Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 4
THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 1. verſ. 13, 14, 15.
13 Who hath deliuered vsus from the power of darkenes, and hath tranſlated vsus into the kingdome of his deare ſonne,
14 In whom we hauehave redemption through his bloud, that is, the forgiuenes of ſinnes.
15 Who is the image of the inuiſible God, the firſt borne of eueryevery creature.
THe laſt day, welbeloued brethren, the preface of this epiſtle being ended, we entred into the doctrine. The Apoſtle in his doctrine begins at the firſt grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Ieſus Chriſt. The firſt grace or bleſſing of God in time after they are borne into the world (for our grace & merciemercy begins before all time ere we be borne, our election began before the foundation of the world was laid) but the Apoſtle begins at ye firſt grace in time, the firſt grace in Ieſus Chriſt (for all is in him, nothing without him) is this chriſtian calling from darkeneſſe to light, frō that foule puddle of ſinne, wherein we lye by birth and nature (nay if thou wert borne a king, thou lieſt in the foule puddle of ſinne) we are taken out of hell, for our birth is in hell, and to hell we goe if we hauehave no more but nature. Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē, there is the firſt grace in time. Now to come to the text, ye heard ye father he getteth the firſt glorie of our calling. Thanking (ſaith he) the father. He is the fountaine. Then we heard wherein the calling conſiſteth, not in a bare naming, as one man would call another, but the Lord in calling vsus maketh vsus meete; of vnſufficient for heauen, he makes vsus ſufficient; of vnable, he makes vsus able; of dead men, he maketh vsus liuely; that is the effectualnes of our calling. Then we heard, whereunto we are called. Our calling is not in vaine, we are called to a lot, a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world: nay ye pooreſt ſoule is called to be an heire of heauē. Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen, all other heritages are but dirt and draffe. And who oweth this kingdom? It is the kingdom of ye Saints. It is diſtributed among the Saints: and if thou be not a holy one, and in their ſocietie, thou ſhalt neuer ſee that heritage: laugh at them ſo much as euer thou wilt. Where lieth this heritage? To wit, in the light of God: thou neuer ſaweſt ſuch a light. It lieth in God, for God is thy light, and thy life: and if thou be an heire of this kingdome, thy life is hid with God in Chriſt. To goe forward, yet the Apoſtle inſiſteth in this firſt bleſſing of our effectuall calling, and maketh it more plaine in this verſe. His words are, who hath raught vsus out, that is the force of the word: From whence? From the power of darknes. What more? And he tranſlated vsus. Whereto? To the kingdome. What kingdome? Of his ſonne: the ſonne of his louelove, his deere ſonne, the Lord Ieſus. Now brethren, it is cleere, but I ſhall briefly inſiſt on the words, to let you ſee the force and power of eueryevery word: for they are of weight. For the words that ſpeake of heauenly things are not the words of men. Then the word he hath puld vsus out; with a force or ſtrength, with a conſtraining. I hold it not a ſimple deliuerie. Then look to thy calling. It begins at haling of thee. Thou art ſo faſt holdē bound, whē thou art called, that if thou beeſt not pulled out with a ſtrong hand, thou wilt neuer come out: and that Chriſt himſelfe ſaith, No man commeth to me (no not one) except the father draw him, Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer ſee heauen, if thou be not drawne. So our calling muſt begin at our drawing: & all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē, if the hand of the Lord draw thee not.
To goe forward. He hath drawne vsus out. From whence? From vnderunder a power: then the cauſe of thy drawing is this. Thou art holden ſtreight, and thou art holden by a ſtrong power. There was neuer man holden in iron bands, and priſon ſo ſtreight, as thou art holden by ſinne: for as light as thou wilt skipt and leape, and as nimble as thou ſeemeſt, when thou art leaping lighteſt thou art faſt holden; and the more thou leapeſt in ſin, the faſter and the faſter thou art holden: ſo ere thou get out, there muſt be a power, and a greater power then it that holds thee. No man (ſaith Chriſt) will enter into a ſtrong mans houſe before he hauehave firſt bound the ſtrong man, and then deuide the ſpoyle, Mark. 3. 27. No man will take thee out of ſinne that ſtrong man, except he hauehave a power that is ſtronger then ſinne. What a power is this? The next word tels thee; It is the power of darknes. Alas that darknes of Ignorance! O that terrible clowd of darknes and ignorance, that is in the ſoule of eueryevery man naturally, without the knowledge of God, of Ieſus Chriſt, of life, and ſaluation! O miſerable is that ſoule that lies in that darknes! Then it is the power of darknes, a ſtrong power, and the ſtrongeſt power in this world, that holdeth thee faſt. If thou be fettered with darknes, then in deede thou maiſt ſay, thou art fettered faſt.
Brethren, there is but two great powers only (as for the power of a King, out, out, it is nothing but draffe and dirt: the power of the fleſh is nothing) There are but two kingdomes only: The firſt is, the kingdome of God; the kingdome of light, is a kingdome in deede. The ſecond, is the kingdome of darknes, the kingdome of hell, to call it ſo; yea and all the Kings of the world ſhall be vnderunder one of theſe two, either a ſlaue of darknes, or els a ſonne and heire of the kingdome of heauen. Now the kingdome of darknes next after the kingdome of light, it is the ſtrongeſt in this world: and to ſpeake plaine to you, this kingdome of darknes is but the pit of God, a dungeon and a priſon houſe, wherein the diuell firſt lies all chained; of the which they are princes lying in bandes abiding their damnation: and next them are the reprobate, Caine, Iudas, and the reſt, and in the which the diuels and the reprobate ſhall be tormented euerlaſtingly. So the kingdome of darknes ſerueth to this kingdome of light, and they who are in it are but the executioners of God, and rods of his fierce wrath. Now then, it is Ieſus Chriſt that Prince of light that hath drawne vsus out of that dungeon of darknes, and ignorance. He is that ſtrong man, whoſe ſtrength is aboue all ſtrength of the diuell, ſinne, and hell. It is he then that hath done this: and what more hath he done? He (ſaith he) hath tranſlated vsus, taken vsus from one place, and remoued vsus to another place; nay it is not enough to bee pulled as it were out of hell, except thou be taken away and tranſlated as farre from it, as thou maiſt looke to it. Thou wilt goe backe againe, if thou be not tranſlated and kept farre from it. Whereunto hath be tranſlated vsus? he ſaith, to a kingdome: we ſhall heare more of this kingdome hereafter. A kingdome muſt keepe thee: It is impoſſible to be kept, if thou be not kept in a kingdome. The power of a King is required to keepe thee. Whoſe kingdome is it? not Caeſars, no Emperours in the earth: nay the kingdome of Spaine, Fraunce, England and Scotland will not keepe thee; flye, as thou wilt flye. Whoſe kingdome muſt it be then that muſt keepe thee? The kingdome of his owne ſonne, and more, of his owne deere ſonne; the ſonne of his louelove, that is, the kingdom of his ſonne that he loueth ſo deerely. Well, and if that bee the kingdome that thou be tranſlated vntounto, thou ſhalt be well kept: it is the onelyonly kingdome that is able to keepe thee. For firſt behold the King. Who is the King? The King is the ſonne of God, a ſtrong King, Ioh. 10. 28. No man ſhall take you out of my hand. O the ſtrength of the ſon of God! He is God himſelfe: then he is more, a ſonne, and a king, that is ſo loued of the father, and in him he loueth all within the bounds of this kingdome. So ſee firſt the power, and then the louelove; and no queſtion thou maiſt ſay, that thou ſhalt be well kept. Bleſſed is the ſoule that comes to this kingdom: And if thou be not yet tranſlated to it, ſtriue to it, as thou wilt be ſafe. In a word, will you hauehave wherein our effectuall calling ſtandeth? I ſay to you, it ſtandeth in this: In taking vsus out of one kingdome, and putting vsus into another: in tranſlating of thee from the kingdome of darknes, and putting of thee into the kingdome of heauen: in tranſlating of vsus from a kingdome, wherein we liue as ſlaues (fie on it, thou liueſt as a ſlaue here, a bondſlaue to Sathan and thy own foule affections) to a kingdom wherein thou raigneſt like a king. There is neuer a ſlaue there, but all are kings in this kingdome: neuer a ſlaue there, all are ſonnes; and if they are ſonnes, they are heires, as Paul reaſons Rom. 8. 17. It is a tranſlation from a kingdome of ſmaller power, howbeit of a great power, to a kingdome that is infinite. No kingdome is infinite but Chriſts; this is comfortable. Findeſt thou thy ſelfe tranſlated and called to be one of this kingdome? See the infinite power of it, that is able to keepe thee, that thou ſhalt neuer fall backe againe to the kingdome of darknes. And if a man be effectually called, it is impoſſible that euer he ſhall fall backe againe, no more then the diuell is able to take the ſheepe out of Chriſts hands. Therefore in the Epiſtle to the Romanes 11. 29. Paul ſaith, The gift of God is without repentance; ſo that the gift of thy calling is without repentance: Bleſſed is that ſoule that findes it.
To come to the next verſe, In whom? to wit, in Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God: What hauehave wee in him? A faire grace: we hauehave redemption. Through what? Through his bloud, a deere price. What is this Redemption? Remiſſion of ſinnes. Well, well, thinkeſt thou it a ſmal thing to hauehave thy ſinnes forgiuen thee? Now weigh the words, for in the words he comes to another bleſſing, a ſecond bleſſing euen the remiſſion of our ſinnes, that is the effect of the former: but to begin at the firſt word, In whom. This ſecond bleſſing is not without Ieſus: no, no; no grace, no merciemercy, no bleſſing without Chriſt; this is plaine talke, would to God wee could faſten to him: ſo he ſaith, In whom, that is in the deere ſonne of God. Brethren, being once tranſlated, that is, effectually called and drawne to him, wee liue not as other ſubiects vnderunder a king. Subiects would be far Similie.from their king, and ſome there is that will not once get a ſight of their king in all their life time: but being tranſlated to the kingdome of Chriſt, we are ioyned neere to our king: nay neuer Courtier was ſo neere a king of this earth, as wee ſhall be when we are tranſlated to the kingdome of Chriſt Ieſus: hee will not reſt till he hauehave vsus in him. O the tender affection of Ieſus Chriſt that hee beareth to them that are in his kingdome! hee will hauehave vsus ingrafted in him, as the grafts in a tree: he will not let thee ſtand behinde him, but he will hauehave thee in his bodie, and ioyned with him as a member of his bodie, and he will hauehave thee feeding in him, that is, vponupon grace flowing from him as from the head. So bleſſed is the eſtate of that bodie that is tranſlated to the kingdome of Chriſt: as by the contrary, miſerable is their condition and eſtate, that abide in darknes and ignorance. When thou art in him, what wilt thou get? he ſaith, we hauehave redemption. It is impoſſible but if thou be once in him, thou muſt hauehave grace of him: once effectually called to his kingdome, which is that firſt grace, of force thou muſt paſſe to the next grace, which is the Redemption, and all the graces that are in him; and ſo no end of grace to thee. Get me the firſt grace, get thy heart once entred; I ſhall promiſe there ſhall be no end of grace, vntil thou be glorified without end. O then, what is the next grace which followes thy calling? It is a bleſſing called Redemption. A word ſounding in our tongue commonly, would to God you vnderſtood it aright: As ſoone as thou findeſt in thy heart thy ſelfe to be effectually called, as ſoone will the father ſay; O ſinner, I abſolue thee from thy ſinnes. That is the next bleſſing. There is none who findes themſelues effectually called, but they will finde as it were this ſound, I abſolue thee from all thy ſinnes. If thy conſcience teſtifie thy calling, it will teſtifie alſo that thou art abſolued, and redeemed from ſinne. Let no man ſpeake of theſe things but they, who feele in their hearts daily their effectuall calling.
Now I ſhall ſpeake of this Redemption as the Lord will leade me, not digreſſing into a common place. What is then this Redemption? to ſpeake it plaine, it is nothing but a deliuerie. The redemption of a ſinner is nothing but a deliuerie of a ſinner, a ſetting of him at libertie. So a ſinner when once he be tranſlated vntounto the kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt, when the father looketh as it were from his tribunall, and ſees the ſinner ingrafted into Ieſus, ſo ſoone will hee ſhake the fetters from him. For in this kingdome there can be no captiuitie, no ſlauerie, no bondage of ſinne and death; they cannot be in the kingdome of Chriſt. Indeede in the kingdome of Sathan, there is nothing but ſlauerie, and all are but ſlaues: but in the kingdome of Chriſt there is nothing but libertie. The kingdome of libertie cannot abide a ſlaue: but all muſt be free, free from ſinne and death.
The next thing in this redemption: if we be deliuered, from what is it that we be deliuered? (a man that is deliuered is deliuered from ſome thing) from ſlauery; if thou wert a King, thy horſe rubber is not ſo ill as thou art, if thou be not tranſlated from thy nature and from ſinne. Thou art deliuered from this when once thou art called: for after we be called and tranſlated, ſinne hath no more dominion ouer vsus. Yet Rom. 6. 12when we are in Chriſt, we are not free of bands, *1. Ioh. 3. 78. A ſinner in his conuerſion, albeit his ſinnes be pardoned with God, yet there is a time of further humiltation giuen him to feele the ſeale of the pardon of ſinnes put to his hart. Confer 2. Sam. 11 with Pſal. 51. Rom. 8. 15. Epheſ. 4. 30. Hebr. 6. 1.no neuer till the ſentence of the abſolution come out from the tribunall of God, and ſay to thee, I abſolue thee.
But to goe forward: how is this procured? vponupon what ground proceedeth it? it is no ſmall matter to get abſolution at the mouth of God. What procures it then? thou muſt be ranſomed: thy ranſome is not without a price. The word foreign imports a ranſome, and deliuerance by a price of redemption. For brethren, you muſt vnderſtand that the iuſtice of God cannot be impaired: the infinit iuſtice of God cannot ſuffer the deliuery of a ſinner, except there be a ranſome paid. Thou art conceited of merciemercy, and neuer haſt recourſe to that bloud that hath ranſomed thee: No, no, ſeeke to the price and bloud of Ieſus, otherwiſe thou ſhalt neuer be abſolued: yet this ranſome preiudiceth nothing the mercy. Indeede if the ranſome were taken of thee, out of thy owne purſe; then thou ſhouldeſt neuer hauehave got mercy: but becauſe it is the Lord Ieſus that paid the ranſome, therefore it is mercy and grace to thee. What ranſome muſt this be? you thinke much of ſiluer and gold, and would to God the bloud of Chriſt was as much eſteemed of by you, as you eſteeme of your gold and ſiluer. But I tell thee, be thou a ſinner, all the kingdomes of the earth will not ranſome thy life, the whole kingdomes of the world will not ranſome the life of one ſinner; yea not of the pooreſt lad and laſſe in the world. I ſpeake thus plainely, to teach you to thinke of better things, then the things of the earth. Fye on thoſe things; we ſhould not eſteeme them pretious to vsus, but to be paltry, the dirt of this earth, and vanitie of this world. What muſt be the ranſome then? It muſt be bloud. It is impoſſible that a ſinner can be ranſomed without bloud; the ſillieſt of you all cannot come to heauen without you be ranſomed with bloud. Therefore in the epiſtle to the Hebrewes 9. chap. 22. it is ſaid, Without bloud no remiſſion of ſinnes: And if there were but an euill thought, no ranſome of it without bloud; elſe ſhalt thou dye euerlaſtingly, and the wrath of God ſhall feede on thee as fire vponupon ſtickes; or elſe thou ſhalt bring for thy ranſome the bloud of another. Then whoſe bloud muſt this be? ſurely one muſt dye; the iuſtice of God muſt be ſatisfied: it muſt not be thy owne bloud, nor the bloud of any ſinner in the world; take them altogether and offer a ſacrifice of them all, crucifie them all, all ſhall not make a ranſome for ſinne. Indeede it is true, the wrath of God muſt feede vponupon the bloud of a ſinner, and vponupon the reprobate: but that ſhall not be a ranſome for one ſinne; ſo hee ſhall neuer be redeemed by his own bloud. A ranſome muſt hauehave a redemption, but the bloud of a ſinner will not doe this: for ſinners are in hell, and in hell there is no redemption. So, wilt thou be ranſomed? ſay not I will reedeme my ſelfe with my owne bloud. The Lord will take the bloud, but thou ſhalt neuer be ranſomed, but die euerlaſtingly. Whoſe bloud muſt it be then? By his bloud (hee ſaith not by our bloud) that is, the bloud of the ſonne of God. And this bloud of Ieſus Chriſt is that bloud onelyonly that can be the ranſome: none in heauen or earth but his bloud onelyonly, is able to make thy ranſome: and this bloud ſtandeth beſt both with the iuſtice of God and merciemercy of God, becauſe it is the only bloud of Chriſt that ſatisfies the iuſtice of God. Why? by reaſon of the worthines of the perſon, he is a man, a holy man, without all ſpot of ſinne. It will not be thy ſtinking rotten bloud: it muſt be that bloud of Chriſt, that holy bloud, that muſt ſatisfie the wrath of God. It ſtandeth with the merciemercy of God: for when the wrath and iuſtice of God hath gotten that precious bloud, then it is well ſatisfied: then merciemercy reacheth from heauen to the ſinner; if thou canſt preſent that bloud, then the Lord will ſay: I hauehave nothing to ſay againſt thee, I hauehave nothing but merciemercy and grace to giuegive thee, I forgiue thee all thy ſinnes. Many thinke this but words; but you ſhall ſee one day what theſe words meane. In the laſt words of the verſe, that that he hath ſpoken of redemption, he ſets out in a plaine terme and common word, euen the remiſſion of ſinnes. In the Epiſtle to the Epheſians 1. 7. when hee hath ſpoken as hee hath done here, of the remiſsion of ſinnes; he ſheweth that it is through the riches of his grace. What is all thy remiſſion to thee, but a free remiſſion through the riches of his grace? thou haſt not paid a mite for it; but Chriſt hath paid the price. So theſe two ſtand in thy redemption: In reſpect of him thou art redeemed by a price; and in reſpect of thy ſelfe it is nothing but free pardoning. So giuegive him the glorie and praiſe, for I aſſure thee, it is of an vnſpeakable merciemercy and louelove, that he hath forgiuen thee, and taken the bloud of his deere ſonne for thy ſinne. Haſt thou not great matter of praiſing and glorifying of him? O would to God this cankerd generation could ſee and conſider this worke of our redemption!
Now you hauehave heard of your calling and redemption, two great workes and benefits of God beſtowed on his elect, in Ieſus Chriſt his deere ſonne. There followes now a higher point of doctrine (ſpeeches of the higheſt things in the world are either of Kings or Queenes, or els of ſome other great nouelties; yet all are but dirt in reſpect of this ſpeech of the Apoſtle vttered according to the ſpirit of God. For he ſpeaks of the higheſt things, that is, euen of the king of glorie: ſo this ſpeech muſt be a high ſpeech: and yet not ſo high, but a man may attaine to the knowledge of it, ſo farre as may ſerue to their ſaluation) when he hath ſpoken of this great king, and of his bloud by the which wee are redeemed, to let vsus ſee how great a king he is, and how precious his bloud is, he fals out into a digreſſion, and he brings out an high deſcription of the Lord of glorie. He may well blabber of him, but more he cannot: he is ſo high and excellent in all maieſtie. All the wits of men and Angels are not able to expreſſe the excellencie of the glorie of the ſonne of God: but I leaue that. The firſt part of his deſcription, is from his Godhead; Who is (ſaith he) the image of the inuiſible God, the firſt begotten of eueryevery thing created. Here wee hauehave to conſider, firſt how God is called inuiſible. And next, how the ſonne is called the image of the inuiſible God: vnderſtanding theſe two, we ſhall get the meaning of the Apoſtle. Wee finde this oft in the Scripture, eſpecially in the new Teſtament, that God is called inuiſible. No man (ſaith Iohn in his firſt chapter verſ. 18) hath ſeene God at any time: & in another place he ſaith; No man hath knowne him. And Tim. 6. 16. He dwelleth in light that hath no acceſſe. How is this then to be vnderſtood? Looke how he is inuiſible. This is to be vnderſtood of the Father, the firſt perſon of the Trinitie: Note.He is inuiſible, he cannot be ſeene, neither by Angell, nor all the Angels in heauen, neither by man, nor by the eye of the bodie of man, no not by the eye of his minde. No creature no manner of way can ſee him: yet God forbid but wee ſee him. But how is it that he cannot be ſeene? He cannot be ſeene immediatly in his owne perſon, no not all the Angels can get a ſight of him immediatly. It is only the ſonne of God that hath that ſight; for he is in the boſome of the Father: and therefore no man nor Angell gets a ſight of God (I ſay immediatly) becauſe that all the ſight that man and Angell hath, is by a mediate perſon, the ſonne of God. This is the firſt.
Secondly, how is it that the ſonne is called the image of the inuiſible God? I will not inſiſt here, to bring in all the differences, and ſorts, and images, becauſe it pertaines more to the Schooles, then to this place. But thus farre I tell you, I cannot get here in the earth a better example, to let you ſee how Ieſus Chriſt is the image of the inuiſible God in ſome meaſure (for who can ſee it in a fulnes?) then the example of an earthly ſon. You ſee an earthly ſonne will repreſent the perſon of his father, in the ſhape of his bodie, and in the linaments thereof; and that not onelyonly in the outward accidents, but in the very ſubſtance that he hath taken from him, and out of him. No image will come ſo neere as that image; ſo that he will repreſent him in all theſe three, in ſtature, ſhape, and ſubſtance.
Now to come to the ſonne of God, you muſt vnderſtand there are no accidents in God. All is ſubſtance and eſſence. He will then repreſent him, firſt in his perſonage, euen in a kind of portraiture: for how be it, he be diſtinct in perſon; yet nothing is ſo like the perſon of the father, as the perſon of the ſonne. Therefore in the epiſtle to the Hebrewes 1. 3. He is called the character and the very ſtampe of the father: and he will not onelyonly repreſent him in perſon, but in ſubſtance alſo. So that ſecondly he repreſenteth God the father in a ſubſtance taken from him: for the ſonne of God hath taken his ſubſtance from his father, in that eternall generation. And thirdly, which is higher, and this paſſeth all compariſon, he repreſents him not onelyonly in a ſubſtance, but in that ſame ſubſtance, in number: ſo that there is not two Gods, but one God. Nay the father and the ſonne is but one ſubſtance, and one God in number: and therefore he ſaith, the father and I am one, in the goſpell of Iohn 10. 30. No earthly ſonne may ſay ſo, I am in the father, and the father in me: nay, no ſonne in the earth, how verely ſo euer he repreſent his father, may ſay ſo as Chriſt ſaith: ſo the likelieſt, the quickeſt, and the beſt repreſenting of the image of God, is the ſonne of God. There is no compariſon, and therefore in Iohn 14. 9. to Philip he ſaith, In that thou hast ſeene me, thou hast ſeene the father alſo. Why? becauſe I am the brightnes of his glorie: ſo that if thou ſeeſt me, thou ſeeſt the father, and without the ſight of the father, there is no life. And thou muſt begin that ſight of him here, or elſe thou ſhalt neuer ſee him. And if the ſonne were not ſo liuely an image of God, it were impoſſible to be content with the ſight of the ſonne, but becauſe he repreſents the whole maieſtie of his father; therefore the ſight of the perſon of the ſonne, contents vsus, and we reioyce in him. O if we had that ſight of him, as we ſhould hauehave it, then ſhould we reioyce vnſpeakably: ſo to end, the words imports this, when he ſaith, that he is the image of the inuiſible God, that he is viſible. Then I aske the queſtion, how is the ſonne of God viſible? marke briefly, in his manhood; that is, in our fleſh he is viſible; becauſe Ieſus Chriſt in the fleſh, is as well ſeene with the bodily eye as a man; and when we ſhall ſee him in heauen, we ſhall ſee him in the very body; ſo there is no queſtion of his humane nature. But how is that Godhead ſeene in the ſonne? that is a greater queſtion (I will aſſure thee it muſt be ſeene, or elſe no life for thee.) But how is it ſeene? firſt I anſwere, with the eye of the mind. A man hath a bodilie eye in his head, and againe he hath another eye in his ſoule, which when once it is illuminated by the ſpirit of Chriſt, then that eye ſhall ſee better than a thouſand bodily eyes: it will pearce vp through the very heauens, and neuer reſt till it come to the ſight and preſence of God. Indeede if it be not illuminated, it will ſee nothing; but being illuminated, it will pearce through the very heauens, and enter into the light of God, & ſee him. So the ſonne of God is ſeene in his Godhead, by the eye of the minde, and held faſt by the heart, and felt of the heart. What meanes this ſweete apprehenſion, that a man will hauehave of the merciemercy of God, of the wiſedome, and iuſtice of God? what meanes it? Nothing but a ſenſe of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; all is in the feeling of Ieſus Chriſt, who dwels in the heart by faith, as the Apoſtle to the Epheſians 3. 7. ſaith: ſo there is the firſt way how he is ſeene. But yet would not the eye of the bodie ſee him? Certainly I would ſee him with this ſame bodily eye. And there is no faithfull man, but their yearning is to ſee him with their bodily eye. Now how ſhall I get a ſight of him with a bodily eye? I ſhall tell thee how thou ſhalt get a ſight of him with the bodily eye. Indeede thou wilt not get it immediatly, but thou muſt looke in through the vaile. There muſt be a vaile hung downe ouer betwixt thee and that glorious maieſtie: now through that vaile, that glorie of God ſhines in that fleſh of Ieſus: ſo the beames ſtrikes ſo farre, that they pearce within thee, becauſe thou wilt ſee the glorie of God through this vaile, and thou wilt not onelyonly ſee the perſon of the ſonne in the vaile, but through him thou wilt ſee the glorious father. So in a word, when thou commeſt to heauen (thou wilt now goe here and there on the earth to ſee glorie, and wilt gaze on heauen) I ſay vntounto thee all the glorie of heauen will be cloſed in Ieſus Chriſt; if thou turne thy eye from him, no ſight of glorie: ſo all thy pleaſure then will be, to hold thy eye vponupon that glorious ſon of God, and that wil be our heauen, and our ioy, through the ſonne to ſee the father, and to ſee the glorie of the Lord Ieſus clad with our nature, ſitting at the right hand of his father. To whom, with the holie ſpirit, be all praiſe, honour and thankes for euen,
Amen.