Some Gospel Truths Opened, Part 3
Now having spoken thus much touching the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, I shal, according to the assiistance of the Lord Jesus, proceed, and shall speak somthing of his Godhead, Birth, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Intercession; together with, his most glorious and personal appearing the second time, which will be to raise the dead, and bring every work to judgment, Eccles. 12. 14.
ANd first I shall shew you that he is very God, Co-eternal, and also Co-equal with his Father.
2. That by this Son of Mary (which is equal with his Father) the world was made.
3. That he in the fulnesse of time, was made of a woman, made under the Law,…al. 4. 4. to redeem them them that were (or are) under the Law; that is, was borne of a woman: And in our nature (for he made himselfe of no reputation, and took on him the forme of a servant, and was made in the likenesse of men) and in our stead he did fulfill the Law in point of Justification, Rom. 10. 4. and was crucified for our transgre…ions, 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24, 25.
4. That very body of the sonne of Mary which was crucified, did rise again from the dead, after he had been buried in Josephs Sepulchre; that he in that very body ascended up into heaven; and in that very body shall come again to these ends. 1. First to judge the quick and the dead. 2. To receive his Saints to himselfe. 3. To passe eternal condemnation on his enemies. These things in brief I shall touch upon, according to the wisedom given me. And therefore that Christ is very God, I shall first prove by plain texts of Scripture. 2. From the testimony of God, Angels, and men, witnessed by the Scriptures. 3. By several Arguments drawn from Scripture, which will prove the same clearly.
1. Then to prove it by the Scriptures; though indeed the whole Book of Gods holy Scripture, testifie these things plainly to be most true, yet there be some places more pregnant and pertinent to the thing then others; and therefore I shall mention some of them: As first, minde that in Prov. 8. v. 22, &c. and there you shall finde him spoken of under the name of Wisedome, the same name that is given him in 1 Cor. 1. 24. I say in that place of the Prov. above mentioned, you shall find these expressions from his own mouth. The Lord possessed me in tho beginning of his way before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning: or ever the earth was, when there was no depths, I was brought forth; while there was no fountaine abounding with water. Before the mountains were s…tled, before the hills, was I brought forth. While as yet he had not made the Earth, nor the fields, nor the highest places of the dust of the world. When h… prepared the Heavens, I was there; when he set a compasse upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountaines of the deep: When he gave to the Sea his decree, that the waters should not pass …his commandement. When he appointed the foundations of the Earth; then was I by him, as one brought up with him: And I was daily his delight, rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth, and my delight was with the Sonne of men. Also John 1. 1 2. you have these words spoken of Christ, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. As also in Heb. 1. 2. the Apostle being about to prove the Sonne of Mary to be very God, saith; He hath in these latter daies spoken to us by his Sonne; which sonne is the sonne of Mary, as in Matth. 3. But (saith the Apostle) Heb. 1. 8. to the Sonne he saith, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy Kingdome. Again, in John 17 5. you have the words of the sonne of Mary for it, saying, And now Father, glorifie thou me with thine own selfe, with the glory that I had with thee before the world was. Again, he himself saith, before Abraham was, I am: And again, I and my Father are one. And in Phil. 2. 5. the Apostle saith, Let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it …o robbery to be equal with God, but made himselfe of no reputation, and took on him the forme of a servant, and was m…de in the likenesse of men. Also Rev. 2. 8. Christ himselfe saith, I am the first and the last, which was dead, but am alive. And thus have I quoted some few Scriptures to prove that the Sonne of Mary is the true God.
2. I shall give you the testimony of God himselfe touching the truth of this, viz. That Christ, the Sonne of the Virgin, is the true God. And first see Zach. 13. 7. and there you shall finde these words, Awake O Sword against my Shepherd, and against the Man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts. In this place the Lord doth call that Man his fellow, which he doth not doe to any meer creature. Again, in Ma…. 3. 17. he calls him his beloved sonne, saying, This is my beleved Sonne in whom I am well pleased And in the foresaid place of the Hebrews, Cap. 1. the Apostle advancing the Lord Jesus, brings in this question, To which of the Angels said he at any time, thou art my Sonne? Ver. 5. But to the Sonne he s…h, ver. 8. Thy Throne, O God, i… for ever and ever. And this farre of the testimony that God himselfe hath given of the Son of Mary, Jesus Christ.
3. The Angels do shew that he is God; first, in that they do obey him. 2. in that they worship him.
1. That they obey him, is clear, if we compare Rev. 21. 9. with Rev 22. 6. In the first of these places we finde, that there came one of the Angels of the seven vials, which had the seven last plagues, and talked with John. He came not of himselfe; for in that 22 Cap. ver. 6. he saith, The Lord sent his Angel, to shew unto his servants the things that must be done. Now, in the 16. verse you may see who this Lord God is: He saith there, I Jesus, have sent mine Angel, to testifie these things in the Churches. Compare Rev. 1. 1.* I am the ro…t (as well as) the Ofspring of David, and the bright and morning star. I say this obedience of the Angels doth testifie that Jesus, which is the Sonne of Mary, is the true and very God; for they do obey God only.
Secondly, The Angels doe shew that the sonne of Mary is the true God, in that they do not onelyonly obey him, but worship him also yea, they are commanded so to doe, Heb. 1. 6. where it is wri…ten, When he bringeth his first bego…ten into the world, he (i e) God, saith, And let all the Angels of God worship him, viz. the sonne of Mary. Now the Angels themselves command that we worship none but God, Rev. 22. 8 9. When John fell down to worship the Angel, the Angel said, See thou doe it not, for I am thy fellow-servant; worship God Now, if the Angels should command to worship God, and they themselves should worship him that by nature is no God, they should overthrow themselves, in comm…ding one thing, and doing another, and so lose their own habitations, and be shut up in chaines of darknesse, to be punished with everlasting destruction from God himselfe at the great day. And thus much concerning the testimony of Angels touching Jesus, the Sonne of Mary, the Sonne of God, yea, very an… true God Isa. 9. 6.
Now followeth David hi… testimony among other of th… Saints, who witnesse Jesus the Sonne of Mary to be true God; and that you may finde in Psa. 110. 1. where he saith, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstoole. Also Isaiah in the 9. Chap. verse 6. saith, For unto us a Childe is borne, unto us a Sonne is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderfull, Councellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David (which is not, nor never was the heart of any believer) and upon his Kingdome to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeale of the Lord of Hosts will doe this. Again, see Peters testimony of this sonne of Mary; When Jesus asked his Disciples, Whom say ye that I am? Peter, as the mouth of the rest, said, Thou art Christ, the sonne of the living God, Matth. 16. 16. Also, when Thomas, one of Christs disciples, would not be perswaded by the others that they had se…n the Lord, except he did also see in his hands the print of the Nailes, and put his fingers into the prin… of the Nails, and thrust his hand into his side … he would not believe. Sai…h the sonne of Mary, Reach hither thy singers, and behold my h…nds, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my …ide, and be not faithlesse but believing; and then Thomas breaks out with a mighty faith, and a glorious testimony for his Master, and saith, My Lord, and m… God, John 20. 27, 28. Again, see Pauls testimony of him, Rom. 9▪ where, speaking of the s…nne of Mary, he saith, That Christ came of th… Fathers, who is over all, God blessed for ever, amen. And the Apostle John doth also witness as much, 1 John 5. 20. where speaking of Jesus Christ, he saith on this wise, And we know that the Sonne of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we might know him that is true, and we are in him that is true (Who is that? why, saith John) even in his Sonne Jesus Christ. Who is he? Why, This is the true God, and eternal life.
I could here also bring in the testimony of the very Devils themselves, as Luke 4. 41. Luke 8. 28. where he is by them acknowledged to be the Son of the living God: But it is needlesse so to doe, for we have plainly proved it already.
Now followeth the several Scripture-arguments, which will prove that Jesus the son of Mary is very God.
And First, There is none but he that is the true God, can satisfie the justice of the true God for the breach of his holy Law: But if you compare Isa. 53. 6. with Matth. 3. 17. you shall finde, that Jesus the sonne of Mary did give God a full and compleat satisfaction for the breach of his holy Law; therefore Jesus the son of Mary must needs be the great and true God.
Secondly, He that hath power of his own to lay down his life, and hath power of his own to take it up again, mu… needs be the true God; but this did Jesus the sonne of Mary the Virgin; therefore h… must needs be the true God, Job. 10. 8. Rom, 1. 4.
Thirdly,If all the Quakers and Ranters in the world,: were but under the guilt of one sinful thought, it would make them to cry out with Cain my punishment is greater then I can bear, Gen. 4. 13. There was never any able to bear the sins of all the believers in the world, that ever were, now are, or hereafter shall be, but the true God But Jesus, the sonne of the Virgin Mary, did bear them all, in his own body on the … 1 Pet. 2. 24. Isa. 53 6. Therefore Jesus the… sonne of Mary must needs be true God as well as man.
Fourthly, There was never any meer man able, by his own power, to overcome the Devil in all his temptations, but he that is also the true God (for Adam in his state of innocency was overcome by them, and fell under them:) But Jesus the sonne of the Virgin did overcome them all by his own power; there ore (see Gen. 3. 15. Isa. 51. 9. Isa. 63. 5. Matth. 4. Luke 4.) he is very God as well as very man.
Fifthly, There was never any that did call himselfe the true God (and was not) which did please God in so doing, But Jesus the sonne of Mary did call himselfe the true God, or account himselfe equal with God (which is all one) yet God was well pleased with him,Mat. 3. 17. Phil. 2, 6, 7. John 8. 29. And therefore Jesus the sonne of Mary must needs be true God as well as man.
Sixthly, There was never any that had all power in heaven and in earth, but the true God. Jesus the sonne of the Virgin Mary, who was espoused to Joseph, hath all power in Heaven and in Earth in his own hand. Therefore, Matth. 28. 18. he is the true and great God.
Seventhly, There was never any able to keep poor souls from falling from God, saving he that is that is the true God. Jesus the sonne of Mary did, and doth this, John 10. 27, 28, 29, 30. John 17. 12. Therefore, &c.
Eighthly, Never could any justly call himselfe the first and the last, except the true God, nor truly (as the Lord did say) I am. But these did Jesus the sonne of Mary, Rev. 1. 1. compared with v. 17, 18. Rev. 2. 8. and Joh. 8. 58. Therefore Jesus must needs be true God as well as man.
9. Never was there any that could absolutely forgive sinnes but God, Mar. 2. 7 Luke 5. 21. But Jesus the sonne of the Virgin Mary, can forgive sinnes, Luk. 5. 10. Mar… 2. 5. Therefore Jesus the son of M…r… must n…eds be true God as well as man.
Tenthly, The Scriptures never call any the true and living God; but he that is the true God. The Scriptures call Jesus, the sonne of the Virgin the true God, Isa. 9 6. … John 5. 20. Therefore he is the true and great God.
11. He that made all things, whether they be visible or invisible▪ whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, must needs be the true God But Jesus the son of the Virgin Mary did make all these, Col 1. 14. …0 the 18. John 1. to v. 16. Heb. 1, 2, 3. And thereforre he is the true God as well as man.
12. The blood of a meer finite creature could never obtain eternal redemption for sinners.Rom. 3. 25. But the blood of Jesus,Rom. 5. 9. the sonne of the Virgin Mary, hath obtained eternal redemption for sinners,Heb. 9. 12. Eph. 1. 7. Heb. 9. 12, 14. Heb. 10. 19, 20. Therefore the blood of the sonne of the Virgin must needs be the blood of God. And so the Apostle calleth it, saying to the Pastours of the Churches, feed the Church of God, which he hath puchased with his own blood, Acts 20. 28. 1 John 3. 16.
13. Never was there any that could overcome death in his own power,1. Tim. 1. 10. but the true God▪ Hos. 13. 14. Jesus the sonne of the Virgin Mary did overcome death by himselfe,Heb. 1. 2, Heb. 2. 14 Therefore, &c.
14. He that searcheth the hearts, and knoweth the thoughts of men, must needs be the true God, Jer. 17. 10. But Jesus the sonne of the Virgin doth, Luke 5. 22. Luke 9. 47. John 2. 24, 25. Therefore, &c.
15. He that by his own power commandeth the raging Sea, must needs be the true God, Job 38. 10, 11. Prov. 8. 29. But this did Jesus the sonne of Mary, Mark 4. 39, 41. Luke 8. 24. Therefore, &c.
16. He that is the wisedom, power, and glory of God, must needs be the true God. But Jesus the sonne of the Virgin is all these, as 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24. Heb. 1. 1, 2, 3. Therefore Jesus the son of the Virgin must needs be true God as well as man.