Gospel Revelation, Treatise 2 · Sermon 1
The Firſt SERMON ON The Excellency of Chriſt.
THere is nothing of greater concernment, than to know God, and his Son whom hee hath ſent into the world, Even this is eternal life, ſaith Chriſt.Joh. 17.3. Wee have therefore endeavoured to open ſomewhat to you concerning God, that you may have right apprehenſions of him, of that God with whom you have to deal, out of that Scripture in Pſal. 148.13. His Name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven, and concluded what for the preſent I intended to preſent before you about God, with the meditation of the excellency of the ſtate of thoſe who have this God to bee their God, who is thus excellent and glorious; The Church makes her boaſt of her intereſt in God, in Pſal. 84.14. For this God is our God: Oh happy are they that having heard what a glorious God God is, are able to ſay, This God is our God, this is my God in whom my ſoul hath intereſt! And if the Name of God bee ſo excellent and glorious, as you have heard, there is infinite cauſe that we ſhould fear him, and ſanctifie his Name in our converſations, Job 13.11. Shall not his Excellency make you afraid? Oh where is that ſoul that ſhall dare to walk before this God with boldneſs and preſumptuouſneſs, conſidering what a God hee is that it hath to deal with? Shall not that excellency of his that hath been opened unto you, make you afraid, and cauſe you to fear ſuch a God? Now then having ſpoken ſomewhat about the Excellency of God, and what apprehenſions wee are to have of God in all our wayes, wee are now to ſpeak ſomewhat concerning the Excellency of Chriſt, and to ſhew you what apprehenſions you are to have of Jeſus Chriſt, For this is eternal life, to know thee, and thy Son; to know God, and not to know him in Chriſt, is to very little purpoſe. It is no ſaving knowledge of God, if wee were able to diſcourſe never ſo much of him, except wee know him in Jeſus Chriſt, in his Son. And therefore for the knowledge of Chriſt, which I ſhall endeavour to preſent as briefly as I did the knowledge of God, You may bee pleaſed to turn to that Scripture in Iſaiah 9. part of verſ. 6. onelyonly in theſe words,
And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful.Text.
IF you read this verſe, and that that follows, you might think that you were rather reading an Evangeliſt, than a Prophet, one rather relating a Hiſtory of what was done, than a Prophecie of what was to bee done. Iſaiah here propheſies clearly of Chriſt, as if hee had been come at that time, and yet it was between ſeven and eight hundred years before the coming of Chriſt that this Prophecie was, Unto us a childe is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Government ſhall bee upon his ſhoulder; And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful. But it is the uſual way of Scripture to ſet before us things to bee done, as if they were already done, to note the certainty of what God reveals to bee done, and faith will make things that are not, to bee, as if they were really preſent. And indeed, faith never hath a proper work ſo much as in this, in making things that are not preſent, to bee as if they were preſent, to make them real. It was a time of great diſtreſs and trouble to the Church God, when this Prophecie was, as will appear from the ſeventh Chapter even unto this Propheſie. And frequently wee finde in Scripture in times of the greateſt diſtreſs of the Church, there were the cleareſt Propheſies of Chriſt, of the Meſſias to come.Gen. 49.10. Dan. 9. Jacob Propheſies of Shiloh when hee was in Egypt; and Daniel of the Meſſias when hee was in Captivity, in Babylon; and Iſaiah here, To us a Childe is born, unto us a Son is given, whoſe Name is Wonderful Counſellor, the mighty God, when the people were in great diſtreſs. And there are four reaſons why the Lord would have the Propheſie of the Meſſias, at thoſe times eſpecially, when the Church was in a ſad, in a ſuffering condition.
Firſt, Becauſe that the onelyonly comfort of all the Saints of God then, was their expectation of the Meſſias to come, God would therefore propound Chriſt unto them as that that might lighten all their darkneſs, that might ſweeten all their ſorrows, and troubles; and indeed there was enough in this, in their expectation of the Saviour that was to come, this was that that made their hearts rejoyce in the middeſt of all their ſorrows; Abraham ſaw his day and rejoyced, Joh. 8.56.and was glad.
Secondly, Therefore had they the clear manifeſtation of Chriſt in the time of their outward troubles, to confirm their faith in this, that how-ever their enemies prevailed much againſt them, yet it was impoſſible that they ſhould root out the Nation of the Jews, for the great Saviour of the world was to come out of them, therefore they were under Gods protection, and though they might ſuffer ſomewhat, yet they could not ceaſe from being a Nation, becauſe that the Meſſias was to come out from them, and this was a great incouragement unto them to expect mercy from God, becauſe they were a people that the Lord would bring the great Saviour of the world out of.
And then thirdly, That by the propounding of ſo great a mercy as Jeſus Chriſt ſhould bee to the world, they might hereby have a help to their faith, that ſurely God would not deny them leſſer mercies: what great matter was it for them to expect from God deliverance from ſome outward affliction, when as God makes known unto them, that love, and that infinite compaſſion, thoſe tender bowels of his, even to ſend his own Son into the world for them?
And then fourthly, It was to teach them this, that the way of deliverance from any outward affliction, it was to exerciſe their faith upon Chriſt the Meſſia that was to come, the Lord would teach his Church when it was in afflictions, not ſo much to bee looking at the preſent affliction that was upon them, and ſo to ſeek for outward help and means of deliverance, but would have them exerciſe their faith upon the Meſſia that was to come, though many hundred years after; and this exerciſe of faith was ſo pleaſing to God, as it was the onelyonly means, or the chief means of deliverance from all outward afflictions: Nay, ſaith God, if ſo be that they will relye upon mee, and exerciſe their faith upon that great promiſe of mine, to ſend my Son into the world, as for their deliverance out of theſe outward troubles and afflictions, it ſhall bee but a little matter for mee to do that for them; ordinarily when wee are exerciſed with outward afflictions, wee onelyonly think of ſome natural helps and comforts, contrary to thoſe particular afflictions that are upon us, whereas the way indeed for us to ſanctifie Gods Name, to do that that is acceptable to God when any outward affliction befalls us, it is preſently to exerciſe our faith upon the great promiſe of God in Jeſus Chriſt, upon the great Covenant of Grace, that God hath made with us in him, upon that great mercy of God in ſending his Son into the world; my condition is very ſad, and I am grievouſly afflicted, I but ſurely that mercy that would ſend Jeſus Chriſt into the world, that mercy is enough to deliver mee out of any affliction, or at leaſt to bleſs it to mee; therefore do not onelyonly cry to God when you are ſick, or in trouble to deliver you from it, but labour to exerciſe faith upon the Covenant of Grace in Chriſt, upon that glorious mercy of God in his Son, that is the way that God would have us to ſanctifie his Name in. And that is the reaſon why in times of great affliction, there were ſuch clear Propheſies of Jeſus Chriſt, as here in my Text, For unto us a childe is born, unto us a Son is given, and his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful, Counſeller, &c. Now in this latter part of this verſe, wee have Chriſt ſet out unto us in five notable and famous Titles of his.
His Name is,
1. Wonderful,
2. Counſeller,
3. The Mighty God,
4. The Everlaſting Father,
5. The Prince of Peace.
I intend onelyonly to ſpeak of the firſt, His Name ſhall bee called Wonderful, becauſe I would have ſome kinde of proportion between what I have preſented to you about God, and what I ſhall about Chriſt: And as for other things more largely about God or Chriſt, it may bee afterwards, but onelyonly now I ſhall deſire to preſent Chriſt unto you in this one Title of his, His Name ſhall bee called Wonderful. From whence the Point is this,
Doct Jeſus Chriſt is the great Wonder of the world.
That is our point of Doctrine: God himſelf, above ſeven hundred years before hee was born, gives him this Name Wonderful; in the 19. of this Prophecie, verſ. 20. wee read of a Saviour,Iſa. 19.20. a Great one (ſaith the Text) ſurely Jeſus Chriſt hee is a Saviour, and a Great one, hee is the Wonder of the world. Judg. 13.17, 18. The ſtory of the Angels appearing unto Manoah, Manoah would fain know his name, And Manoah ſaid unto the Angel of the Lord, What is thy Name? verſ. 18. the Angel of the Lord ſaid unto him, Why askeſt thou after my name, ſeeing it is ſecret? Now the word that is tranſlated in your books Secret, it is a word that ſignifies Wonderful; And Auſtin in his Queſtions upon this Book of Judges, hee is conſident that this Angel was Jeſus Chriſt, and that his aſcending up in the ſacrifice that Manoah offered, it was to fore-ſignifie Jeſus Chriſt to bee the onelyonly Sacrifice that ſhould aſcend up to the Father, for a ſweet ſavour in the noſtrils of the Father; it was Jeſus Chriſt that did appear here to Manoah, and his Name is Wonderful. Luther hath ſuch a ſpeech (I remember) of Chriſt, ſaith hee, the moſt famous and wonderful and glorious Miracle of all Miracles is, Jeſus Chriſt, hee is the Wonder of the world; God is very wonderful in all his works; in the works of Creation, Pſal. 8.1. Oh Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name? and in the end of the Pſalm. Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the earth? yea in that one work of his in making of our bodies, Pſal. 139.14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) God hath made our very bodies fearfully and wonderfully, it is a wonderful work of God the framing of our bodies in the womb. It was a means of the converſion of Gallen from Atheiſm, hee ſaw the Anatomy of a mans body, and beholding the wonderful work of a mans body, it did force him to acknowledge the God of Nature, that there was a being above Nature: Now though God bee wonderful in all his works, yet all his wonderful works in the Heavens, and in the Earth, and in the Seas, they muſt all ſtand by, and give way to this great Wonder; as the Stars, though they be glorious creatures in themſelves, yet when the Sun ariſes, all their light is eclipſed, you ſee nothing of them; ſo though God hath many wonders in the world, and hath done many wonderful works, yet when the Son of Righteouſneſs do…h ariſe, when Jeſus Chriſt comes to appear, all the other works of God are darkned with the glory of this great Wonder; other things are wonderful unto us becauſe of our ignorance, becauſe wee are not able to underſtand the reaſon of things; things are wonderful to children, that are little regarded by wiſe men, and underſtanding men; Ignorance makes men to wonder at many things that have nothing in them; but Chriſt hee is a Wonde…, ſo as God himſelf, the Father accounted him a Wonder, God himſelf gives unto Jeſus Chriſt this Name Wonderful; and no marvel, though hee bee a wonder to the Angels themſelves in Heaven, 1 Pet. 1.12. The Angels are ſaid to deſire to look into the things of the Goſpel. foreign.To pry into them. They ſtoop down to pry into thoſe things of the Goſpel. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs in Chriſt Jeſus: Oh there are many glorious myſteries of godlineſs in Jeſus Chriſt, And ſuch things as eye hath not ſeen, ear hath not heard, neither can enter into the heart of man to conceive, as the Scripture ſaith in 1 Cor. 2.9. yea, they are revealed onelyonly by the Spirit of God that ſearches all things, yea the deep things of God; the Spirit that ſearches the deep things of God, muſt reveal the things of the Goſpel unto that ſoul that ever comes to the knowledge of them. It was a work of the Spirit of God to inſtruct Bezaleel and Aholiab in thoſe Arts of Workmanſhip, to work in Braſs, and the like, it is a work of Gods Spirit to ſhew a man the reaſon of the things of nature; but now when Gods Spirit comes to reveal Chriſt to the ſoul, for it is the Spirit of God that ſearches the deep things of God; this puts an emphaſis upon it, ſhewing that the things of the Goſpel are deep things, they are things that onelyonly are revealed by Gods Spirit, and not by an ordinary work of Gods Spirit, but by an extraordinary work of the Spirit of God, that Spirit that ſearches the deep things of God muſt declare theſe things to any ſoul that comes to the underſtanding of them.
His Name is Wonderful. Now ſurely hee that God ſpake ſo much of before hee came into the world, hee that ſo many wiſe men and Prophets did ſo long to ſee, hee that was the expectation and joy of the whole Church of God from the beginning of the world, before hee came; hee that was ſo typified out by all the Sacrifices and Types of the Old Teſtament, by the Temple, that was the wonder of the world at that time; Hee that when hee came into the world, had his birth ſolemnized by the Angels, a heavenly Quire ſinging Doxologies; Hee that had upon his firſt coming the wiſe men from the Eaſt coming to worſhip him, ſurely hee muſt bee ſome wonderful one, ſome great one; and therefore as wee read of the people in Luke 1.66. when they ſaw and heard of ſuch ſtrange things at John Baptiſts birth, the Text ſaith, All they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, ſaying, What manner of Childe ſhall this bee? So when wee hear of theſe things that were done by way of preparation to the coming of Chriſt, for ſome two thouſand years together, and ſuch great things that were done upon his coming, ſurely it muſt needs bee ſome wonderful one. What manner of Childe is this that is given to us? wherefore then as wee read of Moſes in Exod. 9.9. when hee ſaw that wonderful ſight in the wilderneſs, the buſh burning and not conſumed, ſaith Moſes, I will go and ſee what yonder great ſight is; So wee may well ſay, when Chriſt is propounded thus Wonderful, and God himſelf gives him this Name, let us take off our thoughts from all other things, and turn aſide to ſee this great ſight, to ſee what this Wonder is. Therefore for the opening of this Wonder that is in Chriſt, to ſhew you how Chriſt is Wonderful, and how well hee may challenge this Name, and how proper this Title is to him, to bee called Wonderful, I ſhall open it in theſe ſeveral particulars.
Firſt, Chriſt is wonderful in his Natures.
Secondly, Chriſt is wonderful in his Perſon.
Thirdly, Hee is wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation.
Fourthly, Hee is wonderful in the wonderful work that hee came for into the world, the wonderful things that hee came to do.
Fifthly, Hee is wonderful in his Anointment, in his Offices.
Sixthly, Hee is wonderful in his admirable Indowments.
Seventhly, Hee is wonderful in his glorious Miracles that hee wrought.
Eighthly, Hee is wonderful in that great glory of God the Father that appears in him.
Ninthly, He is wonderful in the work of his Humiliation.
Tenthly, Hee is wonderful in his Conqueſt.
Eleventhly, Wonderful in his Exaltation, and the degrees of it.
Twelfthly, Wonderful in his Saints.
Laſtly, hee is wonderful, and ſhall bee wonderful in the higheſt heavens, in the Church Triumphant: and in all theſe regards, wee ſhall ſee what a wonderful Saviour wee have, and what kinde of thoughts wee are to have of Jeſus Chriſt. As certainly for the want of the right underſtanding of God, and the low thoughts and apprehenſions wee have of him, the Name of God is little ſanctified among us; ſo for the want of the right underſtanding of Jeſus Chriſt, Oh how little is the Name of God ſanctified in the myſteries of the Goſpel? wee have the word (God) wee can ſay that God made us; and ſo the word Chriſt, and wee hope to bee ſaved by Jeſus Chriſt, But oh, how far are wee either from apprehending God, ſuch an infinite and glorious God as hee hath already, though very darkly, been ſet out unto you? and ſo before wee have done, though it bee but in a Sermon or two, you will finde that your thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt have been too low and too mean: Oh that wee could by any means heighten your thoughts upon God and Chriſt, that you may know the Lord, and his Son whom hee hath ſent into the world.
Firſt, Chriſt is wonderful in his Natures.
Theſe Heads that I have propounded, they all might bee largely inſiſted on, but I think it beſt at firſt, to give you a ſhort view of things, and to preſent them together as briefly as I may. Wonderful in his Natures, for hee is God and man; our Saviour is God, and ſo hee is ſet forth unto us afterwards, the Mighty God, and is not this a wonderful thing, that mankinde fallen from God, ſhould have no leſs Saviour than the Mighty God himſelf? If all the Angels in Heaven, and men in the world, had undertaken to have been the Saviours of one ſoul, they could never have done it, they could never have accompliſhed what they had undertaken; ſuch is the ſtate of man, as if ever hee bee ſaved, hee muſt have a Saviour above the Angels, above all the ſtrength that there is in all the Angels in heaven, and creatures in all the world, hee is that God that you have heard of, whoſe Name is alone excellent, whoſe glory is above the heavens and earth, but that wee ſhould bee ſaved onelyonly by God, may ſeem to ſome to bee no ſuch great wonder, who can ſave us but God? I but know, that here it is not God putting forth an Attribute to ſave us, but it is God undertaking this relation of a Saviour, and God putting himſelf in another condition (as it were) and taking upon him our nature, therefore that is that indeed that makes the wonder, God-Man, Theanthropos, 1 Tim. 3.16. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God was manifeſted in the fleſh, This is a wonderful myſtery; that there ſhould be ſuch a word, Theanthropos, God-Man, is the greateſt wonder that ever there was in the world, that there ſhould bee ſuch a thing as ſhould bee called God-Man, and is really and verily God and man together in one; I ſay, this is the greateſt wonder that ever was in the world, that the Divine and humane Nature ſhould bee joyned together, that wee ſhould have a Saviour that is as verily man as God, and as verily God as man, that thoſe two Natures, the Nature of God, and the nature of man ſhould come together in one, that were ſo diſtant before one from another, this is a wonder beyond all ſenſe and reaſon, and wee had need have a Proſpective-glaſs of God to bee able to ſee indeed any thing into it; wee can eaſily beleeve (wee think) that Chriſt was God and man, every childe can do ſo; when you ask your children what Chriſt was, you teach them that hee was both God and man, I, but I appeal to you, when were your hearts taken with this as the geateſt wonder in the world, that there ſhould bee ever ſuch a thing as God and man in one, and that to be the Savior of mankinde? That man, that is miſerable, ſhould look up to God to ſave him, look up to the mercy of God, this were not ſo wonderful, but that miſerable man muſt bee ſaved by one that is God-Man, Man and God, this is that that except the Spirit of God that ſearches the deep things of God (as you had it before) reveal it unto a man, it were impoſſible for man ever to have ſuch a thought as this is; and indeed, the ſetting out of this ſo great a myſtery, is one great argument, that the Scriptures are Divine: for it is too high a thing to have entred into the thought of a creature; I ſay, too high a thing that ever a creature ſhould have ſuch a thought, that the ſaving of man muſt bee by Gods being man, it cannot bee imagined how ſuch a thought could have come into a creature, to bee verily man (I ſay) this argues the Scripture to bee from God, it is too great a myſtery for any creature ever to have imagined or thought of; it is that that is the ſtumbling-block to the Jews, and fooliſhneſs to the Gentiles; but the power and glory of God to thoſe that ſhall bee ſaved. If God ſhould have put this unto us, and ſaid, Well, I am inclined to do good to you, and willing to ſave you, but know, your eſtate is ſuch as you can never bee ſaved, except there bee ſuch a Saviour, ſuch a Mediator for you, as muſt bee God and man both; why certainly both Angels and Men would have ſtood amazed at this, and have concluded, that the eſtate of Man-kinde is deſperate then, if ſo bee that the eſtate of man that is fallen from God, and hath ſinned againſt him, bee ſuch as there is no way to deliver one ſoul from eternal condemnation, and eternal wrath, but by ſuch a Saviour as muſt bee both God and man: I ſay, All Angels and Men, would have even concluded, then man muſt periſh for ever: but it is God, the Wonder-wo…king God that hath wrought thus for Mankinde, which hath ſent us ſuch a Saviour as is both God and Man; Surely then his Name may bee called Wonderful.
Chriſt is wonderful in his Perſon.
But Secondly, Here is a greater wonder than that, God is God and man. God and man (you will ſay) that may bee, hee hath come in the ſimilitude of fleſh, and hath taken the ſhape of man, ſome kinde of union there may bee between the Divine and humane Nature; but conſider this ſecond Wonder, hee is not onelyonly God, but a ſecond Perſon in Trinity: Conſider theſe two things in the Perſon of Chriſt, Firſt, He is to be looked at, not meerly as God, but as God the ſecond Perſon of the Trinity, and this is a great wonder in Chriſtian Religion, for it was little known before. Wee read but little in the Old Teſtament about the Trinity, onelyonly in Chriſt the Trinity comes to bee known; when wee are in ſtreights wee will cry to God that made the heavens and earth to bee a Saviour; but for us to know that wee muſt bee ſaved by God in the Second Perſon, that is the character and ingraven form of his Image, the Son of God, and yet ſo the Son of God as hee is Co-eternal with his Father, equal with his Father, as the Scripture ſpeaks, and ſo God the Second Perſon in Trinity, as yet hee is of the ſame Nature that his Father is of, the ſame God, and yet the Son of God, the conſideration of the myſtery of the Trinity, that appears in Chriſt, is a great wonder above reaſon, that wee may adore it, but ſearch into it wee are not able.
And then the ſecond thing to bee conſidered in his Perſon is this, That hee is not only God and man, but God and man hypoſtatically united, the union of the Natures, that theſe Natures ſhould bee united both in one Perſon, this is the great wonder in Chriſtian Religion.
There are two principal Wonders in Chriſtian Religion; I beſeech you conſider aright of them.
The firſt is divers Perſons in one Nature.2 Wonders in Chriſtian Religion.
The ſecond is divers Natures in one Perſon.
Theſe are the two Wonders in Chriſtian Religion.
Firſt, divers Perſons in one Nature, and that is the wonder of the Trinity, for there you have but one Nature, the Divine Nature, but three Perſons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, and that is a Wonder that the Heathens knew nothing of, and was little known till Chriſt came.
And the ſecond Wonder in Chriſtian Religion is, divers Natures in one Perſon, that is in Chriſt; Chriſt is God-man, but one Perſon united hypoſtatically; now to ſearch into this, that the ſame Perſon that is God, is man, and how the humane nature ſubſiſts in the Deity, and hath no ſubſiſtence at all in its ſelf, but in the Deity, how this is, onelyonly the Scripture reveals it to bee ſo, but how it is (I ſay) is too deep a ſea for any creature to wade into, wee muſt ſtand and admire it, and adore God in it, that hath revealed this as the object of our faith, but to bee able to ſearch how ſuch a thing can bee, that that union can bee in one perſon, this is that that is a wonder above all admiration: Indeed it is one of the moſt wonderful works that ever God did in the world, to unite two ſuch creatures that ſeemed to bee of ſuch diſtant Natures, as the body of man, and the Soul of man in one Perſon; to unite a peece of earth, and a peece of fleſh, to ſuch a glorious thing as a rational immortal ſoul is, the union of theſe two together in one perſon is the greateſt work, for the works of Nature, that ever God did in the world; David ſaw his body wonderfully and fearfully made; but certainly the union of the body and ſoul, the ſoul being of the ſame nature with the Angels, that it ſhould bee united with the body to make but one Perſon, this is a great wonder in the works of Nature: But to unite the ſecond Perſon in Trinity to the nature of man, not to the nature of Angels,Heb. 2.16. for ſo the Scripture ſaith, Chriſt did not take upon him the nature of Angels, but the ſeed of Abraham; for if Chriſt would have been united to another nature, one would have thought it ſhould have been to an Angelical nature, but to refuſe that, and take mans nature, and unite it in one Perſon, that ſo it ſhould bee ſaid that that Perſon that is God, the ſame Perſon is man, Here is the great Wonder in Chriſtian Religion, the Perſonal union of the Natures of Chriſt; and indeed from hence many wonderful things will ariſe.
As from hence, that ſame Perſon that was the Creator of all the world was a creature; the ſame Perſon, I do not ſay the ſame Nature, this is the wonder in Scripture. And hee, the ſame Perſon that is the Lord of Man-kinde, yet is the Son of Man, the Son of Man, and yet the Lord of Mankind.
The ſame Perſon that is Eternal, Immortal, yet hee dyed, ſo the Scripture ſaith, They crucified the Lord of glory: What, can God that is the Lord of glory, that made heaven and earth, the Eternal God, whoſe Name alone is excellent, can hee bee crucified? yet that Perſon that was the Lord of glory, whoſe Name alone is glorious, that Perſon was crucified, but ſuffered in his humane nature; whatſoever Chriſt did ſuffer in his humane nature, it may bee ſaid that that Perſon that was God did ſuffer, though not the Divine Nature, the Divine Nature could not ſuffer, but the ſame Perſon that was God as well as man hee did ſuffer; it is the Scripture phraſe clearly, and I might give you many Texts of Scripture to ſhew you that that perſon that was God, ſuffered, but that is enough, They crucified the Lord of glory, 1 Cor. 2.8. But you will ſay, to what great purpoſe is it for us to underſtand this, that Chriſt was God and man in one Perſon, is it not enough to underſtand that hee was God and man? what need wee look ſo much at the union of the two Natures? My brethren, Know that there is a great deal in this, in knowing the union of the two Natures. It is of marvellous uſe unto you for the helping of your faith, to know not onelyonly that Chriſt had thoſe two Natures, but the union of thoſe two Natures.
You will ſay, How may it help our faith?
Thus, becauſe hereby you may ſee that whatſoever Chriſt did, or ſuffered, though but in his humane nature, yet it was of infinite value and efficacy, and the infinite value and efficacy of what Chriſt did and ſuffered, doth ariſe from the union of the two Natures, becauſe it was that Perſon that was God, did ſuch things, and ſuffered ſuch things. I remember I my ſelf once knew a very godly man in the time of his ſickneſs was in a great Agony, under a very great temptation, and at Mid-night ſent a mile or two for a Miniſter, and hee comes to him, and this was his temptation: Fearing hee ſhould dye,A temptation of the Devil to a godly man and the Devil came with this temptation, Why, thy ſin doth deſerve an infinite puniſhment, thou haſt ſinned againſt an infinite God, and thou doſt deſerve eternal death; but Chriſt in whom you have truſted, hee being man, and ſuffering onelyonly in his humane nature, hee could ſuffer onelyonly that that was finite, and his death was but a few dayes, a day or two, how can he by ſuffering that that was but finite, by induring a little while pain upon the Croſs, and by being under death but a day or two, how can hee deliver you from an infinite ſuffering, and from eternal death? This was the temptation that lay upon him, and hee was in a moſt lamentable agony of ſpirit upon this temptation; but now in his calling to minde this, that though Chriſt in his humane Nature was but finite, and that that hee ſuffered could bee but finite, yet becauſe his humane nature was united in one Perſon unto the Divine Nature, hence what the humane nature did ſuffer, though finite, came to bee of infinite value and worth, and though his death that hee was under, was but for a day or two, yet it was of merit ſufficient to ranſome from eternal death, becauſe the Perſon that was God as well as man, was under the power of death; and by recalling what hee had heard heretofore about Chriſt being God and man in one Perſon, hee came to bee eaſed, and the Temptation began to vaniſh; and the truth is, there is no way that I know of, to ſatisfie ones heart and conſcience in the ſufficiency of Chriſts merits, but in this, that it was the merit of him that was both God and man in one Perſon. It is true, thoſe that do not ſee a neceſſity of an infinite merit, they can eaſily ſatisfie themſelves, and ſay they beleeve in Chriſt Jeſus that dyed for them. I but how canſt thou tell that this death of Jeſus Chriſt is of infinite merit to ſatisfie the infinite Juſtice of God that requires ſatisfaction for thy ſin? Why God hath ſo appointed it, and I hope in God it is ſo; but if thou canſt ſee the ground of this, that will bee a marvellous help to thy faith, that thou canſt look upon thy Mediator as God and man in one Perſon, and therefore thou canſt look upon whatſoever hee hath done or ſuffered as of infinite value, and ſo thou canſt preſent it with boldneſs unto God. The right underſtanding of Chriſt thus, will help us to honour Chriſt much, and will make him to bee a further object of our faith. Thus Chriſt is wonderful in his Perſon, in his Perſon as relating to God the Father, the ſecond Perſon in Trinity; So in his Perſon, that is, his humane and Divine Nature united into one Perſon.
Chriſt Wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation.
Thirdly, Well may hee have this Title of Wonderful, ſeeing hee is ſuch a one as hee is, thus opened unto you. But thirdly, Chriſt his Name is wonderful, hee is wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation. Chriſt hee is God and man; but how came Chriſt to take mans nature upon him? it was a wonderful and a ſtrange kinde of way that the ſecond Perſon in Trinity came to take our nature upon him, it was by being conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, by being born of a Virgin; Chriſt was man, and came from man, but not by man; the way of Chriſts generation it is wonderful, Oh who can declare it? Wee ordinarily can ſay,…ſa 53.8 wee do beleeve that Chriſt was born of a Virgin, born of the Virgin Mary, who cannot repeat his Creed? but I appeal to you, when were your hearts ever taken with the wonderful work of God in the Incarnation of Chriſt, that way of being born of a Virgin? God faith that hee will do a great and marvellous thing;Iſa 7.14. For a Virgin ſhall conceive a Son, it is ſuch a thing as never was done before ſince the world began, nor never ſhall bee done again; the ordinary manner of the generation of man was here ſtopt, when Chriſt came to bee born, ſaith God, I will have a new way of generation, for indeed there was a great Lord to bee born into the world, a great Prince, and hee muſt bee born after another way different from the ordinary way of Mankinde, in a wonderful way, the Holy Ghoſt being the cauſe of the conception, and ſo brought forth by a Virgin: You will ſay, Why was this? Here indeed conſiſts the wonder that wee are to ſanctifie Gods Name in, not onelyonly to know that it was after ſuch a way, and not as Adam was, hee was made man, but hee muſt bee made man in ſuch a marvellous way: You will ſay, why could not Chriſt come into the world after the ordinary manner of generation? You will anſwer to your ſelves, God would have it ſo, but there is ſomething of Gods minde that he would have you know why hee would have it ſo: If Chriſt had been made man after the ordinary manner of generation, he could not have been made free from Adams ſin, from original corruption, for the Law did lye upon Adam, & his Poſterity, againſt all that ſhould come from him in the ordinary way of generation, therefore if Chriſt now ſhould have come from him in the ordinary way, if hee had been of the ſeed of Adam, then hee muſt have been under the Covenant that Adam was, for it was to all his poſterity, Adam was to ſtand as a publick perſon, unto his poſterity, and in him wee were to ſtand or fall. (Now whether there might have been any other way or no for Chriſt to have been freed from it, wee will not ſtand to diſpute.) But now Chriſt was freed from the Covenant, ſo as hee was not now under original guilt, under original corruption, becauſe hee was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, hee was conceived, not after the ordinary way of men, whereas you are to know, that all your children coming into the world after the ordinary way of generation, coming from man, by man, the firſt minute that their ſouls and bodies are together, that the childe is alive in the womb, it comes under the guilt of Adams tranſgreſſion, and comes to bee originally corrupted, preſently full of ſin and corruption; but it was not ſo in Chriſt, and this is the wonder of Chriſts Generation, that hee was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, and born of a Virgin, and ſo free from all kinde of original ſin; had there been the leaſt ſin upon Chriſt, hee could never have been a Saviour for thee, nor any, therefore Chriſt muſt come into the world in ſuch a way as there muſt bee no ſin upon him at all, and this is the reaſon why hee was born of a Virgin, and not after the ordinary courſe of Mankinde, and therefore his Name may well bee called Wonderful, from the wonderful manner of his Incarnation.
Chriſt wonderful in his Works.
In the fourth place, Chriſt is wonderful in the wonderful Works that hee came about into the world; the work that Chriſt came into the world about, is the greateſt, and the moſt wonderful Work that ever was undertaken ſince the world began, or can poſſibly bee undertaken: Why what was the Work that Chriſt came into the world about?
It was firſt to ſtand between God, the angry God,What the work was that Chriſt came into the world about. God provoked with mans ſin, and ſinful man. It was to bee a Mediator between God and his creature, it was to reconcile God and man together that had ſinned againſt him, and was turned enemy to him; the Work that Chriſt came to do, it was to make up all the wrongs that ſin had done, that ſin had brought to God, Chriſt came to make up the vaſt infinite breach that there was made between God and man, ſo to procure Reconciliation for man, as to make God amends for all the ſin that had been committed, here is the work that Chriſt undertook, hee undertook to pacifie the wrath of God his Father, in ſuch a way, as that it ſhould be let out upon him, and hee would bear what ever fruits of Gods wrath was due to the ſin of man, hee came (I ſay) into the world for to reconcile God and man, to make up all the breach, and to make reſtitution of all things; not onelyonly to make up the breach that was made between God and man by mans ſin, but to make up the reſtitution of all things; whereas by mans ſin all the works of God in this world had almoſt been fruſtrated, and had mans ſin gone on, God had not had the glory that hee made the world for; now Chriſt hee comes into the world to make up all again, that his Father might have full glory from all his Works. Yea the great Work that hee came into the world about, was, that hee might bring this to paſs, that God his Father ſhould have further glory now from his work, than ever hee ſhould have had, if ſo bee there had never been any breach made, here is the great work that Chriſt came into the world about, Chriſt beholding, that through mans ſin, all things were even brought to a confuſion, Mans ſin had plundered all the world (as it were) plundered the Works of God, and had brought all to darkneſs, and miſery, and confuſion, now Chriſt comes into the world to make all perfect again, and to raiſe up to God a Name of praiſe and glory, higher than ever hee ſhould have had if there never had been any ſin committed againſt him; now was not this a wonderful work that Chriſt came into the world about? wee ſpeak much of Chriſt, and that hee came into the world, but what came hee for? Oh learn to ſanctifie Gods Name in this, to look upon Chriſt whoſe Name is Wonderful, in regard not onelyonly of what hee was in himſelf, but of what hee came about, the great and wonderful work that hee came into the world for, and did accompliſh; and certainly did wee apprehend Chriſt thus, and look upon Chriſt as having ſuch a Name as this is, Wonderful, and know that upon this ground hee is called Wonderful, it would teach us to adore him, to honour him, to magnifie him, and to have high thoughts of him, it would bee a mighty means to draw our hearts to beleeve in him, the very ſetting of Chriſt as hee is in himſelf before the ſoul as the full object of faith, hath a mighty power to draw faith out; as the ſetting of a temptation before a man hath a power to draw corruptions; ſo the ſetting of Chriſt in his glory and excellency, in what hee is, and what hee came into the world for (I ſay) it hath a mighty power to draw forth faith, not onelyonly to draw forth faith where faith was before, but it hath a power to cauſe faith in the ſoul; Chriſt is not onelyonly an object for us to work upon when wee have a faculty, but ſuch an object as being ſet before the ſoul, hath a quickning power to cauſe life; therefore we cannot ſay, why ſhould Jeſus Chriſt bee preached to a company of people as are dead in ſins, I, Chriſt indeed is a glorious object, But they muſt have ſomewhat to work upon Chriſt. Wee muſt not ſay ſo, for Chriſt is not onelyonly an object for the ſoul to work upon when it hath an eye to ſee, but ſuch an object as the very ſetting of it before the ſoul, hath a quicking power to work life in the ſoul, to cauſe an eye to ſee him, and to cauſe the heart to make after him, though it was never ſo dead before: And it ſhould bee the work of Miniſter… to ſet Jeſus Chriſt before the hearts of people, before their eyes continually, and though it may bee there comes nothing of it this time, I but try it again, and though nothing comes of it the other time, but they paſſe all lightly by, and little regard the glory of God, that appears in Jeſus Chriſt, yet hee is to bee ſet before them again and again; who knows when the quickning power and life may come from Chriſt? Now this is the ſcope of the ſetting Chriſt thus before you; This day I have endeavoured to ſet him but a little before you in the opening this Title of his.
Let this bee the Uſe of it, Oh when you go home, go and meditate of what hath been ſaid, and labour when you are before God, which is the time for the exerciſing of your faith upon Chriſt, Labour to ſet Jeſus Chriſt before your eyes, and look upon him as the great Wonder of the World, and never leave meditating until you finde your heart come to this, to admire at the Glory of God in Jeſus Chriſt; If ever your hearts were taken with admiration at any thing in the World, Oh let them bee taken up with the admiration of Jeſus Chriſt; this may confidently bee concluded upon, that that Soul that …e…r found its ſelf taken with admiring of the Glory of God in Chriſt, did never know what Chriſt meant; for Chriſt is ſuch a kinde of Saviour, that if God do propound Chriſt to the Soul in any meaſure, it is impoſſible, but that the heart muſt bee taken with him. There is a Saviour ſent into the World, hee that is the Object of my faith, and by him my Soul ſhall bee ſaved. Now the firſt work of the heart, is for to think this is too good to bee true, do not therefore think that you muſt bee onelyonly ſaved by Jeſus Chriſt, but know what manner of Saviour it is, its hee whoſe Name is Wonderful.