Right Thoughts, Part 2 · Section 37
Sect. XXXVII.
P…l 2.6, 7 8. H…h thou his of Chriſt.BUt then as God hath Highly exalted Him that was Humbled, being equal with God, yet in ſhape of a Man, even to the Death of the Croſs: ſo think, that if ever thou hope for benefit by Him, thy Life and thy Lips muſt exalt Him, and thine Heart and thy Thoughts above all, not that thou canſt add to, but muſt own his Greatneſs and his Glory. nay though thou hadſt known Chriſt after the Fleſh, 2 C…. 5.16.yet henceforth know him ſo no more. Away with low Thoughts, carnal conceptions of Jeſus Chriſt, who though He were Crucified through weakneſs, yet is raiſed in Power, 1 Cor. 14.4. Iſaiah 62.1. Heb. 11.34.yea in the greatneſs of his ſtrength became weak, that out of weakneſs thou mighteſt be made ſtrong: for if the Chriſtian can ſay by believing in Chriſt, when I am weak then am I ſtrong, and can Glory in his Infirmities, 2 Cor. 12.9, 10.that the power of Chriſt may reſt upon him, well may he Glory in Chriſt, whoſe Glory, in the very dayes of his infirmity, they that ſaw him, beheld as the Glory of the onelyonly begotten Son of God, John 1.4.for whilſt he dwelt among Men in the body of his Fleſh, The Fulneſs of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. Coloſ. 2.9. Rom 9 5.And O how awful and ſtupendious a thought it is, that Gods Benjamin ſhould be this Ben-oni, Nay the Bleſſed God himſelf. This man of Sorrows; Iſaiah 53.3. and 9.6. Gal 4 4. Iſaiah 53.8. Gal. 4.4.The Eternal Father, the Son of his Hand-maid, made of a Woman; The Mighty God, a Child born, ſo ſaith Scripture, but who ſhall declare his Generation? The Law-Maker, made under the Law, that He might make ſatisfaction to the Law, and Fulfil all Righteouſneſs, both by Doing and by Dying, by Serving and Suffering; Matth. 3.15. Rev. 19.16. Mat. 20.29.The Lord of Lords came to Miniſter, And He that gives Life to All, to give his Life a Ranſome for many. Stupendious Thought may I well call it, that my GOD ſhould become GOEL, my near Kinſman, by Incarnation, and gain Right of Redemption as to thoſe in whom he had a right of Creation, for which Cauſe He is not aſhamed to call them Brethren; Hebr. 2, 11.That the Infinite ſhould be Confined; and Content in the Womb, though not Contained in the World;
(Pellibus exiguis Ingens arctatur JESUS.
That a ſtrait low-roof'd Virgin-Cell
Should lodge th' Incomprehenſible;
That the Eternal God ſhould be Born, Iſaiah 9.6. Matth. 28.6. Luke 2.7.and the Immortal God buried, after a Life of Sorrow, and a Death of Shame; That the Majeſty of God ſhould take up with a Stable, for a Preſence Chamber,Mat. 2.11. and 27.29. Verſe 2. and a Manger for a Throne, where Wiſe-men muſt come and worſhip Him, a wreath of Thornes for a Crown, a Croſs for a Scepter, and for a Royal-Robe, the onelyonly Crimſon of a Bloody Paſsion lined with the Ermine of white Innocency, Heb. 1.3.but ſpotted with the Contradiction of Sinners. That the Ancient of dayes ſhould become an Infant, The thundring God a Crying Babe; Heb. 1.2. Matth. 2.13.The Heir of All things be born to Baniſhment as ſoon as Born, and He that fills heaven to be, as it were, a Fugitive in the Earth at his firſt coming into it; That God Our Refuge ſhould be forc't to Flee, John 22.46.yea to Run for his Life before he could Go, and to hide his Head in AEGYPT,John 6.41. Pſalm 49.12. who was the Light of the World; That the Bread of Heaven ſhould be laid amongſt Oats and Hay for the food of Man, that was now become (by his Sin) like the Beaſts that periſh; Acts 3.15. Luke 21.24.That the Prince of Life ſhould begin to Die from his very beginning to Live, and the early ſhedding of his Precious Blood from the firſt weeks ſucking of his Mothers Milk; That He ſhould be reputed the Carpenters Son, John 1.3.by whom all things were made; That He before whom the Devils tremble, Matth. 4.1.ſhould be lead into the Wilderneſs to be Tempted of the Devil; That the Living Bread ſhould ſuffer hunger, Verſe 2.and the Fountain thirſt; That He that gives Reſt to our Souls ſhould Himſelf ſuffer wearineſs, John 19.28. John 4.6. Luke 9.58. Iſaiah 53.12.and He that gives us all things richly to enjoy, not have a hole himſelf where to lay his head; That He that Juſtifies the ungodly, ſhould himſelf be Numbred among the Tranſgreſſors; That God the Judge of All ſhould be tryed for his Life at Mans Bar, And He that did All things well, ſhould himſelf ſuffer among Malefactors; John 14.6. Mat. 26.56. Luke 22.22.That the WAY ſhould be Forſaken, a… He was by his Friends and Followers; That the TRUTH ſhould be Betrayed, as He was by Judas; That the LIFE ſhould be Killed as He was by the Jews; That the Great God ſhould be Sould, to Redeem Man; Acts 3.15.And the Living God die, that dead Man might Live; And be ſhut up in the grave, to ſet Man at Liberty; In a word, That the moſt high God ſhould humble himſelf to ſo ſad a Life, and the Lord of glory to ſo baſe a death, Luke 22.28.ſpending and ending his Doleful days betwixt Perils and Pains, Hebrew 4.7. Luke 22.44.and Temptations and Perſecutions, and Wants, and Wearineſs, and Fears, and Tears, and Sweat, and Blood, till at length his tender body was extended to the utmoſt torture that a cruel Croſs could ſtretch it, and his meek and Innocent Soul ſtretched to the utmoſt extremity of ſorrow that it could poſſibly be extended to, and all for poor Man that never deſerved it, that never deſired it, that never once Thought of it, before he heard of it, ready rather to cry out with Nicodemus, How can theſe things be? (ſo ſlow of heart to believe it, John 3.9. Luke 24.25. Chap. 6.58.having heard of it) crying out with the Jews, How can this Man give us his Fleſh to eat? But oh the Folly of mans wit, and the unreaſonableneſs of their reaſonings that have not Faith? 2 Theſ. 3.2.for why ſhould it be thought an incredible thing that the Condeſcention of Divine Grace ſhould ſurmount all Humane Comprehenſion, Phil. 4.7. 1 Tim. 3.16.the Effect of which Grace is peace that paſſeth all Underſtanding? that the Myſtery of Godlineſs ſhould be GREAT, The firſt Principle whereof is GOD manifeſt in the FLESH!Iſaiah 9.6. or that He ſhould be an object of our admiring thoughts in all his Story,Rom. 3.3. the very firſt letter of whoſe Name is WONDERFUL? But thanks be to God that the unbelief of man cannot make the Faith of God without Effect.