A Wakening Call, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The second Sacrifice of Christ, in our whole human Nature, Spirit, Soul, and Body.
IN and by his first Sacrifice, he became the immediately fitted Hand of God, (the living Word of God, which is God, Iohn 1. 1-3.) for performing the whole Divine Will, in both Creations of Angels and Men, and in dealing with them, all, for ever, in final Love or Wrath.
This first Sacrifice related not to the Pardon of Sin, in Angels or Men. They were none of them, then, extant in their own personal Beings. A Preparation for preventing Sin, in both and all, was thereby made; notwithstanding which, many Angels sinn'd and fell, irrecoverably. All Mankind sinn'd and fell, in and with Adam; but, recoverably, both as to their Sin and Punishment, and also to a being render'd capable of that true Salvation-life, they, at first refus'd. This second Sacrifice of Christ, therefore, in our Nature, related only to the Sins of Mankind. The good Angels never sinn'd, at all. The evil, were absolutely unpardonable. In reference to Sin, therefore, Christ took on him the Nature of Man, not of Angels, (Heb. 2. 16.) and, therein, became a little lower than Angels, even than evil Angels, in the Glory of their First-creation, chosen by them, and granted them by God, in his just Judgment on them, with a ruling Power over Mankind, therein, all along this short-liv'd World; and then to be stripp'd of all their worldly Power and Glory, and laid down, for ever, in everlasting Burnings, under his unquenchable Wrath, in the lowest Hell-part of the eternal World, to come.
In reference to this second Sacrifice of Christ, we are to consider his Entrance into this World, in our Nature. The Virgin Mary was found with Child, of the Holy Ghost, Mat. 1. 18. An Angel appears to Joseph, in a Dream, telling him, that what was conceiv'd in her, was of the Holy Ghost; and, warn'd him, that when born, he should call his Name, Iesus, that would save his People from their Sins; and, Immanuel, also, was he to be call'd, that is, God with us, ver. 20-23. Isa. 7. 14. The like Account, as to his wonderful Formation in the Womb of the Virgin, we find, Luke 1. 26-35. and his Birth, Luke 2. 7. The good Angels rejoic'd thereat (Luk. 2. 13, 14.) not in reference to a procuring their Pardon for Sin, having never sinn'd; but, as knowing thereby, the time drawing near, for them (with Old-Testament-Saints) to receive the Holy Ghost, which they waited for, all along, four thousand Years, by a living spiritual Faith, working by Love to God, therein, and amounting to an indissoluble Union with Christ, therein. But, the Holy Ghost was not given to Angels or Saints, till our Nature, in Christ, was ascended and glorified, Iohn 7. 39. Both the said Angels and Saints obtain'd a good Report with God, as well-pleasing to him, by a living spiritual Faith therein, though they had not receiv'd the promis'd Holy Ghost, Heb. 11. 39. From the good Angels Concern, herein, did they, with Old-Testament-Prophets, desire to pry, look into, and diligently to search out what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand, the Sufferings of Christ, and the Glory that should follow (1 Pet. 1. 10-12.) to our ascended, glorified Nature, in him; and to them, by the Holy Ghost's being sent down from Heaven, into Angels, with the Spirits of Old-Testament-Saints, departed, and New-Testament-Gospel Saints, in the mortal Body, Act. 2.1-4. This is the other, better Comforter (Christ told his Disciples, the Father in pursuance and for accomplishing of his Free-Grace-Mercy, to them, would send) than he had yet been to them, as a fleshly Bridegroom, in the but restor'd First-covenant Life and Righteousness of Man, therein, Iohn 14. 26. This better Comforter, he told them, would teach them all things (divine and spiritual) and so bring to their Remembrance, all that he had hitherto, spoken to them, in Parables, earthly Figures and Similitudes, in which, the mystical divine and spiritual Truths, lay hid from them, as well as others.
The good Angels also rejoic'd at the Birth of Jesus, on the behalf of Mankind, in general; and, of Saints, in special, as the means for recovering all, out of the Darkness and Death, into which brought by their first Sin and Punishment thereof, Gen. 2. 17. Iohn 1. 9. The World was made by him, yet when he came into the World, none, in their worldly Life of the Creature, at best, either knew, receiv'd, or own'd him, Iohn 1.10. The righteous First-Covenant professing Jews, in Union of mind with evil Angels, were the most signally enrag'd Contradicters, Blasphemers and Murderers of him, for his Gospel-Doctrine of Salvation, Acts 3.13-15. The exalted Son and Branch, was the immediate Former of himself, in the Womb of the Virgin, the Son of God, on Earth, remaining, still, what he was in the Beginning, the Son of Man in Heaven, John 3. 13.
Evil Angels and Men were God's permissive Hand, under his infinite over-ruling Wisdom and Power, to finish the Death-work on all that was mortal, about him, in our Nature; and so, oft, on Saints, to their greatest Good, and Enemies greatest hurt. Hereby, do they compleat Saints Conformity to Christ's Death, freeing them from all that's mortal, about them, while in the Body, Isa. 57. 1, 2.
The Iews would have made Christ, a King, if he would have own'd his Kingdom, in that mortal First-covenant Law-life they saw him in, Iohn 6. 15. But, witnessing his Kingdom, not to be in that worldly Law-life, but in his Gospel-life of Grace and Truth, (Iohn 18. 36, 37.) they murder'd him, and so, compleated the Death of him, as to that mortal Law-life, wherein they would have made him their King. They chose rather to be Subjects to a Heathen King, than such a King as he own'd himself to be, (Iohn 19. 12, 15.) who would have made him such a King, as would have render'd them Traitors and Enemies to Cesar. Here's the confounded Doings of Man, at best, in his own worldly Spirit and Life. Some Corinthians, Laodiceans, and other Professors, in but the First-covenant-life and Righteousness of Man, all along, since, are of the same mind, with them, 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17.
The God of this World offer'd Christ, a far larger Bribe than the Jews did, all the Kingdoms of this World, visible and invisible, under him (all worldly Power, Human and Angelical) in Case he would own his Kingdom to be in this First-creation Worldly-life, Mat. 4. 8, 9. Whoever are finally taken with his worldly Bribes, the literal or mystical Riches of this First-creation World, do fall down and worship him, as God. And, by such Loyal Subjects of him, does he murder true Saints, that refuse so to do; as they did Christ himself. True Heaven-born Sons of God, have the whole self-confident legal-spirited Generation of Professsors, on the same Account, universally, in all times, against them. They mortally and irreconcileably hate them, for owning the Death-work of Christ's Gospel-spirit of Grace, on that Law-spirit of Works, they confidently trust in, for entring into the Kingdom of God. Such become the highest Rank of Satan's Subjects, and most serviceable Instruments for maintaining the Credit of his worldly Kingdom, as the only true Blessedness, to any. God's Thoughts and Ways for true Salvation, are not as Man's: and, when he has declar'd his Ways, in his holy Oracles, let Man's highest Wisdom undertake the interpreting them, all shall run on Satan's Side, God's Thoughts, therein, remaining fast seal'd and lock'd up, from Man's best Understanding, in but a restor'd First-covenant Life, Isa. 29. 11.