Incarnation,</HI> that he <HI>&s;hould be the &s;eed of the woman, Gen.</HI> 3.15. that is, that the Son of God &s;hould be <HI>made of a woman, made under the Law, Gal.</HI> 4.4. From the giving of that Promi&s;e the Faith of the whole Church was fixed on him, whom <HI>God would &s;end in our Nature,</HI> to redeem and &s;ave them. Other way of Ac|ceptance with him there was none provided, none declared, but only by Faith in this Promi&s;e. The de&s;ign of God in this Pormi&s;e, which was to reveal and propo&s;e the <HI>only Way</HI> which in his Wi&s;dom and Grace he had prepared for the deliverance of mankind from the &s;tate of &s;in and Apo&s;tacy whereunto they were ca&s;t, with the nature of the Faith and Obedience of the Church, will not admit of <HI>any other Way of Salvation,</HI> but only Faith in him who was thus Promi&s;ed to be a <HI>Saviour.</HI> To &s;uppo&s;e that men might fall off from Faith in God by the Revelation of him&s;elf in this Promi&s;e, and yet be &s;aved by attending to In&s;tructions given by the <HI>Works of Creation</HI> and Providence, is an Imagination that will no longer po&s;&s;e&s;s the minds of men, than whil&s;t they are ignorant of, or do forget what it is to believe and to be &s;aved.</P>
<P>The great Promi&s;e made unto <HI>Abraham</HI> was, that he &s;hould <HI>take his &s;eed upon him,</HI> in whom all the Nations of the Earth &s;hould be ble&s;&s;ed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 12.3. <HI>chap.</HI> 15 18. <HI>chap.</HI> 22.18. which Promi&s;e is explained by the Apo&s;tle, and applied unto Chri&s;t, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.10. Hereon <HI>Abraham believed on the Lord,
<PB N="110" REF="82">and it was counted unto him for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Gen.</HI> 15.6. For he &s;aw the day of Chri&s;t and rejoyced, <HI>John</HI> 8.56.</P>
<P>The Faith that <HI>Jacob</HI> in&s;tructed his Sons in, was, that <HI>the Shilo &s;hould come, and unto him &s;hould be the gathering of the Nations, Gen.</HI> 49.10. <HI>Jobs</HI> Faith was that his <HI>Redeemer was the living One, and that he &s;hould &s;tand on the Earth in the lat|ter daies, Job.</HI> 29.25.</P>
<P>The Revelations made unto <HI>David</HI> principally concerned his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and the Glory thereof, &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2.45.68.72, 110, 118. e&s;pecially <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 45th. and the 72<HI>d.</HI> compared, which give an ac|count of their apprehen&s;ions concerning him.</P>
<P>The Faith of <HI>Daniel</HI> was that God would <HI>&s;hew mercy for the Lods Sake, Dan.</HI> 9 17. and of all the Prophets; that the <HI>Redeemer &s;hould come to Sion, and from them that turn from Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion in Jacob, I&s;a.</HI> 59.20.</P>
<P>Of the &s;ame Nature were all his <HI>Per&s;onal Appearances</HI> under the Old Te&s;tament, e&s;pecially that mo&s;t illu&s;trious Repre&s;en|tation made of him unto the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah. Chap.</HI> 6. And the glorious Revelation of his name, <HI>Chap.</HI> 9.6.</P>
<P>It is true that both the&s;e and other Prophets had Revela|tions concerning his <HI>&s;ufferings</HI> al&s;o. For <HI>the Spirit of Chri&s;t that was in them te&s;tified beforehand of his &s;uffering and the glo|ry that &s;hould en&s;ue,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11. an illu&s;trious Te&s;timony whereunto we have given us, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 22 and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. Never|thele&s;s their conceptions concerning them were dark and ob|&s;cure. It was his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> that their Faith principally regard|ed. Thence were they filled with De&s;ires and <HI>Expectations</HI> of his coming, or his exhibition and appearance in the fle&s;h. With renewed Promi&s;es hereof did God continually refre&s;h the Church in its &s;traits and difficulties. And hereby did God call off the <HI>body of the people</HI> from tru&s;t in them&s;elves, or boa&s;ting in their pre&s;ent priviledges, which they were exceedingly prone unto.</P>
<PB N="111" REF="82">
<P>In proce&s;s of time this Faith which wrought effectually in the <HI>Church of I&s;rael,</HI> degenerated into a <HI>lifele&s;s Opinion,</HI> that proved the ruine of it. Whil&s;t they really lived in the Faith of him as <HI>the Saviour and Redeemer of the Church</HI> from all its &s;piritual Adver&s;aries, as he who was to make <HI>an end of &s;in, and bring in everla&s;ting Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> unto whom all their pre&s;ent Ordinances were &s;ub&s;ervient and directive; all Grace, Love, Zeal and patient waiting for the accompli&s;h|ment of the Promi&s;e, flouri&s;hed among them. But in pro|ce&s;s of time growing carnal, tru&s;ting in their <HI>own Righteou&s;|ne&s;s and the Priviledges</HI> which they had by the Law, their Faith concerning the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> degenerated into a cor|rupt, ob&s;tinate opinion that he &s;hould be only <HI>a Temporal King and Deliverer;</HI> but as unto Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Salva|tion they were to tru&s;t unto them&s;elves and the Law. And this prejudicate Opinion being indeed a renunciation of all the Grace of the <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> of God, proved their utter ruine. For when he came in the fle&s;h, after &s;o many Ages, filled up with continued expectations, they rejected and <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed him</HI> as one that had neither <HI>form nor comeline&s;s</HI> for which he &s;hould be de&s;ired. So doth it fall out in other Churches. That which was <HI>Faith</HI> truly Spiritual and <HI>Evangelical</HI> in their fir&s;t planting, becomes a <HI>lifele&s;s Opinion</HI> in &s;ucceeding Ages. The <HI>&s;ame Truths</HI> are &s;till profe&s;&s;ed, but that profe&s;&s;ion &s;prings not from the &s;ame Cau&s;es, nor doth it produce the &s;ame Effects in the hearts and lives of men. Hence in proce&s;s of time, &s;ome Churches continue to have an appearance of the <HI>&s;ame body</HI> which they were at fir&s;t, but being examined, are like a <HI>lifele&s;s, breathle&s;s</HI> carca&s;s; wherein the animating Spirit of Grace doth not dwell. And then is any Church as it was with that of the <HI>Jews,</HI> nigh to de&s;truction, when it corrupts formerly profe&s;&s;ed Truths, to accommodate them unto the pre&s;ent lu&s;ts and inclinations of men.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="112" REF="83">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Honour due to the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; the Nature and Cau&s;es of it.</HI></HEAD>
<P>MAny other Con&s;iderations of the &s;ame nature with tho&s;e foregoing relating unto the Glory and Honour of the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> may be taken from all the Fundamen|tal Principles of Religion. And our Duty it is in them all, to <HI>con&s;ider the Apo&s;tle and High Prie&s;t of our Profe&s;&s;ion the Author and Fini&s;her of our Faith.</HI> I &s;hall not in&s;i&s;t on more, but proceed unto tho&s;e Principles of Truth which are immediately directive of our <HI>Duty</HI> towards him; without diligent atten|dance whereunto, we do but in vain bear the name <HI>of Chri|&s;tians.</HI> And the &s;ub&s;tance of what is de&s;igned may be inclu|ded in the following A&s;&s;ertion.</P>
<P><HI>The Glory, Life and Power of Chri&s;tian Religion, as Chri&s;ti|an Religion, and as &s;eated in the &s;ouls of men, with all the Acts and Duties which properly belong thereunto, and are therefore peculiarly Chri&s;tian, and all the Benefits and Priviledges we receive by it, or by vertue of it, with the whole of the Honour and Glory that ari&s;e unto God thereby, have all of them their formal nature and rea&s;on, from their Re&s;pect and Relation unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; nor is he a Chri&s;tian who is otherwi&s;e minded.</HI></P>
<P>In the confirmation hereof it will appear what Judgment ought to be pa&s;&s;ed on that enquiry, which after the uninter|rupted Profe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>Catholick Church</HI> for &s;o many Ages of a Faith unto the contrary, is begun to be made by &s;ome a|mong&s;t us; namely, <HI>of what u&s;e is the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Re|ligion.</HI> For it proceeds on this &s;uppo&s;ition, and is determined accordingly, that there is &s;omething in Religion wherein the
<PB N="113" REF="83"><HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is of no u&s;e at all.</HI> A vain Imagination, and &s;uch as is de&s;tructive unto the whole real entercour&s;e be|tween God and man, by the one and only Mediator.</P>
<P>The re&s;pect which we have in <HI>all acts of Religion</HI> unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t may be reduced unto the&s;e four Heads; (1.) <HI>Honour.</HI> (2.) <HI>Obedience.</HI> (3.) <HI>Conformity,</HI> (4.) <HI>The u&s;e</HI> we make of him, for the attaining and receiving of all Go&s;pel Priviledges, all Grace and Glory. And hereunto the whole of our Religion as it is <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> or <HI>Evangelical</HI> may be reduced.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the Object of Divine Honour and Wor&s;hip.</HI> The formal Object and Rea&s;on hereof is the Di|vine Nature, and its <HI>e&s;&s;ential infinite Excellencies.</HI> For they are nothing but that Re&s;pect unto the Divine Being, which is due unto it from all rational creatures regulated by Revela|tion, and enforced by Divine Operations. Wherefore the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is primarily the Object of Divine Honour and Wor&s;hip, upon the account of his <HI>Divine Nature</HI> and Ex|cellencies. And tho&s;e who denying that Nature in him, do yet pretend to <HI>Wor&s;hip him with Divine and Religious Adora|tion,</HI> do but Wor&s;hip a <HI>Golden Calf</HI> of their own &s;etting up; for a Chri&s;t who is not <HI>over all God Ble&s;sed for ever,</HI> is not better And it implies a contradiction, that any Creature &s;hould on any account, be the immediate proper Object of Divine Wor&s;hip; unle&s;s the Divine E&s;&s;ential Excellencies be commu|cated unto it, or transfu&s;ed into it, whereby it would cea&s;e to be a Creature. For that Wor&s;hip is nothing but the <HI>A&s;|cription of Divine Excellencies</HI> unto what is &s;o Wor&s;hipped.</P>
<P>But we now con&s;ider the Lord Chri&s;t, in his whole entire Per&s;on, the Son of God incarnate, <HI>God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h</HI> His infinite Conde&s;cen&s;ion in the A&s;&s;umption of our Nature, did no way dive&s;t him of his Divine E&s;&s;ential Excellencies. For a time, they were &s;hadowed and vailed thereby, from the Eyes of men; when he <HI>made him&s;elf of no Reputa|tion,</HI>
<PB N="114" REF="84">and took on him the form of a Servant. But he eternally and unchangeably continued <HI>in the form of God, and thought it no Robbery to be equal unto him, Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7. He can no more really and e&s;&s;entially by any act of Conde&s;cen&s;ion or Humiliation, cea&s;e to be God, than God can cea&s;e to be. Wherefore his being cloathed with our Nature, derogates no|thing from <HI>the true Rea&s;on</HI> of Divine Wor&s;hip due unto him, but adds an <HI>effectual Motive</HI> unto it. He is therefore the im|mediate Object of all Duties of Religion, internal and external. And in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of God towards us, none of them can be performed in a due manner without a re&s;pect unto him.</P>
<P>This then in the fir&s;t place is to be confirmed; namely, that all Divine Honour is due <HI>unto the Son of God incarnate,</HI> that is the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>John</HI> 5.23. It is the will of the Father, <HI>That all men &s;hould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father: He that ho|noureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that &s;ent him.</HI> Some Con&s;iderations on this Divine Te&s;timony will confirm our Po&s;ition. It is of the Son Incarnate that the words are &s;poken; as all Judgment was committed unto him by the Father, as he was <HI>&s;ent by him, ver.</HI> 22. That is, of the whole Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in the exerci&s;e of his Mediatory Office. And with re&s;pect hereunto it is, that the Mind of God is peculiarly revealed. The way whereby God manife&s;teth his <HI>Will,</HI> that all men &s;hould thus <HI>Honour the Son,</HI> as they Ho|nour the Father, is by committing all Power, Authority and Judgment unto him; <HI>ver.</HI> 20, 21, 22. <HI>For the Father loveth the Son, and &s;heweth him all things that him&s;elf doth; and he will &s;hew him greater works than the&s;e, that ye may marvel. For as the Father rai&s;eth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even &s;o the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son.</HI> Not that the&s;e things are the <HI>formal Rea&s;on</HI> and Cau&s;e
<PB N="115" REF="84">of the Divine Honour which is to be given him; but they are Rea&s;ons of it, and Motives unto it, in that they are Evidences of his being the Son of God.</P>
<P>But it may be &s;aid, what need is there that the Father &s;hould &s;o interpo&s;e an Act of his Will and Soveraign Plea|&s;ure, as to this <HI>Honouring of the Son,</HI> &s;eeing the &s;ole Cau&s;e and Rea&s;on of this Divine Honour is the <HI>Divine Nature,</HI> which the Son is no le&s;s partaker of than the Father. I an|&s;wer (1.) He doth not in this Command intend the Honour and Wor&s;hip of Chri&s;t ab&s;olutely as God, but <HI>di&s;tinctly as the Son,</HI> which peculiar Wor&s;hip was not known under the Old Te&s;tament, but was now declared nece&s;&s;ary in the commit|ing all Power, Authority and Judgment unto him. This is the <HI>Honour</HI> whereof we &s;peak. (2.) He doth it, le&s;t any &s;hould conceive that <HI>as he was now &s;ent of the Father,</HI> and that in the <HI>form of a Servant,</HI> this Honour &s;hould not be due unto him. And the World was then far from thinking that it was &s;o, and many I fear are yet of the &s;ame mind.</P>
<P>He is therefore to be Honoured by us, according to the Will of God, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>in like manner</HI> as we honour the Father. (1.) With the <HI>&s;ame Honour;</HI> that is, Divine, Sacred, Reli|gious and Supreme. To honour the Father with other honour, is to di&s;honour him. When men de&s;ign to give Glory and Honour to God which is not truly Divine, it is Idolatry. For this Honour in truth is nothing but the A|&s;cription of all Infinite Divine Excellencies unto him. Where|on when men a&s;cribe unto him that which <HI>is not &s;o,</HI> they fall into <HI>Idolatry</HI> by the wor&s;hip of their own Imaginations. So was it with the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> when they thought to have given Glory to God, by making a <HI>Golden Calf</HI> whereon they pro|claimed a fea&s;t unto <HI>Jehovah Exod.</HI> 32.5. And &s;o was it with the <HI>Heathen</HI> in all their Images of God, and the Glory which they de&s;igned to give him thereby, as the Apo&s;tle declares,
<PB N="116" REF="85"><HI>Rom.</HI> 1.23, 25. This is one kind of Idolatry, as the other is, the a&s;cribing unto creatures, any thing that is proper and peculiar unto God, any Divine Excellency. And we do not honour <HI>God the Father</HI> with one kind of honour, and the Son with another. That were not to Honour the Son <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>as</HI> we honour the Father, but in a way infinitely different from it. (2.) In the <HI>&s;ame manner,</HI> with the &s;ame Faith, Love, Reverence and Obedience, alwaies, in all things, in all Acts and Duties of Religion whatever.</P>
<P>This <HI>di&s;tinct Honour</HI> is to be given unto the Per&s;on the Son by vertue of this command of the Father, though originally on the Account of his <HI>Onene&s;s</HI> in Nature with the Father. And our Duty herein is pre&s;&s;ed with the highe&s;t Enforcement; <HI>he that honours not the Son, honours not the Father. He who denieth the Son</HI> (herein) <HI>hath not the Father; but he that ac|knowledgeth the Son hath the Father al&s;o,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.23. <HI>For this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life; chap.</HI> 5.11, 12. If we are wanting herein; whatever we pretend we do not wor&s;hip nor honour God at all.</P>
<P>And there is Rea&s;on to give this caution; Rea&s;on to fear that this great fundamental Principal of our Religion, is, if not <HI>disbelieved,</HI> yet not <HI>much attended unto in</HI> the World. Many who profe&s;s a re&s;pect unto the <HI>Divine Being,</HI> and the wor|&s;hip thereof, &s;eem to have little regard unto the <HI>Per&s;on of the Son</HI> in all their Religion. For although they may admit of a cu&s;tomary Interpo&s;ition of his name in their Religious Wor&s;hip; yet the &s;ame di&s;tinct veneration of him as of the Fa|ther, they &s;eem not to under&s;tand, or to be exerci&s;ed in. Howbeit all the Acceptance of our Per&s;ons and Duties with God, depend on this one condition, <HI>that we honour the Son, even as we honour the Father.</HI> To honour the Son as we ought
<PB N="117" REF="85">to honour the Father, is that which makes us Chri&s;tians, and which nothing el&s;e will &s;o do.</P>
<P>This honour of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t may be con&s;idered in the <HI>Duties</HI> of it, wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t; and in the <HI>Principle,</HI> Life, or Spring of tho&s;e Duties.</P>
<P>The Duties whereby we a&s;cribe and expre&s;s Divine Ho|nour unto Chri&s;t, may be reduced unto two Heads. (1.) <HI>Adora|tion.</HI> (2.) <HI>Invocation.</HI></P>
<P>Adoration <HI>is the Pro&s;tration of &s;oul before him as God, in the acknowledgment of his Divine Excellencies and the A&s;crip|tion of them unto him.</HI> It is expre&s;&s;ed in the Old Te&s;tament by <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is, <HI>humbly to bow down</HI> our &s;elves or our &s;ouls unto God. The LXX render it con&s;tantly by <GAP DESC="foreign">; which is the word u&s;ed in the New Te&s;tament unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e. The <HI>Latines</HI> expre&s;&s;ed it u&s;ually by <HI>adoro.</HI> And tho&s;e words, though of other derivations, are of the &s;ame &s;ignification with that in the <HI>Hebrew;</HI> And they do all of them include &s;ome <HI>external &s;ign</HI> of inward Revernece, or a readine&s;s thereunto. Hence is that expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>He bowed down his Head and wor&s;hipped.</HI> See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 95.6. And the&s;e <HI>External &s;igns</HI> are of two &s;orts. (1.) Such as are <HI>natural</HI> and occa&s;ional. (2.) Such as are <HI>&s;olemn,</HI> &s;tated or in&s;tituted. Of the fir&s;t &s;ort are the lifting up of our eyes and hands towards Heaven upon our thoughts of him; and &s;ometimes the ca&s;ting down of our whole Per&s;ons before him, which deep thoughts with Reverence will produce. <HI>Outward in&s;tituted &s;igns</HI> of this internal Adoration are all the <HI>Ordinances of Evangelical wor&s;hip.</HI> In and by them do we &s;olemnly profe&s;s and expre&s;s our in|ward veneration of him. Other waies may be invented to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, but the Scripture knows them not, yea condemns them. Such are the Veneration and Adoration of the pretended <HI>Images</HI> of him, and of the <HI>Ho&s;t,</HI> as they call, it, among the <HI>Papi&s;ts.</HI></P>
<PB N="118" REF="86">
<P>This <HI>Adoration</HI> is due continually to the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and that as in the exerci&s;e of the Office of Mediation. It is due unto him from the whole rational Creation of God. So is it given in charge unto the Angels above. For when he brought the fir&s;t begotten in the world, he &s;aid, <GAP DESC="foreign">, (that is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>wor&s;hip him all ye Gods, P&s;al.</HI> 97.7. <HI>Let all the Angels of God wor&s;hip him,</HI> adore him, bow down be|fore him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.6. See our Expo&s;ition of that place; the de&s;ign of the whole Chapter being to expre&s;s the Divine Ho|nour that is due unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, with the Grounds thereof. This is the command given al&s;o unto the Church. <HI>He is thy Lord, and wor&s;hip thou him, P&s;al.</HI> 45.11.</P>
<P>A glorious Repre&s;entation hereof, whether in the Church above, or in that militant here on the Earth, is given us, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5. <HI>v.</HI> 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. <HI>And I beheld and lo, in the mid&s;t of the Throne, and of that four living Creatures, and in the mid&s;t of the Elders, &s;tood a Lamb as it had been &s;lain, having &s;even Horns and &s;even Eyes, which are the &s;even Spirits of God &s;ent forth into all the Earth. And he came and took the Book out of the right hand of him that &s;ate upon the Throne. And when he had taken the Book, the four Bea&s;ts and four and twenty El|ders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vails &s;ull of odours, which are the Prayers of Saints. And they &s;ung a new &s;ong, &s;aying. Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the &s;eals thereof; for thou wa&s;t &s;lain, and ha&s;t redeemed us unto God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And ho&s;t made us unto our God Kings and Prie&s;ts, and we &s;hall reign on the Earth. And I be|held, and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne, and the Bea&s;ts, and the Elders, and the number of them was ten thou&s;and times ten thou&s;and, and thou&s;ands of thou&s;ands. Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was &s;lain, to
<PB N="119" REF="86">receive Power, and Riches, and Wi&s;dom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Ble&s;&s;ing. And every Creature which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, and &s;uch as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard I, Saying, Ble&s;&s;ing, Honour, Glory and Power be unto him that &s;itteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four Bea&s;ts &s;aid, Amen. And the four and twenty Elders fell down and Wor&s;hipped him that liveth for ever and ever.</HI></P>
<P>The e&s;pecial <HI>Object</HI> of Divine Adoration, the <HI>Motives</HI> unto it, and the <HI>Nature</HI> of it, or what it con&s;i&s;teth in, are here declared.</P>
<P>The <HI>Object</HI> of it is Chri&s;t, not <HI>&s;eparately,</HI> but <HI>di&s;tinctly</HI> from the Father, and joyntly with him. And he is propo&s;ed, (1.) As having fulfilled the work of his Mediation in his In|carnation and Oblation; as a <HI>Lamb &s;lain</HI> (2.) In his glorious Exaltation, <HI>in the mid&s;t of the Throne of God.</HI> The principal, thing that the Heathen of Old ob&s;erved concerning Chri|&s;tian Religion, was that in it, <HI>Prai&s;es were &s;ung to Chri&s;t as unto God.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Motives</HI> unto this Adoration are the un&s;peakable Benefits which we receive by his Mediation; <HI>Thou art wor|thy, for thou wa&s;t &s;lain, and ha&s;t redeemed us unto God,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Hereon the <HI>&s;ame</HI> Glory, the <HI>&s;ame</HI> Honour is a&s;cribed unto him as unto God the Father; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing, Honour, Glory</HI> and <HI>Power,</HI> be unto him that &s;its on the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.</P>
<P>The <HI>Nature</HI> of this Adoration is de&s;cribed to con&s;i&s;t in three things. (1.) <HI>Solemn Pro&s;tration.</HI> And <HI>the four living Creatures &s;aid, Amen&punc; And the four and twenty Elders fell down and Wor&s;hipped him that liveth for ever and ever.</HI> So al&s;o is it de&s;cribed, <HI>chap.</HI> 4.10, 11. (2.) In the <HI>A&s;cription of all Divine Honour and Glory,</HI> as is at large expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>ver.</HI>
<PB N="120" REF="87">11, 12, 13. (3.) In the way of expre&s;&s;ing the de&s;ign of their &s;ouls in this Adoration which is by the prai&s;es; <HI>they &s;ung a new &s;ong;</HI> that is, of Prai&s;e, for &s;o are all tho&s;e <HI>P&s;alms</HI> which have that Title of a <HI>new &s;ong.</HI> And in the&s;e things, namely, &s;o|lemn pro&s;tration of &s;oul in the acknowledgment of Divine Ex|cellencies, A&s;criptions of Glory and Honour with Prai&s;e, doth Religious Adoration con&s;i&s;t. And they belong not unto the great holy Society of them who wor&s;hip above &amp; here below, who&s;e hearts are not alwaies ready unto this &s;olemn <HI>Adoration of the Lamb,</HI> and who are not on all occa&s;ions exerci&s;ed therein.</P>
<P>And this Adoration of Chri&s;t doth differ from the Adorati|on of God ab&s;olutely con&s;idered, and of God as the Father, not in its <HI>Nature,</HI> but meerly on the account of its <HI>e&s;pecial Motives.</HI> The principal Motive unto the Adoration <HI>of God ab&s;olutely con&s;idered,</HI> is the work of Creation, the Manife&s;ta|tion of his Glory therein, with all the effects of his Power and Goodne&s;s thereon en&s;uing. So it is declared, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4.8, 9, 10, 11. <HI>Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power, for thou ha&s;t created all things, and for thy plea&s;ure they are and were created.</HI> And the principal Motive un|to the Adoration and Wor&s;hip of God <HI>as the Father,</HI> is that <HI>eternal Love,</HI> Grace and Goodne&s;s, which he is the Fountain of in a peculiar manner, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.4, 5. But the great <HI>Motive</HI> unto the Adoration of Chri&s;t is the <HI>work of Redemption, Rev.</HI> 5.12. <HI>Worthy is the Lamb that was &s;lain to receive Power, and Riches, and Wi&s;dom, Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> The Rea&s;on whereof is given, <HI>ver.</HI> 9, 10. <HI>For thou was &s;lain and ha&s;t redeemed us unto God by thy blood, and ha&s;t made us unto our God Kings and Prie&s;ts.</HI> The Adoration is the &s;ame, <HI>ver.</HI> 13. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing, Honour, Glory and Power be un|to him that &s;itteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for evermore.</HI> But the immediate <HI>Motives</HI> of it are different, as its Objects are di&s;tinct.</P>
<PB N="121" REF="87">
<P>Herein no &s;mall part of the Life of Chri&s;tian Religion doth con&s;i&s;t. The humbling of our &s;ouls before the Lord Chri&s;t from an apprehen&s;ion of his Divine Excellencies, the A&s;crip|tion of Glory, Honour, Prai&s;e, with thank&s;giving unto him on the great Motive of the work of Redemption with the ble&s;|&s;ed effects thereof, are things wherein the Life of Faith is con|tinually exerci&s;ed. Nor can we have any Evidence of an In|tre&s;t in that ble&s;&s;edne&s;s which con&s;i&s;ts in the eternal A&s;&s;igna|tion of all Glory and Prai&s;e unto him in Heaven, if we are not exerci&s;ed unto this wor&s;hip of him, here on Earth.</P>
<P><HI>Invocation</HI> is the &s;econd general Branch of <HI>Divine Honour,</HI> of that Honour which is due and paid unto the Son, as unto the Father. This is the fir&s;t exerci&s;e of Divine Faith, the breath of the &s;piritual Life&punc; And it con&s;i&s;teth in two things, or hath two parts. (1.) An <HI>A&s;cription</HI> of all Divine Proper|ties and Excellencies unto him whom we invocate. This is e&s;&s;ential unto prayer, which without it is but vain babling. Whoever cometh unto God hereby, mu&s;t believe that he is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently &s;eek him. (2.) There is in it al&s;o a <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of our Wills, Affections and De&s;ires of our &s;ouls unto him on whom we call, with an expectation of being heard and relieved, by vertue of his infi|nitely Divine Excellencies. This is the proper acting of Faith with re&s;pect unto our &s;elves; and hereby it is our Duty to give Honour unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>When he him&s;elf died in the fle&s;h, he committed his de|parting &s;oul by <HI>&s;olemn Invocation</HI> into the hands of his Father, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 31.5. <HI>Luke</HI> 23.4. <HI>Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit.</HI> And to evidence that it is the Will of God, that we &s;hould honour the Son, as we honour the Father, even as the Son him&s;elf in his Humane Nature, who is our Example, honoured the Father. He who fir&s;t died in the Faith of the Go&s;pel, bequeathed his departing) &s;oul into the hands of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> by <HI>&s;olemn Invocation, Acts</HI> 7.59. <HI>They &s;toned</HI>
<PB N="122" REF="88">Stephen, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;olemnly Invocating, and &s;aying, Lord Je|&s;us receive my Spirit.</HI> And having by Faith and Prayer, left his own &s;oul &s;afe in the hand of the Lord <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> he adds one Petition more unto him, wherewith he died, <HI>Lord lay not this &s;in to their charge; ver.</HI> 60. Herein did he give Divine Honour unto Chri&s;t in the e&s;pecial <HI>Invocation</HI> of his name, in the highe&s;t In&s;tances that can be conceived. In his fir&s;t re|que&s;t wherein he committed his departing &s;oul into his hands, he a&s;cribed unto him Divine Omni&s;cience, Omnipre&s;ence, Love and Power. And in the latter for his Enemies, Divine Authority and Mercy to be exerci&s;ed in the pardon of &s;in. In his Example is the Rule e&s;tabli&s;hed, for the e&s;pecial Invocation of Chri&s;t for the effects of Divine Power and Mercy.</P>
<P>Hence the Apo&s;tle de&s;cribeth the <HI>Church</HI> or Believers, and di&s;tingui&s;heth it, or them, from all others, by the di&s;charge of this Duty, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.2. <HI>With all that call on the name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, both their Lord and ours.</HI> To call on the name of the Lord Je&s;us expre&s;&s;eth &s;olemn Invocation in the way of Religious Wor&s;hip. The Jews did call on the name of God. All others in their way called on the names of their Gods. This is that whereby the Church is di&s;tingui&s;hed from them all; <HI>it calls on the name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>He requires that as we <HI>believe on God,</HI> that is, the Fa|ther, &s;o we &s;hould <HI>believe on him al&s;o,</HI> and therein ho|nour the Son, as we honour the Father, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.1. The Na|ture of this Faith, and the Manner how it is exerci&s;ed on Chri&s;t, we &s;hall declare afterwards. But the Apo&s;tle treating of the Nature and Efficacy of this Invocation, affirms that we <HI>cannot call on him in whom we have not believed, Rom.</HI> 10.14. Whence it follows on the contrary, that he on whom we <HI>are bound to believe, on him</HI> it is our Duty to call. So the whole Scripture is clo&s;ed with a Prayer of the Church unto the Lord Chri&s;t, expre&s;&s;ing their Faith in him; <HI>Even &s;o come Lord Je&s;us, Rev.</HI> 22.20.</P>
<PB N="123" REF="88">
<P>There is not any one Rea&s;on of Prayer, not any one Mo|tive unto it, not any con&s;ideration of its u&s;e or Efficacy, but render this <HI>peculiar Invocation of Chri&s;t,</HI> a nece&s;&s;ary Duty. Two things in general are required to render the Duty of In|vocation lawful and u&s;eful. Fir&s;t, that it have a proper <HI>Object;</HI> Secondly, that it have prevalent <HI>Motives</HI> and Encourage|ments unto it. The&s;e in concurence are the formal Rea&s;on and Ground of all Religious Wor&s;hip in general, and of Prayer in particular. So are they laid down as the Foundation of all Religion, <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.2, 3. <HI>I am the Lord thy God,</HI> that is the proper Object of all Religious Wor&s;hip; <HI>which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt, out of the Hou&s;e of Bondage,</HI> which being Summarily and Typically repre&s;entative of all Divine Benefits, Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal, is the great Mo|tive thereunto. The want of both the&s;e in all meer Creatures, Saints and Angels, makes the Invocation of them, not only u&s;ele&s;s, but Idolatrous. But they both eminently concur in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and his Actings towards us. All the Perfections of the Divine Nature are in him, whence he is the proper Object of Religious Invocation. On this account when he Acted in and towards the Church, as the great <HI>An|gel of the Covenant,</HI> God in&s;tructed the people unto all Reli|gious Ob&s;ervance of him, and Obedience unto him, <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.21. <HI>Beware of him and obey his voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, for my name is in him.</HI> Becau&s;e the Name of God was in him, that is, the Divine Nature with &s;overaign Authority to puni&s;h or pardon &s;in, therefore was all Religious Obedience due unto him. And no Motives are wanting hereunto. All that the Lord Chri&s;t hath done for us, and all the Principles of Love, Grace, Compa&s;&s;ion and Power from whence what he hath &s;o done did proceed, are all of this nature. And they are accompa|nied with the encouragement of his Relation unto us, and
<PB N="114" REF="89">charge concerning us. Take away this duty, and the pecu|liar advantage of Chri&s;tian Religion is de&s;troyed.</P>
<P>We have lived to &s;ee the utmo&s;t <HI>Extreams</HI> that Chri&s;tian Religion can divert into. Some with all earne&s;tne&s;s do pre&s;s <HI>the formal Invocation of Saints and Angels</HI> as our duty. And &s;ome will not grant that it <HI>is lawful</HI> for us &s;o to call on Chri&s;t him&s;elf.</P>
<P>The <HI>Socinians</HI> grant generally that it is <HI>lawful</HI> for us to call on Chri&s;t; but they deny that it is <HI>our Duty</HI> at any time &s;o to do. But as they own that it is not <HI>our Duty,</HI> &s;o on their principles it cannot be <HI>lawful.</HI> Denying his Divine Per&s;on, they leave him not the proper object of Prayer. For Prayer without an A&s;cription of Divine Excellencies, as Omni&s;ci|ence, Omnipre&s;ence, and Almighty Power unto him whom we invocate, is but vain babling, that hath nothing of the nature of true Prayer in it. And to make &s;uch A&s;crip|tions unto him who by nature is not God, is Idolatrous.</P>
<P>The Solemn <HI>Ordinary Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Church, and &s;o of private Believers, in their Families and Clo&s;ets, is under an e&s;pecial Directory and Guidance. For <HI>the Per&s;on of the Fa|ther,</HI> as the Eternal Fountain of Power, Grace and Mercy, is the formal Object of our Prayers, unto whom our &s;upplica|tions are directed. The Divine Nature ab&s;olutely con&s;idered, is the Object of Natural Wor&s;hip and Invocation: But it is the &s;ame Divine Nature in the Per&s;on of the Father, that is the proper Object of Evangelical Wor&s;hip and Invocation. So our Saviour hath taught us to call on God under the name and notion of a Father, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6.9. that is, his God, and our God, his Father, and our Father, <HI>John</HI> 20.17. And this Invo|cation is to be, by and in the Name of the Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, through the Aid of the Holy Spirit. He is herein con&s;idered as the <HI>Mediator</HI> between God and Man, as the Holy Gho&s;t is he by whom &s;upplies of Grace enabling us unto the accep|ceptable
<PB N="113" REF="89">Performance of our Duties, are actually communi|cated unto us. This is the way whereby God will be glori|fied. This is the My&s;tery of our Religion, that we wor&s;hip God according to the <HI>Oeconomy</HI> of his Wi&s;dom and Grace, wherein he doth di&s;pence of him&s;elf unto us in the Per&s;ons of the Father, Son and Spirit. Otherwi&s;e he will not be ho|noured or wor&s;hipped by us&punc; And tho&s;e who in their Wor|&s;hip or Invocation do attempt an approach unto the Divine Nature as ab&s;olutely con&s;idered, without re&s;pect unto the Di&s;pen&s;ation of God in the di&s;tinct Per&s;ons of the Holy Tri|nity, do reject the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, and all the Benefits of it&punc; So is it with many. And not a few, who pretend a great Devotion unto God, do &s;upply other things into the room of Chri&s;t as <HI>Saints and Angels,</HI> rejecting al&s;o the Aids of the Spirit to comply with Imaginations of their own, who&s;e A&s;&s;i&s;tance herein they more approve of.</P>
<P>But this is the nature and method of ordinary Solemn Evangelical Invocation. So it is declared, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.18. <HI>Through him we have an Acce&s;s by one Spirit unto the Father.</HI> It is the Father unto whom we have our Acce&s;s whom we peculiarly invocate; as it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>chap.</HI> 3.14, 15, 16. <HI>For this cau&s;e I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named, that he would grant you,</HI> &amp;c. But it is <HI>through him,</HI> that is, by Chri&s;t in the exerci&s;e of his Mediatory Office that we have this Acce&s;s unto the Father; we ask in his Name, and for his &s;ake, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.13, 14. <HI>chap.</HI> 16.23, 24. They did &s;o of old, though not in that expre&s;s exerci&s;e of Faith which we now attain unto, <HI>Dan.</HI> 9.17. <HI>Hear O Lord, and have mercy for the Lords &s;ake.</HI> All this are we enabled unto by <HI>one Spirit;</HI> through the Aids and A&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.26, 27. So that Prayer is our crying <HI>Abba Father, by the Spirit of the Son, Gal.</HI> 4 6.
<PB N="126" REF="90">This is farther declared, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.15, 16. <HI>chap.</HI> 10.19, 20. Herein is the Lord Chri&s;t con&s;idered not ab&s;olutely with re&s;pect unto his Divine Per&s;on, but with re&s;pect unto his Office, that <HI>through him our Faith and Hope might be in God,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet</HI> 1.20.</P>
<P>Wherefore it being our Duty, as hath been proved, <HI>to in|vocate the Name of Chri&s;t</HI> in a particular manner, and this be|ing the ordinary &s;olemn way of the Wor&s;hip of the Church, we may con&s;ider on what occa&s;ions, and in what &s;ea&s;ons this <HI>peculiar Invocation of Chri&s;t,</HI> who in his Divine Per&s;on is both our God and our Advocate, is nece&s;&s;ary for us, and mo&s;t acceptable unto him.</P>
<P N="1">1. Times of great <HI>Di&s;tre&s;&s;es in Con&s;cience through Tempta|tions and De&s;ertions,</HI> are &s;ea&s;ons requiring an Application unto Chri&s;t by <HI>e&s;pecial Invocation.</HI> Per&s;ons in &s;uch conditi|ons when their &s;ouls, as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>are overwhelmed in them,</HI> are continnually &s;olicitous about <HI>Compa&s;&s;ion and Deliverance.</HI> Some Relief, &s;ome Refre&s;hment they often find in Pitty and Compa&s;&s;ion from them who either have been in the &s;ame condition them&s;elves, or by Scripture Light do know the Terror of the Lord in the&s;e things. When their complaints are de&s;pi&s;ed, and their troubles a&s;cribed unto o|ther cau&s;es than what they are really &s;en&s;ible of and feel within them&s;elves, as is commonly done by <HI>Phy&s;itians of no value,</HI> it is an Aggravation of their Di&s;tre&s;s and &s;orrow. And they greatly value every &s;incere endeavour for Relief, either by coun&s;el or prayer. In this &s;tate and condition the Lord Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel is propo&s;ed as full of <HI>tender compa&s;&s;ion,</HI> as he alone who is able to relieve them. In that him&s;elf hath &s;uffe|red being tempted, he is touched with a feeling of our Infir|mities, and knows how to have compa&s;&s;ion on them that are out of the way, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2 18. <HI>Chap.</HI> 4.15. <HI>Chap.</HI> 5 6. So is he al&s;o, as he alone who is able to &s;ucconr, to relieve and to deliver them.
<PB N="127" REF="90"><HI>He is able to &s;uccour them that are tempted, Heb.</HI> 2.18. Here|on are they drawn, con&s;trained, encouraged to make Appli|cations unto him by prayer, that he would deal with them according to his Compa&s;&s;ion and Power. This is a &s;ea&s;on rendring the Di&s;charge of this Duty nece&s;&s;ary. And hereby have innumerable &s;ouls found Con&s;olation, Refre&s;hment and Deliverance. A time of trouble is a time of the e&s;pecial ex|erci&s;e of Faith in Chri&s;t. So him&s;elf gives direction, <HI>John</HI> 14.7. <HI>Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe al&s;o in me.</HI> Di&s;tinct actings of Faith on Chri&s;t, are the great means of Supportment and Relief in trouble. And it is by e&s;pecial Invocation, whereby they put forth and ex|ert them&s;elves.</P>
<P>An In&s;tance hereof as unto Temptation, and the Di&s;tre&s;s wherewith it is attended, we have in the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul.</HI> He had a <HI>Thorne in the fle&s;h, a Me&s;&s;enger of Satan</HI> to buffet him. Both expre&s;&s;ions declare the deep &s;en&s;e he had of his Tempta|tion, and the perplexity wherewith it was accompanied. <HI>For this cau&s;e he be&s;ought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.7, 8. He applied him&s;elf &s;olemnly unto Pray|er for its Removal, and that frequently. And it was the Lord, that is the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t unto whom he made his Application. For &s;o the Name Lord is to be interpreted if there be nothing contrary in the context, as the Name of God, is of the Father, by vertue of that Rule, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.6, 7. <HI>To us there is one God the Father, and one Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> And it is evident al&s;o in the context. The an&s;wer he recei|ved unto his Prayer was, <HI>My Grace is &s;ufficient for thee, for my Power is made perfect in weakne&s;s.</HI> And who&s;e Power that was, who gave him that an&s;wer, he declares in the next words. <HI>Mo&s;t gladly therefore will I glory in my weakne&s;&s;es, that the Power of Chri&s;t may re&s;t upon me,</HI> that is, the Power of him on whom he called who gave him that An&s;wer, <HI>My Power is made perfect in weakne&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="128" REF="91">
<P N="2">2. Times of <HI>gracious Di&s;coveries</HI> either of the Glory of Chri&s;t in him&s;elf, or of his Love unto us, are &s;ea&s;ons that call for this Duty, The Glory of Chri&s;t in his Per&s;on and Offices is alwaies the &s;ame. And the Revelation that is made of it in the Scripture varieth not. But as unto our Percep|tion and Apprehen&s;ion of it, whereby our hearts and minds are affected with it in an e&s;pecial manner, there are apparent &s;ea&s;ons of it, which no Believers are unacquainted withall. Sometimes &s;uch a &s;en&s;e of it is attained under the Di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the Word, wherein as Chri&s;t on the one hand <HI>is &s;et forth evidently crucified before our Eyes,</HI> &s;o on the other he is gloriou&s;ly exalted. Sometimes it is &s;o in Prayer, in Medita|tion, in Contemplation on him. As an Ability was given un|to the bodily &s;ight of <HI>Stephen,</HI> to &s;ee upon the opening of the Heavens, the <HI>Glory of God, and Je&s;us &s;tanding at his right hand, Acts</HI> 7.56, 57. &s;o he opens the vail &s;ometimes, and gives a clear affecting di&s;covery of his Glory unto the minds and &s;ouls of Believers: And in &s;uch &s;ea&s;ons are they drawn forth and excited unto Invocation and Prai&s;e, So <HI>Thomas</HI> be|ing &s;urprized with an Apprehen&s;ion and Evidence of his Di|vine Glory and Power after his Re&s;urrection (wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with Power, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.4. cried unto him, <HI>my Lord and my God, John</HI> 20.28.) There was in his words both a Profe&s;&s;ion of his own Faith, and a Solemn Invocation of Chri&s;t. When therefore we have real di&s;cove|ries of the Glory of Chri&s;t, we cannot but &s;peak to him, or of him. <HI>The&s;e things &s;aid I&s;aiah when he &s;aw his Glory and &s;pake of him, Joh.</HI> 12.41. And <HI>Stephen</HI> upon a view of it in the mid&s;t of his enraged Enemies, te&s;tified immediately, <HI>I &s;ee the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man &s;tanding at the right hand of God.</HI> And thereby was he prepared for that <HI>&s;olemn Invocation</HI> of his Name, which he u&s;ed pre&s;ently after, <HI>Lord Je&s;us receive my Spirit, Act.</HI> 7.56, 59. And &s;o al&s;o upon his
<PB N="129" REF="91">Appearance as the <HI>Lamb</HI> to open the Book of Prophecies, wherein there was an eminent Manife&s;tation of his Glory, &s;eeing none el&s;e could be found in Heaven or Earth, or un|der the Earth, that was able to open the Book, or &s;o much as to look thereon, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.3. <HI>The four and twenty Elders fell down before him,</HI> and pre&s;enting all the Prayers of the Saints, <HI>&s;ang a new &s;ong of Prai&s;e unto him, ver.</HI> 8, 9, 10. This is our Duty, this will be our wi&s;dom, upon affecting di&s;coveries of the <HI>Glory of Chri&s;t;</HI> namely, to apply our &s;elves unto him by Invocation or Prai&s;e; and thereby will the Refre&s;hment and Advantage of them abide upon our minds.</P>
<P>So is it al&s;o as unto his <HI>Love.</HI> The Love of Chri&s;t is alwaies the &s;ame and equal unto the Church. Howbeit there are peculiar, &s;ea&s;ons, of the Manife&s;tation and Application of a &s;en&s;e of it unto the &s;ouls of believers. So it is when it is <HI>wit|ne&s;&s;ed</HI> unto them, <HI>or &s;hed abroad</HI> in their Hearts by the Holy Gho&s;t. Then is it accompanied with a <HI>con&s;training Power,</HI> to oblige us to live unto him who died for us, and ro&s;e again, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.14, 15. And of our Spiritual life unto <HI>Chri&s;t, Invo|cation</HI> of him is no &s;mall Portion. And this &s;en&s;e of his Love we might enjoy more frequently than for the mo&s;t part we do, were we not &s;o much wanting unto our &s;elves and our own concernes. For although it be an Act of Soveraign Grace in God, to grant it unto us, and affect us with it, as it &s;eems good unto him; yet is our Duty required to di&s;po&s;e our hearts unto its Reception. Were we diligent in ca&s;ting out all that <HI>Filthine&s;s and Superfluity of Naughtine&s;s,</HI> which corrupts our Affections, and Di&s;po&s;es the mind to abound in vain Imaginations; were our Hearts more taken off from the Love of the World, which is exclu&s;ive of a &s;en&s;e of Di|vine Love; did we more meditate on Chri&s;t and his Glory, we &s;hould more frequently enjoy the&s;e <HI>con&s;training</HI> vi&s;its of his Love, than now we do. So him&s;elf expre&s;&s;eth it, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.20.
<PB N="130" REF="92"><HI>Behold I &s;tand at the Door and knock, if any man bear my voice and open the Door, I will come in unto him, and &s;up with him, and he with me.</HI> He makes intimation of his Love and Kindne&s;s unto us. But ofttimes we neither hear his voice when he &s;peaks, nor do open our hearts unto him. So do we lo&s;e that gracious refre&s;hing &s;en&s;e of his Love which he expre&s;&s;eth in that Promi&s;e, <HI>I will &s;up with him, and he &s;hall &s;up with me.</HI> No Tongue can expre&s;s that Heavenly Com|munion and ble&s;&s;ed Entercour&s;e which is intimated in this Promi&s;e. The expre&s;&s;ion is <HI>metaphorical,</HI> but the Grace ex|pre&s;&s;ed is <HI>real,</HI> and more valued than the whole world, by all that have experience of it. This &s;en&s;e of the Love of Chri&s;t, and the effect of it in communion with him, by Prayer and Prai&s;es, is divinely &s;et forth in the Book of <HI>Canticles.</HI> The Church therein is repre&s;ented as the <HI>Spou&s;e</HI> of Chri&s;t; and as a faithful Spou&s;e &s;he is alwaies either &s;ollicitous about his Love, or rejoycing in it. And when &s;he hath attained a &s;en&s;e of it, &s;he aboundeth in Invocation, Admiration and Prai&s;e. So doth the Church of the New Te&s;tament upon an Apprehen&s;ion of his <HI>Love,</HI> and the un&s;peakable fruits of it. <HI>&V;nto him that loved us, and wa&s;hed us from our &s;ins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Prie&s;ts unto God and his Father, to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Amen, Rev.</HI> 1.5, 6. This therefore is another &s;ea&s;on that calls for this Duty.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Times of Per&s;ecution for his Names &s;ake, and for the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel,</HI> are another &s;ea&s;on rendring this peculiar Invocation of Chri&s;t both comely and nece&s;&s;ary. Two things will befal the minds of Believers in &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on. (1.) That their thoughts will be greatly exerci&s;ed <HI>about him,</HI> and con|ver&s;ant with him. They cannot but continually think and meditate on <HI>him</HI> for whom they &s;uffer. None ever &s;uffered <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> on ju&s;t Grounds, with &s;incere Ends, and in a due
<PB N="131" REF="92">manner, but it was &s;o with them. The invincible Rea&s;ons they have to &s;uffer for him, taken from his Per&s;on, Love, Grace and Authority, from what he is in him&s;elf, what he hath done for them, and what account of all things is to be given unto him, do continually pre&s;ent them&s;elves unto their minds. Wilderne&s;&s;es, Pri&s;ons and Dungeons have been filled with thoughts of Chri&s;t and his Love. And ma|ny in former and latter Ages have given an Account of their Communion and holy Entercour&s;e with the Lord Chri&s;t under their re&s;traints and &s;ufferings. And tho&s;e who at any time have made an <HI>entrance into &s;uch a condition,</HI> will all of them give in the Te&s;timony of their own experience in this matter. (2) Such per&s;ons have deep and fixed apprehen|&s;ions of the <HI>e&s;pecial Concernment</HI> which the Lord Chri&s;t hath in them as unto their pre&s;ent condition; as al&s;o of his <HI>Power</HI> to &s;upport them, or to work out their deliverance. They know and con&s;ider, <HI>That in all their afflictions, he is afflicted,</HI> &s;uffers in all their &s;ufferings, is per&s;ecuted in all their per&s;e|cutions. That in them all he is full of Love, Pity and un|&s;peakable Compa&s;&s;ion towards them; that his Grace is &s;uf|ficient for them, that his Power &s;hall be perfected in their weakne&s;s, to carry them through all their &s;ufferings unto his and their own Glory. In the&s;e circum&s;tances, it is impo&s;&s;ible for them who are under the conduct of his Spirit, not to make <HI>e&s;pecial Applications</HI> continually unto him, for tho&s;e Aids of Grace, for tho&s;e Pledges of Love and Mercy, for tho&s;e &s;upplies of Con&s;olation and &s;piritual Refre&s;hments which their condition calls for. Wherefore in this &s;tate, the <HI>Invocation of Chri&s;t,</HI> is the Refuge and &s;heat Anchor of the &s;ouls of them who truly believe in him. So it was unto all the holy Martyrs of old, and in latter Ages.</P>
<P>This Doctrine and Duty is not for them who <HI>are at ea&s;e:</HI> The afflicted, the tempted, the per&s;ecuted, the &s;piritually di&s;|con&s;olate
<PB N="132" REF="93">will prize it, and be found in the practice of it. And all tho&s;e holy &s;ouls, who in mo&s;t Ages, on the Account of the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, have been reduced unto <HI>out|wardly unrelieveable di&s;tre&s;&s;es,</HI> have, as was &s;aid, left their Te&s;timony unto this Duty, and the Benefits of it. The Re|fre&s;hment which they found therein, was a &s;ufficient Bal|lance again&s;t the weight of all outward Calamities, enabling them to rejoyce under them with <HI>Joy un&s;peakable and full of Glory.</HI> This is the Churches Re&s;erve again&s;t all the Trials it may be exerci&s;ed withal, and all the Dangers whereunto it is expo&s;ed. Whil&s;t Believers have liberty of Acce&s;s <HI>unto him</HI> in their &s;upplications, who hath all Power in his hand, who is full of ineffable Love and Compa&s;&s;ion towards them, e&s;pecially as &s;uffering for his &s;ake, they are <HI>more than Con|querers</HI> in all their Tribulations.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>When we have a due Apprehen&s;ion of the eminent actings of any Grace in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and withal a deep and abiding &s;en&s;e of our own want of the &s;ame Grace,</HI> it is a &s;ea&s;on of e&s;pecial Application unto him by Prayer for the encrea&s;e of it. All Graces as unto their Habit were <HI>equal</HI> in Chri&s;t; they were all in him in the highe&s;t Degree of Perfection. And every one of them did he exerci&s;e in its due manner and mea&s;ure on all ju&s;t occa&s;ions. But outward Cau&s;es and Circum&s;tances, gave <HI>opportunity</HI> unto the exerci&s;e of &s;ome of them, in a way more eminent and con&s;picuous than others were exerci&s;ed in. For In&s;tance; &s;uch were his un&s;peakable Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Self-denial, and Patience in Sufferings, which the Apo&s;tle unto this purpo&s;e in&s;i&s;ts upon, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2 5, 6, 7, 8. Now the great de&s;ign of all Believers is to be like Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in all Grace, and all the Exerci&s;e of it. He is in all things their Pattern and Example. Wherefore when they have a view of the Glory of any Grace as it was exerci&s;ed in Chri&s;t, and withal a &s;en&s;e of their own defect and want therein, (Confor|mity
<PB N="133" REF="93">unto him being their De&s;ign,) they cannot but apply them&s;elves unto him in <HI>&s;olemn Invocation,</HI> for a farther com|munication of that Grace unto them, from his &s;tores and fulne&s;s. And the&s;e things mutually promote one another in us if duly attended unto. A due &s;en&s;e of <HI>our own defect</HI> in any Grace, will farther us in the pro&s;pect of the <HI>Glory of that Grace</HI> in Chri&s;t. And a view, a due Contemplation of the glorious exerci&s;e of <HI>any Grace in him,</HI> will give us light to di&s;cover our own <HI>great defect</HI> therein, and want thereof. Under a &s;en&s;e of both, an immediate Application unto Chri&s;t by Prayer, would be an un&s;peakable furtherance of our growth in Grace, and conformity unto him. Nor can there be any more effectual way or means to <HI>draw &s;upplies of Grace</HI> from him, to draw water from the wells of Salvation When in an holy Admiration of, and fervent Love unto any Grace as eminently exerci&s;ed in and by him, with a &s;en&s;e of our own want of the &s;ame Grace, we ask it of him in Faith, he will not deny it unto us. So the <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> upon the Pre&s;crip|tion of a Difficult Duty unto who&s;e due performance a good mea&s;ure of <HI>Faith</HI> was required; out of a &s;en&s;e of the <HI>Alful|ne&s;s</HI> of him, and their own defect in that Grace which was nece&s;&s;ary unto the peculiar Duty there pre&s;cribed, immedi|ately pray unto him, &s;aying, <HI>Lord increa&s;e our Faith, Luke</HI> 17.5. The &s;ame is the ca&s;e with re&s;pect unto any Temptation that may befal us, wherewith he was exerci&s;ed, and over which he prevailed.</P>
<P N="5">5. The <HI>Time of Death whether natural, or violent for his &s;ake,</HI> is a &s;ea&s;on of the &s;ame nature. So <HI>Stephen</HI> recommen|ded his departing &s;oul into his hands with &s;olemn Prayer; <HI>Lord Je&s;us,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>receive my Spirit&punc;</HI> To the &s;ame pur|po&s;e have been the prayers of many of his Faithful Martyrs in the flames, and under the Sword&punc; In the &s;ame manner doth the Faith of Innumerable holy &s;ouls work in the mid&s;t
<PB N="134" REF="94">of their Death-bed Groans. And the more we have been in the exerci&s;e of Faith on him in our lives, the more ready will it be in the approaches of Death, to make its re&s;ort unto him in a peculiar manner.</P>
<P>And it may be other In&s;tances of an alike nature may be given unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>An An&s;wer unto an Enquiry which may po&s;&s;ibly ari&s;e from what we have in&s;i&s;ted on, &s;hall clo&s;e this Di&s;cour&s;e. For whereas the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t <HI>as Mediator</HI> doth inter|cede with the Father for us, it may be enquired, <HI>Whether we may pray unto him, that he would &s;o intercede on our be|half;</HI> whether this be comprized in the Duty of Invocation, or Prayer unto him.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> (1) There is no <HI>Pre&s;ident</HI> nor <HI>Example</HI> of any &s;uch thing, of any &s;uch Prayer in the Scripture. And it is not &s;afe for us to venture on Duties not <HI>exemplified</HI> therein. Nor can any In&s;tance of a nece&s;&s;ary Duty be given, of who&s;e per|formance we have not an <HI>Example</HI> in the Scripture. (2.) In the Invocatian of Chri&s;t, we <HI>honour the Son, even as we ho|nour the Father.</HI> Wherefore his Divine Per&s;on is therein the formal Object of our Faith. We con&s;ider him not therein as acting in his <HI>Mediatory Office</HI> towards God for us, but as he who hath the ab&s;olute Power and Di&s;po&s;al of all the Good things we pray for. And in our Invocation of him, our Faith is fixed on, and terminated on his Per&s;on. But as he is in the <HI>Di&s;charge of his Mediatory Office,</HI> through him <HI>our Faith and Hope is in God,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.21. He who is the Mediator, or Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Mediator, as God and Man in one Per&s;on, is the Object of all Divine Honour and Wor&s;hip. His Per&s;on, and both his Natures in that Per&s;on, is &s;o the Object of Re|ligious Wor&s;hip. This is that which we are in the Proof and Demon&s;tration of. Howbeit it is his <HI>Divine Nature,</HI> and not his Di&s;charge of the Office of Mediation, that is the <HI>for|mal
<PB N="135" REF="94">Rea&s;on</HI> and Object of Divine Wor&s;hip. For it con&s;i&s;ts in an A&s;cription of infinitely Divine Excellencies and Proper|ties unto him whom we &s;o wor&s;hip. And to do this on any account but of the <HI>Divine Nature,</HI> is in it &s;elf a contradi|ction, and in them that do it <HI>Idolatry.</HI> Had the Son of God never been <HI>Incarnate,</HI> he had been the Object of all Divine Wor&s;hip. And could there have been a Mediator between God and us, who was not God al&s;o, he could never have been the Object of any Divine Wor&s;hip or Invocation. Wherefore Chri&s;t the Mediator God and Man in one Per&s;on, is in all things to be honoured even as we honour the Fa|ther; but it is as he <HI>is God equal with the Father,</HI> and not <HI>as</HI> Mediator, in which re&s;pect he is inferiour unto him. With re&s;pect unto his Divine Per&s;on we ask immediately of him&s;elf in our &s;upplications; as he is Mediator we ask of the Father in his Name. The different Actings of Faith on him, under the &s;ame di&s;tinction, &s;hall be declared in the next Chapter.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="130" REF="95">
<HEAD>CHAP. X.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Principle of the A&s;&s;ignation of Divine Honour unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, in both the Branches of it; which is Faith in him.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE Principle and Spring of this A&s;&s;ignation of Divine Honour unto Chri&s;t in both the Branches of it, is <HI>Faith</HI> in him. And this hath been the Foundation of all ac|ceptable Religion in the World &s;ince the entrance of &s;in. There are &s;ome who deny <HI>that Faith in Chri&s;t was required from the Beginning,</HI> or was nece&s;&s;ary unto the Wor&s;hip of God, or the Ju&s;tification and Salvation of them that did obey him. For whereas it mu&s;t be granted that <HI>without Faith it is im|po&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God,</HI> which Apo&s;tle proves by In&s;tances from the Foundation of the World, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. They &s;uppo&s;e it is Faith in God under the general notion of it, without any re|&s;pect unto Chri&s;t that is intended. It is not my de&s;ign to contend with any, nor expre&s;ly to confute &s;uch ungrateful Opinions, &s;uch pernicious Errours. Such this is, which be|ing pur&s;ued in its proper tendency, &s;trikes at the very Foun|dation of Chri&s;tian Religion. For it at once deprives us of all contribution of Light and Truth from the Old Te&s;tament. Somewhat I have &s;poken before of the Faith of the Saints of old concerning him. I &s;hall now therefore only confirm the Truth, by &s;ome <HI>Principles</HI> which are Fundamental in the Faith of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t Promi&s;e, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15. truly called <GAP DESC="foreign">, was revealed propo&s;ed and given, as containing and expre&s;&s;ing the only means of Delivery from that Apo&s;tacy from God, with all the Effects of it, under which our fir&s;t
<PB N="137" REF="95">Parents, and all their Po&s;terity were ca&s;t by &s;in. The <HI>De|&s;truction of Satan</HI> and his work in his introduction of the &s;tate of &s;in, by a <HI>Saviour</HI> and <HI>Deliverer</HI> was prepared and provided for, in it. This is the very Foundation of the Faith of the Church, and if it be denied, nothing of the <HI>Oeconomy</HI> or Di&s;|pen&s;ation of God towards it from the beginning can be un|der&s;tood. The whole Doctrine and Story of the Old Te&s;ta|ment mu&s;t be rejected as u&s;ele&s;s, and no Foundation be left in the <HI>Truth of God,</HI> for the Introduction of the New.</P>
<P N="2">2. It was the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> his Incarnation and Media|tion, that were promi&s;ed under the name of the <HI>&s;eed of the woman,</HI> and the work he &s;hould do in <HI>breaking the Head of the Serpent,</HI> with the way whereby he &s;hould do it, <HI>in &s;uffer|ing,</HI> by his Power. The accompli&s;hment hereof was in God's &s;ending his Son in the likene&s;s of &s;inful fle&s;h, in the fulne&s;s of time, made under the Law, or by his manife&s;tation in the fle&s;h, to de&s;troy the works of the Devil. So is this Promi&s;e interpreted, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.10. <HI>chap.</HI> 4.4. <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.14, 15, 16. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.8. This cannot be denied but upon one of the&s;e two grounds. (1.) That nothing is intended in that Divine Re|velation, but only a <HI>natural Enmity</HI> that is between Man|kind and Serpents. But this is &s;o fooli&s;h an Imagination, that the <HI>Jews</HI> them&s;elves, who con&s;tantly refer this place to the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> are not guilty of. All the whole Truth concerning God's di&s;plea&s;ure on the &s;in of our fir&s;t Parents, with what concerneth the nature and con&s;equents of that &s;in, is everted hereby. And whereas the Foundation of all God's future dealing with them and their Po&s;terity is plainly expre&s;&s;ed herein, it is turned into that which is <HI>ludicrous,</HI> and of ve|ry little concernment in Humane Life. For &s;uch is the <HI>En|mity</HI> between Mankind and Serpents, which not one in a million know any thing of, or are troubled with. This is but to lay the <HI>Ax of Athei&s;m</HI> unto all Religion built on Di|vine
<PB N="138" REF="96">Revelation. Be&s;ides, on this &s;uppo&s;ition there is in the words not the lea&s;t intimation of any Relief, that God ten|dred unto our Parents for <HI>their Delivery</HI> from the &s;tate and condition whereinto they had ca&s;t them&s;elves by their &s;in and Apo&s;tacy. Wherefore they mu&s;t be e&s;teemed to be left ab&s;olutely under the <HI>cur&s;e,</HI> as the Angels were that fell, which is to root all Religion out of the world. For among&s;t them who are ab&s;olutely under the cur&s;e without any Remedy, there can be no more than is in Hell. Or (2.) It mu&s;t be, becau&s;e <HI>&s;ome other way of Deliverance and Salvation,</HI> and not that by Chri&s;t, is here propo&s;ed and promi&s;ed. But whereas they were to be wrought by the <HI>&s;eed of the woman,</HI> if this were not that Chri&s;t in whom we do believe, there was ano|ther promi&s;ed, and he is to be rejected. And this is fairly at once to blot out the whole Scripture as a Fable. For there is not a line of doctrinal Truth in it, but what depends on the Traduction of Chri&s;t from this fir&s;t Promi&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. This Promi&s;e was <HI>confirmed,</HI> and the <HI>way of the Delive|rance</HI> of the Church by vertue of it declared in the <HI>In&s;titution of Expiatory Sacrifices.</HI> God in them and by them declared from the Beginning, that without <HI>&s;hedding of blood</HI> there was no Remi&s;&s;ion; that Atonement for &s;in was to be made by Sub&s;titution and Satisfaction. With re&s;pect unto them the Lord Chri&s;t was called <HI>the Lamb of God,</HI> even as he took a|way the &s;ins of the world by the &s;acrifice of him&s;elf, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.29. For we <HI>were redeemed with the precious blood of Chri&s;t, as of a Lamb without blemi&s;h and without &s;pot,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.19. Where|in the Holy Spirit refers unto the In&s;titution and nature of Sacrifices from the Beginning. And he is thence repre&s;ented in Heaven as a <HI>Lamb that had been &s;lain, Rev.</HI> 4.6. the Glory of Heaven ari&s;ing from the fruits and effects of his Sacrifice. And becau&s;e of the Repre&s;entation thereof in all the former Sacrifices, is he &s;aid to be a <HI>Lamb &s;lain from the foundation
<PB N="139" REF="96">of the world, Rev.</HI> 13.8. And it is &s;trange to me that any who deny not the <HI>Expiatory Sacrifice of Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;hould doubt whether the Original of the&s;e Sacrifices were Divine In&s;titu|tution, or the Invention of men. And it is &s;o among&s;t others for the Rea&s;ons en&s;uing</P>
<P N="1">1. On the &s;uppo&s;ition that they were of <HI>mens finding out,</HI> and <HI>voluntary Ob&s;ervation,</HI> without any previous Divine Re|velation, it mu&s;t be granted that the Foundation of all accep|table Religion in the world, was laid in, and re&s;olved into the Wi&s;dom and Wills of men, and not into the Wi&s;dom, Au|thority and will of God. For that the great &s;olemnity of Re|ligion, which was as the Center and Te&s;timony of all its other Duties, did con&s;i&s;t in the&s;e <HI>Sacrifices</HI> even before the giving of the Law, will not be denied. And in the giving of the Law, God did not on this &s;uppo&s;ition confirm and e&s;ta|bli&s;h his <HI>own In&s;titutions</HI> with Additions unto them of the &s;ame kind, but &s;et his &s;eal and approbation unto the <HI>Inventions of men.</HI> But this is contrary unto natural light, and the whole cur|rent of Scripture Revelations.</P>
<P N="2">2. All <HI>Expiatory Sacrifices</HI> were from the Beginning, <HI>Types</HI> and Repre&s;entations of the Sacrifice of Chri&s;t, whereon all their U&s;e, Efficacy and Benefit among men, all their Accep|tance with God, did depend. Remove this con&s;ideration from them, and they were as <HI>irrational a &s;ervice,</HI> as unbe|coming the Divine Nature, as any thing that rea&s;onable Creatures could fix upon. They are to this day, as rea&s;ona|ble a &s;ervice as ever they were, but that only their re&s;pect unto the Sacrifice of Chri&s;t is taken from them. And what per&s;on of any ordinary under&s;tanding, could now &s;uppo&s;e them a <HI>meet &s;ervice</HI> whereby to glorify the Divine Nature. Be&s;ides, all <HI>Expiatory Sacrifices</HI> were of the &s;ame nature, and of the &s;ame u&s;e, both before and after the giving of the Law. But that all tho&s;e afterwards were <HI>Typical</HI> of the Sacrifice of
<PB N="140" REF="97">Chri&s;t, the Apo&s;tle demon&s;trates at large in his Epi&s;tle unto the <HI>Hebrews.</HI> The enquiry therefore is whether this ble<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ed prefiguration of the Lord Chri&s;t and his Sacrifice, as he was <HI>the Lamb of God</HI> taking away the &s;ins of the World, was an effect of the Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Will of God, or of the Wills and Inventions of men. And let it be con&s;idered al&s;o that the&s;e men who are &s;uppo&s;ed to be the Authors of this wonderful Repre&s;entation of the Lord Chri&s;t and his Sacrifice, did indeed know little of them, or as the a&s;&s;erters of this Opinion imagin nothing at all. To &s;uppo&s;e that tho&s;e who knew no more of Chri&s;t than they could learn from the <HI>fir&s;t Promi&s;e,</HI> which as &s;ome think was nothing at all, &s;hould of their own heads find out and appoint this <HI>Divine &s;ervice,</HI> which con&s;i&s;ted only in the prefiguration of him and his Sacri|fice, and that God &s;hould not only <HI>approve of it,</HI> but allow it as the principal means for the E&s;tabli&s;hment and exer|ci&s;e of the Faith of all Believers for 4000 years, is to in|dulge unto thoughts deviating from all Rules of Sobri|ety. He that &s;ees not a Divine Wi&s;dom in this <HI>In&s;titu|tion,</HI> hath &s;carce &s;eriou&s;ly exerci&s;ed his thoughts about it. But I have el&s;ewhere con&s;idered the cau&s;es and Origi|nal of the&s;e Sacrifices, and &s;hall not therefore farther in&s;i&s;t upon them.</P>
<P N="4">4. Our fir&s;t Parents and all their Holy Po&s;terity <HI>did believe this Promi&s;e,</HI> or did embrace it as the only way and means of their <HI>Deliverance from the Cur&s;e</HI> and &s;tate of &s;in, and were thereon ju&s;tified before God. I confe&s;s we have not infalli|ble a&s;&s;urance of any who did &s;o in particular, but tho&s;e who are mentioned by name in Scripture, as <HI>Abel, Enoch, Noah,</HI> and &s;ome others. But to que&s;tion it concerning others al&s;o, as of our <HI>fir&s;t Parents</HI> them&s;elves, is fooli&s;h and impious. This is done by the <HI>Socinians,</HI> to promote another de&s;ign, namely, that none were ju&s;tified before God on the belief <HI>of the fir&s;t
<PB N="141" REF="97">Promi&s;e,</HI> but on their walking according to the Light of Na|ture and their Obedience unto &s;ome e&s;pecial Revelations a|bout temporal things; the Vanity whereof hath been before di&s;covered. Wherefore our <HI>fir&s;t Parents</HI> and their Po&s;terity did &s;o believe the fir&s;t Promi&s;e, or they mu&s;t be &s;uppo&s;ed, either to have been kept under the Cur&s;e, or el&s;e to have had, and to make u&s;e of &s;ome other way of Deliverance from it. To imagin the fir&s;t is impious; for the Apo&s;tle affirms that they had this <HI>Te&s;timony that they plea&s;ed God, Heb.</HI> 11.5. which under the Cur&s;e none can doe; for that is Gods Di&s;|plea&s;ure. And in the &s;ame place he confirms their Faith, and Ju&s;tification thereon, with a <HI>cloud of Witne&s;&s;es, chap</HI> 12.2. To affirm the latter is groundle&s;s. And it includs a &s;uppo|&s;al of the Relinqui&s;hment of the Wi&s;dom, Grace and Autho|rity of God in that Divine Revelation, for men to betake them&s;elves to none knows what. For that there was in this <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> the way expre&s;&s;ed which God in his Wi&s;dom and Grace had provided for their Deliverance, we have proved before. To for&s;ake this way, and to betake them&s;elves unto any other, whereof he had made no mention or Revelation unto them, was to reject his Authority and Grace.</P>
<P>As for tho&s;e who are otherwi&s;e minded, it is incumbent on them directly to prove the&s;e three things. (1.) That <HI>there is another way,</HI> that there are other means for the Ju&s;tifica|tion and Salvation of &s;inners, than that revealed, declared and propo&s;ed in that fir&s;t Promi&s;e. And when this is done, they mu&s;t &s;hew to what end on that &s;uppo&s;ition the Promi&s;e it &s;elf was given, &s;eeing the end of it is evacuated. (2.) That upon a &s;uppo&s;ition that God had revealed in the Promi&s;e the way and means of our deliverance from the Cur&s;e and State of &s;in, <HI>it was lawful unto men to for&s;ake it,</HI> and to betake them&s;elves unto another way, without any &s;upernatural Re|velation for their guidance. For if it was not, their Relin|qui&s;hment
<PB N="142" REF="98">of the Promi&s;e was no le&s;s Apo&s;tacy from God in the Revelation of him&s;elf in a way of Grace, than the fir&s;t &s;in was, as to the Revelation of him&s;elf in the works of nature. Only the one Revelation was by inbred Principles, the other by external declaration, nor could it otherwi&s;e be. Or (3.) that there was <HI>&s;ome other way</HI> of the Participation of the Be|nefits of this Promi&s;e, be&s;ides Faith in it, or in him who was promi&s;ed therein; &s;eeing the Apo&s;tle hath declared that no Promi&s;e will profit them, <HI>by whom it is not mixed with Faith, Heb.</HI> 4.2. Unle&s;s the&s;e things are plainly proved, which they will never be, whatever men declaim about univer|&s;al Objective Grace in the Documents of nature, it is but a vain Imagination.</P>
<P N="5">5. The Declaration of this Promi&s;e before the giving of the Law with the nature and ends of it, as al&s;o the u&s;e of Sa|crifices whereby it was confirmed, was <HI>committed unto the ordinary Mini&s;try of our fir&s;t Parents</HI> and their Godly Po&s;terity, and the <HI>extraordinary Mini&s;try of the Prophets</HI> which God rai|&s;ed up among them. For God &s;pake of our Redemption by Chri&s;t, by the <HI>mouth of his Holy Prophets from the Beginning of the World, Luke</HI> 1.70. No greater Duty could be incum|bent on them by the Light of Nature and the expre&s;s Reve|lation of the Will of God, than that they &s;hould in their &s;eve|ral capacities, communicate the knowledg of this <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> unto all in whom they were concerned. To &s;uppo&s;e that our fir&s;t Parents who received this Promi&s;e, and tho&s;e unto whom they fir&s;t declared it, looking on it as the only Foun|dation of their acceptance with God, and Deliverance from the Cur&s;e, were negligent in the <HI>Declaration and Preaching of it,</HI> is to render them bruiti&s;h, and guilty of a &s;econd Apo&s;ta|cy from God. And unto this Principle which is founded in the Light of Nature, there is countenance given by Revela|tion al&s;o. For <HI>Enoch</HI> did prophe&s;y of the things which were to
<PB N="143" REF="98">accompany the Accompli&s;hment of this Promi&s;e, <HI>Jude</HI> 15. And <HI>Noah was a Preacher of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> to be brought in by it, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.5. as he was an <HI>heir of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> which is by Faith in him&s;elf, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.7.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>All the Promi&s;es</HI> that God gave afterwards unto the Church under the Old Te&s;tament, before and after giving the Law, all the <HI>Covenants</HI> that he entred into with particular per&s;ons, or the whole Congregation of Believers, were all of them <HI>Declarations and Confirmations of this fir&s;t Promi&s;e,</HI> or the way of Salvation by the Mediation of his Son, becoming the &s;eed of the woman to break the head of the Serpent, and to work out the Deliverance of mankind. As mo&s;t of the&s;e Promi&s;es were expre&s;ly <HI>concerning him,</HI> &s;o all of them in the Coun&s;el of God were confirmed in him, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.20. And as there are Depths in the Scripture of the Old Te&s;tament concerning him which we cannot fathom; and things innu|merable &s;poken of him or in his Per&s;on which we conceive not; &s;o the principal de&s;ign of the whole is the declaration of him and his grace. And it is unprofitable unto them who are otherwi&s;e minded. Sundry Promi&s;es concerning tempo|ral things were on various occa&s;ions &s;uperadded unto this great &s;piritual Promi&s;e of Life and Grace. And the Enemies of the Per&s;on and Mediation of Chri&s;t, do contend that men are ju&s;tified by their Faith and Obedience with re&s;pect unto tho&s;e <HI>particular Revelations,</HI> which were only concerning temporal things. But to &s;uppo&s;e that all tho&s;e Revelations and Promi&s;es were not built upon, and re&s;olved into, did not include in them the Grace and Mercy of this fir&s;t Promi&s;e, is to make them Cur&s;es in&s;tead of Ble&s;&s;ings, and deprivati|ons of that Grace which was infinitely better than what on this &s;uppo&s;ition was contained in them. The Truth is, they were all <HI>Additions</HI> unto it, and confirmations of it, nor had any thing of Spiritual Good in them, but upon a &s;uppo&s;ition of
<PB N="144" REF="99">it. In &s;ome of them there was an <HI>Ampliation of Grace</HI> in the more full Declaration of the Nature of this Promi&s;e, as well as an Application unto their Per&s;ons unto whom they were made. Such was the Promi&s;e made unto <HI>Abraham,</HI> which had a direct re&s;pect unto Chri&s;t as the Apo&s;tle proveth, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3d. 4th.</P>
<P N="7">7. Tho&s;e who <HI>voluntarily</HI> through the <HI>contempt of God and Divine Grace</HI> fell off from the knowledg and Faith of this Pro|mi&s;e, whether at once and by choice, or gradually through the Love of Sin, were in no better condition than tho&s;e have been, or would be, who have &s;o fallen off, or &s;hould &s;o <HI>apo&s;ta|tize</HI> from Chri&s;tian Religion after its Revelation and Pro|fe&s;&s;ion. And although this proved in proce&s;s of time, both before and after the Flood, to be the condition of the genera|lity of mankind, yet is it in vain to &s;eek after the means of Salvation among them, who had <HI>voluntarily rejected</HI> the only way which God had revealed and provided for that end. God thereon <HI>&s;uffered all Nations to walk in their own waies, Acts</HI> 14.16. <HI>Winking at the times of their Ignorance</HI> not calling them to Repentance, <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.30. Yea he gave them <HI>up unto their own hearts lu&s;ts, and they walked in their own coun|&s;els, P&s;al.</HI> 81.12. And nothing can be more derogatory unto the Wi&s;dom and Holine&s;s of God, than to imagin that he would grant other waies of Salvation unto them, who had rejected that <HI>only one</HI> which he had provided, which was by Faith in Chri&s;t as revealed in that fir&s;t Promi&s;e.</P>
<P N="8">8. From the&s;e con&s;iderations, which are all of them un|que&s;tionable Principles of Truth, two things are evident. (1.) That there was <HI>no way</HI> of the Ju&s;tification and Salvation of &s;inners, revealed and propo&s;ed from the Foundation of the World, but only by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as declared in the fir&s;t Pro|mi&s;e. (2.) That there was <HI>no way</HI> for the Participation of the Benefits of that Promi&s;e, or of his work of Mediation, but by
<PB N="145" REF="99"><HI>Faith in him</HI> as &s;o promi&s;ed. There was therefore Faith in him required from the Foundation of the World; that is, from the entrance of &s;in. And how this Faith re&s;pected his Per&s;on hath been before declared. <HI>Now Faith in him</HI> as <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> for the Works and Ends of his Mediation, and Faith in him as actually <HI>exhibited,</HI> and as having accompli&s;hed his work, are e&s;&s;entially the &s;ame, and differ only with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Oeconomy</HI> of times which God di&s;po&s;ed at his plea&s;ure. Hence the Efficacy of his Mediation was the &s;ame unto them who then &s;o believed, as it is now unto us after his actual exhibition in the fle&s;h.</P>
<P>But yet it is acknowledged, that as unto the <HI>clearne&s;s</HI> and <HI>fulne&s;s</HI> of the Revelation of the My&s;tery of the Wi&s;dom and Grace of God in him, as unto the <HI>con&s;titution of his Per&s;on</HI> in his Incarnation, and therein the Determination of the indivi|dual Per&s;on promi&s;ed from the Beginning, through the actual accompli&s;hment of the work which he was promi&s;ed for, Faith in him as the Foundation of that Divine Honour which it is our Duty to give unto him, is far more <HI>evidently</HI> and <HI>mani|fe&s;tly revealed</HI> &amp; required in the Go&s;pel, or under the New Te|&s;tament than it was under the Old. See <HI>Eph.</HI> 3.8, 9, 10, 11. The re&s;pect of Faith now unto Chri&s;t, is that which renders it truly <HI>Evangelical.</HI> To believe in him, to believe on his name, is that &s;ignal e&s;pecial Duty which is now required of us.</P>
<P>Wherefore the ground of the actual <HI>A&s;&s;ignation of Divine Honour</HI> unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in both branches of it, <HI>Ado|ration and Invocation,</HI> is Faith in him. So he &s;aid unto the blind man who&s;e eyes he opened, <HI>Believe&s;t thou on the Son of God? John</HI> 9.35. And he &s;aid, <HI>Lord I believe, and he wor&s;hip|ped him. Ver.</HI> 38. All Divine Wor&s;hip or Adoration, is a con&s;equent effect and fruit of Faith. So al&s;o is <HI>Invocation;</HI> for <HI>how &s;hall they call on him in whom they have not believed,
<PB N="146" REF="100">Rom.</HI> 10.14. Him, in whom we believe, we ought to a|dore and invocate. For the&s;e are the principal waies where|by Divine Faith doth act it &s;elf. And &s;o to adore or invocate any, in whom we ought not to believe is Ido|latry.</P>
<P>This Faith therefore on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is <HI>our Duty.</HI> Yea &s;uch a Duty it is, as that our eternal condition doth more peculiarly depend on the performance or nonperfor|mance of it, than on any other Duty whatever. For con&s;tantly under tho&s;e terms is it pre&s;cribed unto us. <HI>He that belie|veth on the Son hath everla&s;ting life; and he that believeth not the Son &s;hall not &s;ee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, Joh</HI> 3.36. Wherefore the Nature and Exerci&s;e of this Faith mu&s;t be inquired into.</P>
<P N="1">1. There is a <HI>Faith</HI> which is exerci&s;ed towards tho&s;e by whom the Mind and Will of God is revealed. So it is &s;aid of the <HI>I&s;raelites, they believed the Lord and Mo&s;es, Exod.</HI> 14.33. that is, that he was &s;ent of God, was no deceiver, that it was the Word and Will of God which he revealed unto them. So 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 20.20. <HI>Believe in the Lord your God, &s;o &s;hall ye be e&s;tabli&s;hed, believe his Prophets, &s;o &s;hall ye pro&s;per.</HI> It was not the <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> of the Prophets, but their <HI>Me&s;&s;age</HI> that was the Object of the Faith required. It was to believe <HI>what they &s;aid,</HI> as from God, not to believe <HI>in them</HI> as if they were God. So is it explained by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Acts</HI> 26.27 <HI>King Agrippa believe&s;t thou the Prophets, I know that thou believe&s;t?</HI> He believed that they were &s;ent of God, and that the word they &s;peak was from him; otherwi&s;e there was no <HI>believing of them</HI> who were dead &s;o many ages before.</P>
<P>And this is all the Faith in Chri&s;t him&s;elf which &s;ome will allow. To believe in Chri&s;t, they &s;ay, <HI>is only to believe the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel</HI> revealed by him. Hence they deny that any could believe in him, before his coming into the
<PB N="147" REF="100">World, and the Declaration of the Mind of God in the Go&s;|pel made by him. An a&s;&s;ent unto the Truth of the Go&s;pel as revealed by Chri&s;t, is with them the whole of that Faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us which is required of us.</P>
<P>Of all that <HI>Poi&s;on</HI> which at this day is diffu&s;ed in the minds of men corrupting them from the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, there is no part that is more pernitious than this one per|ver&s;e imagination, that to <HI>believe in Chri&s;t</HI> is nothing at all but to <HI>believe the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel,</HI> which yet we grant is included therein. For as it allows the con&s;ideration of no Office in him, but that of a <HI>Prophet,</HI> and that not as ve&s;ted and exerci&s;ed in his Divine Per&s;on, &s;o it utterly overthrows the whole Foundation of the Relation of the Church unto him, and Salvation by him.</P>
<P>That which &s;uits my pre&s;ent de&s;ign is to evince that it is the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> which is the fir&s;t and principal Object of that Faith wherewith we are required to believe in him; and that &s;o to do, is not only to a&s;&s;ent unto the Truth of the Doctrine revealed by him, but al&s;o to place our <HI>Tru&s;t and Confidence in him,</HI> for Mercy, Relief and Protection, for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Life and Salvation, for a Ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;urrection and Eternal Reward. This I &s;hall fir&s;t manife&s;t from &s;ome few of tho&s;e multiplied Te&s;timonies, wherein this Truth is declared, and whereby it is confirmed, as al&s;o with &s;ome Ar|guments taken from them, and then proceed to declare the Ground, Nature and Exerci&s;e of this Faith it &s;elf.</P>
<P>As unto the Te&s;timonies confirming this Truth, it mu&s;t be ob&s;erved of them all in general, that wherever <HI>Faith</HI> is re|quired towards our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, it is &s;till called belie|ving <HI>in him,</HI> or <HI>on his name,</HI> according as Faith in God ab&s;o|lutely is every where expre&s;&s;ed. If no more be intended but only the Belief of the Doctrine revealed by him; then who&s;e Doctrine &s;oever we are obliged to believe, we may be rightly
<PB N="148" REF="101">&s;aid to <HI>believe in them,</HI> or to believe on their name. For in&s;tance, we are obliged to believe the Doctrine of <HI>Paul</HI> the Apo&s;tle, the Revelations made by him, and that on the ha|zard of our eternal welfare, by the unbelieving of them. Yet that we &s;hould be &s;aid to <HI>believe in Paul,</HI> is that which he did utterly dete&s;t 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.13, 15.</P>
<P>For the places them&s;elves the Reader may con&s;ult among others, <HI>John</HI> 1.12. <HI>Chap.</HI> 3.16, 18, 36. <HI>Chap.</HI> 6.29, 35, 41. <HI>Chap.</HI> 7.38, 39. <HI>Act.</HI> 14.23. <HI>Chap.</HI> 16.31. <HI>Chap.</HI> 19.4. <HI>Chap.</HI> 24.24. <HI>Chap.</HI> 26.18. <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.26. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9.33. <HI>Chap.</HI> 10.11. 1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.6. 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.10, 13. There is not one of the&s;e but &s;ufficiently confirms the Truth. Some few others not named may be briefly in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
<P><HI>John</HI> 14.1. <HI>Ye believe in God, believe al&s;o in me.</HI> The Di&s;tinction made between God and him, limits the name of God unto the Per&s;on of the Father. Faith is required in them both, and that di&s;tinctly; <HI>Ye believe in God, believe al&s;o in me.</HI> And it is the &s;ame Faith of the &s;ame kind, to be exerci|&s;ed in the &s;ame way and manner, that is required, as is plain in the words. They will not admit of a double Faith, of one &s;ort in God, and of another in Chri&s;t, or of a di&s;tinct way of their exerci&s;e.</P>
<P>Wherefore as Faith Divine is fixed on, and terminated in the Per&s;on of the Father, &s;o is it likewi&s;e di&s;tinctly in and on the Per&s;on of the Son; and it was to evidence his Divine Na|ture unto them which is the Ground and Rea&s;on of their Faith, that he gave his command unto his Di&s;ciples. This he far|ther te&s;tifies, <HI>ver.</HI> 9, 10, 11. And as unto the <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> of this Faith, it re&s;pected the relief of their &s;ouls under Troubles, Fears and Di&s;con&s;olations. <HI>Let not your heart be troubled,</HI> ye believe in God, believe al&s;o in me. To believe in him unto the relief of our &s;ouls again&s;t troubles is not to a&s;&s;ent meerly unto the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, but al&s;o to place our
<PB N="149" REF="101"><HI>Tru&s;t and Confidence</HI> in him, for <HI>&s;uch</HI> &s;upplies of Grace, for <HI>&s;uch</HI> an exerci&s;e of the Acts of his Divine Power, as whereby we may be &s;upported and delivered. And we have herein the whole of what we plead. Divine Faith acted di&s;tinctly in, and terminated on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and that with re&s;pect unto &s;upplies of Grace and Mercy from him in a way of Di|vine Power.</P>
<P>So he &s;peaks unto <HI>Martha, John</HI> 11.25, 26, 27. <HI>He that Believeth in me, though he were Dead, yet &s;hall he Live, and who&s;oever Liveth and Believeth on me, he &s;hall never Die, Be|lieve&s;t thou this?</HI> whereunto &s;he an&s;wers, <HI>Yea Lord I believe that thou art Chri&s;t the Son of God.</HI> His Per&s;on was the Ob|ject of her Faith, and her belief in him comprized a tru&s;t for all Spiritual and Eternal Mercies.</P>
<P>I &s;hall add one more wherein not only the thing it &s;elf, but the e&s;pecial Ground and Rea&s;on of it is declared, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.20. <HI>The life which I now live in the fle&s;h, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me.</HI> That Faith he a&s;&s;erts which is the Cau&s;e and Spring of our Spiritual life; that life unto God, which we lead in the fle&s;h, or while&s;t we are in the body not yet admitted unto Sight and Enjoy|ment. Of this Faith the Son of God, is both the Author and the Object, the latter whereof is here principally intended. And this is evident from the Rea&s;on and Motive of it, which are expre&s;&s;ed. This Faith I live by, am in the continual ex|erci&s;e of, becau&s;e he <HI>loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me.</HI> For this is that which doth powerfully influence our hearts to fix our Faith in him and on him. And that Per&s;on who &s;o loved us, is the &s;ame in whom we do believe. If his Per&s;on was the <HI>Seat</HI> of his own Love, it is the <HI>Object</HI> of our Faith. And this Faith is not only our Duty, but our Life. He that hath it not, is dead in the &s;ight of God.</P>
<P>But I hope it is not yet nece&s;&s;ary to multiply Te&s;timonies
<PB N="150" REF="102">to prove it our Duty to believe in Je&s;us Chri&s;t; that is, to believe in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, for other <HI>Faith</HI> in Chri&s;t there is none, yet I &s;hall add one or two con&s;iderations in the confirmation of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. There is no more nece&s;&s;ary hereunto, namely, to prove the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, the Son of God to be the proper and di|&s;tinct Object of Faith Divine, than what we have already de|mon&s;trated concerning the &s;olemn Invocation of him. For &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>how &s;hall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Rom.</HI> 10.14. It holds on either &s;ide. We can|not, we ought not to call on him in whom we do not, we ought not to believe. And in whom we do believe, on him we ought to call. Wherefore if it be our Duty to call on the name of Chri&s;t, it is our Duty to believe in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. And if to believe in Chri&s;t be no more but to be|lieve the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel which he hath revealed; then every one who&s;e Doctrine we are obliged to believe, on them we ought to call al&s;o. And on this ground we may call on the names of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, as well as on the name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and be &s;aved thereby. But whereas <HI>Invocation</HI> or Prayer proceedeth from Faith, and that Prayer is for Mercy, Grace, Life and Eternal Salvation, Faith mu&s;t be fixed on the Per&s;on &s;o called on as able to give them all unto us, or that Prayer is in vain.</P>
<P>Again, that we are <HI>baptized</HI> into the name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and that di&s;tinctly with the Father, is a &s;ufficent evidence of the nece&s;&s;ity of Faith in his Per&s;on. For we are therein given up unto Univer&s;al Spiritual &s;ubjection of &s;oul unto him, and dependance on him. Not to believe in him, on his Name, that is his Per&s;on, when we are &s;o given up unto him, or <HI>baptized</HI> into him, is virtually to renounce him. But to put a pre&s;ent clo&s;e unto this conte&s;t. Faith in Chri&s;t is that grace whereby the Church is united unto him, incorporated into
<PB N="151" REF="102">one My&s;tical Body with him. It is thereby that he <HI>dwells in them,</HI> and they in him. By this alone are all &s;upplies of grace derived from him unto the whole Body. Deny his Per&s;on to be the proper and immediate Object of this Faith, and all the&s;e things are utterly overthrown, that is the whole &s;piritual life and eternal &s;alvation of the Church.</P>
<P>This Faith in the Per&s;on Chri&s;t which is the Foundation of all that Divine Honour in &s;acred Adoration and In|vocation which is a&s;&s;igned unto him, may be con&s;idered two waies. (1.) As it re&s;pects his Per&s;on ab&s;olutely. (2.) As he is con&s;idered in the Di&s;charge of the Office of Me|diation.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e Faith is placed ab&s;olutely and ultimately on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, even as on the Per&s;on of the Father. <HI>He counts it no robbery</HI> herein to be equal with the Father. And the rea&s;on hereof is becau&s;e the Divine Nature it &s;elf is the proper and immediate Object of this Faith, and all the acts of it. This being one and the &s;ame in the Per&s;on of the Father and of the Son, as al&s;o of the Holy Spirit, two things do follow thereon. (1.) That each Per&s;on is <HI>equally</HI> the Ob|ject of our Faith, becau&s;e equally participant of that Nature which is the formal Rea&s;on and Object of it. (2) It follows al&s;o, that in acting Faith on, and a&s;cribing therewithal Di|vine Honour unto any one Per&s;on, the other are not exclu|ded, yea they are <HI>included</HI> therein. For by rea&s;on of the mu|tual Inbeing of the Divine Per&s;ons, in the Unity of the &s;ame Nature, the Object of all &s;piritual wor&s;hip is undivided. Hence are tho&s;e expre&s;&s;ions of the Scriptures; <HI>He that hath &s;een the Son, hath &s;een the Father; he that honoureth the Son, honour|eth the Father, for he and the Father are one.</HI></P>
<P>And to clear our pre&s;ent De&s;ign, three things may be ob|&s;erved from hence, namely, that the Divine Nature, with all its e&s;&s;ential Properties, is the formal Rea&s;on, and only Ground of Divine Faith. As</P>
<PB N="152" REF="103">
<P N="1">1 That the Lord Chri&s;t is not the <HI>ab&s;olute and ultimate Ob|ject</HI> of our Faith, any otherwi&s;e but under this con&s;ideration, of his being partaker of the Nature of God, of his being in the form of God, and equal unto him. Without this, to place our Faith in him would be robbery and Sacriledge; as is all the pretended Faith of them, who believe not his Di|vine Per&s;on.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is no Derogation from the Honour and Glory of the Father, not the lea&s;t diver&s;ion of any one &s;ingle act of Du|ty from him, nor from the Holy Spirit, by the e&s;pecial Act|ings of Faith on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. For all Divine Ho|nour is given &s;olely unto the Divine Nature. And this being ab&s;olutely the &s;ame in each Per&s;on, in the honouring of one, they are all equally honoured. He that honoureth the Son, he therein honoureth the Father al&s;o.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hence it appears what is that <HI>e&s;pecial acting of Faith</HI> on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t which we intend, and which in the Scripture is given in charge unto us, as indi&s;pen&s;ably nece&s;&s;a|ry unto our Salvation. And there are three things to be con|&s;idered in it. (1.) That his <HI>Divine Nature</HI> is the proper for|mal Object of this Faith, on the con&s;ideration whereof alone, it is fixed on him. If you ask a rea&s;on why I believe on the Son of God; if you intend what cau&s;e I have for it, what Mo|tives unto it, I &s;hall an&s;wer, it is becau&s;e of what he hath done for me, whereof afterwards; &s;o doth the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.20. But if you intend, what is the <HI>formal Rea&s;on,</HI> Ground and War|ranty whereon I thus believe in him, or place my tru&s;t and confidence in him, I &s;ay it is only this, that he is <HI>over all God ble&s;sed for ever;</HI> and were he not &s;o, I could not believe in him. For to believe in any, is to expect from him that to be done for me, which none but God can do. (2.) That the <HI>entire Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t as God and man, is the immediate Ob|ject of our Faith herein. The Divine Nature is the <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> of
<PB N="153" REF="103">it; but his Divine Per&s;on is the <HI>Object</HI> of it. In placing our Faith on him, we con&s;ider him as God and man in one and the &s;ame Per&s;on. We believe in him becau&s;e he is God; but we believe in him as he is God and man in one Per&s;on.</P>
<P>And this con&s;ideration of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, namely as he is God and man, in our acting of Faith on him, is that which renders it <HI>peculiar,</HI> and limits or determines it unto his Per&s;on; becau&s;e he only is &s;o; the Father is not, nor the ho|ly Spirit. That Faith which hath the Per&s;on of God and man for its Object, is peculiarly and di&s;tinctly placed on Chri&s;t. (3.) The motives unto this di&s;tinct Acting of Faith on his Per&s;on, are alwaies to be con&s;idered, as tho&s;e al&s;o which render this Faith peculiar. For the things which Chri&s;t hath done for us, which are the motives of our Faith in him, were <HI>peculiar</HI> unto him alone, as in the place before quoted, <HI>Gal:</HI> 2.20. Such are all the works of his Mediation with all the fruits of them whereof we are made partakers. So God in the <HI>fir&s;t Command,</HI> wherein he requires all Faith, Love and Obedience from the Church, enforced it with the con&s;idera|tion of a &s;ignal Benefit which it had received, and therein a Type of all Spiritual and Eternal Mercies, <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.23. Hence two things are evident which clearly &s;tate this mat|ter.</P>
<P N="1">1. That Faith which we place upon, and the Honour which we give thereby unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, is equal|ly placed on, and honour equally given thereby unto the o|ther Per&s;ons of the Father and the Holy Spirit, with re&s;pect <HI>unto that Nature</HI> which is the formal Rea&s;on and Cau&s;e of it. But it is peculiarly fixed on Chri&s;t, with re&s;pect unto his Per|&s;on as God and man, and the Motives unto it, in the Acts and Benefits of his Mediation.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>All of Chri&s;t</HI> is con&s;idered and glorified in this acting of
<PB N="154" REF="104">Faith on him. His <HI>Divine Nature</HI> as the formal cau&s;e of it. His <HI>Divine entire Per&s;on</HI> God and Man, as its proper Object; and the <HI>Benefits</HI> of his Mediation as the e&s;pecial Motives thereunto.</P>
<P>This Faith in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the Spring and Foun|tain of our Spiritual life. We live by the Faith of the Son of God. In and by the actings hereof is it pre&s;erved, encrea&s;ed and &s;trengthened. <HI>For he is our life, Col.</HI> 2.4. And all &s;up|plies of it are derived from him by the actings of Faith in him. We receive the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, and an inheritance among them that are &s;anctified <HI>by the Faith that is in him, Act.</HI> 26.18. Hereby <HI>do we abide in him,</HI> without which we can do nothing, <HI>John</HI> 15.5. Hereby is our Peace with God maintained. <HI>For he is our Peace, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.14. And in him we have peace according to his Promi&s;e, <HI>John</HI> 16.33. All &s;trength for the Mortification of &s;in, for the Conque&s;t of Temptations, all our Encrea&s;e and Growth in Grace, depend on the con&s;tant actings of this Faith in him.</P>
<P>The Way and Method of this Faith is that which we have de&s;cribed. A due Apprehen&s;ion of the Love of Chri&s;t, with the effects of it in his whole Mediatory work on our behalf, e&s;pecially in his giving him&s;elf for us, and our Redemption by his blood, is the great <HI>Motive</HI> thereunto. They who&s;e hearts are not deeply affected herewith, can never believe in him in a due manner. <HI>I live,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, by the Faith of the Son of God, <HI>who loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me.</HI> Unle&s;s a &s;en&s;e hereof be firmly implanted on our &s;ouls; un|le&s;s we are deeply affected with it, our Faith in him would be weak and wavering, or rather none at all. The due re|membrance of what the ble&s;&s;ed Lord Je&s;us hath done for us, of the ineffable Love which was the &s;pring, cau&s;e and foun|tain of what he &s;o did, thoughts of the Mercy, Grace, Peace and Glory which he hath procured thereby, are the great
<PB N="155" REF="104">and unconquerable <HI>Motives</HI> to fix our Faith, Hope, Tru&s;t and Confidence in him.</P>
<P>His <HI>Divine Nature</HI> is the ground and warranty for our &s;o doing. This is that from whence he is the due and proper Object of all Divine Faith and Wor&s;hip. From the Power and Vertue thereof do we expect and receive all tho&s;e things which in our believing on him we &s;eek after. For none but God can be&s;tow them on us, or work them in us. There is in all the actings of our Faith on him, the voice of the Con|fe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Thomas, My Lord and my God.</HI></P>
<P>His Divine Per&s;on wherein he is God and Man, wherein he hath that Nature which is the <HI>formal</HI> Object of Divine Wor&s;hip, and wherein he wrought all tho&s;e things which are the <HI>Motives</HI> thereunto, is the Object of this Faith, which gives its difference and di&s;tinction from Faith in God in gene|ral, and Faith in the Per&s;on of the Father, as the fountain of Grace, Love and Power.</P>
<P N="2">2. Faith is acted on Chri&s;t under the formal Notion of <HI>Mediator between God and Man.</HI> So it is expre&s;&s;ed, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.21. <HI>Who by him do believe in God that rai&s;ed him up from the dead, and gave him Glory, that your Faith and Hope might be in God.</HI> And this acting of Faith towards Chri&s;t, is not contrary unto that before de&s;cribed, nor incon&s;i&s;tent with it, though it be di&s;tinct from it. To deny the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t to fall under this double con&s;ideration, of a Divine Per&s;on ab&s;olutely, wherein he is <HI>over all God ble&s;&s;ed for ever,</HI> and as <HI>manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h,</HI> exerci&s;ing the Office of Media|tor between God and Man, is to renounce the Go&s;pel. And according unto the variety of the&s;e re&s;pects, &s;o are the actings of Faith various; &s;ome on him ab&s;olutely on the Motives of his Mediation; &s;ome on him as Mediator only. And how nece&s;&s;ary this variety is unto the life, &s;upportment and com|fort of Believers, they all know in &s;ome mea&s;ure who are &s;o.
<PB N="156" REF="105">See our <HI>Expo&s;ition on Heb.</HI> 1. <HI>ver.</HI> 1, 2, 3. Sometimes Faith con&s;iders him <HI>as on the Throne;</HI> &s;ometimes as <HI>&s;tanding at the right hand of God;</HI> &s;ometimes as over all God ble&s;&s;ed for e|ver; &s;ometimes as the Mediator between God and man, the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Sometimes his glorious Power; &s;ometimes his infinite Conde&s;cen&s;ion is their relief.</P>
<P>Wherefore in the &s;en&s;e now intended, he is con&s;idered as the Ordinance, as the Servant of God <HI>who rai&s;ed him up from the dead, and gave him Glory.</HI> So our Faith re&s;pects not only his Per&s;on, but all the acts of his Office. It is <HI>Faith in his Blood, Rom.</HI> 3.25. It is the Will of God, that we &s;hould place our Faith and Tru&s;t in him and them, as the only means of our Acceptance with him, of all Grace and Glory from him. This is the proper Notion of a Mediator. So is he not the ultimate Object of our Faith, wherein it re&s;ts, but God through him. <HI>Through him have we an Acce&s;s in one Spirit unto the Father, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.18. So he is the Way whereby we go to God, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.6. See <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.19, 20, 21. And this al&s;o is Faith in him, becau&s;e he is the immediate though not the ul|timate Object of it, <HI>Act.</HI> 26.18.</P>
<P>This is that which renders our Faith in God <HI>Evangelical.</HI> The e&s;pecial Nature of it ari&s;eth from our Re&s;pect unto God in Chri&s;t, and through him. And herein Faith princi|pally regards Chri&s;t in the di&s;charge of his <HI>Sacerdotal Office.</HI> For although it is al&s;o the Principle of all Obedience un|to him in his other Offices, yet as unto fixing our Faith in God through him, it is his <HI>Sacerdotal Office</HI> and the effects of it, that we re&s;t upon and tru&s;t unto. It is through him as the <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> over the Hou&s;e of God, as he who hath made for us a New and Living Way into the Holy Place, that we draw nigh to God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.14, 15, 16. <HI>Chap</HI> 10.19, 21, 22. 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.2.</P>
<PB N="157" REF="105">
<P>No comfortable refre&s;hing thoughts of God, no warran|table or acceptable Boldne&s;s in an approach and acce&s;s unto him, can any one entertain or receive, but in this exerci&s;e of Faith on Chri&s;t as the Mediator between God and Man. And if in the Practice of Religion, this regard of Faith un|to him, this acting of Faith on God through him, be not the principle whereby the whole is animated and guided, <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> is renounced, and the vain cloud of natural Religion embraced in the roome of it. Not a <HI>verbal</HI> mention of him, but the <HI>real</HI> Intention of Heart to come unto God by him is required of us; and thereinto all ex|pectation of acceptance with God, as unto our Per&s;ons or Duties is re&s;olved.</P>
<P>We have had great endeavours of late by the <HI>Socinians</HI> to &s;et forth and adorn a <HI>natural Religion,</HI> as if it were &s;ufficient unto all ends of our living unto God. But as mo&s;t of its pretended ornaments are &s;tollen from the Go&s;pel, or are framed in an emanation of light from it, &s;uch as nature of it &s;elf could not ri&s;e up unto; &s;o the whole proceeds from a di&s;like of the Mediation of Chri&s;t, and even wearine&s;s of the Profe&s;&s;ion of Faith in him. So is it with the minds of men, who were never affected with Supernatural Reve|lations, with the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, beyond the owning of &s;ome Notions of Truth, who never had experience of its Power in the Life of God.</P>
<P>But here lies the Trial of Faith truly <HI>Evangelical.</HI> Its &s;teady beholding of the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s proves it genuine and from above. And let them take heed who find their hearts remi&s;s or cold in this exerci&s;e of it. When men begin to &s;atisfy them&s;elves with general hopes of Mercy in God without a continual re&s;pect unto the Interpo&s;ition and Me|diation of Chri&s;t, whereinto their Hope and Tru&s;t is re&s;ol|ved, there is a decay in their Faith, and proportionably in
<PB N="158" REF="106">all other <HI>Evangelical</HI> Graces al&s;o. Herein lies the My&s;tery of Chri&s;tian Religion, which the world &s;eems to be almo&s;t weary of.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Obedience unto Chri&s;t, the Nature and Cau&s;es of it.</HI></HEAD>
<P>ALL holy <HI>Obedience</HI> both Internal and External is that which we propo&s;ed as the &s;econd Part of our <HI>Religi|gious Regard</HI> unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. His great Injuncti|on unto his Di&s;ciples is, <HI>That they keep his Commandments,</HI> without which, none are &s;o.</P>
<P>Some &s;ay the Lord Chri&s;t is to be con&s;idered as a <HI>Law-giver</HI> and the Go&s;pel as a <HI>now Law</HI> given by him, whereby our Obedience unto him is to be regulated. Some ab&s;olutely deny it, and will not grant the Go&s;pel in any &s;en&s;e to be a <HI>new Law.</HI> And many di&s;pute about the&s;e things, while&s;t <HI>Obedience</HI> it &s;elf is on all hands generally neglected. But this is that wherein our principal concernment doth lie. I &s;hall not therefore at pre&s;ent immix my &s;elf in any needle&s;s di&s;putations. Tho&s;e things wherein the Nature and Nece&s;&s;i|ty of our <HI>Obedience</HI> unto him is concerned, &s;hall be briefly declared.</P>
<P>The <HI>Law</HI> under the Old Te&s;tament taken generally had two Parts. Fir&s;t, the <HI>Moral</HI> Preceptive Part of it; and Secondly, <HI>the In&s;titutions of wor&s;hip</HI> appointed for that &s;ea&s;on. The&s;e are joyntly and di&s;tinctly called the <HI>Law.</HI> In re&s;pect unto the fir&s;t of the&s;e, the Lord Chri&s;t gave <HI>no New Law,</HI> nor was the Old abrogated by him, which it mu&s;t be if another
<PB N="159" REF="106">were given in the room of it; unto the &s;ame ends. For the introduction of a <HI>new Law</HI> in the place of, and unto the end of a former, is an actual Abrogation of it. Neither did he add any <HI>new Precepts</HI> unto it, nor give any <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> for the Performance of Duties in matter or manner beyond what it pre&s;cribed. Any &s;uch &s;uppo&s;ition is contrary to the Wi&s;|dom and Holine&s;s of God in giving the Law, and incon&s;i&s;tent with the Nature of the Law it &s;elf. For God never required le&s;s of us in the Law than <HI>all that was due unto him.</HI> And his Pre&s;cription of it, included all Circum&s;tances and Cau&s;es that might render any Duty at any time nece&s;&s;ary in the Na|ture or Degrees of it. Whatever at any time may become the Duty of any Per&s;on towards God, in the Sub&s;tance or De|grees of it, it is made &s;o by the Law. All is included in that &s;ummary of it, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy Neighbour as thy &s;elf.</HI> Nothing can be the Duty of men but what and when it is required by the <HI>Love of God or our Neighbour.</HI> Wherefore no <HI>Additions</HI> were made unto the <HI>Preceptive</HI> Part of the Law by our Saviour, nor <HI>Coun|&s;els</HI> given by him for the performance of more than it did require.</P>
<P>It this regard the <HI>Go&s;pel is no New Law,</HI> only the Duties of the Moral and Eternal Law, are plainly declared in the Doctrine of it, enforced in its Motives, and directed as to their Manner and End. Nor in this &s;en&s;e did the Lord Chri&s;t ever declare him&s;elf to be a <HI>New Lawgiver;</HI> Yea he declares the contrary, that he came to confirm the Old, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5.17.</P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>Law</HI> may be con&s;idered, as containing the <HI>In&s;titutions of wor&s;hip,</HI> which were given in <HI>Horeb</HI> by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> with other Statutes and Judgments. It was in this &s;en&s;e abo|li&s;hed by Chri&s;t. For the things them&s;elves were appointed, but unto the <HI>time of Reformation.</HI> And thereon as the &s;u|preme
<PB N="160" REF="107">Lord and Lawgiver of the Go&s;pel Church, he gave <HI>a New Law of wor&s;hip,</HI> con&s;i&s;ting in &s;everal In&s;titutions and Ordinances of wor&s;hip thereunto belonging See <HI>Heb.</HI> 3, 3, 4, 5, 6. and our expo&s;ition of that place.</P>
<P><HI>Obedience</HI> unto the Lord Chri&s;t may be con&s;idered with re&s;pect unto both the&s;e; the <HI>Moral Law</HI> which he confir|med; and the <HI>Law of Evangelical wor&s;hip</HI> which he gave and appointed. And &s;ome few things may be added to clear the Nature of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Obedience</HI> unto Chri&s;t doth not con&s;i&s;t meerly <HI>in doing the things which he requireth.</HI> So far the Church under the Old Te&s;tament was obliged to yield Obedience unto <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> and we are yet &s;o unto the Prophets and Apo&s;tles. This is done, or may be &s;o, with re&s;pect unto any Subordinate di|rective Cau&s;e of our Obedience, when it is not formally &s;o denominated from his Authority. All <HI>Obedience</HI> unto Chri&s;t proceeds from an expre&s;s Subjection of our Souls and con&s;ci|ences unto him.</P>
<P N="2">2. No <HI>Religious Obedience</HI> could be due unto the Lord Chri&s;t directly, by the Rule and command of the Moral Law, were he not <HI>God by Nature</HI> al&s;o. The Rea&s;on and Foundation of all the Obedience required therein, is, <HI>I am the Lord thy God thou &s;halt have no other Gods before me.</HI> This containes the formal Rea&s;on of all Religious Obedience. The <HI>Socini|ans</HI> pretend highly unto Obedience to the Precepts of Chri&s;t. But all Obedience unto Chri&s;t him&s;elf they utterly overthrow. The Obedience they pretend unto him, is but obeying God the Father according to his commands. But they take away the Foundation of all Obedience unto his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> by denying his Divine Nature. Acd all Religious Obedience unto any, who is not God by Nature is <HI>Idolatry.</HI> Wherefore all Obe|dience unto God, due by the Moral Law, hath re&s;pect unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as one God with the Father and Holy Spirit, ble&s;&s;ed for ever.</P>
<PB N="161" REF="107">
<P N="3">3. There is a peculiar Re&s;pect unto him in all Moral Obe|dience as Mediator.</P>
<P N="1">1. In that by the <HI>&s;upreme Authority</HI> over the Church wherewith he was ve&s;ted, he hath confirmed all the com|mands of the <HI>Moral Law,</HI> giving them new enforcements, whence he calls them <HI>his Commands. This,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>is my Commandment, that you love one another,</HI> which yet was the Old Commandment of the Moral Law; <HI>thou &s;halt love thy Neighbour as thy &s;elf.</HI> Hence the Apo&s;tle calls it an <HI>Old</HI> and <HI>New</HI> Commandment, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.7, 8.</P>
<P>The Law was given unto the Church under the Old Te&s;ta|ment in the <HI>hand of a Mediator,</HI> that is, of <HI>Mo&s;es, Gal.</HI> 3.19. It had an Original Power of obliging all mankind unto Obe|dience from its fir&s;t In&s;titution or Pre&s;cription in our Creati|on; which it never lo&s;t nor abated in. Howbeit the Church was obliged to have a re&s;pect unto it, as it was given unto them, <HI>ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator.</HI> See <HI>Mal.</HI> 4.4. Hereon many things hard and difficult did en&s;ue, which we are now freed from. We are not obliged unto the Ob|&s;ervance of the <HI>Moral Law</HI> it &s;elf, as given in the hand of that Mediator, which gave it the formal Rea&s;on of a <HI>Covenant</HI> unto that People, and had other Statutes and Judgments in&s;e|parable from it. But the &s;ame Law continueth &s;till in its Original Authority and Power, which it had from the begin|ning to oblige all indi&s;pen&s;ibly unto Obedience.</P>
<P>Howbeit as the <HI>Church of I&s;rael as &s;uch</HI> was not obliged unto Obedience unto the Moral Law ab&s;olutely con&s;idered, but as it was given unto <HI>them peculiarly</HI> in the hand of a Me|diator, that is, of <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> no more is the Evangelical Church <HI>as &s;uch,</HI> obliged by the Original Authority of that Law, but as it is confirmed unto us in the hand of our Mediator. This renders all our <HI>Moral Obedience,</HI> Evangelical. For there is no Duty of it, but we are obliged to perform it in Faith
<PB N="162" REF="108">through Chri&s;t, on the Motives of the Love of God in him, of the Benefits of his Mediation, and the Grace we receive by him; whatever is otherwi&s;e done by us is not acceptable un|to God.</P>
<P>They do therefore for the mo&s;t part but deceive them|&s;elves and others who talk &s;o loudly about <HI>Moral Duties.</HI> I know of none that are acceptable unto God, which are not only <HI>Materially,</HI> but <HI>Formally</HI> &s;o, and no more.</P>
<P>If the Obligation they own unto them, be only the Ori|ginal Power of the Moral Law or the Law of our Creation, and they are performed in the &s;trength of that Law unto the end of it, they are no way accepted of God. But if they intend the Duties, which the Moral Law requireth, procee|ding from, and performed by <HI>Faith in Chri&s;t,</HI> upon the Grounds of the Love of God in him, and Grace received from him, then are they Duties purely <HI>Evangelical.</HI> And although the Law hath never lo&s;t, nor ever can lo&s;e its Origi|nal Power of obliging us unto univer&s;al Obedience, as we are <HI>rea&s;onable Creatures,</HI> yet is our Obedience unto it as <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> as <HI>Believers,</HI> immediately influenced by its con|firmation unto the <HI>Evangelical Church</HI> in the hand of our Medi|ator. For,</P>
<P N="2">2. God hath given unto the Lord Chri&s;t <HI>all Power</HI> in his name to require this Obedience from all that receive the Go&s;pel. Others are left under the Original Authority of the Law either as implanted in our Natures at their fir&s;t Creation, as are the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> or as <HI>delivered by Mo&s;es,</HI> and written in tables of &s;tone, as it was with the <HI>Jews, Rom.</HI> 2.12, 13, 14. But as unto them that are called unto the Faith of the Go&s;pel, <HI>the Authority of Chri&s;t</HI> doth immediately affect their minds and con&s;ciences. <HI>He feeds</HI> or rules his people <HI>in the &s;trength of the Lord, in the Maje&s;ty of the Name of the Lord his God, Mic.</HI> 5.4. All the Authority and Maje&s;ty of God,
<PB N="163" REF="108">is in him and with him; &s;o of old as the great <HI>Angel of Gods Pre&s;ence</HI> he was in the Church in the Wilderne&s;s with a dele|gated Power, <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.20, 21, 22. <HI>Behold I &s;end an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him and obey his voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, for my Name is in him. But if thou &s;halt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I &s;peak;</HI> The Name of God the Father is &s;o in him, that is, he is &s;o partaker of the <HI>&s;ame Nature</HI> with him, that his <HI>voice</HI> is the voice of the Father. <HI>If thou obey his voice, and do all that I &s;peak.</HI> Neverthele&s;s he acts herein as the An|gel of God, with Power and Authority <HI>deligated</HI> from him. So is he &s;till immediately pre&s;ent with the Church requiring Obedience in the Name and Maje&s;ty of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>All Judgement</HI> upon and concerning this Obedience is committed unto him by the Father. <HI>For the Father judgeth no man,</HI> (that is, immediately as the Father) <HI>but hath commit|ted all Judgment unto the Son, Joh.</HI> 5.22. He hath <HI>given him Authority to execute Judgment, becau&s;e he is the Son of man. Ver.</HI> 27. And his Judgment is the Judgment of God; for the Father who judgeth none immediately in his own Per&s;on, judgeth all in him, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.17. <HI>If you call on the Father who without re&s;pect of Per&s;ons judgeth every one according to his work.</HI> He doth &s;o in and by the Son unto whom all Judgment is committed. And unto him are we to have regard in all our Obedience, unto whom we mu&s;t give our account con|cerning it, and by whom we are and mu&s;t be finally judged upon it. To this purpo&s;e &s;peaks the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 14.10, 11, 12. <HI>We mu&s;t all &s;tand before the Judgment Seat of Chri&s;t, for it is written, as I live &s;aith the Lord, every knee &s;hall bow to me, and every tongue &s;hall confe&s;s to God, &s;o every one of us &s;hall give an account of him&s;elf to God.</HI> He proveth that we &s;hall all <HI>&s;tand before the Judgment Seat of Chri&s;t,</HI> or be judged by him, by a
<PB N="164" REF="109">Te&s;timony of Scripture that we &s;hall be all &s;o judged by God him&s;elf; and give an account of our &s;elves unto him. And as this doth undeniably prove and confirm the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> of Chri&s;t, without the Faith whereof, there is neither cogency in the Apo&s;tles Te&s;timony, nor force in his arguing; &s;o he declares that God judgeth us only in and by him. In this regard of our Moral Obedience unto Chri&s;t, lies the way whereby God will be glorified.</P>
<P>Secondly, All things are yet more plain <HI>with re&s;pect unto In&s;titutions of Divine Wor&s;hip.</HI> The appointment of all Di|vine Ordinances under the New Te&s;tament, was his e&s;pecial province and work, as the Son and Lord over his own hou&s;e. And Obedience unto him in the ob&s;ervance of them is that which he gives in e&s;pecial charge unto all his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.18, 19, 20. And it is nothing but a lo&s;s of that Subjection of Soul and Con&s;cience unto him, which is indi&s;pen&s;ibly requi|red of all Believers, that hath &s;et the Minds of &s;o many at li|berty to <HI>do and ob&s;erve</HI> in Divine Wor&s;hip what they plea&s;e, without any regard unto his In&s;titutions. It is otherwi&s;e with re&s;pect unto <HI>Moral Duties.</HI> For the things of the Moral Law, have an Obligation on our Con&s;ciences, antecedent unto the enforcement of them by the Authority of Chri&s;t, and there holds us fa&s;t. But as unto things of the latter &s;ort, our Con|&s;ciences can no way be affected with a &s;en&s;e of them, or a nece&s;&s;ity of Obedience in them, but by the &s;ole and immedi|ate Authority of Chri&s;t him&s;elf. If a &s;en&s;e hereof be lo&s;t in our Minds, we &s;hall not abide in the Ob&s;ervance of his Com|mands.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="165" REF="109">
<HEAD>CHAP. XII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The e&s;pecial Principle of Obedience unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; which is Love. Its Truth and Reality vindicated.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THat which doth enliven and animate the Obedience whereof we have di&s;cour&s;ed, is <HI>Love.</HI> This him&s;elf makes the Foundation of all that is acceptable unto him. If, &s;aith he, <HI>You love me, keep my Commandments, Joh.</HI> 14.15. As he di&s;tingui&s;heth between Love and Obedience, &s;o he a&s;|&s;erts the former as the Foundation of the latter. He accepts of no Obedience unto his Commands, that doth not proceed from Love unto his Per&s;on. That is no Love which is not fruitful in Obedience, and that is no Obedience which pro|ceeds not from Love. So he expre&s;&s;eth on both &s;ides. <HI>If a man love me, he will keep my words; and he that loveth me not, keepeth not my &s;aying, v.</HI> 23, 24.</P>
<P>In the Old Te&s;tament the <HI>Love of God</HI> was the Life and Sub&s;tance of all Obedience. <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy &s;oul, thy mind and &s;trength,</HI> was the &s;um of the Law. This includes in it all O|bedience, and where it is genuine, will produce all the fruits of it. And where it was not, no multiplication of Duties was accepted with him. But this in general we do not now treat of.</P>
<P>That the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> is the e&s;pecial Object of this Di|vine Love, which is the fire that kindles the Sacrifice of our Obedience unto him; this is that alone which at pre&s;ent I de&s;ign to demon&s;trate.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle hath recorded a very &s;evere denuntiation of Divine wrath again&s;t all that <HI>love him not. If any man love
<PB N="166" REF="110">not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, let him be Anathema Maranatha,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.22. And what was added unto the Cur&s;e of the Law, we may add unto this of the Go&s;pel; <HI>and all the peo|ple &s;hall &s;ay Amen. Deut.</HI> 27.26. And on the other hand, he prays for Grace, on all that <HI>love him in &s;incerity, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.26. Wherefore none who de&s;ire to retain the name of Chri&s;tians, can deny in words at lea&s;t, but that we ought with all our Hearts <HI>to love the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>I do not &s;o di&s;tingui&s;h <HI>Love</HI> from Obedience as though it were not it &s;elf a part, yea the cheife&s;t part of our Obedience. So is Faith al&s;o, yet is it con&s;tantly di&s;tingui&s;hed from Obe|dience properly &s;o called. This alone is that which I &s;hall demon&s;trate, namely, that <HI>there is, and ought to be in all Be|lievers, a Divine gracious Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, im|mediately fixed on him, whereby they are excited unto, and acted in all their Obedience unto his Authority.</HI> Had it been only pleaded, that many who pretend Love unto Chri&s;t, do yet evidence that they love him not, it is that which the Scrip|ture te&s;tifieth, and continual experience doth proclaim. If an Application of this charge had been made unto them, who&s;e &s;incerity in their Profe&s;&s;ion of Love unto him, can be no way evicted, it ought to be born with patience, among&s;t other reproaches of the &s;ame kind that are ca&s;t upon them. And &s;ome things are to be premi&s;ed unto the Confirmation of our A&s;&s;ertion.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is granted, that there may be <HI>a fal&s;e pretence of Love</HI> unto Chri&s;t. And as this pretence is ruinous unto the &s;ouls of them in whom it is, &s;o it ofttimes renders them pre|judicial and trouble&s;ome unto others. There ever were, and probably ever will be Hypocrites in the Church. And a <HI>fal&s;e pretence of Love</HI> is of the e&s;&s;ential form of Hypocri&s;y. The fir&s;t great Act of Hypocri&s;y with re&s;pect unto Chri&s;t was Treachery vailed with a double pretence of Love. He cried
<PB N="167" REF="110"><HI>hail Ma&s;ter, and ki&s;&s;ed him</HI> who betrayed him. His words and actions proclaimed Love, but Deceit and Treachery were in his Heart. Hence the Apo&s;tle prays for Grace on <HI>them who love the Lord Je&s;us,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; without di&s;&s;imulation or doubling, without pretences and aims at other ends, with|out a mixture of corrupt Affections; that is Sincerity, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.24. It was prophe&s;ied of him, that many who were &s;trangers unto his Grace, &s;hould lie unto him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 18.44. (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>feignedly &s;ubmit</HI> or yield feigned Obedience unto him. So is it with them who profe&s;s Love unto him, yet are Enemies of his <HI>Cro&s;s, who&s;e end is de&s;truction, who&s;e God is their belly, who&s;e glory is in their &s;hame, who mind earthly things, Phil.</HI> 3.18, 19. All that are called Chri&s;tians in the world, do by owning that denomination, profe&s;s a love unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t. But greater enemies, greater haters of him he hath not among the children of men, than many of them are. This fal&s;ly pretended Love, is wor&s;e than a|vowed hatred. Neither will the pretence of it &s;tand men in &s;tead at the la&s;t day. No other an&s;wer will be given unto the plea of it, be it in whom it will, but <HI>depart from me, I never knew you, you workers of Iniquity.</HI> Whereas therefore he him&s;elf hath pre&s;cribed this Rule unto all who would be e&s;teemed his Di&s;ciples, <HI>If you love me, keep my Command|ments,</HI> we may &s;afely conclude all who live in a neglect of his Commands, whatever they pretend or profe&s;s, <HI>they love him not.</HI> And the &s;atisfaction which men, through much darkne&s;s, and many corrupt prejudices, have attained unto in the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tian Religion, without an internal &s;incere Love unto Chri&s;t him&s;elf, is that which ruines Reli|gion and their own &s;ouls.</P>
<P N="2">2. As there is a <HI>fal&s;e pretence of Love</HI> unto Chri&s;t, &s;o there is, or may be a <HI>fal&s;e Love</HI> unto him al&s;o. The per&s;ons in whom it is, may in &s;ome mea&s;ure be &s;incere, and yet their
<PB N="168" REF="111">Love unto Chri&s;t may not be pure, nor &s;incere, &s;uch as an|&s;wers the Principles and Rules of the Go&s;pel. And as many deceive others, &s;o &s;ome deceive them&s;elves in this matter. They may think that they love Chri&s;t, but indeed do not &s;o. And this I &s;hall manife&s;t in &s;ome few In&s;tances.</P>
<P N="1">1. That <HI>Love is not &s;incere</HI> and incorrupt, which proceed|eth not from, which is not a fruit of Faith. Tho&s;e who do not fir&s;t really believe on Chri&s;t, can never &s;incerely love him. It is <HI>Faith</HI> alone that <HI>worketh by Love</HI> towards Chri&s;t and all his Saints. If therefore any do not believe with that Faith which unites them unto Chri&s;t, which within purifies the heart, and is outwardly effectual in Duties of Obedience, whatever they may per&s;wade them&s;elves concerning Love unto Chri&s;t, it is but a vain delu&s;ion. Where the Faith of men is dead, their Love will not be living and &s;incere.</P>
<P N="2">2. That Love is not &s;o, which ari&s;eth from <HI>fal&s;e Idea</HI>'s and Repre&s;entations that men make of Chri&s;t, or have made of him in their minds. Men may draw <HI>Images</HI> in their minds of what they mo&s;t fancy, and then dote upon them. So &s;ome think of Chri&s;t only as a Glorious Per&s;on exalted in Heaven at the Right hand of God, without farther apprehen&s;i|ons of his Natures and Offices. So the <HI>Roman Mi&s;&s;ionaries</HI> re|pre&s;ented him unto &s;ome of the <HI>Indians</HI> concealing from them his Cro&s;s and Sufferings. But every fal&s;e Notion concerning his Per&s;on or his Grace, what he is, hath done, or doth, corrupts the Love that is pretended unto him. Shall we think that they love Chri&s;t by whom his Divine Nature is denied? Or that tho&s;e do &s;o who disbelieve the reality of his Humane Nature? or tho&s;e by whom the Union of both in the &s;ame Per&s;on is rejected? There cannot be true <HI>Evangelical Love</HI> unto a fal&s;e Chri&s;t, &s;uch as the&s;e Imaginati|ons do fancy.</P>
<P N="3">3. So is that Love, which is not in all things as to Cau&s;es,
<PB N="169" REF="111">Motives, Mea&s;ures and Ends <HI>regulated by the Scripture.</HI> This alone gives us the Nature, Rules and Bounds of &s;incere Spi|ritual Love. We are no more to love Chri&s;t, than to fear and wor&s;hip him according unto our own imaginations. From the Scripture are we to derive all the Principles and Motives of our Love. If either the Acts or Effects of it will not endure a trial thereby, they are fal&s;e and counterfeit, and many &s;uch have been pretended unto, as we &s;hall &s;ee im|mediately.</P>
<P N="4">4. That is &s;o unque&s;tionably which fixeth it &s;elf on <HI>undue Objects,</HI> which, whatever is pretended, are neither Chri&s;t, nor means of conveying our Love unto him. Such is all that Love which the <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> expre&s;s in their Devotion unto <HI>Images,</HI> as they fancy of Chri&s;t, <HI>Crucifixes;</HI> pretended <HI>Reliques of his Cro&s;s,</HI> and the Nails that pierced him, with the like &s;uper&s;titious Repre&s;entations of him, and what they &s;uppo&s;e he is concerned in. For although they expre&s;s their Devotion with great appearance of ardent Affections, under all outward &s;igns of them, in Adorations, Ki&s;&s;ings, Pro&s;tra|tions, with Sighs and Tears; yet all this while it <HI>is not Chri&s;t</HI> which they thus cleave unto, but a cloud of their own Ima|ginations, wherewith their carnal minds are plea&s;ed and af|fected. That is no God which a man heweth out of a Tree, though he form it for that End, though he falleth down unto it and wor&s;hippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and &s;aith, <HI>deliver me, for thou art my God, I&s;a.</HI> 44 17. The Authors of this &s;uper&s;tition, whereby the love of innumerable poor &s;ouls, is depraved and abu&s;ed, do fir&s;t frame in their minds, what they &s;uppo&s;e may &s;ollicit or draw out the Natural and Car|nal affections of men unto it, and then outwardly repre&s;ent it as an Object for them. Wherefore &s;ome of their Repre|&s;entations of him are <HI>glorious,</HI> and &s;ome of them <HI>dolorous,</HI> according as they aim to excite Affections in carnal Minds.
<PB N="170" REF="112">But as I &s;aid the&s;e things are not Chri&s;t, nor is he any way concerned in them.</P>
<P N="3">3. I acknowledge there have been great pretences of &s;uch <HI>a Love unto</HI> Chri&s;t as cannot be ju&s;tified. Such is that which &s;ome of the Devotioni&s;ts of the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> have endea|voured rather to expre&s;s out of their fancy, than declare out of their experience. <HI>Raptures, Exta&s;ies, Self-annihilations, im|mediate Adhe&s;ions</HI> and <HI>Enjoyments,</HI> without <HI>any act of the un|der&s;tanding,</HI> and with a multitude of other &s;welling words of vanity, they labour to &s;et off what they fancy to be Divine Love. But there wants not Evidences of Truth, &s;uffici|ent to defeat the&s;e Pretences, be they never &s;o &s;pecious or glorious. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. As it is by them de&s;cribed, it <HI>exceedeth all Scripture Pre&s;idents.</HI> For men to a&s;&s;ume unto them&s;elves, an ap|prehen&s;ion that they love Chri&s;t in another manner and kind, in an higher degree at lea&s;t, and thence to enjoy more intimacy with him, more love from him, than did any of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>John,</HI> or <HI>Paul,</HI> or <HI>Peter,</HI> or any other of tho&s;e holy ones, who&s;e love unto him is recorded in the Scrip|ture, is intollerable vanity and pre&s;umption. But no &s;uch things as the&s;e <HI>Devoto's</HI> pretend unto, are mentioned, or in the lea&s;t intimated concerning them, and their love to their Lord and Ma&s;ter. No man will pretend unto more love than they had, but &s;uch as have none at all.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is no way directed, warranted, approved by any <HI>Command, Promi&s;e,</HI> or <HI>Rule of the Scripture.</HI> As it is with|out <HI>Pre&s;ident,</HI> &s;o it is without <HI>Precept.</HI> And hereby whether we will or no, all our Graces and Duties mu&s;t be tried, as un|to any acceptation with God. Whatever pretends to exceed the Direction of the Word, may &s;afely be rejected, cannot &s;afely be admitted. Whatever <HI>Enthu&s;ia&s;ms</HI> or pretended In|&s;pirations may be pleaded, for the &s;ingular practice of what
<PB N="171" REF="112">is pre&s;cribed in the Scripture, yet none can be allowed for an approved principle of what is not &s;o pre&s;cribed. What|ever exceeds the bounds thereof, is re&s;olved into the Te&s;ti|mony of every di&s;tempered Imagination. Nor will it avail that the&s;e things among&s;t them are &s;ubmitted unto the <HI>Judg|ment of the Church.</HI> For the Church hath no Rule to judge by but the Scripture; and it can pa&s;s but one Judgment of what is not warranted thereby, namely, that it is to be re|jected.</P>
<P N="3">3. As it is de&s;cribed by tho&s;e who applaud it; it is not &s;uited unto the <HI>&s;ober &s;edate actings of the rational faculties of our &s;ouls.</HI> For whereas all that God requireth of us, is that we love him with all our &s;ouls and all our minds, the&s;e men cry up a Divine Love by an <HI>immediate adhe&s;ion of the Will and the Affections unto God, without any actings of the Mind and &V;nder&s;tanding at all.</HI> Love indeed is the regular acting of our whole &s;ouls by all their faculties and rational powers in an adherence unto God. But the&s;e men have fancied a Divine Love for them whom they would admire and extol, which di&s;turbs all their regular actings, and renders them of little or no u&s;e in that, which without their due exerci&s;e, is nothing but fancy. And hence it is, that under pretence of this Love, &s;undry per&s;ons among them, yea all that have pretended unto it, have fallen into &s;uch <HI>ridiculous exce&s;&s;es</HI> and open delu&s;ions, as &s;ufficiently di&s;cover the vanity of the Love it &s;elf pretended by them.</P>
<P>Wherefore we plead for <HI>no other Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> but what the Scripture warrants as unto its Nature, what the Go&s;pel requireth of us as our Duty, what the natu|ral faculties of our Minds are &s;uited unto, and given us for, what they are enabled unto by grace, and without which in &s;ome degree of &s;incerity, no man can yield acceptable Obedi|ence unto him.</P>
<PB N="172" REF="113">
<P>The&s;e things being premi&s;ed, that which we a&s;&s;ert, is, <HI>that there is and ought to be in all Believers, a Religious Graci|ous Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> di&s;tinct from, and the Rea|&s;on of their Obedience unto his commands; that is, it is di|&s;tinct from all other commands; but is al&s;o it &s;elf commanded and required of us in a way of Duty.</P>
<P>That there is in the Church &s;uch a Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, the Scripture te&s;tifies both in the Precepts it gives for it, and the examples of it. And all tho&s;e who truly believe cannot apprehend that they under&s;tand any thing of Faith, or Love of Chri&s;t, or them&s;elves, by whom it is called in Que&s;ti|on. If therefore I &s;hould enlarge on this Subject, a great part of the Doctrine of the Scripture from fir&s;t to la&s;t mu&s;t be repre&s;ented, and a Tran&s;cript of the Hearts of Believers wherein this Love is &s;eated and prevalent, be made according to our Ability. And there is no Subject that I could more willinglly enlarge upon. But I mu&s;t at pre&s;ent contract my &s;elf in compliance with my de&s;ign. Two things only I &s;hall demon&s;trate. (1.) That the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the Object of Di|vine Love.</HI> (2.) What is the <HI>Nature of that Love in us;</HI> what are the Grounds of it, and the Motives unto it, in them that do believe.</P>
<P>In reference unto the fir&s;t of tho&s;e, the en&s;uing po&s;ition &s;hall be the Subject of the remainder of this Chapter.</P>
<P><HI>The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the principal Object of the Love of God, and of the whole Creation participant of his Image.</HI> The Rea&s;on why I thus extend the A&s;&s;ertion, will appear in the declarati|on of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. No &s;mall part of the eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the Holy God, con&s;i&s;teth in the <HI>mutual Love of the Father and the Son, by the Spirit.</HI> As he is the only begotten of the Father, he is the fir&s;t nece&s;&s;ary, adequate, compleat Object of the whole Love of the Father. Hence he &s;ays of him&s;elf, that
<PB N="173" REF="113"><HI>from eternity he was by him, as brought up with him, and was daily his delight, rejoycing alwaies before him, Prov.</HI> 8.30. Which place was opened before. In him was the ineffable, eternal, unchangeable Delight and Complacency of the Fa|ther, as the full Object of his Love. The &s;ame is expre&s;&s;ed in that De&s;cription of him, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.18. <HI>The only begotten Son, who is in the bo&s;om of the Father.</HI> His being the only begotten Son declares his eternal Relation unto the Per&s;on of the Fa|ther, of whom he was begotten in the entire Communica|tion of the whole Divine Nature. Hereon he is in the <HI>bo&s;om of the Father.</HI> In the eternal embraces of his Love, as his only begotten Son. The Father loves, and cannot but love his own Nature and E&s;&s;ential Image in him.</P>
<P>Herein originally is God Love. <HI>For God is Love,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.8. This is the Fountain and <HI>Prototype</HI> of all Love, as being eter|nal and nece&s;&s;ary. All other acts of Love are in God, but Ema|nations from hence, and effects of it. As <HI>he doth Good, be|cau&s;e he is Good,</HI> &s;o he loveth, becau&s;e he is Love. He is Love Eternally and Nece&s;&s;arily in this Love of the Son; and all other workings of Love, are but acts of his Will, whereby &s;omewhat of it is outwardly expre&s;&s;ed. And all Love in the Creation was introduced from this Fountain, to give a &s;ha|dow and re&s;emblance of it.</P>
<P><HI>Love</HI> is that which contemplative men have alwaies al|mo&s;t adored. Many things have they &s;poken to evince it to be the Light, Life, Lu&s;tre and Glory of the whole Creati|on. But the Original and Pattern of it, was alwaies hid from the wi&s;e&s;t <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> of old. Something they reached after about Gods Love unto him&s;elf with Re&s;t and Complacency in his own infinite excellencies. But of this ineffable mutu|al Love of the Father and the Son, both in and by that Spirit which proceeds from them both, they had neither Appre|hen&s;ion nor Conjecture. Yet as herein doth the principal
<PB N="174" REF="114">part (if we may &s;o &s;peak) of the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the Holy God con&s;i&s;t, &s;o is it the only Fountain and <HI>Prototype</HI> of all that is truly called Love. A Ble&s;&s;ing and Glory which the Crea|tion had never been made partaker of, but only to expre&s;s ac|cording to the capacity of their &s;everal natures, this infinite and eternal Love of God. For God's Love of him&s;elf, which is natural and nece&s;&s;ary unto the Divine Being, con&s;i&s;ts in the mutual complacency of the Father and the Son by the Spirit. And it was to expre&s;s him&s;elf, that God made any thing without him&s;elf. He made the Heavens and the Earth to expre&s;s his Being, Goodne&s;s and Power. He created <HI>man in his own Image,</HI> to expre&s;s his Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and he implanted <HI>Love</HI> in our natures, to expre&s;s this eternal mutual Love of the Holy Per&s;ons of the Trinity. But we mu&s;t leave it under the vail of infinite incomprehen&s;iblene&s;s; though Admiration and Adoration of it be not without the highe&s;t &s;piritual &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>Again, He is the <HI>peculiar Object of the Love of the Father,</HI> of the Love of God, as he is <HI>incarnate,</HI> as he hath taken on him, and hath now di&s;charged the work of Mediation, or continues in the di&s;charge of it; that is, the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as God-man,</HI> is the peculiar Object of the Divine Love of the Father. The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in his Divine Nature is the adequate Object of that Love of the Father which is <HI>ad intra,</HI> a natural nece&s;&s;ary Act of the Divine E&s;&s;ence in its di&s;tinct Per&s;onal Exi&s;tence: And the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as <HI>incarnate,</HI> as cloathed with Humane Nature, is the fir&s;t and full Object of the Love of the Father in tho&s;e Acts of it, which are <HI>ad extra,</HI> or are towards any thing without him&s;elf. So he de|clares him&s;elf in the pro&s;pect of his future Incarnation and work. <HI>Behold my &s;ervant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my &s;oul delighteth, I&s;a.</HI> 42.1. The delight of the &s;oul of God, his re&s;t and complacency, which are the great effects of
<PB N="175" REF="114">Love, are in the Lord Chri&s;t as his Elect and Servant in the work of Mediation. And the Te&s;timony hereof he renewed twice from Heaven afterwards, <HI>Matth.</HI> 3.17. <HI>Loe a voice from Heaven, &s;aying, This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well plea&s;ed;</HI> as it is again repeated, <HI>Matth.</HI> 17.5. All things are di&s;po&s;ed to give a due &s;en&s;e unto us, of this Love of God unto him. The Te&s;timony concerning it is <HI>twice re|peated</HI> in the &s;ame words from Heaven. And the words of it are <HI>emphatical</HI> unto the utmo&s;t of our comprehen&s;ion. <HI>My Son, my Servant, mine Elect, my beloved Son in whom I re&s;t, in whom I delight,</HI> and am well plea&s;ed. It is the will of God to leave upon our hearts a &s;en&s;e of this his Love unto Chri&s;t; for this voice came from Heaven, not for his &s;ake who was alwaies filled wiah a &s;en&s;e of this Divine Love, but for ours, that we might believe it.</P>
<P>This he pleaded as the Foundation of all the Tru&s;t repo|&s;ed in him, and all the Power committed unto him. <HI>The Fa|ther loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand, John</HI> 3.35. <HI>The Father loveth the Son, and &s;heweth him all things that him&s;elf doth, John</HI> 5.20. And the &s;en&s;e or due apprehen&s;ion of it, is the Foundation of Chri&s;tian Religion. Hence he prays that we may <HI>know that God hath loved him, John</HI> 17.23, 26.</P>
<P>In this &s;en&s;e, the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is the <GAP DESC="foreign">, the fir&s;t recipient Subject of all that Divine Love which ex|tends it &s;elf unto the Church. It is all, the <HI>whole of it,</HI> in the fir&s;t place fixed upon him, and by and through him is com|municated unto the Church. Whatever it receives in Grace and Glory, it is but the &s;treams of this Fountain Love unto him&s;elf. So he prays for all his Di&s;ciples, <HI>that the Love,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>wherewith thou ha&s;t loved me, may be in them, and I in them, Joh.</HI> 17.26. They can be partakers of no other Love, neither in it &s;elf nor in its fruits, but that alone wherewith
<PB N="176" REF="115">the Father fir&s;t loved him. He loveth him for us all, and us no otherwi&s;e but as in him. <HI>He makes us accepted in the beloved, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.6. He is the Beloved of the Father, <GAP DESC="foreign">; as in all things he was to have the Preheminence, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.18. The Love of the Body is derived unto it from the Love unto the Head. And in the Love of him doth God Love the whole Church and no otherwi&s;e. He loves none but as united unto him, and participant of his Nature.</P>
<P>Wherefore the Love of the Father unto the Son, as the only begotten, and the e&s;&s;ential Image of his Per&s;on, wherein the ineffable Delight of the Divine Nature doth con&s;i&s;t, was the Fountain and Cau&s;e of all Love in the Creation, by an Act of the Will of God for its Repre&s;entation. And the Love of God the Father unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as <HI>incarnate,</HI> being the fir&s;t adequate Object of Divine Love wherein there is any thing <HI>ad extra,</HI> is the Fountain and e&s;pecial Cau&s;e of all gra|cious Love towards us and in us. And our Love unto Chri&s;t being the only outward Expre&s;&s;ion and Repre&s;entation of this Love of the Father unto him, therein con&s;i&s;ts the princi|pal part of our Renovation into his Image. Nothing renders us &s;o like unto God as our Love unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t, for he is the principal Object of his Love; in him doth his &s;oul re&s;t, in in him is he alwaies well plea&s;ed. Wherever this is wanting, whatever there may be be&s;ides, there is nothing of the Image of God. He that loves not Je&s;us Chri&s;t. let him be <HI>Anathe|ma Maranatha;</HI> for he is unlike unto God, his carnal Mind is Enmity again&s;t God.</P>
<P>Among tho&s;e who are in the <HI>Image of God,</HI> the <HI>Angels</HI> a|bove are of the fir&s;t con&s;ideration. We are indeed as yet much in the dark unto the things that are <HI>within the Vail.</HI> They are <HI>above</HI> us as unto our pre&s;ent capacity, and <HI>hid from us,</HI> as unto our pre&s;ent &s;tate. But there is enough in the Scrip|ture to manife&s;t the Adhe&s;ion of <HI>Angels</HI> unto the Per&s;on of
<PB N="177" REF="115">Chri&s;t by Divine Love. For Love proceeding from &s;ight, is the Life of the Church above; as Love proceeding from Faith is the Life of the Church below. And this Life the Angels them&s;elves do live. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. They were all unto their inexpre&s;&s;ible pre&s;ent Advan|tage and Security for the future, brought into that Recovery and <HI>Racapitulation</HI> of all things which God hath made in him. He hath <HI>gathered together in one all things in Chri&s;t both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth, even in him, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. The things in Heaven, and things in Earth, An|gels above, and Men below, were originally united in the Love of God. God's Love unto them, whence &s;prings their mutual Love between them&s;elves, was a bond of union be|tween them, rendring them one compleat <HI>family of God</HI> in Heaven and Earth, as it is called, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.15. On the entrance of &s;in, whereby mankind forfeited their Intere&s;t in the Love of God, and lo&s;t all Love unto him, or any thing for him, this <HI>&V;nion</HI> was utterly di&s;&s;olved, and mutual Enmity came into the place of its Principle in Love. God is plea&s;ed to <HI>gather up</HI> the&s;e divided parts of his <HI>Family</HI> into one, in one Head, which is Chri&s;t Je&s;us. And as there is hereby an Union e&s;tabli&s;hed again between <HI>Angels</HI> and the Church in Love, &s;o their adherence unto the Head, the Center, Life and Spring of this Union, is by Love and no otherwi&s;e. It is not Faith, but Love that is the bond of this Union between Chri&s;t and them; and herein no &s;mall part of their Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s and Glory in Heaven doth con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. That <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> Adoration, Service and Obedience which they yield unto him, are all in like manner animated with Love and Delight. In Love they cleave unto him, in Love they wor&s;hip and &s;erve him. They had a command <HI>to wor+&s;hip him</HI> on his Nativity, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.6. and they did it with joy exultation and prai&s;es, all effects of Love and Delight
<PB N="178" REF="116"><HI>Luke</HI> 2.13, 14. And as they continue about the <HI>Throne of God,</HI> they &s;ay with a loud voice, <HI>Worthy is the Lamb that was &s;lain to receive Power, and Riches, and Wi&s;dom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Ble&s;&s;ing, Rev.</HI> 5.11, 12. Their continual a&s;cription of Glory and Prai&s;e unto him, is an effect of Reverential Love and Delight. And from thence al&s;o is their concernment in his Go&s;pel and Grace, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.9, 10. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.12. Nor without this Love in the highe&s;t degree, can it be conceived how they &s;hould be ble&s;&s;ed and happy in their continual employment. For they are all <HI>mi|ni&s;tring &s;pirits &s;ent forth to mini&s;ter for the heirs of &s;alvation, Heb.</HI> 1.14. Were they not acted herein by their fervent Love unto Chri&s;t, they could have no delight in their own Mini&s;try.</P>
<P>We have not, we cannot have in this world a full com|prehen&s;ion of the nature of <HI>Angelical Love.</HI> Our notions are but dark and uncertain in things whereof we can have no ex|perience. Wherefore we cannot have here a clear intuition into the nature of the Love of Spirits, whil&s;t our own is mixed with what derives from the actings of the animal &s;pi|rits of our bodies al&s;o. But the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of Angels doth not con&s;i&s;t in the endowments of their nature, that they are great in Power, Light, Knowledge and Wi&s;dom. For not|with&s;tanding the&s;e things, many of them became <HI>Devils.</HI> But the Excellency and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the <HI>Angelical &s;tate</HI> con|&s;i&s;t in the&s;e two things. (1.) That they are di&s;po&s;ed, and able con&s;tantly, in&s;eparably, univer&s;ally, uninterruptedly to cleave unto God in Love. And as they do &s;o unto God, &s;o they do unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and through him as their Head unto God, even the Father. (2.) Add hereunto that gracious reflex &s;en&s;e which they have of the Glory, Dignity, eternal &s;weetne&s;s and &s;atisfaction which ari&s;eth from hence, and we have the &s;umme of <HI>Angelical Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="179" REF="116">
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Church of Mankind</HI> is the other part of the rational Creation whereon the Image of God is renewed. Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t proceeding from Faith, is their Life, their Joy and Glory.</P>
<P>It was &s;o unto the <HI>Church under the Old Te&s;tament.</HI> The whole <HI>Book of Canticles</HI> is de&s;igned to no other purpo&s;e, but variou&s;ly to &s;hadow forth, to in&s;inuate and repre&s;ent the mutual Love of Chri&s;t and the Church. Ble&s;&s;ed is he who under&s;tands the &s;ayings of that Book, and hath the ex|perience of them in his heart. The <HI>forty fifth P&s;alm</HI> among others is de&s;igned unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e. All the glorious De&s;criptions which are given of his Per&s;on in the re&s;idue of the Prophets, were only means to excite Love unto him, and de&s;ires after him. Hence is he called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Hag</HI> 2.7. <HI>The De&s;ire of all Nations.</HI> He alone who is de&s;i|rable unto, and the only Beloved of the Church, gathered out of all Nations.</P>
<P>The clear Revelation of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, &s;o as to ren|der him the direct Object of our Love, with the Cau&s;es and Rea&s;ons of it, is one of the mo&s;t eminent Priviledges of the New Te&s;tament. And it is variou&s;ly atte&s;ted in Precepts, Promi&s;es, In&s;tances, and &s;olemn Approbations.</P>
<P>Wherever he &s;uppo&s;eth or requireth this Love in any of his <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> it is not only as their Duty, as that which they were obliged unto by the Precepts of the Go&s;pel, but as that without which no other Duty whatever is accepted by him. <HI>If,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>ye love me, keep my Commandments, John</HI> 14.15. He &s;o requires Love unto him&s;elf, as not to expect or ap|prove of any Obedience unto his Commands without it. It is a great and ble&s;&s;ed Duty to <HI>feed the Sheep and Lambs of Chri&s;t:</HI> Yet will not he accept of it unle&s;s it proceeds out of Love un|to his Per&s;on. <HI>Simon Son of Jonas, love&s;t thou me, feed my Lambs, John</HI> 21.15, 16, 17. Three times did he repeat the
<PB N="180" REF="117">&s;ame words to him who had failed in his love towards him by denying him thrice. Without this Love unto him, he requires of none to feed his Sheep, nor will accept of what they pretend to do therein. It were a ble&s;&s;ed thing, if a due apprehen&s;ion hereof did alwaies abide with them that are called unto that work.</P>
<P>Hereunto doth he annex tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> which comprize the whole of our peace, &s;afety and con&s;olation in this world. <HI>He</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that loveth me, &s;hall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manife&s;t my &s;elf unto him, John</HI> 14.21. And <HI>ver.</HI> 23. <HI>My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.</HI> What heart can conceive, what tongue can expre&s;s the glory of the&s;e Promi&s;es, or the lea&s;t part of the Grace that is con|tained in them? Who can conceive aright of the Divine Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Love and Grace that are expre&s;&s;ed in them? How little a portion is it that we know of God in the&s;e things? But if we value them not, if we labour not for an <HI>experience</HI> of them according unto our mea&s;ure, we have neither lot nor portion in the Go&s;pel. The pre&s;ence and abode of God with us as a Father manife&s;ting him&s;elf to be &s;uch unto us, in the infallible pledges and a&s;&s;urances of our Adoption: The pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t with us, revealing him|&s;elf unto us with all tho&s;e ineffable mercies wherewith the&s;e things are accompanied, are all contained in them. And the&s;e Promi&s;es are peculiarly given unto them that love the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and in the exerci&s;e of Love towards him.</P>
<P>Hereunto are de&s;igned the Go&s;pel <HI>Gerazim</HI> and <HI>Ebal,</HI> the denunciation of ble&s;&s;ings and cur&s;es. As ble&s;&s;ings are declared to be their portion <HI>who love the Lord Je&s;us in &s;incerity, Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.24. &s;o tho&s;e who love him not, have the &s;ub&s;tance of all cur&s;es denounced again&s;t them, even <HI>Anathema Ma|ranatha,</HI>
<PB N="181" REF="117">1 <HI>Cor. c.</HI> 16. <HI>v.</HI> 22. So far &s;hall &s;uch per&s;ons be, whatever they may profe&s;s of outward Obedience unto the Go&s;pel, from any ble&s;&s;ed intere&s;t in the Promi&s;es of it, as that they are ju&s;tly liable unto final exci&s;ion from the Church in this world, and eternal malediction in that which is to come.</P>
<P>It is evident therefore that <HI>the Love of the Church</HI> of Believers unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, is not a di&s;tempered fancy, not a deluding Imagination, as &s;ome have bla&s;|phemed, but that which the nature of their Relation un|to him makes nece&s;&s;ary; that wherein they expre&s;s their Renovation into the Image of God, that which the Scrip|ture indi&s;pen&s;ibly requires of them, and whereon all their &s;piritual comforts do depend. The&s;e things being &s;poken in general, the particular nature, effects, operations and motives of this Divine Love mu&s;t now be farther enquired into.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="182" REF="118">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Nature, Operations and Cau&s;es of Divine Love, as it re|&s;pects the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THat we may the better under&s;tand that Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t which we plead for, &s;ome things mu&s;t be premi&s;ed concerning the <HI>Nature of Divine Love</HI> in gene|ral, and thereon its Application unto the particular actings and exerci&s;e of it which we enquire into, will be plain and ea&s;ie.</P>
<P>God hath endowed our nature with a faculty and ability of fixing our <HI>Love</HI> upon him&s;elf. Many can under&s;tand no|thing of Love, but the adherence of their minds and &s;ouls unto things vi&s;ible and &s;en&s;ible, capable of a pre&s;ent natu|ral Enjoyment. For things un&s;een, e&s;pecially &s;uch as are eternal and infinite, they &s;uppo&s;e they have a <HI>veneration,</HI> a religious re&s;pect, a devout adoration; but how they &s;hould <HI>love them,</HI> they cannot under&s;tand. And the Apo&s;tle doth grant that there is a greater difficulty in loving things <HI>that cannot be &s;een,</HI> than in loving tho&s;e which are alwaies vi&s;ibly pre&s;ent unto us, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.20. Howbeit this <HI>Divine Love</HI> hath a more fixed &s;tation and prevalency in the minds of men, than any other kind of Love whatever. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The principal End why God endued our Natures with that great and ruling Affection, that hath the mo&s;t eminent and peculiar power and intere&s;t in our &s;ouls, was in the fir&s;t place, that it might be <HI>fixed on him&s;elf,</HI> that it might be the in&s;trument of our adherence unto him. He did not create this Affection in us, that we might be able by it to ca&s;t our &s;elves into the embraces of things natural and &s;en&s;ual. No
<PB N="183" REF="118">Affection hath &s;uch power in the &s;oul to cau&s;e it to cleave unto its Object, and to work it unto a conformity unto it. Mo&s;t other Affections are tran&s;ient in their operations, and work by a tran&s;port of nature, as anger, joy, fear, and the like. But Love is capable of a con&s;tant exerci&s;e, is a &s;pring unto all other Affections, and unites the &s;oul with an effi|cacy not ea&s;ie to be expre&s;&s;ed, unto its Object. And &s;hall we think that God who <HI>made all things for him&s;elf,</HI> did cre|ate this ruling Affection in and with our Natures, meerly that we might be able to turn from him, and cleave unto other things, with a power and faculty above any we have of adherence unto him. Wherefore at our fir&s;t Creation, and in our primitive condition <HI>Love</HI> was the very &s;oul and quicken|ing Principle of the Life of God, and on our adherence unto him thereby, the continuance of our Relation unto him, did depend. The Law, Rule and Mea&s;ure of it was, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy &s;oul.</HI> For this end did God create this Affection in us. Not only our Per&s;ons in their Nature and Being, but in all their powers and faculties, were fitted and prepared unto this end, of living unto God, and coming unto the enjoyment of him. And all their exerci&s;e on created Objects was to be directed unto this end. Wherefore the placing of our Love on any thing before God, or above him, is a formal expre&s;&s;ion of our Apo&s;tacy from him.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Divine Excellencies</HI> are a proper adequate Object of our Love. The Will indeed can adhere unto nothing in Love, but what the under&s;tanding apprehends as unto its Truth and Being. But it is not nece&s;&s;ary that the under&s;tanding do fully comprehend the whole Nature of that which the Will doth &s;o adhere unto. Where a di&s;covery is made unto and by the Mind <HI>of real Goodne&s;s</HI> and Amiablene&s;s, the Will there can clo&s;e with its affections. And the&s;e are apprehended as ab|&s;olutely
<PB N="184" REF="119">the mo&s;t perfect in the Divine Nature and Holy Pro|perties of it. Whereas therefore not only that which is the <HI>proper Object of Love</HI> is in the Divine Excellencies, but it is there only perfectly and ab&s;olutely, without the mixture of any thing that &s;hould give it an allay, as there is in all Crea|tures, they are the mo&s;t &s;uitable and adequate Object of our Love.</P>
<P>There is no greater di&s;covery of the Depravation of our Natures by &s;in, and degeneracy of our Wills from their Ori|ginal Rectitude, than that whereas we are &s;o prone to the Love of other things, and therein do &s;eek for &s;atisfaction un|to our &s;ouls, where it is not to be obtained, it is &s;o hard and difficult to rai&s;e our hearts unto the Love of God. Were it not for that depravation, he would alwaies ap|pear as the only &s;uitable and &s;atisfactory Object unto our affections.</P>
<P N="3">3. The e&s;pecial Object of Divine gracious Love, is the <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s. How great is his Goodne&s;s, how great is his Beauty, Zech.</HI> 9.17. Nothing is amiable, or a proper Ob|ject of Love, but what is <HI>good,</HI> and as it is &s;o. Hence Divine Goodne&s;s which is infinite, hath an ab&s;olutely perfect ami|ablene&s;s accompanying of it. Becau&s;e his Goodne&s;s is inex|pre&s;&s;ible, his Beauty is &s;o. How great is his Goodne&s;s, how great is his Beauty? Hence are we called to give <HI>thanks un|to the Lord, and to rejoyce in him,</HI> which are the Effects of Love, <HI>becau&s;e he is good, P&s;al.</HI> 106.1.136.1.</P>
<P>Neither is <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s</HI> the e&s;pecial Object of our Love as ab&s;olutely con&s;idered. But we have a re&s;pect unto it, as comprehen&s;ive of all that Mercy, Grace and Bounty, which are &s;uited to give us the be&s;t relief in our pre&s;ent condition, and an eternal future Reward. Infinite Goodne&s;s exerting it &s;elf in all that Mercy, Grace, Faithfulne&s;s and Bounty which are needful unto our Relief and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s in our pre|&s;ent
<PB N="185" REF="119">condition is the proper Object of our Love. Where|as therefore this is done only in Chri&s;t, there can be no true Love of the <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s,</HI> but in and through him alone.</P>
<P>The Goodne&s;s of God as a Creator, Pre&s;erver and Re|warder, was a &s;ufficient, yea the <HI>adequate Object</HI> of all Love antecedently unto the entrance of &s;in and mi&s;ery. In them, in God under tho&s;e con&s;iderations might the &s;oul of man find full &s;atisfaction as unto its pre&s;ent and future Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. But &s;ince the pa&s;&s;ing of &s;in mi&s;ery and death upon us, our Love can find no amiablene&s;s in any Goodne&s;s, no re&s;t, compla|cency and &s;atisfaction in any, but what is effectual in that grace and mercy by Chri&s;t, which we &s;tand in need of, for our pre&s;ent Recovery and future Reward. Nor doth God require of us that we &s;hould love him otherwi&s;e but as he <HI>is in Chri&s;t reconciling the world unto him&s;elf.</HI> So the Apo&s;tle fully de|clares it. <HI>In this was manife&s;ted the Love of God towards us, becau&s;e that God &s;ent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and &s;ent his Son to be the Propitia|tion for our &s;ins. And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us: God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him,</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.9, 10, 16. God is Love, of a nature infinitely good and gracious, &s;o as to be the only Object of all Divine Love. But this Love can no way be known, or be &s;o manife&s;ted unto us, as that we may and ought to love him, but by his <HI>Love in Chri&s;t,</HI> his &s;ending of him, and loving us in him. Before this, without this, we do not, we cannot love God. For <HI>herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and &s;ent his Son to be the Propitiation for our &s;ins.</HI> This is the cau&s;e, the &s;pring and fountain of all our Love unto him. They are but empty notions and imaginations, which &s;ome &s;peculative per&s;ons
<PB N="186" REF="120">plea&s;e them&s;elves withall, about Love unto the Divine Good|ne&s;s ab&s;olutely con&s;idered. For however infinitely amiable it may be in it &s;elf, it is not &s;o really unto them, it is not &s;uited unto their &s;tate and condition, without the con&s;idera|tion of the communications of it unto us, in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. The&s;e things being premi&s;ed, we may con&s;ider the <HI>e&s;pecial Nature</HI> of this Divine Love, although I acknowledge that the lea&s;t part of what Believers have an experience of in their own &s;ouls, can be expre&s;&s;ed at lea&s;t by me. Some few things I &s;hall mention, which may give us a &s;hadow of it, but not the expre&s;s Image of the thing it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>De&s;ire of &V;nion</HI> and Enjoyment is the fir&s;t vital Act of this Love. The &s;oul upon the Di&s;covery of the Excellencies of God, earne&s;tly de&s;ires to be <HI>united</HI> unto them, to be brought near unto that Enjoyment of them whereof it is capable, and wherein alone it can find re&s;t and &s;atisfaction. This is E&s;&s;ential unto all Love; it <HI>unites the Mind</HI> unto its Object, and re&s;ts not but in Enjoyment. Gods Love unto us ari&s;eth out of the overflowing of his own immen&s;e Goodne&s;s, where|of he will communicate the fruits and effects unto us. God is Love, and herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and &s;ent his only begotten Son. Yet al&s;o doth this Love of God tend to the bringing of us <HI>unto him,</HI> not that he may enjoy us, but that he may be enjoyed by us. This an&s;wers the de&s;ire of Enjoyment in us, <HI>Job</HI> 14.15. <HI>Thou &s;halt call me</HI> (that is out of the du&s;t at the la&s;t day) <HI>thou wilt have a de&s;ire to the work of thy hands.</HI> Gods Love will not re&s;t, until it hath brought us unto him&s;elf. But our Love un|to God ari&s;eth from a &s;en&s;e of our own wants, our in&s;uffici|ency to come unto re&s;t in our &s;elves, or to attain unto Ble&s;|&s;edne&s;s by our own endeavours. In this &s;tate &s;eeing <HI>all in God,</HI> and expecting all from the &s;uitablene&s;s of his excellencies un|to our re&s;t and &s;atisfaction, our &s;ouls cleave unto them, with a
<PB N="187" REF="120">de&s;ire of the neare&s;t Union whereof our Natures are capable. We are made for him, and cannot re&s;t until we come unto him.</P>
<P>Our Goodne&s;s <HI>extends not</HI> unto God; we cannot profit him by any thing that we are, or can do. Wherefore his Love unto us hath not re&s;pect originally unto any good in our &s;elves, but is a gracious free Act of his own. He doth good for no other rea&s;on but becau&s;e he is good. Nor can his infinite perfections take any cau&s;e for their Original Actings without him&s;elf. He wants nothing that he would &s;upply by the Enjoyment of us. But we have <HI>indigency</HI> in our &s;elves to cau&s;e our Love to &s;eek an Object without our &s;elves. And &s;o his <HI>Goodne&s;s,</HI> with the Mercy, Grace and Bounty included therein is the Cau&s;e, Rea&s;on and Object of our Love. We love them for them&s;elves; and be|cau&s;e we are wanting and indigent, we love them with a de|&s;ire of Union and Enjoyment wherein we find that our Sati&s;|faction and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s doth con&s;i&s;t. Love in general unites the Mind unto the Object, the Per&s;on loving unto the thing or Per&s;on beloved. So is it expre&s;&s;ed in an in&s;tance of hu|mane, temporary changeable Love, namely, that of <HI>Jona|than</HI> to <HI>David. His &s;oul was knit to the &s;oul of David, and he loved him as his own &s;oul,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18.1. Love had &s;o effectually united them, as that the &s;oul of <HI>David</HI> was as his own. Hence are tho&s;e expre&s;&s;ions of this Divine Love, by <HI>cleaving unto God, following hard after</HI> him, <HI>thir&s;t|ing, panting</HI> after him, with the like intimations of the mo&s;t earne&s;t endeavours of our Nature after Union and Enjoy|ment.</P>
<P>When the &s;oul hath a view by Faith (which nothing el&s;e can give it) of the <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> of God as manife&s;ted in Chri&s;t, that is, of the e&s;&s;ential excellencies of his Nature as exerting them|&s;elves in him, it reacheth after him with its mo&s;t earne&s;t em|braces, and is re&s;tle&s;s until it comes unto perfect fruition. It
<PB N="188" REF="121">&s;ees in God, the Fountain of Life, and would drink of the <HI>Ri|ver of his Plea&s;ures, P&s;al.</HI> 16.8, 9. that in his <HI>pre&s;ence is fulne&s;s of Joy,</HI> and at his right hand are plea&s;ures for evermore, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16.11. It longs and pants to drink of that Fountain, to bathe it &s;elf in that River of Plea&s;ures; and wherein it comes &s;hort of pre|&s;ent Enjoyment, it lives in hopes that when we <HI>awake, it &s;hall be &s;atisfied with his Likene&s;s, P&s;al.</HI> 17.15. There is nothing grievous unto a &s;oul filled with this Love, but what keeps it from the full Enjoyment of the&s;e Excellencies of God. What doth &s;o, naturally and nece&s;&s;arily it groans under. Such is our pre&s;ent &s;tate in the Body wherein in &s;ome &s;en&s;e we are <HI>ab&s;ent from the Lord,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.4, 8, 9. And what doth &s;o Morally in the deviations of its Will and Affections, as <HI>&s;in,</HI> it hates and abhors, and loathes it &s;elf for. Under the con|duct of this Love, the whole tendency of the &s;oul is unto the Enjoyment of God; It would be lo&s;t in it &s;elf, and found in him; nothing in it &s;elf, and all in him. Ab&s;olute complacency herein, that God is what he is, that he &s;hould be what he is, and nothing el&s;e, and that as &s;uch we may be united unto him, and enjoy him according to the capacity of our Natures, is the Life of Divine Love.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a Love of <HI>A&s;&s;imulation.</HI> It contains in it a de&s;ire and inten&s;e endeavour to be <HI>like unto God,</HI> according unto our capacity and mea&s;ure. The &s;oul &s;ees all Goodne&s;s, and con&s;equently all that is amiable and lovely in God, the want of all which it finds in it &s;elf. The fruition of this Goodne&s;s is that which it longs for as its utmo&s;t end, and <HI>conformity</HI> unto it as the means thereof. There is no man who loves not God &s;incerely, but indeed he would have him to be &s;ome|what that he is not, that he might be the more like unto him. This &s;uch Per&s;ons are plea&s;ed withal whil&s;t they can fancy it in any thing, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50.21. They that love him, would have him <HI>be all that he is, as he is, and nothing el&s;e,</HI>
<PB N="189" REF="121">and would be them&s;elves like unto him. And as Love hath this tendency, and is that which gives di&s;quietment unto the &s;oul when and wherein we are unlike unto God, &s;o it &s;tirs up con&s;tant endeavours after <HI>A&s;&s;imulation</HI> unto him, and hath a Principal Efficacy unto that End. Love is the Principle that actually <HI>A&s;&s;imulates</HI> and conforms us unto God, as Faith is the Principle which originally di&s;po&s;eth thereunto. In our Renovation into the Image of God, the <HI>transforming Power</HI> is radically &s;eated in Faith, but <HI>acts it &s;elf</HI> by Love. Love pro|ceeding from Faith, gradually changeth the &s;oul into the likene&s;s of God; and the more it is in exerci&s;e, the more is that change effected.</P>
<P>To labour after conformity unto God by outward Actions only is to make an <HI>Image of the living God,</HI> hewed out of the &s;tock of a dead Tree. It is from this vital Principle of <HI>Love</HI> that we are not forced into it as by engines, but naturally grow up into the Likene&s;s and Image of God. For when it is duely affected with the Excellencies of God in Chri&s;t, it fills the mind with thoughts and contemplations on them, and excites all the Affections unto a Delight in them. And where the &s;oul acts it &s;elf con&s;tantly in the Minds Con|templation, and the Delight of the Affections, it will produce <HI>A&s;&s;imulation</HI> unto the Object of them. To love Godis the only way and means to be like unto Him.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is a <HI>Love of complacency,</HI> and therein of <HI>Benevolence.</HI> Upon that view which we have by &s;piritual Light and Faith of the Divine Goodne&s;s, exerting it &s;elf in the way before de&s;cribed, our &s;ouls do approve of all that is in God, ap|plaud it, adore it, and acquie&s;ce in it. Hence two great Du|ties do ari&s;e, and hereon do they depend. Fir&s;t; <HI>Joyful A&s;|criptions</HI> of Glory and Honour unto God. All Prai&s;e and Thank&s;giveing, all Ble&s;&s;ing, all A&s;&s;ignation of Glory unto him, becau&s;e of his excellencies and perfections, do ari&s;e from
<PB N="190" REF="122">our &s;atisfactory complacence in them. <HI>The Righteous rejoyce in the Lord, and give thanks at the Remembrance of his Holi|ne&s;s, P&s;al.</HI> 97.12. They are &s;o plea&s;ed and &s;atisfied at the Remembrance of Gods Holine&s;s, that it fills their Hearts with <HI>Joy,</HI> and cau&s;eth them to break forth in prai&s;es. Prai&s;e is nothing but an outward expre&s;&s;ion of the inward Complacen|cy of our hearts in the Divine Perfections and their Operati|ons. And Secondly; Love herein acts it &s;elf by <HI>Benevolence,</HI> or the con&s;tant Inclination of the Mind unto all things, where|in the Glory of God is concerned. It wills all the things wherein the Name of God may be Sanctified, his prai&s;es made glorious, and his Will done in Earth as it is in Heaven. As God &s;aies of his own Love unto us, <HI>that he rejoyceth in it with &s;inging, and re&s;teth in it, Zeph.</HI> 3.17. as having the grea|te&s;t Complacency in it, rejoycing over us with his <HI>whole heart and his whole &s;oul, Jerem.</HI> 32.41. So according unto our mea&s;ure, do we by Love re&s;t in the glorious Excellencies of God, rejoycing in them, with our whole hearts and our whole Souls.</P>
<P N="4">4. This Divine Love is a <HI>Love of Friend&s;hip.</HI> The com|munion which we have with God therein, is &s;o intimate and accompanied with &s;uch &s;piritual <HI>Boldne&s;s</HI> as gives it that de|nomination. So <HI>Abraham</HI> was called the <HI>Friend of God, I&s;a.</HI> 47.8. <HI>Jam.</HI> 2.23. And becau&s;e of that mutual tru&s;t which is between friends, <HI>the &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will &s;hew them his Covenant, P&s;al.</HI> 25.14. For as our Saviour teacheth us, <HI>Servants,</HI> that is, tho&s;e who are &s;o, and no more, <HI>know not what their Lord doth;</HI> He rules them, commands them, or requires Obedience from them. But as unto his <HI>Secret,</HI> his <HI>De&s;ign</HI> and Purpo&s;e, his Coun&s;el and Love, they know nothing of it. But &s;aith he unto his Di&s;|ciples, <HI>I have called you Friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you, Joh.</HI> 15.15.
<PB N="191" REF="122">He proves them to be rightly called his friends, becau&s;e of the communication of the &s;ecret of his mind unto them.</P>
<P>This is the great difference between them who are <HI>only Servants</HI> in the hou&s;e of God, and tho&s;e who are <HI>&s;o Servants</HI> as to be Friends al&s;o. The &s;ame commands are given unto all equally, and the &s;ame Duties are required of all equally, in as much as they are <HI>equally Servants.</HI> But tho&s;e who are no more but &s;o, know nothing of the <HI>&s;ecret Coun&s;el</HI> Love and Grace of God, in a due manner. For the natural man re|ceiveth not the things that are of God. Hence all their Obe|dience is <HI>&s;ervile.</HI> They know neither the principal Motives unto it, nor the ends of it. But they who are <HI>&s;o Servants</HI> as to be <HI>Friends al&s;o,</HI> they know what their Lord doth; the &s;ecret of the Lord is with them, and he &s;hews them of his Covenant. They are admitted into an intimate Ac|quaintance with the Mind of Chri&s;t (<HI>we have the Mind of Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.16.) and are thereon encouraged to per|form the Obedience of <HI>Servants</HI> with the Love and Delight of <HI>Friends.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;ame love of friend&s;hip is expre&s;&s;ed, by that intimate <HI>conver&s;e</HI> with, and e&s;pecial <HI>re&s;idence</HI> that is between God and Believers; God dwelleth in them, and they dwell in God, for God is Love, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.16. <HI>If a man,</HI> &s;aith the Lord Chri&s;t, <HI>love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, Joh.</HI> 14.23. <HI>And if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come unto him, and &s;up with him, and he with me, Rev.</HI> 3.20. The&s;e are not an empty &s;ound of words; there is &s;ub&s;tance under them, there is Truth in them. Tho&s;e who&s;e hearts are duely exerci&s;ed in and unto the Love of God, have experience of the refre&s;hing approaches both of the Father and of the Son unto their &s;ouls, in the commu|nications of a &s;en&s;e of their Love, and pledges of their abode with them.</P>
<PB N="192" REF="123">
<P>The&s;e things have I briefly premi&s;ed concerning the Na|ture of <HI>Divine Love,</HI> that we may the better apprehend what we under&s;tand by it, in the Application of it unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Formal Object</HI> of this Love, is the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Pro|perties of the Divine Nature,</HI> its infinite Goodne&s;s in particu|lar. Wherever the&s;e are, there is the Object and Rea&s;on of this Love. But they are all of them in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Son,</HI> no le&s;s than in the Per&s;on of the Father. As therefore we love the Father on this account, &s;o are we to love the Son al&s;o. But</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> is to be con&s;idered as he was in|carnate or cloathed with our Nature. And this takes nothing off from the <HI>formal Rea&s;on</HI> of this Love, but only makes an Addition unto the Motives of it. This indeed for a &s;ea&s;on vailed the Loveline&s;s of his Divine Excellencies, and &s;o turned a&s;ide the eyes of many from him. For when he took on him <HI>the form of a Servant, and made him&s;elf of no Reputation,</HI> he had unto them who looked on him with carnal eyes, <HI>neither form nor comline&s;s</HI> that he &s;hould be de&s;ired or beloved. How|beit the entire Per&s;on of Chri&s;t God and Man, is the Ob|ject of this Divine Love, in all the acts of the whole exer|ci&s;e of it. That &s;ingle effect of infinite Wi&s;dom and Grace in the Union of the Divine and Humane Natures, in the One Per&s;on of the Son of God, renders him the Object of this Love in a <HI>peculiar</HI> manner. The way whereby we may at|tain this peculiar Love and the Motives unto it, &s;hall clo&s;e the&s;e con&s;iderations.</P>
<P>A due con&s;ideration of, and meditation on the Propo&s;al of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t unto us in the Scripture, are the <HI>proper Foundation of this Love.</HI> This is the formal Rea&s;on of our Faith in him, and Love unto him. He is &s;o propo&s;ed unto us in the Scripture that we may <HI>believe</HI> in him, and <HI>love him,</HI>
<PB N="193" REF="123">and for that very end. And in particular with re&s;pect unto our <HI>Love,</HI> to ingenerate it in us, and to excite it unto its due exerci&s;e, are tho&s;e excellencies of his Per&s;on as the princi|pal Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s, which we have before in&s;i&s;ted on, frequently propo&s;ed unto us. To this end is he repre&s;ented as <HI>altogether Lovely,</HI> and the e&s;pecial Glories of his Per&s;on are dilineated, yea drawn to the Life in the Holy Records of the Old and New Te&s;taments. It is no work of <HI>Fancy</HI> or <HI>Imagination;</HI> it is not the feigning Images in our Minds of &s;uch things as are meet to &s;atisfy our carnal Affections, to excite and act them; but it is a due adherence unto that Object which is repre&s;ented unto Faith in the Propo&s;al of the Go&s;pel. Therein as in a Gla&s;s do we be|hold the Glory of Chri&s;t who is the Image of the invi&s;ible God, and have our &s;ouls filled with transforming Affections unto him.</P>
<P>The whole <HI>Book of Canticles</HI> is nothing but a My&s;tical Declaration of the <HI>mutual Love</HI> between Chri&s;t and the Church. And it is expre&s;&s;ed by all &s;uch waies and meanes as may repre&s;ent it Inten&s;e, Fervent, and Exceding all o|ther Love whatever, which none I &s;uppo&s;e will deny, at lea&s;t on the part of Chri&s;t. And a great part of it con&s;i&s;ts in &s;uch De&s;criptions of the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> and his Love, as may render him <HI>amiable</HI> and de&s;ireable unto our &s;ouls, even <HI>altoge|ther lovely.</HI> To what end doth the Holy Spirit &s;o <HI>graphi|cally</HI> de&s;cribe and repre&s;ent unto us the beauty and de&s;irable|ne&s;s of his Per&s;on, if it be not to ingenerate Love in us unto him. All want of Love unto him on this propo&s;al, is the effect of prevalent unbelief. It is pretended that the De|&s;criptions given of Chri&s;t in this <HI>Book,</HI> are <HI>Allegorical,</HI> from whence nothing can be gathered or concluded. But God forbid we &s;hould &s;o reflect on the Wi&s;dom and Love of the Holy Spirit unto the Church, that he hath propo&s;ed unto
<PB N="194" REF="124">the Faith of the Church an <HI>empty &s;ound and noi&s;e of words</HI> without mind or &s;en&s;e. The expre&s;&s;ions he u&s;eth are <HI>figu|rative,</HI> and the whole nature of the Di&s;cour&s;e as unto its out|ward &s;tructure is <HI>Allegorical.</HI> But the things intended are real and &s;ub&s;tantial, and the <HI>Metaphors</HI> u&s;ed in the expre&s;&s;ion of them are &s;uited in a due Attendance unto the <HI>Analogy</HI> of Faith, to convey a &s;piritual under&s;tanding and &s;en&s;e of the things them&s;elves propo&s;ed in them. The Church of God will not part with the un&s;peakable advantage and con&s;ola|tion, tho&s;e &s;upports of Faith, and incentives of Love, which it receives by that divine propo&s;al of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and his Love which is made therein, becau&s;e &s;ome men have no experience of them, nor under&s;tanding in them. The Faith and Love of Believers is not to be regulated by the ignorance and boldne&s;s of them who have neither the one nor the other. The Title of the forty fifth <HI>P&s;alm</HI> is, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>A Song of Loves;</HI> that is, of the mutual Love of Chri&s;t and the Church. And unto this end that our &s;ouls may be &s;tirred up unto the mo&s;t ardent Affections towards him, is a De&s;cription given us of his Per&s;on, as altogether lovely. To what other end is he &s;o evidently dilineated in the whole Harmony of his Divine Beauties by the Pencil of the Holy Spirit?</P>
<P>Not to in&s;i&s;t on particular Te&s;timonies, it is evident un|to all who&s;e eyes are opened to di&s;cern the&s;e things, that there is no Property of the Divine Nature which is pecu|liarly amiable, &s;uch as are <HI>Goodne&s;s, Grace, Love</HI> and <HI>Bounty,</HI> with infinite Power and Holine&s;s, but it is repre&s;ented and propo&s;ed unto us in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, to this end, that we &s;hould love him above all, and cleave unto him. There is nothing in the <HI>Humane Nature,</HI> in that fulne&s;s of Grace and Truth which dwelt therein, in that inhabitation of the Spirit which was in him without mea&s;ure, in any
<PB N="195" REF="124">thing of tho&s;e <HI>all things</HI> wherein he hath the <HI>preheminence,</HI> nothing in his Love, Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Grace and Mercy, no|thing in the work that he fulfilled, what he did and &s;uffered therein; nothing in the Benefits we receive thereby; nothing in the Power and Glory that he is exalted unto at the Right hand of God, but it is &s;et forth in the Scripture and propo|&s;ed unto us, that believing in him we may <HI>love him</HI> with all our hearts and &s;ouls. And be&s;ides all this, that &s;ingular, that infinite Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom, whereunto there is nothing like in all the works of God, and wherewith none of them may be compared, namely, the <HI>con&s;titution of his Per&s;on by the &V;nion of his Natures</HI> therein, whereby he be|comes <HI>unto us</HI> the Image of the Invi&s;ible God, and wherein all the ble&s;&s;ed Excellencies of his di&s;tinct Natures are made mo&s;t illu&s;triou&s;ly con&s;picuous, in becoming one entire Prin|ciple of all his Mediatory Operations on our behalf, is pro|po&s;ed unto us as the compleat Object of our Faith and Love. This is that Per&s;on, who&s;e Loveline&s;s and Beauty all the Angels of God, all the holy Ones above do eternally admire and adore. In him are the Infinite Trea&s;ures of Divine Wi&s;|dom and Goodne&s;s continually repre&s;ented unto them. This is he, who is the Joy, the Delight, the Love, the Glory of the Church below. <HI>Thou whom our &s;ouls do love,</HI> is the Title whereby they know him and conver&s;e with him, <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.7. <HI>chap.</HI> 3.1, 4. This is he who is the De&s;ire of all Nations, the Beloved of God and Men.</P>
<P>The mutual entercour&s;e on this ground of Love between Chri&s;t and the Church, is the <HI>life and &s;oul</HI> of the whole Creation; for on the account hereof all things con&s;i&s;t in him.</P>
<P>There is more Glory under the Eye of God, in the &s;ighs, groans and mournings of poor &s;ouls filled with the <HI>Love of Chri&s;t,</HI> after the enjoyment of him according to his Promi|&s;es, in their fervent Prayers for his manife&s;tation of him&s;elf
<PB N="196" REF="125">unto them, in the refre&s;hments and un&s;peakable joys which they have in his gracious vi&s;its and embraces of his Love, than in the Thrones and Diadems of all the Monarchs on the Earth. Nor will they them&s;elves part with the ineffable &s;a|tisfactions which they have in the&s;e things, for all that this world can do for them, or unto them. <HI>Mallem &s;uere cum Chri&s;to, quam regnare cum Cae&s;are.</HI> The&s;e things have not only rendred Pri&s;ons and Dungeons more de&s;ireable unto them than the mo&s;t goodly Pallaces on future accounts; but have made them really places of &s;uch <HI>Refre&s;hment</HI> and Joys, as men &s;hall &s;eek in vain to extract out of all the comforts that this world can afford.</P>
<Q>O Curvae in terris animae &amp; coele&s;tium inanes.</Q>
<P>Many there are who not comprehending, not being af|fected with that Divine Spiritual De&s;cription of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t which is given us by the Holy Gho&s;t in the Scrip|ture, do feign unto them&s;elves <HI>fal&s;e Repre&s;entations</HI> of him by <HI>Images</HI> and <HI>Pictures,</HI> &s;o to excite carnal and corrupt af|fections in their minds. By the help of their outward &s;en&s;es, they reflect on their imaginations the &s;hape of an humane body, ca&s;t into po&s;tures and circum&s;tances dolorous or tri|umphant, and &s;o by the working of their fancy rai&s;e a <HI>Com|motion</HI> of mind in them&s;elves, which they &s;uppo&s;e to be Love unto Chri&s;t. But all the&s;e Idols are Teachers of Lyes. The true Beauty and Amiablene&s;s of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, which is the formal object and cau&s;e of <HI>Divine Love,</HI> is &s;o far from being repre&s;ented herein, as that the mind is there|by wholly diverted from the contemplation of it. For no more can be &s;o pictured unto us, but what may belong unto a meer man, and what is arbitrarily referred unto Chri&s;t, not by Faith, but by corrupt imagination.</P>
<PB N="197" REF="125">
<P>The <HI>Beauty of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> as repre&s;ented in the Scripture, con&s;i&s;ts in things invi&s;ible unto the eyes of fle&s;h. They are &s;uch as no hand of man can repre&s;ent or &s;hadow. It is the Eye of Faith alone that can &s;ee this <HI>King in his Beauty.</HI> What el&s;e can contemplate on the <HI>uncreated Glorys</HI> of his Divine Nature? can the hand of man repre&s;ent the Union of his Natures in the &s;ame Per&s;on, wherein he is pe|culiarly amiable? What Eye can di&s;cern the mutual Commu|nications of the Properties of his different Natures in the &s;ame Per&s;on which depends thereon, whence it is that <HI>God laid down his life for us, and purcha&s;ed his Church with his own blood?</HI> In the&s;e things, O vain man, doth the Loveli|ne&s;s of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t unto the &s;ouls of Believers con|&s;i&s;t, and not in tho&s;e &s;trokes of Art which fancy hath guided a skilful hand and pencil unto. And what Eye of fle&s;h can di&s;cern the <HI>Inhabitation of the Spirit</HI> in all fulne&s;s in the Hu|mane Nature? Can his Conde&s;cen&s;ion, his Love, his Grace, his Power, his Compa&s;&s;ion, his Offices, his Fitne&s;s and Abi|lity to &s;ave &s;inners, be deciphered on a Tablet, or engraven on Wood or Stone? However &s;uch Pictures may be adorned, however beautified and enriched, they are not <HI>that Chri&s;t</HI> which the &s;oul of the Spou&s;e doth love; they are not any means of repre&s;enting his Love unto us, or of conveying our Love unto him; they only divert the minds of &s;uper&s;ti|tious per&s;ons from the Son of God, unto the embraces of a cloud, compo&s;ed of fancy and imagination.</P>
<P>Others there are who abhor the&s;e <HI>Idols,</HI> and when they have &s;o done commit <HI>Sacriledge.</HI> As they reject Images, &s;o they &s;eem to do all Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, di&s;tinct from other Acts of Obedience, as a fond Imagination. But the mo&s;t &s;uper&s;titious Love unto Chri&s;t, that is, Love acted in ways tainted with &s;uper&s;tition, is better than none at all. But with what Eyes do &s;uch per&s;ons read the Scriptures?
<PB N="198" REF="126">with what hearts do they con&s;ider them? what do they conceive is the intention of the Holy Gho&s;t in all tho&s;e <HI>De|&s;criptions</HI> which he gives us of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as <HI>ami|able</HI> and de&s;irable above all things, making therewithal a propo&s;al of him unto our Affections, inciting us to receive him by Faith, and to cleave unto him in Love? Yea to what end is our Nature endued with this Affection? unto what end is the Power of it renewed in us by the &s;anctification of the Holy Spirit? if it may not be fixed on this mo&s;t pro|per and excellent Object of it?</P>
<P>This is the Foundation of our Love unto Chri&s;t, namely, the <HI>Revelation and Propo&s;al of him unto us in the Scripture</HI> as altogether lovely. The Di&s;covery that is made therein of the glorious Excellencies and Endowments of his Per&s;on, of his Love, his Goodne&s;s and Grace, of his worth and work, is that which engageth the <HI>Affections of Believers</HI> unto him. It may be &s;aid, that if there be &s;uch a <HI>Propo&s;al of him</HI> made unto all promi&s;cuou&s;ly, then all would equally di&s;cern his amiablene&s;s, and be affected with it, who a&s;&s;ent equally unto the Truth of that Revelation. But it hath alwaies fallen out otherwi&s;e. In the daies of his fle&s;h &s;ome that looked on him could &s;ee neither <HI>form nor comeline&s;s in him</HI> wherefore he &s;hould be de&s;ired? Others &s;aw his Glory, <HI>the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.</HI> To &s;ome he is <HI>precious,</HI> unto others he is <HI>di&s;allowed and rejected;</HI> a &s;tone which the Builders refu&s;ed, when others brought it forth crying, <HI>Grace, Grace</HI> unto it, as the head of the corner. Some can &s;ee nothing but weakne&s;s in him; unto others the Wi&s;dom and Power of God do evidently &s;hine forth in him. Wherefore it mu&s;t be &s;aid, that notwith&s;tanding that open plain Repre&s;entation that is made of him in the Scripture, unle&s;s the Holy Spirit gives us Eyes to di&s;cern it, and cir|cumci&s;e our hearts, by the cutting off corrupt prejudices,
<PB N="199" REF="126">and all effects of unbelief, implanting in them by the efficacy of his Grace this ble&s;&s;ed Affection of Love unto him, all the&s;e things will make no impre&s;&s;ion on our minds.</P>
<P>As it was with the people on the <HI>giving of the Law;</HI> not|with&s;tanding all the great and mighty works which God had wrought among them, yet having not given them <HI>a heart to perceive, and eyes to &s;ee, and ears to hear,</HI> which he affirms that he had not done, <HI>Deut.</HI> 29.4, they were not moved unto Faith or Obedience by them. So is it in the Preaching of the Go&s;pel. Notwith&s;tanding all the ble&s;&s;ed Revelation that is made of the Excellencies of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t therein, yet tho&s;e into who&s;e hearts God doth not &s;hine to give the knowledge of his Glory in his face, can di&s;|cern nothing of it, nor are their hearts affected with it.</P>
<P>We do not therefore in the&s;e things <HI>follow cunningly de|vi&s;ed fables:</HI> We do not indulge unto our own fancies and imaginations; they are not <HI>unaccountable raptures</HI> or <HI>exta&s;ies</HI> which are pretended unto; nor &s;uch an artificial concatena|tion of thoughts, as &s;ome ignorant of the&s;e things do boa&s;t that they can give an account of: Our Love to Chri&s;t ari&s;eth alone from the Revelation that is made of him in the Scrip|ture, is ingenerated, regulated, mea&s;ured, and is to be judg|ed thereby.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="200" REF="127">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Motives unto the Love of Chri&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE <HI>Motives</HI> unto this Love of Chri&s;t, is the la&s;t thing on this Head of our <HI>Religious Re&s;pect</HI> unto him, that I &s;hall &s;peak unto.</P>
<P>When God required of the Church the fir&s;t and highe&s;t Act of Religion, the &s;ole Foundation of all others, namely, to <HI>take him as their God,</HI> to own, believe and tru&s;t in him alone as &s;uch, which is wholly due unto him for what he is, without any other con&s;ideration whatever; yet he thought meet to add a <HI>Motive</HI> unto the performance of that Duty from what he had done for them, <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.1, 2. The &s;en&s;e of the fir&s;t Command is, that we &s;hould take him alone for our God; for he is &s;o, and there is no other. But in the pre&s;cription of this Duty unto the Church, he minds them of the Benefits which they had received from him, in <HI>bring|ing them out of the hou&s;e of bondage.</HI></P>
<P>God in his Wi&s;dom and Grace ordereth all the Cau&s;es and Rea&s;ons of our Duty, &s;o as that all the rational powers and faculties of our &s;ouls may be exerci&s;ed therein. Wherefore he doth not only <HI>propo&s;e him&s;elf</HI> unto us, nor is Chri&s;t meer|ly propo&s;ed unto us as the proper Object of our Affections, but he calls us al&s;o unto the con&s;ideration of all tho&s;e things that may &s;atisfie our &s;ouls that it is the mo&s;t ju&s;t, nece&s;&s;ary, rea&s;onable and advantagious cour&s;e for us &s;o to fix our Af|fections on him.</P>
<P>And the&s;e Con&s;iderations are taken from all that he did for us, with the Rea&s;ons and Grounds why he did it. We love him principally and <HI>ultimately</HI> for what he <HI>is;</HI> but nextly
<PB N="201" REF="127">and immediately for what he <HI>did.</HI> What he did for us, is fir&s;t propo&s;ed unto us, and it is that which our &s;ouls are fir&s;t affected withal. For they are originally acted in all things by a &s;en&s;e of the <HI>Want</HI> which they have, and a de&s;ire of the <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> which they have not. This directs them unto what he hath done for &s;inners. But that leads imme|diately unto the confideration of what he is in him&s;elf. And when our Love is fixed on him, or his Per&s;on, then all tho&s;e things wherewith from a &s;en&s;e of our own wants and de&s;ires we were fir&s;t affected, become <HI>Motives</HI> unto the con|firming and encrea&s;ing of that Love. This is the con&s;tant method of the Scripture; it fir&s;t propo&s;eth unto us what the Lord Chri&s;t hath done for us, e&s;pecially in the di&s;charge of his <HI>Sacerdotal Office,</HI> in his Oblation and Interce&s;&s;ion, with the Benefits which we receive thereby. Hereby it leads us unto his Per&s;on, and pre&s;&s;eth the con&s;ideration of all other things to ingage our Love unto him. See <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. with <HI>chap.</HI> 3.8, 9, 10, 11.</P>
<P><HI>Motives</HI> unto the Love of Chri&s;t are &s;o great, &s;o many, &s;o diffu&s;ed through the whole Di&s;pen&s;ation of God in him unto us, as that they can by no hand be fully expre&s;&s;ed, let it be allowed never &s;o much to inlarge in the Declaration of them; much le&s;s can they be repre&s;ented in that &s;hort Di&s;|cour&s;e whereof but a very &s;mall part is allotted unto their con&s;ideration, &s;uch as ours is at pre&s;ent. The &s;tudying, the collection of them, or &s;o many of them as we are able, the meditation on them, and improvement of them, is among the principal <HI>Duties</HI> of our whole lives. What I &s;hall offer is the reduction of them unto the&s;e two heads: (1.) The <HI>Acts of Chri&s;t,</HI> which is the &s;ub&s;tance of them: And (2.) The <HI>Spring and Fountain</HI> of tho&s;e Acts which is the Life of them.</P>
<P N="1">1. In general they are all the Acts of his <HI>Mediatory Office,</HI>
<PB N="202" REF="128">with all the fruits of them whereof we are made partakers. There is not any thing that he <HI>did</HI> or <HI>doth</HI> in the di&s;charge of his Mediatory Office, from the fir&s;t &s;u&s;ception of it in his Incarnation in the womb of the Ble&s;&s;ed Virgin, unto his pre&s;ent Interce&s;&s;ion in Heaven, but is an effectual <HI>Motive</HI> un|to the Love of him, and as &s;uch is propo&s;ed unto us in the Scripture. Whatever he did or doth with or towards us in the Name of God, as the King and Prophet of the Church, whatever he did or doth with God for us as our High Prie&s;t, it all &s;peaks this language in the hearts of them that believe; <HI>O love the Lord Je&s;us in &s;incerity.</HI></P>
<P>The con&s;ideration of what Chri&s;t thus did and doth for us, is in&s;eparable from that of the Benefits which we receive thereby. A due mixture of both the&s;e, of what he did for us, and what we obtain thereby, comprizeth the &s;ub&s;tance of the&s;e Motives. <HI>Who loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me. Who loved us, and wa&s;hed us in his own blood, and made us Kings and Prie&s;ts unto God. For thou wa&s;t &s;lain, and ha&s;t bought us unto God with thy blood.</HI> And both the&s;e are of a tran&s;cendant nature, requiring our Love to be &s;o al&s;o. Who is able to comprehend the Glory of the Mediatory Actings of the Son of God, in the A&s;&s;umption of our Nature, in what he did and &s;uffered therein? And for us, Eye hath not &s;een, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive, what we receive thereby. The lea&s;t benefit, and that ob|tained by the lea&s;t expence of trouble or charge, de&s;erveth Love, and leaveth the brand of a crime, where it is not &s;o en|tertained. What then do the greate&s;t de&s;erve, and tho&s;e pro|cured by the greate&s;t expence; even the price of the blood of the Son of God.</P>
<P>If we have any Faith concerning the&s;e things, it will pro|duce <HI>Love,</HI> as that Love will obedience. Whatever we pro|fe&s;s concerning them, it &s;prings from <HI>Tradition</HI> and <HI>Opinion,</HI>
<PB N="203" REF="128">and not from Faith, if it ingage not our &s;ouls into the Love of him. The frame of heart which en&s;ues on the real Faith of the&s;e things, is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 103.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. <HI>Ble&s;s the Lord, O my &s;oul, and all that is within me, ble&s;s his holy name. Ble&s;s the Lord, O my &s;oul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy di&s;ea&s;es. Who redeemeth thy life from de&s;truction; who crowneth thee with loving kindne&s;s and tender mer|cies, who &s;atisfieth thy mouth with good things; &s;o that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles.</HI> Let men pretend what they will, there needs no greater, no other evidence, to prove that any one doth not really believe the things that are re|ported in the Go&s;pel concerning the Mediatory Actings of Chri&s;t, or that he hath no experience in his own &s;oul and con&s;cience of the Fruits and Effects of them, than this, that his heart is not ingaged by them unto the mo&s;t <HI>ardent Love towards his Per&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>He is no Chri&s;tian who lives not much in the meditation of the <HI>Mediation of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the e&s;pecial Acts of it. Some may more abound in that work then others, as it is fixed, formed and regular. Some may be more able than others to di&s;po&s;e their thoughts concerning them, into Method and Order. Some may be more diligent than others in the ob&s;ervation of times for the &s;olemn Performance of this Duty. Some may be able to ri&s;e to higher and clearer apprehen&s;ions of them than others. But as for tho&s;e, the bent of who&s;e minds doth not lye towards thoughts of them, who&s;e hearts are not on all <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> retreating unto the Remembrance of them, who embrace not all opportunities to call them over as they are able; on what grounds can they be e&s;teemed <HI>Chri&s;tians?</HI> How do they live by the Faith of the Son of God? are the <HI>great things of the Go&s;pel,</HI> of the Mediation of Chri&s;t, propo|&s;ed unto us, as tho&s;e which we may think of when we have
<PB N="204" REF="129">nothing el&s;e to do, that we may meditate upon, or neglect at our plea&s;ure, as tho&s;e wherein our concernment is &s;o &s;mall, as that they mu&s;t give place unto all other occa&s;ions or diver|&s;ions whatever? Nay! if our minds are not filled with the&s;e things; if Chri&s;t doth not <HI>dwell plentifully in our hearts by Faith;</HI> if our &s;ouls are not po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with them, and in their whole inward frame and con&s;titution &s;o ca&s;t into this mould, as to be lead by a natural complacency unto a conver&s;e with them, we are &s;trangers unto the Life of Faith. And if we are thus conver&s;ant about the&s;e things, they will ingage our Hearts into the <HI>Love of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</HI> To &s;uppo&s;e the contrary, is indeed to deny the Truth and reality of them all, and to turn the Go&s;pel into a Fable.</P>
<P>Take one In&s;tance from among the re&s;t; namely, his <HI>Death,</HI> Hath he the heart of a Chri&s;tian, who doth not often medi|tate on the Death of his Saviour, who doth not derive his life from it? Who can look into the Go&s;pel and not fix on tho&s;e lines which either immediately and directly, or through &s;ome other paths of Divine Grace and Wi&s;dom, do lead him there|unto? And can any have believing thoughts concerning the Death of Chri&s;t, and not have his heart affected with <HI>ardent Love</HI> unto his Per&s;on? Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel <HI>is evidently &s;et forth, crucified before us.</HI> Can any by the eye of Faith look on this bleeding dying Redeemer, and &s;uppo&s;e Love unto his Per&s;on to be nothing but the work of Fancy or Imagination? They know the contrary, who alwaies bear about in the body, <HI>the dying of the Lord Je&s;us;</HI> as the Apo&s;tles &s;peaks, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.10. As his whole name, in all that he did, is an <HI>Ointment poured forth,</HI> for which <HI>the Virgins love him, Cant.</HI> 1.3. So this precious perfume of his Death, is that where|with their hearts are ravi&s;hed in a peculiar manner.</P>
<P>Again; As there can be no Faith in Chri&s;t, where there is no <HI>Love</HI> unto him, on the account of his Mediatory Acts; &s;o
<PB N="205" REF="129">where it is not, the want of it ca&s;teth Per&s;ons under the highe&s;t guilt of <HI>Ingratitude</HI> that our nature is liable unto. The highe&s;t Aggravation of the &s;in of <HI>Angels,</HI> was their <HI>Ingrati|tude</HI> unto their Maker. For whereas by his meer Will and Plea&s;ure they were &s;tated in the highe&s;t Excellency, Prehemi|nence and Dignity, that he thought good to communicate unto any Creatures, or it may be, that any meer created Nature is capable of in it &s;elf; they were unthankful for what they had &s;o received from unde&s;erved goodne&s;s and bounty, and &s;o ca&s;t them&s;elves into everla&s;ting ruine. But yet the &s;ins of men in their <HI>Ingratitude</HI> towards Chri&s;t on the account of what he hath done for them, is attended with an <HI>Aggravation</HI> above that of the Angels. For al|though the Angels were originally in&s;tated in that condi|tion of Dignity which in this world we cannot attain un|to, yet were they not redeemed and recovered from mi&s;ery as we are.</P>
<P>In all the croud of evil and wicked men, that the world is pe&s;tred withal, there are none by common con&s;ent &s;o &s;tig|matized for unworthy villany, as tho&s;e who are <HI>&s;ignally</HI> un|grateful, for &s;ingular benefits. If per&s;ons are unthankful <HI>un|to</HI> them, if they have not the highe&s;t <HI>Love for them,</HI> who re|deem them from Ignominy and Death, and en&s;tate them in a plentiful Inheritance (if any &s;uch in&s;tances may be given) and that with the greate&s;t expence of Labour and Charge; man|kind without any regret, doth tacitly condemn them unto greater mi&s;eries than tho&s;e which they were delivered from. What then will be the condition of them, who&s;e hearts are not &s;o affected with the Mediation of Chri&s;t, and the fruits of it, as to ingage the be&s;t, the choice&s;t of their Affections unto him? The Go&s;pel it &s;elf will <HI>be a &s;avour of Death</HI> unto &s;uch ungrateful wretches.</P>
<P N="2">2. That which the Scripture principally in&s;i&s;teth on as
<PB N="206" REF="130">the <HI>Motives</HI> of our Love unto Chri&s;t, is his <HI>Love unto us,</HI> which was the Principle of all his Mediatory Actings in our behalf.</P>
<P><HI>Love is</HI> that <HI>Jewel</HI> of Humane Nature which commands a valuation wherever it is found. Let other circum&s;tances be what they will, whatever di&s;tances between per&s;ons may be made by them, yet <HI>real Love</HI> where it is evidenced &s;o to be, is not de&s;pi&s;ed by any but &s;uch as degenerate into pro|fligate Brutality. If it be &s;o &s;tated as that it can produce no outward effects advantagious unto them that are beloved, yet it commands a re&s;pect as it were whether we will or no, and &s;ome return in its own kind. E&s;pecially it doth &s;o if it be altogether <HI>unde&s;erved,</HI> and &s;o evidenceth it &s;elf to pro|ceed from a goodne&s;s of Nature, and an inclination unto the good of them on whom it is fixed. For whereas the e&s;&s;en|tial Nature of Love con&s;i&s;teth in willing good unto them that are beloved; where the Act of the Will is real, &s;incere and con&s;tantly exerci&s;ed, without any defect of it on our part; no re&s;traints can po&s;&s;ibly be put upon our minds from going out in &s;ome <HI>Acts of Love</HI> again upon its account, unle&s;s all their faculties are utterly depraved, by habits of bruti&s;h and filthy lu&s;ts. But when this Love which is thus unde&s;erved, doth al&s;o abound in effects <HI>trouble&s;ome</HI> and <HI>chargeable</HI> in them in whom it is, and highly <HI>beneficial</HI> unto them on whom it is placed, if there be any &s;uch Affection left in the Nature of any man, it will prevail unto a reciprocal Love. And all the&s;e things are found in the Love of Chri&s;t unto that degree and height, as nothing parellel unto it can be found in the whole Creation. I &s;hall briefly &s;peak of it under two general Heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. The &s;ole Spring of all the Mediatory Actings of Chri&s;t, both in the &s;u&s;ception of our Nature, and in all that he did and &s;uffered therein, was his own <HI>meer Love and Grace</HI>
<PB N="207" REF="130">working by pitty and compa&s;&s;ion. It is true, he undertook this work principally with re&s;pect unto the Glory of God, and out of Love unto him. But with re&s;pect unto us, his <HI>only Motive</HI> unto it was his abundant overflowing Love. And this is e&s;pecially remembred unto us in that In&s;tance wherein it carried him through the greate&s;t difficulties, namely, in his <HI>Death</HI> and the Oblation of him&s;elf on our behalf, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.20. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.2, 25, 26. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.16. <HI>Revel.</HI> 1.5, 6. This alone enclined the Son of God to undertake the glorious work of our Redemption, and which carried him through the Death and Dread which he underwent in the ac|compli&s;hment of it.</P>
<P>Should I engage into the con&s;ideration of this <HI>Love of Chri&s;t,</HI> which was the great means of the conveying all the effects of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace unto the Church; that gla&s;s which God cho&s;e to repre&s;ent him&s;elf and all his good|ne&s;s in unto Believers; that Spirit of life in the wheelof all the motions of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in the Redemption of the Church unto the eternal Glory of God, his own and that of his redeemed al&s;o; that mirrour wherein the holy Angels and ble&s;&s;ed Saints &s;hall for ever contemplate the Divine Ex|cellencies in their &s;uitable Operations; I mu&s;t now begin a <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e</HI> much larger than that which I have pa&s;&s;ed through. But it is not &s;uited unto my pre&s;ent de&s;ign &s;o to do. Nor con&s;idering the growing Apprehen&s;ions of many about the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, which are utterly de&s;tructive of the whole nature of that <HI>Love</HI> which we a&s;cribe unto him, do I know how &s;oon a more di&s;tinct explication and defence of it may be called for. And this Cau&s;e will not be for&s;aken.</P>
<P>They know nothing of the Life and Power of the Go&s;pel, nothing of the reality of the Grace of God, nor do they be|lieve aright one <HI>Article of the Chri&s;tian Faith,</HI> who&s;e hearts are not &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>Love of Chri&s;t</HI> herein. Nor is he &s;en|&s;ible
<PB N="208" REF="131">of the <HI>Love of Chri&s;t,</HI> who&s;e Affections are not thereon drawn out unto him. I &s;ay, they make a <HI>Pageant</HI> of Reli|gion, a Fable for the Theatre of the world, a bu&s;ine&s;s of Fan|cy and Opinion, who&s;e hearts are not really affected with the Love of Chri&s;t, in the &s;u&s;ception and di&s;charge of the work of Mediation, &s;o as to have real and &s;piritually &s;en&s;ible Affections for him. Men may <HI>babble</HI> things which they have learnt by rote, they have no real <HI>Acquaintance</HI> with Chri&s;tianity, who imagine that the placing of the mo&s;t in|ten&s;e Affections of our &s;ouls on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, the lo|ving him with all our hearts becau&s;e of his Love, our being overcome thereby, until we are <HI>&s;ick of Love,</HI> the con&s;tant motions of our &s;ouls towards him with delight and adherence, are but <HI>fancies and imaginations.</HI> I <HI>renounce that Religion,</HI> be it who&s;e it will, that teacheth, in&s;inuateth, or giveth countenance unto &s;uch Abominations. That Doctrine is as di&s;crepant from the Go&s;pel as the <HI>Alcoran,</HI> as contrary to the experience of Believers, as what is acted in and by the <HI>De|vils,</HI> which in&s;tructs men unto a contempt of the mo&s;t fer|vent Love unto Chri&s;t, or ca&s;ts reflections upon it. I had rather chu&s;e my eternal lot and portion with the <HI>meane&s;t Be|liever,</HI> who being effectually &s;en&s;ible of the Love of Chri&s;t, &s;pends his daies in mourning that he can <HI>love him no more</HI> than he finds him&s;elf on his utmo&s;t endeavours for the di&s;|charge of his Duty to do, than with the be&s;t of them, who&s;e vain &s;peculations, and a fal&s;e pretence of Rea&s;on, puff them up unto a contempt of the&s;e things.</P>
<P N="2">2 This Love of Chri&s;t unto the Church, is <HI>&s;ingular</HI> in all tho&s;e qualifications which render Love obliging unto reci|procal Affections. It is &s;o in its <HI>Reality.</HI> There can be no Love among&s;t men, but will derive &s;omething from that di&s;order which is in their Affections, in their highe&s;t Actings. But the Love of Chri&s;t is <HI>pure</HI> and ab&s;olutely <HI>free</HI> from any
<PB N="209" REF="131">allay. There cannot be the lea&s;t &s;u&s;pition of any thing of <HI>&s;elf</HI> in it. And it is ab&s;olutely <HI>unde&s;erved.</HI> Nothing can be found among&s;t men that can repre&s;ent or exemplifie its free|dom from any de&s;ert on our part. The mo&s;t candid and in|genious Love among&s;t us, is when we love another for his worth, excellency and u&s;efulne&s;s, though we have no <HI>&s;ingu|lar Benefit</HI> of them our &s;elves. But not the lea&s;t of any of the&s;e things were found in them on whom he &s;et his <HI>Love,</HI> until they were wrought in them, as effects of that Love which he &s;et upon them.</P>
<P>Men &s;ometimes may ri&s;e up unto &s;uch an high degree and in&s;tance in Love, as that they will <HI>even die for one another.</HI> But then it mu&s;t be on a &s;uperlative e&s;teem which they have of their worth and merit. It may be, &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, treat|ing of the Love of Chri&s;t, and of God in him, <HI>that for a good man even one would dare to dye, Rom.</HI> 5.7. It mu&s;t be for a <HI>good</HI> man, one who is ju&s;tly e&s;teemed <HI>commune bonum,</HI> a publick good to mankind; one who&s;e Benignity is ready to exerci&s;e loving kindne&s;s on all occa&s;ions, which is the e&s;tate of a good man; peradventure &s;ome would <HI>even dare to dye</HI> for &s;uch a man. This is the height of what Love among men can ari&s;e unto; and if it hath been in&s;tanced in any, it hath been accompanied with an open mixture of <HI>vain glory,</HI> and de&s;ire of renown But the Lord Chri&s;t placed his Love <HI>on us,</HI> that Love from whence he died for us, when we <HI>were &s;inners and ungodly;</HI> that is, every thing which might render us unamiable and unde&s;erving. Though we were as <HI>deformed</HI> as &s;in could render us, and more deeply <HI>indebted</HI> than the whole Creation could pay or an&s;wer, yet did he fix his Love upon us, to free us from that condition, and to ren|der us meet for the mo&s;t intimate &s;ociety with him&s;elf. Ne|ver was there Love which had &s;uch effects, which co&s;t him &s;o dear in whom it was, and proved &s;o advantagious unto
<PB N="210" REF="132">them on whom it was placed. In the pur&s;uit of it he under|went <HI>every thing that is evil</HI> in his own Per&s;on, and we receive <HI>every thing that is good</HI> in the favour of God, and eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s.</P>
<P>On the account of the&s;e things, the Apo&s;tle a&s;cribeth a <HI>con&s;training Power</HI> unto the Love of Chri&s;t, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.14. And if it con&s;traineth us unto any return unto him, it doth &s;o un|to that of Love in the fir&s;t place. For no &s;uitable return can be made for Love but Love, at lea&s;t not without it. As Love cannot be purcha&s;ed, <HI>for if a man would give all the &s;ub&s;tance of his hou&s;e for Love, it would utterly be contemned, Cant.</HI> 8.7. &s;o if a man would give all the world for a requital of Love, without Love, it would be de&s;pi&s;ed. To fancy that all the Love of Chri&s;t unto us, con&s;i&s;ts in the <HI>precepts</HI> and promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, and all our Love unto him, in the <HI>ob&s;ervance of his commands,</HI> without a real Love in him unto our Per|&s;ons like that of a <HI>Husband unto a Wife, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.25.26. or an holy affection in our hearts and minds unto his Per&s;on, is to overthrow the whole Power of Religion, to de&s;poil it of its Life and Soul, leaving nothing but the carka&s;s of it.</P>
<P>This Love unto Chri&s;t, and unto God in him, becau&s;e of his Love unto us, is the principal in&s;tance of <HI>Divine Love,</HI> the Touch&s;tone of its reality and &s;incerity. Whatever men may boa&s;t of their affectionate endearments unto the <HI>Di|vine Goodne&s;s,</HI> if it be not founded in a &s;en&s;e of this Love of Chri&s;t and the Love of God in him, they are but <HI>empty noti|ons</HI> they flouri&s;h withal, and their deceived hearts feed upon a&s;hes. It is in Chri&s;t alone that God is declared to be <HI>Love,</HI> without an apprehen&s;ion whereof, none can <HI>love him</HI> as they ought. In him alone, that infinite Goodne&s;s which is the pecu|liar Object of Divine Love, is truly repre&s;ented unto us, without any &s;uch deceiving <HI>Phanta&s;ms,</HI> as the workings of fancy, or depravation of Rea&s;on may impo&s;e upon us. And on
<PB N="211" REF="132">him doth the &s;aving Communication of all the effects of it de|pend. And an infinite conde&s;cen&s;ion is it in the Holy God, &s;o to expre&s;s his <HI>Glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> or to propo&s;e him&s;elf as the Object of our Love in and through him. For con&s;idering our weakne&s;s, as to an immediate comprehen&s;ion of the infinite excellencies of the Divine Nature, or to beare the rays of his re&s;plendent Glory, &s;eeing none can &s;ee <HI>his face and live,</HI> it is the mo&s;t adorable effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace, that we are admitted unto the contemplation of them, in the Per&s;on of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>There is yet farther evidence to be given unto this Love unto the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, from all tho&s;e <HI>ble&s;&s;ed effects</HI> of it which are declared in the Scripture, and whereof Believers have the experience in them&s;elves. But &s;omething I have &s;poken concerning them formerly in my di&s;cour&s;e about <HI>Com|munion with God;</HI> and the nature of the pre&s;ent de&s;ign, will not admit of enlargement upon them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="212" REF="133">
<HEAD>CHAP. XV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Conformity unto Chri&s;t, and following his Example.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE third thing propo&s;ed to declare <HI>the u&s;e of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Religion,</HI> is that <HI>Conformity</HI> which is requi|red of us unto him. This is the great de&s;ign and projection of all Believers. Every one of them hath the <HI>Idaea</HI> or <HI>Image</HI> of Chri&s;t in his mind; in the Eye of Faith, as it is repre&s;ented unto him in the Gla&s;s of the Go&s;pel. <GAP DESC="foreign">, 2 <HI>Cor. cap.</HI> 3. <HI>v.</HI> 18. <HI>We behold his Glory in a Gla&s;s,</HI> which implants the Image of it on our minds. And hereby the mind is <HI>transformed into the &s;ame Image,</HI> made like unto Chri&s;t &s;o repre&s;ented unto us, which is the confor|mity we &s;peak of. Hence every true Believer hath his heart under the conduct of an <HI>habitual Inclination</HI> and de&s;ire to be like unto Chri&s;t. And it were ea&s;y to demon&s;trate that where this is not, there is neither Faith nor Love. Faith will ca&s;t the &s;oul into the <HI>form or frame of the thing believed, Rom.</HI> 6.17. And all &s;incere Love worketh an A&s;&s;imulation. Wherefore the be&s;t evidence of a real Principle of the Life of God in any &s;oul, of the &s;incerity of Faith, Love and Obedience, is an in|ternal cordial endeavour, operative on all occa&s;ions, after <HI>conformity</HI> unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>There are two parts of the Duty propo&s;ed. The fir&s;t re&s;pects the <HI>internal Grace and Holine&s;s</HI> of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t; The other his <HI>example in Duties of Obedience.</HI> And both of them, both <HI>materially,</HI> as to the things wherein they con&s;i&s;t, and <HI>formally,</HI> as they were his, or in him, belong un|to the con&s;titution of a true Di&s;ciple.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Internal Conformity unto his habitual Grace and Holi|ne&s;s,</HI>
<PB N="213" REF="133">is the fundamental de&s;ign of a Chri&s;tian Life. That which is the be&s;t without it, is a pretended Imitation of his Example in outward Duties of Obedience. I call it <HI>pretend|ed,</HI> becau&s;e where the fir&s;t de&s;ign is wanting, it is no more but &s;o; nor is it acceptable to Chri&s;t, nor approved by him. And therefore an attempt unto that end hath often i&s;&s;ued in formality hypocri&s;ie and &s;uper&s;tition. I &s;hall therefore lay down the grounds of this de&s;ign, the nature of it, and the means of its pur&s;uit.</P>
<P>God, in the <HI>Humane Nature</HI> of Chri&s;t did perfectly renew that ble&s;&s;ed Image of his on our Nature, which we lo&s;t in <HI>Adam,</HI> with an addition of many glorious endowments which <HI>Adam</HI> was not made partaker of God did not re|new it in his Nature, as though that portion of it whereof he was partaker, had ever been de&s;titute or deprived of it, as it is with the &s;ame Nature in all other per&s;ons. For he derived not his Nature from <HI>Adam</HI> in the &s;ame way that we do; nor was he ever in <HI>Adam</HI> as the publick Repre&s;entative of our Nature as we were. But our Nature in him had the Image of God implanted in it, which was lo&s;t and &s;eparated from the &s;ame Nature, in all other in&s;tances of its &s;ub&s;i&s;tence. It plea&s;ed the Father that in him <HI>all fulne&s;s &s;hould dwell,</HI> that he &s;hould be <HI>full of Grace and Truth,</HI> and in all things have the preheminence. But of the&s;e gracious endowments of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, I have di&s;cour&s;ed el&s;ewhere.</P>
<P N="2">2. One end of God in <HI>filling the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t with all Grace.</HI> in implanting his glorious Image upon it, was that he might in him propo&s;e an <HI>Example</HI> of what he would by the &s;ame <HI>Grace</HI> renew us unto, and what we ought in a way of <HI>Duty</HI> to labour after. The fulne&s;s of Grace was ne|ce&s;&s;ary unto the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, from its <HI>Hypo|&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> with the Son of God. For whereas therein the <HI>fulne&s;s of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily,</HI> it became
<PB N="214" REF="134"><GAP DESC="foreign">, an <HI>holy thing, Luke</HI> 1.35. It was al&s;o nece&s;&s;ary unto him, as unto his <HI>own Obedience</HI> in the fle&s;h, wherein he ful|filled all Righteou&s;ne&s;s, did no &s;in, <HI>neither was guile found in his mouth,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.22. And it was &s;o unto the di&s;charge of the Office he undertook: For <HI>&s;uch an High Prie&s;t became us, who was holy, harmle&s;s, undefiled, and &s;eparate from &s;inners, Heb.</HI> 7.26. Howbeit the infinite Wi&s;dom of God had this far|ther de&s;ign in it al&s;o, namely, that he might be the <HI>Pattern</HI> and <HI>Example</HI> of the Renovation of the Image of God in us, and of the Glory that doth en&s;ue thereon. He is in the Eye of God as the <HI>Idaea</HI> of what he intends in us, in the commu|nication of Grace and Glory; and he ought to be &s;o in ours as unto all that we aim at in a way of Duty.</P>
<P>He hath <HI>prede&s;tinated us to be conformed unto the Image of his Son, that he might be the fir&s;t-born among many Brethren, Rom.</HI> 8.30. In the collation of all Grace on Chri&s;t, God de|&s;igned to make <HI>him the fir&s;t-born of many Brethren;</HI> that is, not only to give him the Power and Authority of the fir&s;t|born, with the Tru&s;t of the whole Inheritance to be commu|nicated unto them, but al&s;o as the <HI>Example</HI> of what he would bring them unto. <HI>For both he that &s;anctifieth, and they that are &s;anctified are all of one, for which cau&s;e he is not a&s;hamed to call them Brethren, Heb.</HI> 2.11. It is Chri&s;t who &s;anctifieth Believers; yet is it from God, who fir&s;t &s;anctified him, that he and they might be <HI>of one,</HI> and &s;o become <HI>Brethren,</HI> as bearing the Image of the &s;ame Father. God de&s;igned and gave unto Chri&s;t <HI>Grace and Glory;</HI> and he did it that he might be the <HI>Prototype</HI> of what he de&s;igned unto us, and would be&s;tow upon us. Hence the Apo&s;tle &s;hews that the effect of this <HI>Prede&s;tination</HI> to conformity unto the Image of the Son, is the communication of all effectual &s;aving Grace, with the Glory that en&s;ues thereon. <HI>Ver.</HI> 30. <HI>Moreover whom he did prede&s;tinate, them he al&s;o called; and whom he called,
<PB N="215" REF="134">them he al&s;o ju&s;tified; and whom he ju&s;tified, them he al&s;o glorified.</HI></P>
<P>The great de&s;ign of God in his Grace is, that as we have born the <HI>Image of the fir&s;t Adam,</HI> in the Depravation of our Natures, &s;o we &s;hould bear the <HI>Image of the &s;econd</HI> in their Renovation. As we have born <HI>the Image of the Earthy,</HI> &s;o we &s;hall bear <HI>the Image of the Heavenly,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.49. And as he is the Pattern of all our Graces, &s;o he is of <HI>Glory</HI> al&s;o. All our Glory will con&s;i&s;t in our being <HI>made like unto him,</HI> which what it is, doth not as yet <HI>appear,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.2. For <HI>he &s;hall change even our vile body, that it may be fa&s;hioned like unto his glorious body, Phil.</HI> 3.21. Wherefore the fulne&s;s of Grace was be&s;towed on the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, and the Image of God gloriou&s;ly implanted thereon, that it might be the <HI>Prototype</HI> and Example of what the Church was through him to be made partaker of. That which God in|tends for us, in the internal Communication of his Grace, and in the u&s;e of all the Ordinances of the Church, is, that we may come unto the <HI>mea&s;ure of the &s;tature of the fulne&s;s which is in Chri&s;t, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.13. There is a fulne&s;s of all Grace in Chri&s;t. Hereunto are we to be brought according to the <HI>mea&s;ure</HI> that is de&s;igned unto every one of us. <HI>For unto every one of us is given Grace according to the mea&s;ure of the Gift of Chri&s;t, ver.</HI> 7. He hath in his &s;overaign Grace a&s;&s;igned dif|ferent mea&s;ures unto tho&s;e on whom he doth be&s;tow it. And therefore it is called <HI>the &s;tature,</HI> becau&s;e as we grow <HI>gra|dually</HI> unto it, as men do unto their ju&s;t &s;tature; &s;o there is a <HI>variety</HI> in what we attain unto, as there is in the &s;ta|tures of men, who are yet all perfect in their proportion.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>This Image of God in Chri&s;t</HI> is repre&s;ented unto us in the Go&s;pel. Being lo&s;t from our Nature, it was utterly impo&s;&s;i|ble we &s;hould have any ju&s;t comprehen&s;ion of it. There could be no <HI>&s;teady Notion of the Image of God,</HI> until it was
<PB N="216" REF="135">renewed and exemplified in the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t. And thereon, without the knowledge of him, the wi&s;e&s;t of men have taken tho&s;e things to render men mo&s;t like unto God which were <HI>adver&s;e</HI> unto him. Such were the mo&s;t of tho&s;e things which the Heathens adored as <HI>Heroick Vertues.</HI> But being perfectly exemplified in Chri&s;t, it is now plainly repre&s;ented unto us in the Go&s;pel. Therein <HI>with open face we behold as in a Gla&s;s the Glory of the Lord, and are changed into the &s;ame Image,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. The <HI>Vail</HI> being taken away from Divine Revelations by the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, and from our hearts <HI>by the Lord the Spirit,</HI> we behold the Image of God in Chri&s;t with open face, which is the principal means of our being transformed into it. The Go&s;pel is the Decla|ration of Chri&s;t unto us, and the Glory of God in him, as unto many other ends, &s;o in e&s;pecial, that we might in him <HI>be|hold and contemplate that Image of God</HI> we are gradually to be renewed into. Hence we are &s;o therein to <HI>learn the Truth as it is in Je&s;us, as to be renewed in the &s;pirit of our minds, and to put on that new man which after God is created in righ|teou&s;ne&s;s and true holine&s;s, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.20, 23, 24. that is, that is <HI>renewed after the Image of him who created him, Col.</HI> 3.10.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is therefore evident, that the <HI>Life of God</HI> in us con|&s;i&s;ts in <HI>conformity unto Chri&s;t;</HI> nor is the Holy Spirit as the principal and efficient cau&s;e of it given unto us for any other end, but to <HI>unite us</HI> unto him, and make <HI>us like him.</HI> Where|fore the original Go&s;pel Duty which animates and rectifies all others, is a de&s;ign for <HI>conformity</HI> unto Chri&s;t in all the gracious principles and qualifications of his holy &s;oul, where|in the <HI>Image of God</HI> in him doth con&s;i&s;t. As he is the <HI>Proto|type</HI> and Exemplar in the Eye of God for the communication of all Grace unto us; &s;o he ought to be the great <HI>Example</HI> in the Eye of our Faith in all our Obedience unto God, in our compliance with all that he requireth of us.</P>
<PB N="217" REF="135">
<P>God him&s;elf or the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> in its holy Perfections, is the <HI>&V;ltimate Object and Idaea</HI> of our Transformation in the renewing of our minds. And therefore under the Old Te&s;ta|ment before the Incarnation of the Son, he propo&s;ed his own holine&s;s immediately as the pattern of the Church. <HI>Be ye Holy, for the Lord your God is Holy, Lev.</HI> 11.44. <HI>Chap.</HI> 19.2. <HI>Chap.</HI> 20.5. But the <HI>Law made nothing perfect.</HI> For to compleat this great Injunction, there was yet wanting an <HI>expre&s;s Example</HI> of the Holine&s;s required, which is not given us but in him, who is the <HI>fir&s;t born, the Image of the invi&s;ible God.</HI></P>
<P>There was a Notion even among the <HI>Philo&s;ophers,</HI> that the principal endeavour of a wi&s;e man was <HI>to be like unto God.</HI> But in the improvement of it the be&s;t of them fell into fooli&s;h and proud Imaginations. Howbeit the Notion it &s;elf, was the principal beam of our <HI>primigenial Light,</HI> the be&s;t relique of our natural Perfections. And tho&s;e who are not &s;ome way under the power of a de&s;ign to <HI>be like unto God,</HI> are every way like unto the Devil. But tho&s;e Per&s;ons who had nothing but the ab&s;olute e&s;&s;ential Properties of the Divine Nature to contemplate on in the Light of Rea&s;on, failed all of them both in the Notion it &s;elf of Conformity unto God, and e&s;pe|cially in the practical improvement of it. Whatever men may fancy to the contrary, it is the de&s;ign of the Apo&s;tle in &s;un|dry places of his writings to prove that they did &s;o, e&s;peci|ally, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. Wherefore it was an infinite Con|de&s;cen&s;ion of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace gloriou&s;ly to implant that <HI>Image</HI> of his which we are to endeavour <HI>Conformity</HI> unto, on the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, and then &s;o fully to repre&s;ent and propo&s;e it unto us in the Revelation of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>The <HI>infinite Perfections</HI> of God con&s;idered <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> in them&s;elves, are accompanied with &s;uch an incomprehen&s;ible
<PB N="218" REF="136">Glory, as is hard to conceive how they are the Object of our imitation. But the <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> that is made of them in Chri&s;t, as the Image of the Invi&s;ible God, is &s;o &s;uited to the renewed faculties of our &s;ouls, &s;o <HI>congenial</HI> unto the new Creature, or the gracious Principle of Spiritual Life in us, that the mind can dwell on the contemplation of them, and be thereby transformed into the &s;ame Image.</P>
<P>Herein lyes much of the Life and Power of <HI>Chri&s;tian Re|ligion,</HI> as it re&s;ides in the &s;ouls of men. This is the prevail|ing de&s;ign of the minds of them that truly believe the Go&s;|pel; they would in all things be like unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And I &s;hall briefly &s;hew (1.) <HI>What is</HI> required hereunto: And (2.) What is to be done in a way of <HI>Duty</HI> for the attaining that End.</P>
<P N="1">1. A <HI>Spiritual Light</HI> to di&s;cern the Beauty, Glory and Amiablene&s;s of Grace in Chri&s;t, is required hereunto. We can have no real de&s;ign of conformity unto him, unle&s;s we have their eyes, who <HI>&s;aw his Glory, the Glory of the only be|gotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, John</HI> 1.14. Nor is it enough that we &s;eem to di&s;cern the Glory of his Per&s;on, unle&s;s we &s;ee a <HI>Beauty and Excellency</HI> in every Grace that is in him. <HI>Learn of me,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matth.</HI> 11.29. If we are not able to di&s;cern an Excel|lency in <HI>Meekne&s;s and Lowline&s;s of heart,</HI> (as they are things generally de&s;pi&s;ed) how &s;hall we &s;incerely endeavour after conformity unto Chri&s;t in them? The like may be &s;aid of all other his gracious Qualifications. His Zeal, his Patience, his Self-denial, his Readine&s;s for the Cro&s;s, his Love unto his Enemies, his Benignity to all Mankind, his Faith and Fer|vency in Prayer, his Love to God, his Compa&s;&s;ion towards the &s;ouls of men, his Unweariedne&s;s in doing good, his Purity, his univer&s;al Holine&s;s; unle&s;s we have a <HI>Spiritual Light</HI> to di&s;cern the Glory and Amiablene&s;s of them all as
<PB N="219" REF="136">they were in him, we &s;peak in vain of any de&s;ign for <HI>Con|formity</HI> unto him. And this we have not, unle&s;s God <HI>&s;hine into our hearts</HI> to give us the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. It is, I &s;ay, a fooli&s;h thing to talk of the <HI>Imitation of Chri&s;t,</HI> whil&s;t really through the darkne&s;s of our minds we di&s;cern not that there is an Excellency in the things wherein we ought to be like unto him.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Love unto them &s;o di&s;covered in a beam of heavenly Light,</HI> is required unto the &s;ame end. No &s;oul can have a de&s;ign of <HI>Conformity</HI> unto Chri&s;t, but his, who &s;o likes and loves the Graces that were in him, as to e&s;teem a participation of them in their Power, to be the greate&s;t advantage, to be the mo&s;t invaluable priviledge that can in this world be attained. It is the <HI>&s;avour of his good Ointments for which the Virgins love him,</HI> cleave unto him, and endeavour to be like him. In that whereof we now di&s;cour&s;e, namely, of Conformity unto him, he is the Repre&s;entative of the Image of God unto us. And if we do not love and prize above all things tho&s;e gracious qualifications and di&s;po&s;itions of mind wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t, whatever we may pretend of the <HI>Imitation of Chri&s;t</HI> in any outward Acts or Duties of Obedience, we have no de&s;ign of Conformity unto him. He who &s;ees and admires the Glory of Chri&s;t as filled with the&s;e Graces, as he <HI>was fairer than the children of men,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Grace was poured into his lips,</HI> unto whom nothing is &s;o de&s;irable, as to have the &s;ame mind, the &s;ame heart, the &s;ame &s;pirit that was in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, he is prepared to pre&s;s after <HI>Conformity</HI> unto him. And unto &s;uch a &s;oul the Repre&s;entation of all the&s;e Excellencies in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, is the great incentive, motive and guide, in and unto all internal Obedience unto God.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, That wherein we are to labour for this Conformity may be reduced unto two Heads.</P>
<PB N="220" REF="137">
<P N="1">1. <HI>An Oppo&s;ition unto all &s;in,</HI> in the root, principle and mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;prings of it, or original cleavings unto our Na|ture. <HI>He did no &s;in,</HI> neither was there any guile found in his mouth. <HI>He was Holy, Harmele&s;s,</HI> undefiled, &s;eparate from &s;inners. He was the Lamb of God <HI>without &s;pot or blem|i&s;h;</HI> like unto us, yet without &s;in. Not the lea&s;t tincture of &s;in did ever make an approach unto his Holy Nature. He was ab&s;olutely free from every drop of that <HI>fomes</HI> which hath invaded us in our depraved condition. Wherefore to be <HI>freed from all &s;in,</HI> is the fir&s;t general part of an endeavour for Con|formity unto Chri&s;t. And although we cannot perfectly at|tain hereunto in this life, as we have <HI>not already attained, nor are already perfect,</HI> yet he who groaneth not in him&s;elf after it, who doth not loath every thing that is of the remain|der of &s;in in him, and him&s;elf for it, who doth not labour after its ab&s;olute and univer&s;al extirpation, hath no &s;incere de&s;ign of <HI>Conformity</HI> unto Chri&s;t, nor can &s;o have. He who endeavours to be like him, mu&s;t <HI>purify him&s;elf, even as he is pure.</HI> Thoughts of the Purity of Chri&s;t, in his ab&s;olute freedom from the lea&s;t tincture of &s;in, will not &s;uffer a Belie|ver to be negligent at any time, for the endeavouring the ut|ter ruine of that which makes him unlike unto him. And it is a ble&s;&s;ed advantage unto Faith in the work of Mortifi|cation of &s;in, that we have &s;uch a pattern continually before us.</P>
<P N="2">2. The due <HI>Improvement of, and continual growth in every Grace,</HI> is the other general part of this duty. In the exer|ci&s;e of his own All-fulne&s;s of Grace, both in moral Duties of Obedience, and the e&s;pecial Duties of his Office, did the Glory of Chri&s;t on the Earth con&s;i&s;t. Wherefore to abound in the exerci&s;e of every Grace, to grow in the root, and thrive in the fruit of them, is to be conformed unto the Image of the Son of God.</P>
<PB N="221" REF="137">
<P>Secondly, The <HI>following the Example of Chri&s;t</HI> in all Du|ties towards God and men, in his whole conver&s;ation on the Earth, is the &s;econd part of the In&s;tance now given concerning the u&s;e of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Religion. The field is large which here lies before us, and filled with numberle&s;s ble&s;&s;ed In&s;tances: I cannot here enter into it; and the mi&s;takes that have been in a pretence unto it, requires that it &s;hould be handled di&s;tinctly and at large by it &s;elf, which, if God will, may be done in due time. One or two general In&s;tances wherein he was mo&s;t eminently <HI>our Example,</HI> &s;hall clo&s;e this Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>His Meekne&s;s, Lowline&s;s of mind, Conde&s;cen&s;ion unto all &s;orts of per&s;ons;</HI> his Love and Kindne&s;s unto Mankind, his Readine&s;s to do good unto all, with Patience and Forbea|rance, are continually &s;et before us in his <HI>Example.</HI> I place them all under one Head, as proceeding all from the &s;ame &s;pring of <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s,</HI> and having effects of the &s;ame nature. With re&s;pect unto them, it is required that <HI>the &s;ame mind be in us that was in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, Phil.</HI> 2.5. and that we <HI>walk in Love, as he al&s;o loved us, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.2.</P>
<P>In the&s;e things was he the great Repre&s;entative of the Divine Goodne&s;s unto us. In the acting of the&s;e Graces on all occa&s;ions did he declare and manife&s;t the Nature of God from whom he came. And this was one end of his exhibi|tion in the fle&s;h. Sin had filled the world with a <HI>Repre&s;enta|tion of the Devil</HI> and his Nature, in mutual hatred, &s;trife, variance, envy, wrath, pride, fiercene&s;s and rage again&s;t one another, all which are of the old Murderer. The In&s;tances of a cured, of a contrary frame were ob&s;cure and weak in the be&s;t of the Saints of old. But in our Lord Je&s;us, the Light of the Glory of God herein fir&s;t &s;hone upon the world. In the exerci&s;e of the&s;e Graces which he mo&s;t abounded in, becau&s;e the &s;ins, weakne&s;&s;es and infirmities of men gave continual
<PB N="222" REF="138">occa&s;ion thereunto, did he repre&s;ent the <HI>Divine Nature,</HI> as Love, as infinitely good, benign, merciful and patient, as de|lighting in the exerci&s;e of the&s;e its holy Properties. In them was the Lord Chri&s;t our <HI>Example</HI> in an e&s;pecial manner. And they do in vain pretend to be his Di&s;ciples, to be followers of him, who endeavour not to order the whole cour&s;e of their lives in conformity unto him in the&s;e things.</P>
<P>One Chri&s;tian who is <HI>meek, humble, kind, patient</HI> and <HI>u&s;e|ful unto all,</HI> that conde&s;cends to the ignorance, weakne&s;&s;es and infirmities of others, that pa&s;&s;eth by provocations, inju|ries, contempt, with patience, and with &s;ilence, unle&s;s where the Glory and Truth of God call for a ju&s;t vindication; that pittieth all &s;orts of men in their failings and mi&s;carriages, who is free from jealou&s;ies and evil &s;urmizes, that loveth what is <HI>good in all men,</HI> and <HI>all men even wherein they are not good,</HI> nor do good, doth more expre&s;s the vertues and excel|lencies of Chri&s;t, than thou&s;ands can do with the mo&s;t mag|nificent works of Piety or Charity where this frame is want|ing in them. For men to pretend to follow the <HI>Example of Chri&s;t,</HI> and in the mean time to be proud, wrathful, envious, bitterly zealous, calling for fire from Heaven to de&s;troy men, or fetching it them&s;elves from Hell, is to cry, <HI>Hail unto him,</HI> and to crucifie him afre&s;h unto their Power.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Self-denial, Readine&s;s for the Cro&s;s,</HI> with <HI>patience in &s;uf|ferings,</HI> are the &s;econd &s;ort of things which he calls all his Di&s;ciples to follow his Example in. It is the fundamental Law of his Go&s;pel, that if any one will be his Di&s;ciple, <HI>he mu&s;t de|ny him&s;elf, take up his Cro&s;s and follow him.</HI> The&s;e things in him, as they are all of them &s;ummarily repre&s;ented, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.5, 6, 7, 8. by rea&s;on of the <HI>Glory of his Per&s;on,</HI> and the Na|ture of his &s;ufferings, are quite of another <HI>kind</HI> than that we are called unto. But his <HI>Grace</HI> in them all is our only pattern, in what is required of us. <HI>Chri&s;t hath &s;uffered for us, leaving
<PB N="222" REF="138">us an Example, that we &s;hould follow his &s;teps, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he &s;uffered, he threatned not,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21, 22, 23. Hence are we called to look unto <HI>Je&s;us, the Author and fini&s;her of our Faith, who for the Joy that was &s;et before him, endured the Cro&s;s, and de&s;pi&s;ed the &s;hame.</HI> For we are to <HI>con&s;ider him, who endured &s;uch contradiction of &s;inners in him&s;elf, that we faint not, Heb.</HI> 12.2, 3. Ble&s;&s;ed be God for this Example; for the Glory of the Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Patience, Faith and Endurance of Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the extremi|ty of all &s;orts of &s;ufferings. This hath been the pole&s;tar of the Church in all its &s;tormes; the Guide, the Comfort, Sup|portment and Encouragement of all tho&s;e holy &s;ouls, who in their &s;everal Generations, have in various degrees under|gone <HI>Per&s;ecution for Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;ake,</HI> and yet continueth &s;o to be unto them who are in the &s;ame condition.</P>
<P>And I mu&s;t &s;ay, as I have done on &s;ome other occa&s;ions in the handling of this &s;ubject, that a di&s;cour&s;e on this one In|&s;tance of the <HI>u&s;e of Chri&s;t in Religion,</HI> from the con&s;ideration of the Per&s;on who &s;uffered and &s;et us this Example, of the Principle from whence, and the end for which he did it; of the variety of evils of all &s;orts he had to conflict withal, of his invincible patience under them all, and immoveablene&s;s of Love and Compa&s;&s;ion unto Mankind, even his Per&s;ecu|tors, the dolorous afflictive circum&s;tances of his &s;ufferings from God and men, the ble&s;&s;ed efficacious workings of his Faith and Tru&s;t in God unto the uttermo&s;t, with the glorious I&s;&s;ue of the whole, and the influence of all the&s;e con&s;idera|tions unto the con&s;olation and &s;upportment of the Church, would take up more room and time, than what is allotted unto the whole of that, whereof it is here the lea&s;t part. I &s;hall leave the whole under the &s;hade of that ble&s;&s;ed Pro|mi&s;e, <HI>If &s;o be that we &s;uffer with him, we &s;hall al&s;o be glori|fied together; For I reckon that the &s;ufferings of this pre&s;ent
<PB N="224" REF="139">time, are not to be compared with the Glory that &s;hall be re|vealed in us, Rom.</HI> 8.17, 18.</P>
<P>The la&s;t thing propo&s;ed concerning the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> was the <HI>u&s;e of it</HI> unto Believers, in the whole of their Rela|tion unto God and Duty towards him. And the things be|longing thereunto may be reduced unto the&s;e general Heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. Their <HI>Sanctification,</HI> which con&s;i&s;teth in the&s;e four things: (1.) The <HI>Mortification of Sin.</HI> (2.) The <HI>gradual Re|novation</HI> of our Natures. (3) <HI>A&s;&s;i&s;tances in</HI> actual Obedience. (4.) The &s;ame in <HI>Temptations</HI> and Trials.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> with its concomitants and con&s;e|quents. As (1.) <HI>Adoption.</HI> (2.) <HI>Peace.</HI> (3.) <HI>Con&s;olation</HI> and Joy in Life and Death. (4.) <HI>Spiritual Gifts</HI> unto the edifica|tion of them&s;elves and others. (5.) A <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;urrection.</HI> (6.) <HI>Eternal Glory.</HI></P>
<P>There are other things which al&s;o belong hereunto. As their guidance in the cour&s;e of their conver&s;ation in this world; direction unto u&s;efulne&s;s in all &s;tates and conditions; patient waiting for the accompli&s;hment of God's Promi&s;es to the Church; the communication of <HI>foederal Ble&s;&s;ings</HI> unto their families; and the exerci&s;e of loving-kindne&s;s towards mankind in general; with &s;undry other concernments of the Life of Faith of the like importance; but they may be all re|duced unto the general Heads propo&s;ed.</P>
<P>What &s;hould have been &s;poken with reference unto the&s;e things belongs unto the&s;e three Heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. A <HI>Declaration</HI> that all the&s;e things are wrought in, and communicated unto Believers according to their various Na|tures by an <HI>Emanation of Grace and Power</HI> from the Per&s;on of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as the Head of the Church, as he who is exal|ted and made a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins.</P>
<PB N="225" REF="139">
<P N="2">2. A Declaration of the <HI>way and manner</HI> how Believers do live upon Chri&s;t in the exerci&s;e of Faith, whereby according to the Promi&s;e and Appointment of God, they derive from him the whole Grace and Mercy whereof in this world they are made partakers, and are e&s;tabli&s;hed in the expectation of what they &s;hall receive hereafter by his Power. And that two things do hence en&s;ue. (1.) The nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>univer&s;al Evangelical Obedience,</HI> &s;eeing it is only in and by the Duties of it, that Faith is or can be kept in a due exerci&s;e unto the ends mentioned. (2.) That Believers do hereby <HI>encrea&s;e con|tinually with the encrea&s;e of God,</HI> and grow up into him who is the Head, until they become the fulne&s;s of him who filleth all in all.</P>
<P N="3">3. A Conviction that a real Intere&s;t in, and Participation of the&s;e things, cannot be obtained any other way, but by the actual exerci&s;e of Faith on the <HI>Per&s;on of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e things were nece&s;&s;ary to be handled at large with reference unto the end propo&s;ed. But for &s;undry rea&s;ons the whole of this labour is here declined. For &s;ome of the par|ticulars mentioned, I have already in&s;i&s;ted on in other Di&s;|cour&s;es heretofore publi&s;hed, and that with re&s;pect unto the end here de&s;igned. And this Argument cannot be handled as it doth de&s;erve unto full &s;atisfaction without an entire Di&s;|cour&s;e concerning the Life of Faith, which my pre&s;ent de&s;ign will not admit of.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="226" REF="140">
<HEAD>CHAP. XVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>An humble Enquiry into, and Pro&s;pect of the Infinite Wi&s;|dom of God, in the Con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the way of Salvation thereby.</HI></HEAD>
<P>FRom the con&s;ideration of the things before in&s;i&s;ted on, we may endeavour according unto our mea&s;ure, to take a view of, and humbly adore the <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom of God</HI> in the holy contrivance of this great <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI> As it is a &s;piritual <HI>Evangelical My&s;tery,</HI> it is an effect of Divine Wi&s;dom, in the Redemption and Salvation of the Church, unto the eternal Glory of God. And as it is a <HI>great My&s;tery,</HI> &s;o it is the My&s;tery of the <HI>ma|nifold Wi&s;dom of God, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.9, 10. that is, of Infinite Wi&s;|dom working in great variety of actings and operations, &s;uited unto, and expre&s;&s;ive of its own infinite fulne&s;s: For herein were <HI>all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Knowledge</HI> laid up, and laid out, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.3. An Argument this is, in &s;ome parts whereof divers of the <HI>Antient Writers</HI> of the Church have laboured, &s;ome occa&s;ionally, and &s;ome with expre&s;s de|&s;ign. I &s;hall in&s;i&s;t only on tho&s;e things which Scripture Light leads us directly unto. The depths of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in this glorious work are hid from the eyes of all living. <HI>God alone under&s;tandeth the way thereof; and he knoweth the place there|of;</HI> as he &s;peaks, <HI>Job</HI> 28.21, 23. Yet is it &s;o glorious in its effects, that <HI>de&s;truction and death &s;ay, we have heard the fame of it with our ears, ver.</HI> 22. The fame and report of this Divine Wi&s;dom reach even unto Hell. Tho&s;e who eter|nally peri&s;h &s;hall hear a <HI>fame</HI> of this Wi&s;dom in the glorious
<PB N="227" REF="140">effects of it, towards the ble&s;&s;ed &s;ouls above, though &s;ome of them would not believe it <HI>here</HI> in the <HI>Light of the Go&s;pel,</HI> and none of them can under&s;tand it <HI>there,</HI> in their everla&s;ting Darkne&s;s. Hence the <HI>Report</HI> which they have of this Wi&s;dom, is an Aggravation of their mi&s;ery.</P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>Depths</HI> we may admire and adore, but we cannot comprehend: <HI>For who hath known the mind of the Lord herein, or with whom took he coun&s;el?</HI> concerning the original cau&s;es of his coun&s;els in this great My&s;tery, we can only &s;ay, <HI>O the depths of the riches both of the Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God, how un&s;earchable are his Judgments, and his Ways pa&s;t finding out.</HI> This alone is left unto us in the way of Duty, that in the effects of them, we &s;hould contemplate on their excel|lency, &s;o as to give glory to God, and live in an holy Admi|ration of his <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and Grace. For to give glory unto him, and admire him is our pre&s;ent Duty, until he <HI>&s;hall come eternally to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.10.</P>
<P>We can do no more but &s;tand at the <HI>&s;hore of this Ocean,</HI> and adore its un&s;earchable depths. What is delivered from them by Divine Revelation we may receive as Pearls of price, to enrich and adorn our &s;ouls. <HI>For &s;ecret things be|long unto the Lord our God, but tho&s;e things which are reveal|ed, unto us, that we may do the words of his Law, Deut.</HI> 29.29. We &s;hall not therefore in our enquiry into this <HI>great My&s;tery, intrude our &s;elves into the things which we have not &s;een,</HI> but only endeavour a right under&s;tanding of what is revealed concerning it. For the end of all Divine Revelations is our knowledge of the things revealed, with our Obedience thereon; and unto this end, <HI>things revealed do belong unto us.</HI></P>
<P>Some things in general are to be premi&s;ed unto our pre|&s;ent Enquiry.</P>
<PB N="228" REF="141">
<P N="1">1. We can have no view or due pro&s;pect of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God in any of his Works, much le&s;s in this of <HI>&s;ending his Son in the likene&s;s of &s;inful fle&s;h,</HI> or the con&s;titution of his Per&s;on, and the work of Redemption to be accompli&s;hed thereby, unle&s;s we con&s;ider al&s;o the Intere&s;t of the other holy Properties of the Divine Nature in them. Such are his <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> his <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> his &s;overaign <HI>Authority,</HI> his <HI>Good|ne&s;s, Love</HI> and <HI>Grace.</HI></P>
<P>There are three Excellencies of the Divine Nature princi|pally to be con&s;idered in all the external works of God. (1.) His <HI>Goodne&s;s,</HI> which is the communicative Property thereof. This is the eternal fountain and &s;pring of all Divine Communications. Whatever is <HI>good</HI> in and unto any crea|tures, is an Emanation from Divine Goodne&s;s. <HI>He is good, and he doth good.</HI> That which acts originally in the Divine Nature, unto the communication of it &s;elf in any ble&s;&s;ed or gracious effects unto the creatures, is <HI>Goodne&s;s.</HI> (2.) <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> which is the Directive Power or Excellency of the Divine Nature. Hereby God guides, di&s;po&s;eth, orders and directs all things unto his own Glory, in and by their own imme|diate proper ends, <HI>Prov.</HI> 16.4. <HI>Rev.</HI> 4.11. (3.) <HI>Power,</HI> which is the effective Excellency of the Divine Nature, effecting and accompli&s;hing what <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> doth de&s;ign and order.</P>
<P>Whereas <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> therefore is that holy Excellency or Power of the Divine Being, wherein God de&s;igns, and where|by he effects the Glory of all the other Properties of his Na|ture, we cannot trace the paths of it in any work of God, unle&s;s we know the intere&s;t and concernment of tho&s;e <HI>other Properties</HI> in that work. For that which <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> principally de&s;igns, is the glorification of them. And unto this end the <HI>Effective Property</HI> of the Divine Nature, which is <HI>Almighty Power,</HI> alwaies accompanies or is &s;ub&s;ervient unto the <HI>di|rective</HI> or Infinite Wi&s;dom, which is requi&s;ite unto Perfe|ction
<PB N="229" REF="141">in Operation. What Infinite <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> will communi|cate <HI>ad extra,</HI> what it will open the eternal fountain of the Divine Being and Al&s;ufficiency to give forth; that Infinite <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> de&s;igns, contrives and directs to the Glory of God; and what Wi&s;dom &s;o de&s;igns, Infinite <HI>Power</HI> effects. See <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 40.13, 14, 15, 17, 28.</P>
<P N="2">2. We can have no apprehen&s;ions of the Intere&s;t of the <HI>other Properties</HI> of the Divine Nature in this great My&s;tery of God|line&s;s, who&s;e Glory was de&s;igned in Infinite Wi&s;dom, with|out the con&s;ideration of that <HI>&s;tate and condition of our own</HI> wherein they are &s;o concerned. That which was de&s;igned unto the eternal Glory of God in this great work of the <HI>In|carnation of his Son,</HI> was the Redemption of Mankind, or the recovery and &s;alvation of the Church. What hath been di&s;puted by &s;ome concerning it, without re&s;pect unto the &s;in of man, and the &s;alvation of the Church, is <HI>curio&s;ity,</HI> and indeed pre&s;umptuous folly. The whole Scripture con&s;tantly a&s;&s;igneth this &s;ole end of that effect of Divine Goodne&s;s and Wi&s;dom, yea a&s;&s;erts it as the only foundation of the Go&s;pel, <HI>John</HI> 3.16. Wherefore unto a due contemplation of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in it, it is nece&s;&s;ary we &s;hould con&s;ider what is the <HI>Nature of Sin,</HI> e&s;pecially of that fir&s;t &s;in, wherein our original Apo&s;tacy from God did con&s;i&s;t; what was the condition of Mankind thereon; what is the concernment of the holy God therein, on the account of the ble&s;&s;ed Properties of his Nature; what way was &s;uited unto our Recovery, that God might be glorified in them all. Without a previous con&s;idera|tion of the&s;e things, we can have no due conceptions of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God in this glorious work, which we enquire af|ter. Wherefore I &s;hall &s;o far &s;peak of them, that if it be the will of God, the minds of tho&s;e who read and con&s;ider them, may be opened and prepared to give admittance unto &s;ome rays of that <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in this glorious work, the
<PB N="230" REF="142">lu&s;tre of who&s;e full Light we are not able in this world to behold.</P>
<P>When there was a vi&s;ible Pledge of the Pre&s;ence of God in in the <HI>Bu&s;h that burned</HI> and was not con&s;umed, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;aid, he <HI>would turn a&s;ide to &s;ee that great &s;ight, Exod.</HI> 3.3. And this great Repre&s;entation of the Glory of God being made and propo&s;ed unto us, it is certainly our Duty to <HI>divert from all other occa&s;ions</HI> unto the contemplation of it. But as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was then commanded to put <HI>off his &s;hooes, the place whereon he &s;tood being holy Ground;</HI> &s;o it will be the Wi&s;dom of him that writes, and of them that read, to dive&s;t them&s;elves of all <HI>carnal Affections</HI> and Imaginations, that they may draw nigh unto this great Object of Faith, with due reverence and fear.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing we are to con&s;ider in order unto the end propo&s;ed, is, the <HI>Nature of our Sin and Apo&s;tacy from God.</HI> For from thence we mu&s;t learn the concernment of the Divine Ex|cellencies of God in this work. And there are three things that were eminent therein.</P>
<P N="1">1. A <HI>Reflection</HI> on the Honour of the Holine&s;s and Wi&s;|dom of God, in the <HI>Rejection of his Image.</HI> He had newly made man in his <HI>own Image.</HI> And this work he &s;o expre&s;&s;eth as to intimate a peculiar effect of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in it, where|by it was di&s;tingui&s;hed from all other external works of Creation whatever, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.26, 27. <HI>And God &s;aid, Let us make man in our own Image after our likene&s;s; &s;o God created man in his own Image, in the Image of God created he him.</HI> No where is there &s;uch an <HI>Empha&s;is</HI> of expre&s;&s;ion concerning any work of God. And &s;undry things are repre&s;ented as peculiar therein.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the <HI>Word of Con&s;ultation</HI> and that of <HI>Execution</HI> are di&s;tinct. In all other works of Creation, the word of deter|mination and execution, was the &s;ame. When he created
<PB N="231" REF="142"><HI>Light</HI> which &s;eems to be the Beauty and Glory of the whole Creation, he only &s;aid, <HI>Let there be Light, and there was Light, Gen.</HI> 1.3. So was it with all other things. But when he comes unto the Creation of Man, another <HI>Proce&s;s</HI> is pro|po&s;ed unto our Faith. The&s;e &s;everal words are di&s;tinct, not in time, but in Nature. <HI>God &s;aid, Let us make man in our Image and Likene&s;s;</HI> and thereon it is added di&s;tinctly, as the exe|cution of that antecedent Coun&s;el; <HI>So God made man in his own Image.</HI> This puts a &s;ignal eminency on this Work of God.</P>
<P N="2">2. A di&s;tinct peculiar concernment of all the <HI>Per&s;ons of the Holy Trinity</HI> in their Con&s;ultation and Operation is in like manner propo&s;ed unto us. <HI>And God &s;aid, Let us make man.</HI> The truth hereof I have &s;ufficiently evinced el&s;ewhere, and di&s;covered the vanity of all other Glo&s;&s;es and Expo&s;itions. The Properties of the Divine Nature Principally and Origi|nally con&s;iderable in all external operations, (as we have new|ly ob&s;erved) are <HI>Goodne&s;s, Wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>Power.</HI> In this great work Divine <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> exerted it &s;elf eminently and effectually in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Father;</HI> the eternal Fountain and Spring, as of the Divine Nature, &s;o of all Divine Operations. <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> acted it &s;elf peculiarly in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Son,</HI> this being the principle Notion thereof, the eternal Wi&s;dom of the Father. Divine <HI>Power</HI> wrought effectually in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Holy Spirit;</HI> who is the immediate Acter of all Divine Operations.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Propo&s;ition of the effecting this work being by way of <HI>Con&s;ultation,</HI> repre&s;ents it a &s;ignal effect of Infinite Wi&s;dom. The&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are u&s;ed to lead us unto the contemplation of that Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Thus God made man in his <HI>own Image,</HI> that is, in &s;uch a <HI>Rectitude of Nature</HI> as repre&s;ented his Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holine&s;s, in &s;uch a &s;tate and condition as had a reflection on
<PB N="232" REF="143">it of his <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Rule.</HI> The former was the &s;ub&s;tance of it, the latter a nece&s;&s;ary con&s;equent thereof. This Repre|&s;entation, I &s;ay of God, in <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Rule,</HI> was not that Image of God wherein man was created, but a con&s;equent of it. So the words and their order declare. <HI>Let us make man in our Image, and after our likene&s;s, and let them have dominion over the fi&s;h of the Sea,</HI> &amp;c. Becau&s;e he was made in the Image of God, this <HI>Dominion and Rule</HI> were granted unto him. So fond is their Imagination who would have the Image of God to con&s;i&s;t &s;olely in the&s;e things. Where|fore the lo&s;s of the Image of God was not originally the lo&s;s of Power and Dominion, or a Right thereunto. But man was <HI>deprived</HI> of that Right, on the <HI>lo&s;s of that Image</HI> which it was granted unto. Wherein it did con&s;i&s;t. See <HI>Ec|cle&s;.</HI> 7.29. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.24.</P>
<P>Three things God de&s;igned in this <HI>communication of his Image</HI> unto our Nature, which were his principal ends in the creation of all things here below. And therefore was Divine Wi&s;dom more eminently exerted therein, than in all the other works of this inferiour Creation.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>fir&s;t</HI> was, that he might therein make a <HI>Repre|&s;entation of his Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> among his crea|tures. This was not done in any other of them. Cha|racters they had on them of his Goodne&s;s, Wi&s;dom and Power. In the&s;e things the <HI>Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament &s;heweth his handy-work.</HI> His <HI>eternal Power and Godhead</HI> are manife&s;t in the things that are made. But none of them, not the whole fabrick of Heaven and Earth, with all their glorious ornaments and endowments, were either fit or able to receive any impre&s;&s;ions of his <HI>Ho|line&s;s</HI> and <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> of any of the moral Perfections, or univer&s;al Rectitude of his Nature. Yet in the demon&s;tra|tion and repre&s;entation of the&s;e things doth the <HI>Glory of God</HI>
<PB N="233" REF="143">principally con&s;i&s;t. Without them he could not be known and glorified as God. Wherefore he would have an <HI>Image</HI> and Repre&s;entation of them in the Creation here be|low. And this he will alwaies have &s;o long as he will be wor&s;hiped by any of his creatures. And therefore when it was lo&s;t in <HI>Adam,</HI> it was renewed in <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> as hath been declared.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>&s;econd</HI> was, that it might be a means of rendring actual Glory unto him, from all other parts of the Creation. Without this, which is as the animating life and form of the whole, the other creatures are but as a <HI>dead thing.</HI> They could not any way declare the glory of God, but pa&s;&s;ively and objectively. They were as an harmonious well tuned In&s;trument, which gives no &s;ound, unle&s;s there be a skilful hand to move and act it. What is Light if there be no eye to &s;ee it? or what is Mu&s;ick if there be no ear to hear it? How glorious and beautiful &s;oever any of the works of Creation appear to be, from impre&s;&s;ions of Divine <HI>Power, Wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> on them, yet without this <HI>Image of God</HI> in man, there was nothing here below to under&s;tand God in them, to glorifie God by them. This alone is that whereby in a way of Admiration, Obedience and Prai&s;e, we were en|abled to render unto God all the Glory which he de&s;igned from tho&s;e works of his Power.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>third</HI> was, that it might be a means to bring man unto that <HI>Eternal Enjoyment</HI> of him&s;elf, which he was fitted for, and de&s;igned unto. For this was to be done in a way of Obedience: <HI>Do this and live,</HI> was that Rule of it which the Nature of God and Man, with their mutual relation unto one another did require. But we were made <HI>meet</HI> for this Obe|dience, and enabled unto it, only by vertue of this <HI>Image of God</HI> implanted in our Natures. It was morally a Power to live unto God in Obedience, that we might come to the enjoy|ment of him in Glory.</P>
<PB N="234" REF="144">
<P>Evident it is, that the&s;e were the <HI>principal Ends of God</HI> in the creation of all things. Wherefore this Con&s;titution of our Nature, and the furni&s;hment of it with the <HI>Image of God,</HI> was the mo&s;t eminent effect of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> in all the out|ward works of the Divine Nature.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the Entrance of Sin, and by <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;y from God,</HI> man voluntarily rejected and defaced this <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Repre&s;entation</HI> of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holine&s;s of God, this great effect of his Goodne&s;s and Wi&s;dom, in its tendency unto his eternal Glory, and our enjoyment of him. No <HI>greater di&s;honour</HI> could be done unto him, no endeavour could have been more pernicious in ca&s;ting contempt on his coun&s;el. For as his <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which was repre&s;ented in that <HI>Image</HI> was de&s;poiled, &s;o we did what lay in us to defeat the contrivance of his <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI> This will be evident by reflecting on the Ends of it now mentioned. For</P>
<P N="1">1. Hereon there remained nothing in all the Creation here below, whereby any <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> might be made of God's Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, or any of the <HI>Moral Perfections</HI> of his Nature. How could it be done this Image being lo&s;t out of the world? The brute inanimate part of the Crea|tion, however &s;tupendiou&s;ly <HI>great</HI> in its matter, and <HI>glorious</HI> in its outward form, was no way capable of it. The Nature of man under the lo&s;s of this Image, fallen, depraved, pollu|ted and corrupted, gives rather a Repre&s;entation and <HI>Image of Satan,</HI> than of God. Hence in&s;tead of <HI>Goodne&s;s, Love, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Holine&s;s, Peace,</HI> all vertues u&s;efully commu|nicative and effective of the good of the whole Race of Man|kind, which would have been effects of this Image of God, and Repre&s;entatives of his Nature, the whole world from and by the Nature of man, is filled with <HI>envy, malice, revenge, cruelty, oppre&s;&s;ion,</HI> and all engines of promoting &s;elf, where|unto man is wholly turned, as fallen off from God. He that
<PB N="235" REF="144">would learn the Divine Nature, from the <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> that is made of it, in the pre&s;ent actings of the Nature of man, will be gradually lead unto the Divel in&s;tead of God. Wherefore no greater indignity could be offered unto <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> and Holine&s;s, than there was in this <HI>Rejection of the Image of God</HI> wherein we were created</P>
<P N="2">2. There was no way left whereby Glory might re|dound unto God, from the remainder of the Creation here be|low. For the <HI>Nature of man alone</HI> was de&s;igned to be the way and means of it, by vertue of the <HI>Image of God</HI> implanted on it. Wherefore manby &s;in did not only draw off him&s;elf from that Relation unto God wherein he was made, but drew off the whole Creation here below with him&s;elf, into an u&s;ele&s;ne&s;s unto his Glory. And upon the entrance of &s;in, before the cure of our Apo&s;tacy was actually accompli&s;hed, the genera|lity of Mankind divided the creatures into two &s;orts; <HI>tho&s;e above,</HI> or the heavenly bodies, and tho&s;e here below. Tho&s;e of the fir&s;t &s;ort they <HI>wo&s;hiped</HI> as their Gods; and tho&s;e of the <HI>other &s;ort</HI> they <HI>abu&s;ed</HI> unto their lu&s;ts. Wherefore God was every way di&s;honoured in and by them all; nor was there any Glory given him on their account. What &s;ome at|tempted to do of that nature, in a <HI>Wi&s;dom of their own,</HI> ended in folly, and a renewed di&s;honour of God, as the Apo&s;tle de|clares, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.18, 19, 21, 22.</P>
<P N="3">3. Man hereby lo&s;t all <HI>Power and Ability</HI> of attaining that End for which he was made, namely, the Eternal Enjoyment of God. Upon the matter, and as much as in us lay, the whole end of God in the creation of all things here below, was utterly defeated.</P>
<P>But that which was the malignity and poi&s;on of this &s;in, was the contempt that was ca&s;t on the <HI>Holine&s;s of God,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Repre&s;entation,</HI> and all its <HI>expre&s;s Characters</HI> were utterly de&s;pi&s;ed and rejected therein. Herein then lay the
<PB N="236" REF="145">concernment of the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> or Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in this &s;in of our Nature, which we are enquiring after. Unle&s;s &s;ome <HI>Reparation</HI> be made for the indignity ca&s;t upon it in the re|jection of the <HI>Image</HI> and Repre&s;entation of it, unle&s;s there be &s;ome way whereby it may be more eminently <HI>exalted</HI> in the Nature of Man, than it was deba&s;ed and de&s;pi&s;ed in the &s;ame Nature; it was ju&s;t, equal, righteous with God, that which becomes the rectitude and purity of his Nature, that Mankind &s;hould <HI>peri&s;h eternally</HI> in that condition where|into it was ca&s;t by &s;in.</P>
<P>It was not therefore con&s;i&s;tent with the Glory of God, that <HI>Mankind &s;hould be re&s;tored,</HI> that this Nature of ours &s;hould be brought unto the enjoyment of him, unle&s;s his Holine&s;s be more exalted, be more con&s;picuou&s;ly repre&s;ented in <HI>the &s;ame Nature,</HI> than ever it was depre&s;&s;ed or de&s;pi&s;ed thereby. The Demon&s;tration of its Glory in any <HI>other Nature,</HI> as in that of <HI>Angels,</HI> would not &s;erve unto this end, as we &s;hall &s;ee afterwards.</P>
<P>We mu&s;t now a little return unto what we before laid down. <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> being the directive Power of all Divine Ope|rations, and the end of all tho&s;e Operations, being the Glory of God him&s;elf, or the demon&s;tration of the Excellencies of the holy Properties of his Nature, it was incumbent thereon to provide for the Honour and Glory of <HI>Divine Holine&s;s</HI> in an exaltation an&s;werable unto the Attempt for its deba&s;e|ment. Without the con&s;ideration hereof we can have no due Pro&s;pect of the Actings of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> in this great work of our Redemption and Recovery by the Incarnation of the Son of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. Sin brought <HI>Di&s;order and Di&s;turbance</HI> into the whole Rule and Government of God. It was nece&s;&s;ary from the Infinite Wi&s;dom of God, that all things &s;hould be made in <HI>perfect order</HI> and harmony, all in a direct &s;ubordination unto
<PB N="337" REF="145">his Glory. There could have been no <HI>original defect</HI> in the natural or moral order of things, but it mu&s;t have proceeded from a <HI>defect in Wi&s;dom.</HI> For the di&s;po&s;al of all things into their proper order, belonged unto the contrivance thereof. And the <HI>Harmony</HI> of all things among them&s;elves, with all their mutual Relations and A&s;pects, in a regular tendency unto their proper and utmo&s;t end, whereby though every individual Sub&s;i&s;tence or Being hath a peculiar end of its own, yet all their actings, and all their ends tend directly unto one utmo&s;t common end of them all, is the principal effect of Wi&s;dom. And thus was it at the beginning; when God him&s;elf beheld the Univer&s;e, and <HI>loe it was exceeding good.</HI></P>
<P>All things being thus created and &s;tated, it belonged unto the Nature of God to be the <HI>Rector and di&s;po&s;er of them all.</HI></P>
<P>It was not a meer free Act of his Will, whereby God cho&s;e to rule and govern the Creation, according unto the Law of the nature of all things, and their relation unto him; but it was <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> from his Divine Being and Excellencies, that &s;o he &s;hould do. Wherefore it concerned both the Wi&s;dom and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God to take care that either all things &s;hould be <HI>pre&s;erved</HI> in the &s;tate wherein they were created, and no di&s;order be &s;uffered to enter into the Kingdom and Rule of God, or that in a way &s;uited unto them, his Glory &s;hould be <HI>retrived</HI> and re-e&s;tabli&s;hed. For God <HI>is not the God of confu&s;ion,</HI> neither the Author nor Approver of it, neither in his Works, nor in his Rule. But &s;in actually brought <HI>di&s;|order</HI> into the Kingdom and Rule of God. And this it did not in any one particular In&s;tance, but that which was uni|ver&s;al as unto all things here below. For the original <HI>Har|mony</HI> and Order of all things con&s;i&s;ted in their &s;ubordination unto the Glory of God. But this they all lo&s;t, as was before declared. Hence he who looked on them in their fir&s;t con|&s;titution, and to manife&s;t his complacency in them, affirmed
<PB N="238" REF="146">them to be <HI>exceeding good,</HI> immediately on the entrance of &s;in, <HI>pronounced a cur&s;e on the whole Earth,</HI> and all things con|tained therein.</P>
<P>To &s;uffer this <HI>Di&s;order</HI> to continue unrectified, was not con&s;i&s;tent with the Wi&s;dom and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God. It would make the <HI>Kingdom of God,</HI> to be like that of Satan, full of darkne&s;s and confu&s;ion. Nothing is more nece&s;&s;ary unto the good of the Univer&s;e, and without which it were better it were annihilated, than the pre&s;ervation of the <HI>Ho|nour of God in his Government.</HI> And this could no otherwi&s;e be done, but by the Infliction of a puni&s;hment proportionable in Ju&s;tice unto the demerit of &s;in. Some think this might be done by a free <HI>di&s;mi&s;&s;ion of &s;in,</HI> or a pa&s;&s;ing it over without any puni&s;hment at all. But what evidence &s;hould we then have that <HI>Good and Evil</HI> were not alike, and almo&s;t equal unto God in his Rule, that he doth not like &s;in as well as up|rightne&s;s? Nor would this &s;uppo&s;ition leave any grounds of exerci&s;ing Ju&s;tice among men. For if God in his Rule of all things <HI>di&s;mi&s;t</HI> the greate&s;t &s;in without any penalty inflicted, what rea&s;on have we to judge that evils among our &s;elves &s;hould at all be puni&s;hed? That therefore be far from God, that the Righteous &s;hould be as the Wicked, &s;hall not the Judge of all the World do Right?</P>
<P>Wherefore the <HI>Order of Gods Rule being broken,</HI> as it con|&s;i&s;ted in the regular Obedience of the Creature, and <HI>di&s;order</HI> with confu&s;ion being brought thereby into the <HI>Kingdom and Government of God;</HI> his Righteou&s;nes as it is the <HI>Rectoral Vertue</HI> and Power of the Divine Nature, required that his Glory &s;hould be re&s;tored, by reducing the &s;inning Creature again into order by puni&s;hment. Ju&s;tice therefore mu&s;t be an&s;wered and complied withal herein, according unto its eternal and unan&s;werable Law, in a way &s;uited unto the Glory of God, or the &s;inning Creature mu&s;t peri&s;h eternally.</P>
<PB N="239" REF="146">
<P>Herein the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God</HI> as the Rectoral Vertue of the Divine Nature, was concerned in the Sin and Apo&s;ta&s;y of men. The Vindication and Glory of it, to provide, that in nothing it were eclip&s;ed or dimini&s;hed, was incumbent on Infinite Wi&s;dom according unto the Rule before laid down. That mu&s;t direct and di&s;po&s;e of all things anew unto the Glory of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, or there is no recovery of Mankind. And in our enquiry after the Impre&s;&s;ions of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom,</HI> on the great and glorious means of our Re&s;tauration under con&s;ideration, this provi&s;ion made thereby for the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in his Rule and Government of all, is greatly to be attended unto.</P>
<P N="4">4. Man by &s;in <HI>put him&s;elf into the Power of Devil,</HI> Gods greate&s;t Adver&s;ary. The Devil had newly by Rebellion and Apo&s;ta&s;y from his fir&s;t condition, ca&s;t him&s;elf under the eter|nal Di&s;plea&s;ure and Wrath of God. God had righteou&s;ly pur|po&s;ed in him&s;elf, <HI>not to &s;pare him,</HI> nor contrive any way for his deliverance unto eternity. He on the other &s;ide was be|come obdurate in his malice and hatred of God, de&s;igning his di&s;honour and the impeachment of his Glory with the utmo&s;t of his remaining Abilities. In this &s;tate of things, man vo|luntarily <HI>leaves the Rule and Conduct of God</HI> with all his de|pendance upon him, and puts him&s;elf into the <HI>Power of the Devil.</HI> For he believed Satan above God, that is, placed his Faith and Confidence in him, as unto the way of attaining Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s and true Happine&s;s. And in whom we place our <HI>Tru&s;t and Confidence,</HI> them do we obey, whatever we profe&s;s. Herein did Gods Adver&s;ary &s;eem for a &s;ea&s;on to triumph a|gain&s;t him, as if he had defeated the great de&s;ign of his Good|ne&s;s, Wi&s;dom and Power. So he would have continued to do, if no way had been provided for his di&s;appointment.</P>
<P>This therefore al&s;o belonged unto the <HI>care of Divine Wi&s;dom,</HI> namely, that the Glory of God in none of the
<PB N="240" REF="147">holy Properties of his Nature did &s;uffer any diminution hereby.</P>
<P>All this, and inconceivably more than we are able to ex|pre&s;s, being contained in the &s;in of our Apo&s;ta&s;y from God; it mu&s;t needs follow that the condition of all Mankind be|came thereby <HI>inexpre&s;&s;ibly evil.</HI> As we had done all the <HI>moral evil</HI> which our Nature was capable to act; &s;o it was meet we &s;hould receive all the <HI>poenal evil</HI> which our Nature was capable to undergo. And it all i&s;&s;ued in <HI>Death</HI> temporal and eternal inflicted from the wrath of God.</P>
<P>This is the fir&s;t thing to be con&s;idered in our tracing the foot&s;teps of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in our Deliverance by the In|carnation of the Son of God. Without due conceptions of the nature of this Sin and Apo&s;tacy, of the provocation given unto God thereby, of the injury attempted to be done unto the Glory of all his Properties, of his concernment in their repa|ration, with the un&s;peakable mi&s;ery that Mankind was fallen into, we cannot have the lea&s;t view of the glorious actings of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in our Deliverance by Chri&s;t. And therefore the mo&s;t of tho&s;e who are in&s;en&s;ible of the&s;e things, do wholly reject the principal In&s;tances of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> in our Redemption, as we &s;hall yet &s;ee farther afterwards. And the great Rea&s;on why the Glory of God in Chri&s;t, doth &s;o little <HI>irradiate</HI> the minds of many, that it is &s;o much neg|lected and de&s;pi&s;ed, is becau&s;e they are not acquainted nor affected with the nature of our fir&s;t Sin and Apo&s;tacy, nei|ther in it &s;elf, nor in its woful effects and con&s;equents.</P>
<P>But on the &s;uppo&s;ition of the&s;e things, a double enquiry ari&s;eth with reference unto the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God, and the other holy Properties of his Nature immediately concerned in our Sin and Apo&s;tacy.</P>
<P N="1">1 Whereas man by &s;in had <HI>de&s;aced the Image of God,</HI> and lo&s;t it, whereby there was no Repre&s;entation of his Holine&s;s
<PB N="241" REF="147">and Righteou&s;ne&s;s left in the whole Creation here below; no way of rendring any glory to him, in, for, or by any other of his works; no means to bring man unto the enjoyment of God for which he was made. And whereas he had brought <HI>confu&s;ion</HI> and di&s;order into the Rule and Kingdom of God, which according unto the Law of Creation and its Sanction could not be rectified but by the eternal ruine of the &s;inner; and had moreover <HI>given up him&s;elf unto the Rule and Conduct of Satan:</HI> Whether I &s;ay hereon, it was meet with re&s;pect unto the holy Properties of the Divine Nature, that all Man|kind &s;hould be <HI>left eternally</HI> in this condition, without re|medy or relief: Or whether there were not a <HI>condecency</HI> and &s;uitablene&s;s unto them, that at lea&s;t our Nature in <HI>&s;ome portion</HI> of it &s;hould be re&s;tored.</P>
<P N="2">2. Upon a &s;uppo&s;ition that the granting of a <HI>Recovery</HI> was &s;uited unto the <HI>Holy Perfections</HI> of the Divine Nature, acting them&s;elves by <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom,</HI> what Rays of that <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> may we di&s;cern in the finding out and con&s;titution of the way and means of that Recovery.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t of the&s;e I &s;hall &s;peak but briefly unto in this place, becau&s;e I have treated more largely concerning it in ano|ther. For there are many things which argue a <HI>condecency</HI> un|to the Divine Perfections herein; namely, that <HI>Mankind &s;hould not be left utterly remedile&s;s</HI> in that gulf of mi&s;ery whereinto it was plunged. I &s;hall at pre&s;ent only in&s;i&s;t on one of them.</P>
<P>God had originally created <HI>two &s;orts</HI> of intellectual crea|tures capable of the eternal enjoyment of him&s;elf; namely, <HI>Angels</HI> and <HI>Men:</HI> That he would &s;o make either &s;ort or both, was a meer effect of his <HI>Soveraign Wi&s;dom</HI> and Plea&s;ure: But on a &s;uppo&s;ition that he would &s;o make them, they mu&s;t be made for his Glory. The&s;e two &s;orts thus created, he placed in &s;everal habitations prepared for them, &s;uitable unto their
<PB N="242" REF="148">Natures, and the pre&s;ent Duties required of them; the <HI>An|gels</HI> in Heaven above, and <HI>Men</HI> on Earth below. Sin fir&s;t in|vaded the Nature of <HI>Angels,</HI> and ca&s;t innumerable multitudes of them out of their primitive condition. Hereby they lo&s;t their capacity of, and right unto that enjoyment of God, which their Nature was prepared and made meet for. Neither <HI>would God ever re&s;tore</HI> them thereunto. And in the in&s;tance of dealing with them, when he <HI>&s;pared them not, but &s;hut them up in chains of everla&s;ting darkne&s;s unto the Judgment of the great Day,</HI> he manife&s;ted how righteous it was to leave &s;in|ing Apo&s;tate Creatures in everla&s;ting mi&s;ery. If any thing of relief be provided for any of them, it is a meer effect of &s;overaign Grace and Wi&s;dom, whereunto God was no way obliged. Howbeit the <HI>whole Angelical Nature</HI> that was cre|ated in a capacity for the eternal enjoyment of God, peri&s;hed not. Nor doth it &s;eem con&s;i&s;tent with the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and Good|ne&s;s of God, that the whole entire <HI>Species</HI> or kind of Crea|tures made capable of Glory in the eternal enjoyment of him, &s;hould at once immediately be excluded from it. That &s;uch a thing &s;hould fall out as it were <HI>accidently</HI> without Divine <HI>provi&s;ion and di&s;po&s;al,</HI> would argue a defect in Wi&s;dom, and a po&s;&s;ibility of a &s;urprizal into the lo&s;s of the whole Glory he de&s;igned in the Creation of all things. And to have it a meer effect of Divine Ordination and Di&s;po&s;al, is as little con&s;i&s;tent with his <HI>Goodne&s;s.</HI> Wherefore the <HI>&s;ame Nature</HI> which &s;inned and peri&s;hed in the <HI>Angels</HI> that fell, abideth in the enjoyment of God, in tho&s;e miriads of ble&s;&s;ed Spirits, which <HI>left not their fir&s;t habitation.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Nature of man</HI> was in like manner made capable of the eternal enjoyment of God. This was the end for which it was Created, unto the Glory of him by whom it was made. For it became the Divine Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s, to give unto every thing an <HI>Operation and End</HI> &s;uited unto its
<PB N="243" REF="148">capacity. And the&s;e in this Race <HI>of intellectual Creatures,</HI> were to live unto God, and to come unto the eternal enjoy|ment of him. This <HI>Operation</HI> and <HI>End</HI> their Nature being capable of, they being &s;uited unto it, unto them it was de|&s;igned. But &s;in entred them al&s;o; we al&s;o <HI>&s;inned and came &s;hort of the Glory of God.</HI> The enquiry hereon is, whether it became the Divine Goodne&s;s and Wi&s;dom that this <HI>whole Nature</HI> in all that were partakers of it &s;hould fail and come <HI>&s;hort of that End</HI> for which alone it was made of God. For whereas the <HI>Angels</HI> &s;tood in their primitive condition every one in his own individual Per&s;on, the &s;in of <HI>&s;ome</HI> did not pre|judice <HI>others,</HI> who did not &s;in actually them&s;elves. But the <HI>whole Race of mankind</HI> &s;tood all in one common head and &s;tate; from whom they were to be educed and derived by Natural Generation. The &s;in and Apo&s;tacy of that <HI>one Per&s;on,</HI> was the Sin and Apo&s;tacy of us all. <HI>In him all &s;inned and died.</HI> Wherefore unle&s;s there be a <HI>Recovery</HI> made of them, or of <HI>&s;ome from among them,</HI> that whole <HI>&s;pecies of intellectual Na|ture,</HI> the whole kind of it, in all its Individuals, which was made capable of doing the Will of God, &s;o as to come unto the eternal fruition of him, mu&s;t be eternally lo&s;t and exclu|ded from it. This we may &s;ay <HI>became not the Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s</HI> of God, no more than it would have done to have &s;uffered the whole <HI>Angelical Nature</HI> in all its Individuals to have peri&s;hed for ever. No created under&s;tanding could have been able to di&s;cern the Glory of God in &s;uch a Di&s;pen|&s;ation, whereby it would have had no Glory. That the <HI>whole Nature</HI> in all the <HI>Individuals</HI> of it, which was framed by the Power of God out of nothing, and made what it was for this very end, that it might glorifie him, and come unto the enjoyment of him, &s;hould <HI>eternally peri&s;h,</HI> if any way of Relief for any portion of it were <HI>po&s;&s;ible</HI> unto Infinite Wi&s;|dom, doth not give an amiable Repre&s;entation of the Divine Excellencies unto us.</P>
<PB N="244" REF="149">
<P>It was therefore left on the <HI>Provi&s;ion of Infinite Wi&s;dom,</HI> that this great effect of recovering a <HI>Portion</HI> of fallen Man|kind out of this mi&s;erable e&s;tate, wherein there was a &s;uit|ablene&s;s, a condecency unto the Divine Excellencies, &s;hould be produced. Only it was to be done on and by a free Act of the Will of God; for otherwi&s;e there was no obligation on him from any of his Properties &s;o to do.</P>
<P>But it may be yet &s;aid on the other &s;ide, that the <HI>Nature of Man</HI> was &s;o defiled, &s;o depraved, &s;o corrupted, &s;o alienated and &s;eparated from God, &s;o obnoxious unto the cur&s;e by its Sin and Apo&s;ta&s;y, that it was not <HI>reparable</HI> to the Glory of God; and therefore it would not argue any defect in <HI>Divine Power,</HI> nor any un&s;uitablene&s;s unto <HI>Divine, Wi&s;dome and Goodne&s;s,</HI> if it were not actually repared and re&s;tored. I an|&s;wer two things.</P>
<P N="1">1. The horrible nature of the fir&s;t &s;in, and the heinou&s;|ne&s;s of our <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;y</HI> from God therein, were &s;uch and &s;o great, as that God thereon might righteou&s;ly and &s;uitably unto all the holy Properties of his Nature, leave <HI>Mankind</HI> to peri&s;h eternally in that condition whereinto they had ca&s;t them&s;elves. And if he had utterly for&s;aken the whole Race of Mankind in that condition, and left them all as remedile&s;s as the fallen Angels, there could have been no reflection on his Goodne&s;s, and an evident &s;uitablene&s;s unto his Ju&s;tice and Holine&s;s. Wherefore where-ever there is any mention in the Scripture of the Redemption or <HI>Re&s;tauration</HI> of Mankind, it is con&s;tantly propo&s;ed as an effect of <HI>meer &s;overaign Grace and Mercy.</HI> See <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. And tho&s;e who pretend a great difficulty at pre&s;ent in the reconciliation of the eternal peri&s;hing of the <HI>greate&s;t part of Mankind,</HI> with tho&s;e notions we have of the <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s,</HI> &s;eem not to have &s;ufficiently con&s;idered what was contained in our ori|ginal Apo&s;ta&s;y from God; nor the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in
<PB N="245" REF="149">dealing with the <HI>Angels</HI> that &s;inned. For when man had voluntarily broken all the Relation of Love and moral Good between God and him, had defaced his Image, the only Re|pre&s;entation of his Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s in this lower world, and deprived him of all his Glory from the works of his hands, and had put him&s;elf into the &s;ociety, and under the conduct of the Devil; what <HI>di&s;honour</HI> could it have been un|to God, what diminution would there have been of his Glory, if he had left him unto his own choice; to <HI>eat for ever of the fruit of his own waies,</HI> and to be filled with his own devices unto eternity? It is only <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> that could find out a way for the &s;alvation of any <HI>one</HI> of the whole Race of Mankind, &s;o as that it might be reconciled unto the Glory of his Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Rule. Wherefore as we ought alwaies to admire <HI>Soveraign Grace</HI> in the <HI>few</HI> that &s;hall be &s;aved; &s;o we have no ground to reflect on Divine Goodne&s;s in the <HI>multitudes</HI> that peri&s;h, e&s;pecially con&s;ider|ing that they all voluntarily continue in their Sin and A|po&s;ta&s;y.</P>
<P N="2">2. I grant the <HI>Nature of man</HI> was not <HI>reparable</HI> nor reco|verable, by any &s;uch actings of the Properties of God as he had exerted in the Creation and Rule of all things. Were there not other Properties of the Divine Nature than what were di&s;covered and revealed in the <HI>Creation of all;</HI> were not &s;ome of them &s;o declared capable of an exerci&s;e in another way or in higher degrees than what had as yet been in&s;tanced in, it mu&s;t be acknowledged that the <HI>Reparation</HI> of mankind could not be conceived compliant with the Divine Excellen cies, nor to be effected by them. I &s;hall give one in&s;tance in each &s;ort, namely, fir&s;t in <HI>Properties of another kind</HI> than any which had been manife&s;ted in the works of Creation, and then the actings of &s;ome of them &s;o manife&s;ted, in <HI>another way,</HI> or farther degree than what they were before exerted in or by.</P>
<PB N="246" REF="150">
<P N="1">1. Of the fir&s;t &s;ort, are <HI>Love, Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy,</HI> which I refer unto one Head, their Nature being the &s;ame, as they have re&s;pect unto &s;inners. For although the&s;e were none of them manife&s;ted in the Works of Creation, yet are they no le&s;s <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> Properties of the Divine Nature, than either <HI>Power, Goodne&s;s</HI> or <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI> With the&s;e it was that the re|paration of our Nature was compliant, unto them it had a con|decency, and the glory of them <HI>infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> de&s;igned therein. That <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> on which it is incumbent to provide for the ma|fe&s;tation of all the other Properties of Gods Nature, contrived this work unto the Glory of his <HI>Love, Mercy</HI> and <HI>Grace,</HI> as in the Go&s;pel it is every where declared.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of the &s;econd &s;ort is <HI>Divine Goodne&s;s.</HI> This as the <HI>communicative Property</HI> of the Divine Nature, had exerted it &s;elf in the Creation of all things. Howbeit it had not done &s;o <HI>perfectly,</HI> it had not done &s;o to the <HI>uttermo&s;t.</HI> But the Nature of Goodne&s;s being <HI>communicative,</HI> it belongs unto its perfection, to act it &s;elf unto the uttermo&s;t. This it had not yet done in the Creation. Therein <HI>God made man,</HI> and acted his goodne&s;s in the communication of our Being unto us, with all its endowments. But there yet remained another effect of it, which was that <HI>God &s;hould be made man,</HI> as the way unto and the means of our recovery.</P>
<P>The&s;e things being premi&s;ed, we proceed to enquire more particularly by what way and means the <HI>recovery of mankind</HI> might be wrought, &s;o as that God might be glorified thereby.</P>
<P>If <HI>fallen man</HI> be re&s;tored and rein&s;tated in his primitive con|dition, or brought into a better, it mu&s;t either be by him&s;elf, or by &s;ome other undertaking for him. For it mu&s;t be done by &s;ome means or other. So great an <HI>alteration</HI> in the whole &s;tate of things was made by the entrance of &s;in, that it was not con&s;i&s;tent with the Glory of any of the Divine Ex|cellencies, that a <HI>Re&s;tauration</HI> of all things &s;hould be made by
<PB N="347" REF="150">a <HI>meer Act of Power,</HI> without the u&s;e of any means for the removal of the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of that alteration. That <HI>man him&s;elf</HI> could not be this means, that is, that he could not <HI>re&s;tore him&s;elf,</HI> is openly evident. Two waies there were whereby he might attempt it, and neither joyntly nor &s;everally could he do any thing in them.</P>
<P N="1">1. He might do it by <HI>returning unto Obedience unto God on his own accord.</HI> He fell off from God on his own accord by di&s;obedience through the &s;ugge&s;tion of Satan. Wherefore a <HI>voluntary Return</HI> unto his former Obedience, would &s;eem to reduce all things unto their fir&s;t e&s;tate. But this way was both <HI>impo&s;&s;ible,</HI> and upon a &s;uppo&s;ition of it, would have been <HI>in&s;ufficient</HI> unto the end de&s;igned. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. This <HI>he could not do.</HI> He had by his &s;in and fall lo&s;t that <HI>Power</HI> whereby he was able to yield any acceptable O|bedience unto God. And a <HI>Return unto Obedience</HI> is an Act of <HI>greater Power</HI> than a per&s;i&s;tency in the way and cour&s;e of it, and more is required thereunto. But all mans <HI>original Power of Obedience</HI> con&s;i&s;ted in the <HI>Image of God.</HI> This he had defaced in him&s;elf, and deprived him&s;elf of. Having therefore lo&s;t <HI>that Power</HI> which &s;hould have enabled him to live unto God in his primitive condition, he could not retain a <HI>greater Power</HI> in the &s;ame kind to return thereunto. This indeed was that which <HI>Satan</HI> deceived and deluded him withal; namely, that by his <HI>di&s;obedience</HI> he &s;hould acquire new Light and Power, which he had not yet received; he &s;hould be <HI>like unto God.</HI> But he was &s;o far from any advan|tage by his Apo&s;ta&s;y, that one part of his mi&s;ery con&s;i&s;ted in the <HI>lo&s;s of all Power or Ability to live to God.</HI></P>
<P>This is the folly of that <HI>Pelagian Here&s;y,</HI> which is now a <HI>third time</HI> attempting to impo&s;e it &s;elf on the Chri&s;tian world. It &s;uppo&s;eth that men have a <HI>Power of their own</HI> to <HI>return</HI> unto God, after they had lo&s;t the Power they had of
<PB N="248" REF="151"><HI>abiding</HI> with him. It is not indeed as yet pretended by ma|ny, that the <HI>fir&s;t &s;in</HI> was a meer tran&s;ient Act, that <HI>no way</HI> vitiated our Nature, or impaired the Power, Faculty or Prin|ciple of Obedience in us. A <HI>wound</HI> they &s;ay, a <HI>di&s;ea&s;e,</HI> a <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> it brought upon us, and rendred us <HI>legally</HI> obnoxi|ous unto Death temporal, which we were <HI>naturally</HI> liable unto before. Wherefore it is not &s;aid that <HI>men can return unto that perfect Obedience</HI> which the Law required; but that they can comply with, and perform that which the Go&s;pel requireth in the room thereof. For they &s;eem to &s;uppo&s;e that the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> is not much more but an <HI>accommoda|tion of the Rule of Obedience</HI> unto our pre&s;ent Rea&s;on and A|bilities, with &s;ome motives unto it, and an example for it in the per&s;onal Obedience and &s;uffering of Chri&s;t. For where|as man for&s;ook the Law of Obedience fir&s;t pre&s;cribed unto him, and fell into various incapacities of ob&s;erving it, God did not, as they &s;uppo&s;e, provide in and by the Go&s;pel a Righteou&s;ne&s;s whereby the Law might be fulfilled, and ef|fectual Grace to rai&s;e up the Nature of man unto the perfor|mance of acceptable Obedience; but only <HI>brings down the Law</HI> and the Rule of it into a compliance unto our weakned, di&s;ea&s;ed, depraved Nature; than which if any thing can be &s;po|ken more <HI>di&s;honourably of the Go&s;pel,</HI> I know it not. However this pretended Power of returning unto <HI>&s;ome kind of Obe|dience,</HI> but not that which was required of <HI>us</HI> in our primi|tive condition, is no way &s;ufficient unto our Re&s;tauration, as is evident unto all.</P>
<P N="2">2. As man <HI>could not</HI> effect his own recovery, &s;o <HI>he would not</HI> attempt it. For he was fallen into that condition where|in, in the principles of all his moral Operations, he was at <HI>enmity again&s;t</HI> God; and whatever did befall him, he would chu&s;e to continne in his &s;tate of Apo&s;tacy. For he was whol|ly <HI>alienated from the life of God.</HI> He likes it not, as that
<PB N="249" REF="151">which is incompliant with his di&s;po&s;itions, inclinations and de&s;ires, as incon&s;i&s;tent with every thing wherein he placeth his intere&s;t. And hence as he <HI>cannot do</HI> what he &s;hould through <HI>impotency,</HI> he <HI>will not do</HI> even what he can through <HI>Ob&s;tina|cy.</HI> It may be we know not di&s;tinctly what to a&s;cribe unto mans <HI>impotency,</HI> and what unto his <HI>Ob&s;tinacy.</HI> But between both, he neither <HI>can</HI> nor <HI>will</HI> return unto God. And his Pow|er unto good, though not <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> to bring him again unto God, yet is it not &s;o <HI>&s;mall</HI> but that he alwaies chu&s;eth not to make u&s;e of it unto that End. In brief, there was left in man a <HI>fear of Divine Power,</HI> a fear of God becau&s;e of his <HI>Greatne&s;s,</HI> which makes him do many things which other|wi&s;e he would not do; but there is not left in him <HI>any Love unto Divine Goodne&s;s,</HI> without which he cannot chu&s;e to re|turn unto God.</P>
<P N="3">3. But let us leave the&s;e things which men will di&s;pute a|bout, though in expre&s;s contradiction unto the Scripture &amp; the experience of them that are wrought upon to believe; and let us make an <HI>impo&s;&s;ible &s;uppo&s;ition,</HI> that man <HI>could</HI> and <HI>would</HI> re|turn unto his primitive Obedience, yet no reparation of the Glory of God &s;uffering in the lo&s;s of the former &s;tate of all things would thereon en&s;ue. What &s;atisfaction would be hereby made for the <HI>Injury</HI> offered unto the Holine&s;s, Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s and Wi&s;dom of God, who&s;e violation in their ble&s;|&s;ed effects was the principal evil of &s;in? Notwith&s;tanding &s;uch a &s;uppo&s;ition, all the di&s;order that was brought into the Rule and Government of God by &s;in, with the reflection of di&s;honour upon him, in the rejection of his Image, would &s;till continue. And &s;uch a <HI>Re&s;titution of things,</HI> wherein no provi&s;ion is made for the reparation of the Glory of God, is not to be admitted. The notion of it may po&s;&s;ibly plea&s;e men in their Apo&s;tate condition, wherein they are wholly turned off from God, and into &s;elf; not caring what be|comes
<PB N="240" REF="152">of his Glory, &s;o it may go well with them&s;elves. But it is highly contradictory unto all Equity, Ju&s;tice, and the whole Rea&s;on of things, wherein the Glory of God is the principal and center of all.</P>
<P><HI>Practically</HI> things are otherwi&s;e among many. The mo&s;t profligate &s;inners in the world that have a <HI>conviction</HI> of an eternal condition would be &s;aved. Tell them it is incon&s;i&s;tent with the Glory of the <HI>Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> of God, to &s;ave unbelieving impenitent &s;inners, they are not concerned in it. Let them be &s;aved, that is, eternally deli|vered from the evil they fear, and let God look unto his own Glory; they take no care about it. A &s;oul that is &s;pi|ritually ingenious, <HI>would not be &s;aved</HI> in any way but that whereby God may be glorified. Indeed to <HI>be &s;aved,</HI> and <HI>not unto the Glory of God,</HI> implies a contradiction. For our &s;al|vation is eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, in a participation of the Glo|ry of God.</P>
<P>Secondly, It followeth therefore, that man mu&s;t make <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> unto the Ju&s;tice of God, and thereby a Reparation of his Glory that he may be &s;aved. This added unto a <HI>com|pleat Return unto Obedience,</HI> would effect a Re&s;titution of all things; it would do &s;o as unto what was pa&s;t, though it would make no new addition of Glory unto God. But this became not the nature and efficacy of Divine Wi&s;dom. It be|came it not meerly to <HI>retrive</HI> what was pa&s;t, without a new manife&s;tation and exaltation of the Divine Excellencies. And therefore in our <HI>Re&s;titution by Chri&s;t,</HI> there is &s;uch a mani|fe&s;tation and exaltation of the Divine Properties, as incom|parably exceeds whatever could have en&s;ued on, or been effected by the Law of Creation, had man continued in his original Obedience. But at pre&s;ent it is granted that this <HI>Addition of Satisfaction</HI> unto a <HI>Return unto Obedience</HI> would re&s;tore all things unto their fir&s;t condition. But as that
<PB N="251" REF="152"><HI>Return</HI> was impo&s;&s;ible unto man, &s;o was this <HI>Satisfaction</HI> for the injury done by &s;in much more. For &s;uppo&s;e a meer creature, &s;uch as man is, &s;uch as all men are, in what con|dition you plea&s;e, and under all advantagious circum&s;tances, yet whatever he can do towards God, is <HI>antecedently and ab|&s;olutely due from him</HI> in that in&s;tant wherein he doth it, and that in the manner wherein it is done. They mu&s;t all &s;ay when they have done all <HI>that they can do, we are unprofitable &s;ervants, we have done what was our duty.</HI> Wherefore it is impo&s;&s;ible that by any thing a man can do <HI>well,</HI> he &s;hould make &s;atisfaction for any thing he hath done <HI>ill.</HI> For what he &s;o doth, is due in and for it &s;elf. And to &s;uppo&s;e that <HI>Satisfaction</HI> will be made for a <HI>former fault,</HI> by that who&s;e omi&s;&s;ion would have been <HI>another,</HI> had the former never been committed, is madne&s;s. An old debt cannot be di&s;|charged with ready mony for new commodities; nor can pa&s;t injuries be compen&s;ated by pre&s;ent Duties, which we are anew obliged unto. Wherefore Mankind being indi&s;pen|&s;ibly and eternally obliged unto the pre&s;ent performance of all Duties of Obedience unto God, according to the utmo&s;t of their capacity and ability, &s;o as that the non-performance of them in their &s;ea&s;on, both as unto their <HI>matter</HI> and <HI>man|ner</HI> would be their &s;in, it is utterly impo&s;&s;ible that by any thing, or all that they can do, they &s;hould make the lea&s;t <HI>Satisfaction</HI> unto God for any thing they have done again&s;t him; much le&s;s for the horrible Apo&s;ta&s;y whereof we treat. And to attempt the &s;ame end by any way which God hath not appointed, which he hath not made their Duty, is a new provocation of the highe&s;t nature. See <HI>Micah</HI> 6.6, 7, 8.</P>
<P>It is therefore evident on all the&s;e con&s;iderations, that <HI>all Mankind</HI> as unto any endeavours of their own, any thing that can be fancied as po&s;&s;ible for them to de&s;ign or do, mu&s;t be left <HI>irreparable</HI> in a condition of eternal mi&s;ery. And un|le&s;s
<PB N="252" REF="153">we have a full conviction hereof, we can neither admire nor entertain the My&s;tery of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God in our Re|paration. And therefore it hath been the de&s;ign of Satan in all ages, to contrive pre&s;umptuous notions of <HI>mens Spiritual Abilities,</HI> to divert their minds from the contemplation of the Glory of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace, as alone exalted in our Recovery.</P>
<P>We are proceeding on this &s;uppo&s;ition, that there was <HI>a condecency</HI> unto the holy Perfections of the Divine Nature, that Mankind &s;hould be re&s;tored, or &s;ome <HI>portion</HI> of it reco|vered unto the enjoyment of him&s;elf; &s;o <HI>Angelical</HI> Nature was pre&s;erved unto the &s;ame end in tho&s;e that did not &s;in. And we have &s;hewed the general Grounds whereon it is im|po&s;&s;ible that fallen man &s;hould re&s;tore or recover him&s;elf. Wherefore we mu&s;t in the next place enquire what is nece&s;|&s;ary unto &s;uch a <HI>Re&s;tauration,</HI> on the account of that concern|ment of the Divine <HI>Excellencies</HI> in the Sin and Apo&s;ta&s;y of man, which we have &s;tated before. For hereby we may ob|tain Light, and an in&s;ight into the glory of that Wi&s;dom whereby it was contrived and effected. And the things fol|lowing among others may be ob&s;erved unto that end.</P>
<P N="1">1. It was required that there &s;hould be an <HI>Obedience</HI> yield|ed unto God, bringing more glory unto him, than di&s;honour did ari&s;e and accrew from the <HI>di&s;obedience</HI> of man. This was due unto the Glory of Divine Holine&s;s in giving of the Law. Until this was done, the excellency of the Law as becoming the Holine&s;s of God, and as an effect thereof could not be made manife&s;t. For if it were <HI>never kept in any In&s;tance,</HI> ne|ver fulfilled by any one per&s;on in the world, how &s;hould the glory of it be declared? how &s;hould the Holine&s;s of God be repre&s;ented by it? how &s;hould it be evident that the tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion of it was not rather from <HI>&s;ome defect in the Law</HI> it &s;elf, than from any evil in them that &s;hould have yielded
<PB N="253" REF="153">Obedience unto it? The Obedience yielded by the <HI>Angels</HI> that &s;tood and &s;inned not, made it manife&s;t that the tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion of it by them that fell and &s;inned, was from their <HI>own wills,</HI> and not from any un&s;uitablene&s;s unto their nature and &s;tate in the Law it &s;elf. But if the Law given unto man &s;hould <HI>never be complied withal in perfect Obedience by any one whatever,</HI> it might be thought that the Law it &s;elf was un&s;uited unto our Nature, and impo&s;&s;ible to be complied withal. Nor did it become <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> to give a Law, who&s;e Equity, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holine&s;s &s;hould never be exemplified in <HI>Obedience;</HI> &s;hould never be made to appear, but in the puni&s;hment inflicted on its tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors. Where|fore the original Law of Per&s;onal Righteou&s;ne&s;s was not gi|ven &s;olely nor primarily that men might <HI>&s;uffer ju&s;tly</HI> for its tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, but that <HI>God might be glorified</HI> in its accom|pli&s;hment. If this be not done, it is impo&s;&s;ible that men &s;hould be re&s;tored unto the Glory of God. If the Law be not fulfilled by <HI>Obedience,</HI> man mu&s;t &s;uffer evermore for his di&s;obedience, or God mu&s;t lo&s;e the manife&s;tation of his Ho|line&s;s therein. Be&s;ides, God had repre&s;ented his Holine&s;s in that <HI>Image</HI> of it which was implanted on our Nature, and which was the Principle enabling us unto Obedience. This al&s;o was rejected by &s;in, and therein the Holine&s;s of God de&s;pi&s;ed. If this be not re&s;tored in our Nature, and that with advantages above what it had in its fir&s;t communica|tion, we cannot be recovered unto the Glory of God.</P>
<P N="2">2. It was nece&s;&s;ary that the <HI>di&s;order brought into the Rule and Government of God by &s;in and rebellion</HI> &s;hould be rectified. This could no otherwi&s;e be done but by the infliction of that puni&s;hment, which in the unalterable Rule and Standard of Divine Ju&s;tice was due thereunto. The <HI>di&s;mi&s;&s;ion of &s;in</HI> on any other terms, would leave the Rule of God under un|&s;peakable di&s;honour and confu&s;ion. For where is the Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s
<PB N="254" REF="154">of Government, if the highe&s;t &s;in and provocation that our Nature was capable of, and which brought confu|&s;ion on the whole Creation below, &s;hould for ever go unpu|ni&s;hed? The fir&s;t expre&s;s Intimation that God gave of his Righteou&s;ne&s;s in the Government of Mankind, was his threat|ning a <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> equal unto the demerit of di&s;obedience, if man &s;hould fall into it. <HI>In the day thou eate&s;t thereof thou &s;halt die.</HI> If he revoke and di&s;annul this &s;entence, how &s;hall the Glory of his Righteou&s;ne&s;s in the Rule of all be made known? But how this puni&s;hment &s;hould be undergone, which con&s;i&s;ted in <HI>mans eternal Ruine,</HI> and yet man be <HI>eter|nally &s;aved,</HI> was a work for Divine Wi&s;dom to contrive. This therefore was nece&s;&s;ary unto the Honour of Gods Righteou&s;ne&s;s, as he is the &s;upreme Governour and Judge of all the Earth.</P>
<P N="3">3. It was nece&s;&s;ary that <HI>Satan</HI> &s;hould be <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> de&s;poiled of his Advantage and Power over Mankind unto the Glory of God. For he was not to be left to triumph in his &s;ucce&s;s. And ina&s;much as man was on his part <HI>rightfully</HI> given up un|to him, his deliverance was not to be wrought by an Act of <HI>ab&s;olute Dominion</HI> and Power, but in a way of Ju&s;tice and lawful Judgment; which things &s;hall be afterwards &s;poken unto.</P>
<P>Without the&s;e things the <HI>recovery of mankind</HI> into the Fa|vour and unto the Enjoyment of God was utterly impo&s;&s;ible on the account of the concernment of the Glory of his Divine Perfections in our Sin and Apo&s;ta&s;y.</P>
<P>How all this might be effected; how the Glory of the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of God in his Law and Rule, and in the primitive con&s;titution of our Nature might be repaired; how his <HI>Goodne&s;s, Love, Grace</HI> and <HI>Mercy</HI> might be manife&s;t|ed and exalted in this work of the Reparation of Mankind, was left unto the care and contrivance of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom.</HI>
<PB N="355" REF="154">From the eternal Springs thereof mu&s;t this work ari&s;e, or cea&s;e for ever.</P>
<P>To trace &s;ome of the foot&s;teps of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> herein, in and from the Revelation of it by its effects, is that which lieth before us. And &s;undry things appear to have been nece&s;&s;ary hereunto. As</P>
<P N="1">1. That all the things required unto our <HI>Re&s;tauration,</HI> the whole work wherein they con&s;i&s;t mu&s;t be <HI>wrought in our own Nature,</HI> in the Nature that had &s;inned, and which was to be re&s;tored and brought unto Glory. On &s;uppo&s;ition I &s;ay, of the <HI>Salvation of our Nature,</HI> no &s;atisfaction can be made unto the Glory of God for the &s;in of <HI>that Nature,</HI> but in <HI>the Na|ture</HI> it &s;elf that &s;inned and is to be &s;aved. For whereas God gave the Law unto <HI>Man</HI> as an effect of his Wi&s;dom and Holi|ne&s;s, which he tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed in his de&s;obedience, wherein could the Glory of them or either of them be exalted if the &s;ame Law were complied withal and fulfilled in and by a Nature of another kind, &s;uppo&s;e that of <HI>Angels?</HI> For notwith|&s;tanding any &s;uch Obedience, yet the Law might be <HI>un&s;uited unto the Nature of man</HI> whereunto it was originally pre&s;cribed. Wherefore there would be a vail drawn over the Glory of God, in <HI>giving the Law</HI> unto man, if it were not fulfilled by Obedi|ence in the <HI>&s;ame Nature.</HI> Nor can there be any &s;uch Relation between the Obedience and &s;ufferings of <HI>one Nature,</HI> in the &s;tead and for the di&s;obedience of <HI>another,</HI> as that Glory might en&s;ue unto the Wi&s;dom, Holine&s;s and Ju&s;tice of God, in the deliverance of that <HI>other</HI> Nature thereon.</P>
<P>The Scripture abounds in the declaration of the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> hereof, with its <HI>condecency</HI> unto Divine Wi&s;dom. Speaking of the way of our Relief and Recovery; <HI>verily,</HI> &s;aith the A|po&s;tle, <HI>he took not on him the Nature of Angels, Heb.</HI> 2.16. Had it been the Recovery of <HI>Angels</HI> which he de&s;igned, he would have taken their Nature on him. But this would
<PB N="256" REF="155">have been no relief at all unto us, no more than the a&s;&s;um|ing of our Nature is of advantage unto the fallen Angels; the obedience and &s;ufferings of Chri&s;t therein, extended not at all unto them, nor was it ju&s;t or equal that they &s;hould be relieved thereby. What then was required unto our deli|verance? why &s;aith he, <HI>Fora&s;much as the children were par|takers of fle&s;h and blood, he al&s;o him&s;elf likewi&s;e took part of the &s;ame, ver.</HI> 14. It was <HI>Humane Nature</HI> (here expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>fle&s;h and blood</HI>) that was to be delivered, and therefore it was <HI>Humane Nature</HI> wherein this deliverance was to be wrought. This the &s;ame Apo&s;tle di&s;putes at large, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. <HI>ver.</HI> 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. The &s;umm is, that as <HI>by one mans di&s;obedience many were made &s;inners,</HI> &s;o by <HI>the obedience of one</HI> (of one man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>ver.</HI> 15.) <HI>are many made Righ|teous.</HI> The &s;ame Nature that &s;inned mu&s;t work out the Re|paration and Recovery from &s;in. So he affirms again, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.21. <HI>For &s;ince by man came Death, by man came al&s;o the Re&s;urrection from the dead.</HI> No otherwi&s;e could our Ruine be retrived, nor our deliverance from &s;in with all the con&s;e|quents of it be effected which came by <HI>man,</HI> which were committed and de&s;erved in and by our Nature, but by <HI>man,</HI> by one of the &s;ame Nature with us. This therefore in the fir&s;t place became the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> that the work of Deli|verance &s;hould be wrought in our own Nature, in the Na|ture that had &s;inned.</P>
<P N="2">2. That part of Humane Nature, wherein or whereby this work was to be effected, as unto the e&s;&s;ence or &s;ub&s;tance of it, was to be <HI>derived from the common Root</HI> or Stock of the &s;ame Nature, in our fir&s;t Parents. It would not &s;uffice here|unto, that God &s;hould create a man out of the <HI>Du&s;t of the Earth,</HI> or out of nothing of the &s;ame nature in general with our &s;elves. For there would be no <HI>cognation</HI> or Alliance be|tween him and us, &s;o as that we &s;hould be any way concerned
<PB N="257" REF="155">in what he did or &s;uffered. For this Alliance depends &s;olely hereon, <HI>That God hath of one blood made all Nations of men, Acts</HI> 17.26. Hence it is that the <HI>Genealogy</HI> of Chri&s;t is given us in the Go&s;pel, not only from <HI>Abraham,</HI> to declare the faithfulne&s;s of God in the promi&s;e that he &s;hould be of his &s;eed, but from <HI>Adam</HI> al&s;o, to manife&s;t his Relation unto the common &s;tock of our Nature, and unto all Mankind there|in.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t di&s;covery of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God herein, was in that primitive Revelation, that the <HI>Deliverer</HI> &s;hould be of <HI>the &s;eed of the woman, Gen.</HI> 3.15. No other but He who was &s;o, could <HI>break the Serpents head,</HI> or <HI>de&s;troy the work of the De|vil,</HI> &s;o as that we might be delivered and re&s;tored. He was not only to be partaker of our Nature, but he was &s;o to be, by being <HI>the &s;eed of the woman, Gal.</HI> 4.4. He was not to be created out of nothing, nor to be made of the du&s;t of the earth, but <HI>&s;o made of a woman,</HI> as that thereby he might receive our Nature from the common root and &s;pring of it. Thus he <HI>who &s;anctifieth and they who are &s;anctified are all of one, Heb.</HI> 2.11. <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is, <GAP DESC="foreign">, of the <HI>&s;ame ma&s;s, of one Nature and blood;</HI> whence he is not a&s;hamed to call them Brethren. This al&s;o was to be brought forth from the Trea&s;ures of Infinite Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Thirdly, This Nature of ours, wherein the work of <HI>our Recovery</HI> and Salvation is to be wrought and performed, was not to be &s;o derived from the <HI>Original Stock</HI> of our kind or Race, as to bring along with it the &s;ame <HI>taint of &s;in,</HI> and the &s;ame <HI>liablene&s;s unto guilt</HI> upon its own account, as ac|company every <HI>other individual per&s;on</HI> in the world. For as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, &s;uch an High Prie&s;t became us, (and as an High Prie&s;t was he to accompli&s;h this work) <HI>as was holy, harmle&s;s, undefiled, &s;eparate from &s;inners.</HI> For if this Nature in him were &s;o <HI>defiled</HI> as it is in us; if it were under
<PB N="258" REF="156">a deprivation of the Image of God, as it is in our per&s;ons before our Renovation, it could do nothing that &s;hould be acceptable unto him. And if it were <HI>&s;ubject unto guilt</HI> on its own account, it could make no &s;atisfaction for the &s;in of others. Here therefore again occurs <HI>nodus vindice dignus,</HI> a difficulty which nothing but <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> could expe|dite.</P>
<P>To take a little farther view hereof, we mu&s;t con&s;ider on what grounds the&s;e things (&s;piritual defilement and guilt) do adhere unto our Nature as they are in all our <HI>individual per&s;ons.</HI> And the fir&s;t of the&s;e, is, that our entire Nature as unto our Participation of it was in <HI>Adam</HI> as our Head and Repre&s;enta|tive. Hence <HI>his &s;in</HI> became <HI>the &s;in of us all,</HI> is ju&s;tly imputed unto us, and charged on us. <HI>In him we all &s;inned;</HI> all did &s;o who were in him as their common Repre&s;entative when he &s;inned. Hereby we became the <HI>Natural Children of Wrath,</HI> or liable unto the Wrath of God for the common &s;in of our Nature, in the Natural and Legal Head or Spring of it. And the other is, that we derive our Nature from <HI>Adam</HI> by the way <HI>of Natural Generation.</HI> By that means alone is the Nature of our fir&s;t Parents as <HI>defiled</HI> communicated unto us. For by this means do we become to appertain unto the &s;tock, as it was degenerate and corrupt. Wherefore that part of our Nature wherein and whereby this great work was to be wrought, mu&s;t as unto its <HI>E&s;&s;ence and Sub&s;tance</HI> be deri|ved from our fir&s;t Parents, yet &s;o as never to have been in <HI>A|dam</HI> as <HI>a common Repre&s;entative;</HI> nor be derived from him by <HI>Natural Generation.</HI></P>
<P>The bringing forth of our Nature in &s;uch an in&s;tance, wherein it &s;hould relate no le&s;s really and truly unto the <HI>fir&s;t Adam</HI> than we do our &s;elves, whereby there is the &s;tricte&s;t alliance of Nature between <HI>him</HI> &s;o partaker of it, and <HI>us,</HI> yet &s;o, as not in the lea&s;t to participate of the <HI>Guilt of the fir&s;t &s;in,</HI>
<PB N="259" REF="156">nor of the <HI>defilement of our Nature</HI> thereby, mu&s;t be an effect of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom,</HI> beyond the conceptions of any created under&s;tanding. And this, as we know, was done in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. For his Humane Nature was never in <HI>Adam</HI> as his Repre&s;entative, nor was he comprized in the Covenant wherein he &s;tood. For he derived it <HI>legally,</HI> only from and after the <HI>fir&s;t Promi&s;e,</HI> when <HI>Adam</HI> cea&s;ed to be a common Per&s;on. Nor did it proceed from him by <HI>natural Genera|tion,</HI> the only means of the derivation of its depravation and pollution. For it was an <HI>holy thing</HI> created in the womb of the Virgin by the power of the mo&s;t High. <HI>O the depths of the Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God!</HI></P>
<P>It was nece&s;&s;ary therefore on all the&s;e con&s;iderations, it was &s;o unto the Glory of the Holy Properties of the Divine Na|ture, and the Reparation of the Honour of his Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, that he by whom the work of our recovery was to be wrought, &s;hould be a <HI>man</HI> partaker of the <HI>Nature that &s;inned,</HI> yet <HI>free from all &s;in,</HI> and all the con&s;equents of it. And this did <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> contrive and accompli&s;h in the Humane Nature of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>But yet in the &s;econd place on all the con&s;iderations before mentioned it is no le&s;s evident that this work could not be wrought or effected by him who was <HI>no more than a meer man,</HI> who had no Nature but ours, who was an <HI>Humane Per|&s;on</HI> and no more. There was no one act which he was to perform in order unto our deliverance, but did require a <HI>Divine Power</HI> to render it efficacious. But herein lies that great <HI>my&s;tery of godline&s;s,</HI> whereunto a continual oppo&s;ition hath been made by the <HI>Gates of Hell,</HI> as we manife&s;ted in the entrance of this di&s;cour&s;e. But whereas it belongs unto the Foundation of our Faith, we mu&s;t enquire into it, and con|firm the Truth of it with &s;uch <HI>Demon&s;trations,</HI> as Divine Revelation doth accommodate us withal. And three things are to be &s;poken unto.</P>
<PB N="200" REF="157">
<P>Fir&s;t, We are to give in <HI>rational evidences,</HI> that the reco|very of Mankind was not to be effected, by any one who was a <HI>meer man</HI> and no more, though it were ab&s;olutely ne|ce&s;&s;ary that <HI>a man</HI> he &s;hould be; he mu&s;t be God al&s;o. Se|condly, we mu&s;t enquire into the <HI>&s;uitablene&s;s or condecency</HI> un|to Divine Wi&s;dom, in the Redemption and Salvation of the Church by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who was <HI>God and Man</HI> in one Per|&s;on. And thereon give a De&s;cription of <HI>the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> and its con&s;titution, which &s;uiteth all the Ends of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> in this glorious work. The fir&s;t of the&s;e falls under &s;undry plain Demon&s;trations.</P>
<P N="1">1. That <HI>Humane Nature</HI> might be re&s;tored, or any portion of Mankind be eternally &s;aved unto the Glory of God, it was ne|ce&s;&s;ary, as we proved before, that an <HI>Obedience &s;hould be yielded unto God and his Law,</HI> which &s;hould give and bring more Glo|ry and Honour unto his Holine&s;s, than there was Di&s;honour reflected on it, by the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of us all. Tho&s;e who are otherwi&s;e minded, care not what becomes of the <HI>Glory of God,</HI> &s;o that wicked &s;inful man may be &s;aved one way or other. But the&s;e thoughts &s;pring out of our <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;y,</HI> and belong not unto that e&s;tate wherein we loved God above all, and preferred his Glory above all, as it was with us at the fir&s;t in the original con&s;titution of our Nature. But &s;uch an <HI>Obedience</HI> could never be yielded unto God by any meer creature whatever; not by any one who was only a man, however dignified and exalted in &s;tate and condition above all others. For to &s;uppo&s;e that God &s;hould be plea&s;ed and glorified with the Obedience of <HI>any one man,</HI> more than he was di&s;plea&s;ed and di&s;honoured by the <HI>Di&s;obedience of Adam</HI> and all his Po&s;terity, is to fancy things that have no ground in Rea&s;on or Ju&s;tice, or any way &s;uitable unto Divine Wi&s;|dom and Holine&s;s. He who undertaketh this work mu&s;t have &s;omewhat that is <HI>Divine</HI> and <HI>Infinite</HI> to put an infinite
<PB N="261" REF="157">value on his Obedience; that is, he mu&s;t be God.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Obedience</HI> of &s;uch an one, of a <HI>meer man,</HI> could have no influence at all on the Recovery of Mankind, nor the Salvation of the Church. For whatever it were, it would be all due from him <HI>for him&s;elf,</HI> and &s;o could only profit or benefit him&s;elf. For what is due from any on his <HI>own ac|count,</HI> cannot redound or be reckoned unto the advantage of another. But there is no <HI>meer creature,</HI> nor can there be any &s;uch, but he is obliged for him&s;elf unto all the Obedi|ence unto God, that he is capable of the performance of in this world, as we have before declared. Yea <HI>&V;niver&s;al Obedience</HI> in all po&s;&s;ible in&s;tances is &s;o ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary unto him, as a creature made in dependance on God, and for the enjoyment of him, that the <HI>voluntary</HI> omi&s;&s;ion of it in any one in&s;tance, would be a <HI>criminal Di&s;obedience,</HI> ruinous unto his own &s;oul. Wherefore no &s;uch <HI>Obedience</HI> could be accepted as any kind of compen&s;ation for the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of others, or in their &s;tead. He then that performs this <HI>Obe|dience</HI> mu&s;t be one who was not originally obliged thereunto on his own account or for him&s;elf. And this mu&s;t be a <HI>Di|vine Per&s;on</HI> and none other; for every meer creature is &s;o obliged. And there is nothing more fundamental in Go&s;pel Principles, than that the Lord Chri&s;t in his Divine Per&s;on was <HI>above the Law,</HI> and for him&s;elf owed no Obedience thereunto. But by his own conde&s;cen&s;ion as he was <HI>made of a woman</HI> for us, &s;o he was <HI>made under the Law</HI> for us. And therefore tho&s;e by whom the Divine Per&s;on of Chri&s;t is de|nied, do all of them contend that he yielded <HI>Obedience unto God for him&s;elf,</HI> and not for us. But herein they bid defiance unto the principal effect of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom,</HI> wherein God will be eternally glorified.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>People</HI> to be freed, redeemed, and brought unto Glory, were great and innumerable; <HI>a great multitude which no man
<PB N="262" REF="158">can number, Rev.</HI> 7.9. The <HI>&s;ins</HI> which they were to be deli|vered, ran&s;omed and ju&s;tified from, for which a Propitiation was to be made, were next unto ab&s;olutely infinite. They wholly &s;urpa&s;s the comprehen&s;ion of any created under&s;tand|ing, or the compa&s;s of Imagination. And <HI>in every one of them</HI> there was &s;omething <HI>reductively Infinite,</HI> as committed again&s;t an Infinite Maje&s;ty. The mi&s;eries which hereon all the&s;e Per&s;ons were obnoxious unto, were <HI>Infinite,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Eternal;</HI> or all that evil which our Nature is capable to &s;uf|fer, was by them all eternally to be undergone.</P>
<P>By all the&s;e <HI>Per&s;ons,</HI> in all the&s;e <HI>&s;ins,</HI> there was an inrode made on the Rule and Government of God, an affront given unto his Ju&s;tice in the violation of his Law. Nor can any of them be delivered from the con&s;equents hereof in eternal mi|&s;ery without a <HI>compen&s;ation</HI> and &s;atisfaction made unto the Ju&s;tice of God. To a&s;&s;ert the contrary, is to &s;uppo&s;e that upon the matter, it is all one to him whether he be <HI>obeyed or di&s;obeyed,</HI> whether he be honoured or di&s;honoured in and by his Creatures. And this is all one as to deny his very Being; &s;eeing it oppo&s;eth the Glory of his e&s;&s;ential Properties. Now to &s;uppo&s;e that a <HI>meer man</HI> by his temporary &s;uffering of ex|ternal pains, &s;hould make &s;atisfaction unto the Ju&s;tice of God <HI>for all the &s;ins of all the&s;e Per&s;ons</HI> &s;o as it &s;hould be right and ju&s;t with him, not only to &s;ave and deliver them from all the evils they were liable unto, but al&s;o to bring them unto Life and Glory, is to con&s;titute a <HI>Mediation</HI> between God and Man that &s;hould con&s;i&s;t in Appearance and O&s;tentation, and not be an effect of Divine Wi&s;dom, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holi|ne&s;s, nor have its Foundation in the Nature and Equity of things them&s;elves. For the things &s;uppo&s;ed will not be redu|ced unto any <HI>Rules of Ju&s;tice</HI> or Proportion, that one of them &s;hould be conceived in any &s;en&s;e to an&s;wer unto the other. That is, there is nothing which an&s;wers any Rule, notions
<PB N="363" REF="158">or conceptions of Ju&s;tice; nothing that might be exemplary unto men in the puni&s;hment of crimes, that the &s;ins of an infinite number of men, de&s;erving every one of them eter|nal death, &s;hould be expiated by the <HI>temporary &s;ufferings</HI> of one meer man, &s;o as to demon&s;trate the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in the puni&s;hment of &s;in. But God doth not do the&s;e things for <HI>&s;hew or appearance,</HI> but according unto the real exigence of the holy Properties of his Nature. And on that &s;uppo&s;ition there mu&s;t be a <HI>proportion</HI> between the things them&s;elves, namely, the &s;ufferings of <HI>one,</HI> and the delive|rance of <HI>all.</HI></P>
<P>Nor could the <HI>Faith</HI> of man ever find a <HI>&s;table Foundation</HI> to fix upon on the &s;uppo&s;ition before mentioned. No Faith is able to conflict with this Objection, that the <HI>&s;ufferings of one meer man</HI> &s;hould be accepted with God as a ju&s;t compen|&s;ation for the &s;ins of the whole Church. Men who in things of this Nature &s;atisfy them&s;elves with <HI>Notions</HI> and Fancies may dige&s;t &s;uch &s;uppo&s;itions. But tho&s;e who make u&s;e of Faith for their own delivery from under a Conviction of &s;in, the nature and demerit of it, with a &s;en&s;e of the Wrath of God, and the cur&s;e of the Law again&s;t it, can find <HI>no relief</HI> in &s;uch Notions or Apprehen&s;ions. But it became the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> in the di&s;pen&s;ation of him&s;elf herein unto the Church, &s;o to order things, as that <HI>Faith</HI> might have an immoveable Rock to build upon. This alone it hath in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> God and man, his obedience and &s;ufferings. Wherefore tho&s;e by whom the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> of the Lord Chri&s;t is denied, do all of them ab&s;olutely deny al&s;o that he made <HI>any &s;atisfa|ction</HI> unto Divine Ju&s;tice for &s;in. They will rather &s;wallow all the ab&s;urdities which the <HI>ab&s;olute di&s;mi&s;&s;ion of &s;in</HI> without &s;atisfaction or puni&s;hment doth bring along with it, than grant that a <HI>meer man</HI> could make any &s;uch &s;atisfaction by his temporary &s;ufferings for the &s;ins of the world. And on
<PB N="264" REF="159">the other hand, whoever doth truly and &s;incerely believe the <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t, namely, that he was God and Man in one Per&s;on, and as &s;uch a Per&s;on acted in the whole work of Mediation, he cannot &s;hut his eyes again&s;t the glo|rious Light of this Truth, that <HI>what he did and &s;uffered</HI> in that work, mu&s;t have an intrin&s;ick worth and excellency in it, out-ballancing all the evil in the &s;ins of Mankind; that more honour and glory accrewed unto the Holine&s;s and Law of God by his <HI>Obedience,</HI> than di&s;honour was ca&s;t on them by the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of <HI>Adam</HI> and all his po&s;terity.</P>
<P N="4">4. The way whereby the Church was to be recovered and &s;aved was by &s;uch works and actings, as one &s;hould take on him&s;elf to perform in the way <HI>of an Office</HI> committed unto him for that End. For whereas man could not recover, ran|&s;ome, nor &s;ave him&s;elf, as we have proved, the whole mu&s;t be wrought for him by another. The undertaking hereof by another, mu&s;t depend on the <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom,</HI> Coun&s;el and Plea&s;ure of God, with the Will and Con&s;ent of him who was to undertake it. So al&s;o did the con&s;titution of the way and means in particular whereby this Deliverance was to be wrought. Hereon it became his <HI>Office</HI> to do the things which were required unto that end. But we have before proved apart by it &s;elf that <HI>no Office</HI> unto this purpo&s;e could be di&s;charged towards God, or the whole Church, by any one who was a man only. I &s;hall not therefore here farther in&s;i&s;t upon it, although there be good argument in it unto our pre&s;ent purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="5">5. If man be recovered, he mu&s;t be re&s;tored <HI>into the &s;ame &s;tate, condition and dignity</HI> wherein he was placed before the fall. To re&s;tore him with any <HI>diminution of Honour and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s,</HI> was not &s;uited unto Divine Wi&s;dom and <HI>Bounty.</HI> Yea &s;eeing it was the Infinite Grace, Goodne&s;s and Mercy of God to <HI>re&s;tore him,</HI> it &s;eems agreeable unto the Glory of
<PB N="265" REF="159">Divine Excellencies in their operations, that he &s;hould be brought into a <HI>better and more honourable condition</HI> than that which he had lo&s;t. But before the <HI>Fall</HI> man was not &s;ub|ject nor obedient <HI>unto any but unto God alone. Somewhat le&s;s</HI> he was in Dignity than the <HI>Angels,</HI> howbeit he owed them no Obedience, they were his fellow-&s;ervants. And as for all other things here below, they were made <HI>&s;ubject unto him, and put under his feet,</HI> he him&s;elf being in &s;ubjection unto God alone. But if he were redeemed and re&s;tored by one who was a <HI>meer creature,</HI> he could not be re&s;tored unto this &s;tate and dignity. For on all grounds of Right and Equity, he mu&s;t <HI>owe all Service and Obedience</HI> unto him by whom he was redeemed, re&s;tored and recovered, as the Au|thor of the &s;tate wherein he is. For when we are <HI>bought with a price, we are not our own,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle affirms, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.19, 20. We are <HI>therefore his who hath bought us,</HI> and him are we bound to &s;erve in our &s;ouls and bodies which are his. Accordingly in the purcha&s;e of us, the Lord Chri&s;t became <HI>our ab&s;olute Lord,</HI> unto whom we owe all Religious &s;ubjection of &s;oul and con&s;cience, <HI>Rom.</HI> 14.7, 8, 9. It would follow therefore that if we were redeemed and recovered by the Interpo&s;ition of a <HI>meer creature,</HI> if &s;uch an one were our Redeemer, Saviour and Deliverer, into the <HI>&s;ervice of a meer creature,</HI> that is Religious Service and Obedience, we &s;hould be recovered. And &s;o they believe who affirm the Lord Chri&s;t to be a man and no more. But on this &s;uppo&s;ition we are &s;o far from an <HI>Advancement</HI> in &s;tate and dignity by our Re&s;tauration, that we do not recover what we were fir&s;t en|&s;tated in. For it belonged thereunto, that we &s;hould owe Religious Service and Obedience unto <HI>him alone</HI> who was God by Nature over all ble&s;&s;ed for ever. And they bring all confu&s;ion into Chri&s;tian Religion, who make a <HI>meer crea|ture</HI> the object of our Faith, Love, Adoration, Invocation,
<PB N="266" REF="160">and all &s;acred Wor&s;hip. But in our pre&s;ent <HI>Re&s;tauration</HI> we are made &s;ubject anew as unto Religious Service <HI>only unto God alone.</HI> Therefore the holy <HI>Angels,</HI> the Head of the Creation, do openly di&s;claim any &s;uch &s;ervice and veneration from us, becau&s;e they are only the <HI>fellow &s;ervants</HI> of them that have the Te&s;timony of Je&s;us, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.10. Nor hath God put the <HI>world to come,</HI> the Go&s;pel &s;tate of the Church into &s;ubjection unto <HI>Angels</HI> or any other creature, but only unto the Son, who is Lord over his own hou&s;e, even he that made all things, who is God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.4, 5, 6. Wherefore we are re&s;tored into our primitive condition to be in &s;piritual &s;ubjection unto God a|lone. He therefore by whom we are re&s;tored, unto whom we owe all Obedience and Religious &s;ervice, is, and ought to be <HI>God</HI> al&s;o. And as they utterly overthrow the Go&s;pel who af|firm that all the Obedience of it is due unto him <HI>who is a man and no more,</HI> as do all by whom the Divine Nature of Chri&s;t is denied; &s;o they deba&s;e them&s;elves beneath the dignity of the &s;tate of Redemption, and ca&s;t di&s;honour on the Mediation of Chri&s;t, who &s;ubject them&s;elves in any Religious &s;ervice to <HI>Saints</HI> or <HI>Angels,</HI> or any other creatures whatever.</P>
<P>On the&s;e &s;uppo&s;itions which are full of Light and Evidence, <HI>infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> did interpo&s;e it &s;elf, to glorify all the other con|cerned Excellencies of the Glory of God, in &s;uch a way as might &s;olye all difficulties, and &s;atisfy all the Ends of Gods Glory, in the Recovery and Redemption of Mankind. The <HI>ca&s;e</HI> before it was as followeth.</P>
<P>Man by &s;in had ca&s;t the mo&s;t <HI>inconceiveable di&s;honour</HI> on the Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Holine&s;s, Goodne&s;s and Rule of God, and him|&s;elf into the guilt of eternal Ruin. In this &s;tate it became the Wi&s;|dom &amp; Goodne&s;s of God, neither to &s;uffer the <HI>whole race of Man|kind</HI> to come &s;hort eternally of that enjoyment of him&s;elf for which it was created, nor yet to deliver <HI>any one of them,</HI> without a retrival of the eternal Honour of his Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Holine&s;s
<PB N="267" REF="160">and Rule from the diminution and wa&s;te that was made of it by &s;in. As this could no way be done, but by a <HI>full &s;atisfacti|on</HI> unto Ju&s;tice and an Obedience unto the Law, bringing and yielding more Honour unto the Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, than they could any way loo&s;e by the &s;in an di&s;obe|dience of man; &s;o this <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> mu&s;t be made, and this <HI>Obe|dience</HI> be yielded in and by the &s;ame Nature that &s;inned or di&s;|obeyed, whereby alone the Re&s;idue of Mankind may be inte|re&s;ted in the Benefits and Effects of that Obedience, and Satis|faction. Yet was it nece&s;&s;ary hereunto, that the <HI>Nature</HI> where|in all this was to be performed, though derived from the &s;ame common &s;tock with that whereof in all our Per&s;ons we are partakers, &s;hould be ab&s;olutely free from the <HI>Contagion and Guilt,</HI> which with it, and by it are communicated unto our <HI>Per&s;ons,</HI> from that common &s;tock. Unle&s;s it were &s;o there could be no undertaking in it for <HI>others,</HI> it would not be able to an&s;wer for <HI>it&s;elf.</HI> But yet on all the&s;e &s;uppo&s;itions, no un|dertaking, no performance of Duty in <HI>Humane Nature</HI> could po&s;&s;ibly yield that <HI>Obedience</HI> unto God, or make that <HI>&s;atisfacti|on</HI> for &s;in, whereon the deliverance of <HI>others</HI> might en&s;ue, unto the Glory of the Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Rule of God.</P>
<P>In this &s;tate of things did <HI>infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> interpo&s;e it &s;elf, in that glorious ineffable contrivance of the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> or of the Divine Nature in the eternal Son of God, and of ours in the &s;ame individual Per&s;on. Other waies this work could not be accompli&s;hed; at lea&s;t all other waies are hidden from the eyes of all living, no created under&s;tanding being able to apprehend any other way whereby it might &s;o have been un|to the eternal Glory of God. This therefore is &s;uch an effect of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom,</HI> as will be the Object of Holy <HI>Adoration</HI> and <HI>Admiration</HI> unto Eternity; as unto this Life, <HI>how little a portion</HI> is it we know of its Excellency?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="268" REF="161">
<HEAD>CHAP. XVII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Other Evidences of Divine Wi&s;dom in the contrivance of the work of Redemption in and by the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, in Ef|fects evidencing a condecency thereunto.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THat which remains of our pre&s;ent enquiry, is concer|ning tho&s;e Evidences of <HI>Divine Condecency</HI> or &s;uitable|ne&s;s unto <HI>infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> and Goodne&s;s, which we may ga|ther from the Nature of this work, and its Effects, as expre&s;|&s;ed in <HI>Divine Revelation.</HI> Some few in&s;tances hereof I &s;hall chu&s;e out from among&s;t many that might be in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Man was made to &s;erve God in all things.</HI> In his Per&s;on, in his Soul and Body, in all his Faculties, Powers and Sen&s;es, in all that was given unto him or intru&s;ted with him, he was <HI>not his own,</HI> but every way a <HI>Servant,</HI> in all that he was, in all that he had, in all that he did or was to do. This he was made for, this &s;tate and condition was nece&s;&s;ary unto him as a <HI>Creature.</HI> It could be no otherwi&s;e with any that was &s;o, it was &s;o with the <HI>Angels</HI> who were greater in Dignity and Power than man. The very name of <HI>Creature</HI> includes the condition of univer&s;al &s;ubjection and &s;ervice unto the Creator. This condition in and by his &s;in, <HI>Adam</HI> de&s;igned to de&s;ert, and to free him&s;elf from. He would exalt him&s;elf out of <HI>the &s;tate of Service and Obedience,</HI> ab&s;olute and univer|&s;al, into a condition of <HI>&s;elf-&s;ufficiency</HI> of Domination and Rule. He would <HI>be as God, like unto God,</HI> that is, &s;ubject no more to him, be in no more dependance on him, but advance his own Will above the Will of God. And there is &s;omewhat of this in every &s;in; the &s;inner would advance his own Will
<PB N="269" REF="161">in oppo&s;ition unto, and above the Will of God. But what was the event hereof? Man by endeavouring to free him&s;elf from <HI>ab&s;olute &s;ubjection</HI> and univer&s;al &s;ervice, to invade <HI>ab&s;o|lute dominion,</HI> fell into <HI>ab&s;olute and eternal ruine.</HI></P>
<P>For our recovery out of this &s;tate and condition, con&s;idering how we ca&s;t our &s;elves into it, the way in&s;i&s;ted on was found out by <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom,</HI> namely, the incarnation of the Son of God. For he was <HI>Lord of all,</HI> had ab&s;olute Dominion over all, <HI>owed no Service,</HI> no Obedience for him&s;elf, being in the form of God, and equal unto him. From this &s;tate of ab&s;o|lute <HI>Dominion,</HI> he de&s;cended into a condition of ab&s;olute &s;er|vice. As <HI>Adam</HI> &s;inned and fell by leaving that &s;tate of <HI>ab&s;olute &s;ervice</HI> which was due unto him, proper unto his Nature, in|&s;eparable from it, to attempt a &s;tate of <HI>ab&s;olute Dominion,</HI> which was not his own, not due unto him, not con&s;i&s;tent with his Nature; &s;o the Son of God being made the <HI>&s;econd Adam,</HI> relieved us by de&s;cending from a <HI>&s;tate of ab&s;olute Dominion,</HI> which was his own, due to his Nature, to take on him a &s;tate of <HI>ab&s;olute &s;ervice,</HI> which was not his own, nor due unto him. And this being incon&s;i&s;tent with his own Divine Nature, he performed it, by taking <HI>our Nature on him,</HI> making it his own. He <HI>de&s;cended</HI> as much <HI>beneath him&s;elf</HI> in his <HI>&s;elf-humilia|tion,</HI> as <HI>Adam</HI> de&s;igned to <HI>a&s;cend above him&s;elf</HI> in his <HI>Pride</HI> and &s;elf-exaltation.</P>
<P>The con&s;ideration of the Divine Grace and Wi&s;dom herein the Apo&s;tle propo&s;eth unto us, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8. <HI>Who being in the form of God, thought it not Robbery to be equal with God. But made him&s;elf of no Reputation, and took upon him the form a Servant, and was made in the likene&s;s of man; and being found in fa&s;hion as a man, he humbled him&s;elf, and became obedient un|to death, even the death of the Cro&s;s. Adam</HI> being in the <HI>form,</HI> that is, the &s;tate and condition of a Servant, did by <HI>Robbery</HI> attempt to take upon him the <HI>form of God,</HI> or to
<PB N="270" REF="162">make him&s;elf equal unto him. The Lord Chri&s;t being in the <HI>form of God,</HI> that is, his <HI>E&s;&s;ential form</HI> of the &s;ame Nature with him, accounted it <HI>no Robbery</HI> to be in the &s;tate and con|dition of God, to be <HI>equal to him.</HI> But being made in <HI>the fa&s;hion of a man,</HI> taking on him our Nature, he al&s;o &s;ubmitted unto the <HI>form</HI> or the <HI>&s;tate and condition</HI> of a &s;ervant there|in. He had Dominion over all, owed &s;ervice and obedience unto none, being in the <HI>form of God,</HI> and equal unto him, the condition which <HI>Adam</HI> a&s;pired unto. But he conde&s;cen|ded unto a &s;tate of <HI>ab&s;olute &s;ubjection and &s;ervice</HI> for our reco|very. This did no more belong unto him on his own account, than it belonged unto <HI>Adam</HI> to be like unto God, or equal to him. Wherefore it is &s;aid that he <HI>humbled him&s;elf</HI> unto it, as <HI>Adam</HI> would have <HI>exalted</HI> him&s;elf unto a &s;tate of Dignity which was not his due.</P>
<P>This &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion of the Son of God unto an e&s;tate of <HI>ab&s;o|lute</HI> and <HI>univer&s;al &s;ervice,</HI> is declared by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.5. For tho&s;e words of the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, Mine ears ha&s;t thou digged</HI> or <HI>bored. P&s;al.</HI> 40.6 he renders, <HI>a Body ha&s;t thou pre|pared me.</HI> There is an allu&s;ion in the words of the Prophecy unto him under the Law, who gave up him&s;elf in ab&s;olute and perpetual &s;ervice; in &s;ign whereof his <HI>ears were bored with an Awl.</HI> So the Body of Chri&s;t was prepared for him, that therein he might be in a &s;tate of <HI>ab&s;olute &s;ervice</HI> unto God. So he became to have <HI>nothing of his own,</HI> the original &s;tate that <HI>Adam</HI> would have for&s;aken, no not his life, he was obedient unto the death.</P>
<P>This way did Divine Wi&s;dom find out and contrive, whereby more Glory did ari&s;e unto the Holine&s;s and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of God from his conde&s;cen&s;ion unto univer&s;al &s;er|vice and obedience, who was over all God ble&s;&s;ed for ever; than di&s;honour was ca&s;t upon them by the &s;elf-exaltation of him, who being in all things a &s;ervant, de&s;igned to be like un|to God.</P>
<PB N="271" REF="162">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Adam was Poor in him&s;elf</HI> as a Creature mu&s;t be. What <HI>Riches</HI> he had in his hand or <HI>Power,</HI> they were none of his own, they were only tru&s;ted with him for e&s;pecial &s;ervice. In this &s;tate of <HI>Poverty</HI> he commits the <HI>Robbery</HI> of attempting to be like unto God. Being <HI>Poor</HI> he would make him&s;elf <HI>Rich</HI> by the <HI>Rapine</HI> of an equality with God. This brought on him and us all, as it was meet it &s;hould, the lo&s;s of all that we were entru&s;ted with. Hereby we lo&s;t the Image of God, lo&s;t our right unto the Creatures here below, lo&s;t our &s;elves and our &s;ouls. This was the I&s;&s;ue of his attempt, to be <HI>Rich</HI> when he was <HI>Poor.</HI></P>
<P>In this &s;tate infinite Wi&s;dom hath provided for our relief unto the Glory of God. <HI>For the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t being Rich in him&s;elf, for our &s;akes he became Poor, that we through his Poverty might be Rich,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.9. He was Rich in that Riches which <HI>Adam</HI> de&s;igned by Robbery. For he was in the <HI>form of God,</HI> and accounted it no Robbery to be equal with God. But he made him&s;elf <HI>Poor</HI> for our &s;akes, with <HI>Poverty</HI> which <HI>Adam</HI> would have relinqui&s;hed; yea to that degree that he had <HI>not where to lay his head,</HI> he had nothing. Hereby he made a compen&s;ation for what he <HI>never made &s;poil of,</HI> or paid what he never took. In this conde&s;cen&s;ion of his, out of Grace and Love to Mankind, was God more glorifi|ed, than he was di&s;honoured in the &s;inful exaltation of <HI>Adam</HI> out of Pride and Self-love.</P>
<P N="3">3. The &s;in of man con&s;i&s;ted formally in <HI>De&s;obedience.</HI> And it was the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of him who was every way and in all things obliged unto <HI>Obedience.</HI> For man by all that he was, by all that he had received, by all that he expected or was farther capable of, by the con&s;titution of his own Nature, by the Nature and Authority of God with his relation thereunto, was <HI>indi&s;pen&s;ibly obliged</HI> unto univer&s;al Obedience. His &s;in there|fore was the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of him who was ab&s;olutely obliged
<PB N="272" REF="163">unto <HI>Obedience</HI> by the very con&s;titution of his Being and ne|ce&s;&s;ary Relation unto God. This was that which rendred it &s;o exceeding &s;inful, and the con&s;equents of it eternally mi|&s;erable. And from this Obligation his &s;in in any one In|&s;tance was a total Renuntiation of all Obedience unto God.</P>
<P>The recompence with re&s;pect unto the Glory of God, for <HI>Di&s;obedtence</HI> mu&s;t be by <HI>Obedience,</HI> as hath been before de|clared. And if there be not a full <HI>Obedience</HI> yielded unto the Law of God in that Nature that &s;inned, man cannot be &s;aved without an eternal violation of the Glory of God therein. But the <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> of him who was every way obliged un|to <HI>Obedience,</HI> could not be compen&s;ated but by his <HI>Obedience,</HI> who was no way obliged thereunto. And this could be only the Obedience of him that is God, (for all Creatures are ob|liged to Obedience for them&s;elves) and it could be performed only by him who was man. Wherefore for the accompli&s;h|ment of this Obedience, he who in his <HI>own Per&s;on,</HI> as God, was <HI>above the Law,</HI> was in his <HI>Humane Nature,</HI> in his own Per&s;on, as man, made under the Law. Had he not been <HI>made under the Law,</HI> what he did could not have been <HI>Obedi|ence;</HI> and had he not been in him&s;elf above the Law, his <HI>Obedience</HI> could not have been beneficial unto us. The &s;in of <HI>Adam</HI> (and the &s;ame is in the nature of every &s;in) con&s;i&s;ted in this, that he who was naturally <HI>every way under the Law,</HI> and &s;ubject unto it, would be every <HI>way above the Law,</HI> and no way obliged by it. Wherefore it was taken away unto the Glory of God, by his <HI>Obedience,</HI> who being in him|&s;elf <HI>above the Law,</HI> no way &s;ubject unto it, yet &s;ubmitted, humbled him&s;elf, to be <HI>made under the Law,</HI> to be every way obliged by it, &s;ee <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.13. <HI>Chap.</HI> 4.4. This is the &s;ubject of the di&s;cour&s;e of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. from <HI>ver.</HI> 12. to the end of the Chapter.</P>
<P>Unto the Glory of God in all the&s;e Ends the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t
<PB N="273" REF="163">as an effect of <HI>infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> was meet and able to be a Mediator and Undertaker between God and Man. In the <HI>&V;nion</HI> of both our Natures in the &s;ame Per&s;on, he was &s;o meet by his relation unto both; unto God by <HI>filiation</HI> or &s;on|&s;hip, unto us by <HI>brotherhood</HI> or neerne&s;s of kindred, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.14. And he was <HI>able</HI> from the dignity of his Per&s;on. For the <HI>Temporary &s;ufferings</HI> of him who was eternal, was a full compen&s;ation for the <HI>Eternal &s;ufferings</HI> of them who were temporary.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>God made man the Lord of all things here below.</HI> He was as it were the <HI>Heir of God,</HI> as unto the Inheritance of this world in pre&s;ent, and as unto a ble&s;&s;ed &s;tate in eternal Glory. But he lo&s;t all Right and Title hereunto by &s;in. He made <HI>forfeiture</HI> of the whole, by the Law of the Tenure whereby he held it, and God took the forfeiture. Wherefore he de&s;igns a <HI>New Heir</HI> of all, and ve&s;ts the whole Inheritance of Hea|ven and Earth in him, even in his Son. He <HI>appointed him the Heir of all things, Heb.</HI> 1.3. This Tran&s;lation of Gods Inhe|ritance the Apo&s;tle declares, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8, 9. For the words which he cites from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8.4, 5, 6. <HI>What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man that thou vi&s;ite&s;t him? For thou ha&s;t made him a little lower than the Angels, and ha&s;t crowned him with Glory and Honour: Thou made&s;t him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands: Thou ha&s;t put all things under his feet;</HI> do declare the original condition of Mankind in general. But man <HI>forfeited the Dominion and Inheritance</HI> that he was entru&s;ted withal; and God &s;ettleth it anew, &s;olely in the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us. So the Apo&s;tle adds. <HI>We &s;ee not all things put under him, but we &s;ee it all</HI> accompli&s;hed in <HI>Je&s;us, ver.</HI> 9. But as all other Inheritances do de&s;cend with theirs, &s;o did this unto him with its <HI>Burden.</HI> There was a great <HI>Debt</HI> upon it, the debt of &s;in. This he was to undergo, to make payment of, or &s;atisfaction for, or he could not
<PB N="274" REF="164">rightly enter upon the Inheritance. This could no other|wi&s;e be done but by his &s;uffering in our Nature, as hath been declared. He who was the <HI>Heir of all,</HI> was in him&s;elf to purge our &s;ins. Herein did the Infinite Wi&s;dom of God manife&s;t it &s;elf, in that he conveyed the Inheritance of all things unto him, who mas <HI>meet and able</HI> &s;o to enter upon it, &s;o to enjoy and po&s;&s;e&s;s it, as that no detriment or <HI>dam|mage</HI> might ari&s;e unto the Riches, the Revenue, the Glory of God, from the <HI>wa&s;te</HI> made by the former Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Mankind was to be recovered unto Faith and Tru&s;t in God, as al&s;o unto the Love of him above all.</HI> All the&s;e things had utterly for&s;aken our Nature; and the <HI>Reduction</HI> of them in|to it, is a work of the greate&s;t difficulty. We had &s;o pro|voked God, he had given &s;uch evidences of his wrath and di&s;|plea&s;ure again&s;t us, and our minds thereon were &s;o aliena|ted from him, as we &s;tood in need of the <HI>&s;tronge&s;t Motives,</HI> and highe&s;t encouragements once to attempt to return unto him, &s;o as to place all our Faith and Tru&s;t in him, and all our Love upon him.</P>
<P>Sinners generally live in a neglect and contempt of God, in an enmity again&s;t him. But whenever they are convinced of a nece&s;&s;ity to endeavour a return unto him, the fir&s;t thing they have to conflict withal, is <HI>Fear.</HI> Beginning to under|&s;tand who and what he is, as al&s;o how things &s;tand between him and them, they are <HI>afraid</HI> to have any thing to do with him, and judge it impo&s;&s;ible that they &s;hould find acceptance with him. This was the &s;en&s;e that <HI>Adam</HI> him&s;elf had upon his &s;in, when he was afraid and hid him&s;elf. And the &s;en&s;e of other &s;inners is frequently expre&s;&s;ed unto the &s;ame pur|po&s;e in the Scripture. See <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33.14. <HI>Mich.</HI> 6.6, 7.</P>
<P>All the&s;e <HI>Di&s;couragements</HI> are ab&s;olutely provided again&s;t in that way of our Recovery which <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> hath found out. It were a thing <HI>delightful</HI> to dwell on the &s;ecu|rities
<PB N="275" REF="164">given us therein, as unto our acceptance in all tho&s;e Principles, Acts and Duties wherein the Renovation of the Image of God doth con&s;i&s;t. I mu&s;t contract my Meditations, and &s;hall therefore in&s;tance in &s;ome few things only unto that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Faith</HI> is not capable of greater encouragement or con|firmation than lyeth in this one con&s;ideration, that what we are to believe unto this end, is <HI>delivered unto us by God him&s;elf in our Nature.</HI> What could confirm our Faith and Hope in God, what could encourage us to expect acceptance with God, like this ineffable Te&s;timony of his good Will unto us. The nature of things is not capable of greater a&s;&s;urance, &s;ee|ing the Divine Nature is capable of no greater conde&s;cen|&s;ion.</P>
<P>This the Scripture propo&s;eth as that which gives a ju&s;t expectation that again&s;t all <HI>fears</HI> and oppo&s;itions we &s;hould clo&s;e with Divine Calls and Invitations to return unto God. <HI>La&s;t of all he &s;ent unto them his Son, &s;aying, They will reve|rence my Son, Matth.</HI> 21.37. they will believe the me&s;&s;age which I &s;end by him. <HI>He hath &s;poken unto us by the Son who is the Brightne&s;s of his Glory, and the expre&s;s Image of his Per&s;on, Heb.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. The con&s;ideration hereof is &s;ufficient to di&s;pel all that darkne&s;s and confu&s;ion which <HI>Fear,</HI> Dread and Guilt do bring on the minds of men when they are in|vited to return unto God. That that God again&s;t whom we have &s;inned, &s;hould &s;peak unto us and treat with us in <HI>our own Nature,</HI> about a return unto him&s;elf, is the utmo&s;t that Divine Excellencies could conde&s;cend unto. And as this was needful for us, (though proud men and &s;en&s;le&s;s of &s;in under|&s;tand it not,) &s;o if it be refu&s;ed it will be attended with the &s;ore&s;t de&s;truction, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. This <HI>Treaty</HI> principally con&s;i&s;ts in a <HI>Divine Declara|tion,</HI> that all the cau&s;es of <HI>Fear and Dread</HI> upon the account
<PB N="276" REF="165" MS="y">of &s;in, are removed and taken away. This is the &s;ub&s;tance of the Go&s;pel, as it is declared by the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.18, 19, 20, 21. Wherefore if hereon we refu&s;e to return unto God, to make him the object of our Faith, Tru&s;t, Love and Delight, it is not by rea&s;on of any old or former &s;in, not of that of our <HI>original Apo&s;tacy</HI> from God, nor of the effects of it again&s;t the Law, by the means of a <HI>new &s;in,</HI> out-doing them all in guilt and contempt of God. Such is <HI>final unbelief</HI> again&s;t the propo&s;al of the Go&s;pel. It hath more <HI>malignity</HI> in it, than all other &s;ins whatever. But by this way of our Reco|very, all cau&s;e of fear and dread is taken away, all pretences of a di&s;tru&s;t of the Love and good Will of God are defeated; &s;o that if men will not hereon be recovered unto him, it is from their <HI>hatred of him,</HI> and enmity unto him, the fruits whereof they mu&s;t feed on to eternity.</P>
<P N="3">3. Whereas if we will return unto God by <HI>Faith,</HI> we are al&s;o to return unto him in <HI>Love,</HI> what greater motive can there be unto it, than that <HI>Infinite Love</HI> of the Father and the Son unto us, which is gloriou&s;ly di&s;played in this way of our Recovery. See 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.9, 10. <HI>Si amare pigebat, &s;altem redamare ne pigeat.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The whole Race of Mankind falling into &s;in again&s;t God, and Apo&s;ta&s;y from him, there was no <HI>Example</HI> left un|to them to manife&s;t how excellent, how glorious and come|ly a thing it is to live unto God, to believe and tru&s;t in him, to cleave unto him unchangeably by <HI>Love.</HI> For they were utter &s;trangers unto what is done by <HI>Angels</HI> above, nor could be affected with their example. But without a <HI>Pattern</HI> of the&s;e things, manife&s;ting their Excellency and Reward, they could not earne&s;tly endeavour to attain unto them. This is given us mo&s;t con&s;picuou&s;ly in the <HI>Humane Nature of Chri&s;t.</HI> See <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.13. Hereby therefore every thing need|ful for our encouragement to return unto God is in <HI>Infi|nite
<PB N="277" REF="165">Wi&s;dom</HI> provided for, and propo&s;ed unto us.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> in the way of our recovery by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, de&s;igned <HI>to glorify a &s;tate of Obedience unto God, and to ca&s;t the reproach of the mo&s;t inex|pre&s;&s;ible Folly on the relinqui&s;hment of that &s;tate by &s;in.</HI> For as God would recover and re&s;tore us, &s;o he would do it in <HI>a way of Obedience</HI> on our part, of that Obedience which we had for&s;aken. The de&s;ign of man which was impo&s;ed on him by the craft of Satan, was to <HI>become wi&s;e like unto God,</HI> knowing Good and Evil. The <HI>Folly</HI> of this endeavour was quickly di&s;|covered in its effects. Sen&s;e of Nakedne&s;s with Shame, Mi|&s;ery and Death immediately en&s;ued thereon.</P>
<P>But <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> thought meet to aggravate the reproach of this <HI>Folly.</HI> He would let us &s;ee wherein the <HI>true Know|ledge of Good and Evil did con&s;i&s;t,</HI> and how fooli&s;hly we had a&s;pired unto it by a Relinqui&s;hment of that &s;tate of <HI>Obedience</HI> wherein we were created.</P>
<P><HI>Job</HI> the 28th. from <HI>ver.</HI> 12. unto the end of the Chapter, there is an enquiry after <HI>Wi&s;dom and the place of its habitation.</HI> All Creatures give an account that it is not in them, that it is hid from them, only they have <HI>heard the fame thereof.</HI> All the context is to evince, that it is <HI>e&s;&s;entially</HI> and <HI>originally</HI> only in God him&s;elf. But if we cannot comprehend it in it &s;elf, yet may we not know what is <HI>Wi&s;dom unto us,</HI> and what is required thereunto? yes &s;aith he; <HI>For unto man he &s;aid, behold the fear of the Lord is Wi&s;dom, and to depart from evil that is &V;nder&s;tanding, ver.</HI> 28. Man on the other hand by the &s;ugge&s;tion of Satan <HI>thought,</HI> and now of him&s;elf continues to think otherwi&s;e, namely, that the <HI>way to be wi&s;e</HI> is to relinqui&s;h the&s;e things. The World will not be per|&s;waded that <HI>the fear of the Lord is Wi&s;dom,</HI> and to depart from evil is Under&s;tanding. Yea there is nothing that the mo&s;t of men do more de&s;pi&s;e and &s;corn, than thoughts that
<PB N="278" REF="166">true Wi&s;dom doth con&s;i&s;t in <HI>Faith, Love, Fear</HI> and <HI>Obedience unto God,</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14.6. Whatever el&s;e may be pleaded to be in it, yet &s;ure enough they are, that tho&s;e who count it <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> are but Fools.</P>
<P>To ca&s;t an everla&s;ting reproach of <HI>folly</HI> on this contrivance of the Divel and Man, and uncontroulably to evince wherein alone <HI>true Wi&s;dom</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t, God would <HI>glorify a &s;tate of Obedience.</HI> He would render it incomparably more amiable, de&s;ireable and excellent, than ever it could have appeared to have been in the Obedience of all the Angels in Heaven, and men on Earth, had they continued therein. This he did in this way of our recovery; in that his own <HI>eternal Son</HI> entred into a <HI>&s;tate of Obedience,</HI> and took upon him the <HI>form</HI> or con|dition of <HI>a Servant</HI> unto God.</P>
<P>What more evident conviction could there be of the <HI>folly</HI> of Mankind in hearkning unto the &s;ugge&s;tion of Satan, to &s;eek after <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> in another condition? how could that great Maxim, which is laid down in oppo&s;ition unto all vain thoughts of man, be more eminently exemplified; that the <HI>Fear of the Lord that is Wi&s;dom, and to depart from evil that is &V;nder&s;tanding?</HI> What greater evidence could be given, that the Nature of man is not capable of a better condition than that of <HI>&s;ervice</HI> and <HI>univer&s;al Obedience</HI> unto God? How could any &s;tate be repre&s;ented more amiable, de&s;ireable and ble&s;&s;ed? In the Obedience of Chri&s;t, of the Son of God in our Nature, <HI>Apo&s;tate &s;inners</HI> are upbraided with their <HI>folly,</HI> in re|linqui&s;hing that &s;tate, which by his &s;u&s;ception of it, is ren|dred &s;o glorious. What have we attained by leaving that con|dition, which the eternal Son of God delighted in? <HI>I delight,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>to do thy Will, O my God, yea thy Law is in the mid&s;t of my bowels, P&s;al.</HI> 40.8. It is the highe&s;t demon&s;tra|tion, that our Nature is not capable of more order, more Beauty, more Glory, than con&s;i&s;ts in Obedience unto God.
<PB N="279" REF="166">And that &s;tate which we fell into upon our for&s;aking of it, we now know to be all <HI>Darkne&s;s, Confu&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Mi&s;ery.</HI></P>
<P>Wherefore &s;eeing God in infinite Grace and Mercy would recover us unto him&s;elf; and in his Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holi|ne&s;s would do this in a way of <HI>Obedience,</HI> of that Obedience which we had for&s;aken; it hath an eminent impre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Divine Wi&s;dom</HI> upon it, that in this My&s;tery of God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, the only means of our recovery, he would ca&s;t the reproach of the mo&s;t inexpre&s;&s;ible <HI>Folly</HI> on our Apo&s;ta&s;y from a &s;tate of it, and render it amiable and de&s;ireable unto all who are to return unto him.</P>
<P>To bear the &s;hame of this <HI>Folly,</HI> to be deeply &s;en&s;ible of it; and to live in a con&s;tant Pro&s;pect and View of the Glory of <HI>Obedience</HI> in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, with a &s;edulous endeavour for <HI>conformity</HI> thereunto, is the highe&s;t attainment of our <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> in this world; and who&s;oever is otherwi&s;e minded, is &s;o at his own utmo&s;t peril.</P>
<P N="7">7. God in Infinite Wi&s;dom hath by this means <HI>&s;ecured the whole Inheritance of this life, and that which is to come from a &s;econd forfeiture.</HI> Whatever God will be&s;tow on the Children of men, he grants it unto them in the way of an <HI>Inheritance.</HI> So the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> cho&s;en out for a Repre&s;entative of Spiritual and Eternal things, was granted unto <HI>Abraham</HI> and his &s;eed for an Inheritance. And his intere&s;t in the Promi&s;e is expre&s;&s;ed by being <HI>Heir of the World.</HI> All the things of this life that are really good and u&s;eful unto us, do belong unto this Inheritance. So they did when it was ve&s;ted in <HI>Adam.</HI> All things of Grace and Glory do &s;o al&s;o. And the whole of the priviledg of Believers is, that they are <HI>Heirs of Salvation.</HI> Hence <HI>Godline&s;s hath the Promi&s;e of the life that now is, and that which is to come,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.5. And the Promi&s;e is only of the <HI>Inheritance.</HI> This Inheritance, as was before intima|ted was lo&s;t in <HI>Adam,</HI> and forfeited into the hand of the great
<PB N="280" REF="167">Lord, the great Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of Heaven and Earth. In his &s;ove|raign Grace and Goodne&s;s he was plea&s;ed again to <HI>re&s;tore</HI> it, as unto all the Benefits of it unto the former <HI>Tenants,</HI> and that with an Addition of Grace, and a more exceeding weight of Glory. But withal, Infinite Wi&s;dom provides that a <HI>&s;e|cond forfeiture</HI> &s;hall not be made of it. Wherefore the grant of it is not made immediately unto any of tho&s;e for who&s;e u&s;e and benefit it is prepared and granted. They had been once tried and failed in their <HI>Tru&s;t</HI> unto their own eternal Beg|gary and Ruin, had not Infinite Grace interpo&s;ed for their relief. And it did not become the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and Glory of God to make a <HI>&s;econd Grant</HI> of it which might be fru&s;trate in like manner. Wherefore he would not commit it again unto any meer Creature whatever; nor could it &s;afely have been &s;o done with &s;ecurity unto his Glory. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. It was too <HI>great a Tru&s;t,</HI> even the whole Inheritance of Heaven and Earth, all the Riches of Grace and Glory to be committed unto any one of them. God would not give this Glory unto any one Creature. If it be &s;aid, it was fir&s;t com|mitted unto <HI>Adam,</HI> and therefore to have it again, is not an honour above the capacity of a creature; I &s;ay that the nature of the <HI>Inheritance</HI> is greatly changed. The whole of what was entru&s;ted with <HI>Adam,</HI> comes exceedingly &s;hort of what God hath now prepared as the Inheritance of the Church. There is Grace in it, and Glory added unto it, which <HI>Adam</HI> neither had, nor could have right unto. It is now of that nature, as could neither be entru&s;ted with, nor commu|nicated by any meer creature. Be&s;ides, he that hath it is the <HI>Object of the Faith</HI> and Tru&s;t of the Church, nor can any be intere&s;ted in any part of this <HI>Inheritance,</HI> without the ex|erci&s;e of tho&s;e and all other graces on <HI>him,</HI> who&s;e the Inhe|ritance is. And &s;o to be the object of our Faith, is the pre|rogative of the Divine Nature alone.</P>
<PB N="281" REF="167">
<P N="2">2. No <HI>meer creature</HI> could &s;ecure this Inheritance that it &s;hould be lo&s;t no more; and yet if it were &s;o, it would be highly derogatory unto the Glory of God. For two things were required hereunto. (1.) That he in whom this Tru&s;t is ve&s;ted, &s;hould be in him&s;elf <HI>uncapable</HI> of any &s;uch failure, as through which by the immutable eternal Law of Obedience unto God, a <HI>forfeiture</HI> of it&s;hould be made. (2.) That he un|dertake for them all who &s;hall be <HI>Heirs of Salvation,</HI> who &s;hall enjoy this <HI>Inheritance,</HI> that none of them &s;hould lo&s;e or forfeit their own Per&s;onal Intere&s;t in it, or the Terms whereon it is conveyed and communicated unto them. But no meer creature was &s;ufficient unto the&s;e ends. For no one of them in and by him&s;elf, in the con&s;titution of his Nature, is ab&s;olutely free from <HI>falling from God,</HI> him&s;elf. They <HI>may</HI> receive, the Angels in Heaven, and the glorified Saints <HI>have</HI> received &s;uch a confirmation in and by Grace, as that they &s;hall never <HI>actually</HI> apo&s;tatize or fall from God. But this they have not from them&s;elves, nor the Principles of their own Nature, which is nece&s;&s;ary unto him that &s;hall receive this Tru&s;t. For &s;o when it was fir&s;t ve&s;ted in <HI>Adam,</HI> he was left to pre&s;erve it by the <HI>innate concreated abilities</HI> of his own Nature. And as unto the latter, all the <HI>Angels</HI> in Heaven cannot undertake to &s;ecure the Obedience of any one man, &s;o as that the conveyance of the Inheritance may be &s;ure un|to him. Wherefore with re&s;pect hereunto, tho&s;e Angels them&s;elves, though the mo&s;t holy and glorious of all the creatures of God, have no greater Tru&s;t or Intere&s;t, than to <HI>be mini&s;tring &s;pirits, &s;ent forth to mini&s;ter for them who &s;hall be Heirs of Salvation, Heb.</HI> 1.14. So unmeet are they to have the whole Inheritance ve&s;ted in any of them.</P>
<P>But all this Infinite Wi&s;dom hath provided for in the great <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI> God herein makes his only Son the <HI>Heir of all things,</HI> and ve&s;ts the
<PB N="282" REF="168">whole Inheritance ab&s;olutely in him. For the <HI>Promi&s;e,</HI> which is the Court-Roll of Heaven, the only external mean and Re|cord of its conveyance, was originally made unto Chri&s;t on|ly. God <HI>&s;aid not, and unto thy &s;eeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy &s;eed, which &s;eed is Chri&s;t, Gal.</HI> 3.16. And we become again <HI>Heirs of God,</HI> only as we are <HI>joynt-heirs</HI> with Chri&s;t, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.17. that is, by being taken into a parti|cipation of that Inheritance which is ve&s;ted in him alone. For many may be partakers of the <HI>Benefit</HI> of that, who&s;e <HI>Right</HI> and <HI>Title</HI> is in one alone, when it is conveyed unto him for their u&s;e. And hereby the ends before-mentioned are fully provided for. For</P>
<P N="1">1. He who is thus made the <HI>Heir of all</HI> is meet to be entru&s;t|ed with the Glory of it. For where this grant is &s;olemnly ex|pre&s;&s;ed, it is declared that he is the <HI>Brightne&s;s of the Fathers Glory, and the Expre&s;s Image of his Per&s;on, Heb.</HI> 1.2, 3. And that by him <HI>the Worlds were made.</HI> He alone was meet to be this <HI>Heir,</HI> who is partaker of the Divine Nature, and by whom all things were created. For &s;uch things belong unto it, as cannot appertain unto any other. The <HI>Reader</HI> may con&s;ult if he plea&s;e our <HI>Expo&s;ition</HI> of that place of the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P N="2">2. Any <HI>Failure in his own Per&s;on</HI> was ab&s;olutely impo&s;&s;i|ble. The &s;ub&s;i&s;tence of the Humane Nature in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, rendred the lea&s;t &s;in utterly impo&s;&s;ible unto him. For all the moral operations of that Nature are the acts of the Per&s;on of the Son of God. And hereby not only is the <HI>Inheritance</HI> &s;ecured, but al&s;o an a&s;&s;urance that it is &s;o, is given unto all them that do believe. This is the life and &s;oul of all Go&s;pel comforts, that the whole <HI>Inheritance</HI> of Grace and Glory is ve&s;ted in Chri&s;t, where it can never &s;uffer lo&s;s or dammage. When we are &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>want of Grace,</HI> &s;hould we go unto God, and &s;ay, <HI>Father give us the portion of goods that falls unto us,</HI> as the Prodigal did, we &s;hould quick|ly
<PB N="283" REF="168">con&s;ume it, and bring our &s;elves unto the utmo&s;t mi&s;ery as he did al&s;o. But in Chri&s;t the whole <HI>Inheritance</HI> is &s;ecured for evermore.</P>
<P N="3">3. He is able to pre&s;erve all tho&s;e who &s;hall be <HI>Heirs of this Inheritance,</HI> that they forfeit not their own per&s;onal In|tere&s;t therein, according unto the Terms of the Covenant, whereby it is made over to them. He can and will by the power of his Grace pre&s;erve them all unto the full enjoyment of the <HI>purcha&s;ed Inheritance.</HI> We hold our Title by the <HI>Rod,</HI> at the Will of the Lord. And many failures we are liable un|to whereon we are <HI>in Mi&s;ericordia Domini,</HI> and are &s;ubject unto Amearcements. But yet the whole Inheritance being granted unto Chri&s;t, is eternally &s;ecured for us, and we are by his Grace pre&s;erved from &s;uch offences again&s;t the <HI>&s;upream Lord,</HI> or committing any <HI>&s;uch wa&s;ts,</HI> as &s;hould ca&s;t us out of our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion. See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89.27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Thus in all things Infinite Wi&s;dom hath provided, that no <HI>&s;econd for|feiture</HI> &s;hould be made of the <HI>Inheritance</HI> of Grace and Glo|ry, which as it would have been eternally ruinous unto Mankind, &s;o it was incon&s;i&s;tent with the Glory and Honour of God.</P>
<P N="8">8. The <HI>Wi&s;dom of God was gloriou&s;ly exalted in the Righteous De&s;truction of Satan and his Intere&s;t</HI> by the Incarnation and Mediation of the Son of God. He had prevailed again&s;t the <HI>fir&s;t way</HI> of the Manife&s;tation of Divine Glory; and therein both plea&s;ed and prided him&s;elf. Nothing could ever give &s;uch &s;atisfaction unto the malicious murderer, as the breach he had occa&s;ioned between God and Man, with his hopes and apprehen&s;ions that it would be eternal. He had no other thoughts, but that the whole <HI>Race of Mankind</HI> which God had de&s;igned unto the enjoyment of him&s;elf, &s;hould be ever|la&s;tingly ruined. So he had &s;atisfied his envy again&s;t man in his eternal de&s;truction with him&s;elf, and his malice again&s;t
<PB N="284" REF="169">God in depriving him of his Glory. Hereon upon the di|&s;tance that he had made between God and Man, he interpo&s;ed him&s;elf, and boa&s;ted him&s;elf for a long &s;ea&s;on, <HI>as the God of this World,</HI> who had all power over it and in it. It belonged unto the Honour of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God, that he &s;hould be defeated in this triumph. Neither was it meet that this &s;hould be done by a meer act of <HI>Soveraign Omnipotent Power.</HI> For he would yet glory in his <HI>craft</HI> and the &s;ucce&s;s of it, that there was no way to di&s;appoint him, but by cru&s;hing him with power, without re&s;pect unto <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> or demon&s;tra|tion of <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI> Wherefore it mu&s;t be done in &s;uch a way, as wherein he might &s;ee unto his eternal &s;hame and confu|&s;ion, all his <HI>Arts</HI> and <HI>Subtilties</HI> defeated by Infinite Wi&s;dom, and his enterprize overthrown in a way of Right and Equity. The Remark that the Holy Gho&s;t puts on the <HI>Serpent</HI> which was his In&s;trument in drawing man unto Apo&s;ta&s;y from God, namely, that he was <HI>&s;ubtle above all the bea&s;ts of the field,</HI> is only to intimate wherein Satan de&s;igned his attempt, and from whence he hoped for his &s;ucce&s;s. It was not an <HI>Act of Power</HI> or Rage, but of <HI>Craft, Coun&s;el,</HI> Subtilty and Deceit. Herein he gloried and prided him&s;elf; wherefore the way to di&s;appoint him with &s;hame, mu&s;t be a contrivance of In|finite <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> turning all his Artifices into meer folly.</P>
<P>This work of God with re&s;pect unto him is expre&s;&s;ed in the Scripture two waies; Fir&s;t, It is called the <HI>&s;poiling of him,</HI> as unto his Power, and the Prey that he had taken. The <HI>&s;trong man armed</HI> was to be bound, and his goods &s;poiled. The Lord Chri&s;t by his Death <HI>de&s;troyed him that had the Power of Death,</HI> that is, the Devil. He <HI>lead Captivity captive,</HI> &s;poiling Principalities and Powers, triumphing over them in his Cro&s;s. So <HI>Abraham</HI> when he &s;mote the Kings, not only delivered <HI>Lot</HI> who was their captive, but al&s;o took <HI>all their &s;poils.</HI> Again, it is expre&s;&s;ed by the <HI>de&s;truction of his works.
<PB N="285" REF="169">For this cau&s;e was the Son of God manife&s;ted, that he might de&s;troy the works of the Devil.</HI> The <HI>&s;poils</HI> which he had in his own power were taken from him, and the <HI>works</HI> which he had erected in the minds of men were demoli&s;hed. The <HI>web</HI> which he had wove to clothe him&s;elf withall as <HI>the God of this world,</HI> was unravelled to the la&s;t thread. And although all this &s;eems to repre&s;ent a work of Power, yet was it in|deed an effect of <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and Righteou&s;ne&s;s principally.</P>
<P>For the Power which Satan had over Mankind was in it &s;elf <HI>unju&s;t.</HI> For (1.) He obtained it by <HI>fraud</HI> and <HI>deceit. The Serpent beguiled Eve.</HI> (2.) He po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed it with <HI>inju&s;tice,</HI> with re&s;pect unto God, being an Invader of his Right and Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion. (3.) He u&s;ed and exerci&s;ed it with <HI>malice,</HI> tyranny and rage; &s;o as that it was every way <HI>unju&s;t</HI> both in its foun|dation and execution. With re&s;pect hereunto he was <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> de&s;troyed by <HI>Omnipotent Power,</HI> which puts forth its &s;elf in his eternal puni&s;hment. But on the other &s;ide, Mankind did <HI>&s;uffer ju&s;tly</HI> under his Power, being given up unto it in the Righteous Judgment of God. For one may <HI>&s;uffer</HI> ju&s;tly what another <HI>doth</HI> unju&s;tly inflict. As when one cau&s;le&s;ly &s;trikes an <HI>innocent man,</HI> if he &s;trikes him again, he who did the fir&s;t injury <HI>&s;uffereth ju&s;tly,</HI> but the other doth <HI>unju&s;tly</HI> in reveng|ing him&s;elf. Wherefore as man was given up unto him in a way of puni&s;hment, he was a <HI>lawful Captive,</HI> and was not to be delivered but in a way of Ju&s;tice. And this was done in a way that Satan never thought of. For by the obedience and &s;ufferings of the Son of God Incarnate, there was full <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> made unto the Ju&s;tice of God for the &s;ins of man, a reparation of his Glory, and an exaltation of the Honour of his Holine&s;s, with all the other Properties of his Nature, as al&s;o of his Law, out-ballancing all the <HI>Diminution</HI> of it by the fir&s;t Apo&s;ta&s;y of Mankind, as hath been declared. Imme|diately hereon all the <HI>charms</HI> of Satan were di&s;&s;olved, all his
<PB N="286" REF="170"><HI>chains</HI> loo&s;ed, his darkne&s;s that he had brought on the Crea|tion di&s;pelled, his whole Plot and De&s;ign defeated; where|on he &s;aw him&s;elf, and was expo&s;ed unto all the holy Angels of Heaven, in all the coun&s;els, craft and power he had boa&s;t|ed of, to be nothing but a <HI>congeries, a ma&s;s of darkne&s;s, malice, folly, impotency and rage.</HI></P>
<P>Hereon did Satan make an <HI>entrance</HI> into one of the prin|cipal parts of his eternal Torments, in that furious &s;elf-ma|ceration which he is given up unto on the con&s;ideration of his defeat and di&s;appointment. Ab&s;olute <HI>Power</HI> he alwaies feared, and what it would produce; for he <HI>believes that, and trembles.</HI> But again&s;t any other way he thought he had &s;e|cured him&s;elf. It lyeth plain to every under&s;tanding, what &s;hame, confu&s;ion, and &s;elf-revenge, the proud <HI>Apo&s;tate</HI> was ca&s;t into upon this holy righteous di&s;appointment of his de|&s;ign; whereas he had alwaies promi&s;ed him&s;elf to carry his cau&s;e, or at lea&s;t to put God to act in the de&s;truction of his Dominion, by meer Omnipotent Power, without regard un|to any other Properties of his Nature. To find that which he contrived for the de&s;truction of the Glory of God, the di&s;|appointment of his ends in the Creation of all things, and the eternal Ruine of Mankind, to i&s;&s;ue in a more <HI>glorious Exal|tation</HI> of the holy Properties of the Divine Nature, and an un&s;peakable Augmentation of Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s unto Mankind it &s;elf, is the highe&s;t aggravation of his eternal torments. This was a work every way becoming the Infinite Wi&s;dom of God.</P>
<P N="9">9. Whereas there are <HI>three di&s;tinct Per&s;ons</HI> in the Holy Tri|nity, it became the Wi&s;dom of God, that <HI>the Son, the &s;econd Per&s;on,</HI> &s;hould undertake this work, and be incarnate. I &s;hall but &s;paringly touch on this <HI>glorious My&s;tery.</HI> For as unto the rea&s;on of it, it is ab&s;olutely re&s;olved into the <HI>Infinite Wi&s;|dom</HI> and &s;overaign Coun&s;el of the Divine Will. And all &s;uch
<PB N="287" REF="170">things are the Objects of an Holy Admiration, not <HI>curiou&s;ly</HI> to be enquired into. To intrude our&s;elves into the things <HI>which we have not &s;een,</HI> that is, which are not revealed in tho&s;e concernments of them which are <HI>not revealed,</HI> is not unto the advantage of Faith in our edification. But as unto what is declared of them, either immediately and directly, or by their <HI>Relation</HI> unto other known Truths, we may medi|tate on them unto the improvement of Faith and Love to|wards God. And &s;ome things are thus evident unto us in this My&s;tery.</P>
<P N="1">1. We had by &s;in lo&s;t <HI>the Image of God,</HI> and thereby all gracious acceptance with him, all intere&s;t in his Love and Fa|vour. In our recovery, as we have declared, this <HI>Image</HI> is again to be re&s;tored unto us, or we are to be renewed <HI>into the likene&s;s of God.</HI> And there was a condecency unto <HI>Di|vine Wi&s;dom,</HI> that this work &s;hould in a peculiar manner be effected by him who is the <HI>e&s;&s;ential Image</HI> of God, that is, the Father. This as we have formerly &s;hewed, was the Per&s;on of the Son. Receiving his per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence, and there|withal, the Divine Nature with all its e&s;&s;ential Properties from the Father by eternal generation, he was thereon the <HI>expre&s;s Image of his Per&s;on,</HI> and the brightne&s;s of his Glory. What|ever is in the Per&s;on of the Father, is in the Per&s;on of the Son, and being all received from the Father, he is his e&s;&s;en|tial Image. And one end of his Incarnation was that he might be the <HI>Repre&s;entative Image</HI> of God unto us. Whereas therefore in the work of our recovery, the <HI>Image</HI> of God &s;hould be re&s;tored in us, there was a <HI>condecency</HI> that it &s;hould be done by him who was the e&s;&s;ential Image of God. For it con&s;i&s;ts in the communication of the effects and likene&s;s of the &s;ame Image unto us, which was e&s;&s;entially in him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="2">2. We were by Nature the <HI>Sons of God.</HI> We &s;tood in re|lation
<PB N="288" REF="171">of Sons unto him by vertue of our Creation, the Com|munication of his Image and Likene&s;s, with the preparation of an Inheritance for us. On the &s;ame accounts the <HI>Angels</HI> are frequently called the <HI>Sons of God.</HI> This Title, this Rela|tion unto God, we utterly lo&s;t by &s;in, becoming <HI>Aliens from him,</HI> and Enemies unto him. Without a recovery into this e&s;tate we cannot be re&s;tored, nor brought unto the enjoy|ment of God. And this cannot be done but by <HI>Adoption.</HI> Now it &s;eems convenient unto Divine Wi&s;dom, that he &s;hould reco|ver our <HI>Son-&s;hip</HI> by <HI>Adoption,</HI> who was him&s;elf the <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> and <HI>eternal Son of God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The &s;umm of what we can comprehend in this great my&s;tery ari&s;eth from the con&s;ideration of the <HI>Order</HI> of the Holy Per&s;ons of the Ble&s;&s;ed Trinity in their operations. For their <HI>Order</HI> herein doth follow that of their &s;ub&s;i&s;tence. Unto this great work there are peculiarly required, <HI>Authority, Love</HI> and <HI>Power,</HI> all directed by Infinite <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI> The&s;e ori|ginally re&s;ide in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Father,</HI> and the acting of them in this matter is con&s;tantly a&s;cribed unto him. He <HI>&s;ent the Son,</HI> as he <HI>gives the Spirit,</HI> by an act of Soveraign Autho|rity. And he &s;ent the Son from his eternal <HI>Love;</HI> he loved the World, and &s;ent his Son to die. This is con&s;tantly a&s;&s;ig|ned to be the effect of the Love and Grace of the <HI>Father.</HI> And he wrought in Chri&s;t, and he works in us, with re&s;pect unto the End of this My&s;tery, with the <HI>exceeding greatne&s;s of his Power, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.18. The Son who is the &s;econd Per|&s;on in the <HI>Order of &s;ub&s;i&s;tence,</HI> in the Order of operation puts the whole <HI>Authority, Love</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of the Father in execu|tion. This Order of &s;ub&s;i&s;tence and operation thereon, is expre&s;ly declared by the Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.6. <HI>&V;nto us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t by whom are all things, and we by him.</HI> The Father is the Original Fountain and Spring, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<PB N="289" REF="171"><HI>from whom,</HI> who&s;e Original Authority, Love, Goodne&s;s and Power, <HI>are all the&s;e things.</HI> That expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>from him,</HI> peculiarly denotes the eternal original of all things. But how are this Authority, Goodne&s;s, Love and Power in the Father, whence all the&s;e things &s;pring and ari&s;e, made <HI>effectual,</HI> how are their effects wrought out and accompli&s;hed? <HI>There is one Lord, even Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> a di&s;tinct Per&s;on from the Father, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>by whom</HI> are all things. He works in the order of his &s;ub&s;i&s;tence, to execute, work and accompli&s;h all that origi|nally proceedeth from the Father. By the Holy Spirit, who is the third Per&s;on in order of &s;ub&s;i&s;tence, there is made a <HI>perfecting Application</HI> of the whole unto all its proper ends.</P>
<P>Wherefore this work of our Redemption and Recovery, being the e&s;pecial effect of the <HI>Authority, Love</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of the Father, it was to be <HI>executed</HI> in and by the <HI>Per&s;on of the Son;</HI> as the application of it unto us is made by the Holy Gho&s;t. Hence it became not the <HI>Per&s;on of the Father</HI> to <HI>a&s;&s;ume our Nature;</HI> it belonged not thereunto in the order of Sub&s;i&s;tence and Operation in the Ble&s;&s;ed Trinity. The Au|thority, Love and Power whence the whole work proceeded, were his in a peculiar manner. But the <HI>execution</HI> of what Infinite Wi&s;dom de&s;igned in them and by them, belonged unto another. Nor did this belong unto the Per&s;on of the Holy Spirit, who in <HI>order</HI> of Divine Operation following that of his Sub&s;i&s;tence, was to perfect the whole work, in making <HI>Application</HI> of it unto the Church when it was wrought. Wherefore it was every way &s;uited unto Divine Wi&s;dom, unto the order of the Holy Per&s;ons in their Sub|&s;i&s;tence and Operation, that this work &s;hould be undertaken and accompli&s;hed in the <HI>Per&s;on of the Son.</HI> What is farther mu&s;t be referred unto another world.</P>
<P>The&s;e are &s;ome few of tho&s;e things wherein the <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> of God in this holy contrivance giveth forth &s;ome
<PB N="290" REF="172">rays of it &s;elf into enlightened minds, and truly humbled &s;ouls. But <HI>how little a portion of it is heard by us?</HI> How weak, how low are our conceptions about it? We cannot herein find out the Almighty unto perfection. No &s;mall part of the Glory of Heaven will con&s;i&s;t in that comprehen&s;ion which we &s;hall have of the My&s;tery of the Wi&s;dom, Love and Grace of God herein.</P>
<P>Howbeit we are with all <HI>diligence</HI> to enquire into it whil&s;t we are here in the way. It is the very <HI>center</HI> of all glorious <HI>Evangelical</HI> Truths; not one of them can be under&s;tood, be|lieved, or improved as they ought, without a due compre|hen&s;ion of their Relation hereunto; as we have &s;hewed be|fore.</P>
<P>This is that which the <HI>Prophets of old</HI> enquired into and after with all diligence, even the My&s;tery of God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, with the Glory that en&s;ued thereon, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11. Yet had they not that Light to di&s;cern it by, which we have. The <HI>lea&s;t in the Kingdom of God,</HI> as to the knowledge of this My&s;tery may be above the greate&s;t of them. And ought we not to fear le&s;t our &s;loth under the beams of the Sun &s;hould be condemned by their diligence in the twi|light?</P>
<P>This the <HI>Angels</HI> bow down to look into, although their concerns therein were not equal to ours. But <HI>Angels</HI> are An|gels, and <HI>Prophets</HI> were Prophets; we are a generation of <HI>poor &s;inful men</HI> who are little concerned in the Glory of God or our own Duty.</P>
<P>Is it not much to be lamented that many Chri&s;tians con|tent them&s;elves with a very <HI>&s;uperficiary</HI> knowledge of the&s;e things? How are the Studies, the Abilities, the Time and Diligence of many excellent per&s;ons ingaged in, and laid out about the <HI>Works of Nature,</HI> and the effects of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power in them, by whom any endeavour to enquire in|to
<PB N="291" REF="172">this glorious My&s;tery is neglected, if not de&s;pi&s;ed? Alas, the Light of Divine Wi&s;dom in the greate&s;t works of Na|ture, holds not the proportion of the <HI>meane&s;t Star</HI> unto the Sun in its full &s;trength, unto that glory of it which &s;hines in this My&s;tery of God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, and the work ac|compli&s;hed thereby. A little time &s;hall put an end unto the whole &s;ubject of their enquiries, with all the concernment of God and man in them for evermore. This alone is that which <HI>fills up eternity,</HI> and which although it be now with &s;ome as nothing, yet will &s;hortly be <HI>All.</HI></P>
<P>Is it not much more to be lamented, that many who are called Chri&s;tians do even <HI>de&s;pi&s;e the&s;e My&s;teries?</HI> &s;ome op|po&s;e them directly with <HI>pernicious Here&s;ies</HI> about the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, denying his Divine Nature, or the Per&s;onal Union of his two Natures, whereby the whole My&s;tery of <HI>Infinite Wi&s;dom</HI> is evacuated and rejected. And &s;ome there are who though they do not deny the <HI>Truth</HI> of this My&s;tery, yet they both <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> and <HI>reproach</HI> &s;uch as with any diligence endea|vour to enquire into it. I &s;hall add the words u&s;ed on an alike occa&s;ion unto them who &s;incerely believe the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. <HI>But ye Beloved building up your &s;elves in your mo&s;t holy Faith, praying in the Holy Gho&s;t, keep your &s;elves in the Love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, unto eternal life.</HI> And the due contemplation of this My&s;tery will certainly be attended with many &s;piri|tual advantages.</P>
<P N="1">1. It will bring in <HI>&s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s in believing</HI> as unto the e&s;pe|cial concerns of our own &s;ouls; &s;o as to give unto God the Glory that is his due thereon. This is the work, the&s;e are the Ends of <HI>Faith, Rom.</HI> 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We &s;ee how many Chri&s;tians who are <HI>&s;incere believers,</HI> yet fluctuate in their minds with great uncertainties as unto their own &s;tate and condition. The principal rea&s;on of it, is becau&s;e they are
<PB N="292" REF="173"><HI>unskilful in the Word of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and &s;o are Babes in a weak condition, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.13. This is the way of Spiritual Peace. When the &s;oul of a Believer is a|ble to take a view of the Glory of <HI>the Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> exalting all the other holy Properties of his Nature in this great My&s;tery unto our Salvation, it will obviate all fears, remove all Objections, and be a means of bringing in <HI>a&s;&s;ured Peace</HI> into the mind; which without a due comprehen&s;ion of it, will never be attained.</P>
<P N="2">2. The acting of Faith hereon, is that which is accompa|nied with its great Power to <HI>change and transform the &s;oul</HI> into the Image and Likene&s;s of Chri&s;t. So is it expre&s;&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. <HI>We all with open face beholding as in a Gla&s;s the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the &s;ame Image from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.</HI> We all <HI>beholding;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, not taking a tran&s;ient glance of the&s;e things, but diligently in&s;pecting them, as tho&s;e do who <HI>through a Gla&s;s</HI> de&s;ign a &s;teady view of things at a di&s;tance: That which we are thus to behold by the continued actings of Faith in holy contemplation, is the <HI>Glory of the Lord in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> as it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Ch.</HI> 4. <HI>v.</HI> 6. which is nothing but that <HI>My&s;tery of Godline&s;s,</HI> in who&s;e explanation we have been ingaged. And what is the effect, of the <HI>&s;teady contem|plation</HI> of this My&s;tery by Faith? <GAP DESC="foreign">, we are <HI>changed,</HI> made quite other creatures than we were, ca&s;t into the <HI>form, figure,</HI> and Image of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the great de&s;ign of all Believers in this World. Would we then be like unto Chri&s;t? would we bear the Image of the <HI>Heavenly,</HI> as we have borne the Image of the <HI>Earthy?</HI> is nothing &s;o <HI>dete&s;table</HI> unto us as the deformd Image of the Old Man, in all the lu&s;ts of the mind and of the fle&s;h? is nothing &s;o <HI>amiable</HI> and de&s;ira|ble as the Image of Chri&s;t and the Repre&s;entation of God in him; this is the way, this is the means of attaining the end which we aim at.</P>
<PB N="293" REF="173">
<P N="3">3. Abounding in this Duty is the mo&s;t effectual means of freeing us in particular from the <HI>&s;hame and bane of Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> in <HI>Earthly mindedne&s;s.</HI> There is nothing &s;o unbecoming a Chri&s;tian, as to have his mind alwaies exerci&s;ed about, alwaies filled with thoughts of <HI>Earthly things.</HI> And according as mens <HI>thoughts</HI> are exerci&s;ed about them, their <HI>affections</HI> are encrea&s;ed and enflamed towards them. The&s;e things mutu|ally promote one another, and there is a kind of <HI>circulation</HI> in them. Multiplied <HI>thoughts</HI> enflame <HI>affections,</HI> and enfla|med <HI>affections</HI> encrea&s;e the number of <HI>thoughts</HI> concerning them. Nothing is more repugnant unto the whole life of Faith, nothing more ob&s;tructive unto the exerci&s;e of all Grace, than a prevalency of this frame of mind. And at this &s;ea&s;on in an e&s;pecial manner it is vi&s;ibly <HI>preying</HI> on the vitals of Religion. To abound in the contemplation of this My&s;tery, and in the exerci&s;e of Faith about it, as it is <HI>dia|metrically</HI> oppo&s;ed unto this frame, &s;o it will gradually ca&s;t it out of the &s;oul. And without this we &s;hall labour in the fire for deliverance from this pernicous evil.</P>
<P N="4">4. And hereby are we prepared for the <HI>enjoyment of Glory above.</HI> No &s;mall part of that Glory con&s;i&s;ts in the eternal contemplation and adoration of the Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Love and Power of God in this My&s;tery and the effects of it, as &s;hall afterwards be declared.</P>
<P>And how can we better or otherwi&s;e be prepared for it, but by the implanting a &s;en&s;e of it on our minds by &s;edulous contemplation whil&s;t we are in this world. God will not take us into Heaven, into the <HI>Vi&s;ion and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of heavenly Glory,</HI> with our heads and hearts reaking with the thoughts and affections of earthly things. He hath appointed means to make us <HI>meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light,</HI> before he will bring us unto the enjoyment of it. And this is the principal way whereby he doth it. For hereby it is
<PB N="294" REF="174">that we are <HI>changed into the Image of Chri&s;t from Glory to Glory,</HI> and make the neare&s;t approaches unto the eternal fulne&s;s of it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Nature of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the Hypo&s;tatical Union of his Natures declared.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE Nature or <HI>Con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> hath been commonly &s;poken unto, and treated of in the Writings both of the Antient and Modern <HI>Divines.</HI> It is not my purpo&s;e in this Di&s;cour&s;e to handle any thing that hath been &s;o fully already declared by others. Howbeit to &s;peak <HI>&s;omething</HI> of it in this place, is nece&s;&s;ary unto the pre|&s;ent work; and I &s;hall do it in an&s;wer unto a double End or De&s;ign.</P>
<P N="1">1. To help tho&s;e that believe, in the <HI>Regulation of their thoughts</HI> about this Divine Per&s;on, &s;o far as the Scripture goeth before us. It is of great Importance unto our &s;ouls, that we have <HI>right conceptions</HI> concerning him; not only in general, and in oppo&s;ition unto the <HI>pernicious Here&s;ies</HI> of them by whom his Divine Per&s;on, or either of his Natures are denied; but al&s;o in tho&s;e e&s;pecial In&s;tances wherein it is the mo&s;t ineffable Effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace. For although the knowledge of him mentioned in the Go&s;pel, be not confined meerly unto his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> in the con&s;titution thereof, but extends it &s;elf unto the <HI>whole work of his Media|tion,</HI> with the de&s;ign of Gods Love and Grace therein, with our own Duty thereon; yet is this knowledge of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> the foundation of all the re&s;t, wherein if we mi&s;take or fail,
<PB N="295" REF="174">our whole Building in the other parts of the knowledge of him will fall unto the ground. And although the &s;aving knowledge of him is not to be obtained without e&s;pecial Di|vine Revelation, <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.17. or &s;aving Illumination, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.20. nor can we know him perfectly, until we come where he is to behold his Glory, 1 <HI>John</HI> 17.24. yet are in&s;tructions from the Scripture of u&s;e to lead us into tho&s;e farther degrees of the knowledge of him which are attainable in this life.</P>
<P N="2">2. To manife&s;t in particular how <HI>ineffably di&s;tinct the Re|lation between the Son of God and the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us,</HI> is from all that Relation and Union which may be between God and Believers, or between God and any other creature. The want of a true under&s;tanding hereof, is the <HI>fundamental Er|rour</HI> of many in our days. We &s;hall manife&s;t thereupon how <HI>it plea&s;ed the Father that in him &s;hould all fulne&s;s dwell,</HI> &s;o that in all things <HI>he might have the preeminence, Col.</HI> 1.18, 19. And I &s;hall herein wholly avoid the curious enquiries, bold conjectures, and unwarrantable determinations of the <HI>School|men</HI> and &s;ome others. For many of them de&s;igning to <HI>expli|cate</HI> this My&s;tery, by exceeding the bounds of Scripture Light and &s;acred Sobriety, have <HI>ob&s;cured</HI> it. Endeavouring to ren|der all things plain unto <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> they have expre&s;&s;ed many things <HI>un&s;ound as unto Faith,</HI> and fallen into manifold contra|dictions among them&s;elves. Hence <HI>Aquinas</HI> affirms that three of the waies of declaring the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> which are propo&s;ed by the <HI>Ma&s;ter of the &s;entences,</HI> are &s;o far from <HI>probable opinions,</HI> as that they <HI>are down-right Here&s;ies.</HI> I &s;hall therefore confine my &s;elf in the explication of this My&s;tery unto the Propo&s;itions of Divine Revelation, with the ju&s;t and nece&s;&s;ary expo&s;itions of them.</P>
<P>What the Scripture repre&s;ents of the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God</HI> in this great work, may be reduced unto the&s;e four Heads. (1). The <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> of our Nature into per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence with the
<PB N="296" REF="175">Son of God. (2.) The <HI>&V;nion</HI> of the two Natures in that &s;in|gle Per&s;on which is con&s;equential thereon. (3.) The <HI>Mu|tual Communication</HI> of tho&s;e di&s;tinct Natures the Divine and Humane by vertue of that Union. (4.) The <HI>Enuntiations</HI> or Praedications concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, which follow on that <HI>&V;nion</HI> and <HI>Communion.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing in the Divine Con&s;titution of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t as God and Man, is <HI>A&s;&s;umption.</HI> That ineffable Di|vine Act I intend, whereby the Per&s;on of the Son of God, <HI>a&s;&s;umed</HI> our Nature, or took it into a per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence with him&s;elf. This the Scripture expre&s;&s;eth &s;ometimes <HI>actively</HI> with re&s;pect unto the Divine Nature acting in the Per&s;on of the Son, the Nature a&s;&s;uming; &s;ometimes <HI>pa&s;&s;ive|ly</HI> with re&s;pect unto the Humane Nature, the Nature <HI>a&s;&s;u|med.</HI> The fir&s;t it doth, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.14, 16. <HI>Fora&s;much as the Children are partakers of fle&s;h and blood, he al&s;o him&s;elf likewi&s;e took part of the &s;ame. For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels, but he took on him the &s;eed of Abraham, Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7. <HI>Being in the form of God, he took on him the form of a Servant;</HI> and in &s;undry other places. The <HI>A&s;&s;umption,</HI> the taking of our Humane Nature to be his own, by an ineffable act of his Power and Grace, is clearly expre&s;&s;ed. And to take it to be his <HI>own,</HI> his <HI>own Nature,</HI> can be no otherwi&s;e but by giving it a <HI>&s;ub&s;i&s;tence in his own Per&s;on;</HI> otherwi&s;e his own Nature it is not, nor can be. Hence God is &s;aid to <HI>purcha&s;e his Church with his own blood, Act.</HI> 20.28. That Relation and De|nomination of <HI>his own,</HI> is from the &s;ingle per&s;on of him who&s;e it is. The latter is declared, <HI>John</HI> 1.14. <HI>The Word was made fle&s;h, Rom.</HI> 8.3. <HI>God &s;ent his own Son in the likene&s;s of &s;inful fle&s;h, Gal.</HI> 4.4. <HI>Made of a woman made under the Law, Rom.</HI> 1.3. <HI>Made of the &s;eed of David according to the fle&s;h.</HI> The eternal Word, the Son of God, was not <HI>made fle&s;h,</HI> not made of a Woman, nor of the &s;eed of <HI>David,</HI> by the <HI>conver&s;ion of his
<PB N="297" REF="175">&s;ub&s;tance</HI> or nature into fle&s;h, which implies a contradiction, and be&s;ides is ab&s;olutely de&s;tructive of the Divine Nature. He could no otherwi&s;e therefore be <HI>made fle&s;h,</HI> or <HI>made of a Woman,</HI> but in that our Nature was <HI>made his,</HI> by his a&s;&s;u|ming of it to be his own. The <HI>&s;ame Per&s;on</HI> who before was not fle&s;h, was not man, was made fle&s;h as man, in that he took our Humane Nature to be his own.</P>
<P>This <HI>ineffable act,</HI> is the Foundation of the Divine Relation between the Son of God, and the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us. We can only adore the My&s;terious Nature of it; <HI>great is this My&s;tery of Godline&s;s.</HI> Yet may we ob&s;erve &s;undry things to direct us in that Duty.</P>
<P N="1">1. As unto <HI>Original Efficiency,</HI> it was the Act of the Divine Nature, and &s;o con&s;equently of the <HI>Father, Son and Spirit.</HI> For &s;o are all outward Acts of God, the <HI>Divine Nature</HI> be|ing the immediate Principle of all &s;uch operations. The Wi&s;dom, Power, Grace and Goodne&s;s exerted therein are <HI>e&s;|&s;ential Properties</HI> of the Divine Nature. Wherefore the act|ing of them originally belongs <HI>equally</HI> unto each Per&s;on <HI>equally</HI> participant of that Nature. (2.) As unto <HI>Authorita|tive</HI> De&s;ignation, it was the Act of the Father. Hence is he &s;aid to <HI>&s;end his Son in the likene&s;s of &s;inful fle&s;h, Rom</HI> 8.3. <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.4. (3.) As unto the <HI>formation of the Humane Nature,</HI> it was the peculiar <HI>Act of the Spirit, Luke</HI> 1.35. (4.) As un|to the <HI>Term of the A&s;&s;umption,</HI> or the taking of our Nature unto him&s;elf, it was the <HI>peculiar Act of the Per&s;on of the Son.</HI> Herein as <HI>Dama&s;cen</HI> ob&s;erves, the other per&s;ons had no con|currence, but only <GAP DESC="foreign">, by <HI>Coun&s;el and Approbation.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. This <HI>A&s;&s;emption</HI> was the only <HI>immediate Act</HI> of the Di|vine Nature on the Humane in the Per&s;on of the Son. All tho&s;e that follow in <HI>&s;ub&s;i&s;tence, &s;u&s;tentation,</HI> with all others that are communicative, do en&s;ue thereon.</P>
<PB N="300" REF="176">
<P N="3">3. This <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> and the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> are di&s;tinct and different in the formal Rea&s;on of them. <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> is the <HI>immediate Act</HI> of the Divine Nature in the Per&s;on of the Son on the Humane; <HI>&V;nion</HI> is <HI>mediate</HI> by vertue of that A&s;&s;umption. (2) <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> is unto Per&s;onality; it is that Act whereby the Son of God and our Nature became one Per&s;on. <HI>&V;nion</HI> is an Act or Relation of the Natures &s;ub&s;i&s;t|ing in that one Per&s;on. (3.) <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> re&s;pects the <HI>acting</HI> of the Divine, and the <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Humane Nature, the one <HI>a&s;&s;umeth,</HI> the other is <HI>a&s;&s;umed.</HI> Union re&s;pects the <HI>mutual Relation</HI> of the Natures unto each other. Hence the Di|vine Nature may be &s;aid to be <HI>united</HI> unto the Humane, as well as the Humane unto the Divine; but the Divine Nature cannot be &s;aid to be <HI>a&s;&s;umed,</HI> as the Humane is. Wherefore <HI>A&s;&s;umption</HI> denotes the <HI>acting</HI> of the one Nature, and the <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> of the other, <HI>&V;nion</HI> the <HI>mutual Relation</HI> that is be|tween them both.</P>
<P>The&s;e things may be &s;afely affirmed, and ought to be firmly believed, as the &s;en&s;e of the Holy Gho&s;t in tho&s;e ex|pre&s;&s;ions; <HI>He took on him the &s;eed of Abraham; he took on him the form of a &s;ervant;</HI> and the like. And who can con|ceive the conde&s;cen&s;ion of Divine Goodne&s;s, or the actings of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power therein!</P>
<P N="2">2. That which followeth hereon is the <HI>&V;nion</HI> of the two Natures in the &s;ame Per&s;on, or the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion.</HI> This is included and a&s;&s;erted in a multitude of Divine Te&s;timonies, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 7.14. <HI>Behold a Virgin &s;hall conceive and bear a Son and &s;hall call his name Immanuel,</HI> as <HI>Matth.</HI> 1.23. He who was conceived and born of the Virgin was <HI>Immanuel,</HI> or God with us; that is, God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, by the Union of his Natures in the &s;ame Per&s;on, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9.6. <HI>To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and his name &s;hall be called Wonderful, Coun&s;ellour, the mighty God, the everla&s;ting Father, the Prince
<PB N="301" REF="176">of Peace.</HI> That the &s;ame Per&s;on &s;hould be the <HI>mighty God,</HI> and a <HI>Child born,</HI> is neither conceiveable, nor po&s;&s;ible, nor can be true, but by the <HI>&V;nion</HI> of the Divine and Humane Na|tures in the &s;ame Per&s;on. So he &s;aid of him&s;elf, <HI>before Abra|ham was I am, John</HI> 8.58. That he, the &s;ame Per&s;on who then &s;pake unto the <HI>Jews,</HI> and as a man <HI>was</HI> little more than <HI>thirty years of Age,</HI> &s;hould al&s;o be <HI>before Abraham,</HI> undeniably con|firms the Union of another Nature in the &s;ame Per&s;on with that wherein he &s;pake tho&s;e words, and without which they could not be true. He had not only another Nature which did exi&s;t before <HI>Abraham,</HI> but the &s;ame individual Per&s;on who then &s;pake in the Humane Nature, did then exi&s;t. See to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, <HI>John</HI> 1.14. <HI>Acts</HI> 20.28. <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.5. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.9. 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.16.</P>
<P>This <HI>&V;nion</HI> the Antient Church affirmed to be made <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>without any change</HI> in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, which the Divine Nature is not &s;ubject unto; <GAP DESC="foreign">, with a <HI>di&s;tinction</HI> of Natures, but without any <HI>divi&s;ion</HI> of them by &s;eparate &s;ub&s;i&s;tences; <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>without mixture</HI> or confu|&s;ion; <GAP DESC="foreign">, without <HI>&s;eparation</HI> or di&s;tance. And <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;ub&s;tantially,</HI> becau&s;e it was of two Sub&s;tances or E&s;&s;ences in the &s;ame Per&s;on, in oppo&s;ition unto all <HI>accidental</HI> Union, as the <HI>fulne&s;s of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e expre&s;&s;ions were found out and u&s;ed by the <HI>Antient Church,</HI> to prevent the fraud of tho&s;e who corrupted the Doctrine of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and (as all of that &s;ort ever did, and yet continue &s;o to do) ob&s;ured their pernicious &s;entiments under ambiguous expre&s;&s;ions. And they al&s;o made u&s;e of &s;undry terms which they judged &s;ignificant of this great <HI>My&s;tery,</HI> or the Incarnation of the Son of God. Such are <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Incarnation,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>imbodying,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>inhumanation,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>his con|ver&s;ation</HI>
<PB N="302" REF="177">in or by the fle&s;h, <GAP DESC="foreign">, his <HI>manife&s;tation by Humanity,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>Advent,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>exinanition,</HI> or humiliation, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>ap|pearance</HI> or manife&s;tation of Chri&s;t, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>con|de&s;cen&s;ion.</HI> Mo&s;t of the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are taken from the Scripture, and are u&s;ed therein with re&s;pect unto this My|&s;tery, or &s;ome concernments of it. Wherefore as our Faith is not confined unto any one of the&s;e words or terms, &s;o as that we &s;hould be obliged to believe not only the <HI>things in|tended,</HI> but al&s;o the <HI>manner of its expre&s;&s;ion</HI> in them, &s;o, &s;o far as they explain the thing intended according unto the mind of the Holy Gho&s;t in the Scripture, and obviate the &s;en&s;es of men of corrupt minds, they are to be embraced and de|fended as u&s;eful helps in teaching the Truth.</P>
<P>That whereby it is mo&s;t u&s;ually declared in the Writings of the Antients, is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>gratia unionis,</HI> the <HI>grace of &V;nion;</HI> which form of words &s;ome manife&s;ting them&s;elves &s;trangers unto, do declare how little conver&s;ant they are in their Writings. Now it is not any <HI>habitual</HI> inherent grace re&s;iding <HI>&s;ubjectively</HI> in the Per&s;on or Humane Nature of Chri&s;t that is intended, but things of another nature.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Cau&s;e of this &V;nion</HI> is expre&s;&s;ed in it. This is the free grace and favour of God towards the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, prede&s;tinating, de&s;igning, and taking him into <HI>actual &V;nion</HI> with the Per&s;on of the Son, without re&s;pect unto, or fore|fight of any precedent dignity or merit in him, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.20.</P>
<P>Hence is that of <HI>Au&s;tin, Ea gratia fit ab initio fidei &s;uae ho|mo quicunque Chri&s;tianus, qua gratia homo ille ab initio factus e&s;t Chri&s;tus. De Praede&s;t. Sanct. cap.</HI> 15. For whereas all the inherent grace of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, and all the holy Obedience which proceeded from it, was con&s;equent in order of Nature unto this Union, and an effect of it, they could in no &s;en&s;e be the <HI>meritorious</HI> or procuring cau&s;es of it; it was of grace.</P>
<PB N="303" REF="177">
<P N="2">2. It is u&s;ed al&s;o by many and de&s;igned to expre&s;s the pe|culiar Dignity of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t. This is that wherein no creature is participant, nor ever &s;hall be unto eternity. This is the fundamental Priviledg of the <HI>Humane Nature of Chri&s;t,</HI> which all others, even unto his eternal Glo|ry, proceed from, and are re&s;olved into.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Glorious Meetne&s;s</HI> and Ability of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, for and unto all the Acts and Duties of his Mediatory Office. For they are all re&s;olved into the <HI>&V;nion of his Na|tures</HI> in the &s;ame Per&s;on, without which not one of them could be performed unto the Benefit of the Church. And this is that <HI>Grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> which renders him &s;o glorious and amiable unto Believers. <HI>&V;nto them that believe he is precious.</HI></P>
<P>The common prevalent expre&s;&s;ion of it at pre&s;ent in the Church is the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion;</HI> that is, the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, the Humane Nature having no per&s;onality nor &s;ub&s;i&s;tence of its own.</P>
<P>With re&s;pect unto this <HI>&V;nion,</HI> the Name of Chri&s;t is cal|led <HI>Wonderful,</HI> as that which hath the Preheminence in all the effects of Divine Wi&s;dom. And it is a &s;ingular effect thereof. There is no other Union in things Divine or Hu|mane, in things Spiritual or Natural, whether &s;ub&s;tantial or accidental, that is of the &s;ame kind with it, it differs <HI>&s;pecifi|cally</HI> from them all.</P>
<P>The mo&s;t glorious <HI>&V;nion</HI> is that of the <HI>Divine Per&s;ons</HI> in the &s;ame Being or Nature; the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, the Holy Spirit in them both, and both in him. But this is an <HI>&V;nion</HI> of di&s;tinct Per&s;ons in the <HI>&V;nity</HI> of the &s;ame &s;ingle Nature. And this I confe&s;s is <HI>more glorious</HI> than that whereof we treat. For it is in God ab&s;olutely, it is eter|nal, of his Nature and Being. But this <HI>&V;nion</HI> we &s;peak of, is
<PB N="304" REF="178">not God, it is a creature, an effect of Divine Wi&s;dom and Power. And it is different from it herein; ina&s;much as that is of <HI>many di&s;tinct Per&s;ons</HI> in the &s;ame Nature, this is of <HI>di|&s;tinct Natures</HI> in the &s;ame Per&s;on. That Union is <HI>Natural,</HI> Sub&s;tantial, E&s;&s;ential, in the &s;ame Nature; this as it is not accidental, as we &s;hall &s;hew, &s;o it is not properly <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial,</HI> becau&s;e it is not of the &s;ame Nature, but of divers in the &s;ame Per&s;on, remaining di&s;tinct in their e&s;&s;ence and &s;ub&s;tance, and is therefore peculiarly Hypo&s;tatical or Per&s;onal. Hence <HI>Au|&s;tin</HI> feared not to &s;ay, that <HI>Homo potius e&s;t in filio Dei, quam filius in Patre, De Trin. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 10. But that is true only in this one re&s;pect, that the Son is not &s;o in the Father as to become <HI>one Per&s;on</HI> with him. In all other re&s;pects it mu&s;t be granted that the <HI>In being</HI> of the Son in the Father, the <HI>&V;nion</HI> between them, which is <HI>natural, e&s;&s;ential</HI> and eternal, doth exceed this in Glory, which was a temporary, external Act of Divine Wi&s;dom and Grace.</P>
<P N="2">2. The mo&s;t eminent <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial</HI> Union in things natural, is that of the <HI>Soul and Body</HI> con&s;tituting an individual Per&s;on. There is I confe&s;s &s;ome kind of <HI>&s;imilitude</HI> between this Union, and that of the different Natures in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; but it is not of the &s;ame kind or nature. And the <HI>di&s;|&s;imilitudes</HI> that are between them, are more and of greater importance, than tho&s;e things are wherein there &s;eems to be an agreement between them. For (1.) The <HI>Soul and Bo|dy</HI> are &s;o united, as to con&s;titute one <HI>entire Nature.</HI> The Soul is not Humane Nature, nor is the Body, but it is the con&s;e|quent of their Union. Soul and Body are <HI>e&s;&s;ential parts</HI> of Humane Nature, but <HI>compleat</HI> Humane Nature they are not but by vertue of their Union. But the Union of the Natures in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, doth not con&s;titute a <HI>new Nature</HI> that either was not, or was not compleat before. Each Na|ture remains the &s;ame perfect compleat Nature after this
<PB N="305" REF="178">Union. (2.) The Union of the Soul and Body doth con&s;ti|tute that Nature which is made e&s;&s;entially compleat thereby, a <HI>new individual Per&s;on,</HI> with a &s;ub&s;i&s;tence of its own, which neither of them was, nor had before that Union. But al|though the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> as God and man be con&s;tituted by this Union, yet his Per&s;on ab&s;olutely, and his <HI>individual Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> was perfect, ab&s;olutely antecedent unto that Union. He did not become a <HI>new Per&s;on,</HI> another Per&s;on than he was before, by vertue of that Union; only <HI>that Per&s;on</HI> a&s;&s;umed Humane Nature to it &s;elf to be its own, into per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence. (3.) <HI>Soul and Body</HI> are united by an <HI>external efficient Cau&s;e,</HI> or the Power of God; and not by the Act of one of them upon another. But this Union is effect|ed by that Act of the Divine Nature towards the Humane, which we have before de&s;cribed. (4.) <HI>Neither Soul nor Bo|dy</HI> have any per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence before their Union. But the &s;ole foundation of this Union was in this, that the <HI>Son of God</HI> was a &s;elf-&s;ub&s;i&s;ting Per&s;on from eternity.</P>
<P N="3">3. There are <HI>other &V;nions</HI> in things <HI>natural</HI> which are by mixture or compo&s;ition. Hereon &s;omething is produced, compo&s;ed of various parts, which is not what any of them are. And there is a <HI>conver&s;ion</HI> of things, when one thing is &s;ub&s;tantially changed into another, as the <HI>water</HI> in the mi|racle that Chri&s;t wrought was <HI>turned into wine.</HI> But this Union hath no re&s;emblance unto any of them. There is not a <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <HI>mixture,</HI> a contemporation of the Divine and Hu|mane Natures into <HI>one third Nature,</HI> or the <HI>conver&s;ion</HI> of one into another. Such notions of the&s;e things &s;ome fancied of old. <HI>Eutyches</HI> &s;uppo&s;ed &s;uch a compo&s;ition and mixture of the two Natures in the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, as that the Humane Nature at lea&s;t &s;hould lo&s;e all its e&s;&s;ential Properties, and have neither under&s;tanding nor will of its own. And &s;ome of the <HI>Arians</HI> fancied a &s;ub&s;tantial change of that created
<PB N="306" REF="179">Divine Nature which they acknowledged, into the Humane. But the&s;e Imaginations in&s;tead of profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t to be God and man, would leave him indeed neither God nor man; and have been &s;ufficiently confuted. Wherefore the <HI>&V;nion</HI> we treat of hath no &s;imilitude unto any &s;uch <HI>Natural &V;nion</HI> as is the effect of compo&s;ition or mutation.</P>
<P N="4">4. There is an <HI>artificial &V;nion</HI> wherewith &s;ome have il|lu&s;trated this My&s;tery; as that of <HI>Fire and Iron in the &s;ame Sword.</HI> The Sword is one; the Nature of Fire and that of Iron different; and the acts of them di&s;tinct; the Iron cuts, the Fire burns; and the effects di&s;tinct; cutting and burning; yet is the Agent or In&s;trument but <HI>one Sword.</HI> Something of this Nature may be allowed to be &s;poken in way of allu&s;ion; but it is a weak and imperfect Repre&s;entation of this My&s;tery on many accounts. For the <HI>heat in Iron</HI> is rather an accident than a &s;ub&s;tance, is &s;eparable from it; and in &s;undry other things diverts the mind from due apprehen&s;ions of this My|&s;tery.</P>
<P N="5">5. There is a <HI>&s;piritual &V;nion,</HI> namely, of Chri&s;t and Be|lievers; or of God in Chri&s;t and Believers, which is excel|lent and My&s;terious, &s;uch as all other <HI>&V;nions</HI> in Nature are made u&s;e of in the Scripture to illu&s;trate and repre&s;ent. This &s;ome among us do judge to be of the <HI>&s;ame kind</HI> with that of the Son of God and the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Only they &s;ay they differ in degrees. The <HI>eternal word</HI> was &s;o united unto the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, as that thereby he was exalted inconceivea|bly above all other men, though never &s;o holy; and had grea|ter communications from God than any of them. Wherefore he was on many accounts <HI>the Son of God</HI> in a peculiar manner, and by a communication of names is called God al&s;o This be|ing the opinion of <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> revived again in the days where|in we live, I &s;hall declare wherein he placed the <HI>Conjunction or &V;nion of the two Natures of Chri&s;t,</HI> whereby he con&s;tituted
<PB N="307" REF="179">two di&s;tinct Per&s;ons of the Son of God, and the Son of Man, as the&s;e now do, and briefly detect the vanity of it. For the whole of it con&s;i&s;ted in the conce&s;&s;ion of &s;undry things that were true in particular, making u&s;e of the pretence of them, unto the <HI>denial</HI> of that wherein alone the true Union of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t did con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> allowed the pre&s;ence of the Son of God, with the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, to con&s;i&s;t in <HI>five things.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. He &s;aid he was &s;o pre&s;ent with him, <GAP DESC="foreign">, or by <HI>In habitation,</HI> as a man dwells in an Hou&s;e or a Ship to rule it. He dwelt in him as <HI>his Temple.</HI> So he dwells in all that believe, but in him in a more e&s;pecial manner. And this is true with re&s;pect unto that <HI>fullne&s;s of the &s;pirit</HI> where|by God was with him and in him; as he is with and in all Believers, according unto the <HI>mea&s;ures</HI> wherein they are made partakers of him. But this an&s;wers not that Divine Te&s;timony; <HI>that in him dwelt all the fulne&s;s of the Godhead bodily, Col.</HI> 2.9. <HI>The fulne&s;s of the Godhead</HI> is the entire Di|vine Nature. This Nature is con&s;idered in the Per&s;on of the Son, or eternal Word, for it was the word that was made fle&s;h. And this could no otherwi&s;e dwell in him bodily, real|ly, <HI>&s;ub&s;tantially,</HI> but in the A&s;&s;umption of that Nature to be his own. And no &s;en&s;e can be given unto this A&s;&s;ertion to pre&s;erve it from <HI>Bla&s;phemy;</HI> that the <HI>fulne&s;s of the Godhead dwelleth in any of the Saints bodily.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. He allowed an e&s;pecial Pre&s;ence, <GAP DESC="foreign">, as &s;ome call it, that is, by &s;uch an <HI>&V;nion of Affections</HI> as is between inti|mate friends. The &s;oul of God re&s;ted alwaies in that man; in him was he well plea&s;ed, and he was wholly given up in his <HI>Affections</HI> unto God. This al&s;o is true; but there is that which is no le&s;s true that renders it u&s;ele&s;s unto the pre|ten&s;ions of <HI>Ne&s;torius.</HI> For he allowed the Divine Per&s;on of the Son of God. But whatever is &s;poken of this nature con|cerning
<PB N="308" REF="180">the Love of God unto the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and of his Love to God, it is the <HI>Per&s;on of the Father</HI> that is in|tended therein; nor can any one In&s;tance be given where it is capable of another interpretation. For it is &s;till &s;poken of with reference unto the work that he was &s;ent of the Fa|ther to accompli&s;h, and his own delight therein.</P>
<P N="3">3. He allowed it to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>by way of Dignity and Honour.</HI> For this conjunction is &s;uch, as that whatever Ho|nour is given unto the Son of God, is al&s;o to be given unto that Son of man. But herein to recompence his <HI>Sacriledge</HI> in taking away the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> from the Church, he would introduce <HI>Idolatry</HI> into it. For the Honour that is due unto the Son of God, is Divine, Religious, or the own|ing of all e&s;&s;ential Divine Properties in him, with a due &s;ub|jection of &s;oul unto him thereon. But to give <HI>this Honour</HI> unto the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, without a &s;uppo&s;ition of the &s;ub|&s;i&s;tence of his Humane Nature in the Per&s;on of the Son of God, and &s;olely on that account, is highly Idolatrous.</P>
<P N="4">4. He a&s;&s;erted it to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, or on the <HI>account of the con&s;ent and agreement</HI> that was between the Will of God, and the Will of the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us. But no other Union will thence en&s;ue, but what is between God and the <HI>Angels</HI> in Heaven; in whom there is a perfect compliance with the Will of God in all things. Wherefore if this be the foundation of this Union, he might be &s;aid to take on him the <HI>Nature of Angels,</HI> as well as the <HI>&s;eed of Abraham,</HI> which is expre&s;ly denied by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.16, 17.</P>
<P N="5">5. <GAP DESC="foreign">, by an <HI>aequivocal Denomination,</HI> the name of the one Per&s;on, namely, of the Son of God, being ac|commodated unto the other, namely, the Son of man. So they were called Gods unto whom the Word of God came. But this no way an&s;wers any one Divine Te&s;timony, where|in the Name of God is a&s;&s;igned unto the Lord Chri&s;t, as
<PB N="309" REF="180">tho&s;e wherein <HI>God</HI> is &s;aid <HI>to lay down his life for us,</HI> and to <HI>purcha&s;e his Church with his own blood,</HI> to come and be <HI>ma|nife&s;t in the fle&s;h,</HI> wherein no <HI>Homonymy</HI> or aequivocation can take place. By all the&s;e waies he con&s;tituted a &s;eparable ac|cidental Union, wherein nothing in <HI>kind</HI> but in <HI>degree</HI> only was peculiar unto the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</P>
<P>But all the&s;e things &s;o far as they are <HI>true</HI> belong unto the third thing to be con&s;idered in his Per&s;on, namely, the <HI>Commu|nion,</HI> or mutual Communication of the di&s;tinct Natures therein. But his <HI>Per&s;onal &V;nion</HI> con&s;i&s;ts not in any of them, nor in all of them together. Nor do they an&s;wer any of the multiplied Te&s;timonies given by the Holy Gho&s;t unto this <HI>Glorious My&s;teries.</HI> Some few of them may be menti|oned.</P>
<P><HI>The Word was made fle&s;h, John</HI> 1.14. There can be but two &s;en&s;es of the&s;e words. (1.) That the word cea&s;ed to be what it was, and was &s;ub&s;tantially <HI>turned into fle&s;h.</HI> (2.) That con|tinuing to be what it was, it was made to be al&s;o what before it was not. The fir&s;t &s;en&s;e is de&s;tructive of the Divine Being, and all its e&s;&s;ential Properties. The other can be verified only herein, that the <HI>Word took that fle&s;h,</HI> that is, our Humane Nature to be his <HI>own,</HI> his own Nature wherein he was made fle&s;h, which is that we plead for. For this a&s;&s;ertion that the Per&s;on of the <HI>Son took our Nature to be his own,</HI> is the &s;ame with that of the A&s;&s;umption of the Humane Nature into per&s;onal &s;ub&s;i&s;tence with him&s;elf. And the waies of the pre|&s;ence of the Son of God with the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us before mentioned, do expre&s;s nothing in an&s;wer unto this Divine Te&s;timony, that <HI>the Word was made fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Being in the form of God he took on him the form of a Ser|vant, and became obedient, Phil.</HI> 2.7, 8. That by his being <HI>in the form of God,</HI> his participation in and of the &s;ame Di|vine Nature with the Father is intended, the&s;e men grant.
<PB N="310" REF="181">And that herein he was a <HI>Per&s;on</HI> di&s;tinct from him <HI>Ne&s;torius</HI> of Old acknowledged, though it be by ours denied. But they can fancy no di&s;tinction that &s;hall bear the Denomination and <HI>Relation of Father</HI> and Son, but all is inevitably in|cluded in it, which we plead for under that name. This Per&s;on <HI>took on him the form of a &s;ervant;</HI> that is, the Nature of man in the condition of a &s;ervant. For it is the &s;ame with his being made of a Woman, made under the Law; or taking on him the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham.</HI> And this Per&s;on became obe|dient. It was in the Humane Nature in the form of a &s;ervant wherein he was obedient. Wherefore that Humane Nature was the Nature of that <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> a Nature which he took on him and made his own, wherein he would be obedient. And that the Humane Nature is the Nature of the Per&s;on of him who was in the form of God, is that <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> which we believe and plead for.</P>
<P><HI>To us a Son is given, to us a Child is born, and he &s;hall be called the Mighty God, I&s;a.</HI> 9.6. The Child and the Mighty God are the &s;ame Per&s;on, or he that is <HI>born a Child</HI> cannot be rightly called <HI>the Mighty God.</HI> And the truth of many other expre&s;&s;ions in the Scripture hath its &s;ole foundation in this <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion.</HI> So the Son of God took on him the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham,</HI> was <HI>made of a Woman,</HI> did <HI>partake of fle&s;h and blood,</HI> was <HI>manife&s;t in the fle&s;h,</HI> that he who was born of the ble&s;&s;ed Virgin, was <HI>before Abraham,</HI> that he was made of the <HI>&s;eed of David</HI> according to the fle&s;h, whereby God purcha&s;ed the <HI>Church with his own blood,</HI> are all &s;poken of one and the &s;ame Per&s;on, and are not <HI>true</HI> but on the ac|count of the Union of the two Natures therein. And all tho&s;e who plead for the accidental <HI>Metaphorical</HI> Union, con|&s;i&s;ting in the In&s;tances before mentioned, do know well enough that the true Deity of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t is oppo|&s;ed by them.</P>
<PB N="311" REF="181">
<P N="3">3. Concurrent with and in part con&s;equent unto this <HI>&V;nion</HI> is the <HI>communion of the di&s;tinct Natures of Chri&s;t hy|po&s;tatically</HI> united. And herein we may con&s;ider (1.) What is peculiar unto the Divine Nature: (2.) What is common unto both.</P>
<P N="1">1. There is a threefold <HI>Communication</HI> of the Divine Na|ture unto the Humane in this <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion.</HI> (1.) Im|mediate in the Per&s;on of the Son. This is <HI>Sub&s;i&s;tence.</HI> In it &s;elf it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, that which hath not a <HI>Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> of its own, which &s;hould give it <HI>individuation</HI> and di&s;tinction from the &s;ame Nature in any other Per&s;on. But it hath its <HI>Sub|&s;i&s;tence</HI> in the Per&s;on of the Son, which thereby is its <HI>own.</HI> The Divine Nature as in that Per&s;on is its <HI>&s;uppo&s;itum.</HI> (2.) By the Holy Spirit he filled that Nature with an <HI>All-fulne&s;s</HI> of habitual grace, which I have at large explained el&s;ewhere. (3.) In all the Acts of his Office, by the Divine Nature he communicated <HI>worth and dignity</HI> unto what was acted in and by the Humane Nature.</P>
<P>For that which &s;ome have for a long &s;ea&s;on troubled the Church withal, about &s;uch a <HI>real communication of the Pro|perties of the Divine Nature unto the Humane, which &s;hould</HI> neither be a <HI>transfu&s;ion</HI> of them into it, &s;o as to render it the &s;ubject of them; nor yet con&s;i&s;t in a <HI>reciprocal Denomina|tion</HI> from their mutual In-being in the &s;ame &s;ubject, it is that which neither them&s;elves do, nor can any other well under&s;tand.</P>
<P>Wherefore concerning the <HI>Communion</HI> of the Natures in this per&s;onal Union, three things are to be ob&s;erved, which the Scripture, Rea&s;on, and the antient Church do all concur in.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Each Nature</HI> doth pre&s;erve its own natural, e&s;&s;ential properties entirely unto, and in it &s;elf; without <HI>mixture,</HI> without compo&s;ition or confu&s;ion, without &s;uch a <HI>real Com|munication</HI>
<PB N="312" REF="182">of the one unto the other, &s;o as that the one &s;hould become the &s;ubject of the properties of the other. The <HI>Deity</HI> in the ab&s;tract is not made the <HI>Humanity,</HI> nor on the con|trary. The <HI>Divine Nature</HI> is not made <HI>temporary,</HI> finite, li|mited, &s;ubject to pa&s;&s;ion or alteration by this Union; nor is the Humane Nature rendred <HI>immen&s;e, infinite,</HI> omnipo|tent. Unle&s;s this be granted, there will not be two Natures in Chri&s;t, a Divine and an Humane; nor indeed either of them, but &s;omewhat el&s;e, compo&s;ed of both.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Each Nature operates in him according unto its e&s;&s;ential Properties.</HI> The Divine Nature knows all things, upholds all things, rules all things, acts by its pre&s;ence every where; the Humane Nature was <HI>born,</HI> yielded Obedience, died and ro&s;e again. But it is the &s;ame Per&s;on, the &s;ame Chri&s;t that acts all the&s;e things, the one Nature being his, no le&s;&s;e than the other. Wherefore,</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>The perfect compleat work of Chri&s;t in every act of his Mediatory Office, in all that he did as the King, Prie&s;t and Prophet of the Church, in all that he did or &s;uffered, in all that he continueth to do for us,</HI> in or by vertue of whether Nature &s;oever it be done or wrought, is not to be con&s;idered as the act of this or that Nature in him alone, but it is the act and work of the whole Per&s;on, of him that is both God and Man in one Per&s;on. And this gives occa&s;ion unto that <HI>va|riety of Enuntiations</HI> which is u&s;ed in the Scripture concern|ing him, which I &s;hall name only and conclude.</P>
<P N="1">1. Some things are &s;poken of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, where|in the <HI>Enuntiation</HI> is verified with re&s;pect unto <HI>one Nature</HI> only. As the <HI>Word was with God, and the Word was God, John</HI> 1.1. <HI>Before Abraham was I am, John</HI> 8.58. <HI>&V;pholding all things by the word of his Power, Heb.</HI> 1.3. The&s;e things are all &s;poken of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; but belong unto it on account of his Divine Nature. So is it &s;aid of him. <HI>To us is a
<PB N="313" REF="182">Child born, to us a Son is given, I&s;a.</HI> 9.6. <HI>A man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief, I&s;a.</HI> 53.3. They are &s;poken of the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> but are verified in <HI>Humane Nature</HI> only, and the Per&s;on on the account thereof.</P>
<P N="2">2. Sometimes that is &s;poken of the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> which belongs not di&s;tinctly and originally unto either Nature, but doth be|long unto him on the account of their <HI>&V;nion</HI> in him, which are the mo&s;t direct <HI>Enuntiations</HI> concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t. So is he &s;aid to be <HI>the Head, the King, Prie&s;t and Prophet of the Church;</HI> all which Offices he bears and per|forms the acts of them, not on the &s;ingular account of this or that Nature, but of the <HI>Hypo&s;tatical &V;nion</HI> of them both.</P>
<P N="3">3. Sometimes his Per&s;on being denominated from <HI>one Nature,</HI> the properties and acts of the other are a&s;&s;igned un|to it. So they <HI>crucified the Lord of Glory.</HI> He is the Lord of Glory on the account of his Divine Nature only; thence is his Per&s;on denominated, when he is &s;aid to be crucified, which was in the Humane Nature only. <HI>So God purcha&s;ed his Church with his own Blood, Acts</HI> 20.28. The denomination of the Per&s;on is from the Divine Nature only; he <HI>is God;</HI> but the Act a&s;cribed unto it, or what he did by his own blood, was of the Humane Nature only. But the purcha&s;e that was made thereby, was the work of the Per&s;on, as both God and man. So on the other &s;ide; <HI>The Son of man who is in Heaven, Joh.</HI> 3.13. The denomination of the Per&s;on is from the Humane Nature only; <HI>the Son of man.</HI> That a&s;cribed unto it was with the re&s;pect unto the Divine Nature only; <HI>who is in Heaven.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Sometimes the Per&s;on being denominated from <HI>one Nature,</HI> that is a&s;cribed unto it which is common unto both; or el&s;e being denominated from both, that which is proper unto one only is a&s;cribed unto him. See <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.4. <HI>Mat.</HI> 22.42.</P>
<PB N="314" REF="183">
<P>The&s;e kinds of Enuntiations the Antients expre&s;&s;ed by <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Alteration,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Permutation,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Com|munion,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the manner of mutual Po&s;ition,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the communication of Properties,</HI> and other the like expre&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P>The&s;e things I have only mentioned, becau&s;e they are commonly handled by others in their <HI>Didactical</HI> and <HI>Polemi|cal</HI> Di&s;cour&s;es concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; and could not well be here utterly omitted.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Exaltation of Chri&s;t; with his pre&s;ent State and Con|dition in Glory during the continuance of his Mediatory Office.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE Apo&s;tle de&s;cribing the great My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, <HI>God manife&s;t in the fle&s;h;</HI> by &s;everal degrees of <HI>a&s;cent,</HI> he carrieth it within the Vail, and leaves it there in Glory, <GAP DESC="foreign">, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. God was manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, and <HI>received up into Glory.</HI> This <HI>A&s;&s;umtion</HI> of our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t into Glory, or his Glorious Reception in Heaven, with his &s;tate and condition therein, is a principal Article of the Faith of the Church, the great Foundation of its Hope and Con&s;olation in this World. This al&s;o we mu&s;t therefore con|&s;ider in our Meditations on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the u&s;e of it in our Religion.</P>
<P>That which I e&s;pecially intend herein, is his <HI>pre&s;ent State in Heaven in the di&s;charge of his Mediatory Office</HI> before the con&s;ummation of all things. Hereon doth the Glory of God
<PB N="315" REF="183">and the e&s;pecial concernment of the Church at pre&s;ent depend. For at the end of this di&s;pen&s;ation he &s;hall give up the King|dom unto God, even the Father, or cea&s;e from the Admini&s;tra|tion of his Mediatory Office &amp; Power, as the Apo&s;tle declares, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.24, 25, 26, 27. <HI>Then cometh the end when he &s;hall have delivered up the Kingdom unto God, even the Father, when he &s;hall have put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power. For he mu&s;t raign until he hath put all Enemies under his feet. The la&s;t Enemy that &s;hall be de&s;troyed is Death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he &s;aith all things are put under him, it is manife&s;t that he is excepted who did put all things under him. And when all things &s;hall be &s;ubdued unto him, then &s;hall the Son al&s;o him&s;elf, be &s;ubject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.</HI></P>
<P>All things fell by &s;in into an <HI>enmity</HI> unto the Glory of God, and the Salvation of the Church. The removal of this <HI>en|mity,</HI> and the de&s;truction of all <HI>Enemies,</HI> is the work that God committed unto his Son, in his Incarnation and Media|tion, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. This he was variou&s;ly to accomplivh in the Admini&s;tration of all his Offices. The <HI>enmity</HI> between God and Us immediately, he removed by the <HI>blood of his Cro&s;s,</HI> whereby he made <HI>Peace, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.14, 15, 16. Which Peace he continues and pre&s;erves by his <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion, Heb.</HI> 7.26. 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.2. The <HI>enemies</HI> them&s;elves of the Churches eternal welfare, namely, <HI>Sin, Death,</HI> the <HI>World, Satan</HI> and <HI>Hell,</HI> he &s;ubdues by his Power. In the <HI>gradual Accompli&s;h|ment of this work;</HI> according as the Church of the Elect is brought forth in &s;ucce&s;&s;ive Generations, (in every one where|of the &s;ame work is to be performed) he is to continue unto the <HI>end</HI> and con&s;ummation of all things. Until then, the whole Church will not be &s;aved, and therefore his work not be fini&s;hed. He will not cea&s;e his work whil&s;t there is one
<PB N="316" REF="184">of his Elect to be &s;aved, or one <HI>enemy</HI> to be &s;ubdued. He &s;hall not faint nor give over until he hath &s;ent forth Judg|ment unto victory.</P>
<P>For the di&s;charge of this work, he hath a <HI>Soveraign Power</HI> over all things in Heaven and Earth committed unto him. Herein he doth and mu&s;t raign. And &s;o ab&s;olutely is it ve&s;ted in him, that upon the cea&s;ing of the exerci&s;e of it, <HI>He him&s;elf</HI> is &s;aid to be made <HI>&s;ubject unto</HI> God. It is true, that the Lord Chri&s;t in his Humane Nature is alwaies <HI>le&s;s</HI> then, or <HI>inferiour</HI> unto God, even the Father. In that &s;en&s;e he is in <HI>&s;ubjection</HI> unto him now in Heaven. But yet he hath an <HI>actual exerci&s;e</HI> of Divine Power, wherein he is ab&s;olute and &s;upreme. When this <HI>cea&s;eth,</HI> he &s;hall be <HI>&s;ubject unto the Fa|ther</HI> in that Nature, and <HI>only</HI> &s;o. Wherefore when this work is perfectly fulfilled and ended, then &s;hall all the <HI>Mediatory Actings</HI> of Chri&s;t cea&s;e for evermore. For God will then have compleatly fini&s;hed the whole de&s;ign of his Wi&s;dom and Grace, in the con&s;titution of his Per&s;on and Offices, and have rai&s;ed up and fini&s;hed the whole fabrick of eternal Glo|ry. Then will God <HI>be all in all.</HI> In his own immen&s;e Na|ture and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s he &s;hall not only be <HI>All e&s;&s;entially</HI> and <HI>cau&s;ally,</HI> but <HI>in All</HI> al&s;o; he &s;hall <HI>immediately be All</HI> in and unto us.</P>
<P>This &s;tate of things, When God &s;hall <HI>immediately be All in All,</HI> we can have no ju&s;t comprehen&s;ion of in this life. Some refre&s;hing notions of it may be framed in our minds, from tho&s;e apprehen&s;ions of the <HI>Divine Perfections</HI> which rea&s;on can attain unto; and their &s;uitablene&s;s to yield eter|nal Re&s;t, Satisfaction and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s in that enjoyment of them, whereof our Nature is capable. Howbeit of the&s;e things in particular, the <HI>Scripture</HI> is &s;ilent; however it te|&s;tifies our eternal Reward and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s to con&s;i&s;t alone in the enjoyment of God.</P>
<PB N="317" REF="184">
<P>But there is <HI>&s;omewhat el&s;e</HI> propo&s;ed as the immediate ob|ject of the Faith of the Saints at pre&s;ent, as unto what they &s;hall enjoy upon their departure out of this world. And Scripture Revelations extend unto the &s;tate of things unto the end of the world, and no longer.</P>
<P>Wherefore Heaven is now principally repre&s;ented unto us as the place of the Re&s;idence and <HI>Glory of Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the Admini&s;tration of his Office;</HI> and our Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s to con&s;i&s;t in a participation thereof, and communion with him therein. So he payes for all them who are given him of his Father, <HI>that they may be where he is to behold his Glory, Joh.</HI> 17.24. It is not the <HI>E&s;&s;ential Glory</HI> of his Divine Per&s;on that he in|tends, which is ab&s;olutely the &s;ame with that of the Father: But it is a <HI>Glory</HI> that is <HI>peculiarly his own;</HI> a Glory which the Father hath <HI>given him,</HI> becau&s;e he loved him. <HI>My Glory which thou gave&s;t me, for thou loved&s;t me.</HI> Nor is it meerly the glorified &s;tate of his Humane Nature that he intendeth; as was before declared in the con&s;ideration of the fifth ver&s;e of this chapter, where he prayeth for this Glory. However this is not excluded. For unto all tho&s;e that love him, it will be no &s;mall portion of their ble&s;&s;ed refre&s;hment, to be|hold that <HI>individual Nature</HI> wherein he &s;uffered for them, undergoing all &s;orts of reproaches, contempts and mi&s;eries, now unchangeably &s;tated in incomprehen&s;ible Glory. But the <HI>Glory which God gives unto Chri&s;t,</HI> in the phra&s;e of the Scrip|ture, principally is the Glory of <HI>his Exaltation in his Media|tory Office.</HI> It is the <HI>All Power</HI> that is given him in Heaven and Earth; the <HI>Name that he hath above every Name,</HI> as he &s;its on the right hand of the Maje&s;ty on high. In the be|holding and contemplation hereof, with holy Joy and De|light, con&s;i&s;ts no &s;mall part of that Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s and Glory which the Saints above at pre&s;ent enjoy, and which all others of them &s;hall &s;o do who depart this life before the con&s;um|mation
<PB N="318" REF="185">of all things. And in the due con&s;ideration hereof con&s;i&s;ts a great part of the exerci&s;e of that <HI>Faith,</HI> which is the evidence of things not &s;een, and which by making them <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> unto us, &s;upplies the room of <HI>&s;ight.</HI> This is the ground whereon our <HI>Hope doth anchor;</HI> namely, the things <HI>with|in the vail, Heb.</HI> 6.19. which directs us unto the <HI>Temple Admini&s;tration</HI> of the Mediatory Office of Chri&s;t. And it is for the &s;trengthening of our Faith and Hope in God through him; that we do, and that we ought to enquire into the&s;e things.</P>
<P>The con&s;ideration of the <HI>pre&s;ent State of Chri&s;t in Heaven,</HI> may be reduced unto three Heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Glorification of his Humane Nature;</HI> what it hath in common with, and wherein it differs in kind from the Glory of all Saints whatever.</P>
<P N="2">2. His <HI>Mediatory Exaltation;</HI> or the e&s;pecial Glory of his Per&s;on as Mediator.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Exerci&s;e and Di&s;charge of his Office</HI> in this State of things; which is what at pre&s;ent I &s;hall principally enquire into. I &s;hall not &s;peak at all of the Nature of <HI>Glorified Bodies,</HI> nor of any thing that is common unto the <HI>Humane Nature</HI> of Chri&s;t, and the &s;ame Nature in glorified Saints; but only what is <HI>peculiar</HI> unto him&s;elf. And hereunto I &s;hall premi&s;e one general Ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P>All perfections whereof <HI>Humane Nature</HI> is capable, abiding what it was in both the e&s;&s;ential parts of it, Soul and Body, do belong unto the Lord Chri&s;t in his glorified &s;tate. To a&s;|cribe unto it what is incon&s;i&s;tent with its <HI>E&s;&s;ence,</HI> is not an <HI>A&s;&s;ignation</HI> of <HI>Glory</HI> unto its &s;tate and condition, but a <HI>de&s;tru|ction</HI> of its <HI>Being.</HI> To affix unto the <HI>Humane Nature Di|vine</HI> Properties, as <HI>&V;biquity</HI> or <HI>Immen&s;ity,</HI> is to deprive it of its own. The E&s;&s;ence of his Body, is no more changed, than that of his Soul. It is a fundamental Article of Faith, that he
<PB N="319" REF="185">is in the <HI>&s;ame Body in Heaven,</HI> wherein he conver&s;ed here on Earth; as well as the <HI>faculties of his rational &s;oul</HI> are con|tinued the &s;ame in him. This is that <HI>Holy Thing</HI> which was framed immediately by the Holy Gho&s;t in the <HI>Womb of the Virgin.</HI> This is that <HI>Holy One</HI> which when it was in the grave &s;aw no corruption. This is <HI>that Body</HI> which was offered for us, wherein he bare our &s;ins on the Tree. To fancy any &s;uch <HI>change</HI> in or of this Body by its Glorification, as that it &s;hould not continue <HI>e&s;&s;entially</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tantially</HI> the &s;ame that it was, is to overthrow the Faith of the Church, in a princi|pal Article of it. We believe that the very <HI>&s;ame Body</HI> where|in he &s;uffered for us, without any alteration as unto its <HI>Sub|&s;tance, E&s;&s;ence,</HI> or <HI>integral Parts,</HI> and not another Body of an <HI>aetherial, heavenly &s;tructure,</HI> wherein is nothing of fle&s;h, blood or bones, by which he &s;o frequently te&s;tified the Faith|fulne&s;s of God in his Incarnation, is &s;till that <HI>Temple</HI> wherein God dwells, and wherein he admini&s;ters in the Holy Place not made with hands. The <HI>Body which was pierced</HI> is that which <HI>all Eyes</HI> &s;hall &s;ee and no other.</P>
<P>On this Foundation I willingly allow all <HI>perfections</HI> in the glorified Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, which are con&s;i&s;tent with its real form and e&s;&s;ence; I &s;hall therefore only in &s;ome in&s;tances enquire into the pre&s;ent Glory of the Humane Na|ture of Chri&s;t, wherein it <HI>differs either in kind or degree</HI> from the Glory of all other Saints whatever. For even among them I freely allow different degrees in Glory, which the eternal Order of things, that is, the Will of God in the di&s;po&s;al of all things unto his own Glory, doth require.</P>
<P N="1">1. There is that wherein the pre&s;ent Glory of the Hu|mane Nature of Chri&s;t, differeth in <HI>kind and nature,</HI> from that which any other of the Saints are partakers of, or &s;hall be &s;o after the Re&s;urrection. And this is;</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Eternal Sub&s;i&s;tence</HI> of that Nature of his, in the Per&s;on
<PB N="320" REF="186">of the Son of God. As this belongs unto its Dignity and Honour, &s;o it doth al&s;o unto its <HI>inherent Glory.</HI> This is and &s;hall be eternally peculiar unto him, in di&s;tinction from, and exaltation above the whole Creation of God Angels and Men. Tho&s;e by whom this is denied, in&s;tead of the glorious Name whereby God doth call him <HI>Wonderful, Coun&s;ellour, the Migh|ty God,</HI> &amp;c. do call him <HI>Icabod,</HI> where is the Glory, or there is none that is peculiar unto him. But the My&s;tery hereof according unto our mea&s;ure, and in an&s;wer unto our de&s;ign we have already declared. And this Glory he had in|deed in this World, from the fir&s;t in&s;tant of his Incarnation or conception in the Womb. But as unto the <HI>demon&s;tration</HI> of it, <HI>he emptied him&s;elf,</HI> and made him&s;elf of no Reputation under the form of a Servant. But now the Glory of it is il|lu&s;truou&s;ly di&s;played in the &s;ight of all his Holy Ones. Some enquire whether the Saints in Heaven do perfectly compre|hend the <HI>My&s;tery of the Incarnation</HI> of the Son of God. I do not well under&s;tand what is meant by <HI>perfectly comprehend.</HI> But this is certain, that what we have now by <HI>Faith,</HI> we &s;hall have there by <HI>Sight.</HI> For as we <HI>live</HI> now by Faith, &s;o &s;hall we there by Sight. No finite creature can have an ab|&s;olute comprehen&s;ion of that which is infinite. We &s;hall ne|ver &s;earch out the Almighty to perfection in any of his works of Infinite Wi&s;dom. Wherefore this only I &s;hall &s;ay; there is &s;uch a &s;atisfactory evidence in Heaven, not only of the <HI>Truth,</HI> but al&s;o of the <HI>Nature of this My&s;tery,</HI> as that the Glory of Chri&s;t therein is manife&s;t as an eternal Object of Divine Adoration and Honour. The enjoyment of Heaven is u&s;ually called the <HI>Beatifical Vi&s;ion.</HI> That is, &s;uch an intel|lectual pre&s;ent view, apprehen&s;ion and &s;ight of God and his Glory, e&s;pecially as manife&s;ted in Chri&s;t, as will make us <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> unto eternity. Wherefore in the contemplation of this My&s;tery doth a great part of our Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s con&s;i&s;t.
<PB N="321" REF="186">And farther our thoughts cannot attain. This is that where|in the <HI>Glory of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t,</HI> doth e&s;&s;entially excel and differ from that of any other ble&s;&s;ed Creature what|ever. And hereon other things do depend. For,</P>
<P N="2">2. Hence <HI>the &V;nion of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t unto God,</HI> and the Communications of God unto it, are of another kind, than tho&s;e of the ble&s;&s;ed Saints. In the&s;e things, name|ly, our <HI>&V;nion</HI> with God, and his <HI>Communications</HI> unto us, doth our Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s and Glory con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>In this World Believers are united unto God by <HI>Faith.</HI> It is by Faith that they cleave unto him with purpo&s;e of heart. In Heaven it &s;hall be by <HI>Love.</HI> Ardent Love with Delight, Complacency and Joy, from a clear apprehen&s;ion of Gods infinite Goodne&s;s and Beauty now made pre&s;ent unto us, now enjoyed by us, &s;hall be the principle of our eternal <HI>Adherence</HI> unto him and Union with him. His Communi|carions unto us here, are by an <HI>external efficiency of Power.</HI> He communicates of him&s;elf unto us in the effects of his Goodne&s;s, Grace and Mercy, by the Operations of his Spi|rit in us. Of the &s;ame kind will all the Communications of the Divine Nature be unto us unto all Eternity. It will be by what he <HI>worketh in us</HI> by his Spirit and Power. There is no other way of the Emanation of vertue from God, unto any Creature. But the&s;e things in Chri&s;t are of another Nature. This Union of his Humane Nature unto God, is <HI>immediate</HI> in the Per&s;on of the Son; ours is <HI>mediate</HI> by the Son as cloathed with our Nature. The way of Communications of the Divine Nature unto the Humane in his Per&s;on, is what we cannot com|prehend; we have no Notion of it; nothing whereby it may be illu&s;trated. There is nothing equal to it, nothing like it in all the Works of God. As it is a Creature it mu&s;t &s;ub&s;i&s;t in eternal dependance on God; neither hath it any thing but what it receives from him. For this belongs e&s;&s;entially unto
<PB N="322" REF="187">the Divine Nature, to be the only independant eternal Spring and Fountain of all Being and Goodne&s;s. Nor can <HI>Omnipotency</HI> it &s;elf exalt a Creature into any &s;uch condition, as that it &s;hould not alwaies and in all things depend ab&s;olutely on the Divine Being. But as unto the <HI>way of the Communica|tions</HI> between the Divine and Humane Nature in the Per&s;o|nal Union, we know it not. But whether they be of Life, Power, Light or Glory, they are of another kind, than that whereby we do or &s;hall receive all things. For all things are given unto us, are wrought in us, as was &s;aid, by an <HI>external efficiency of Power.</HI> The glorious immediate Emanations of vertue from the Divine unto the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t, we under&s;tand not. Indeed the actings of Natures of diffe|rent kinds, where both are <HI>finite</HI> in the &s;ame Per&s;on one to|wards the other, is of a difficult apprehen&s;ion. Who knows how directive Power and Efficacy proceeds from the Soul, and is communicated unto the Body, unto every the lea&s;t mi|nute action, in every member of it; &s;o as that there is no di&s;tance between the direction and the action, or the accom|pli&s;hment of it; or how on the other hand the &s;oul is affect|ed with &s;orrow or trouble in the moment wherein the Body feeleth pain, &s;o as that no di&s;tinction can be made between the Body's &s;ufferings, and the Soul's &s;orrow? How much more is this mutual Communication in the <HI>&s;ame Per&s;on of divers Natures</HI> above our comprehen&s;ion, where one of them is ab&s;olutely <HI>infinite?</HI> Somewhat will be &s;poken to it after|wards. And herein doth this eternal Glory differ from that of all other glorified creatures whatever. And</P>
<P N="3">3. Hence the <HI>Humane Nature of Chri&s;t,</HI> in his Divine Per|&s;on, and together with it, is the Object of all <HI>Divine Ado|ration</HI> and Wor&s;hip, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.13. All Creatures whatever do for ever a&s;cribe <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing, Honour, Glory and Power, unto the Lamb,</HI> in the &s;ame manner as unto him who &s;its on the
<PB N="323" REF="187">Throne. This we have declared before. But no other Crea|ture either is, or ever can be exalted into &s;uch a condition of Glory, as to be the Object of any Divine Wor&s;hip, from the meane&s;t Creature which is capable of the performance of it. Tho&s;e who a&s;cribe Divine or Religious Honour unto the Saints or Angels, as is done in the <HI>Church of Rome,</HI> do both rob Chri&s;t of the principal flower of his imperial Crown, and Sacrilegiou&s;ly attempt to adorn others with it, which they abhor.</P>
<P N="4">4. The <HI>Glory that God de&s;igned to accompli&s;h in and by him,</HI> is now made evident unto all the Holy Ones that are about the Throne. The great de&s;ign of the Wi&s;dom and Grace of God from Eternity, was to declare and manife&s;t all the Holy Glorious Properties of his Nature, in and by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And this is that wherein he will acquie&s;ce, with which he is well plea&s;ed. When this is fully accompli&s;hed, he will u&s;e no other way or means for the manife&s;tation of his Glory. Herein is the End and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of all.</P>
<P>Wherefore the principal work of Faith whil&s;t we are in this World, is to behold this <HI>Glory of God,</HI> as &s;o repre&s;ented unto us in Chri&s;t. In the exerci&s;e of Faith herein, is our con|formity unto him carried on unto perfection, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. And unto this End, or that we may do &s;o, he powerfully communicates unto our minds a <HI>&s;aving internal Light,</HI> with|out which we can neither behold his Glory, nor give Glory unto him. <HI>He who commanded Light to &s;hine out of Darkne&s;s, &s;hines into our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4 6. The End I &s;ay why God communicates a &s;piritual &s;upernatural Light unto the minds of Believers, is that they may be able to di&s;cern the Manife&s;tation and Revelation of his Glory in Chri&s;t; which is hid from the World, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.17, 18, 19. <HI>Col</HI> 2.2. Howbeit, whil&s;t we are here, we &s;ee it but <HI>darkly as in a
<PB N="324" REF="188">Gla&s;s;</HI> it is not evident unto us in its own lu&s;ter and beauty. Yea the remainder of our darkne&s;s herein, is the cau&s;e of all our Weakne&s;s, Fears and Di&s;con&s;olations. Want of a &s;teady view of this Glory of God, is that which expo&s;eth us unto impre&s;&s;ions from all our temptations. And the light of our minds therein, is that whereby we are changed and transfor|med into the likene&s;s of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>But in <HI>Heaven</HI> this is con&s;picuou&s;ly and gloriou&s;ly mani|fe&s;t unto all the Ble&s;&s;ed Ones that are before the Throne of God. They do not behold it by <HI>Faith</HI> in various degrees <HI>of light,</HI> as we do here below. They have not apprehen&s;ions of &s;ome Impre&s;&s;ions of Divine Glory on the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t and the Humane Nature therein, with the work which he did perform, which is the utmo&s;t of our attainment. But they behold <HI>openly</HI> and <HI>plainly</HI> the whole Glory of God, all the Characters of it, illu&s;triou&s;ly manife&s;ting them&s;elves in him, in what he is, in what he hath done, in what he doth. Divine Wi&s;dom, Grace, Goodne&s;s, Love, Power, do all <HI>&s;hine forth</HI> in him unto the contemplation of all his Saints in whom he is <HI>admired.</HI> And in the <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> hereof con&s;i&s;ts no &s;mall part of our eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. For what can be more &s;a|tisfactory, more full of glory unto the &s;ouls of Believers, than clearly to comprehend the My&s;tery of the Wi&s;dom, Grace, and Love of God in Chri&s;t? This is that which the <HI>Prophets</HI> at a great di&s;tance enquired diligently into; that which the <HI>Angels</HI> bow down to look towards; that who&s;e declaration is the Life and Glory of the Go&s;pel. To behold in one view the Reality, the Sub&s;tance of all that was <HI>typi|fied</HI> and repre&s;ented by the beautiful fabrick of the <HI>Taber|nacle</HI> and <HI>Temple</HI> which &s;ucceeded in the room thereof; of all the Uten&s;ils of them, and &s;ervices performed in them; all that the Promi&s;es of the Old Te&s;tament did contain, or the Declarations of the New; as it is the mo&s;t &s;atisfactory, ble&s;&s;ed
<PB N="325" REF="188">and glorious &s;tate that by the pre&s;ent light of Faith we can de&s;ire or long for, &s;o it evidenceth a glory in Chri&s;t of ano|ther <HI>kind and nature,</HI> than what any creature can be parti|cipant in. I &s;hall therefore &s;tate it unto our con&s;ideration with &s;ome few Ob&s;ervations concerning it.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Every Believer &s;eeth here in this life, an Excellency, a Glory in the My&s;tery of God in Chri&s;t.</HI> They do &s;o in various degrees, unle&s;s it be in times of Temptation, when any of them walk in Darkne&s;s, and have no Light. The view and pro&s;pect hereinto is far more clear, and accompanied with more evidence in &s;ome than in others, according unto the various degrees of their Faith and Light. The <HI>Spiritual Sight</HI> of &s;ome is very weak, and their views of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t are much ob&s;cured with inevidence, darkne&s;s and in&s;tability. This in many is occa&s;ioned by the weakne&s;s of their natural Ability, in more by &s;piritual &s;loth and negli|gence, in that they have not <HI>habitually exerci&s;ed their &s;en&s;es to di&s;cern Good and Evil,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.14. Some want in&s;truction, and &s;ome have their minds corrupt|ed by fal&s;e Opinions. Howbeit, all true Believers have the <HI>eyes of their under&s;tanding opened,</HI> to di&s;cern in &s;ome mea&s;ure the Glory of God as repre&s;ented to them in the Go&s;pel. Un|to others it is fooli&s;hne&s;s; or they think there is that dark|ne&s;s in it whereunto they cannot approach. But all the darkne&s;s is in them&s;elves. This is the di&s;tingui&s;hing Property and Character of &s;aving Faith; it beholds the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; it makes us to di&s;cern the mani|fe&s;tation of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t, as declared in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="2">2. Our Apprehen&s;ion of this Glory <HI>is the &s;pring of all our Obedience,</HI> con&s;olation and hope in this world. Faith di&s;co|vering this manife&s;tation of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t, en|gageth
<PB N="326" REF="189">the &s;oul unto univer&s;al Obedience, as finding therein abundant rea&s;on for it, and encouragement unto it. Then is Obedience truly <HI>Evangelical,</HI> when it ari&s;eth from this act|ing of Faith, and is thereon accompanied with liberty and gratitude. And herein is laid all the foundation of our con|&s;olations for the pre&s;ent, and hope for the future. For the whole &s;ecurity of our pre&s;ent and future condition depends on the Actings of God towards us, according as he hath ma|nife&s;ted him&s;elf in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. From the exerci&s;e of Faith herein, doth <HI>Divine Love,</HI> Love unto God proceed; therein alone is it enlivened and enflamed. On the&s;e apprehen&s;ions doth a believing &s;oul cry out, <HI>How great is his Goodne&s;s? how great is his Beauty?</HI> God in Chri&s;t reconciling the world unto him&s;elf, is the only object of Divine Love. Under that repre&s;entation of him alone, can the &s;oul cleave unto him with ardent Love, con|&s;tant Delight, and inten&s;e Affections. All other notions of Love unto God in &s;inners, as we are all, are empty fancies. Wherefore,</P>
<P N="4">4. All Believers are, or &s;hould be conver&s;ant in their minds about the&s;e things, with longings, expectations and de&s;ires after nearer <HI>Approaches</HI> unto them, and enjoyments of them. And if we are not &s;o, we are <HI>earthly,</HI> carnal and un&s;piritual. Yea the want of this frame, the neglect of this Duty, is the &s;ole cau&s;e why many Profe&s;&s;ors are &s;o <HI>carnal</HI> in their minds, and &s;o worldly in their conver&s;ations. But this is the &s;tate of them who live in the due exerci&s;e of Faith. This they pant and breath after; namely, that they may be delivered from all darkne&s;s, un&s;table thoughts, and imperfect apprehen&s;ions of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t. After the&s;e things do tho&s;e who have received the <HI>fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit,</HI> groan within them&s;elves. This Glory they would <HI>behold with open face,</HI> not as at pre&s;ent in a <HI>Gla&s;s,</HI> but in its own beauty. What do
<PB N="327" REF="189">we want? what would we be at? what do our &s;ouls de&s;ire? is it not that we might have a more full, clear, &s;table, com|prehen&s;ion of the Wi&s;dom, Love, Grace, Goodne&s;s, Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Power of God, as declared and exalted in Chri&s;t unto our Redemption and eternal Salvation? To &s;ee the Glory of God in Chri&s;t, to under&s;tand his Love unto him, and valuation of him, to comprehend his nearne&s;s unto God, all evidenced in his <HI>Mediation,</HI> is that which he hath pro|mi&s;ed unto us, and which we are pre&s;&s;ing after. See <HI>John</HI> 17. <HI>v.</HI> 23, 24.</P>
<P N="5">5. Heaven will &s;atisfy all tho&s;e de&s;ires and expectations. To have them fully &s;atisfied, is Heaven and eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. This fills the &s;ouls of them who are already departed in the Faith; with <HI>Admiration, Joy</HI> and <HI>Prai&s;es.</HI> See <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.9, 10, 11. Herein is the <HI>Glory of Chri&s;t</HI> ab&s;olutely of another kind and nature, than that of any other Creature whatever. And from hence it is, that our Glory &s;hall principally con&s;i&s;t in <HI>beholding his Glory,</HI> becau&s;e the whole Glory of God is mani|fe&s;ted in him.</P>
<P>And by the way, we may &s;ee hence the <HI>Vanity</HI> as well as the <HI>Idolatry</HI> of them who would repre&s;ent Chri&s;t in Glory, as the Object of our Adoration in <HI>Pictures</HI> and <HI>Images.</HI> They fa&s;hion <HI>Wood</HI> or <HI>Stone</HI> into the likene&s;s of a man. They a|dorn it with colours and flouri&s;hes of Art, to &s;et it forth unto the &s;en&s;es and fancies of <HI>&s;uper&s;titious</HI> Per&s;ons, as having a Re|&s;emblance of Glory. And when they have done, they <HI>lavi&s;h Gold out of the bag,</HI> as the Prophet &s;peaks, in various &s;orts of &s;uppo&s;ed ornaments; &s;uch as are &s;o only to the vaine&s;t &s;ort of mankind; and &s;o propo&s;e it as an <HI>Image</HI> or Re&s;emblance of Chri&s;t in Glory. But what is there in it that hath the lea&s;t re&s;pect thereunto, the lea&s;t likene&s;s of it? Nay, is it not the mo&s;t effectual means that can be devi&s;ed to divert the minds of men from <HI>true and real</HI> apprehen&s;ions of it? Doth
<PB N="328" REF="190">it teach any thing of the <HI>&s;ub&s;i&s;tence of the Humane Nature of Chri&s;t in the Per&s;on of the Son of God?</HI> Nay, doth it not obli|terate all thoughts of it? What is repre&s;ented thereby of the <HI>&V;nion of it unto God,</HI> and the immediate Communications of God unto it? Doth it declare <HI>the Manife&s;tation of all the glo|rious Properties of the Divine Nature in him?</HI> One thing in|deed they a&s;cribe unto it that is proper unto Chri&s;t, namely, that it is to be <HI>adored</HI> and <HI>wor&s;hiped,</HI> whereby they add <HI>Ido|latry</HI> unto their folly. Per&s;ons who know not what it is to live <HI>by Faith,</HI> who&s;e minds are never rai&s;ed by Spiritual Heaven|ly Contemplations, who have no de&s;ign in Religion but to gratify their <HI>inward</HI> &s;uper&s;tition by their <HI>outward</HI> &s;en&s;es, may be plea&s;ed for a time, and ruined for ever by the&s;e delu&s;ions. Tho&s;e who have real Faith in Chri&s;t, and Love unto him, have a more glorious Object for their exerci&s;e.</P>
<P>And we may hereby examine both our own <HI>Notions of the &s;tate of Glory,</HI> and our preparations for it, and whether we are in any mea&s;ure <HI>made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints of Light.</HI> More grounds of this Trial will be afterwards &s;ugge&s;ted, the&s;e laid down may not be pa&s;&s;ed by. Various are the thoughts of men about the future &s;tate, the things <HI>which are not &s;een,</HI> which are eternal. Some ri&s;e no higher, but unto hopes of <HI>e&s;caping Hell,</HI> or everla&s;ting mi&s;eries when they die. Yet the Heathen had their <HI>Eli&s;ian fields,</HI> and <HI>Maho|met</HI> his &s;en&s;ual Paradi&s;e. Others have apprehen&s;ions of I know not what <HI>gli&s;tering Glory</HI> that will plea&s;e and &s;atisfy them they know not how, when they can be here no longer. But this &s;tate is quite of another Nature, and the ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of it is Spiritual and Intellectual. Take an in&s;tance in one of the things before laid down. The <HI>Glory of Heaven,</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in the full manife&s;tation of Divine Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s Grace, Holine&s;s of all the Properties of the Nature of God in Chri&s;t. In the clear perception and con&s;tant contemmplation hereof,
<PB N="329" REF="190">con&s;i&s;ts no &s;mall part of eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s. What then are our pre&s;ent thoughts of the&s;e things? What <HI>Joy,</HI> what <HI>Sa|tisfaction</HI> have we in the &s;ight of them which we have by Faith through Divine Revelation? What is our de&s;ire to come unto the perfect comprehen&s;ion of them? How do we like this Heaven? What do we find in our &s;elves that will be eternally &s;atisfied hereby? According as our de&s;ires are af|ter them, &s;uch and no other are our de&s;ires of the <HI>true Hea|ven,</HI> of the Re&s;idence of Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s and Glory. Neither will God bring us unto Heaven whether we will or no. If through the ignorance and darkne&s;s of our minds, if through the earthline&s;s and &s;en&s;uality of our affections, if through a fulne&s;s of the world, and the occa&s;ions of it, if by the love of Life, and our pre&s;ent enjoyments, we are &s;trangers unto the&s;e things, we are not conver&s;ant about them, we long not after them; we are not in the way towards their enjoyment. The pre&s;ent <HI>Satisfaction</HI> we receive in them by Faith, is the be&s;t evidence we have of an indefea&s;ible Intere&s;t in them. How fooli&s;h is it to lo&s;e the <HI>fir&s;t fruits</HI> of the&s;e things in our own &s;ouls, tho&s;e entrances into Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, which the con|templation of them through Faith would open unto us, and hazard our everla&s;ta&s;ting enjoyment of them, by an eager pur&s;uit of an intere&s;t in peri&s;hing things here below. This, this is that which ruines the &s;ouls of mo&s;t, and keeps the Faith of many at &s;o low an ebb, that it is hard to di&s;cover any genuine working of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Glory of the Humane Nature</HI> of Chri&s;t differs from that of the Saints after the <HI>Re&s;urrection,</HI> in things which con|cern the <HI>degrees</HI> of it. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Glory of his Body is the example and pattern of what they &s;hall be conformed unto, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.21. <HI>Who &s;hall change our vile Body, that it may be fa&s;hioned like unto his Glorious Body, according to the working whereby he is
<PB N="330" REF="191">able even to &s;ubdue all things unto him&s;elf.</HI> Our Bodies were made <HI>vile</HI> by the entrance of &s;in. Thence they became Bro|thers to the Worms, and Si&s;ters unto Corruption. To Death and the Grave with rottenne&s;s and corruption therein, they are de&s;igned. At the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> they &s;hall be new-framed, fa&s;hioned and moulded. Not only all the detriment and di&s;|advantage they received by the entrance of &s;in &s;hall be remo|ved, but many additions of Glorious Qualifications which they had not in their primitive natural con&s;titution &s;hall be ad|ded unto them. And this &s;hall be done by the <HI>Almighty Pow|er of Chri&s;t;</HI> that working or exerci&s;e of it, whereby he is able to &s;ubdue all things unto him&s;elf. But of this &s;tate where|into we &s;hall be changed by the Power of Chri&s;t, his <HI>own Body</HI> is the pattern and example. A &s;imilitude of it is all that we &s;hall attain unto. And that which is the <HI>Idaea</HI> and exem|plar in any &s;tate, is the Rule and Standard unto all others. Such is the Glory of Chri&s;t; ours con&s;i&s;ts in <HI>conformity</HI> there|unto; which gives him the Preheminence.</P>
<P N="2">2. As the &s;tate of his Body is more glorious than ours &s;hall be, &s;o will that of his Soul in it &s;elf be made <HI>appear</HI> to be more excellent than what we are capable of. For that fulne&s;s of the Spirit without mea&s;ure, and of all Grace which his Nature was capacitated for by vertue of the <HI>Hypo|&s;tatical</HI> Union, doth now &s;hine forth in all Excellency and Glory. The Grace that was in Chri&s;t in this world, is the &s;ame with that which is in him now in Heaven. The Na|ture of it was not changed, when he cea&s;ed to be <HI>Viator,</HI> but is only brought into a more glorious exerci&s;e now he is <HI>Comprehen&s;or.</HI> And all his Graces are now made manife&s;t, the vail being taken from them, and Light communicated to di&s;cern them. As in this world, he had unto the mo&s;t neither form nor comeline&s;s for which he &s;hould be de&s;ired, partly from the vail which was ca&s;t on his <HI>inward Beauty,</HI>
<PB N="331" REF="191">from his <HI>outward condition,</HI> but principally from the dark|ne&s;s which was on their minds, whereby they were di&s;en|abled to di&s;cern the glory of &s;piritual things; notwith&s;tand|ing which, &s;ome then in the Light of Faith <HI>&s;aw his Glory, as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth:</HI> So now the <HI>Vail</HI> is removed, and the <HI>darkne&s;s</HI> wholly taken away from the minds of the Saints; he is in the Glory of his Graces altogether lovely and de&s;irable. And although the <HI>Grace</HI> which is in Believers, be of the &s;ame na|ture with that which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and &s;hall be changed into <HI>Glory,</HI> after the likene&s;s of his, yet is it, and alwaies &s;hall be incomprehen&s;ibly &s;hort of what dwells in him. And herein al&s;o doth his Glory gradually excel that of all other creatures whatever.</P>
<P>But we mu&s;t here <HI>draw a Vail</HI> over what yet remains. For it doth not <HI>yet appear</HI> what we our &s;elves &s;hall be. Much le&s;s is it evident what are, and what will be the Glories of the Head above all the members; even then when we &s;hall <HI>be made like unto him.</HI> But it mu&s;t be remembred, that where|as at the entrance of this Di&s;cour&s;e we &s;o propo&s;ed the con|&s;ideration of the pre&s;ent &s;tate of the Lord Chri&s;t in Heaven, as that which &s;hould have an <HI>end at the con&s;ummation of all things:</HI> What hath been &s;poken concerning the Glory of his Humane Nature in it &s;elf, is not of that kind, but what abid|eth unto eternity. All the things mentioned abide in him and unto him for evermore.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing to be con&s;idered in the pre&s;ent &s;tate and condition of Chri&s;t, is his <HI>Mediatory Exaltation.</HI> And two things with re&s;pect thereunto may be enquired into. (1.) <HI>The way of his entrance into that &s;tate above.</HI> (2.) <HI>The &s;tate it &s;elf, with the Glory of it.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>way of his entrance</HI> into the exerci&s;e of his Media|tory Office in Heaven, is expre&s;&s;ed, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>He was
<PB N="332" REF="192">received into Glory,</HI> or rather gloriou&s;ly. And he <HI>entred in|to Glory, Luke</HI> 24.26. This A&s;&s;umption and entrance into Glory was upon his A&s;cen&s;ion de&s;cribed, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.9, 11. He was <HI>taken</HI> up into Heaven, <GAP DESC="foreign">, by an Act of Divine Power; and he <HI>went</HI> into Heaven, <GAP DESC="foreign">, in his own choice and will, as that which he was exalted unto. And this A&s;cen&s;ion of Chri&s;t in his <HI>Humane Nature</HI> into Heaven is a Fundamental Article of the Faith of the Church. And it falls under a double con&s;ideration. (1.) As it was <HI>Triumphant,</HI> as he was a <HI>King.</HI> (2.) As it was <HI>Graci|ous,</HI> as he was a <HI>Prie&s;t.</HI> His A&s;cen&s;ion as unto change of Place, from Earth to Heaven, and as unto the outward man|ner of it, was <HI>one and</HI> the &s;ame, and at once accompli&s;hed. But as unto the End of it, which is the exerci&s;e of all his Offices, it had <HI>various re&s;pects,</HI> various praefigurations, and is di&s;tinctly propo&s;ed unto us, with reference unto them.</P>
<P>In his A&s;cen&s;ion as it was <HI>Triumphant,</HI> three things may be con&s;idered. (1.) The <HI>manner of it,</HI> with its Repre&s;entation of Old. (2.) The <HI>Place</HI> whereinto he a&s;cended. (3.) The <HI>End</HI> of it, or what was the work which he had to do thereon,</P>
<P N="1">1. As unto the manner of it, it was <HI>openly triumphant</HI> and glorious. So is it de&s;cribed, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.8. He <HI>a&s;cended up on high; he lead captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.</HI> And re&s;pect is had unto the praefiguration of it, at the giving of the Law, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68.17, 18. where the glory of it is more fully expre&s;&s;ed. <HI>The Chariots of God are twenty thou&s;and, even thou&s;ands of Angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. Thou ha&s;t a&s;cended on high, thou ha&s;t lead captivity captive,</HI> &amp;c. The mo&s;t glorious Appearance of God upon the Earth under the Old Te&s;tament, was that on <HI>Mount Sinai,</HI> in the giving of the Law. And as his Pre&s;ence was there attended with all his <HI>glorious Angels;</HI> &s;o when up|on the fini&s;hing of that work he returned or a&s;cended into
<PB N="333" REF="192">Heaven, it was in the way of a <HI>Triumph</HI> with all that <HI>Royal Attendance.</HI> And this praefigured the A&s;cent of Chri&s;t into Heaven upon his <HI>fulfilling of the Law,</HI> all that was required in it, or &s;ignified by it. He a&s;cended triumphantly after he had <HI>given</HI> the Law, as a figure of his triumphant A&s;cent af|ter he had <HI>fulfilled</HI> it. Having then <HI>&s;poiled Principalities and Powers, he made a &s;hew of them openly, triumphing over them, Col.</HI> 2.15. So he lead captivity captive; or all the ad|ver&s;e Powers of the Salvation of the Church in triumph at his Chariot-wheels. I deny not but that his leading <HI>capti|vity captive,</HI> principally re&s;pects his &s;piritual conque&s;t over Satan, and the de&s;truction of his Power. Yet whereas he is al&s;o &s;aid to <HI>&s;poil Principalities and Powers, making &s;hew of them openly,</HI> and triumphing over them, I no way doubt but <HI>Satan</HI> the Head of the Apo&s;tacy, and the chief Princes of Darkne&s;s were lead <HI>openly</HI> in &s;ight of all the holy Angels, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">onquered captives. The <HI>&s;eed of the Woman</HI> having now broken the <HI>Head of the Serpent.</HI> This is that which is &s;o emphatically expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 47. throughout. The ground and cau&s;e of all the <HI>Triumphant Rejoycing</HI> of the Church therein declared, is that God was <HI>gone up with a &s;hout, the Lord with the &s;ound of a Trumpet, ver&s;.</HI> 5. which is nothing but the glorious A&s;cent of Chri&s;t into Heaven, &s;aid to be ac|companied with &s;houts, and the &s;ound of a Trumpet, the ex|pre&s;&s;ions of Triumphant Rejoycing, becau&s;e of the <HI>glorious Acclamations</HI> that were made thereon by all the Attendants of the Throne of God.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Place</HI> whither he thus a&s;cended, is <HI>on high. He a&s;cended up on high, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.8. That is <HI>Heaven.</HI> He went into <HI>Heaven, Acts</HI> 1.11. And the <HI>Heavens mu&s;t receive him. ver.</HI> 3.21. Not the&s;e a&s;pectable Heavens which we behold. For in his A&s;cen&s;ion <HI>he pa&s;&s;ed through them, Heb.</HI> 4.14. and is made <HI>higher than they, chap.</HI> 7.27. But into the Place of
<PB N="334" REF="193">the Re&s;idence of God in Glory and Maje&s;ty, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.3. <HI>chap.</HI> 8.1. <HI>chap.</HI> 12.2. There on <HI>the Throne of God, Rev.</HI> 3.21. <HI>On the right hand of the Maje&s;ty</HI> on high, he &s;its down in the full po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and exerci&s;e of all Power and Authority. This is the Pallace of this King of Saints and Nations. There is his Royal eternal Throne, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.8. And <HI>many Crowns</HI> are on his head, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.12. or all Dignity and Honour. And he who in a pretended imitation of him wears a <HI>triple Crown,</HI> hath upon his own head thereby, <HI>the name of Bla&s;phemy, Rev.</HI> 13.1. There are before him his <HI>Scepter</HI> of Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, <HI>his Rod of Iron,</HI> all the <HI>regalia</HI> of his glorious King|dom. For by the&s;e <HI>Emblems</HI> of Power doth the Scripture repre&s;ent unto us his &s;overaign Divine Authority in the execution of his Kingly Office. Thus he a&s;cended trium|phantly, having conquered his Enemies; thus he raigneth glo|riou&s;ly over all.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>End</HI> for which he thus triumphantly a&s;cended into Heaven, is twofold. (1.) The <HI>overturning and de&s;truction</HI> of all his Enemies in all their remaining Powers. He rules them <HI>with a Rod of Iron,</HI> and in his due time will da&s;h them in pieces as a Potters Ve&s;&s;el, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2.9. For he mu&s;t <HI>raign until all his Enemies are made his foot&s;tool,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.25, 26. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 110.1. Although at pre&s;ent for the mo&s;t part they de&s;pi&s;e his Authority, yet they are all ab&s;olutely in his Pow|er, and &s;hall fall under his eternal di&s;plea&s;ure. (2.) The <HI>Pre&s;ervation,</HI> Continuation and Rule of his Church, both as unto the <HI>Internal</HI> &s;tate of the &s;ouls of them that believe, and the <HI>external</HI> Order of the Church in its Wor&s;hip and Obedience, and its pre&s;ervation under and from all oppo&s;i|tions and per&s;ecutions in this World. There is in each of the&s;e &s;uch a continual exerci&s;e of Divine Wi&s;dom, Power and Care, the effects of them are &s;o great and marvelous, and the fruits of them &s;o abundant unto the Glory of God, that
<PB N="335" REF="193">the World <HI>would not contain the Books</HI> that might be written of them; but to handle them di&s;tinctly is not our pre&s;ent de&s;ign.</P>
<P N="2">2. His <HI>A&s;cen&s;ion</HI> may be con&s;idered as <HI>Gracious;</HI> as the a&s;cent of an <HI>High Prie&s;t.</HI> And herein the things before men|tioned are of a di&s;tinct con&s;ideration.</P>
<P N="1">1. As to the <HI>manner</HI> of it, and the de&s;ign of it, he gives an account of them him&s;elf, <HI>John</HI> 20.17. His de&s;ign herein was not the taking on him the exerci&s;e of his Power, King|dom and glorious Rule; but the <HI>acting with God</HI> on the be|half of his Di&s;ciples. <HI>I go,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>to my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God;</HI> not his God and Father with re&s;pect unto eternal Generation, but as he was their God and Father al&s;o. And he was &s;o, as he was their God and Father in the &s;ame <HI>Covenant</HI> with him&s;elf; wherein he was to procure of God all good things for them. Through the blood of this <HI>everla&s;ting Covenant,</HI> namely, his own blood, whereby this Covenant was e&s;tabli&s;hed, and all the good things of it &s;e|cured unto the Church, he was <HI>brought again from the dead,</HI> that he might live ever to communicate them unto the Church, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.20, 21. With this de&s;ign in his A&s;cen&s;ion, and the effects of it, did he often comfort and refre&s;h the hearts of of his Di&s;ciples, when they were ready to faint on the ap|prehen&s;ions of his leaving of them here below, <HI>John</HI> 14.1, 2. <HI>chap.</HI> 16.5, 6, 7. And this was typified by the <HI>a&s;cent of the High Prie&s;t,</HI> unto the Temple of Old. The Temple was &s;ituated on an Hill, high and &s;teep, &s;o as that there was no approach unto it but by <HI>&s;tairs.</HI> Hence in their wars it was looked on as a mo&s;t impregnable &s;ortre&s;s. And the &s;olemn a&s;cent of the <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> into it on the day of expiation, had a Re&s;emblance of this a&s;cent of Chri&s;t into Heaven. For after he had offered the Sacrifices in the outward court, and made Attonement for &s;in, he entred into the mo&s;t Holy Place, <HI>a Type of Heaven</HI> it &s;elf, as the Apo&s;tle declares, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.24.
<PB N="336" REF="194">of Heaven, as it was the Place whereinto our High Prei&s;t was to enter. And it was a <HI>joyful a&s;cent,</HI> though not <HI>Trium|phant.</HI> All the P&s;alms from the 120th. to the 134th. inclu|&s;ively who&s;e Titles are <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Songs of Degrees,</HI> or rather A&s;cents or Ri&s;ings, being generally Songs of Prai&s;e and Exhortations to have re&s;pect unto the Sanctuary, were &s;ung to God at the re&s;ting-places of that A&s;cent. E&s;pe|cially was this repre&s;ented on the day of <HI>Jubilee.</HI> The Pro|clamation of the <HI>Jubilee</HI> was on the &s;ame day that the High Prie&s;t entred into the Holy Place; and at the &s;ame time; namely, on the <HI>tenth day of the &s;eventh month, Levit.</HI> 16.29. <HI>chap.</HI> 25.9. Then did the Trumpet &s;ound throughout the Land, the whole Church; and <HI>Liberty</HI> was proclaimed un|to all &s;ervants, captives, and &s;uch as had &s;old their po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ions; that they might return unto them again. This be|ing a <HI>great Type</HI> of the &s;piritual Deliverance of the Church, the noi&s;e of the Trumpet was called the <HI>joyful &s;ound, P&s;al.</HI> 89.15. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the people that know the joyful &s;ound, they &s;hall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance.</HI> Tho&s;e who are made partakers of &s;piritual Deliverance, &s;hall walk before God in a &s;en&s;e of his Love and Grace. This is the A&s;cent of our High Prie&s;t into his Sanctuary, when he <HI>proclaim|ed the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of venge|ance of our God, to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for a&s;hes, the oyl of joy for mourning, the garment of prai&s;e for the &s;pirit of heavine&s;s, that they might be called trees of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified, I&s;a</HI> 61.2, 3. For in this A&s;cen&s;ion of Chri&s;t, Proclamation was made in the Go&s;pel, of Mercy, Pardon, Peace, Joy, and everla&s;ting Refre&s;hments, unto all that were di&s;tre&s;&s;ed by &s;in, with a communication of Righteou&s;ne&s;s unto them, to the eternal Glory of God. Such was the <HI>entrance of our High Prie&s;t</HI>
<PB N="337" REF="194">into Heaven, with Acclamations of Joy and Prai&s;e unto God.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Place whereinto he thus entred was the <HI>Sanctuary above,</HI> the <HI>Tabernacle not made with hands, Heb.</HI> 8.2. It was into Heaven it &s;elf, not ab&s;olutely, but as it is the <HI>Temple of God,</HI> as the Throne of Grace and Mercy Seat are in it, which mu&s;t further be &s;poken unto immediately.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>End</HI> why the Lord Chri&s;t thus a&s;cended, and thus entred into the Holy Place, was <HI>to appear in the pre&s;ence of God for us,</HI> and to make <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion</HI> for all that come unto God by him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.26, 27. <HI>chap.</HI> 9.24, 25.</P>
<P>He a&s;cended triumphantly into Heaven, as <HI>Solomon</HI> a&s;cend|ed into his glorious Throne of Judgment de&s;cribed, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 10.18, 19, 20. As <HI>David</HI> was the Type of his Conque&s;t over all the enemies of his Church, &s;o was <HI>Solomon</HI> of his glorious Raign. The Types were multiplied becau&s;e of their imper|fection. Then came unto him the Queen of <HI>Sheba,</HI> the Type of the Gentile-Converts and the Church. When <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>voluntaries of the people</HI> (tho&s;e made willing in the day of his Power, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 110.3.) <HI>gathered them&s;elves to the people of the God of Abraham,</HI> and were taken in his Covenant, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 47.9. But he a&s;cended graciou&s;ly, as the <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> went into the Holy Place. Not to rule all things gloriou&s;ly with mighty Power, not to u&s;e his <HI>Sword and his Scepter,</HI> but to <HI>appear as an High Prie&s;t</HI> in a <HI>Garment down to the foot, and a Golden Girdle about his paps, Rev.</HI> 1.13. as in a Tabernacle or Temple before a Throne of Grace. His &s;itting down at the Right hand of the Maje&s;ty on high, adds to the Glory of his Prie&s;tly Office, but belongs not unto the execution of it. So it was prophe&s;ied of him, that <HI>he &s;hould be a Prie&s;t on his Throne, Zech.</HI> 6.13.</P>
<P>It may be added hereunto that when he thus <HI>left this World</HI> and a&s;cended into Glory, the great promi&s;e he made unto his Di&s;ciples as they were to be <HI>Preachers</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and
<PB N="338" REF="195">in them unto all that &s;hould &s;ucceed them in that <HI>Office,</HI> was that he would <HI>&s;end the Holy Spirit unto them,</HI> to teach and guide them, to lead them into all Truth, to declare unto them the My&s;teries of the Will, Grace and Love of God, for the u&s;e of the whole Church. This he promi&s;ed to do, and did in the di&s;charge of his <HI>Prophetical</HI> Office. And although his giving <HI>Gifts unto men</HI> was an act of his Kingly Power, yet it was for the End of his <HI>Prophetical</HI> Office.</P>
<P>From what hath been &s;poken it is evident that the Lord Chri&s;t <HI>a&s;cended into Heaven,</HI> or was received up into Glory, with this de&s;ign, namely, to exerci&s;e his Office of <HI>Mediation</HI> in the behalf of the Church until the End &s;hould be. As this was his Grace, that when he was <HI>Rich,</HI> for our &s;akes he became <HI>Poor;</HI> &s;o when he was made <HI>Rich</HI> again for his own &s;ake, he laies forth all the Riches of his Glory and Power on our behalf.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Glory</HI> of the &s;tate and condition whereinto Chri&s;t thus entred, is the next thing to be con&s;idered. For he is <HI>&s;et down</HI> at the right hand of the Maje&s;ty on High. And as his <HI>a&s;cen&s;ion</HI> with the Ends of it were twofold, or of a double con|&s;ideration, &s;o was his Glory that en&s;ued thereon. For his pre&s;ent Mediatory &s;tate con&s;i&s;ts either in the Glory of his <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Authority;</HI> or in the Glory of his <HI>Love and Grace;</HI> his Glory as a <HI>King,</HI> or his Glory as a <HI>Prie&s;t.</HI> For the fir&s;t of the&s;e, or his <HI>Royal Glory,</HI> in &s;overaign Power and Autho|rity over the whole Creation of God, all in Heaven and Earth, Per&s;ons and Things, Angels and Men, Good and Bad, Alive and Dead, all things Spiritual and Eternal, Grace, Gifts and Glory, his <HI>Right and Power</HI> or Ability to di&s;po&s;e of all things according unto his Will and Plea&s;ure I have &s;o fully and di|&s;tinctly declared it, in my expo&s;ition on, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.3. as that I &s;hall not here again in&s;i&s;t upon it. His pre&s;ent Glory in the way of <HI>Love and Grace;</HI> His Glory as a <HI>Prie&s;t,</HI> will be mani|fe&s;ted in what doth en&s;ue.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="20" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="339" REF="195">
<HEAD>CHAP. XX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>The Exerci&s;e of the Mediatory Office of Chri&s;t in Heaven.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE third and la&s;t thing which we propo&s;ed unto con|&s;ideration in our enquiry into the pre&s;ent &s;tate and condition of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Heaven, is the <HI>exerci&s;e and di&s;charge of his Mediatory Office</HI> in behalf of the Church; e&s;pecially as he continueth to be a <HI>Mini&s;ter of the Sanctuary,</HI> and of the true Tabernacle which God hath fixed and not man.</P>
<P>All Chri&s;tians acknowledge that his <HI>pre&s;ent &s;tate</HI> is a &s;tate of the highe&s;t Glory, of Exaltation above the whole Creation of God, above every name that is or can be named; and here|on they e&s;teem their own honour and &s;afety to depend. Nei|ther do they doubt of his <HI>Power,</HI> but take it for granted that he can do whatever he plea&s;eth, which is the ground of their placing all their confidence in him. But we mu&s;t &s;hew more|over that his pre&s;ent &s;tate is a <HI>&s;tate of Office-Power,</HI> Work and Duty. He leads not in Heaven a life of <HI>meer Glory,</HI> Maje&s;ty and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, but a <HI>life of Office,</HI> Love and Care al&s;o. He lives as the <HI>Mediator</HI> of the Church, as the King, Prie&s;t and Prophet thereof. Hereon do our pre&s;ent &s;afety, and our fu|ture eternal &s;alvation depend. Without the continual actings of the <HI>Office-Power</HI> and care of Chri&s;t, the Church could not be pre&s;erved one moment. And the darkne&s;s of our Faith herein is the cau&s;e of all our di&s;con&s;olations, and mo&s;t of our weakne&s;&s;es in obedience. Mo&s;t men have only general and confu&s;ed notions and apprehen&s;ions of the pre&s;ent &s;tate of Chri&s;t with re&s;pect unto the Church. And by &s;ome all con|&s;iderations of this nature are de&s;pi&s;ed and derided. But <HI>re|vealed things belong unto us;</HI> e&s;pecially &s;uch as are of &s;o great
<PB N="340" REF="196">importance unto the Glory of God, and the &s;aving of our own &s;ouls; &s;uch as this is concerning the pre&s;ent &s;tate of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Heaven, with re&s;pect unto his Office, Power and Care.</P>
<P>Thus he is at once repre&s;ented in all his Offices, <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.6. <HI>And I beheld, and lo in the mid&s;t of the Throne, and of the four living creatures, &s;tood a Lamb as it had been &s;lain, having &s;even horns, and &s;even eyes, which are the &s;even Spirits of God &s;ent forth into all the earth.</HI> The whole Repre&s;entation of the Gloty of God, with all his holy Attendants, is here called his <HI>Throne,</HI> whence Chri&s;t is &s;aid to be in the <HI>mid&s;t</HI> of it. And this he is in his <HI>Kingly Glory;</HI> with re&s;pect al&s;o whereunto he is &s;aid to have <HI>&s;even Horns,</HI> or perfect Power for the accompli&s;hment of his Will. And with re&s;pect unto his <HI>Sacerdotal Office,</HI> he is repre&s;ented as a <HI>Lamb that had been &s;lain;</HI> it being the vertue of his oblation that is continually effectual for the &s;alvation of the Church. For as the <HI>Lamb of God,</HI> in the offering of him&s;elf, he takes away the &s;ins of the world. And as a <HI>Prophet</HI> he is &s;aid to have <HI>&s;even Eyes,</HI> which are the <HI>&s;even Spirits of God;</HI> or a perfect fulne&s;s of all &s;piritual Light and Wi&s;dom in him&s;elf, with a Power for the communication of Gifts and Grace for the illumina|tion of the Church.</P>
<P>The nature of the&s;e <HI>Offices</HI> of Chri&s;t, what belongs unto them and their di&s;charge, as was before intimated, I have declared el&s;ewhere. I do now no farther con&s;ider them but as they relate unto the <HI>pre&s;ent &s;tate</HI> and condition of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Heaven. And becau&s;e it would be too long a work to treat of them all di&s;tinctly, I &s;hall confine my &s;elf unto the con&s;ideration of his <HI>Prie&s;tly Office,</HI> with what depends thereon. And with re&s;pect thereunto the things en&s;uing may be ob&s;erved.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Lord Chri&s;t entred into Heaven, the Place of the
<PB N="341" REF="196">Re&s;idence of the Glory of God, <HI>as into a Temple, a Tabernacle, a Place of &s;acred Wor&s;hip.</HI> He did &s;o as the High Prie&s;t of the Church, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.9, 24. <HI>He is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven it&s;elf, now to appear in the Pre&s;ence of God for us.</HI> He is entred into Heaven as it was figured by the Tabernacle of Old, which was the Place of all <HI>&s;acred</HI> and &s;olemn Wor|&s;hip. And therefore is he &s;aid to enter into it <HI>through the Vail, Heb.</HI> 6.19, 20. <HI>Chap.</HI> 10.19, 20. Which was the way of entrance into the mo&s;t Holy Place both in the Tabernacle and Temple. Heaven is not only a <HI>Pallace,</HI> a Throne, as it is Gods Throne, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5.3, 4. But it is a <HI>Temple</HI> where|in God dwells, not only in Maje&s;ty and Power, but in Grace and Mercy. It is the &s;eat of Ordinances and &s;olemn Wor|&s;hip. So is it repre&s;ented, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7.15, 17. It is &s;aid of the whole number of the Saints above that have pa&s;&s;ed through the Tribulations of this World; that they are <HI>before the Throne of God, and &s;erve him day and night in his Temple, and he that &s;itteth on the Throne &s;hall dwell among them. And the Lamb which is in the mid&s;t of the Throne &s;hall feed them, and lead them unto living Fountains of water.</HI> See al&s;o <HI>chap.</HI> 8.1, 2, 3, 4. The Wor&s;hip of the Church below, may al&s;o be herein comprized; but it is by vertue of Communion with that above. This is that <HI>Heaven</HI> which the &s;ouls of Belie|vers do long for an entrance into. Other apprehen&s;ions of it are but uncertain &s;peculations.</P>
<P N="2">2. In this <HI>Temple,</HI> this <HI>Sanctuary</HI> the Lord Chri&s;t con|tinueth gloriou&s;ly to <HI>Mini&s;ter before the Throne of Grace,</HI> in the di&s;charge of his Office. See <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.14, 15, 16. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9.24. As the High Prie&s;t went into the Holy Place to mini|&s;ter for the Church unto God, before the <HI>Ark</HI> and <HI>Mercy|&s;eat,</HI> which were Types of the Throne of Grace; &s;o doth our High Prie&s;t act for us in the real Pre&s;ence of God. He
<PB N="342" REF="197">did not enter the Holy Place only to re&s;ide there in a way of Glory, but to do <HI>Temple-work,</HI> and to give unto God all that Glory, Honour and Wor&s;hip which he will receive from the Church. And we may con&s;ider, both (1.) <HI>What</HI> this work is, and (2.) <HI>How</HI> it is performed.</P>
<P N="1">1. In general; herein Chri&s;t exerteth and exerci&s;eth all his <HI>Love, Compa&s;&s;ion, Pity</HI> and <HI>Care</HI> towards the Church and every member of it. This are we frequently called unto the con&s;ideration of, as the Foundation of all our con&s;olation, as the Fountain of all our Obedience. See <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.17, 18. <HI>Chap.</HI> 4.15, 16. <HI>Chap.</HI> 5.2. Thoughts hereof are the relief of Be|lievers in all their di&s;tre&s;&s;es and temptations; and the effects of it, are all their <HI>&s;upplies of Grace</HI> enabling them to per&s;e|vere in their Obedience. He doth appear for them as the great Repre&s;entative of the Church to tran&s;act all their affairs with God. And that for three Ends.</P>
<P N="1">1. To make <HI>effectual the Attonement that he hath made for &s;in.</HI> By the continual Repre&s;entation of it, and of him&s;elf as a <HI>Lamb that had been &s;lain,</HI> he procures the application of the vertues and benefits of it in Reconciliation and Peace with God, unto their &s;ouls and con&s;ciences. Hence are all Believers, &s;prinkled and wa&s;hed with his blood in all generations; in the application of the vertues of it unto them, as &s;hed for them.</P>
<P N="2">2. To undertake their <HI>Protection,</HI> and to plead their cau&s;e again&s;t all the accu&s;ations of Satan. He yet accu&s;eth and chargeth them before God. But Chri&s;t is their <HI>Advocate</HI> at the Throne of Grace, effectually fru&s;trating all his attempts, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12.10. <HI>Zech.</HI> 3.2.</P>
<P N="3">3. To <HI>intercede</HI> for them; as unto the communication of all Grace and Glory, all &s;upplies of the Spirit, the accompli&s;h|ment of all the Promi&s;es of the Covenant towards them, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.1, 2. This is the work of Chri&s;t in <HI>Heaven.</HI> In the&s;e things as the <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> of the Church, doth he continue to
<PB N="343" REF="197">admini&s;ter his Mediatory Office on their behalf. And herein is he attended with the Songs and joyful Acclamations of all the Holy Ones that are in the pre&s;ence of God, giving Glory to God by him.</P>
<P N="2">2. As unto the <HI>manner</HI> of this glorious Admini&s;tration, &s;undry things are to be con&s;idered.</P>
<P N="1">1. That this tran&s;action of things in Heaven, being in the <HI>Temple of God,</HI> and before the Throne of Grace, is a &s;olemn <HI>In&s;tituted Wor&s;hip</HI> at pre&s;ent, which &s;hall cea&s;e at the end of the world. <HI>Religious</HI> Wor&s;hip it is; or that wherein and whereby all the Saints above do give Glory to God. And it is <HI>In&s;tituted</HI> Wor&s;hip, not that which is meerly natural, in that it is God's e&s;pecial Appointment in and by Chri&s;t the Mediator. It is a <HI>Church State</HI> which is con&s;tituted hereby, wherein the&s;e glorious Ordinances are celebrated; and &s;uch a State as &s;hall not be eternal, but hath its time allotted unto it. And Believers at pre&s;ent have by Faith an admi&s;&s;ion into communion with this Church above in all its Divine Wor|&s;hip. For <HI>we are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jeru&s;alem, and to an innumerable company of Angels; to the general A&s;&s;embly and Church of the fir&s;t born, which are written in Heaven; and to God the Judge of all, and to the &s;pirits of ju&s;t men made perfect; and to Je&s;us the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of &s;prink|ling, which &s;peaketh better things than that of Abel, Heb.</HI> 12.22, 23, 24. A <HI>Church-&s;tate</HI> doth the Apo&s;tle mo&s;t expre&s;ly repre&s;ent unto us. <HI>It is Sion, Jeru&s;alem,</HI> the great A&s;&s;embly; the names of the Church-&s;tate under the Old Te&s;tament. And it is a State <HI>above,</HI> the <HI>heavenly Jeru&s;alem,</HI> where are all the holy Angels, and the &s;pirits of ju&s;t men <HI>made perfect;</HI> in them|&s;elves, though not in their &s;tate as to the re&s;titution of their bodies at the Re&s;urrection. And an <HI>Holy Wor&s;hip</HI> is there in this great A&s;&s;embly. For not only is <HI>Je&s;us</HI> in it as the Me|diator
<PB N="344" REF="198">of the Covenant; but there is the <HI>Blood of &s;pringling</HI> al&s;o, in the effectual application of it unto the Church. Here|into have we an entrance. In this holy A&s;&s;embly and Wor|&s;hip have we communion by Faith whil&s;t we are here below, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.19, 20, 21, 22. O that my &s;oul might abide and a|bound in this exerci&s;e of Faith; that I might yet enjoy a clearer pro&s;pect of this Glory, and in&s;pection into the Beau|ty and Order of this ble&s;&s;ed A&s;&s;embly. How inconceivable is the Repre&s;entation that God here makes of the Glory of his Wi&s;dom, Love, Grace, Goodne&s;s and Mercy in Chri&s;t? How excellent is the manife&s;tation of the Glory and Honour of Chri&s;t in his Per&s;on and Offices, the Glory given him by the Father? How little a portion do we know, or can have ex|perience in, of the refre&s;hing, &s;atiating communications of Divine Love and Goodne&s;s unto all the members of this A&s;|&s;embly; or of that unchangeable delight in beholding the glo|ry of Chri&s;t, and of God in him; of that ardency of Affections wherewith they cleave unto him, and continual exultation of &s;pirit, whereby they triumph in the prai&s;es of God, that are in all the members of it? To enter into this A&s;&s;embly by Faith, to joyn with it in the a&s;&s;ignation of prai&s;es unto <HI>him that &s;its on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever more,</HI> to la|bour after a frame of heart in holy Affections, and &s;piritual Delight, in &s;ome corre&s;pondency with that which is in the Saints above, is the duty, and ought to be the de&s;ign of the Church of Believers here below. So much as we are far|thered and a&s;&s;i&s;ted herein by our pre&s;ent Ordinances, &s;o much benefit and advantage have we by them, and no more. A con|&s;tant view of this glory, will ca&s;t contempt on all the de&s;i|rable things of this world, and deliver our minds from any dreadful apprehen&s;ions of what is mo&s;t terrible therein.</P>
<P N="2">2. This Heavenly Wor&s;hip in the Sanctuary above, ad|mini&s;tred by the High Prie&s;t over the Hou&s;e of God, is <HI>con&s;pi|cuou&s;ly
<PB N="345" REF="198">Glorious.</HI> The Glory of God is the great end of it, as &s;hall be immediately declared; that is, the manife&s;tation of it. The manife&s;tation of the Glory of God con&s;i&s;ts <HI>really</HI> in the effects of his infinite Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Grace and Pow|er; <HI>declaratively</HI> in the expre&s;s acknowledgment of it with prai&s;e. Herein therefore doth the &s;olemn Wor&s;hip of God in the Sanctuary above con&s;i&s;t; &s;etting a&s;ide only the <HI>imme|diate actings</HI> of Chri&s;t in his <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion.</HI> It it a glorious ex|pre&s;s acknowledgment of the Wi&s;dom, Love, Goodne&s;s, Grace and Power of God, in the Redemption, Sanctification and Salvation of the Church by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, with a conti|nual A&s;cription of all Divine Honour unto him in the way of prai&s;e. For the <HI>manner</HI> of its performance, our pre&s;ent light into it, is but dark and ob&s;cure. Some things have an evidence in them. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. That there is nothing <HI>carnal</HI> in it, or &s;uch things as are &s;uited unto the fancies and imaginations of men. In the thoughts of Heaven, mo&s;t per&s;ons are apt to frame <HI>Images</HI> in their minds of &s;uch carnal things as they &s;uppo&s;e they could be delighted withal. But they are far remote from the Wor&s;hip of this Holy A&s;&s;embly. The Wor&s;hip of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> which is &s;piritually Glorious, makes a nearer approach un|to it, than that of the <HI>Temple</HI> which was outwardly and car|nally &s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is not meerly <HI>mental;</HI> or tran&s;acted only in the &s;ilent thoughts of each individual per&s;on. For as we have &s;hewed it is the Wor&s;hip of a Church A&s;&s;embly wherein they have all Communion and Joyne in the performance of it. We know not well the way and manner of Communication between <HI>Angels</HI> &amp; the <HI>Spirits of ju&s;t Men</HI> made perfect. It is expre&s;&s;ed in the Scripture by <HI>Voices, Po&s;tures</HI> and <HI>Ge&s;tures;</HI> which although they are not of the &s;ame Nature as ab&s;olutely ours are, yet are they really &s;ignificant of the things they would expre&s;s,
<PB N="346" REF="199">and a means of mutual Communication. Yea I know not how far God may give them the u&s;e of <HI>Voice</HI> and <HI>Words,</HI> whereby to expre&s;s his prai&s;e, as <HI>Mo&s;es talked with Chri&s;t,</HI> at his <HI>transfiguration, Matth.</HI> 17.3. But the manner of it is &s;uch, as whereby the whole A&s;&s;embly above do joyntly &s;et forth and celebrate the prai&s;es of God. And the Glory hereof con|&s;i&s;ts in three things.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed and Beautiful Order</HI> of all things in that Sanctuary. <HI>Job</HI> de&s;cribes the Grave beneath to be a <HI>Place without any Order, and where the Ligbt is as Darkne&s;s, Chap.</HI> 10.22. All above is Order and Light; every Per&s;on and thing in its proper Place and exerci&s;e. (1.) Heaven it &s;elf is a <HI>Temple,</HI> a <HI>Sanctuary,</HI> made &s;o by the e&s;pecial Pre&s;ence of God, and the mini&s;tration of Chri&s;t in the Tabernacle of his Humane Nature. (2.) God is on the <HI>Throne of Grace;</HI> glo|riou&s;ly exalted on the account of his Grace, and for the di&s;|pen&s;ation of it. To the Saints above he is on the Throne of Grace, in that they are in the full Enjoyment of the effects of his Grace, and do give Glory unto him on the account there|of. He is &s;o al&s;o with re&s;pect unto the Church here below, in the continual Communications of Grace and Mercy through Chri&s;t. (3.) The Lord Chri&s;t in his Humane Na|ture is <HI>before the Throne,</HI> acting his Mediatory Office and Power in behalf of the Church. (4) All the Holy Angels in the various Orders and Degrees of their <HI>Mini&s;tration,</HI> are about the Throne continually. So (5.) are the <HI>Spirits of ju&s;t men</HI> made perfect, in the various mea&s;ures of Light and Glory. And the&s;e things were ob&s;curely repre&s;ented in the Order of the Church at its fir&s;t Erection in the Wilderne&s;s; for the Ordinances of God among them were patterns or figures of <HI>heavenly things, Heb.</HI> 9.23. (1.) In the mid&s;t was the <HI>Tabernacle</HI> or Sanctuary which repre&s;ented the Sanctuary or Temple above. (2.) In the mo&s;t holy place, were the <HI>Ark
<PB N="347" REF="199">and Mercy-&s;eat</HI> Repre&s;entatives of the Throne of Grace. (3.) The <HI>Mini&s;ty of the High Prie&s;t,</HI> a Type of the Mini&s;try of Chri&s;t. (4.) The <HI>Levites</HI> who attended on the Prie&s;t, did re|pre&s;ent the Mini&s;try of Angels, attending on Chri&s;t in the di&s;charge of his Office. And (5.) round about them were the <HI>Tribes</HI> in their Order.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the <HI>full clear apprehen&s;ions</HI> which all the Ble&s;&s;ed Ones have of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t, of the work and effects of his Wi&s;dom and Grace towards Mankind. The&s;e are the Foun|dation of all Divine Wor&s;hip. And becau&s;e our conceptions and apprehen&s;ions about them, are dark, low, ob&s;cure and inevi|dent, our <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> is weak and imperfect al&s;o. But all is open unto the Saints above. We are in the du&s;t, the blood, the noi&s;e of the battel; they are victoriou&s;ly at peace, and have a per|fect veiw of what they have pa&s;&s;ed through, and what they have attained unto. They are come to the <HI>Springs of life and light,</HI> and are filled with admiration of the Grace of God in them&s;elves and one another. What they &s;ee in God, and in Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, what they have experience of in them&s;elves, what they know and learn from others, are all of them inconceivea|ble and inexpre&s;&s;ible. It is well for us, if we have &s;o much experience of the&s;e things, as to &s;ee a real Glory in the fulne&s;s and perfection of them. The apprehen&s;ions by <HI>&s;ight</HI> without mixture of un&s;teadine&s;s or darkne&s;s, without the allay of fears or temptations, with an ineffable &s;en&s;e of the things them|&s;elves on their hearts or minds, are the Springs or Motives of the Holy Wor&s;hip which is in Heaven.</P>
<P N="3">3. In the Glorious <HI>manner</HI> of the performance of it. Now whereas it ari&s;eth from <HI>&s;ight</HI> and pre&s;ent enjoyment, it mu&s;t con&s;i&s;t in a continual A&s;cription of Glory and Prai&s;e unto God; and &s;o it is de&s;cribed in the Scripture. See <HI>Rev</HI> 4.9, 10, 11. with <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6.3. And how little a portion of the Glory of the&s;e things is it, that we can apprehend.</P>
<PB N="348" REF="200">
<P N="3">3. In this &s;olemn A&s;&s;embly before the Throne of Grace, <HI>the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> the great High Prie&s;t, doth repre&s;ent and render acceptable unto God, the <HI>Wor&s;hip of the Church here below.</HI> So it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Rev.</HI> 8.3, 4. <HI>And an Angel came and &s;tood at the Altar, having a golden Cen&s;er, and there was given unto him much Incen&s;e, that he &s;hould offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne; and the &s;moak of the Incen&s;e which came with the prayers of the Saints, a&s;cended up unto God out of the Angels hand.</HI> It is a Repre&s;entation of the High Prie&s;t burning In|cen&s;e on the golden Altar on the day of Attonement, when he entred into the mo&s;t Holy Place. For that Altar was placed ju&s;t at the entrance of it, directly before the Ark and Mercy-&s;eat, repre&s;enting the Throne of God: This <HI>Angel</HI> therefore is our High Prie&s;t; none el&s;e could approach that <HI>Altar,</HI> or offer Incen&s;e on it, the &s;moak whereof was to en|ter into the Holy Place. And the prayers of all Saints is a <HI>&s;ynecdochical expre&s;&s;ion</HI> of the whole Wor&s;hip of the Church. And this is pre&s;ented before the Throne of God, by this High Prie&s;t. And it is not &s;aid that their <HI>Prayers</HI> came unto the Throne of God, but the <HI>&s;moak of the Incen&s;e out of the hand of the Angel</HI> did &s;o. For it is the Incen&s;e of the Interce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t alone that gives them their acceptance with God. Without this, none of our Prayers, Prai&s;es or Thank&s;givings would ever have acce&s;s into the pre&s;ence of God, or unto the Throne of Grace. Ble&s;&s;ed be God for this <HI>Relief,</HI> under the con&s;ideration of the weakne&s;s and imperfection of them. Wherefore in him and by him alone, do we repre&s;ent all our De&s;ires, and Prayers, and whole Wor&s;hip to God. And herein, in all our Wor&s;hip do we our &s;elves <HI>enter into the mo&s;t Holy Place, Heb.</HI> 10.19. We do it not meerly by Faith, but by this e&s;pecial exerci&s;e of it, in putting our prayers into the hand of this High Prie&s;t.</P>
<PB N="349" REF="200">
<P>There are three things in all our Wor&s;hip that would hin|der its acce&s;s unto God, and acceptance with him, as al&s;o keep off Comfort and Peace from our con&s;ciences. The fir&s;t is the <HI>&s;in</HI> or <HI>iniquity</HI> that cleaves unto it; &s;econdly, the <HI>weak|ne&s;s</HI> or imperfection that at be&s;t is in it; and thirdly, the <HI>un|worthine&s;s</HI> of the per&s;ons by whom it is performed. With re|ference unto the&s;e things the <HI>Law</HI> could never con&s;ummate or perfect the con&s;ciences of them that came unto God by the Sacrifices of it. But there are three things in the Sacerdotal Mini&s;tration of Chri&s;t, that removes and takes them all away, whereon we have acce&s;s with boldne&s;s unto God. And they are (1.) The <HI>Influence</HI> of his Oblation. (2.) The <HI>Efficacy</HI> of his Interce&s;&s;ion; and (3.) The <HI>Dignity</HI> of his Per&s;on. Through the fir&s;t of the&s;e he bears and takes away all the iniquity of our holy things; as <HI>Aaron</HI> did typically of old, by vertue of the Plate of Gold, with the Name of God, (a figure of Chri&s;t) on his forehead, <HI>Exod.</HI> 28.36, 37, 38. He hath made Attonement for them in the blood of his Oblation, and they appear not in the Pre&s;ence of God. Through the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> or the Efficacy of his Interce&s;&s;ion, he gives acceptance unto our prayers and ho|ly wor&s;hip, with power and prevalency before God For this is that <HI>Incen&s;e</HI> who&s;e &s;moak or &s;weet perfume comes up with the prayers of all Saints unto the Throne of God. Through the <HI>third,</HI> or the Dignity of his Per&s;on, wherein he appears as the Repre&s;entative of his whole My&s;tical Body, he takes away from our con&s;ciences that &s;en&s;e of our own vilene&s;s and un|worthine&s;s, which would not &s;uffer us to approach with <HI>boldne&s;s</HI> unto the Throne of Grace. In the&s;e things con&s;i&s;ts the life of the Wor&s;hip of the Church, of all Believers, without which as it would not be acceptable unto God, &s;o we could have neither peace nor con&s;olation in it our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="4">4. Herein hath the Church that is <HI>Triumphant,</HI> communion with that which is yet <HI>Militant.</HI> The A&s;&s;embly <HI>above</HI> have
<PB N="350" REF="201">not lo&s;t their concernment in the Church here below. As we reioyce in their Glory, Safety and Happine&s;s, that having pa&s;|&s;ed through the &s;torms and tempe&s;ts, the temptations, &s;uffe|rings and dangers of this life and world, as they are harboured in eternal Glory unto the Prai&s;e of God in Chri&s;t; &s;o are they full of <HI>affections</HI> towards their Brethren exerci&s;ed with the &s;ame Temptations, Difficulties and Dangers which they have pa&s;&s;ed through, with earne&s;t de&s;ires for their deliverance and &s;afety. Wherefore when they behold the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as the great <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> over the Hou&s;e of God, pre&s;enting their Prayers, with all their Holy Wor&s;hip unto him, rendring them acceptable by the incen&s;e of his own Interce&s;&s;ion, it fills them with &s;atisfaction, and continually excites them unto the a&s;&s;ig|nation of Prai&s;e, and Glory, and Honour unto him. This is the &s;tate of the Saints above, with re&s;pect unto the Church here below. This is all which may be herein a&s;cribed unto them, and this may &s;afely be &s;o. What &s;ome have fancied about their own <HI>per&s;onal Interce&s;&s;ion,</HI> and that for <HI>particular per&s;ons,</HI> is derogatory unto the Honour of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and incon&s;i&s;tent with their pre&s;ent Condition. But in the&s;e things con&s;i&s;t their <HI>Communion</HI> with the Church here below. A <HI>Love</HI> they have unto it, from their Union with it in the &s;ame My&s;tical Body, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. A <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> they have of its condition from the expe|rience they had of it in the daies of their fle&s;h. A great <HI>concern|ment</HI> they have for the Glory of God in them, and a fervent de&s;ire of their eternal Salvation. They know that without them they &s;hall not be ab&s;olutely con&s;ummate or made perfect in their whole Per&s;ons, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.11. In this &s;tate of things, they continually behold the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, pre&s;enting their Pray|ers before the Throne of Grace, making interce&s;&s;ion for them, appearing to plead their cau&s;e again&s;t all their Adver&s;aries, tran&s;acting all their affairs in the pre&s;ence of God, taking care of their Salvation that not one of them &s;hall peri&s;h. This con|tinually
<PB N="351" REF="201">fills them with an holy &s;atisfaction and complacency, and is a great part of the &s;ubject matter of their <HI>ince&s;&s;ant prai|&s;es</HI> and a&s;criptions of Glory unto him. Herein lies the con|cernment of the Church above in that here below; this is the Communion that is between them, whereof the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in the di&s;charge of his Office is the bond and center.</P>
<P N="5">5. There is herein a <HI>full manife&s;tation</HI> made of the Wi&s;dom of God, in all the holy In&s;titutions of the Tabernacle and Temple of old. Herein the <HI>Vail</HI> is fully taken off from them, and that ob&s;cure repre&s;entation of heavenly things is brought forth unto Light and Glory. It is true, this is done unto a great degree in the di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel. By the coming of Chri&s;t in the fle&s;h, and the di&s;charge of his Mediatory Of|fice in this world, the &s;ub&s;tance of what they did praefigure is accompli&s;hed. And in the Revelations of the Go&s;pel, the nature and end of them is declared. Howbeit they extended their &s;ignification al&s;o unto things <HI>within the Vail,</HI> or the di&s;charge of the Prie&s;tly Office of Chri&s;t in the heavenly Sanctuary, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.24. Wherefore as we have not yet a Perfection of Light to under&s;tand the depth of the My&s;teries contained in them; &s;o them&s;elves al&s;o were not ab&s;olutely fulfilled until the Lord Chri&s;t di&s;charged his Office in the Holy Place. This is the Glory of the pattern which God &s;hewed unto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in the Mount, made con&s;picuous and evident unto all. Therein e&s;pecially do the <HI>Saints of the Old Te&s;tament</HI> who were exer|ci&s;ed all their daies in tho&s;e Typical In&s;titutions, who&s;e end and de&s;ign they could not comprehend; &s;ee the manifold Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s of God in them all, rejoycing in them for evermore.</P>
<P N="6">6. All that the Lord Chri&s;t receives of the Father on the account of this holy Interpo&s;ition and Mediation for the Church, he is endowed with <HI>Soveraign Authority</HI> and <HI>Almighty Power</HI> in him&s;elf to execute and accompli&s;h. Therefore is he
<PB N="352" REF="202">&s;aid, as a Prie&s;t, to be <HI>made higher than the Heavens,</HI> and as a <HI>Prie&s;t to &s;it down at the Right hand of the Maje&s;ty on High, Heb.</HI> 8.2. This glorious Power doth not immediately belong unto him on the account of his Sacerdotal Office, but it is that <HI>Qualification of his Per&s;on</HI> which is nece&s;&s;ary unto the effectual di&s;charge of it. Hence it is &s;aid of him, that he &s;hould <HI>bear the glory, and &s;it and Rule upon his Throne, and &s;hould be a Prie&s;t upon his Throne, Zech.</HI> 6.13. A Throne is <HI>in&s;igne Regium,</HI> and properly belongs unto Chri&s;t with re&s;pect unto his Kingly Office, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.8, 9. Howbeit the Power ac|companying and belonging unto his Throne being nece&s;&s;ary unto the effectual di&s;charge of his Prie&s;tly Office, as he &s;its and Rules on his Throne, &s;o it is &s;aid that he is a <HI>Prie&s;t on his Throne</HI> al&s;o.</P>
<P>This is one In&s;tance of the <HI>pre&s;ent State</HI> of Chri&s;t in Hea|ven, and of the work which he doth there perform, and the only In&s;tance I &s;hall in&s;i&s;t upon. He was made a Prie&s;t <HI>after the Power of an endle&s;s life,</HI> the life which he now leads in Hea|ven, and lives for ever to make Interce&s;&s;ion for us. He was dead, but is alive, and lives for evermore, and hath the Keys of Hell and Death, all Power over the Enemies of his Church. God on a Throne of Grace; Chri&s;t the High Prie&s;t, &s;o on his Right hand in Glory and Power, as yet to be <HI>before the Throne</HI> in the vertue of his Sacerdotal Office, with the whole concernment of the Church on his hand, tran&s;acting all things with God for them: All the <HI>holy Angels,</HI> and the <HI>&s;pirits of ju&s;t men made perfect</HI> encompa&s;&s;ing the Throne with continual prai&s;es unto God, even the Father and Him, on the account of the work of Infinite Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s and Grace in his In|carnation, Mediation and Salvation of the Church thereby; <HI>Him&s;elf</HI> continuing to manage the cau&s;e of the whole Church before God, pre&s;enting all their prayers and &s;ervices unto him, perfumed with his own Interce&s;&s;ion, is that re&s;emblance
<PB N="353" REF="202">of Heaven and its <HI>pre&s;ent Glory,</HI> which the Scripture offers unto us. But alas how weak, how dark, how low, are our conceptions and apprehen&s;ions of the&s;e heavenly things? we &s;ee yet as through a gla&s;s darkly, and know but in part. The time is approaching when we &s;hall &s;ee the&s;e things with <HI>open face,</HI> and know even as we are known. The be&s;t im|provement we can make of this pro&s;pect, whil&s;t Faith &s;up|plies the place of future &s;ight, is to be &s;tirred up thereby un|to holy <HI>longings</HI> after a participation in this Glory, and con|&s;tant diligence in that holy Obedience whereby we may ar|rive thereunto.</P>
<P>What remaineth yet to be &s;poken on this &s;ubject, hath re|&s;pect unto the&s;e two en&s;uing Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P N="1">1. All the effects of the Offices of Chri&s;t, <HI>Internal, Spiritual</HI> and <HI>Eternal,</HI> in Grace and Glory; all external fruits of their di&s;|pen&s;ation in providence towards the Church, or its Enemies, are wrought by Divine Power; or are the effects of an ema|nation of Power from God. They are all wrought <HI>by the ex|ceeding Greatne&s;s of his Power, even as he wrought in Chri&s;t him|&s;elf when he rai&s;ed him from the dead, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1 18. For all the outward works of God, &s;uch as all the&s;e are, which are wrought in and for the Church, are nece&s;&s;arily immediate effects of Di|vine Power; nor can be of another Nature.</P>
<P N="2">2. Upon &s;uppo&s;ition of the <HI>Obedience</HI> of Chri&s;t in this life, and the <HI>Attonement</HI> made by his Blood for &s;in, with his exalta|tion thereon, there is nothing in any e&s;&s;ential property of the Nature of God, nothing in the eternal unchangeable Law of Obedience to hinder, but that God might work all the&s;e things in us unto his own Honour and Glory, in the eternal Salvation of the Church, and the de&s;truction of all its Enemies, without a continuance of the <HI>Admini&s;tration of the Offices of Chri&s;t in Heaven,</HI> and all that &s;acred &s;olemnity of Wor&s;hip, wherewith it is accompanied.</P>
<PB N="354" REF="203">
<P>The&s;e things being certain and evident, we may enquire thereon, whence it is that God hath ordered the <HI>continuation of all the&s;e things in Heaven above,</HI> &s;eeing the&s;e Ends might have been accompli&s;hed without them, by immediate acts of Divine Power.</P>
<P>The great <HI>Works of God are &s;ought out of them that have plea|&s;ure in them, P&s;al.</HI> 111.2. This therefore being a <HI>great work of God,</HI> which he hath wrought and revealed unto us, e&s;pecially in the effects and fruits of it, and that for the manife&s;tation of his Wi&s;dom and Grace, it is our Duty to enquire into it with all humble deligence. <HI>For revealed things belong unto us and our Children, that we may do the Will of God for our good.</HI> Wherefore,</P>
<P N="1">1. God would have it &s;o, <HI>for the manife&s;tation of his own Glory.</HI> This is the fir&s;t great End of all the works of God. That it is &s;o, is a fundamental principle of our Religion. <HI>And how his Works do glorify him</HI> is our Duty to enquire. The e&s;&s;ential Glo|ry of God is alwaies the &s;ame, eternal and immutable. It is the Being of God, with that re&s;pect which all creatures have unto it. For Glory adds a &s;uppo&s;ition of Relation unto Being. But the manife&s;tations of his Glory are <HI>various,</HI> according to the plea&s;ure of his Will. Wherefore that which he chu&s;eth to manife&s;t his Glory in and by at one time, he may cea&s;e from u&s;ing it unto that End at another. For its being a means of the manife&s;tation of his Glory, may depend on &s;uch circum&s;tan|ces, &s;uch a &s;tate of things, which being removed, it cea&s;eth to be. So of Old he manife&s;ted and repre&s;ented his Glory in the <HI>Tabernacle and Temple,</HI> and the holy pledges of his pre&s;ence in them, and was glorified in all the wor&s;hip of the Law. But now he cea&s;eth &s;o to do, nor is any more honoured by the &s;er|vices and ceremonies of Religion therein pre&s;cribed. If the whole <HI>&s;tructure of the Temple</HI> and all its beautiful &s;ervices, were now in being on the Earth, no Glory would redound un|to God thereby, he would receive none from it. To expect the
<PB N="355" REF="203">Glory of God in them would be an high di&s;honour unto him. And God may at any time begin to manife&s;t his Glory, by &s;uch waies and means as he did not formerly make u&s;e of unto that purpo&s;e. So is it with all <HI>Go&s;pel Ordinances,</HI> which &s;tate will be continued unto the con&s;ummation of all things here below, and no longer, for then &s;hall they all cea&s;e, God will be no more glorified in them or by them. So hath God cho&s;en to <HI>glorify him&s;elf in Heaven</HI> by this Admini&s;tration of all things in and by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, whereunto al&s;o there is an end determined.</P>
<P>And in the continuation of this holy wor&s;hip in the Sanctu|ary above, God doth manife&s;t his Glory on many accounts, and re&s;teth therein. (1.) He doth it in and unto the <HI>Saints who departed this life under the Old Te&s;tament.</HI> They came &s;hort in Glory of what they now enter into, who die in the Faith of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t. For not to di&s;pute about, nor deter|mine po&s;itively, what was their &s;tate and condition before the <HI>A&s;cen&s;ion of Chri&s;t into Heaven,</HI> or what was the Nature of the ble&s;&s;ed receptacle of their &s;ouls; it is manife&s;t that they <HI>did not,</HI> they could not behold the Glory of God, and the <HI>ac|compli&s;hment of the My&s;tery of his Wi&s;dom</HI> and Will, in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, nor was it perfectly made known unto them. What|ever was their Re&s;t, Refre&s;hment and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s; whatever were their enjoyments of the Pre&s;ence of God; yet was there no <HI>Throne of Grace</HI> erected in Heaven, no <HI>High Prie&s;t</HI> appea|ring before it; no <HI>Lamb</HI> as it had been &s;lain, no <HI>joynt a&s;crip|tion</HI> of Glory unto him that &s;its on the Throne and the Lamb for ever; God <HI>having ordained &s;ome better things for us, that they without us &s;hould not be made perfect.</HI> See <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.9, 10.</P>
<P>This was that, and this was that alone &s;o far as in the Scrip|ture it is revealed, wherein they came &s;hort of that Glory which is now enjoyed in Heaven. And herein con&s;i&s;ts the advantage of the Saints above them, who now die in Faith.
<PB N="356" REF="204">Their &s;tate in Heaven was &s;uited unto their Faith and Wor&s;hip on the Earth. They had no clear di&s;tinct knowledge of the Incarnation and Mediatory Office of Chri&s;t, by their Revela|tions and Services. Only they believed that the <HI>Promi&s;e of deliverance,</HI> of Grace and Mercy, &s;hould be in and by him ac|compli&s;hed. Their <HI>Reception into Heaven,</HI> that which they were made meet and prepared for by their Faith and Wor&s;hip, was &s;uited thereunto. They had a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;t and Happine&s;s</HI> above what we can comprehend; for who knows what it is to be in the glorious Pre&s;ence of God, though at the greate&s;t di&s;tance? They were not immediately &s;urprized with an ap|pearance of that Glory which they had no di&s;tinct apprehen|&s;ions of in this World. Neither they nor the <HI>Angels</HI> knew clearly either the <HI>&s;ufferings of Chri&s;t,</HI> or the <HI>Glory that &s;hould en&s;ue.</HI> But they &s;aw and knew that there was yet &s;omething farther to be done in Heaven and Earth, as yet <HI>hid in God</HI> and the Coun&s;els of his Will, for the exaltation of his Glory in the compleat Salvation of the Church. This they continued waiting for, in the Holy Place of their refre&s;hment above. Faith gave them, and it give us an entrance into the Pre&s;ence of God, and makes us meet for it. But what they immedi|ately enjoyed, did not in its whole kind exceed what their Faith directed unto; no more doth ours. Wherefore they were not prepared for a view of the <HI>pre&s;ent Glory</HI> of Heaven; nor did enjoy it. But the Saints under the New Te&s;tament, who are clearly in&s;tructed by the Go&s;pel in the My&s;teries of the Incarnation and Mediation of Chri&s;t, are by their Faith and Wor&s;hip made <HI>meet for an immediate entrance</HI> into this Glory. This they long for, this they expect and are &s;ecured of, from the Prayer of our Saviour; that <HI>they may be,</HI> when they leave this world, <HI>where he is, to behold his Glory.</HI></P>
<P>But now upon the entrance of <HI>Chri&s;t into the Heavenly San|ctuary,</HI> all tho&s;e Holy Ones were admitted into the &s;ame
<PB N="357" REF="204">Glory, with what the Saints under the New Te&s;tament do en|joy. <HI>Hereon</HI> with open face they behold the u&s;e &amp; end of tho&s;e <HI>Typical Services</HI> &amp; Ordinances wherein the&s;e things were &s;ha|dowed out unto them. No heart can conceive that ineffable addition of Glory which they received hereby. The My&s;te|ry of the Wi&s;dom and Grace of God in their Redemption and Salvation by Chri&s;t was now fully repre&s;ented unto them; what they had prayed for, longed for, and de&s;ired to &s;ee in the daies of their fle&s;h on the Earth, and waited for &s;o long in <HI>Heaven,</HI> was now gloriou&s;ly made manife&s;t unto them. Here|on did glorious light and ble&s;&s;ed &s;atisfaction come into and up|on all tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed &s;ouls, who died in the Faith, but <HI>had not received the Promi&s;e,</HI> only beheld it afar off. And hereby did God greatly manife&s;t his own Glory in them and unto them, which is the fir&s;t end of the <HI>continuation of this &s;tate</HI> of things in Heaven. This makes me judge that the &s;ea&s;on of Chri&s;ts entrance into Heaven as the <HI>Holy Sanctuary</HI> of God, was the greate&s;t in&s;tance of created Glory, that ever was or ever &s;hall be unto the con&s;ummation of all things. And this as for other rea&s;ons, &s;o becau&s;e all the <HI>holy &s;ouls</HI> who had de|parted in the Faith from the Foundation of the world, were then received into the glorious light of the Coun&s;els of God, and knowledge of the effects of his Grace by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Want of a due apprehen&s;ion of the Truth herein, hath cau|&s;ed many, e&s;pecially tho&s;e of the <HI>Church of Rome,</HI> to follow after vain Imaginations about the &s;tate of the <HI>&s;ouls of the Faith|ful</HI> departed under the Old Te&s;tament. Generally they &s;hut them up in a <HI>Subterranean Limbus,</HI> whence they were deli|vered by the <HI>de&s;cent</HI> of Chri&s;t. But it is contrary unto all Notions and Revelations of the re&s;pect of God unto his Peo|ple; contrary to the Life and Nature of Faith, that tho&s;e who have pa&s;&s;ed <HI>through their cour&s;e of Obedience</HI> in this world, and fini&s;hed the work given unto them, &s;hould not enter upon
<PB N="358" REF="205">their departure into <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;t</HI> in the Pre&s;ence of God. Take way the per&s;wa&s;ion hereof, and the whole nature of Faith is de&s;troyed. But into the fulne&s;s of pre&s;ent Glory they could not be admitted, as hath been declared.</P>
<P>Moreover God hereby manife&s;ts his Glory unto the <HI>holy An|gels</HI> them&s;elves. The&s;e things wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t were hid in him&s;elf even from them, from the Foundation of the World; <HI>hidden</HI> in the holy Coun&s;els of his Will, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.9. Wherefore unto the&s;e <HI>Principalities and Powers in Heavenly Places,</HI> the manifold Wi&s;dom of God was made known by the Church, <HI>ver.</HI> 10. The Church being redeemed by the blood of Chri&s;t, and him&s;elf thereon exalted in this Glory, they came to know the <HI>manifold Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> by the effects of it, which before they earne&s;tly de&s;ired to look into, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.12. Hereby is all the Glory of the Coun&s;els of God in Chri&s;t made con&s;picuous unto them; and they receive them|&s;elves no &s;mall advancement in Glory thereby. For in the pre&s;ent comprehen&s;ion of the Mind of God, and doing of his Will, doth their Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>Heaven it&s;elf was not what it is, before the entrance of Chri&s;t into the <HI>Sanctuary</HI> for the Admini&s;tration of his Office. Neither the <HI>Saints departed,</HI> nor the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves, were participant of that Glory which now they are. Neither yet doth this argue any <HI>defect</HI> in Heaven, or the &s;tate thereof in its primitive con&s;titution. For the <HI>perfection</HI> of any &s;tate hath re&s;pect unto that Order of things which it is originally &s;uited unto. Take all things in the order of the fir&s;t Creation, and with re&s;pect thereunto, Heaven was perfect in Glory from the beginning. Howbeit there was &s;till a relation and regard in it unto the Church of Mankind on the Earth, which was to be tran&s;lated thither. But by the entrance of &s;in, all this <HI>Order</HI> was di&s;turbed, and all this Relation was broken. And there followed thereon an imperfection in the <HI>&s;tate of Heaven</HI>
<PB N="359" REF="205">it &s;elf; for it had no longer a Relation unto, or communion with them on Earth, nor was a receptacle meet for men who were &s;inners to be received into. Wherefore by the blood of the Cro&s;s, God <HI>reconciled all things unto him&s;elf, whether they be things in Earth, or things in Heaven, Col.</HI> 1.20. Or gathe|red all things into one in him, <HI>both which are in Heaven, and which are in the Earth, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.10. Even the things in Hea|ven, &s;o far &s;tood in need of a <HI>reconciliation,</HI> as that they might be gathered together in one, with the things on Earth; the Glory whereof is manife&s;ted in this Heavenly Mini&s;trati|on. And the Apo&s;tle affirms that the <HI>Heavenly things them|&s;elves were purified by the Sacrifice of Chri&s;t, Heb.</HI> 9.23. Not that they were <HI>actually defiled</HI> in them&s;elves, but without this purification they were not meet for the fellow&s;hip of this My&s;tery in the Joynt-wor&s;hip of the whole Society in Heaven and Earth, by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Hence therefore there is a con|tinual manife&s;tation of the Glory of God unto the <HI>Angels</HI> them&s;elves. They behold his manifold Wi&s;dom and Grace in the ble&s;&s;ed effects of it, which were trea&s;ured up in the holy Coun&s;els of his Will from eternity. Hereby is their <HI>own Light and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> advanced, and they are filled with ad|mirations of God, a&s;cribing prai&s;e, honour and glory unto him for evermore. For the beholding of the My&s;tery of the Wi&s;dom of God in Chri&s;t, which is here &s;o de&s;pi&s;ed in the di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel, is the principal part of the <HI>Ble&s;|&s;edne&s;s of the Angels in Heaven,</HI> which fills them with eter|nal delight, and is the ground of their a&s;cribing prai&s;e and glory unto him for evermore.</P>
<P>This is that <HI>manife&s;tative Glory</HI> wherewith God &s;atisfieth him&s;elf, until the end determined &s;hall be. On the account hereof he doth and will bear with things in this world, unto the appointed &s;ea&s;on For whil&s;t the Creation is in its pre|&s;ent po&s;ture, a <HI>Revenue of Glory</HI> mu&s;t be taken out of it for
<PB N="360" REF="206">God, and longer than that is done it cannot be continued. But the world is &s;o full of darkne&s;s and confu&s;ion, of &s;in and wickedne&s;s, of enmity again&s;t God, is &s;o given up to villany, unto all the waies whereby God may be di&s;honoured, that there is little or no appearance of any Revenue of Glory un|to him from it. Were it not on the &s;ecret account of Divine Wi&s;dom, it would quickly receive the end of <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Go|morah.</HI> The &s;mall Remnant of the Inheritance of Chri&s;t, is &s;hut up in &s;uch ob&s;curity, that as unto <HI>vi&s;ible Appearance</HI> and manife&s;tation, it is no way to be laid in the ballance again&s;t the di&s;honour that is done unto him by the whole world. But whil&s;t things are in this po&s;ture here <HI>below,</HI> God hath a &s;o|lemn Honour, Glory and Wor&s;hip <HI>above</HI> in the pre&s;ence of all his holy ones, wherein he re&s;teth and takes plea&s;ure. In his &s;atisfaction herein, he will continue things in this world unto all the ends of his Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Pa|tience, let it rage in villany and wickedne&s;s as it plea&s;eth. And &s;o when any of the Saints who are wearied and even worn out with the &s;tate of things in this world, and it may be under&s;tand not the grounds of the Patience of God, do <HI>en|ter into this &s;tate,</HI> they &s;hall unto their full &s;atisfaction be|hold that Glory which abundantly compen&s;ates the pre&s;ent di&s;honour done to God here below.</P>
<P>Secondly, This &s;tate of things is continued <HI>for the Glory of Chri&s;t him&s;elf.</HI> The Office of Mediator was committed by God the Father unto his only begotten Son, no other being able to bear or di&s;charge it. See <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6.9. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. But in the di&s;charge of this Office it was nece&s;&s;ary he &s;hould conde&s;cend unto a <HI>mean and low condition,</HI> and to undergo things difficult, hard and terrible, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8. Such were the things which our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t underwent in this world; his undergoing of them being nece&s;&s;ary unto the di&s;|charge of his Office; yea it con&s;i&s;ted therein. Herein was he
<PB N="361" REF="206">expo&s;ed unto reproach, contempt and &s;hame, with all the evils that Satan or the world could bring upon him. And be&s;ides, he was for us, and in our &s;tead to undergo the <HI>Cur&s;e of the Law,</HI> with the greate&s;t of terrors and &s;orrows in his &s;oul, until he gave up the Gho&s;t. The&s;e things were nece&s;&s;ary un|to the di&s;charge of his Office, nor could the Salvation of the Church be wrought out without them. But do we think that God would commit &s;o glorious an Office unto his <HI>only Son</HI> to be di&s;charged in this manner only? let it be granted that after he had &s;o accompli&s;hed the Will of God in this world, he had him&s;elf entred into Glory; yet if he &s;hould &s;o cea&s;e the Ad|mini&s;tration of his Office, that mu&s;t be looked on as the mo&s;t <HI>afflictive</HI> and dolorous that ever was undergone. But it was the de&s;ign of God to glorify the <HI>Office it &s;elf,</HI> as an effect of his Wi&s;dom, and him&s;elf therein; yea &s;o as that the very <HI>Of|fice</HI> it &s;elf &s;hould be an everla&s;ting Honour to his Son as In|carnate. Unto this end the admini&s;tration of it is continued in Glory in his hand, and he is exalted in the di&s;charge of it. For this is that <HI>Glory</HI> which he prays that all his Di&s;|ciples may be brought unto him to behold. The time be|tween his A&s;cen&s;ion, and the end of all things is allotted un|to the Glory of Chri&s;t in the admini&s;tration of his Office in the heavenly Sanctuary. And from hence doth the Apo&s;tle prove him <HI>as an High Prie&s;t,</HI> to be far more glorious than tho&s;e who were called unto that Office under the Law, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8.1, 2, 3. Herein it is manife&s;t unto Angels and men, how glorious a thing it is to be the only King, Prie&s;t and Prophet of the Church. Wherefore as it behoved Chri&s;t in the di&s;|charge of his Office to &s;uffer; &s;o after his &s;ufferings in the di&s;charge of the &s;ame Office he was to enter into his Glory, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1.18.</P>
<P>Thirdly, God hath re&s;pect herein unto tho&s;e who <HI>de|part in the Faith,</HI> in their re&s;pective Generations, e&s;pecially
<PB N="362" REF="207">tho&s;e who dyed betimes, as the Apo&s;tles and Primitive Chri&s;tians. And &s;undry things may be herein con&s;idered.</P>
<P>Thre are two things which <HI>Believers</HI> put a great price and value on in this world, and which &s;weeten every condi|tion unto them. Without them the world would be a noi|&s;ome dungeon unto them, nor could they be &s;atisfied with a continuance therein. The one is the <HI>&s;ervice of Chri&s;t.</HI> With|out an opportunity of being exerci&s;ed herein, they could not abide here with any &s;atisfaction. They who know it not &s;o to be, are under the power of worldly-mindedne&s;s. The <HI>meane&s;t &s;ervice of Chri&s;t</HI> hath refre&s;hment in it. And as to tho&s;e who have opportunities and abilities for great In&s;tances of &s;ervice, they do not know on ju&s;t grounds, nor are able to determine them&s;elves, whether it be be&s;t for them to <HI>con|tinue in their &s;ervice</HI> here below, or to enter into the imme|diate &s;ervice of Chri&s;t above; &s;o glorious, &s;o excellent is it to be u&s;efully &s;erviceable unto the Lord Je&s;us. So was it with the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. &s;o may it be with others if they &s;erve him in the &s;ame Spirit, with the &s;ame &s;incerity, though their ability in &s;ervice be not like unto his. For neither had he any thing but what he received. Again, they have the <HI>enjoyment of Chri&s;t</HI> in the Ordinances of Go&s;pel-wor&s;hip. By the&s;e means do they live, in the&s;e things is the life of their &s;ouls.</P>
<P>In this &s;tate of things God will not call them hence unto their <HI>lo&s;s;</HI> he will not put an end unto the&s;e priviledges with|out an abundant recompence and advantage. Whatever we enjoy here, yet &s;till to <HI>depart hence and to be with Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall be <HI>far better, Phil.</HI> 1.23. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Although <HI>&s;ervice</HI> here below &s;hall cea&s;e, and be given over unto <HI>other hands</HI> who are to have their &s;hare herein; yet on the continuance of this &s;tate of things in Heaven, there is al&s;o a continuation of <HI>&s;ervice</HI> unto Chri&s;t, in a way inex|pre&s;&s;ibly
<PB N="363" REF="207">more glorious, than what we are in this life capable of. Upon their admittance into this &s;tate of things above, they are before the Throne of God, and <HI>&s;erve him</HI> day and night in his Temple, and he that &s;itteth on the Throne &s;hall dwell among them, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7.15. The whole &s;tate of the glorious Wor&s;hip of God before de&s;cribed, is here re&s;pected; and herein is a continual <HI>&s;ervice</HI> performed unto him that &s;its on the Throne and unto the Lamb. Wherfore it is &s;o far from being lo&s;s, in being called off from <HI>&s;ervice</HI> here below, as that in point of <HI>&s;ervice</HI> it &s;elf, it is an incon|ceiveable advancement.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Enjoyment of Chri&s;t in and by the Ordinances of his Wor&s;hip,</HI> is the immediate Fountain and Spring of all our Refre&s;hments and con&s;olations in this world, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 87.7. But what is it unto the ble&s;&s;ed immediate injoyment of him in Heaven? Hence the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the &s;tate above is de&s;cribed, by <HI>being with Chri&s;t,</HI> being <HI>with Chri&s;t for ever,</HI> in the pre&s;ence and immediate enjoyment of him. The Light of the <HI>Stars</HI> is u&s;eful and relieving in a dark night as we are on our way, but what are they when the <HI>Sun</HI> ari&s;eth? Will any man think it a lo&s;s that upon the ri&s;ing of the Sun they &s;hall not enjoy their Light any more, though in the night they knew not what to have done without it? It may be we cannot conceive how it will be be&s;t for us, to forego the u&s;e of Sacraments, Mini&s;try and the Scripture it &s;elf. But all the vertue of the &s;treams is in the Fountain; and the immediate enjoyment of Chri&s;t, un&s;peakably exceeds whatever by any means we can be made partakers of here below.</P>
<P>In this ble&s;&s;ed &s;tate have the holy <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> all the <HI>primitive Martyrs</HI> and Believers from the time of their di&s;&s;olution, en|joyed full &s;atisfaction and &s;olace, in the glorious A&s;&s;embly above, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7.15, 16, 17. &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="364" REF="208">
<P N="2">2. Hereby there is a <HI>continuation of Communion</HI> between the <HI>Church Triumphant</HI> above, and that yet <HI>Militant</HI> here be|low. That there is &s;uch a Communion between Glorified Saints and Believers in this world, is an <HI>Article</HI> of Faith. Both Societies are but one Church, one <HI>My&s;tical Body,</HI> have one Head, and a mutual concernment in each other. Yea the &s;pring and means of this Communion is no &s;mall part of the Glory of the Go&s;pel. For before the Saints under the Old Te&s;tament had the My&s;tery of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t with our Redemption thereby revealed unto them, in the way before declared; this Communion was very ob&s;cure; but we are now taken into the Light and Glory of it, as the Apo&s;tle declares, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.22, 23, 24.</P>
<P>I know &s;ome have perverted the Notions of this Commu|nion unto Idolatrous &s;uper&s;tition; and &s;o have all other Truths of the Go&s;pel been abu&s;ed, and wre&s;ted unto the de&s;truction of the &s;ouls of men; all the <HI>Scriptures</HI> have been &s;o dealt withal, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.16. But they deceived them&s;elves in this matter, the Truth deceiveth none. Upon a &s;uppo&s;ition of <HI>Communion,</HI> they gathered that there mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be an <HI>immediate Communication</HI> between them above and us below. And if &s;o, they knew no way for it, no means of it, but by our <HI>praying unto them,</HI> and their <HI>praying for us.</HI> But they were under the power of their own deceivings. Communi|on doth not require immediate mutual communication, un|le&s;s it be among per&s;ons in the &s;ame &s;tate, and that in &s;uch acts as wherein they are mutually a&s;&s;i&s;ting and helpful unto one another. But our <HI>different &s;tates</HI> will admit of no &s;uch entercour&s;e, nor do we &s;tand in need of any relief from them, or can be helped by any acts of their Love, as we may aid and help one another here below. Wherefore the <HI>center</HI> of this Communion is in Chri&s;t alone, and our ex|erci&s;e of it is upon him only, with re&s;pect unto them.</P>
<PB N="365" REF="208">
<P>Yet hereon &s;ome deny that there is <HI>any &s;uch Communion</HI> between the members of the Church, or the My&s;tical Body of Chri&s;t in the&s;e divers &s;tates. And they &s;uppo&s;e it is &s;o de|clared in that of the Prophet, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 63.16. <HI>Doubtle&s;s, thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and I&s;rael acknowledge us not.</HI> But there is nothing of any &s;uch impor|tance in the&s;e words. The Church under a deep &s;en&s;e of its pre&s;ent &s;tate, in its unworthy walking and multiplied provo|cations, profe&s;s them&s;elves to be &s;uch, as that their fore-fa|thers in Covenant could not own them as their Children and po&s;terity in the Faith. Hereupon they appeal unto the <HI>Infi|nite Mercy</HI> and Faithfulne&s;s of God, which extend them|&s;elves even unto that condition of unworthine&s;s, which was enough to render them utterly di&s;owned by the be&s;t of men, however otherwi&s;e concerned in them. But to &s;uppo&s;e the <HI>Church above</HI> which hath pa&s;&s;ed through its cour&s;e of Faith and Obedience in Afflictions, Tribulations and Per&s;ecutions, to be ignorant of the &s;tate of the Church here below in <HI>ge|neral,</HI> and inconcerned in it; to be without de&s;ires of its &s;uc|ce&s;s, deliverance and pro&s;perity unto the Glory of Chri&s;t, is to lay them <HI>a&s;leep</HI> in a &s;en&s;ele&s;s &s;tate without the exerci&s;e of any Grace, or any Intere&s;t in the Glory of God. And if they <HI>cry for vengance</HI> on the obdurate per&s;ecuting world, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.10. &s;hal we &s;uppo&s;e they have no con&s;ideration nor knowledge of the &s;tate of the Church &s;uffering the &s;ame things which they did them&s;elves. And to put it out of Que&s;tion, they are minded of it in the next ver&s;e by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 11.</P>
<P>But that which at pre&s;ent I alone intend, is the <HI>joynt Commu|nion</HI> of the whole Church in the Wor&s;hip of God in Chri&s;t. Were all that die in the Lord, immediately received into that &s;tate wherein God <HI>&s;hall be All in All,</HI> without any u&s;e of the Mediation of Chri&s;t, or the Wor&s;hip of Prai&s;e and
<PB N="366" REF="209">Honour given unto God by him, without being exerci&s;ed in the A&s;cription of Honour, Glory, Power and Dominion un|to him on the account of the pa&s;t and pre&s;ent Di&s;charge of his Office, there could be no Communion between them and us. But whil&s;t they are in the <HI>Sanctuary</HI> in the <HI>Temple of God,</HI> in the Holy Wor&s;hip of Chri&s;t and of God in him, and we are not only employed in the &s;ame work in &s;acred Ordinances &s;uited unto our &s;tate and condition, but in the performance of our Duties, do by Faith <HI>enter in within the Vail,</HI> and approach unto the &s;ame Throne of Grace in the mo&s;t Holy Place, there is a <HI>Spiritual Communion</HI> between them and us. So the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth it, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.22, 23, 24.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is the way that God hath appointed <HI>to prepare the holy &s;ouls above for the Enjoyment of that eternal &s;tate which &s;hall en&s;ue</HI> at the End of all things. As we are here in and by the Word and other Ordinances prepared and made meet for the pre&s;ent &s;tate of things in Glory; &s;o are they by the <HI>Temple Wor&s;hip of Heaven</HI> fitted for that &s;tate of things when Chri&s;t &s;hall <HI>give up the Kingdom</HI> unto the Father, that God may be All in All.</P>
<P>Fourthly; Re&s;pect is had herein unto the <HI>Faith of the Church yet Militant</HI> on the Earth, and that among others, in two things.</P>
<P N="1">1. For the <HI>encouragement of their Faith.</HI> God could as we have ob&s;erved, upon the &s;uppo&s;ition of the Attonement and Reconciliation made by the blood of Chri&s;t, have &s;a|ved the Church by meer Soveraign <HI>Acts of Power.</HI> But whereas it was unto his Glory that we &s;hould be &s;aved in the way of <HI>Faith and Obedience,</HI> this way was nece&s;&s;ary unto our encouragement therein. For it is in the Nature of Faith, it is a Grace &s;uited unto that End, to &s;eek for and re|ceive Aid, Help and Relief, from God continually, to enable us unto Obedience.</P>
<PB N="367" REF="209">
<P>For this End the Lord Chri&s;t continueth in the di&s;charge of his Office, whereby he is <HI>able to &s;ave us unto the utter|mo&s;t,</HI> that we may receive &s;uch &s;upplies by and from him. The continual u&s;e that Faith makes of Chri&s;t un|this purpo&s;e, as he gloriou&s;ly exerci&s;eth his <HI>Mediatory Of|fice</HI> and Power in Heaven, cannot fully be declared. Nei|ther can any Believer who is acted by pre&s;ent Go&s;pel Light and Grace, conceive how the Life of Faith can be lead or pre&s;erved without it. No Duties are we called unto, no temptations are we exerci&s;ed withal, no &s;ufferings do we under go, no difficulties, dangers, fears, have we to conflict with|al, nothing is there in Life or Death, wherein the Glory of God or our own Spiritual Welfare is concerned, but Faith finds and takes Relief and Encouragement, in the pre&s;ent Me|diatory Life and Power of Chri&s;t in Heaven, with the exerci&s;e of his Love, Care and Compa&s;&s;ion therein. So he propo&s;eth him&s;elf unto our Faith, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1.17, 18.</P>
<P N="2">2. That our Faith may be <HI>guided and directed in all our ac|ce&s;&s;es unto God</HI> in his Holy Wor&s;hip. Were nothing propo&s;ed unto us but the <HI>Immen&s;ity of the Divine E&s;&s;ence,</HI> we &s;hould not know how to make our approaches unto it. And thence it is that tho&s;e who are unacquainted with the Glory of this Di&s;|pen&s;ation, who know not how to make <HI>u&s;e of Chri&s;t</HI> in his pre&s;ent &s;tate for an acce&s;s unto God, are alwaies inventing waies of their own (as by Saints, Angels, Images) for that End; for an immediate acce&s;s unto the Divine E&s;&s;ence they cannot fancy. Wherefore to end this di&s;cour&s;e in one word; all the pre&s;ent Faith and Wor&s;hip of God in the Church here on Earth, all acce&s;s unto him for Grace, and all acceptable A&s;criptions of Glory unto his Divine Maje&s;ty, do all of them in their Being and Exerci&s;e, wholly depend on, and are re&s;ol|ved into the continuation of the Mediatory Actings of Chri&s;t in Heaven and Glory.</P>
<PB N="368" REF="210">
<P>I &s;hall clo&s;e this di&s;cour&s;e with a little <HI>review</HI> of &s;omewhat that pa&s;&s;ed before. From the con&s;ideration of that place of the Apo&s;tle, wherein he affirms, <HI>that at the End, Chri&s;t &s;hall give up the Kingdom unto the Father,</HI> I declared that all the &s;tate of things which we have de&s;cribed, &s;hall then cea&s;e, and all things i&s;&s;ue in the immediate Enjoyment of God him&s;elf. I would extend this no farther than as unto what concerneth the <HI>Exerci&s;e of Chri&s;ts Mediatory Office with re&s;pect unto the Church here below, and the Enemies of it.</HI> But there are &s;ome things which belong unto the e&s;&s;ence of this &s;tate which &s;hall continue unto all Eternity; As,</P>
<P N="1">1. I do believe that the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in and by his Hu|mane Nature, &s;hall be for ever the <HI>immediate Head of the whole Glorified Creation.</HI> God having gathered all things un|to an Head in him, the knot or center of that Collection &s;hall never be di&s;&s;olved. We &s;hall never lo&s;e our Relation unto him; nor he his unto us.</P>
<P N="2">2. I do therefore al&s;o believe, that he &s;hall be the <HI>means and way of Communication</HI> between God and his Glorified Saints for ever. What are, what will be the glorious Commu|nications of God unto his Saints for ever, in Life, Light, Pow|er, Joy, Re&s;t and ineffable Satisfaction, (as all mu&s;t be from him unto Eternity;) I &s;hall not now inquire. But this I &s;ay, they &s;hall be all made in and through the Per&s;on of the Son and the Humane Nature therein. That <HI>Tabernacle</HI> &s;hall never be folded up, never be laid a&s;ide as u&s;ele&s;s. And if it be &s;aid, that I can|not declare the way and manner of the eternal Communicati|ons of God him&s;elf unto his Saints in Glory by Chri&s;t; I &s;hall only &s;ay, that I cannot declare the way and manner of his Communications of him&s;elf in Grace by Chri&s;t unto the &s;ouls of men in this World, and yet I do believe it How much more mu&s;t we &s;atisfy our &s;elves with the evidence of Faith alone in tho&s;e things, which as yet, are more incomprehen&s;ible.
<PB N="369" REF="210">And our <HI>adherence</HI> unto God by Love and Delight &s;hall al|waies be through Chri&s;t. For God will be conceived of un|to Eternity, according to the manife&s;tation that he hath made of him&s;elf, in him and no otherwi&s;e. This &s;hall not be by acting Faith with re&s;pect unto the actual exerci&s;e of the Medi|ation of Chri&s;t, as now we cleave unto God; but it &s;hall be by the <HI>all &s;atisfying acting</HI> of Love unto God as he hath ma|nife&s;ted him&s;elf, and will manife&s;t him&s;elf in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, and therein his <HI>Humane Nature</HI> &s;hall be the <HI>eternal Object of Divine Glory,</HI> Prai&s;e and Wor&s;hip. The Life of Glory is not a meer &s;tate of Contemplation. Vi&s;ion is the principle of it, as Faith is of the Life of Grace. Love is the great vital acting of that principle, in adherence unto God with eternal delight. But this is active in it al&s;o. It &s;hall be exerci&s;ed in the continual A&s;cription and A&s;&s;ignati|on of Glory, Prai&s;e and Honour unto God, and the glorious exerci&s;e of all &s;orts of Grace therein; hereof the Lamb, the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> is the eternal Object with that of the Father and the Spirit; the <HI>Humane Nature</HI> in the Son, admitted into the Communion of the &s;ame eternal Glory.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
