England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 24
Coloſs. 1.17, He is before all things, &c.
LIke to this is that expreſſion of Chriſt. Before Abraham was I am. They are expreſſions onelyonly competent to Chriſt as God, and put us to ſpeak of that which is altogether above us, to wit, the Eternitie of Chriſt.
Eternitie is continuation without termination, quae nnllo tempore finitur, that is bounded with no time. Melchiſedeck is made a ſhadow of eternitie, he is ſaid to be without beginning of dayes and end of life. You may call eternity life, for 'tis an eſſentiall attribute to the higheſt life: but then you cannot meaſure this life by dayes and years, no not by beginning nor endding, for 'tis without both ſaith the holy Ghoſt, Without beginning of dayes or end of life: Eternitie is a life of and to it ſelf, without term or dependance, any denomination from any thing without it ſelf. You may denominate ſome things by ſome accidents that belong to them, as long, ſhort, great, little, but eternity is without all accident, and can be called by none of theſe, neither long nor ſhort, great nor little, but what it is eſſentially within it ſelf, a life without all term, a life everlaſting; a life from everlaſting to everlaſting: and ſuch a life did Chriſt live whileſt on earth, a life that had no term, that was before all things, and after all things.
Eternall life is conſiſtent with humanity, though not with iniquity, with humane nature, though not with ſinfull nature. The God-head dwelt bodily with us, that is, in our nature dwelt that life which is eternall; that is, of and to it ſelf without any term, dependance or denomination, but from it ſelf. There is principium ordinis, & principium temporis, a beginning of order, and this is competent to Chriſt as the Sonne of God: Firſt the Father, and then the Sonne. There is a beginning of time, and this is competent to Chriſt as the Sonne of man: but principium eſſentiae, a beginning in regard of that eſſence and life, which is the ſame in all the three Perſons, ſo there is none: The Father is eternall, the Sonne eternall, and the holy Ghoſt eternall, without termination, or denomination known to us: The Sunne is appointed for times and ſeaſons, for dayes, and moneths, and years, Gen. 1. 'Tis a long met-yard to meaſure the Heavens which is wonderfull ſpacious, and it doth it ſpeedily; 'tis menſura motus, the meaſure of all motion above and below; but there is no meaſure for eternity but it ſelf, but the Sonne of righteouſneſſe who fully comprehendeth his own being, in all the properties of it: it can be put under no definition in our terms, and ſo conſequently into no humane conception, and therefore when ſpoken of 'tis very brokenly, and yet as may beſt reach to your apprehenſion, as calling it ſomething before the eldeſt thing you can think of. He is before all things.
As Chriſt is in being ſo in office, the one giveth fitneſſe to the other: He is a King eternall, a Prieſt for ever after the order of Melchiſedeck. Every being hath proper action; as Chriſt is he doth, he hath eternall life, and doth eternall actions; he bleſſeth for ever, curſeth for ever; he blotteth out ſinne for ever, and writeth down ſinne for ever; Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, that will not heare the Law of the Lord. Eſay 30.8.9. If thou forſake him he will caſt thee off for ever, 1. Chron. 28.9. The works I do they bear witneſſe of me, ſaith Chriſt, when he would convince them of what a being he was. As things are ſo they act, ſuch a life generateth ſuch a life. Whoſoever ſhall drink of the waters that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirst, but the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be in him a well of water ſpringing up to everlaſting life.
Our dutie muſt be ſuited to Chriſts being and moving, both which are for ever, and ſo muſt our obedience be. I will extoll thee my God O King, and I will bleſſe thy Name for ever and ever, Pſalm, 145.1. the being and moving of Chriſt ſhould not be ſeparated, his Perſon and Office ſhould go joynt, and anſwerablely be obſerved in converſation; God and King are here coupled together by the Pſalmiſt, and Chriſt as God and King lifted and extolled: I will extoll thee O God my King. Chriſt is eternall in both, and in all other attributes, he is God-King, and God-Prieſt, and God-Prophet, that is, of ſuitable action in all theſe Offices to the nature of an eternall life, of a God-life (I may ſo ſpeak) and therefore ought joyntly ſtill to be conſidered and obſerved. Naughty hearts ſuſpend duty at pleaſure, they conſider not with whom they have to do; to day they will be holy, to morrow they will not, and in this undoe themſelves for ever, as falling under an eternall ſtroke. Beings and Offices over us muſt be acknowledged as they are; they are eternall, and muſt be obeyed eternally: Ever follow that which is good, Theſ. 5.15. Religion if it coſt you money, or if it coſt you bloud, yet you muſt obey, for he that liveth for ever, will otherwiſe make you die for ever. O England, take heed of eternall blows, if thou wave thy fidelity to Chriſt, to wave temporall ſtrokes, thou wilt have eternall ſtroakes, thou wilt be judged as Elies houſe for ever, and as the Churches in the Eaſt with a perpetuall deſolation, and Ziim and Ochim ſhall dance here, and thou ſhalt heare the voyce of the Turtle no more for ever, Eſay 13. Thy bending affrighteth me more then thy bleeding; but I ſpare thee O weak England. Truth ſhould be managed according to its nature, and according to its Father; 'tis eternall, and ſo muſt we cleave to it; if thou canſt not receive this, the Lord have mercy upon thee England.
I leave generalls and ſpeak to particulars: 'tis an eternall God ye have to do with, he is before all things, and will be after all things, wherefore tremble, and conſider your ſtate every one, what eternall things are done upon you. An eternall agent, hath an eternall ſubject to work upon; your ſouls are everlaſting, and there Chriſt ſpecially worketh, as moſt ſuitable to him: little is to be heeded what is done without, in compariſon of what is done within: you complain of many ſtrokes upon your ſtates, names, bodies, but is there not a ſtroke of ſtrokes, an eternall ſtroke upon your ſouls? Hence forth let fruit never be on thee more, Ah Lord! here is an eternall God, ſtriking a ſtroke like himſelf! Barren ſouls, is not this eternall ſtroke ſtrucken upon you? You of this congregation (let me waſh my hands of your bloud, ere my glaſſe amongſt you be quite out) what hath my eternall maſter done in your eternall ſouls by the eternall words which he hath ſpoken by me, ſince the day I came amongſt you? Are not your hearts the ſame? as ſowre, as bitter, as cold, as carnall, as worldly as ever? Are not theſe ſymptomes of an eternall ſtroke, that God hath curſed you for your barrenneſſe under brave means, which you a long while have had, never to be otherwiſe then you are? Take time to give me an anſwer, till I come to this place again.
Chriſt being eternall, eternall mercy may be had, if wanted by any people, and with more content to Chriſt then leſſer things: great perſons delight to give like themſelves. He asked life of thee, and thou gaveſt him long life, even life for ever more: As for naturall life, Chriſt maketh nothing of this gift. David thought that to beg naturall life had been a great requeſt, and no doubt but he would have accounted this much in ſome ſtraights but God maketh nothing of this, as being not to give like himſelf. An eternall God loveth to give eternally; The gift of God is eternall life. This is the priviledge of the generation of them that ſeek him; they ask ſmall things, and he giveth great; they ask one thing, and he giveth them a better; they ask like themſelves, and he giveth like himſelf. Tender hearts are afraid to ask great things, but it ſhould not be, for 'tis moſt becoming him with whom we have to do, and you will ſooner get him to give audience about ſuch things, then about petty temporary things. Kings will not be moved in ſmall things, but in matters which beſeem their greatneſſe, to this they are ready. Our God is ready to give the leaſt good thing we need, to tender every hair, and every leaf, His leaf ſhall not wither; but he is moſt delighted to give the things that are moſt like him. When Jacob wreſtleth in a caſe of naturall life, the Angel would fain get gone: doubtleſſe his petition lay too low, for the Text ſaith, he was greatly afraid, and had there not been ſomething wrapt up in the buſineſſe, that had an eternall reſpect, and which the Angel at this time did more look to then Jacob did, doubtleſſe Chriſt would have got away: he would not have been troubled with Jacob all night onelyonly about the naturall life of him and his. Let weak ſouls remember the carriage of the King to Heſter, when ſhe cometh upon matters of weight; the golden Scepter is held out, and ſhe toucheth it; What wilt thou Queen Heſter? It ſhadoweth out what Chriſt is to his Church, ready to give things of weight, ſuch a royall life and ſtate to his Church, as he hath himſelf, and to continue it againſt all Hamans.