Four Sermons, Sermon 4
1. Tim. 6.15.
Which in his times he ſhall ſhewe, who is the bleſsed, & onelyonly Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
HAving ſpoken of this deſcription of God in generall,The 4▪ Sermon. now (conſidering the order of the words) we will come and ſpeake of them in particular. Firſt let us ſpeake of them in particular, and firſt of Gods power, then of his bleſſednes, for the proof of this, is ſett down the contrarye order, he named bleſſed firſt, but he ſetts downe power laſt, his power is this, becauſe he is the onelyonly Potentate, that is, he is the Lord of al powers and principalityes, the argument is this, he that is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he muſt needs be the onelyonly potentate in heaven and earth, and ſo it is that God is the head of all principallityes and powers, therefore he muſt needs bee the onelyonly Potentate. It is ſtrange that this argument ſhould hold, ſince it is graunted that there are manie Kings and Lords beſides God, how then can this prove God to be the onelyonly Potentate, there being other Kings and Lords beſides him?
It would ſeeme by this property here aſcribed unto God, that it would confirme the falſe fancyes of the Anabaptiſts, who hold, that now under the Goſpell there ſhould be no Magiſtrate but God onelyonly, becauſe in the New Teſtament he is called the onelyonly Potentate, and this is one of their grownds wherupon they build their opinion: but the argument of the Apoſtle doth manifeſt the contrary, ſo the argument is ſet down by the Apoſtle in great wiſdome, for this argumente doth not take away all Magiſtrates in the world, but onelyonly makes God to be over them all, to be the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, now if there were no more Kings nor Lords but God alone, how could he then be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? So that the very words of the Apoſtles argument doe confute this vanity, and lets us ſee that the authority which he claymes to God, doth not take away mans authority over their ſubjects, but lets that remain ſtill, notwithſtanding that God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But to underſtand aright what is the Apoſtles meaning in his argument, it is of great force, for God is ſaid to be King of Kings in divers reſpects, firſt becauſe there is not a King or Lord but by him it is, and by him Kings reigne, it is he onelyonly that rayſeth to authority, and none but he, ſo for this reaſon God is ſaid to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, becauſe they have not their authority but from God, and this is that for which Nabuchadnezar that great king of Babell did ſuffer ſuch a great judgmente from God, as to be caſt out from amongſt men, and to live among beaſts for the ſpace of ſeven years, that he might know that the moſt high had rule over the Kingdoms of men, as Daniel tells him in plain termes, becauſe he in the pride of his heart did think he had rayſed himſelf to his honour, when theſe words came out of his mouth, Js not this great Babell which I have built for mine honour, and Honour of my Kingdom? Immediately his kingdome was taken from him, untill he was forced to acknowledge that the moſt high had rule over men, this is a fearfull ſpectacle to teache kings to know from whom they have their kingdoms and their authority. Pilate when he did boaſt of his authority to Chriſt, ſaying unto him, knoweſt thou not I can ſave thee or take thy life from thee? Chriſt anſwered him, thou couldeſt not have anie power over mee except it were given thee from above. This is the firſt reaſon why God is called the king of kings and Lord of Lords, becauſe it is not by ſucceſſion, nor by birth that kings come to rule over others, but by the ſpeciall providence of God, and this is the reaſon why we muſt reverence them that are in authority, becauſe (ſaith the Apoſtle) all authority is of God.
The ſecond reaſon why God is called the kinge of kings is this, becauſe he never made king yet of abſolute power, he never yet made an abſolute king on earth, but allwaies made them ſubſtitutes to himſelf in authority, reſerving to himſelf the ſupream authority over them to thruſt them out of their thrones whenſoever it pleaſed him. All the kings of the world are but ſubjects to the king of heaven, ſo that even in their ruling, and exerciſing of their power, they are to know there is another power above them, unto which they muſt give an accompt of all their doings, for the Lord will not let the power he hath over them to goe out of his own hands, ſo that no kings nor Lords have anie power to doe as they liſt.This ſhews that kings muſt render an account of all their actiōs to God. It is blaſphemie to ſay that anie king hath abſolute power, for that is aſmuch as to ſett him in the throne of God, for there is no abſolute king but God alone, and this is the ſecond reaſon why the ſpirit of God deſcribes the power of God after this māner, to prove him the onelyonly Potentate, if he that is a king have another power above him which is the Lord, thē muſt this Lord bee the onelyonly Potētate; but every king hath the Lord above him, ſo as he cā hold it no longer then it pleaſeth him, neither can his race injoy it longer then God will ſuffer it; therefore the Lord tooke away the kingdoms from ſome, and gave it to others, he tooke away authority from the houſe of David, and gave it to Ieroboam, and for the iniquityes of Ieroboam he tooke it from Ahab and gave it unto Iehu, manie changes of kingdoms the Lord hath made, taking kings out of their thrones, and placing their enimies in their places, to let us ſee that kings are not abſolute Lords on earth, but they are at the Lords diſpoſing, at his pleaſure.
Thus we ſee the third reaſon proved, wherfore the Apoſtle deſcribes the power of God after this manner, that by neceſſary evidences he concludes the main point. Since there is not a power or Potentate, but God is the onelyonly Potentate to doe with men as himſelf pleaſe, it is he that caſteth down, and it is he that rayſeth up, and thus he will have all men to know, but ſpecially his miniſters to know this.
There is a fourth reaſon of this manner of deſcribing God, and that is for the comfort of his children, which I have touched before, to arm them againſt all the terrours of kings, that the terrour of no power make them to diſpence with the ordinaunces of this great Potentate, therfore he would imprint this in their mindes, that God is the king of kings, therfore no king can doe more harm to them then it pleaſeth God, this is comfort, and the ſame which Chriſt gives his deſciples in the tenth of Matthew, where he bids them not to fear them that can onelyonly kill the body, for he tells them that their lives are more precious then birds, and are there not ſo manie ſparrows ſold for a farthing? and yet not one of them ſhall fall to the grownd without the providence of God, therefore Chriſt knowing that power was given over him, though he could have prayed to his Father and obteyned legions of Angells, yet he would not, becauſe he knew there was no reſiſtance of Gods will, therefore he comforts himſelf againſt the looſing of Pilate, that hee had no power but was given him from above. Firſt of all this, letts us ſee that it is a vain thing to be aſtoniſhed at the fury of Princes, it is but miſerable weaknes of men that know what God is, certain it is if we ſerve God aright we would not be moved with the fear of anie man in the world.
Ye ſee when as Ieroboam would have apprehended the Prophet that God ſent to threaten his judgments upō him for his idolatry, when he ſtretched out his hand, to apprehend him, God ſo decred that his hand withered, that when he had ſtretched it out, he could not pull it in again; This God that could make the hand of a King to wither when he did oppoſe the counſell of God, what need anie man to feare, whenas our Saviour and God is on our ſide. We know what Saule did unto David, he did uſe all his ſkill to deſtroy him, but it was unpoſſible for him to do it becauſe God who is the King of Kings was with David, and God did ſhew his power againſt Saule in this, when he put Sauls life into Davids hands, but hee never put Davids life into Saules hands. We knowe what enmity Ahab had againſt Elias the Prophet, yet the Lord cōmaūds him to goe to him, & the Prophet anſwered the Lord, that he ſought his life, but the Lord anſwered him ſaying, goe, be not afraid, and the Prophet goes to him & tells him that it was he that troubled Iſraell, and the Lord reſtrained him that he could doe the Prophet no harme. Infinite examples in the Scriptures wee have of this, to let us ſee, that he can hold Kings that they ſhall doe no more harm then God will ſuffer them, to prove this truth of God, that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
To come yet to make more uſe of this, why doth the Apoſtle lay this before us, the uſe is partly for Kings, and partly for us, the firſt leſſon for Kings is this that I touched before concerning Nabuchadnezar, how God forced him to learn how to know God to be the King of Kings, therfore let all Potentates learn to know that God hath rule over them, and their Kingdoms, and it is he that makes them Kings, and ſerts them in their thrones, and if they doe not this, it is juſt with God to make them will they nill they, to acknowledge this to their deſtruction, for the ſaying of Iſaie ſhalbe accompliſhed which the Lord there ſpeaks, all knees ſhall bow to him, and every mouth ſhall confeſſe him to bee the Lord, for the Lord will not ſuffer himſelf long to be deſpiſed, but in his own time hee will challenge his right, in deſpite of the world: it were a bleſſed thing if Kings would conſider this, that it is by God that they doe reigne, obſerve what it is Chriſt ſhall doe in the laſt day, the proper effect of this Kingdom ſhall be to put down all principallityes and powers, and to give up his Kingdom to God, that God may be all in all, 1. Corin: 15, then ſhall they ſee the trueth of this, that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, if Kings would conſider this, that the time ſhall come, that the world ſhall not have a Kingdom nor King but God alone, me thinks they would then reverence this God in greater meaſure then they doe, but this ſort of doctrine is harſh to Princes eares, to think that there is a God above them, or that there ſhould be anie of whom they hould their ſcepter, and yet they muſt know this, or feele the truth of it by experience in Gods judgment.
The ſecond uſe for Kings and Lords is this, that the Apoſtle doth teach them to doe that which is right to all men, that they oppreſſe no man, becauſe they have a King over them in heaven, unto whom they muſt give an accompt of their doings; This Argument the Apoſtle uſeth to Maiſters in ſundry places, that they ſhould doe that that is right to their ſervants, knowing they have a maiſter in Heaven. If ſuperiours would but acknowledge this that they have a Lord over them, that ſhall take a reckoning of them aſwell as they take a reckoning with their inferiours, ſurely it would make them to doe nothing but that which is right, theſe are the uſes that doe concern Kings and rulers.
Now there is great uſe of this likewiſe for ourſelvs, beſides the incouragement it gives us, not to be afraid of anie power in the world, but it teacheth us this leſſon, not to reſiſt power nor authority, becauſe there is no power nor authority but it is from God as the Apoſtle ſhewes.
Now ſince all authority is of God, he that reſiſts authority hee reſiſteth God, but ſome object, what if they be tyrants and merciles men: and ſuch as make no conſcience to doe wrong? I anſwere even as the Apoſtle doth to ſervants, whom hee commands to be ſubject, not onelyonly to their good maſters, and ſuch as are gentle; but alſo to them which are froward: ſo I ſay, if thou wilt doe thy duty, thou oughteſt rather to ſuffer wrong, and to ſuffer thyſelf to be oppreſſed, rather then to lift up thyſelf againſt authority which thou art under, for if this bond of ſubjection to Princes were looſed, Kingdoms could not ſtand, if every ſervant ſhould ſtand againſt their maſter, and every ſubject againſt his Prince, when he is wronged, no common wealth could ſtand, it is true wee may uſe all lawfull means to eſchew wrong, and Magiſtrates may plead in Parliament with their Princes, for they have alſo their authority from God, wee ought to uſe all lawfull meanes to eſcape wrong, but if there be no poſſibility of eſcaping, wee muſt rather ſuffer them to wrong us, for power and authority is to be reverenced as being of God, and indeed God doth ſometimes in juſtice give bad rulers to avenge himſelf for the ſins of his people; hee gave to Iſrael a King in his wrath, and hee ſtirred up a wicked King in Iſrael to avenge himſelf upō the people for their idolatrie, doe you not think but that the divell is Gods inſtrumēt againſt the wicked, ſo is every wiked king th… Lords ſcourge, the rod of his juſtice to inflict upō his enimies, when as good rulers are the bleſſings of God upon a people that are carefull to pleaſe him, the Lord will make them nurſing Fathers and Mothers unto his church, and ſo God in his infinit wiſedom makes Kings and Rulers to ſubjects as hee ſees cauſe, either to plague them or to preſerve them, this is the ſecret of Gods providence, thus to order the World according as he ſees they carry themſelvs towards him; we ſee that ſo long as Iſrael did not know God, ſo long God gave them into their enimies hands, and they had tyrants to rule over them, but when they ſought the Lord as they ſhould and ought, the Lord gave them gracious judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enimies, and aſſoone as they fell from God again, God tooke thoſe rulers from them again, and made their enimies their Lords: to let us ſee the truth of this, that it is our ſin againſt God which cauſeth him to ſend wicked tyrants over a people, to repay them home according as they have dealt with him, and it is his mercy to his owne, that hee gives them good and gracious rulers. Alwais it teacheth us this, that reverence muſt be given to him which God hath ſett in authority over us, ſince they are ſet over us by God. To come yet nearer to the point, doth not God give power to the divell to be the prince of the ayre? How could he prevaile as hee doth over the ſoules and bodies of men, if God did not give him liberty? looke to the hiſtory of Iob, what could he doe againſt Iob? nothing but by the permiſſion of God, ſo in the Goſpell when there were two men poſſeſſed of the divell, which met Chriſt in the way, and hee diſpoſſeſſed the divells, when they were caſt out, they had not ſo much power as to poſſeſſe the ſwine, till Chriſt gave them leave, & ſo doth God give power to the divell as we read in the Revelation, where it is ſaid that he ſetts up his viccar in the Church, who ſhall exerciſe the power of the divell in the Church, and yet all this is of God, to puniſh the wickednes of the world, and to avenge himſelf upon his enimies which have not the knowledge of God as they ſhould, and if God give ſuch power to wicked men, it is to make them his firebrands, to plague the contemners of God and deſpiſers of his word.
But to goe farther, this is not onelyonly a leſſon to teach us not to be afraid of mens terrour, and to reverence the whom God hath ſett in authority over us: but likewiſe it ſervs us for another leſſon, and that is this, that Kings, and Superiours we are to obey in the Lord, & no farther, for they have a Lord over them who hath made them our Lords, therefore I muſt obey them but in the Lord,obſerv this we muſt not obey the king againſt that king that made him a king, for God is the king of kings and Lord of all Lords, and therefore above all he is to bee obeyed, though it ſhould coſt us our lives, yet we muſt not obey princes to the prejudice of God, it would be thought treaſon; if a ſubject ſhould harken to an inferiour Magiſtrate againſt his own king,he that doth aniething at the command of his king, which is contrary to the word of God he is atraitour to Chriſt. although the king had made him a Magiſtrate, yet if I ſhould hearken unto him in anie thing againſt my prince, I were a traytor to any prince, and is it ſo amongſt men, and ſhall not God have the like authority? kings are but Gods ſubjects, and inferiour Magiſtrates under him, and is it not high treaſon to obey them againſt God? So all obedience that is given unto princes under pretence of ſubjection to thē, being cōtrary to Gods will, is rebellion againſt God and thuſ much concerning the power of God, that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Now onelyonly bleſſed ▪ we have heard already how that he is the onelyonly potentate, Now we ſhall ſee that none is ſo bleſſed as hee, and bleſſednes can be expected from none but from him alone, for who can make a man bleſſed that is not bleſſed in himſelf, but God alone? therefore it is vain to think to have an happy & bleſſed eſtate from anie Princes under heaven, except from God alone, for onelyonly he which hath bleſſednes without meaſure can beſtow it, but let us conſider how the Apoſtle proves it by two things, firſt becauſe he onelyonly hath immortality, and ſecondly becauſe he onelyonly dwells in that light that no man can approach unto, and from theſe two he concludes that he is bleſſed, and he onelyonly can give it.
He that hath life and an eternall life that is ſo glorious, and a life which is light, and is ſuch as makes the glory of him that hath it incomprehenſible, certainly that muſt be unſpeakable felicity, and this is the firſt point of true felicity, and this is the reaſon why all creatures are ſaid to be ſubject to vanity, becauſe they are ſubject to death, ſo that all things although they ſhould have their hearts deſire in the world, yet they cannot be happy, for when they dye their happines ceaſſeth, therefore to be truely happy, is firſt to be immortall, which is not onelyonly to be exempted from death, but to be in ſuch an eſtate where death cannot come, and to have corruption ſwallowed up of life, whē God ſhall be made glorious in them that beleeve, this makes men truely happy, therefore the ſaincts of God have both in the old and New Teſtament lamented the miſery of man in this, that his life is but threeſkore and ten, and it is quickly gone as a race that is runne, ſo vain a thinge is man; and if we had nothing els to humble us but this, namely, our corruption and mortality, it were argument enough to know our baſe eſtate, and farre from being happy in this world, in that we are not exempted from death, therefore it is, that God makes the vanity of man who heaps up riches, and cannot tell who ſhall injoy them, as the rich glutton in the Goſpell, who ſaid, ſoule take thine eaſe, thou haſt goods layd up for manie yeares, when Chriſt told him, he had not a day to live, then thou foole whoſe ſhall thoſe goods be? the ſcriptures mock at theſe vain deſires. ſo that be a man what he cā be in this world, yet his mortallity makes him wretched and unhappy, therfore in regard God is immortall therefore he is onelyonly bleſſed.
But it may be objected are not the Angells immortall,Objection. why then doe ye ſay God is onelyonly ſaid to have immortality?
I anſwer, that none have immortality properly but God alone, for true immortality requireth true eternity,Anſ. that is to ſay, it is without begining as well as without ending, and none is ſo but God alone, therefore none truly is immortall but God alone, though notwithſtanding God hath made the Angells immortall, and the ſoules of men immortall, that is, for durance onelyonly, and yet indurance ſimply doth not make immortallity, for though the divells indure for ever, yet it is not to live for ever. A thing may be ſaid to be immortall, that is, to live for ever, and yet not free from Gods wrath, as experience ſhall prove in wicked men and evill Angells and reprobate men, but to ſpeake of the bleſſed Angells and the ſoules of the elect, to ſpeake truely as the matter is, the immortality of Angells and of men, it is not in the ſoules themſelvs, nor in the Angells themſelvs, what then? even from God alone, as it is ſaid Acts 17. That in him we live, move, and have our being, and if God ſhould but withdraw his up-holding hand and power, neither ſhould the ſoules of men, nor Angells be immortall; ſo that it is not from themſelvs but from God that they have their immortality, and therfore the objection takes not away this truth, that God is onelyonly immortall.
Again obſerve this, that although the Lord give immortality to my ſoule and unto Angells, yet neither man nor Angell can give immortality to anie creature in the World, God onelyonly is able to doe this, therefore hee onelyonly hath immortality, becauſe hee onelyonly hath it of himſelf, and becauſe hee onelyonly is able to give it to others, therfore muſt hee needs continue to be immortall, that hath the onelyonly keeping of it himſelf, and diſpences the ſame to others at his pleaſure, ſo that in this point God is onelyonly happy, for man may begett children, but we cannot make them immortall, onelyonly the Lord muſt doe this, nay we cannot make ourſelvs immortall, doe we what we can, reade Pſalm. 43. and you may ſee the ſpirit of God taxeth the miſerable vanity of men, that thinke their names great on earth, and yet he ſaith, no man can redeeme his brother from death, all muſt goe to the grave, the rich dye aſwell as the poore, and yet vain man he will call his Lands by his own name, and all is but in vain, ſo that this is proved, that God is onelyonly bleſſed. We know that the divell did ſpeake true to God concerning Iob, when the Lord ſaid unto him, Haſt thou not conſidered my ſervent Iob, who is a righteous mā, that doth no evill but good, what ſaith the devill to God, ſkin for ſkin and all that a man hath will a man give for his life, Wheras the hand of God being ſtretched forth againſt Iob in his children, & in his eſtate, yet it could not make Iob to blaſpheme God, but the devill thought that if God would ſtretch out his hand upon his own perſon, that it would make him to blaſpheme God, a man will part with anie thing ſo as he may have his life, for what is riches unto a man if he cannot injoy them, without life there is no conceite of happines, let men therefore learn this, that their life, and the continuance of their life, & the eternity of their life is in the hands of God alone, and ſince it is ſo that he onelyonly can give eternall life, why then ſhould I for the pleaſure of anie man in the world offend this God, and make him to be mine enimie? can anie Prince in the world give me eternall life, but he onelyonly? why then ſhould I for the pleaſure of anie man offend him in whom my life ſtands? unleſſe I care not what become of mee, whether I be caſt away into hell, or whether I have eternall life; If I deſire life let me then make conſcience not to greive this good God, ſince he onelie can give life, and he onelyonly can take it away, this is ſtill but one part of his felicity, and of our felicity in him, if we obey him, he hath promiſed to give eternall life unto us; and they that remember not this promiſe that God hath promiſed to them that feare him, certainlye that man cannott walk as a Chriſtian.
To come then to ſpeake of the 2. pointe, of the felicity of God, which is thus ſett downe, be dwelleth in that light, which no man can attain unto, I will conſider two things in theſe words, firſt that he dwells in the light, ſecondly, he declares what manner of light this is, it is ſuch a light as no man can approach unto. The firſt ſhewes the infinite glory of God, in that the very place of his habitation is light it ſelf, and ſuch a light as the ſunne cannot give, it is a light ſurpaſſing all created light, yea this light coms from God himſelf, 1 Iohn. God is light, if anie man ſay he hath fellowſhip with God, and walk in darknes, he is a lyer, for God is light, and they which have fellowſhich with God walk in the light, and therefore thoſe that are called of God, they are called the children of light, and God is ſaid to call us out of darknes into his marvellous light, that is, God calls us from death to life, ſo hee doth call us from darknes to light, and this is the ſecond part of our felicity, for in this we muſt be like God, in whom is no darknes, for when God ſhall tranſlate our vile bodies unto his glorious light then ſhall the light of the ſunne be inferiour to this bright ſhining light of this mortall fleſh, what glorious creatures ſhall we be in that daye when this our mortall fleſh ſhall not onelyonly bee made immortall, but our bodies ſhalbe rayſed in glory, as the Apoſtle ſaith, they are ſowen in weaknes, but they ſhalbe rayſed in glory, glorious bodies, even like unto the ſonne of God, who is now at the right hand of his father, ſo that whatſoever is in mans body that makes it defective it ſhall then be taken away, and the glorie of God himſelf ſhall be put upon our bodies in that day, ſo this is the firſt thing to be conſidered of us, that God dwells in the light.
What uſe ſhould we make of this, it ſhould teach us where to lay the blame if we ſee not God, for in the dark we can ſee nothing, but in the light we can ſee anie thing▪ now if thou canſt not ſee God, it is not becauſe God is in darknes, for God dwells in the light, ſomething therefore muſt be the reaſon why thou canſt not ſee him, and the reaſons are one of theſe two.
Firſt if thou ſeeſt not God at all, the reaſon is this, becauſe thou art a child of darknes, and the light of life was never putt into thy ſoule, therfore the wicked are ſaid to be of them which know not God, and what wonder is it they doe not know him, ſince they were never called out of darknes to the light of God, the want of this calling out of darknes, is the reaſon why they cannot ſee nor know this God, as for example, if a man be in a dark dungeon or priſon, that hath no windowes in it to ſhew light, he cannot ſee, ſuch a man in ſuch a place cannot ſee the ſunne, for untill he be taken out of that darke place he cannot ſee anie thing, ſo untill men be taken out of that beaſtly blindnes wherin he is conceived and born he cannot ſee God.
But the ſecond thing will bring us to a non plus in this point, for ſuppoſe I be called out of darknes what will that help mee? what the better am I for this calling, if I cannot approach to this light? this is the ſecond thing that we are to mark in the felicity of God, that beſides his dwelling in the light, he dwelleth in ſuch a glorious light as is unſpeakable, which no man can approach unto, which ſhews the unſpeakable glory of the Majeſty of God.
But then it may be objected, what availes this light of God, ſince we cannott approach unto it? To underſtand this more clearely the words following make this doubt greater, where he ſaith, no man ever ſaw this light nor can ſee it, Abraham never ſawe him, nor Moſes never ſaw him, neither can anie man ſee that unapproachable light that he dwells in, all which doth let us ſee the incomprehenſiblenes of the glory of God, if all the Angells in heaven, and all the men in earth ſhould putt their witts in one, yet they could never ſee Gods face as he is, it is but the back parts of God that ever anie man ſaw, or attayned to, for God faith himſelf that it is impoſſible for man to ſee God and live, well then how ſhall we reſolve theſe phraſes of ſcripture where it is ſaid,Matt. 5. bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God, and the Apoſtle ſaith,1. Cor. 13. we now ſee but in parte darkly as in a glaſse, but then we ſhall ſee him face to face. How can this be true, if none can ſee God?
To reſolve this doubtfull point the Scriptures lead us to the knowledge of the divers kinds of the ſight of God; firſt there is a ſight of God which is perfect, ſecōdly there is a ſight of God which is imperfect, the perfect ſight of God no man cā ſee but Chriſt, neither Angell nor mā ever had, or ſhall have the full and perfitt ſight of the Majeſty of God, it cannot be ſeen, for it is infinite and incomprehenſible, which cannott be comprehended by anie creature, no not by gloryfied men, nor glorifyed creature, for the brightnes of God is ſuch, that it woud ſtrike to death man or Angell if he ſhould behold it, therefore no man or Angell can ſee it and live, as God ſaid to Moſes my face can no man ſee and live, yet if anie man could have ſeen God, Moſes could, but the Lord tels him, my back parts thou majeſt ſee, but my face ſhall no man ſee, that is, we may have an obſcure ſight of God as Moſes had, but a perfitt ſight of God can no man have, in heaven the Angells dare not behold Gods glory, and therfore in the 6. Eſay, the Angells are ſaid to have 6. wings, with two they cover their faces, and with two they cover their feet, and with two they fly. They had two to cover their faces, to let us ſee that they dare not ſett their eies upon the immediate Majeſty of God, they could not indure the brightnes of Gods nature if it were expoſed to their ſight immediately, ſo this perfect ſight of God is proper to God himſelf and Chriſt, and no man els beſides himſelf.
An imperfect ſight of God the ſaincts may have, and that we may know the bounds and the limitts of it, we muſt firſt know the end of it and the fruit of it, and that will let as ſee what it is to ſee God.
The ends of the ſight of God are twolfold, or wee may obſerve it in one, and that is, that we may be like him, all ſimilitudes of God flowe from our ſight of God here in this world, and in that which is to come, there is no conformity to God nor likenes to him, but by the ſhining of Gods light upon us, therfore it is that in this world he ſends ſuch a light amongſt us, as is able to make us like unto him in grace, though not in glory, the ſmall light we get in the Goſpell, is to ſhew with open face the glory of God, it puts the image of God in righteouſnes and holines upon us, and it is given us to this end to beget us again, and to tranſlate us from the ſimilitude of ſinfull fleſh to the glorious image of God: ſee therfore what conformity in holines and righteouſnes God hath appointed us in this life, according to this he gives us a ſight of himſelf in the Goſpell, it is a glaſſe wherin we may ſee God, and according as he givs us a ſight of himſelf, ſo doth he conform us to his image, and the meaſure of our conformity to God doth ariſe from the meaſure of our ſight of God, if we had a greater meaſure of the ſight of righteouſnes poſſeſſe us, we ſhould have a greater meaſure of the ſight of God, ſo that is the reaſon of this light that God reveales to us in this world, that we may ſee the glory of God manifeſted in Chriſt Ieſus, that we may attain to this bleſſednes in this life to be like unto him.
There is yet more, a ſecond degree of bleſſednes in the ſight of God, which is not onelyonly to have a ſimilitude like unto God in holines, but in glory and immortality, we ſhall not onelyonly be made righteous and holy, but immortall and glorious, this doth proceed from the ſight of God, when Chriſte ſhall come again in the cloudes, then ſhall mortalitye be ſwallowed up of immortality, but this effect of the ſight of God cannot come to paſſe untill we attain ſuch a ſight of God as the Scriptures ſpeake, when he ſaith, we are now the ſons of God, but when Chriſt who is our life ſhall appeare, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in glory.
The ſight that we have of God in this life, though it be but a poore ſight, yet is effectuall to regeneration, and it is as farre as ſinfull man can ſee him here, and yet this ſight of God is nothing to that he is in himſelf, and to that which we ſhall ſee in him at the laſt daye: So likewiſe that ſight we ſhall receive at Chriſts coming again, it ſhall not be the ſight of Gods Majeſty immediately, but we ſhall ſee this God clothed with his manhood, for the fullnes of the Godhead dwells in Chriſt bodyly, the Godhead is overſhadowed with the fleſh of Chriſt, and we cā never ſee it but in and thorow his fleſh, his fleſh is the vaile, and except through this vaile, wo cannot ſee the Majeſty of God in heaven, now this glorious light of his godhead which we ſhall ſee in heaven through the fleſh of Chriſt is not the eſſenciall glorie of the deity, but the created glory that is putt upon the manhood of Chriſt, which glory of the manhood ſhall transform our fleſh to the ſimilitude of the ſame glory, ſo that the ſight we ſhall have of God in heaven ſhalbe an earthly object in the glorifyed body of the ſone of God, take away this fleſh of the ſonne God in heaven, and neither man nor Angell can ſee the Lord, therefore in the 3. Chapter of this Epiſtle the Apoſtle tells us that Chriſt was manifeſted in the fleſh, and ſeen of Angells, the Angells durſt not looke upon God before, but had two wings to cover their faces, they durſt not ſee the Majeſty of God untill God had put this vaile upon it, and then the Angells did ſee it, which is one of the greateſt points of the myſtery of godlines.
Since then there is no happines, but in conforming ourſelvs to God in Holines, in immortality and glory, and that by the ſight of him, what will that teach us? it ſhould teach us to labour to ſee this God, which tho hee be inviſible in himſelf, yet we ſhould labour, to get a ſight of him, without which there is no conformablenes to him, nor bleſſednes in the world, therefore Chriſt himſelf counts his diſciples bleſſed that they ſawe the glory of God in him, ſaying, bleſſed are the eies, that ſee what you ſee, manie have deſired to ſee it, and have not ſeen it, this ſight which the ſaincts have of God on earth is of two ſorts, the firſt is according to that God ſhewes himſelf in the law, the ſecond is according as God did manifeſt under the Goſpell, under the law hee did ſhew himſelf but darkly in ſhadows, types and figures, but now under the Goſpell hee doth manifeſt himſelf in his ſone, which is the ingraven forme of the Fathers perſon. God in the old law did ſhewe himſelf in ſacrifices; and oblations and purifications, in theſe things God did ſhewe himſelf darkly, and not plainly as hee was, therefore the lawe is now abrogated that the Goſpell is come, and wee are not now to looke on God as they did in ſhadowes, but to ſee him in open face, it is not now as the glory of God was upon Moſes, which the people could not behould the glory of God which did ſhine in Moſes face, much leſſe could they then ſee God himſelf, but now ſaith the Apoſtle wee ſhew forth the glory of God with open face in the Goſpell, which transformes mee by the ſame image from glory to glory.
Yet this bright ſight of God which we have in the Goſpell, is but a dark ſight in compariſon of the ſight of God, which wee ſhall have in glory like unto Chriſt, that is reſerved till Chriſt come againe; If Chriſt at his firſt coming into the world had come in glory and not in weaknes, then hee ſhould have transformed the world to it, but hee came not for that end then, but hee came then onelyonly to make us holy, and not to make us glorious, hee came in our nature, and was ſubject to hunger and thriſt and wearynes, rhat hee might conform us to his nature, as far as fleſh and bloud could be capable, but when hee ſhall come again in Majeſtye then ſhall hee appeare in glory, and when he appeares, wee ſhalbe like to him in Glory, ſo as I ſaid before in the begining, all our felicity coms from our ſight of God, and looke what felicity God beſtows upon us, hee will let us ſee it by transforming us to his image in holines here, and in glory herafter; and all doth ariſe from the ſight of God, and yet this remains a truth as I ſaid, that all the ſight wee have of God is not a perfect ſight, wee ſhall never ſee God as hee is, but it ſhalbe ſuch a ſight as is ſufficient for the ends hee gives it for; God is as farre above us, as it is poſſible an infinite creature can be above a finite creature, and giving this glory to God onelyonly, that he knowes himſelf perfectly, and that he will bleſſe us with that meaſure of the ſight of him which is ſufficient to make us happy for evermore.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Forbes, Four Sermons (1635)