Christ Crucified, Sermon 29
SERMON XXIX.
ISAIAH LIII.VIII.
Verſ. 8. He was taken from priſon and from judgement, and who ſhall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtricken.
EVery ſtep of Chriſts way to ſinners, and every word whereby it is expreſt, is wonderful; And therefore it is no marvel that the Prophet doth by way of admiration caſt in this word, And who ſhall declare his generation? We ſhew you that we conceive theſe words to be theſe that expreſs the Prophets turning of himſelf from Chriſts Humiliation to his Exaltation; He hath inſiſted long in ſetting out his wonderful abaſement, exinanition, and humiliation, which theſe words import, He was brought from priſon and from judgement; Which look not only to his external impriſonment, to his coming to judgement b…fore men, but alſo, and mainly and principally, to the pinches and ſtraits that he was brought into, and his arraignment before Gods Tribunal, and ſo to the cauſe of his ſuffering, to wit, for the tranſgreſſion of his people, as the words following hold out, which was not the cauſe of his cenſure before men, but the procuring cauſe of what he met with from, and before God.
But though he was brought to priſon and to judgement, to death and to the grave, yet they did not, they could not detain him; He was taken, or as the word ſignifies, he was lift up from priſon and from judgement, being the ſame word that followeth, He was cut off out of the land of the living, which ſuppoſes a turn and change from his Humiliation to his Exaltation, and theſe words, Who ſhall declare his generation? Set out the unconceivable and unexpreſſible glory that Chriſt is exalted unto, ſo Acts 8.33., 35. Where theſe words are cited, it's ſaid, In his humiliation his judgement was taken away; That is in his loweſt ſtep of his Humiliation, his judgement, or that to which he was adjudged, was taken from him, and he was declared free; However, ſince in theſe words our Lords Humiliation is implyed, and his Exaltation expreſſed as following on it, we think it ſafeſt to underſtand them ſo. The words put together hold out the high degree of Chriſts glorious exaltation, ſo as his generation cannot be declared; He was taken from priſon and from judgment, and gloriouſly exalted in another manner, and to another degree of glory then either Angels or Believers are, or are capable to be; For he that is exalted is God, whoſe generation cannot be declared; Death having no more dominion over him, and he having the keyes of hell and of death; In a word, we take this, Who ſhall declare his generation? moſt immediatly to relate to Chriſt's Exaltation as Mediator, and to the glory wherewith he was inveſted, and to the dominion that he hath over all creatures: yet conſidering that the Prophets ſcope is to ſet out this as wonderful, and conſidering that the firſt ſtep of his Exaltation is his Reſurrection, whereby (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 1.4.) he was declared to be the Son of God with power; His Reſurrection being ſingular in this reſpect that he roſe by his own power, and conſidering that Acts 8.35. Philip began to preach to the Eunuch Jeſus Chriſt as the object of Faith; We think it reaſonable to conceive, that he preached Chriſt to be God, from this Text, ſo as the Eunuch might have a ſolid foundation for his faith; And this ſubſerving the ſcope, which is to ſet out the wonderfulneſs of Chriſts love to Elect ſinners, who being God, yet condeſcended to come thus low for ſaving of them; We may take in his God-head mediatly from which as the former ſteps of his Humiliation received worth and efficacy, ſo he was thereby ſuſtained and born up under all theſe ſufferings whereby his people are ſaved.
From the firſt and ſecond expreſſions put together, we ſhall draw three Doctrines relating to three main Articles of our Faith.
The 1. whereof is this, That our Lord Jeſus had an out-gate from, and victory over the loweſt and moſt pinching pieces of His Humiliation and ſuffering; ſo that though he was at priſon and judgement, yet he was lift up from both, and had a glorious out-gate: This takes in three things which the ſame grounds will confirm, 1. That in his loweſt ſtate and ſtep of Humiliation he was ſuſtained and carried thorow, ſo that all the aſſaults which he was put to endure and encounter with from all his enemies, wicked Men and Devils, did not overcome him. 2. That as he in himſelf was born thorow and ſuſtained; So in reſpect of God's bar at which he was arraigned, he was abſolved and ſet free; He ſo came thorow by paying of the debt, that he had an Abſolviture, as it is, 1 Tim. 3. ult. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God was manifeſt in the fleſh, juſtified in the ſpirit; Our bleſſed Lord Jeſus being ſuſtained by the power of his God-head, was carried thorow in his ſufferings, payed the Elects debt, and received the ſentence of abſolution, even as a perſon (to ſpeak with reverence in ſuch a ſubject) having payed the debt for which he was impriſoned, is abſolved and ſet free. 3. It takes in our Lords actual delivery, he not only received the ſentence of abſolution, but was actually ſet free; ſo that as he was pleaſed to put himſelf in priſon and in ſtraits for us, ſo he was brought from every ſtep of his humiliation, from priſon and from judgement, from death and from the grave, He nailed the hand-writing which was againſt us to his croſs, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Col. 2.14, 15.) And having ſpoiled principalities and powers, he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it; And as it is, 1 Cor. 15. at the cloſe, He took the ſting from death, diſarmed it, and trode upon it: And there was neceſſity for this, even ſuch neceſſi…y that it was impoſſible it could be otherwayes, as we have it, Acts 2.24. It was not poſſible that he could be holden of death. This will be clear if we conſider theſe things, 1. The perſon that ſuffered, he was not an ordinary, nay nor a meer man, but God-man; As is clear, Acts 2.27. cited out of Pſal. 16. where it is ſaid, Thou wilt not leave my ſoul in hell, neither wilt thou ſuffer thy Holy One to ſee corruption. 2. The end of Chriſts ſufferings; which was to ſatisfie for the debt of his people, there having been no reckoning on his own ſcore or account, he being ſtill in Gods favour and his Holy One in whom his Soul delighted all along his ſufferings; His ſufferings being for the ſins of his Elect, and he being to make application of his ſatisfaction, and of the purchaſe made thereby to the Elect for whom he ſuffered and purchaſed theſe things, by his interceſſion; There was a neceſſity that he ſhould come thorow; otherwayes he ſhould not have been a perfect and compleat Saviour, Able to ſave to the uttermoſt theſe that come unto God by him, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Heb. 7.25. But ſuch a High Prieſt became us, who is holy, harmleſs, undefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher then the Heavens. 3. It's clear alſo if we conſider the nature of the Covenant, and of the promiſes made to him therein, upon his ingaging and undertaking for the Elect, as particularly verſ. 10. of this Chapter, He ſhall ſee his ſeed, and prolong his dayes, his duration ſhall be for ever, The pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hand, and I will divide him a portion with the great, and he ſhall divide the ſpoil with the ſtrong: Our Lord's Exaltation and victory over death being on the Lord's ſide conditioned to him the Mediator, as well as he ingaged to ſuffer, hence it's ſaid, Pſal. 110. He ſhall drink of the brook in the way, therefore ſhall he lift up the head.
The Uſes are two, The 1. whereof ſerves for clearing and confirming our Faith in a fundamental Article of Chriſtianity, without which it were needleſs for us to preach, and needleſs for you to hear or believe, and that is, that our Lord Jeſus ſuffered and alſo got the victory over ſuffering, that he was raiſed from the dead, and declared to be the Son of God with power; intimating that Juſtice had gotten full ſatisfaction, in evidence and teſtimony whereof he was declared free; which is a main thing that believers have to believe; even that we have an exalted Chriſt, a raiſed up Saviour, who could not be detained by all the Elects guilt in priſon. 2. It ſerves to be matter of ſtrong conſolation, it puts life in all Chriſt's Offices and Qualifications, and in all the Promiſes made to Believers; to wit, that our Lord Jeſus is a living Chriſt, over whom death had no dominion, and he overcame it, now to die no more; So that, as it is, Heb. 7.25. He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt theſe that come unto God by him, ſeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them: There is nothing that a Soul needs or can deſire, but it is to be had in him: And if we would look to particular inſtances, much conſolation will ariſe from this ground; For 1. Hath a believing ſinner to do with challenges at the Bar of Juſtice, is it not unſpeakable conſolation that their debt is payed? Hence it's ſaid, Rom. 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It's God that juſtifies; who ſhall condemn? It's Chriſt that died, yea rather that is riſen again; It's that which gives proof of compleat payment of the Elects debt and defiance to any challenges and accuſations to come againſt the Believer to his prejudice, becauſe Chriſt hath not only died, but is alſo riſen, Juſtice being well pleaſed with his ſatisfaction, he is let out of the Priſon. 2. If the Believer hath to do with corruption, with the Devil and with many enemies; Is it not ſtrong conſolation that our Lord is riſen and up, that the Prince of this world is judged, that Satan is troden under foot, and that be ſhall and muſt reign till all his enemies be made his foot-ſtool? 3. Our Lord's Reſurrection hath a twofold further conſolation with it to Believers, 1. It ſerves to be a ground for the exerciſing of Faith on him, that as he is riſen, (ſo Rom. 6.) may we expect that being ſpiritually dead with him to ſin, we ſhall be with him raiſed up to newneſs of life. 2. It is a pledge of Believers Exaltation and compleat victory over Death and the Grave, and over all Enemies; for Chriſt being raiſed as the Common Head of all Believers who are his Members, they by vertue of his Reſurrection, and by that ſame efficacy ſhall be raiſed; And it's impoſſible that they can ly under corruption; This is our great conſolation who are Believers, and live under the Goſpel, that we have not theſe things as a Propheſie of things to come, but as a plain Hiſtory of things in part done, and by and by to be compleatly done. 4. It hath alſo in it conſolation in reſpect of temporal difficulties, what are they all? They are not ſure ſuch as Chriſt's were, and the day is coming when Believers ſhall have an out-gate from them all; And therefore ſince our Lord is up, let not Believers be afraid of any changes whatſoever.
2dly. Obſerve, That our Lord Jeſus being raiſed up from his ſtate of Humiliation, is inveſted and put in a moſt excellent and glorious condition, even ſuch as the Prophet cannot expreſs, Who can declare his generation? ſaith he; Who can declare how glorious he is now? Take two or three Scriptures to confirm this, 1. That Eph. 1.20, 21. He hath ſet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but alſo in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave, him to be head over all things to the Church; Our Lords Throne is exalted far above Angels and Archangels, even out of ſight: The 2d. is Phil. 2.9. Where having ſpoken of his Humiliation, it follows, Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow, of things in Heaven, and, &c. His Exaltation is ſuch as hath a Dominion and Supremacy with it over every name; He having as it is, Col. 1.18. in all things the preheminency. The 3d. place is, Heb. 8.1. Of the things which we have ſpoken, this is the ſum, we have ſuch an High Prieſt who is ſet on the right hand of Majesty in the Heavens; Where Chriſts Exaltation is ſet out to be ſuch as hath exalted him to the right hand of the Majeſty on high.
Becauſe this is one of the great Articles of our Faith, to wit, That Christ roſe from death the third day, and aſcended into Heaven, and is ſet down on the right hand of God; We ſhall add a little more to clear it, and 1. We would know that this Exaltation of our Lord is not to be underſtood of his exaltation properly as he is God, in which reſpect there is no up nor down in him, though his declarative glory was valid for a time during his humiliation, yet in himſelf as he was God, he was ſtill glorious and bleſſed over all. 2. When we ſpeak of Chriſt's Exaltation as Mediator, and as Man, we do not mean that his Humane Nature hath loſt the eſſential properties of a Creature, As if now when exalted he were wholly or only God, or as if the properties of the Humane Nature were ſwallowed up in the God-head; That were inconſiſtent with his being true Man, and would marr and obſtruct our conſolation exceedingly; But his Exaltation conſiſteth, 1. In the manifeſtation and dec…aration of the perſon that was humbled and brought low, to be God Omnipotent, Omnipreſent, Alſufficient, infinitly Wiſe, Powerful, Juſt, &c. For though theſe properties agree not to the Humane Nature, yet they agree to his perſon, and they are manifeſted to be in him without queſtion. 2. In the Exaltation of the Humane Nature of Chriſtman, to an inconceivable hight of glory, ſuch as the Humane Nature united to the Divine Nature is capable of, by very many degrees beyond any thing that the Elect whether Angels or Men are capable of; The perſonal union making him capable of far more glory, and his excellent Offices calling for it. 3. This Exaltation conſiſts in his abſolute Dominion and Kingly Power, which is more obſervably, directly, and plainly manifeſted in the dayes of the Goſpel-adminiſtration then it was under the Law; So that now he is clearly known in reſpect of his Kingly Office to be God in our nature, cloathed with our fleſh, and to be Immanuel, Go… …th us, and that this Immanuel, hath a… …er in Heaven and Earth committed to him; He hath the keys of Hell and of death, and is King of kings, and Lord of lords, is exalted far above all principalities and powers, and is given to be head over all things to the Church; In which reſpect that is moſt properly to be underſtood when it is ſaid, that he is ſet on the right hand of God; So that now Jeſus Chriſt, God and Man in one Perſon is in higheſt Glory, and in abſoluteſt Dominion, neareſt unto God, far above that which Angels or Saints are capable of; As Kings uſe to ſet their greateſt Courtiers and Minions whom they would honour moſt on their right hand, and as Solomon ſet his Mother on his right hand, ſo is our Lord ſet on the right hand of God in higheſt glory: It is true, that as God he hath an abſolutely Soveraign and independent Kingdom, yet as Medi…tor God-man, he hath a diſpenſatory Kingdom next unto the Father in glory. 4. This Exaltation conſiſts in Chriſts being furniſhed with qualifications ſuitable to that glorious condition wherein he is inveſted; And though theſe qualifications of the Man Chriſt be not ſimply infinit, yet they are far above what we can conceive; And the qualifications of the Perſon God-man are infinite, in which reſpect he is Omnipotent. All-ſeeing, and infinitly wiſe to provide every thing that may be for the good of his Church and People, and to prevent what may tend to their hurt, Omnipreſent, &c.
The Uſes are three, 1. This would waken and rouze our Spirits to a high, holy, and reverend eſteem of Chriſt; he is God above all gods, Ki…g above all kings; he hath gotten a name above every name, that at the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow, not ſuperſtitiouſly when he is named, but holily and reverently to think of him, and to worſhip and ſerve him. We conceive among many faults and evils in Believers, this is a root-evil, even low thoughts of glorious Chriſt, ſo that becauſe he hath become low to lift us up, we are ready to think the leſs of him, but, O! that we could behold the glorious condition, he is exalted unto, and could look upon … as ere long, coming in the clouds with … and great glory, in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him, it would furniſh reverend thoughts of him, though not to hurt faith and confidence, yet to breed holy awe and reverence in us to him-wards.
The 2d. Uſe ſerves to ſhew what a formidable party they engage to top with them, who ſlight our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, what loſs they are at who loſs him, and what a great aggravation their ſin hath who ſin againſt him; ye that ſlight, refuſe and oppoſe him, do ye know whom ye refuſe, and whoſe dominion ye ſpurn againſt, and how hard it will be for you to kick againſt the pricks? do ye know your loſs who loſs him, and how it will aggrege your guilt who deſpiſe him? the more glorious Chriſt be, the greater will the ſin of the Unbeliever be; therefore be aware what ye are doing, ye have a mighty great and ſtrong party to deal with; and when the great day of his wrath comes, and when he ſhall appear in his glory, how will you be able to abide the leaſt touch of it? it will aggrege your ſin and highten your miſery, that he whom the Father exalted was undervalued by you, that ye ſcorned to take a direction from him, or to ſubmit to a cenſure drawen forth in his name, and ſaid, at leaſt by your practice, Let us break his bands aſunder, and cast away his cords from us, but he hath ſet his king on his holy hill of Zion for all that, and he that ſits in heaven will laugh, the Lord will have you in deriſion; think on it ſeriouſly, and know that he is no mean perſon whom ye ſlight and deſpiſe; and though this may now ſeem leſs than other ſins, yet it will one day ly heavy on your ſcore and Conſcience, above many, yea above all other ſins.
The 3d. Uſe ſerves to be a motive and encouragemt to them that hear this Goſpel to receive Chriſt, and for the conſolation of Believers who have received him. 1. It ſerves to encourage you all to receive him; He is no mean perſon that wooes you, but King of kings, and Lord of lords; and if ye think it a happineſs to be for ever with him, then let it move you to cloſe with him; if ye do ſo, ye ſhall be made glorious as he is glorious, a due proportion betwixt the Head and the Members being kept; ye ſhall ſit on the ſame throne with him and behold his glory; as he prayeth John 17. I will that theſe whom thou hast given me may be with me to behold my glory; this is certainly a great Bargain; if Chriſt be glorious, he calleth you to ſhare with him in the ſame glory. 2. It ſerves for the conſolation of Believers who have received him, ye have an excellent Mediator, a moſt glorious Head and Huſband, and a moſt excellent Dowry, and ye ſhall know it to your ſuperabundant ſatisfaction and joy in that day, when (as it is Pſal. 45.) Ye ſhall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle work, and ſhall enter into the kings palace, and ſhare of his glory, and ſee him face to face, and ſit with him on his throne, even as he hath overcome, and is ſet down with his Father on his throne; labour to be ſtayed in the faith and hope of this good, glorious, and deſireable day that is coming, when we ſhall not only ſee but partake of, and be fully and for ever poſſeſſed in that which eye hath not ſeen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered in the heart of man to conceive of.
3. From the words as we exponed them Obſerve, That our Lord Jeſus Chriſt who ſuffered, and was in ſuffering brought very low, is God; We find ordinarily in Scripture, eſpecially thorow the New Teſtament, theſe three going together, 1. Chriſts Humiliation. 2. His Exaltation on the back of that, And 3ly. His Godhead; His Humiliation is not readily ſpoken of without his Exaltation, nor his Exaltation without his Godhead; becauſe it's impoſſible to ſeparate Chriſts Exaltation from his Godhead; his Exaltation being the evidence of his Godhead; and the Prophet's ſcope here being to ſet but Chriſt's Exaltation, and Philip preaching of it to the Eunuch from this Text; it's doubtleſs the contemplation of Chriſt's Godhead that occaſioneth this admiring-exclamation, who ſhall declare his generation? which we apply not ſo much to the ineffableneſs of his generation, as to its being an evidence that he is God: There are three or four ways whereby the Scripture confirms this, let me deſire you by the way not to look on this as a little momentuous or but a common Doctrine; & ſince there are many ſo ignorant, that we would be aſhamed to tell what we hear from ſome of you concerning the Godhead of Jeſus Chriſt, ye would take the better heed to it, it being a main pillar of Chriſtian Religion, without which our Preaching and your Faith are vain, for he is not believed on at all if ye reſt not on him as God: But to proſecute what we propoſed, to wit, theſe ſeveral ways whereby the Scripture confirms this truth, and to this purpoſe conſider, 1. The expreſs Titles and Names that are given to him in Scripture, and ſome Scripture-ſayings of him which hold it out; three whereof we ſhall inſtance, The firſt is that of Iſaiah 9.6, 7. Where, when Chriſt is propheſied of, it's ſaid, Unto us a child is born, unto us a ſon is given, and the government ſhall be upon his ſhoulders, and what is he? He ſhall be called wonderful, Counſellour, the Mighty God, the Everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace, of the increaſe of his government and peace there ſhall be no end; Here we have theſe three, His Humiliation, Exaltion and God-head; His Humiliation, Unto us a child is born, unto us a ſon is given; His Exaltation, Of the increaſe of his government… and peace there ſhall be no end, upon the throne of David and his kingdom, to order it and to eſtabliſh it with judgment and with juſtice; And his Godhead is interjected and put in between theſe two, In the names and titles given to him, Wonderful Counſellour, the Mighty God, the Everlaſting Father, not as perſonally taken, but (as the word ſignifies) The Father of Eternity, from whom all things have their Being; and for the ſame reaſon Chap. 7.14. He is called Immanuel, God with us, A 2d. place is that of Phil. 2.6. Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery (he did God no wrong) to be equal with God, he made himſelf of no reputation; and took on him the form of a ſervant, &c. wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name, &c. A 3d. place is that of Heb. 1.2, 3. God who at ſundry times, and in divers manners, ſpoke in time paſt unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken unto us by his ſon whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom alſo he made the worlds, & what is he by whom he ſpake to us? who being the brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs image of his perſon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himſelf purged our ſins, he ſat down on the right hand of the majeſty on high; there is here much of Chriſts excellency holden forth, he is the brightneſs of the fathers glory, and the expreſs image of his perſon; the beam of the Sun is not liker to the Suns light, the impreſſion of the ſeal on the wax is no liker to the ſeal, then the Son is to the Father, (nay, the livelyeſt reſemblances fall infinitely ſhort of a full and exact reſemblance) the Father and he being the ſame God, and he being compared with the Father, not ſimply as God eſſentially taken, but as the ſecond perſon of the Trinity compared with him who is the firſt perſon; O deep and adorable myſtery!
A 2d. way to clear and confirm it, is to conſider his works oft-times joyned with his name; The works of Creation, Providence, Redemption, and guiding of his Church, ſo we have it John 1.1. In the beginning was the word, the ſubſtantial word of the Father, the Son of his love, called the word, either as expreſſing the Fathers image as a mans word expreſſeth his mind, or becauſe as Prophet of the Church he hath revealed the Fathers will; Its ſaid that this word was not only with God, but was God; and then follows in ſeveral Verſes together his Works, the works of Creation, all things were made by him, &c. the works of Providence are attributed to him, John 5.17. My father worketh hitherto, and I work, and the work of Redemption and his glorious going thorow with it, declare him to be the Son of God; for none but God could redeem his Church.
3ly. For clearing and confirming of this truth, we may take the expreſs confeſſion of the Saints in Scripture whereon there is much weight laid; and I ſhall name but five or ſix of their confeſſions, which to this purpoſe are expreſsly and fully recorded, The 1. Is that of Matth. 16.16. Whom do men ſay that I am, Peter anſwered; thou art the ſon of the living God and Chriſt ſays, Bleſſed art thou Simon Barjona fleſh and blood hath not revealed that unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven; to let us know that it is not ſuch a little thing to believe Chriſts Godhead as many take it to be; and then he calls himſelf the rock on which his Church is built; Chriſt's Godhead is the foundation of Chriſtianity. A 2d. is John 1.49. in Nathanaels words; Chriſts tells him, before Philip called thee when thou was under the fig-tree, I ſaw thee, and he having gotten this proof of Chriſts omniſcience, preſently breaks out, Rabbi, thou art the ſon of God, thou art the king of Iſrael; and that is the firſt thing his faith evidenceth it ſelf in. A 3d. place is John 6.67, 68, 69. where, when Chriſt is ſaying to the twelve, will ye alſo leave me? Simon anſwers, Lord, to whom ſhall we go, thou haſt the words of eternal life, and we believe and are ſure, that thou art the Christ the ſon of the living God; there is mu…h in theſe words, we believe and are ſure that it is ſo. A 4th. place is John 11.27. and it is Martha her confeſſion, yea Lord, I believe that thou art the Chriſt the ſon of God which ſhould come into the world. The 5th. place is that of John 20.28. where, when Chriſt bids Thomas reach hither his hand and put it into his ſide, his glory ſhines ſo full in his face, that he cryes out, My Lord and my God, and his faith is ſummed up and compended in that. The laſt place that we ſhall name is that of Acts 8.37. and its the Eunuchs confeſſion, I believe that Jeſus Chriſt is the ſon of God, which is the ſum of his faith.
The 4th. and laſt way of confirmation of this great truth, is drawen from the worſhip which is due unto him, and hath been given unto him; He is the object of Faith, John 14.11. ye believe in God, believe alſo in me; He is the object of Prayer, Acts 7.59. They ſtoned Stephen calling upon God, ſaying, Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit, and frequently elſe-where in Scripture he is prayed unto, though theſe two are not too curiouſly to be ſeparated.
Uſe 1. The firſt Uſe ſerves to ſtrengthen your Faith in this, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt who ſuffered for ſinners, and is made offer of to them in the Goſpel, is God equal with the Father, and ſo he is to be cloſed with and reſted on as the brightneſs of the Fathers glory; the reaſon why we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this, is not ſmall, for its a moſt neceſſary thing, and without the faith of it, all the work of our ſalvation will hang louſe; neither can we have any claim to Eternal Life; and therefore we deſire you particularly who are ignorant Hearers, and who have the name of Chriſt often in your mouths, and yet know not what he is, to know, remember and believe, that he that is the ſon of Mary, is alſo the eternal ſon of God, being God before he was incarnate, and before the World was made, and the Maker of all that was made.
Uſe 2. The ſecond Uſe ſerves to let you know, That though it be a moſt neceſſary thing to be confirmed in the faith of this Truth, that Chriſt is God, yet it's a greater difficulty to believe and be perſwaded of it then the moſt part take it to be; many ſad proofs whereof we have in Folks words, and moe in their practice, Fleſh and blood (ſaith Chriſt Matth. 16.) hath not revealed this unto thee; It's a wonder whence many Folks faith comes who never found any the leaſt difficulty in this, and it's a wonder that ſo few are through in the faith of it, ſo that if they were called and put to it, they durſt not ſwear that he is God; yea, if we would look in a little further, we would find that the faith of this is but ſcarce amongſt us, not to ſpeak of the groſs ignorance of many, who will ſay when asked, that he is not equal with the Father, or that he was made God, and other ſuch like expreſſions will they have, that are abominable to be once named amongſt Chriſtians; Folks through their ignorance falling into damnable Hereſies on the matter, and yet not knowing that they do ſo; As if our bleſſed Lord were a made god, and not the ſame God with the Father; For the proving of him to be God, proves him to be the ſame God, there being but one God.
Ye would conſider for convincing you that it is thus with many of you, 1. The little fear that is in men and women of the Majeſty of Chriſt as God, they durſt not walk with ſo little fear of him if they believed indeed that he were God; What made the Jews with the Scribes and Phariſees to ſpit upon him and deſpiſe him? But becauſe they wanted the Faith of his Godhead; And have not ye the ſame nature in you? Ye live in a place where the Faith of Chriſts Godhead is profeſſed and is not queſtioned, but your practice ſayes to beholders that ye believe it not, becauſe ye fear him not. 2. That your ſouls do ſo little welcome the offer of the Goſpel, that tells that ye believe him not to be God. 3. That ye do not place your happineſs in Believing on him, and in the way of holineſs; ye ſay in effect, wherefore ſerves Chriſt? ye care not for him; Hence it is that ſo many live contentedly without him, and are not ſollicitous about the enjoying of him. 4. Even in Believers there is much unbelief of this truth, which is ſadly evidenced by this, that they do not ſo bleſs themſelves in him, and that they do not ſo reckon themſelves to have come well to, and to be made up in him, as David doth, Pſal. 16. Where he ſaith, and holily glorieth, The lines are fallen unto me in a pleaſant place, &c. And by the frequent diſcouragement that is incident to Believers, as if Chriſt had not the guiding of them, and of what concerns them, or could not guide all well enough for their good; If he were believed to be God, it would quaſh temptations, baniſh diſcouragement, comfort under croſſes, ſweeten every condition, induce to holineſs, reſtrain from ſin; And in a word, it cannot be told what is in the boſome of this one truth when ſolidly believed; For what can poſſibly be wanting to the Believer in him that is God? He hath the fulneſs of the Godhead to ſupply what ever they want, and ſuſtains the relation of a Husband to the Believer to make it forth-coming; And he is furniſhed with ſuitable qualifications to make the application thereof; What then could be wanting if this were thorowly believed that he is God? Let me ſay it to you, the Faith of this would provoke to more holineſs, and to ſtudy more the power then the profeſſion of Religion, and would help to live a more comfortable life in every condition.