The Greatness of the Mystery of Godliness, Sermons · Sermon 2
SERMON II.
1 TIM. 3.16.
God manifested in the fleſh, &c.
I Am now come to theſe particulars, wherein the Apoſtle layes down the greatneſſe of the Myſtery of godlineſſe; he might well elevate his voice, and accent his words when he was to ſpeak of ſuch deep things; to call it a great Myſtery. Godlineſſe in generall is a myſtery, and every thing contained in it, grace and the actings of ſo many myſteries. But here indeed lyes the greatneſſe of the myſtery, that is paſſing all knowledge, that God is manifeſted in the fleſh, juſtified in the ſpirit.
So that the Apoſtle ſummes up all the myſtery of godlineſſe in theſe ſix particulars.
Before I come to handle each diſtinctly, know in generall, that all that is ſpoken of here in this myſterious enumeration of particulars, it is ſpoken of, in reference to Jeſus Chriſt, he is the ſumme and ſubject of it. For God manifeſted in the fleſh, was no other then Chriſt, who was alſo juſtified in the ſpirit, and who is Preached unto the Gentiles, and who is beleeved on in the World, &c. They all are ſo many ſeverall openings of Chriſt, according to the ſeverall waies he may be apprehended,
Chriſt is the myſtery wrapt up in all the myſteries of the Goſpell; he comprehends all the circumference of godlineſſe; he is the ſcope of all the Scriptures, the Pearle hid in the large Field of God's word. Every line is drawn to him, as the centre, all things and perſons in the old world were types of him, all the Prophets propheſied of him, all the New Teſtament ſpeaks of him, all the Saints are joyn'd to him, all Gods love runs thorough him, all graces and gifts flow from him, the whole eye of God is upon him, his great deſignes in Heaven and Earth meet in him; as man is an Epitome of the whole world, ſo is Chriſt of all religion. Eph. 1.10. There is an foreign, a ſumming up of all things in Heaven and Earth, in Jeſus Chriſt. If you look on the Creation, the world was made by Chriſt, Col. 1.15, 16, 17. on evidences, all things ſubſiſt in Chriſt, have their being and well being in him: If you eye what is the end of all things, why it is Chriſt; all things made for him: Look againe how all things are redeemed, why God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world, 2 Cor. 6. Will you know where to finde God? why, he is in Chriſt. Will you know what is Heaven? it is to be with Chriſt; Phil. 1. Whence comes the ſpirit but from Chriſt. what doth the ſpirit do in the World? He ſhall glorifie Chriſt, for he ſhall take of mine, Joh. 16. What is the ſubject of the Old & New Teſtament, but a Chriſt to come, and come? What is the end of preaching, but to bring men to Chriſt? What uſe of ordinances, but to ſet forth Chriſt? Chriſt is the great center between Heaven and Earth, God, Angels, Men, and all creatures meet in him, and are all vertually in him. What is in the Saints, but Chriſt? What doe the Saints love and beleeve in, but Chriſt? He is the fulneſſe of him that fils all in all. 1 Epheſ. ult.
Uſe. Let all creatures ſtand and gaze, and wonder and admire at Jeſus Chriſt, he is the great wonder of knowledge. Oh, how ſhould all our hearts be contracted in the beholding Jeſus Chriſt! What delight ſhould ſoules take in the ſtudying of this Chriſt? Saints, turne your eyes on the Lord, and ſee his glory. Whatever you know in the world, labour to know him: He is the myſtery of all the glory of God. When thou haſt ſought over all the world, all the Goſpell, thou ſhalt find God laying out nothing but Chriſt; all relations are found in Chriſt, all excellencies are gathered up in him, as beames in the Sun. Come poor ſoule, whoſe eyes run two and fro the world to find comforts and happineſſe, caſt thy eye back, and ſee Heaven and Earth in one, and look what ever thy vaſt thoughts can fancie, not only to be in this world, but in the world to come; or if thou canſt imagine more variety, ſee that, and infinitely more ſhining forth from the perſon of the Lord Jeſus. Miniſters muſt cry up Chriſt; Saints muſt adore him, Angels muſt ſtand amazed at him, all creatures muſt vaile all their glory to him: Here is an object of love, a compendium of all glories; here is one for a heart to be taken with, that is made of nothing but of ſeverall myſteries of glory.
Well might the Apoſtle; 1 Cor. 2.2. Phil. 3. deſire to know nothing but Jeſus Chriſt; to account all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt, he knew all things in him,
Oh what mad men are ſinners, which reject this Chriſt, they ſlight all at once; nothing is ever to be had without Chriſt, nothing but in Chriſt. Why ſtand you gazing on the toyes of this world, when ſuch a Chriſt is offered you in the Goſpell? Can the world die for you? can the world bring God to you? can the world advance you to Heaven?
Oh, let all cry out, none but Chriſt, ſtuddy nothing but Chriſt, goe to nothing but Chriſt, admire nothing but Chriſt; as he is the ſumme and ſubſtance of all things, ſo let him be the full and compleat ſubject of your Faith and Love, and Joyes and Delights; the more you ſee him, the more your hearts will be loſt in love to him; you may ſee every day new myſteries of Love and Beauty in Jeſus Chriſt, new depths of wiſdome and fulneſſe. Oh, how could the Apoſtle chooſe when he thought of Chriſt, but break out as he did: Let them be Anathema Maranatha, that love not the Lord Jeſus. Curſed for ever be thoſe ſoules, that cannot love ſuch a Chriſt; there can be no curſe too dreadfull.
But ſo much only in the generall, which yet is worth your obſervation.
The particulars in themſelves are ſo glorious, as they dazle my eyes; ſomething might be ſaid of them, but the depth and glory of them, can never be expreſt.
To begin with the firſt.
God manifeſt in fleſh.
This is the bottome of all the myſteries in the Goſpell; every word ſpeaks Paradoxes, God manifeſted is wonderfull, for no man ever ſaw God at any time; But God manifeſted in fleſh, that is a contradiction; it is more abſurd to nature, then to ſay, a ſpirit is fleſh: God hath gone beyond us exceedingly in the work of our own ſalvation; yet becauſe that the thing is made known, we muſt pry into the myſtery of it, and of all the myſteries in the Goſpell, this is the firſt and greateſt, the foundation of all the reſt. In the opening of it, we muſt obſerve;
1. What is meant by God.
2. What by God manifeſted.
3. What by fleſh, and the manifeſtation in fleſh.
4. How God hath manifeſted himſelfe in fleſh.
5. The eminency of this manifeſtation above all other.
6. The myſtery of all this.
For the firſt: By God, is not meant God eſſentially, the very God-head indefinitely, but God perſonally in ſuch a perſon; though the whole god-head be included, yet it is manifeſted but in one Perſon; to wit, the ſecond Perſon Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe all actions are done by Perſons, not by Natures: Therefore, this is a manifeſtation of God in his owne Son. God's eſſence was never manifeſted, no man ever ſaw God, only, the onelyonly begotten Son.
He that came out of his boſome to reveale him: And this is none other, but an exact deſcription of Chriſt, which is, God manifeſt in the fleſh.
Now ſecondly; by God is not barely meant an apparition of God in fleſh, which he meant to lay downe againe upon an occaſion; but as the word ſignifies paſſively, conſpicuus factus est in carne, is made known and cleer to us in fleſh. This manifeſtation notes not a tranſcient shew of God to us, but a cleer and conſtant demonſtration of God, and the only great and glorious firſt way of the manifeſting God unto us, as the word ſignifies, a making of a thing to ſhine as the Sun to our eyes, that convinceth every man, of what he ſeeth: And this not only as a glimpſe of God, which was very glorious, and ſo away; but as the cleereſt and richeſt way of diſcovery, that ever was, or ſhould be in this world.
But thirdly, VVhat this fleſh ſhould be is a myſtery. Fleſh is taken ſeverall ways in Scripture.
Firſt, For ſinne, and its ſinfull Nature we have.
See the luſts of the fleſh, that cannot be here meant, God hath made no appearance of himſelfe in ſin.
Secondly, Fleſh taken for our humane Nature.
All fleſh have corrupted their waies, Gen. 6. That is, all men, their Natures are defiled. So Rom. 7. in my fleſh, dwels no good thing, that is, in my Nature, either in ſoule or body, or both.
Thirdly, Fleſh is commonly taken for the weakneſſe and infirmities of that Nature; All fleſh is graſſe, and the glory of it as the flower. 1 Pet. 1.
And the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaking of the Aegyptian Horſes, tels you, that they are fleſh and not ſpirit, it is weak and not ſtrong. So that,
Fourthly, How hath God manifeſted himſelfe in fleſh, not in the firſt ſence, but the two latter, in appearing in our Nature, in taking our infirmities and weakneſſe, ſutable unto that Nature, (ſin ſtill excepted.) And what is here called the manifeſtation of God in fleſh, is in other Scriptures parallell explain'd. As he is ſaid to be Immanuell, God with us. Mat. 2. How can that be, but only becauſe of being in the ſame common Nature with us. It is ſaid, the word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us. 1 John 14. it is the ſame phraſe with this; for the word was God. v. 1. And yet it was made fleſh, not that there was any tranſmutation of God into fleſh, that was blaſphemy, but only by reaſon of the union of fleſh to him who was God.
This is farther expreſt in the Apoſtle to the Hebrews Heb. 2.16. He took not on him, the Nature of Angels, but the ſeed of Abraham. (foreign) He aſſumed not to himſelfe; that is, God did manifeſt himſelfe, or appeared in any Angelicall Nature, but in the Nature of men; And was made in all things like unto us, ſin only excepted.
There is another cleer place, Phil. 2.6, 7, 8. Which the Apoſtle urgeth about the manner of this diſcovery, that Chriſt, though he were in the forme of God, and thought it no robbery (that is, did God no wrong to ſay he was equall with him) yet aſſumed or took on him, or appeared in the forme or the likeneſſe of a ſervant, it is our Nature which was in ſubjection and ſervitude unto God.
So that now this manifeſtation of God in fleſh, is no other then God in the ſecond perſon, aſſuming to himſelfe the humane Nature, and ſo revealing himſelfe to men, ſutably to their condition; and this is Chriſt. This manifeſtation is an effect of Gods aſſumption of our Nature; ſo that this expreſſion literally imports:
1. The aſſuming of our Nature, and the union with God; God taking up us to himſelfe as one, in our common Nature.
2. The full diſcovery of God to us, in our owne Nature, God acting forth his glory in our owne fleſh.
And al this is ſtil but to denote out Chriſt, who is the perſon ſet forth in the Goſpell, who was with God, and was God, and dwelt among us, as the Apoſtle ſaith; that is, took up his Tabernacle of fleſh in our Nature, thereby to converſe with us: Yet many would faine wreſt this Scripture from the perſon of Chriſt; for ſome of the old Interpreters, as Beza obſerves; leave out (foreign) and put in only (foreign) quod manifeſtè eſt) omit God, and put in which myſtery manifeſted in fleſh, thereby to take off the glory of Chriſts as God. Eraſm. by fleſh, here he underſtands the whole world, and by manifeſtation the Goſpell, intimating that this is the myſtery, that God ſhould be manifeſted to the world, but that is contrary unto this place, for he afterwards ſpeaks of the Preaching of it to the Gentiles, that is, to the whole world.
It is doubtleſſe, meant of God as in our Nature, making up the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt; and this will yet appeare if you conſider the
4 Thing; that this was the greateſt manifeſtation of God, that ever was; God was manifeſted in nothing like this; for look firſt over the manifeſtation of God in the firſt creation, there was but only ſome outſide of God's glory diſcovered, nothing of Gods Nature: The whole world never ſaw what God was, truly by that: Indeed the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom 1. That the inviſible things of God, were knowne by the things that are made, even God's eternall power and wiſdome; but theſe were manifeſted in an ordinary and common way; as a Picture ſhewes the art of the Painter, but yet you may not know his perſon. But in this, God himſelfe is manifeſted; for firſt, here is not only ſo much of God manifeſted, as humane nature it ſelfe could demonſtrate, for then it had been a poor manifeſtation of God, who can ſee God, in ſeeing all the men in the world, or in all the Saints in the world, in their fleſh; but it ſets out a ſpeciall way of aſſumption of our Nature unto the perſon of Chriſt, who was God making theſe two natures, but one perſon.
2. This manifeſtation was in union of fleſh in the neereſt way to God himſelfe; not as a lanthorne to hold the light only of God's glory; but as one intire perſon, to repreſent what God is in himſelfe; all the whole world was never united to God before, though God did manifeſt ſome thing to our Nature, as to Adam, yet God did never unite any creature to himſelfe before, and though God was manifeſt to fleſh, yet never in flesh before; that is the great myſtery. God is manifeſt to his Saints, but he is not manifeſted in the flesh or in the Nature of any but Jeſus Chriſt. This is ſo great a manifeſtation, as that God is become man, as it were by reaſon of the union of their Natures; the word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us; as if God had relinquished his own Name and Nature, and loſt himſelfe in our Nature; he was found in the forme of a ſervant. Now let us but thinke what a manifeſtation of God this muſt be, which is God not only letting forth himſelfe in a way of communication, but God in union with the ſame Nature which we are in: Therefore Chriſt is called the expreſſe image of the perſon of the Father, not an image as he was the ſecond perſon meerly; for ſo he was not the image, but God himſelfe; but an image, becauſe in that union of our Nature with God, there was the exacteſt diſcovery of God himſelfe, as poſſible could be to the creature.
2 Cor. 3 ult. Therefore Chriſt is called a glaſſe, wherein a man may with open face, behold the bright glory of God. But
6. How great muſt this myſtery needes be; God manifeſted in fleſh? how is that poſſible? fleſh hides God, he is of a ſpirituall Nature; it is as much as to ſay the Sun manifeſted in a cloud, or light manifeſt in darkneſſe: I confeſſe, my heart could rather ſtand and admire, then ſpeak any thing more. What ever is a medium of conveyance of any thing in Nature, muſt be proportion'd unto the thing it diſcovers; as the aire, not a mud wall conveys the light of the Sun to us; fleſh and God; what proportion is there between them; let fleſh be but thought, God muſt needs be forgotten, for they are at an infinite diſtance, yea, contrary; yet this is the myſtery.
1. God not only ſetting our himſelfe thorough fleſh in a tranſient way, ſhining thorough it, but being made fleſh, being one with fleſh.
2. Not in innocent Nature, but in the likeneſſe of ſinfull Nature, Rom. 8.3. To manifeſt himſelfe in the fleſh of Rebels and Traytours, and honour that fleſh which had ſo ſinned, and was ſo polluted: this is a myſtery.
3. To act in this Nature in the world, to dye, and be deſpiſed, and ſuffer the utmoſt contradiction of ſinners, who is able to fathom the depth of this myſtery? As one ſaith of the Trinity, they were like three ſiſters, which ſpun one piece of a garment, and only one weares it; ſo had all theſe three an hand in the making of this Nature, but only Chriſt the ſecond Perſon weares it, and all their glory is laid out in it; how one Perſon could be God and man; how God ſhould be put to death in our Nature, to reconcile us to himſelfe, fleſh filled with the fulneſſe of God, is beyond the apprehenſion of men and Angels to declare. But we may tell that it is ſo, and admire it as we ſpeake. Bleſſedneſſe to be made a curſe, Heaven let downe into Hell, the God of the world ſhutting himſelfe up, as it were in a body, the inviſible God made viſible to ſenſe; he which hath all things in Heaven and Earth at his command, not have a houſe in the world, glory it ſelfe of no comelineſſe: What ſhall I ſay, all things become nothing, making it ſelfe of no reputation? And a thouſand more ſuch paradoxes are wrapt up in this one expreſſion. Oh how great a depth is in this glorious deſign of God; he was manifeſted to Adam, to Moſes, and many others; but here was his utmoſt manifeſtation in our fleſh.
For the nature of this manifeſtation, know:
1. It is not a bare manifeſtation of ſome attributes of God, but it is a manifeſtation of God in his own nature; the fulneſſe of the God-head dwelt in Chriſt bodily or really, Col. 2. Not that God is circumſcribed in our Nature, but that the God-head it ſelfe is united to Chriſts body, and dwels in it, fils it, and abides upon him.
2. Neither is it a manifeſtation of God abſolutely, as in himſelfe; but as in order to reconciliation and ſalvation of ſoule. For God might have been manifeſted elſe in our fleſh to have conſumed us: But as the Apoſtle ſaith, God was in Chriſt, reconciling the World to himſelfe. That is, God was in Chriſts Nature, as a God in order to the reconciling poor ſoules; and this is the great myſtery. God was offended by our Nature, and God takes that Nature on himſelfe, to reconcile us to himſelfe, by himſelfe. God himſelfe will pay the price, out of his own glory, for our offences only aſſumes our Nature, (as if it ſhould be thought to act it out for us) and joines it to his ſonne, and cals that Chriſt, and this is the Goſpell-notion of Chriſt, God manifeſt in fleſh, in order to the reconciliation of poor ſoules. Thus God muſt ſatisfie himſelfe, and ſave us, himſelfe only takes our Nature to doe it in, and cals it Chriſt a Saviour, when it is none other then God himſelfe in our Nature, tranſacting our peace.
This manifestation is a peculiar one.
For
Firſt, God was never manifeſted as one with fleſh before; he was not one with Adam's Nature, or with any of the firſt Creation; but this is a manifeſtation of ownneſſe
Secondly, God never manifeſted himſelfe in his God-head before, in ſuch a manner: many of his glorious attributes were ſeen and diſcovered, as his wiſdome, power; But no man ſaw God at any time, the only begotten Sonne revealed him, and the fulneſſe of the God-head dwelt in no Nature bodily, but in our Nature which Chriſt had.
Thirdly, God never manifeſted himſelfe in ſuch a ſtraine of love, as in our fleſh; it was the higheſt manifeſtation of Love, that ever was, that God loved our very Nature ſo, as to be one with us; herein was his love manifeſted, and commended indeed, that he would come down in our Nature to us. And as one ſaid well, God did ſo love the very Nature of his Elect, that though he had them not all with him in Heaven for the preſent, yet he muſt have their picture, of their own Nature in his Sonne, to ſee them in, and love them.
1. Ʋſe. Then here is ſtill ground of new admiration and wonder to ſoules; God is come downe, and hath left as it were his owne habitation, to dwell amo… the ſonnes of men: This is the firſt and great myſtery of the Goſpell. God out of infinite goodneſſe, would make a revelation of himſelfe to the world; to doe it in his pure glory, would conſume all fleſh, eſpecially ſeeing it was to be a manifeſtation unto ſinners; but he cloths himſelfe with fleſh, with our own Nature, and ſo appears to us, as in infinite love and ſweetneſſe; there be many great deſignes in this one.
1. By this he takes away the diſtance between his majeſty and us, for he is now become Immanuell, God with us. The thoughts of God would have been ſufficient terror; we could never have come nigh God, for we were infinitely below him. But now, Gods taking up our Nature as one with himſelfe, and appearing as in our own form and likeneſſe, hath broken down the wall of partition in Nature, as that which takes away the dwelling nature of Gods glory, yet reflects the reall ſweetneſſe of it to us.
2. By this, God would indeare and ſweeten himſelfe to his poor creature, and fit a way of ſweet converſe with us; if God had manifeſted himſelfe in his own naked glory, ſtill while we are ſinners, we ſhould not only be daz'led, but ſhrunk up to nothing; to ſee the Sun as it ſhines in its owne luſtre, would ſpoile the ſight of the ſtrongeſt eye.
But to look upon it, as in an eclipſe in water, or thorough a glaſſe, that is not offenſive; to conſider God in himſelfe, is to have our ſoules ſwallowed up, but to look on God in our nature, brings down his glory to our eye, and wooes us to behold it.
3. By this God hath raiſed up a ſtatue and viſible monument of his own infinite love to his Elect for ever: For rather then they ſhall want a ſutable diſcovery of himſelfe, he will come and take up their owne nature, and be called after their names, as if he would be any thing to ſhew his love. This is the fulleſt viſible demonſtration of God's love that ever was: It was more for God to take our nature, then ſimply to ſave us, more then let a out bare mercy, and grace in it ſelfe. For a King to ſave a murtherer from the Gallowes, by his owne prerogative, and diſpence with the Law, is not ſuch an act of love and mercy, as to take the murtherers clothes, and weare them as his richeſt livery, and give as a mark of honour, to his owne Sonne, and to make an honourable order of the rags of that garment, as that King did of a Garter. God hath done more in taking our Nature; what love was this, that God will be no more God, as it were ſimply, but take up another Nature, rather then the brightneſſe of his owne glory ſhall undoe us.
4. By this God would ſhew what he means to bring us unto; he took our nature up to himſelfe, as a pattern or type of what he would bring all Saints unto; God is come down in our likeneſſe, to bring us up into his likeneſſe. Nature was never ſo advanced; it is the higheſt glory that is poſſible to be put upon nature, it is more then to fill all our ſouls with a fulneſſe of grace; for our nature is united in a perſonall union with the ſecond perſon, then which there cannot be more glory. What a faire ſtep is now made, for the bringing the perſon up to the injoyment of God.
Oh, let none ſay now, that God is not willing to ſave ſoules, who is come down ſo low, as live among us; ſay not who ſhall goe up to Heaven to bring downe God, or downe unto the deeps to fetch him up. God is nigh you, even in your owne fleſh: You may but turne about, and ſee God manifeſted to your owne eyes; we preach not fancy, when we lay out the riches of Gods glory in love and mercy. But as the Apoſtle ſaith, what we have ſeen, and what we have felt and taſted, that we declare unto you, 1 Joh. 1.1, 2, 3. Say not unbelieving ſoule, how shall I come nigh God; why God is come to thee, he dwels in the Tabernacles of men. In a word, God is manifeſted in our flesh, that our flesh may be taken up into his fulneſſe.