A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 10
The tenth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
YOu have declared the knowledge of God, and of our ſelves; Now what ſhould we know concerning Chriſt, that we may draw near with comfort to this Sacrament of the Lords Supper; And know more fully how the Lord doth govern us by Chriſt in Grace, till he brings us to glory?
Anſ. We ought chiefly to know Chriſt:
Firſt, In his natures,Ioh. 3.2. 1 Cor. 2.2. Phil. 3.7, &c. Divine and Humane.
Secondly, In his Perſon and wonderfull union with our natures.
1 Cor. 1.30. Iohn 1.16. 2 Cor. 5.i9, &c.Thirdly, In his offices,
1. Prieſt,
2. Prophet,
3. King,
exerciſed in Active and Paſſive obedience; and application to both.
Fourthly, In the glorious fruits and benefits, which the Lord Ieſus by his vertue and power, as Mediator, communicates to poor ſinners for their everlaſting Salvation.
Queſt. 2. How muſt Chriſt be known in reſpect of his nature?
Anſ. That he is perfect God, and perfect Man, both of a Divine and Humane nature; that Immanuel, God-man, or God with us, in our Humanity; the Son of God, and the Son of Man, mighty to ſave, full of grace and truth, Iſa. 9.6. Joh. 1.14. Zach. 13.7. Iſa. 7.14. Joh. 3.16. Matth. 25.31. Iſa. 63.1. Mat. 1.21. Heb. 7.25. Iohn 1.16.
Queſt. 3. How and when was Chriſt our Saviour God?
Anſ. He was God of God from all eternity, not made, but begotten of God the Father before all worlds, and from everlaſting, very God of very God, being of one ſubſtance with the Father, by whom all things were made; the unchangeable wiſdom, and eſſentiall Word of God, abiding God for ever, Joh. 1.1.14, 11. 1 Ioh. 5.20. Ioh. 10.30. 1 Ioh. 5.7. Joh. 1.2, 3. Col. 1.15, &c. Prov. 8.12, &c. Tit. 1.3. Iude 23. Rev. 19.13. 1 Tim. 1.16, 17. Rev. 1.11. 1 Tim. 6.14, 15, 16. Heb. 1.8, 9.
Queſt. 4. You ſay Chriſt the Son of God in his Divine nature was God of God: How I pray you do you underſtand, that the Son of God was God of God, was it, or is it in reſpect of his Divine Eſſence, or in reſpect of his Perſon and his filiation or Sonſhip only?
Anſ. This is a great myſtery, as is the myſtery of his Incarnation: But I humbly conceive and believe, that in reſpect of the Perſon of the Son, or of his Sonſhip, he was God of God the Father,Iohn 8.42. and is ſaid to be God of God, Light of light, very God of very God. But in reſpect of his Divine Eſſence, he is Auto-Theos, God of himſelf,Iohn 10.30. and by himſelf from all Eternity, and one Eſſence with God the Father, bleſſed for ever.
Queſt. 5. But how can the Son of God be ſaid to be begotten of God the Father, ſince God the Father is a Spirituall Eſſence; and can one Spirit be ſaid to beget another, or how might this be?
Anſ. This is a great myſtery, more fit for Faith to believe, then Reaſon to apprehend, nor do I know any ſimilitude can truly and fully expreſſe this myſtery; but the learned endeavoring to give ſome light of it, have held forth the eternall generation of the Son of God, in theſe and the like expreſſions: Firſt, as the minde of a man when it thinketh of, and underſtands it ſelf, by reflection upon it ſelf, doth form and beget in it ſelf, and as it were of it ſelf, ſome Image or likeneſſe of it ſelf, (though not perfect or diſtinctly, of it ſelf ſubſiſting:) So God the Father, when as he fully knoweth and beholdeth himſelf in his Eternity and infinity. After an unutterable manner he did beget in himſelf the moſt perfect Image, and expreſſe likeneſſe of himſelf, diſtinctly ſubſiſting, and yet wonderfully co-eſſentiall with himſelf from all eternity, and to this effect Chriſt is called the brightneſſe of Gods glory,Heb. 1.3. and the expreſſe Image of his perſon,Col. 1.15 and of the inviſible God, and the like in holy Scriptures. Secondly, As a word is the Image of the minde,Iohn 1.1, 2. and begotten of the minde, ſo the eſſentiall word is the Image of God the Father.
Thirdly, not far different from this, others expreſſe it thus, That as a man looking his naturall face in a glaſſe, doth beget his own image or likeneſſe, which ſo long as he looketh, continueth as his own expreſſe image, (though that is not ſubſiſting by it ſelf:) So God the Father beholding himſelf from all Eternity, in the eternall glaſſe of his own moſt glorious Eſſence, he did eternally, or from all eternity, beget his own Son, his own expreſſe image, as noted before: And this Perſon of the Son, is a Perſon ſubſiſting by himſelf, and diſtinguiſhed from God the Father, and yet of one Eſſence with the Father, and the holy Spirit bleſſed for ever. But this great myſtery is rather to be admired and glorified, then by weak men to be ſearched into or comprehended. And in like manner the proceſſion of the holy Ghoſt, the third Perſon in Trinity, is admirable and unutterable by the Sons of men.
Queſt. 6. But if God the Son, this ſecond Perſon of the Trinity, who took our nature upon him, was begotten of the Father: How can he be God from all Eternity equall with the Father; was not God the Father before God the Son?
Anſ. In this Trinity none is afore or after another, but all three Perſons co-eternall together, and co-equall, as was noted before in the ſecond Claſſis, Queſtion the twenty one.
Queſt. 7. But how may this in any meaſure be conceived?
Anſ. It is to be believed, though our humane reaſon cannot comprehend it, ſince the Scriptures hold forth ſufficient grounds for it: and certainly ſimilitudes drawn from the creatures or things below, cannot fully expreſſe it; yet you may conceive ſome reſemblance of a poſſibility of ſuch a truth, even from ordinary things daily in our ſight. As for Example, when you light a Candle, no ſooner is the Candle lighted, but at the ſame moment of time, there is a glorious Candle, there is light, and there is heat or warmth, and none of theſe is afore or after another, but all equall in time together. The like may be obſerved of the Sun in the Firmament, and other things: And ſo howſoever the Father in the priority of order of perſons, may be before the Son; yet in order of time, I believe they are co-eternall and co-equall for ever, and before all time whatſoever.
Queſt. 8. What benefit or comfort is the knowledge of this to a poor believing ſoul?
Anſ. Great joy and cauſe of rejoycing, that the Lord Chriſt who came down from heaven,Iſa. 63.1, 2. Heb. 7.25. was incarnate for us men and for our Salvation; was and is God from all Eternity, equall with the Father, and ſo mighty to ſave all that come to God by him.
Queſt. 9. How and when was Chriſt our Lord and Saviour man?
Anſ. Although Chriſt was God equall with the Father from all Eternity; yet for our ſakes he humbled himſelf, and took upon him our humane nature, being conceived of the ſubſtance of the bleſſed virgin Mary, by the power of the holy Ghoſt, and born of her in fulneſſe of time, now about One thouſand ſix hundred forty five years ſince: Thus being that bleſſed ſeed of the woman promiſed, and the Son of Man of a reaſonable ſoul and humane fleſh ſubſiſting, as well as the Son of God, who did break the Serpents head; and being made perfect, he became the Author of Eternall ſalvation to all that obey him, Phil. 2.6, &c. Luke 1.31, 32, &c. Mat. 1.18. Luke 2.1, &c. Gal. 4.4, &c. Gen. 22.18. and 3.15. Pſal. 132.11. 2 Sam. 23.5. Acts 2.30, &c. Mat. 26, 38. Luke 24.38, &c. Iohn 19.34. Luke 23.46. Col. 2.14, 15. Heb. 5.7, 8 9.
Queſt. 10. But was not Chriſt the Author of Salvation to all that believed in him, and waited for Salvation by him before he was born, as truly as he is now to believers ſince his birth, and death, and Reſurrection, and aſcenſion to glory, Luke 2.25, 38.
Iohn 8.56. Heb. 13.8. 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. Rev. 13.8.Anſ. Yes certainly, Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee Chriſts day, and he ſaw it by Faith, and was glad, and Ieſus Chriſt was yeſterday, and to day, and the ſame for ever, in reſpect of his vertue and efficacy, the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world.
Queſt. 11. Was it neceſſary that Chriſt our Redeemer ſhould thus be God?
Anſ. Yes, The Majeſty of God required he ſhould be God.
Iob 15.15. Mat. 17.5. Acts 20.28. Iſa 6.1, 2, &c.Firſt, That in his perfect purity he might draw near to God, and be a fit Mediator for us to his Father.
Secondly, That his merit might be of ſuch excellent worth, that it might ſatisfie the infinite Iuſtice of God, which was then offended, no Creature being ſo pure and precious as was needfull for it.
Queſt. 12. Was it neceſſary alſo that Chriſt ſhould be man?
Anſ. Yes, Firſt, The Iuſtice of God required,Heb. 2.14, &c. Mat. 4.3, &c. that in the ſame nature in which man had ſinned, ſatisfaction ſhould be made for ſin; therefore Chriſt took not upon him the nature of Angels, but of man.
Secondly, And our neceſſity required, that Chriſt being man like us, though without ſin, he might be touched with a feeling of our infirmities,Heb. 4.15, 16. and having been tempted himſelf, might readily ſuccour his Children when they are tempted.
Queſt. 13. How muſt Chriſt be known in reſpect of his perſon?
Anſ. That he is God and Man in one Perſon,Ioh. 1.14. 1 Cor. 8.4, 5, 6. 1 Tim. 2.5. & 3.16. by a Hypoſtalicall or Perſonall union of his two natures, Divine and Humane: for as the ſoul and body make but one man, ſo God and Man make but one Chriſt.
Queſt. 14. In what manner is this union of the Divine and Humane nature, ſo as there is not two, but one Chriſt?
Anſ. Not by converſion of the Godhead into fleſh,Iohn 1.14. 1 Tim. 3.16. 1 Ioh. 5.7 Col. 1.26, &c, but by taking of the Manhood unto God; not that the Divine nature which is common to all the three Perſons, did take our Humane perſon, but the Perſon of the Son of God did aſſume our humanity, and ſo God and Man became one Chriſt, not by confuſion of ſubſtance, but by unity of Perſon in a great and wonderfull myſtery.
Queſt. 15. Why was it needfull that Chriſt ſhould be Theanthropos, God and Man in one Perſon?
Heb. 5.1. Heb. 12.24. Iob 9.33. Col. 1.20. 2 Cor. 5.19, &c.Anſ. That being both God and Man, he might be a fit Mediator between God and Man, as a dayes-man to lay his hand upon us both, to make up a reconciliation between us, in and by himſelf.
Queſt. 16. What elſe followeth this near Perſonall union?
Anſ. Beſides the excellency of the Perſon, and Dignity of Chriſts merits, there is a Communication of the Idiomes phraſes or manner of ſpeaking, ſo that what is moſt agreeable to the Divine nature, is attributed or ſpoken ſometimes of the humane nature; and what is agreeable to the humane, is aſcribed to the Divine, by vertue of this perſonall union of both natures in one Perſon.
Queſt. 17. How prove you this?
Anſ. John 3.13. No man hath aſcended up to Heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven, where being in heaven, which was proper at that time to Chriſt as God, is aſcribed to Chriſt the Son of Man.
And ſecondly, Acts 20.28. where God is ſaid to purchaſe the Church with his own blood, which blood was aſcribed to Chriſt-God, not as God, but as the Son of Man: Thus you ſee the properties of both natures, are aſcribed each to other by this union.
Thirdly, So in the 1 Tim. 2.5. there is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chriſt Ieſus: That office of Mediatorſhip is aſcribed to the Manhood, which is common to both natures, God and Man.