Gospel Revelation, Treatise 2 · Sermon 3
The Third SERMON ON The Excellency of Chriſt.
Iſaiah 9.6. And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful.
Christ Wonderful in his Miracles.
CHriſt is wonderful in the Miracles that hee wrought here in the World while hee lived; in the ſecond of Acts, verſ. 22. Yee men of Iſrael hear theſe words, Jeſus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by Miracles, Wonders, and Signs which God did by him in the midſt of you, as yee your ſelves alſo know. Never did any come into the Wo…ld to work ſuch great Miracles and Wonders as Chriſt did, and indeed all that ever did Miracles and Wonders, they did doe them by Jeſus Chriſt. Joſephus that was no great friend to Chriſt, hee was a Jew, and did not acknowledge Chriſt to be the Meſſias, yet he writing the Story of thoſe times, could not but take notice of ſuch an one as Chriſt; hee did profeſſe, that at ſuch a time there was a Wiſe man did ariſe, which they did call by the Name of Jeſus, that did work a great many Miracles; and ſaith he,Joſephus Antiq. B. 18. e. 4 If it be lawful to call him a Man. He was afraid to call him a man, becauſe of the wondrous things that he did.
But if any of you ſay, How ſhall wee bee able to know certainly the truth of all thoſe Miracles that hee did? wee read in the Goſpel how great things Chriſt did; how he caſt out Devils, and cured the Blinde and Lame, and raiſed up the Dead, and the like, but how can we know the truth of them?
For the anſwer of that, Auſtine hath this, Either all thoſe things are true, or they are not true; if they be, then hee is confirmed to be the Meſſias; but if they be not true, then ſaith he, this is the greateſt Miracle of all, that ſuch a ſupernatural Doctrin as that is, to beleeve in him that was crucified, to ſave the World, and for men to venture their ſouls and eternal eſtates upon this, without having this to bee confirmed by Miracles at firſt, this is the greateſt Miracle of all; but we will paſſe by that, only note it as we goe, that Chriſt was wonderful in all the Wonders that hee wrought while he lived.
Chriſt wonderful in his Glorious indowments and excellency of his Perſon.
But further, Chriſt he is the Wonder of the World, in regard of thoſe glorious endowments and excellencie of his Perſon, thoſe Perſonal endowments and excellencies that he had; and herein he is the Wonder of the World.
Now the endowments and excellencies of Jeſus Chriſt they are great and glorious, Thou art fairer than the children of men. It is he that received the Spirit without meaſure, it is he that had the Treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge dwelling in him bodily, and he muſt needs bee the Wonder of the World; that Scripture in the ſecond of the Coloſſians, doth ſhew unto us what a wonderful Saviour we have, it is ſuch an expreſſion that had wee not had it from the Holy Ghoſt we ſhould never have dared to have ventured upon it, as in Col. 2.3. In whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge; and then in verſ. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the Godhead bodily; what an high expreſſion is here? All the fulneſſe of the God-head doth dwell bodily in Jeſus Chriſt; ſurely he hath excellent endowments then, he is filled with glorious things, his Human Nature is elevated and inlarged to the higheſt capacity that a Creature can have to receive excellency. And God hath raiſed up the Humane Nature of Chriſt to ſhew how high he is able to elevate a Creature, and make it capable for the receiving of Glory, that he might declare it to Angels and Saints to all eternity; I ſay, mans nature is raiſed to that height, that God might to all eternity make known to the Angels and Saints this thing, and ſay, Behold to what a height is mine infinite power able to raiſe a Creature, to be capable of happineſſe? Therefore Chriſts Human Nature is ſo raiſed, and our nature in him, which ſhould be a wonderful comfort to us, that our nature ſhould be raiſed to ſo much glory in Chriſt.
And a great argument to us, to take heed of the abuſe of Humane Nature, of thy Body, and of thy Soul; oh that ever any one ſhould bee given up to that ſottiſhneſſe, that is, a man that hath Humane nature in him, that ſhould look after no greater good than meerly to eat, and drink, and play, and ſatisfie his luſt; doſt thou know oh Creature that thy nature is raiſed to ſuch an height of excellency, that God might declare to Angels and men what his power was able to doe? and ſhalt thou that haſt the ſame Nature, that art a kin (as it were) to Chriſt, ſhalt thou bee ſo baſe and vile, to mind thy filthy and baſe luſts, and mind no higher good than this? the very thought of the raiſing our Nature in Chriſt, it is a mighty argument to raiſe up the thoughts of one that is a man, to a higher pitch than ever they have been; think thus, certainly my nature is capable of ſome higher good than meerly to ear and drink, and play, and to have a little Mony here for a while; why now that ſhewes the perſonal excellency and endowments of Chriſt in general, that all the fulneſs of the God-head doth dwell bodily in him, and therefore Chriſt hee is called the Character, and the ingraven form of the Image of God, in the firſt of the Hebrews; it is not ſaid ſo of man; though man be ſaid to be made according to Gods Image, yet it is never ſaid of him, That he is the brightneſſe of Gods glory, and the expreſſe Image of his Perſon, ſo as it is ſaid of Chriſt; and in the Coloſsians you have mighty high expreſſions about the Perſonal excellency of Chriſt, Chap. 1.15. Who is the Image of the inviſible God, the firſt born of every Creature; and then he is the beginning of all things, ver. 18. He is the Image of the inviſible God, as God and man, for ſo I muſt ſpeak of him; he is the Image of the inviſible God in another manner, and more fully, than any creature is, or poſſibly can be, for Jeſus Chriſt, take him God and Man, he hath the very character and ingraven form of whatſoever glory there is in the Father; I ſay, take him as God and Man, as thus, hee hath an omnipotency in him, therefore it is ſaid in the third of the Philippians latter end, Who ſhall change our vild bodie that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, (how) according to the working whereby he is able even to ſubdue all things unto himſelf. Now this is a great Myſtery of godlineſſe, that God-Man ſhould have an Omnipotency in him; and then likewiſe he hath the expreſſe Image of all the knowledge of God: for as he is God-man, he is made the Judge of all the World, and hee will bee the Judge, not meerly as he is God, but as God and Man; now ſeeing hee is the Judge of all the World hee muſt have an infinite knowledge, he muſt know the hearts of men, and all the works of men; and he muſt have an infinite Holineſſe and Juſtice that muſt judge all the World. And thus God-man hath an expreſſe Character of the Attributes of God, which none elſe hath; and then he hath an expreſſe character of the Immenſity of God. If you ſpeak of his Body, it cannot be every where, but God-Man is in all places; thus you have it in the third of John, verſ. 13. it is a very ſtrange expreſſion, and it can never bee underſtood but by underſtanding the perſonal union of the two Natures. Why at that time hee was ſpeaking to them there upon the earth, and yet ſaith hee, The Son of man which is in heaven. At this time hee that is the Son of man is in heaven, his body could not bee in two places at once, but God-man was then in heaven. Thus you ſee the excellency of Chriſt, in being the character of the Father, and having the Divine Attributes in him in another manner than any creature in the world could have that is a meer creature.
2 And then further, this perſonal excellency of Chriſt will appear, when wee conſider how Chriſt comes to have thoſe excellencies, that hee hath them all by vertue of the perſonal union. The humane Nature alone it is but a creature if you take it diſtinct; But now this humane nature is filled with all excellency from the Father; and indeed the Father is the fountain of all firſtly; theſe excellencies that Chriſt hath, they come from the perſonal union immediately; now God unto other creatures gives them as it were of bounty out of himſelf, hee doth confer from himſelf, hee puts forth an act of power for the beſtowing of ſuch and ſuch excellencies upon ſuch creatures, but when the humane nature of Chriſt was to bee filled with ſuch excellencies, it is by taking of the humane nature of Chriſt into himſelf, as wee ſay concerning ſight. Philoſophers have a diſpute whether it bee by taking in the ſpecies, or by ſending out ſomething from the eye. This may a little reſemble this great myſtery, there are ſome things that God beſtows by ſending out from himſelf, other excellencies hee beſtows by taking in to himſelf: Now all other creatures, Angels and men (but onelyonly the humane nature of Chriſt) have all the excellency that they have by Gods ſending out from himſelf; but now all the indowments of Jeſus Chriſt, and all his excellencies, hee hath them all from God taking of him into himſelf, that is, in a peſonal union, not taking him into communion with himſelf as his Saints, but taking him into a perſonal union, and ſo comes to have all excellencies in another manner than any other creature can poſſibly have.
Thirdly, Chriſt is wonderful, take him God and man, in this, That all his perſonal excellencies that hee hath, depend upon himſelf; hee is Independent, the excellency that Chriſts humane nature hath, it is, I ſay, Independent in this, that is, it depends upon his perſon; there is no dependence of the excellency that Chriſt hath, but upon the very perſon of Chriſt himſelf, all depends upon him, for hee ſaith of himſelf, That hee hath life in himſelf, ſo you have it in Joh. 5.Joh. 5.27. it is ſpoken concerning Chriſts excellency there, For as the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath hee given to the Son to have life in himſelf. Indeed the Son is from the Father by an eternal generation; but now though hee bee firſtly from the Father, yet now the Son hath life in himſelf, yea and eternally hee had life in himſelf, and ſo what excellency the humane nature hath, it doth depend upon its own perſon, which is a higher and a more glorious way of having excellency, than it is poſſible for any thing elſe to have.
4 And then in the fourth place, hence Chriſt, even God man, hee comes to bee worthy of Divine honour, Divine honour is due to Jeſus Chriſt that is God-man; there is no creature can partake of Divine honour by coming never ſo near to God, but onelyonly the humane nature of Chriſt being perſonally united: Let a childe of God, a Saint, bee never ſo holy, becauſe hee comes to partake of ſo much excellency of holineſs, hee is not therefore to partake of Divine honour, nor an Angel; but now Chriſt, God and man, the very humane nature joyned with the Divine in one perſonal union, comes to ſhare in the Divine honour that is due to him both God and man, and it is a wonderful Work of God to bring that that is in its ſelf but a creature, to come to have a ſhare in Divine honour.
5 And then Chriſt is wonderful in this, that hence hee is an infinite object of the Delight of his Father, not onelyonly as hee is eternally begotten of the Father, but as hee is both God and man,Matth. 3.17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed, I am pleaſed fully in him, Jeſus Chriſt is an object even adequate to the very heart of God the Father; Oh how ſhould wee take content in him! certainly if hee bee ſo excellent as hee is, as to give full ſatisfaction to God the Father, then hee may very well give full ſatisfaction to your ſouls.
Yea, and God the Father manifeſts his ſatisfaction ſo fully in him, that hee hath made him to bee heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. and therefore hee is ſaid, to bee the beginning of all things, all do ſubſiſt by him.
Yea, and further, there is that ſatisfaction that the Father hath in him, that God the Father did make all things for his ſake; I ſay, all things in the world are made for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt, Angels are made for his ſake, and this world, and ſeas, all the work that ever God did, or will do to all eternity, it was for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt, that God the Father might honour himſelf in Jeſus Chriſt; that Text is very full for that, and wee need no more, in Col. 1.16. All things were created by him, and for him. So that God hath a higher end in creating the world than you think for, God did not onelyonly create that hee might manifeſt that hee was a mighty God, and merciful, and bountiful, and the like, but God had a higher end when hee made the world, it was to advance his Son, when hee made the Angels, God would never have made them, but for the honour of his Son.
Oh what infinite cauſe have wee to honour Jeſus Chriſt; Oh how happy are they that live to the honour of Jeſus Chriſt, by whom God may have glory beyond a natural way! did you conſider this, that you were made for the honour of Jeſus Chriſt, and the honour that God the Father would have from you is this, that you ſhould live to the honour of his Son, and all other honour that you give unto God, except it bee in order to his Son, it is not accepted, I ſay, whatſoever honour any man or woman doth endeavour to give to God, is not accepted of him, but in relation to the honour of Jeſus Chriſt; therefore if you look at God in a meer natural way, and honour, and worſhip him never ſo much, as the heathens did, all this would not do; but now that honour that God hath in reference to his Son, when a poor ſinner is ſenſible of the breach that ſin hath made between him and the infinite God, and comes to ſee Jeſus Chriſt, and ſeeks to advance Jeſus Chriſt by faith, I ſaith God, here is the honour that I would have. And therefore when all the elect ones that were given to Jeſus Chriſt to redeem, when they are all converted and brought to Jeſus Chriſt, the world will fall about our ears, why, becauſe ſaith God, I have the end that I made the world for, and now I have brought in all that do belong to my Son, and all thoſe works by which my Son will come to have his honor eternally are done, let there be an end of the world, and the end of the world is like to be the ſooner now; becauſe that we ſee God is doing ſo much for the ſetting up of Jeſus Chriſt in this latter age; as when a mans time is almoſt at an end for his work, then hee doth work more ſpeedily than hee did before; now ſaith God, I have made the world for the honour of my Son, but yet to this day how little honour hath my Son had from the world? and there is a time, ſaith God, that I will manifeſt to all the world that I did make it for Jeſus Chriſt, hee did not make it for a company of Tyrants to do what they would in, nor for a company of prophane people, to eat and drink, and follow their luſts in, but the end at which God aimed at in making the world, ſaith hee, I will ſet up my Son in the world, and all the works that ever have been done in the world, ſhall at length come in to conduce to the honour of my Son. And this ſhall bee the great work that ſhall bee done at the Day of Judgement, hee will ſhew to all the world how all thoſe works that did ſeem to go moſt againſt Jeſus Chriſt, how they were brought about for the honour of Jeſus Chriſt: Oh bleſſed are thoſe ſouls that come to ſee that all things were made for the honour of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo give glory to him accordingly. Thus you ſee what a wonderful Saviour wee have, that God hath made all things for him; Surely our Saviour is glorious and wonderfull.
6 There is one thing more, hee is wonderful in his Indowments and Excellencies in this, that his Excellencies are in him to bee conveyed to his people,Joh. 1.16. Out of his fulneſs do all we receive, and grace for grace. Out of the fulneſs of all Excellency that is put into him. The Saints of God and elect ones, they draw all the excellency they have here, or ſhall have to all eternity. For you muſt know this, Though the Divine Nature bee the fountain of all Excellency, yet it is not to bee conveyed, but onelyonly through Jeſus Chriſt; this is the great myſtery of godlineſs, and this is the wonder in the Goſpel that is ſo much above nature, that though God bee the fountain of all in himſelf, yet hee hath determined that this goodneſs of his ſhall bee firſt let out to his Son, and ſo ſhall bee conveyed through him to the Saints, ſo that all the gifts and graces wee have, wee muſt not look upon them onelyonly as coming from …od the Creator of all things, but as coming from God through him, that is God and man in this myſtical way; therefore if you ſay you look at God, and beleeve in Gods mercy, without underſtanding the way of Gods communicating himſelf, you may utterly miſtake, it muſt bee in Chriſt that wee muſt receive grace for grace. Now that there ſhould bee ſuch a thing revealed, that God ſhould ſay, I will ſet up my Son, the ſecond Perſon in Trinity, to take your nature, and to bee God and man, and hee ſhall bee as a Conduit to bee filled with all things whatſoever, and you ſhall have as it were your pipes joyned to him, and through him, you ſhall come to partake of what good I intend for you, This is the wonder of the world.
And hence it is that Chriſt is compared to all things that have any excellency in them; Is there an excellency in light, Chriſt is calledaJoh. 1.9. Light, Chriſt is calledbMat. 13.46. Pearl? andcRev. 3.18. Gold, and Rayment, and thedPſal. 84.11. Sun, andeJoh. 7.38. Living water, any thing that hath any excellency in it,fJoh. 6.50. Bread, gIſa. 15.1.Wine, Milk, whatſoever in the creature hath any excellency in it, Chriſt is called by that Name, to ſhew that all Excellencies are in him as one; As I told you that Gods Excellency was ſuch an excellency, as the very quinteſſence of all excellencies was united in one in him, ſo Chriſt hath the quinteſſence of all excellencies in him, and in him as in a conduit to bee conveyed to all that God intends eternal good unto.
Oh what a Saviour have wee, my Brethren! now mee thinks this ſhould bee a very ſtrong argument to draw your hearts to Jeſus Chriſt, or at leaſt to ſay as Philip ſaid, Let us ſee but Jeſus Chriſt, this wonder of the world, and wee will never wonder at any thing more in the world: Oh let us underſtand what Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour is; here you may ſee what a full object of your faith Jeſus Chriſt is, and how you may venture your ſouls upon him, and your eternal eſtates; here is enough to draw faith, and incourage faith, and inlarge faith; and oh that God would bee pleaſed, by preſenting what Chriſt is, to work faith in ſome ſoul that hath not had it before; but now where faith is before this, look beyond your own worth, and your own inlargements: And thus in theſe things you ſee how wonderful Chriſt is. There remains two things more.