Gospel Revelation, Treatise 2 · Sermon 5
The Fifth SERMON ON The Excellency of Chriſt.
Iſaiah 9.6. And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful.
THe point that wee are upon you may remember is this, That Jeſus Christ is the great Wonder of the world; As is his Name, ſo is hee Wonderful.
9 Ther… is yet more wonder in it if wee conſider that God the Father was well pleaſed with all this, it pleaſed him, ſo you may finde in Iſa. 53.10. It pleaſed him to bruiſe him. It pleaſed the Father; For God the Father taking ſuch delight in his Son, and ſeeing him brought into ſuch a low condition, not onelyonly to be in the form of a ſervant, but in the form (I ſay) and ſimilitude of an evil ſervant, to bee beaten, and ſo beaten by himſelf, and all this to pleaſe him, certainly there was ſome great matter in it, that God the Father ſhould bee well pleaſed with making his own Son to bee a curſe for mans ſin, and yet this wee finde in Scripture, that it was a thing that well pleaſed God, certainly were it not for ſome great and wonderful deſign that God had to bring about, God the Father could not have been well pleaſed with ſuch a thing, with the death of his own Son, and putting him to death, and that to an accurſed death, yet he was well pleaſed; certainly there was a wonderful deſign that God had to bring about by ſuch a way.
10 And then further, the humiliation of Chriſt is wonderful in regard of the efficacy of his humiliation, that by his death, all the wrath, and the Juſtice of God ſhould bee as it were ſwallowed up in reference to all the elect, that the wrath and juſtice of God ſhould bee ſwallowed up in a few dayes ſuffering of Jeſus Chriſt (of this man Jeſus Chriſt) that God ſhould account it as much as if all the elect had been under his wrath to all eternity, the efficacie of Chriſts ſuffering is a wonderful efficacie, for it is an infinite efficacie, it is infinitely ſatisfactory.
11 Yea further, not onelyonly ſatisfactory to Gods Juſtice, but it is that that takes away the ſting and venome of all the ſufferings of the Saints to the end of the world;Chriſts ſufferings takes away the venome and evil that is in the Saints ſufferings. the efficacie of Chriſts humiliation it is in reference unto God the Father, and it is in reference unto the Saints; I ſay in reference unto the Father, it ſatisfies all his Juſtice and Wrath; And in reference unto the elect ones, it is that which takes away the ſting and the venome of all their humiliations and ſufferings to the end of the world; though God hath ſo appointed that his Saints that hee ſets his heart upon to do good unto for ever, ſhould here in this world ſuffer many hard things, bee under grievous afflictions, yet there is ſuch a way taken, as that Jeſus Chriſts ſufferings ſhould take away all the ſting, the venome, the evil of their ſufferings, and ſo Chriſt was wonderful in his ſufferings in that regard: There was never ſufferings, nor ſuch a death in the world, that it ſhould take away the ſting of all ſufferings, and death too, for ſo many thouſands of people, and yet this did it.
12 And further, Chriſt is wonderful in his ſufferings,Chriſt ſuffered as a common Perſon. becauſe hee ſuffered as a common Perſon, …hee did not ſuffer as a particular man, but wee are to look upon Jeſus Chriſt in all the work of his humiliation as a common Perſon, and ſo all the elect from the beginning of the world to the end are looked upon by God the Father as ſuffering in him, as dying in him, as being made a curſe in him; as the firſt Adam was a common perſon, and God looked upon all mankinde as dead in him, in Adam, ſo the ſecond Adam was a common Perſon, and in his death all the elect are looked upon as dying, and ſo as ſatisfying Gods wrath for their ſins in their own perſon, but vertually in him as in a head. And in this Chriſt was wonderful in his humiliation, and indeed wee do not underſtand Chriſts humiliation aright, except wee underſtand it thus. Wee ſometimes ſpeak of the great ſufferings of Chriſt, and ſo far wee underſtand perhaps that this was for us, that hee dyed for us, but wee do not underſtand that wee dyed in him, and that hee was a common Perſon, and all the elect were looked upon as in him, as ſuffering in him, and ſatisfying Gods wrath in him, why thus wee are to exerciſe our faith upon Chriſts humiliation; and indeed this is the myſtery of the humiliation of Jeſus Chriſt.
Chriſt by ſuffering enters into glory.13 And further, Chriſt was wonderful in his humiliation in this, that by ſuch a way hee enters into his glory; that when God intended the greateſt height of glory to a creature that ever was, or ever ſhould bee, that yet hee would have ſuch a way to lead unto it, as that Chriſt ſhould firſt bee brought into ſuch a low condition, to bee a worm, and no man, to bee ſo accuſed, to bee made a ſcorn of men, to bee indeed in the loweſt eſtate that is almoſt poſſible to conceive a creature here to bee in, and yet that God ſhould intend this to bee the way to the higheſt degree of glory that is poſſible for a creature to attain unto, here was the wonderful counſel of God, the wonderful work of God; now you know that ſo it was in Chriſt, the Scripture ſaith, Ought hee not to ſuffer theſe things, and ſo to enter into his glory? God manifeſted in him what way hee would have to bring us unto glory, that is by the way of ſuffering, by the way of Afflictions, by the way of trouble, to pave the way to glory by ſuch kinde of pavement as this, this was the wonderful work of God.
14 And in this further, here was the moſt wonderful Argument of Gods hatred to ſinIn Chriſts ſuffering appears Gods hatred of ſin. that poſſibly can be imagined, and wonderfulleſt pattern & example of ſelf-denial that ever was in the world, Chriſt was wonderful in this, in that in him there was held out the moſt wonderful Argument of Gods hatred of ſin, as if God would ſay, I will ſet mine infinite wiſdome on work to finde out an Argument to manifeſt my hatred to ſin; there could not have been a greater, an infinite wiſdome could not have found a greater manifeſtation of the hatred of ſin.
And then hee was in his humiliation,Chriſt in ſuffering, a pattern of ſelf-denial. I ſay the pattern of the greateſt ſelf-denial that ever was, or ever can bee. God holds forth his own Son to bee the pattern of ſelf-denial to all the world; the Lord ſees how wee are altogether for our ſelves, how hard it is for us to deny our ſelves; Well, ſaith God, I will not onelyonly require of you that you ſhall deny your ſelves for mee as your duty, and bound as creatures to do it to your Creator, but I will ſend into the World ſuch a pattern of ſelf-denial, as it is impoſſible for men or Angels to imagine a more wonderful pattern of ſelf-denial, My Son, that is equal with my ſelf, to come in the form of a ſervant, although hee had right to all things, hee ſhall empty, and deny himſelf to the extremity of all kinde of miſery.
And then that that makes up all the wonder is this,Chriſt ſuffered for us. that all this ſhould bee done for us, for ſuch poor worms, for ſuch vile baſe creatures as wee are; why might not men and Angels have thought thus? why Lord, had it not been better for ten thouſand thouſand, and hundreds of thouſands, and millions of ſuch creatures to have periſhed to all eternity, than that thy Son ſhould bee brought ſo low, to ſuffer ſo as hee did? But no, ſaith God, I will manifeſt a great wonder in the world in this, that all this ſhall bee done and ſuffered for poor worms (men) in whoſe eternal deſtruction I might have glorified my ſelf for ever; though it is true, I could as well have honoured my ſelf in their ruine and deſtruction, as I did in the eternal deſtruction of the Angels that ſinned againſt mee, yet I will ſhew forth a wonderful work, that men and Angels ſhall wonder at to all eternity, that ſuch and ſuch things ſhall bee done and ſuffered to ſave them, ſo unworthy, ſo vile; thus Chriſt is wonderful in his humiliation: And theſe things have been but briefly preſented to you, that ſo I might give you a general view of the myſtery of godlineſs that there is in the humiliation of Jeſus Chriſt.
Chriſt Wonderful in his Conqueſt.
But now it follows further, that Chriſt likewiſe is wonderful in his Conqueſt, hee is the moſt glorious and wonderful Conquerour that ever was in the world.
For firſt, What did hee conquer? What doth hee triumph over? What? hee hath conquered even Divine Juſtice it ſelf, as I may ſo ſpeak; the Law, Gods wrath and juſtice came even fighting as it were againſt Jeſus Chriſt, and Chriſt encounters with them, yea hee encounters with the Devil, and with Hell, and with Death; all theſe are enemies that Jeſus Chriſt encounters withall. And certainly had any one but ſeen Chriſt go into the Liſts to encounter with theſe Combatants, hee could not but have ſtood amazed at it, Oh what will become of this Champion that is entred into ſuch a combate as this is! But ſtay but a little, and you ſhall ſee him leading Captivity captive, you ſhall ſee him Triumphing over all, you ſhall ſee him conquering and ſaying, I have the Keyes of Hell, I that was dead, am riſen, and have the Keyes of Hell and Death, you ſhall ſee him Triumphing over Wrath and Juſtice, and the Law, and the Devils, you ſhall ſee him fetching all that hee came for out of the hand of the Devil, yea here is the wonder of the Conqueſt, never was there a man that did conquer death but onelyonly Jeſus Chriſt that had power over Death: All other Conquerors they may conquer men, and kill them, but they cannot conquer Death it ſelf; now Jeſus Chriſts Conqueſt was over Death its ſelf, to have the very keyes of Death, and that follows, Death and Hell.
And further, which makes the wonder of his Conqueſt, hee doth conquer death by dying, that is the wonder of it. What man conquers his enemy by being ſlain himſelf? Jeſus Chriſt did ſo, hee conquers all his enemies that came againſt him, hee conquers them by dying, and therefore in Col. 2. it is ſpoken of Chriſts coming to dye upon the Croſs: And having ſpoyled Principalities and Powers, hee made a ſhew of them openly, Triumphing over them in it. When Chriſt was brought upon the Croſs, one would think hee had been triumphed over himſelf then, for hee was brought very low indeed when hee was brought there to hang between two Malefactors, as if he had been the greateſt Malefactor of all; now one would have thought that Devils and wicked men, and Death, and all had triumphed over him; but mark, the Text ſaith, That he did there ſpoyl Principalities and Powers, and made a ſhew of them openly, Triumphing over them in it. Wee can imagine ſomewhat of Chriſts Triumph now in heaven ſitting at the right hand of the Father, when hee aſcended into heaven, there hee Triumphed; but to imagine a triumph of Chriſt in his Croſs, when his enemies were ſcorning and contemning him, that then hee ſhould ſpoyl Principalities and Powers, and upon the Croſs Triumph over them, this is a great myſtery of godlineſs, and herein is the wonder of Chriſts Conqueſt, of Chriſts Triumph.
And then further, the wonder of the Triumph of Chriſt conſiſts in this, That hee hath not onelyonly vanquiſhed all the enemies of his people, but hee hath vanquiſhed them by his own power: Conquerours have uſe of the ſtrength of others, but Chriſt had ſtrength enough of his own without any addition, and hee did not onelyonly quell the Adverſary, but hee turns all into good to his people: It is one thing for a Conquerour to overcome an enemy, ſo as an enemy ſhall not bee able to do any more hurt to thoſe that belong to him, and another thing to ſubdue them ſo far as to make them all to bee ſervants to him, that is a greater Conqueſt. Man by a ſtrong Army may bee a Conquerour by killing his enemies, and ſo never to hear of them more, but if hee can ſubdue and bring them all to bee uſeful and ſerviceable to himſelf and his people, this Conqueſt is a great deal the more glorious; now ſuch is the Conqueſt of Chriſt, that hee hath not onelyonly quelled their power, but hath brought all to bee ſerviceable to his people, the Law is ſerviceable to them, and now Gods Juſtice is for good to them, and the very wrath of God is now for their good, and the Devil, and Death, and Hell, and wicked men, they are all made uſeful unto Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo unto his people.
Laſtly, Chriſt is wonderful in his Conqueſt in this, that hee conquered likewiſe as a common Perſon, as a head, and in him hee hath made all his Saints Conquerours, yea the Scripture ſaith that they are more than Conquerours through Jeſus Chriſt, in him they are looked upon as having overcome all thoſe: Thou that art the weakeſt in thy ſelf, and art able to do leaſt, art afraid of every expreſſion of Gods wrath, and terrour of the Law, of the threats of wicked men, of the temptations of the Devil, of the very thoughts of Death or Hell, yet I ſay, if thou beeſt a beleever, thou haſt conquered all theſe already, they are not one…y conquered to thy hand, but thou haſt conquered them all, that is, vertually in thy head, thou art made a Conquerour over Sin, and Death, and Hell, and as in Chriſt thy head, ſo in ſome meaſure in thy ſelf, that is, Chriſt hath put ſuch a principle into thy heart as will conquer all thine enemies that come againſt thee, in due time, ſo that this is the glory of Chriſts Conqueſt, and hee is wonderful in it.
Now more particularly there is following the Conqueſt of Chriſt, Chriſts Reſurrection, and his Aſcention, and his ſitting at the right hand of the Father, and his coming to Judgement: In all theſe wee have a wonderful Redeemer. I very briefly preſent all theſe before you, but in a few words to ſhew you a little of the myſtery of godlineſs in every one of theſe, that ſo I might in a very little narrow compaſs, preſent the chief glory of Jeſus Chriſt unto you, I mean the heads of it; though wee cannot tell you the thouſandth thouſandth part of the glory of Chriſt.
Chriſt Wonderful in his Reſurrection.
Chriſt was wonderful in his Reſurrection; there was never ſuch a Reſurrection, nor never ſhall bee, as Chriſts was. That Chriſt roſe from the dead, I ſuppoſe you all know, but now the myſtery of godlineſs in this, and the wonderful work of God in it, In Rom. 1.4. it is ſaid, That Chriſt was mightily declared to bee the Son of God in his Reſurrection from the dead.
You will ſay, Why, others riſe too, both godly and wicked ſhall riſe, how is Chriſt wonderfully and mightily declared to bee the Son of God by the Reſurrection from the dead?
Why thus, Chriſt hee undertaking to ſatisfie for mans ſins, to pay the debt that man did owe to God for his Sin; God the Father comes upon him, ſues out the Bond, caſts him into Priſon, into the Gaol: Now when Jeſus Chriſt did ariſe from the dead, there was a declaration to all the world that hee had ſatisfied the debt fully to God the Father, that hee had paid fully what Divine Juſtice did require for the ſin of man; now this was a mighty declaration of Jeſus Chriſt to bee the Son of God; had hee not been the Son of God, hee could never have roſe again, having dyed upon ſuch tearms as hee did; Chriſt did dye to ſatisfie Gods wrath, and undertook this, Lord I am content to come under the bonds of death till thine infinite Juſtice ſhall ſay, That it is ſatisfied, that it hath enough: If all the Angels in heaven, and men on the earth had undertook ſuch a work, and ſaid, Lord, Let us all dye, and abide under the power of Death, until thine infinite Juſtice ſhall ſay, It is enough, they muſt have abode to all eternity under it, they could never have come out of Priſon, but have lain there; but now Chriſt hee undertook this work, and was content to bee under the power of Death till God ſhould fully diſcharge him, as being ſatisfied; God ſaith at length I am ſatisfied, Let the priſon doors bee opened, let him go; ſo that when Chriſt comes out of the Grave, now hee is declared before men and Angels mightily in a wonderful manner to bee the Son of God; and it is upon this that the Scripture ſaith in Pſalm 2. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, which is applied by the Apoſtle in Act. 13. and ſome other Scriptures unto Chriſts Reſurrection.
This is now, as if ſo bee that Chriſt had been begotten but that day; why Chriſt was the begotten Son of the Father from all Eternity.
I but Chriſt coming under the charge of mans ſin, and under the power of death, all the while he was in that low eſtate of humiliation, hee doth not appear like the Son of God before the world, but when hee comes and gets the power over all, and is acquitted and riſes again, now hee doth appear like himſelf indeed, the onelyonly begotten Son of the Father, hee is now mightily declared to bee the Son of God; and in this the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt was wonderful, for the wonderful power and efficacy that there is in it; Chriſt being acquitted, all the elect were in him acquitted, all were acquitted in him vertually, though there is another acquitting perſonally when they beleeve: At the very time of Chriſts Reſurrection, all the Elect were acquitted as in a head, yet I ſay, There is another acquitting from God in ones own perſon, that is upon beleeving: From hence that notable Scripture wee have in 1 Pet. 3.21. The like figure whereunto, even Baptiſm doth now ſave us (not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, but the anſwer of a good conſcience towards God) by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt.
What anſwer is this that the Apoſtle ſpeaks of? and how is this anſwer by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt?
The anſwer that here the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, it is an anſwer unto all demands that Gods Juſtice, that the Law, that the Devils can make, for any puniſhment that a ſinner hath deſerved: If Gods Juſtice ſhould ſay to a ſinner, Thou haſt ſinned, and therefore thou muſt dye, thou muſt bee puniſhed, thou muſt ſatisfie Juſtice.
If the Devil ſhould come and demand that the Threats of God ſhould bee fulfilled becauſe here is a ſinner.
If thine own conſcience ſhould in the Name of God demand that thou ſhouldeſt anſwer for thy ſin.
A good conſcience by the Reſurrectio… of Jeſus Chriſt, is able to make anſwer to all theſe demands: A good conſcience, that is, one that hath a good conſcience can make anſwer through Chriſts Reſurrection, and ſay, Why are theſe things demanded of mee? Chriſt hath ſatisfied for all, hee hath ſatisfied for my ſin, and paid my debt, and is riſen again. Hath not God the Father acquitted him in raiſing him from the dead, and therefore in him all is ſatisfied, and this is the anſwer I make to all the Bills that are put in againſt mee. If there bee Bills put in againſt m…n in any Court, they come and make anſwer; What ever Bill can bee put in againſt a beleever, if the Law of God, or any Temptation ſhould put in any Bill, ſaith a beleever, here is my anſwer, That all is ſatisfied in Chriſt: Now this is by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt; if Chriſt had dyed, yet if hee had not riſen again, thou couldeſt not have made anſwer, That all is done, all might have been doing, but thou couldeſt not have made anſwer that all is done; but by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, thou canſt make anſwer to any demand.
And obſerve, That this is the anſwer of a good conſcience. Men and women that talk ſo much of faith, and yet have evil conſciences, they cannot make this anſwer by the Reſurrection of Chriſt: Thoſe that tell you wee are to beleeve, and God looks at nothing elſe but beleeving: It is true, if they underſtand it aright, in the point of Juſtification, that is the thing that is for the juſtifying of a perſon, but there is ſomewhat more that is required of a juſtified perſon, and therefore no perſon can make this anſwer, by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, but ſuch a one as hath a good conſcience: The anſwer of a good conſcience (ſaith the Text) by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt: If thou haſt a corrupt and vilde wicked conſcience, thy conſcience flyes in thy face for ſins that thou liveſt in, know, that thou canſt never make anſwer (to thoſe demands that ſhall bee made againſt thee) by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, with any comfort, till thy conſcience comes to bee purified by faith: That is the wonder of Chriſts Reſurrection, mightily declared to bee the Son of God.
And in his Reſurrection, there is a Reſurrection of all the Saints, all the elect ones; for the Scripture ſaith, That hee was the firſt fruits from the dead, that is, that look as the firſt fruits did ſanctifie all the reſt, and all were conſecrated in the firſt fruits being offered to God: So all the elect ones in Chriſts Reſurrection did riſe again, I ſay, vertually in him, and it was a pledge of their Reſurrection, the Reſurrection of their ſouls ſpiritually to life here, and their Reſurrection to eternal life, and ſo wee are to exerciſe our faith upon Chriſts Reſurrection; this is the myſtery of godlineſs in Chriſts Reſurrection, and hence is that known place in 1 Tim. 3.16. Without controverſie, ſaith the Text, great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God was manifeſted in the fleſh, juſtified in the Spirit.
A wonderful myſtery there is in godlineſs; why what myſtery?
God was manifeſted in the fleſh, the Son of God came and took our nature upon him, that was wonderful, but this is as great a wonder as the other, Juſtifyed in the Spirit, it is all one as by being juſtified upon his Reſurrection, by the power of the Spirit hee was quickned, and life was put into him, and ſo hee roſe again, and thereby was declared before all the world to bee juſtified, to ſtand acquitted from all the charge of our ſins that was upon him; and ſo if you compare that place Juſtified in the Spirit, with that in 1 Pet. 3.18. Put to death in the fleſh, but quickned by the Spirit, that is, by the power of his God-head hee was quicked, upon his Reſurrection; now that that one Apoſtle ſaith (quickned) another ſaith (juſtified) to ſhew, that when hee was quickned, that is roſe again by the power of his Deity, then both hee, and all the elect ones ſtood juſt in the preſence of God, acquitted of all their ſins, and this is the myſtery of godlineſs.
There is abundance in every one of theſe, but it is not my purpoſe to handle the Reſurrection of Chriſt, or his Aſſention, but meerly to give you a little glimpſe of the myſtery of godlineſs that there is therein, that you may underſtand him aright, ſo as you may bee able to exerciſe your faith upon him, not onelyonly Dying and Humbled, but Conquering and Riſing.
Chriſt Wonderful in his Aſcention.
And for the Aſcention of Chriſt into heaven the manner of it was wonderful. There comes a cloud and carries him up, and the Diſciples ſtands gazing; it was a wonder to bee gazed at, the Aſcention of Jeſus Chriſt, body and ſoul into heaven, in that glorious way.
But eſpecially if wee conſider that Chriſt aſcended likewiſe as our head, aſcended into heaven as the High Prieſt went into the Holy of Holies: And it is ſaid, that wee are ſet together in heavenly places together with Chriſt, ſo you have it in Eph. 2.6. And hath raiſed us up together, and made us ſit together in heavenly places in …hriſt Jeſus: For Chriſt went as in our names to take poſſeſſion of heaven, this is the myſtery of godlineſs in Chriſts Aſcention: Hee went up to Heaven, but hee went in the name of the Elect to take poſſeſſion, as a man that hath bought houſe and lands, may have one appointed by him to go in his name to take poſſeſſion of the houſe and land, Jeſus Chriſt in the name of all the elect from the beginning of the world to the end, went up unto heaven to take poſſeſſion there, and on purpoſe to prepare Manſions for them againſt their coming: Thus wonderful was Chriſt in his Aſcention.
Chriſt ſitting at the right hand of the Father.
And in heaven Chriſt ſits at the right hand of the Father, thereby declaring that God the Father was well-pleaſed with all that hee hath done, becauſe hee ſets him at his right hand; after Chriſt had made an end of all his work, hee is ſaid to ſit down, in Heb. 10.12. This man after hee had offered one ſacrifice for ſins for ever, ſate down on the right hand of God; hee had done his work, and God the Father approves of him, and ſo honors him in ſetting him at his right hand, and there gives unto him all power to rule together with himſelf, as you heard in his Kingly Office, and there hee is to make Interceſſion continually for his Elect, and hath that weight of glory put upon him that is poſſible for humane nature to have put upon him, that is the meaning of ſitting at the right hand of God; theſe four things are meant by it.
Firſt, When hee came to heaven, God the Father, that hee might acknowledge that his Son had fully done the work that hee was ſent into the world about, hee doth honour him by ſetting him at his right hand.
Secondly, Hee gives unto him all Authority and Power to Reign together with himſelf.Matth. 28.18.
Thirdly, There hee is as the High Prieſt to make Interceſſion for his Saints, to bee their Advocate continually at the right hand of the Father to make Interceſſion for them.Heb. 7.25.
And then fourthly, It is to ſignifie that Chriſt hath the higheſt degree of glory, that it is poſſible for humane nature to bee capable of; Therefore you muſt not underſtand the right hand of God in a corporeal way, as if God had right hand or left, but ſitting ſo in thoſe four reſpects as I have named: And all theſe make Chriſt a wonderful Redeemer, hee that ſhall come up to God the Father in Heaven, and to have God own his being fully pleaſed with what hee did upon the Earth, and there ſetting him upon his own Throne, to reign with him, and there to bee for ever to make interceſſion for the Saints, and to have the height of all glory to bee beſtowed upon him; Certainly this is a wonderful Redeemer.
Chriſt wonderful in his coming to Judgement.
And then Chriſt ſhall in a wonderful manner come to judge the world again, then hee ſhall come to bee admired indeed; ſo you have it in 2 Theſ. 1.10.2 Theſ 1.10. When hee ſhall come to bee glorified in his Saints, and to bee admired in all them that beleeve: Thoſe that do beleeve in Chriſt, they ſee him to bee wonderful; now they do admire at him; but when hee ſhall come again in glory at the great day, then hee ſhall appear ſo wonderful, as they ſhall all ſtand admiring, and ſaying, Well wee indeed heard that our bleſſed Saviour was the wonder of the world, and wee ſaw ſo much as made us admire at his glory; but wee never thought that wee had had ſuch a glorious Saviour, as now wee ſee wee have; wonderful and glorious is Jeſus Chriſt now, but when hee ſhall come with his thouſand thouſands of Angels, and when there ſhall bee ſuch a wonderful change in the world, the Elements melt with fervent heat, and the Heavens depart like a ſcroul, and the Heavens and Earth ſhaken, and all the Princes and Monarks in the world, and all the children of men appearing before him: Oh wonderful then ſhall hee bee in his attendance, and then in his own perſon.
Wonderful ſhall hee bee then in the manner of his proceedings, in bringing forth all the books of Gods forbearance, and the books of mens conſcience, and the book of the word to proceed with men and Angels for their eternal eſtate, in this Chriſt will appear then to bee wonderful: Thus Chriſt is wonderful in his humiliation, and in his exaltation: But further, a word or two more.
Chriſt wonderful in his working towards his Saints, and in the high eſteem that the Saints have of him.
Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, who would not fear thee, O thou King of Saints! The great things that Chriſt doth in the world towards his Churches, are wonderful, and the great eſteem his Saints have of him, they account all things as dung and droſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt.
And hee ſhall bee wonderful eternally hereafter in the higheſt Heavens, and there hee will bee the matter of the wonder of all the Angels and Saints; and the matter of the admiration, and the praiſes that God ſhall have to all eternity, it ſhall bee from what the Angels and Saints do ſee in Jeſus Chriſt; therefore ſurely hee will bee wonderful in Heaven.
And then wonderful, when the underſtandings of the Saints ſhall bee elevated to the higheſt pitch that they are capable of: ſometimes wee do wonder at things, becauſe of our ignorance; ignorant people will wonder almoſt at any thing; at the works of Arts and Sciences, they wonder, becauſe they know but little, but now that, that the moſt underſtanding man in the world ſhall wonder at, certainly it hath ſome great excellency in it: Now Chriſt ſhall not bee the wonder of the Saints onelyonly while they are here in in this world, but when they ſhall bee in Heaven, and have their underſtandings enlightened and enlarged to the height that poſſibly they can bee enlarged to, and yet even then Chriſt ſhall bee their wonder, and they ſhall wonder at Chriſt more than they do now abundantly: Certainly that hath real excellency in it indeed, and great excellency, that the more underſtanding a man is, the more hee ſhall admire at it: perhaps poor people they may wonder at ſome men for their parts, yet if they had any great underſtanding themſelves, they would ſee ſuch a mans parts had little in them; but if a man had ſuch parts, that the more any man came to underſtand him, the higher in degree their underſtandings were, the more they ſhould wonder, certainly this man had a great deal of excellency in him indeed: So it is in Chriſt, that when the Saints ſhall bee elevated to the height, they ſhall ſo much the more admire at him.
Further, In Heaven Chriſt ſhall bee wondred at for ever; many things are wondred at for the preſent, I but the wonder quickly ceaſes; wee uſe to ſay of ſtrange things, they are but of nine daies wonder, but Jeſus Chriſt is not onelyonly a wonder at firſt, when the ſoul comes firſt to embrace Jeſus Chriſt: It is true, poor ſinners at their firſt embracing Jeſus Chriſt, for the very novelty of thoſe things they ſee in him, they do admire at them, they never did underſtand ſuch things before; but the truth is, if that grace bee true, thou ſhalt not onelyonly wonder when thou comeſt to Chriſt at firſt, at the excellency in him, but the longer thou continueſt a Beleever, the more thou wilt wonder; and when thou comeſt to Heaven, after thouſand millions of millions of years, thou wilt wonder as much at him as thou didſt the firſt moment; thoſe men that have made profeſſion of Religion, and ſeem'd to come to Chriſt, they wonder at firſt hearing of the Goſpel, like the ſtony-ground, that received the word with joy, Oh how wonderfully are they affected at the firſt hearing of the glorious things of the Goſpel! but now mark, their wonder quickly ceaſes, and their joy ceaſes within a little while; they do not now ſee ſo great excellency to admire at it, neither have they ſo great joy; but where there is true Faith, there the ſoul doth not onelyonly wonder at Chriſt, at his firſt comming to Chriſt, but ſtill more and more to all eternity.
And now my Brethren, mee thinks that all wonders in the world ſhould lye by a while, upon this wonder of Chriſts being preſented to you; and as wee read in Dan. 6. of one that came in a viſion, and ſaid, Gabriel, make this man to underſtand the viſio…; ſo ſhall I call to a Gabriel? no, to Jeſus Chriſt, to the Immanuel, hee that is the great wonder; Oh bleſſed bleſſed Redeemer, make theſe ſouls to underſtand theſe things, to underſtand ſomewhat of this wonder; wee have many wonders of our own, and wee tell this and that news, but O that Chriſt would but ſhew himſelf now to your ſouls, that you may underſtand ſomewhat of this wonder, that your hearts may bee for ever taken off from wondring at any thing in this world: I have ſeen, ſaith David, an end of all perfection, but thy Law is very broad: So wee may ſay, and the heart would ſay that were brought to Chriſt, Oh Lord, I have ſeen an end of all the great things in the world, but Jeſus Chriſt is very great and glorious indeed, it is hee that hath darkened all the glory that there is in the world, but now I may ſay of all theſe things, as it is ſaid of Daniel, in chap. 12. verſ. 10. None of the wicked ſhall underſtand, but the wiſe ſhall underſtand theſe things that are ſpoken of Chriſt; the wicked they will not underſtand, thoſe that God hath not given unto Jeſus Chriſt will not underſtand, but they will bee content to part with Chriſt for any thing for all this: O deteſtable wickedneſs that there is in the heart of man, that after this that hath been revealed to you about Chriſt, ſo much of his glory held forth for the wonder of the world, that after this yet thou ſhouldeſt prize thy baſe luſts before all the good and the glory that there is in Jeſus Chriſt: certainly that man or woman muſt needs have the Angels in Heaven, and all the Saints to acknowledge the righteous judgement of God in the condemnation of them, that hath lived under the Goſpel, and hath heard what a wonderful Saviour is come into the world, if ſuch a one ſhould yet go away, and prize a baſe filthy luſt before all the good and glory that there is in Jeſus Chriſt; take heed of this: certainly if it bee ſo, if any of you bee found at the great day ſtill going on in the waies of known fins, this will bee your charge,
You lived in ſuch a place wherein you heard that my Son was the great wonder of the world, and glorious things were ſhewed you, to allure you to beleeve in him, and yet hee was nothing in your eyes, but your own vile luſts were more glorious in your eyes: O juſt and righteous is the condemnation of this creature for ever; certainly the ſin of unbeleef, the ſin of rejection of Jeſus Chriſt muſt needs bee a dreadful ſin, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt is ſo great a wonder as you have heard.