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Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680. 
The works of Thomas Goodwin 



NICHOL'S SERIES OF STANDARD DIVINES. 



PDEITAN PERIOD. 



THE 



WORKS OF THOMAS GOODWIN, D.D. 

VOL. IV. 



COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. 



W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational 
Union, Edinburgh. 

JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh. 

THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, 
Edinburgh. 

D. T. K. DRUMMOND, JO.., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, 
Edinburgh. 

WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church 
History, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh. 

ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presby- 
terian Church, Edinburgh. 



(Stnrral ©tutor. 
REV. THOMAS SMITH, M.A., Edinburgh. 



THE WORKS 



THOMAS GOODWIN, D.D., 

SOMETIME PRESIDENT OF MAGDALENE COLLEGE, OXFOBD. 



Mitlj ®mtxd frefare 

By JOHN C. MILLER, D.D., 

LINCOLN COLLEGE: HONORARY CAVON OF WORCESTER: RECTOR OF ST MARTIN'S, BIRMINGHAM. 

gjitr HUnroir 

BY ROBERT HALLEY, D.D., 

PRINCIPAL OF THE 1NDIPENDEKT NEW COLLEGE, LONDON. 



TOL. IV. 

CONTAINING : 

CHRIST SET FORTH 

THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN TOWARDS SINNERS ON EARTH 

AGGRAVATION OF SIN ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH 

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL A DISCOURSE OF THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL - 

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 



EDINBURGH : JAMES NICKOL. 

LONDON : JAMES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN : W. ROBERTSON. 
MONTREAL : B. DAWSON & SON. 



M.DCCC.LXH. 



EDINBURGH 

PRINTED BY JOHN GREIG AND 80N 

OLD PHTSIC GARDENS. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Christ Set Forth, on Rom. viii. 34, . . . 1 

The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth, . 93 

Aggravation of Sin, . . . . . .151 

Aggravations of Sinning against Knowledge, . . 163 

Aggravations of Sinning against Mercy, . . .188 

Encouragements to Faith, 



The Glory of the Gospel, 

Sermon I. on Col. I. 26, 27, 
Sermon H. on do., 

A Discourse of the Glory of the Gospel, 



205 

225 
227 
241 

259 



The Knowledge of God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, 347 

Book I. — Of the Godhead, and the three Persons within it- 
self. — That there is but one God. — That in the divine 
nature, or one Godhead, there are three Persons conversing 
with, speaking to, and glorifying one another. — Which 
union and communion of the three Persons between them- 
selves is peculiar to the Deity, and incommunicable to 
any mere creature. . . . . .349 

Book II. — Of the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity. 
— What his person is, considered in himself. — He is the 
eternal Son of the Father, one God in essence with him. 
— The Son, the second person, took the man Jesus into 
personal union with himself; and so Christ is God-man 
joined into one person, ...... 404 

Book HI. — Of the glories and royalties that belong unto Jesus 
Christ, considered as God-man in one person (besides 
what accrued to him from his performance of the work of 
our redemption), and which were appointed for him, by 



CONTENTS. 

his Father, from all eternity. — The apparent manifestation 
of the divine attributes in the person of Jesus Christ God- 
man. — The designation of him in God's first decrees, as 
the end for whom all the creatures were made. — The part 
that he bore as God-man in the creation, as by him all 
things were created. — The appointment of him by God to 
be one Lord over all, under him one God ; and to be in 
a more special respect the head of the elect, on whom they 
were to hold the tenure of all the blessings bestowed on 
them above the dues of creation, . . 454 



CHRIST SET FORTH. 



VOL. IV. 



[ORIGINAL TITLE] 



CHRIST 
SET FORTE 



In his 



( Death, 
Resurrection, 
Ascension, 
Sitting at God's 

right hand, 
Intercession, 



As the - 



Cause 

of Justification, 

Object 

of Justifying 

Faith. 



Upon Rom. 8. Vee. 34. 

TOGETHER WITH 
A TREATISE 
DISCO VERINO 
The Affectionate tenderness of 
Christs Heart now in Hea- 
ven, unto Sinners on Earth. 

By Tno : Goodwin, B. D 



LONDON, 

Printed by J. G. for R. Dawlman, 1G51. 




TO THE READER 



What the scope of this treatise itself is, the title-page and the table that 
follows will sufficiently inform you : I shall only here acquaint you with 
what was mine, in a few words. I have by long experience observed many 
holy and precious souls, who have clearly and wholly given up themselves 
to Christ, to be saved by him his own way, and who at their first conver- 
sion (as also at times of desertion) have made an entire and immediate close 
with Christ alone for their justification, who yet in the ordinary course and 
way of their spirits have been too much carried away with the rudiments of 
Christ in their own hearts, and not after Christ himself: the stream of their 
more constant thoughts and deepest intentions running in the channel, of 
reflecting upon, and searching into the gracious dispositions of their own 
hearts, so to bring down, or to raise up (as the apostle's words are, Rom. 
x. 8), and so get a sight of Christ by them. Whereas Christ himself is 
1 nigh them' (as the apostle there speaks), if they would but nakedly look 
upon himself through thoughts of pure and single faith. 

And although the use of our own graces, by way of sign and evidence of 
Christ in us, be allowed us by God, and is no way derogatory from Christ, 
if subordinated to faith ; and so as that the heart be not too inordinate and 
immoderate in poring too long or too much on them, to fetch their comfort 
from them, unto a neglect of Christ : yet as pleasures that are lawful, are 
unlawfully used when our thoughts and intentions are too long, or too fre- 
quent, or too vehement in them, so as to dead the heart, either to the pre- 
sent delighting in God, or pursuing after him, with the joint strength of our 
souls, as our only chiefest good : so an immoderate recourse unto signs 
(though barely considered as such), is as unwarrantable, when thereby we 
are diverted and taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily 
thoughts of faith towards Christ immediately, as he is set forth to be our 
righteousness, either by the way of assurance (which is a kind of enjoyment 
of him), or recumbency and renewed adherence in pursuit after him. 

And yet the minds of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts, 
that (as the Psalmist says of God) Christ ' is scarce in all their thoughts.' 
But let these consider what a dishonour this must needs be unto Christ, 



4 TO THE KEADEB. 

that his train and favourites (our graces) should have a fuller court and 
more frequent attendance from our hearts than himself, who is the ' King 
of Glory.' And likewise what a shame also it is for believers themselves, 
who are his spouse, to look upon their husband no otherwise but by reflec- 
tion and at second hand, through the intervention and assistance of their 
own graces, as mediators between him and them. 

Now to rectify this error, the way is not wholly to reject all use of such 
evidences, but to order them, both for the season, as also the issue of them. 
For the season, so as that the use of them go not before, but still should 
follow after an address of faith first renewed, and acts thereof put forth upon 
Christ himself. Thus whensoever we would go down into our own hearts, 
and take a view of our graces, let us be sure first to look wholly out of our- 
selves unto Christ, as our justification, and to close with them* immediately; 
and this as if we had no present or by-past grace to evidence our being in 
him. And if then, whilst faith is thus immediately clasping about Christ, 
as sitting upon his throne of grace, we find either present or fore-past graces 
coming in as handmaids, to attend and witness to the truth of this adherence 
unto Christ (as after such single and absolute acts of faith it oftentimes falls 
out) ; — the Holy Ghost (without whose light they shine not) * bearing wit- 
ness with our spirits,' that is, our graces, as well as to our spirits ; — and 
then again, for the issue of them, if in the closure of all, we again let fall 
our viewing and comforting ourselves in them, or this their testimony, and 
begin afresh (upon his encouragement) to act faith upon Christ immediately 
with a redoubled strength ; if thus (I say) we make such evidences to be 
subservient only unto faith (whilst it makes Christ its Alpha and Omega, the 
beginning and the end of all), this will be no prejudice at all to Christ's 
glory, or the workings of faith itself ; for by this course the life of faith is 
still actually maintained and kept upon wing in its full use and exercise 
towards Christ alone for justification. Whereas many Christians do habi- 
tually make that only but as a supposed or taken for granted principle, 
which they seldom use, but have laid up for a time of need ; but actually 
live more in the view and comfort of their own graces, and the gracious 
workings thereof in the duties towards Christ. 

The reason of this defect, among many others, I have attributed partly 
to a 'barrenness' (as Peter's phrase is) 'in the knowledge of the Lord 
Jesus Christ,' and of such things revealed about him, as might be matter 
for faith to work and feed upon : as also to a want of skill (whilst men 
want assurance) to bend and bow, and subjugate to the use of a faith for 
mere adherence, all those things that they know and hear of Christ as made 
justification unto us. It being in experience a matter of the greatest diffi- 
culty (and yet certainly most feasible and attainable), for such a faith as 
can yet only rely and cast itself upon Christ for justification, yet rightly to 
take in, and so to make use of all that which is or may be said of Christ, 
his bein» made righteousness to us, in his death, resurrection, &c, as to 
quicken and strengthen itself in such acts of mere adherence, until assurance 
* Qu. ' him ? '—Ed. 



TO THE READER. 5 

itself comes, for whose use and entertainment all truths lie more fair and 
directly to be received by it. They all serve as a fore-right wind to assu- 
rance of faith, to fill the sails thereof, and cany on with a more full and 
constant gale (as the word used by the apostle for assurance* imports), 
whereas to the faith of a poor recumbent, they serve but as a half side- 
wind, unto which yet, through skill, the sails of such a faith may be so turned 
and applied towards it, as to carry a soul on with much ease and quietness 
unto Christ the desired haven ; it notwithstanding waiting all that while for 
a more fair and full gale of assurance in the end. 

Now to help or instruct believers in that latter, namely, the use of such a 
skill, is not directly the drift of this treatise, I having reserved that part (if 
God assist me and give leisure, and this find acceptance) unto another about 
the Acts of justifying faith, wherein this art now mentioned is to be the main 
scope. That which I have here endeavoured, is, to set forth to all sorts of 
believers (whether they have assurance or not) Christ as he is the object of 
our faith as justifying, and as the cause of justification to us ; and so I send 
forth this as a premise and preparatory to that other. And to that pur- 
pose I have run over some few articles of our faith or creed, as I found 
them put together in one bundle by the great Apostle, namely Christ, in 
his death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at God's right hand, and interces- 
sion, and have handled these no further than as in all these he is made 
justification unto us, therein having punctually kept unto the apostle's 
scope. By all which you may (in the mean time) see, what abundant pro- 
vision God hath laid up in Christ (in the point of justification) for all sorts 
of believers to live upon : every thing in Christ, whatsoever he was, or 
whatsoever he did, with a joint voice speaking justification unto us. You 
may see also that God hath in Christ justified us over and over ; and 
thereby come to discern what little reason you have to suffer your hearts 
to be carried aside to other comforters, and so be spoiled and bereft of these 
more immediately prepared, and laid up for us in Christ himself. To have 
handled all those considerations, which his obedience unto death affords 
unto the justification of a believer, and his comfort therein, in this small 
tractate, would have made that part too disproportioned to the rest : it 
alone deserves, and will require a distinct tract, which therefore I have cast 
into another method ; and so in this treatise have touched only upon what 
may for the present be sufficient to furnish that part, to keep company with 
its fellows. Only when I had thus presented Christ along from his death, 
resurrection, and ascension, unto his sitting in heaven, and there performing 
that great part of his priesthood, the work of intercession, I judged it both 
homogeneal to all these, and conducing to the greater encouragement of 
believers in the exercise of then* faith, to subjoin that other treatise, How 
Christ's Heart, now he is in Heaven, stands affected to us Sinners here below. 
And a better token (take the argument itself, if I could have fully repre- 
sented it) how to present unto his spouse I know not, than a true character 
of her Husband's heart, now he is in glory : and (but for method's sake) I 
* Viz. nXrjPopogia. — Ed. 



6 TO THE READER. 

would have placed it first, it being more suited to vulgar capacities, whose 
benefit I aim at. Now in that discourse I confess I have not aimed to keep 
so strictly unto the matter of justification only, as in the other I have done; 
but have more generally discussed it, and shewn how his heart stands 
towards us, under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever, either of sin or misery, 
yet so as it will serve for the matter of justification also. The Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ grant us according to the riches of his glory, that 
Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, and that we may know the love oi 
Christ, which passeth knowledge ! Amen. 

THO. GOODWIN- 




CHRIST SET FORTH. 



SECTION I. 

SHEWING BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION THAT CHRIST IS THE EXAMPLE 
AND OBJECT OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 

Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen 
aqain, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession 
for ms.— Rom. VIII. 34. 



CHAPTER I. 

The scope of these words : that they were Christ's originally. — Christ the highest 
example of believing. — Encouragements to our faith from thence. 

These words are a triumphing challenge uttered by the apostle in the name 
of all the elect ; for so he begins it in ver. 33 foregoing, ' Who shall lay 
anything to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifies.' And then 
follow these words, ' Who shall condemn ? ' namely, God's elect. • It is 
Christ that died,' &c. This challenge we find first published by Jesus 
Christ himself, our only champion, Isa. 1. (a chapter made of and for 
Christ), ver. 8, ' He is near that justifies me ; who will contend with me ?' 
They were Christ's words there, and spoken of God's justifying him : and 
these are every believer's words here, intended of God's justifying them. 
Christ is brought in there uttering them as standing at the high priest's 
tribunal, when they spat upon him, and buffeted him, as ver. 4, 5 ; when he 
was condemned by Pilate, then he exercised this faith on God his Father, 
' He is near that justifies me.' And as in that his condemnation he stood 
in our stead, so in this his hope of his justification he speaks in our stead 
also, and as representing us in both. And upon this the apostle here pro- 
nounces, in like words, of all the elect, ' It is God that justifies ; who shall 
accuse ? ' Christ was condemned, yea, ' hath died ; who therefore shall 
condemn ? ' Lo, here the communion we have with Christ in his death 
and condemnation, yea in his very faith ; if he trusted in God, so may we, 
and shall as certainly be delivered. Observe we first from hence, by way 
of premise to all that follows, 



CHRIST THE EXAMPLE OF FAITH. ("SECT. I. 

Obs. That Christ lived by faith as well as we do. 

In John i. 16, we are said to ' receive of his fulness grace for grace ; 
that is, grace answerable and like unto his ; and so (among others) faith. 

For explication hereof. 

First ; in some sense he had a faith for justification like unto ours, though 
not a justification through faith, as we have. He went not, indeed, out of 
himself, to rely on another for righteousness, for he had enough of his own 
(he being * the Lord our righteousness ') ; yet he believes on God to justify 
him, and had recourse to God for justification: 'He is near' (says he) 
1 that justifies me.' If he had stood in his own person merely, and upon 
his own bottom only, there had been no occasion for such a speech ; and 
yet consider him as he stood in our stead, there was ; for what need of such 
a justification, if he had not been some way near a condemnation ? He 
therefore must be supposed to stand here (in Isaiah) at God's tribunal, as 
well as at Pilate's, with all our sins upon him. And so the same prophet 
tells us, chap. liii. 6, ' God made the iniquities of us to meet on him.' 
He was now made sin, and a curse, and stood not in danger of Pilate's con- 
demnation only, but of God's too, unless he satisfied him for all those sins. 
And when the wrath of God for sin came thus in upon him, his faith was 
put to it, to trust and wait on him for his justification, for to take off all 
those sins, together with his wrath from off him, and to acknowledge him- 
self satisfied and him acquitted. Therefore, in Ps. xxii. (which was made 
for Christ when hanging on the cross, and speaks how his heart was taken 
up that while), he is brought in as putting forth such a faith as here we 
speak of, when he called God his God, ' My God ! my God ! ' then, when as 
to his sense, he had forsaken him, ' Why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Yea, 
he helped his faith with the faith of the forefathers, whom upon their trust 
in him God had delivered ; ' Our fathers,' saith he, • trusted in thee ; they 
trusted, and thou didst deliver them.' Yea, at ver. 5, we find him laying 
himself at God"s feet, lower than ever any man did. 'lama worm,' says 
he, (which every man treads on, and counts it a matter of nothing for to 
kill), ' and no man,' as it follows ; and all this, because he bare our sins. 
Now his deliverance and justification from all these, to be given him at his 
resurrection, was the matter, the business he thus trusted in God for, even 
that he should rise again, and be acquitted from them. So Ps. xvi. (a psalm 
made also for Christ, when to suffer, and lie in the grave), ver. 8, 9, 10 : 
' The Lord is at my right hand, I shall not be moved : Therefore my heart 
is glad, my flesh also resteth in hope,' or, as in the original, ' dwells in 
confident sureness.' ' Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,' that is, under 
the load of these sins, and thy wrath laid on me for them ; ' neither wilt 
suffer thy holy One (in my body) to see corruption.' This is in substance 
all one with what is here said in this one word, ' He is near that justifies me,' 
for Christ's resurrection was a justification of him, as I shall hereafter shew. 

Neither, 2, did he exercise faith for himself only, but for us also, and 
that more than any of us is put to it, to exercise for himself ; for he in 
dying, and emptying himself, trusted God with the merit of all his suffer- 
ings aforehand, there being many thousands of souls to be saved thereby a 
long while after, even to the end of the world. He died and betrusted all 
that stock into his Father's hands, to give it out in grace and glory, as 
those for whom he died should have need. And this is a greater trust 
(considering the infinite number of his elect as then yet to come) than any 
man hath occasion to put forth for himself alone. God trusted Christ before 
he came into the world, and saved many millions of the Jews upon his bare 



Chap. I.] christ the example of faith. 

word. And then Christ, at his death, trusts God again as much, both for 
the salvation of Jews and Gentiles, that were to believe after his death. In 
Heb. ii. 12, 13, 14, 15, it is made an argument that Christ was a man like 
us, because he was put to live by faith like as we are (which the angels do 
not) ; and to this end, the apostle brings in these words prophesied of him, 
as spoken by him of himself, ' I will put my trust in him,' as one proof that 
he was a man like unto us. Now for what was it that he trusted God ? 
By the context it appears to be this, that he should be the salvation of his 
' brethren' and ' children,' and that he should have ' a seed and a genera- 
tion to serve him,' and raise up a church to God to praise him in. For 
this is made his confidence, and the issue of his sufferings, in that fore-cited 
Ps. xxii., from ver. 22 to the end. 

Use. How should the consideration of these things both draw us on to 
faith, and encourage us therein, and raise up our hearts above all doubtings 
and withdrawings of spirit in believing ! For in this example of Christ we 
have the highest instance of believing that ever was. He trusted God (as 
we have seen) for himself, and for many thousands besides, even for all his 
elect ; and hast not thou the heart to trust him for one poor soul ? Yea, 
Christ thus trusted God upon his single bond ; but we, for our assurance, 
have both Christ and God bound to us, even God with his surety Christ 
(for he is God's surety as well as ours). A double bond from two such 
persons, whom would it not secure ? If God the Father and God the Son 
thus mutually trusted one another for our salvation, whom would it not 
induce to trust them both, for one's own salvation, whenas otherwise they 
must be damned that will not ? 

1. This example of Christ may teach and incite us to believe. For did 
Christ lay down all his glory, and empty himself, and leave himself worth 
nothing, but made a deed of surrendering all he had into his Father's hands, 
and this in a pure trust that God would ' justify many by him ' (as it is in 
Isa. liii.) ? And shall not we lay down all we have, and part with whatever 
is dear unto us aforehand, with the like submission, in a dependence and 
hope of being ourselves justified by him ? And withal ; — 

2. It may encourage us to believe, especially against the greatness of 
sins. Hast thou the guilt of innumerable transgressions coming in and 
discouraging thee from trusting in him ? Consider but what Christ had, 
though not of his own ; Christ was made (as Luther boldly, in this sense 
that we speak of him, speaks), the greatest sinner that ever was, that is, 
by imputation ; for the sins of all God's chosen met in him. And yet 
he trusted God to be justified from them all, and to be raised up from 
under the wrath due to them. Alas ! thou art but one poor sinner, and 
thy faith hath but a light and small load laid upon it, namely, thy own 
sins, which to this sum he undertook for, are but as an unit to an infinite 
number. ' God laid upon him the iniquities of us all.' Christ trusted 
God for his own acquittance from the sins of all the world, and when that 
was given him, he yet again further trusted him, to acquit the world for 
his satisfaction's sake. 

But thou wilt say, Christ was Christ, one personally united to God, and 
so knew that he could satisfy him ; but I am a sinful man. Well, but if 
thou believest, and so art one of those who are one with Christ, then Christ 
speaking these words in the name both of himself and of his elect, as hath 
been shewed, thou hast the very same ground to utter them that he had, and 
all that encouraged him may embolden thee, for he stood in thy stead. It 
was only thine and others' sins that put him in any danger of condemna- 



10 CHRIST THE EXAMPLE OF FAITH. [SECT. I. 

tion ; and thou seest what his confidence beforehand was, that God would 
justify him from them all. And if he had left any of them unsatisfied for, 
he had not been justified ; and, withal, in performing his own part under- 
taken by him, he performed thine also, and so in his being justified thou 
wert justified also. His confidence, then, may therefore be thine now ; 
only his was in and from himself, but thine must be on him : yet so as by 
reason of thy communion with him in his both condemnation and justifica- 
tion, thou mayest take and turn all that emboldened him to this his trust 
and confidence, to embolden thee also in thine, as truly as he did for him- 
self. Yea, in this thou hast now a farther prop and encouragement to thy 
faith, than he had ; for now (when thou art to believe), Christ hath fully 
performed the satisfaction he undertook, and we now see Jesus crucified, 
acquitted, yea crowned with glory and honour, as the apostle speaks ; but he, 
when he took up this triumph, was (as Isaiah here foretold and prophesied 
it of him), but as then entering upon that work. The prophet seeing the 
day of his arraignment and agony, utters these words as his ; shewing 
what thoughts should then possess his heart, when Pilate and the Jews 
should condemn him, and our sins come in upon him, ' God is near that 
justifies me ; who therefore shall contend with me ? ' But now this comes 
to be added to our challenge here, that ' Cbrist hath died, and is also risen 
again ;' that heiras condemned and justified; who therefore shall condemn? 
may we say, and say much more. 

But thou wilt yet say, He knew himself to be the Son of God, but so do 
not I. Well, do thou but cast thyself upon him, to be adopted and justified 
by him, with a giving up thy soul to his saving thee his own way, and, 
though thou knowest it not, the thing is done. And as for that so great 
and usual discouragement unto poor souls from doing this, namely, the 
greatness and multitudes of sins, this very example of his faith, and the 
consideration of it, may alone take off, and help to remove it, more than 
any I have ever met with ; for he, in bearing the sins of his elect, did bear 
as great and infinitely more sins than thine, yea, all sorts of sins whatever, 
for some one of his elect or other, for he said upon it, that all (that is, all 
sorts of) sins shall be forgiven unto men, and therefore were first borne by 
him for them ; and yet you see how confident aforehand he was, and is 
now clearly justified from them all. And by virtue of his being justified 
from all sorts of sins, shall all sorts of sinners in and through him be justi- 
fied also ; and, therefore, why mayest not thou hope to be from thine ? 
Certainly for this very reason our sins, simply and alone considered, can be 
supposed no hindrance. 

Thus we have met with one great and general encouragement at the very 
portal of this text, which comes forth to invite us ere we are entered into 
it, and which will await upon us throughout all that shall be said, and have 
an influence into our faith, and help to direct it in all that follows. 



CHAPTER II. 

The scope and argument of this discourse is, either direction to Christ as the 
object of faith, or encouragement to believers, from all those particulars in 
Christ mentioned in the text. 

Faith and the supports of it, or rather Christ, as by his death and re- 
surrection, &c, he is the foundation of faith and the cause of our justifica- 



Chap. III.] cueist the object op faith. 11 

tion, is the main subject of these words. All which therefore, to handle 
more largely, is the intended subject of this discourse. And therefore, as 
we have seen Christ's faith for us, so now let us see what our faith is to be 
towards him : only take this along with j'ou, for a right bounding of all 
that follows, that the faith (the object and support of which I would dis- 
course of), is only faith as justifying ; for justification was properly here 
the matter of Christ's faith for us, and is also answerably here held forth 
by Paul, as that faith which believers are to have on him. Now faith is 
called justifying, only as it hath justification for its object, and as it goes 
out to Christ for justification ; so that all that shall be spoken must be 
confined to this alone, as the intendment of the text. And concerning this, 
the text doth two things : 

1. It holds forth Christ the object of it, ' Who shall condemn ? Christ 
hath died,' &c. And he being the sole subject of those four particulars 
that follow, as encouragements to faith, must needs be therefore the object 
here set forth unto our faith. 

2. In Christ we have here all those four things made matter of triumph 
to believers, to assure them they shall not be condemned, but justified : in 
that 

Christ (1.) died, (2.) rose again, (3.) is at God's right hand, (4.) inter- 
cedes. 

So that (for the general), I am to do two things ; and therein I shall 
fulfil the text's scope. 

1. Direct your faith to Christ, as to its right object. 

2. To encourage your faith from these several actions of Christ for us, and 
shew how they all contain matter of triumph for faith in them, and also 
teach your faith how to triumph from each of them. And herein I am to 
keep close to the argument propounded, namely, faith as justifying ; or to 
shew how faith, seeking justification in Christ, may be exceedingly raised 
from each of these particulars, and supported by them, as by so many pillars 
of it. So as although Christ's death, resurrection, &c, may fitly serve to 
encourage our faith in many other acts it useth to put forth (as in point of 
sanctification to be had from Christ, into which his death and resurrection 
have an influence), yet here we are limited to the matter of justification 
only ; ' It is God that justifies ; who shall condemn, seeing Christ hath died ? ' 
and herein to shew how his death, resurrection, &c, may and do afford 
matter of comfort and triumphing in point of justification from all these. 
And thus you have the sum of these words, and of my scope in this ensu- 
ing treatise. 



CHAPTER III. 

First, Directions to Christ as the object of faith. — How in a threefold 
consideration Christ is the object of justifying faith. 

But ere I come to encourage your faith from these, let me first direct 
and point your faith aright to its proper and genuine object, Christ. I 
shall do it briefly, and only so far as it may be an introduction to the 
encouragements from these four particulars, the things mainly intended 
by me. 

1. Christ is the object of our faith, in joint commission with God the 
Father. 



12 CHRIST THE OBJECT OF FAITH. [SECT. I. 

2. Christ is the object of faith, in opposition to our own humiliation, or 
graces, or duties. 

3. Christ is the object of faith, in a distinction from the promises. 

1. First, Christ is the object of faith, in joint commission with God the 
Father. So here, ' it is God that justifies,' and ' Christ that died.' They 
are both of them set forth as the foundation of a believer's confidence. So 
elsewhere, faith is called a ' believing on him (namely, God), that justifies 
the ungodly,' Rom. iv. 5 ; and a ' believing on Cbrist,' Acts xvi. 31. Where- 
fore faith is to have an eye unto both, for both do alike contribute unto the 
justification of a sinner. It is Christ that paid the price, that performed the 
righteousness by which we are justified ; and it is God that accepts of it, 
and imputes it unto us : therefore justification is ascribed unto both. And 
this we have, Eom. iii. 24, where it is attributed unto them both together, 
' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus 
Christ.' Where we see that God's free grace and Christ's righteousness do 
concur to our justification. Christ paid as full a price, as if there were no 
grace shewn in justifying us (for mercy bated Christ nothing) ; and yet that 
it should be accepted for us, is as free grace, and as great as if Christ had 
paid never a farthing. Now as both these meet to justify us, so faith in 
justification is to look at both these. So it follows in the next verse, Rom. 
iii. 25, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in 
his blood.' And though it be true, that God justifying is the ultimate 
object of our faith, for Christ ' leads us by the hand ' (as the word is, Eph. 
ii. 18), ' unto God ; ' and 1 Pet. i. 21, we are said ' by Christ to believe on 
God who raised him, that so our faith and hope might be on God ;' yet so, 
as under the New Testament, Christ is made the more immediate object of 
faith ; for God dwelling in our nature is made more familiar to our faith 
than the person of the Father is, who is merely God. Under the Old Tes- 
tament, when Christ was but in the promise, and not as then come in the 
flesh, then indeed their faith had a more usual recourse unto God, who had 
promised the Messiah, of whom they then had not so distinct, but only 
confused, thoughts ; though this they knew, that God accepted and saved 
them through the Messiah. But now under the New Testament, because 
Christ as mediator exists not only in a promise of God's, but is come and 
manifest in the flesh, and is ' set forth by God ' (as the apostle's phrase is), 
to transact all our business for us between God and us ; hence the more 
usual and immediate address of our faith is to be made unto Cbrist ; who 
as he is distinctly set forth in the New Testament, so he is as distinctly to 
be apprehended by the faith of believers. ' Ye believe in God ' (saith 
Christ to his disciples, whose faith and opinion of the Messiah was till 
Christ's resurrection, of the same elevation with that of the Old Testament 
believers), ' believe also in me,' John xiv. 1. Make me the object of your 
trust for salvation, as well as the Father. And, therefore, when faith and 
repentance come more narrowly to be distinguished by their more imme- 
diate objects, it is ' repentance towards God,' but ' faith towards our Lord 
Jesus Christ,' Acts xx. 21 ; not that God and Christ are* the objects of 
both, but that Christ is more immediately the object of faith, and God of 
repentance : so that we believe in God through believing in Christ first, 
and turn to Christ by turning to God first. And this is there spoken, when 
they are made the sum of Christian doctrine, and of the apostles' preach- 
ing. And, therefore, the faith of some being much enlarged to the mercies 
of God and his free grace, and but in way of supposition unto Christ, or in 
* Qu. ' are not ? ' — Ed. 



Chap. III.] christ the object of faith. 13 

a taking for granted that all mercies are communicated in and through 
Christ, yet so as their thoughts work not so much upon, nor are taken up 
about Christ ; although this may be true faith under the New Testament, 
in that God and his free grace is the joint object of faith, together with 
Christ and his righteousness, — and the one cannot be without the other, — and 
God ofttimes doth more eminently pitch the stream of a man's thoughts in 
one channel rather than in another, and so may direct the course of a man's 
thoughts towards his free grace, when the stream runs less towards Christ, 
yet it is not such a faith as becomes the times of the gospel ; it is of an 
Old Testament strain and genius ; whereas our faith now should, in the 
more direct and immediate exercises of it, be pitched upon Jesus Christ, 
that ' through him,' first apprehended, ' our faith might be in God ' (as the 
ultimate object of it), as the apostle speaks, 1 Pet. i. 21. And so much 
for the first. 

2. The second is, that Christ is to be the object of our faith, in opposi- 
tion to our own humiliation, or graces, or duties. 

(1.) We are not to trust, nor rest in humiliation, as many do, who quiet 
their consciences from this, that they have been troubled. That promise, 
' Come to me, you that are weary and heavy laden, and you shall find rest,' 
hath been much mistaken ; for many have understood it, as if Christ had 
spoken peace and rest simply unto that condition, without any more ado, 
and so have applied it unto themselves, as giving them an interest in Christ ; 
whereas it is only an invitement of such (because they are most apt to be 
discouraged) to come unto Christ, as in whom alone then- rest is to be 
found. If therefore men will set down their rest in being ' weary and heavy 
laden,' and not come to Christ for it, they sit down besides Christ for it, 
they sit down in sorrow. This is to make John (who only prepared the 
way for Christ) to be the Messiah indeed (as many of the Jews thought), 
that is, to think the eminent work of John's ministry (which was to humble, 
and so prepare men for Christ) to be their attaining Christ himself. But 
if you be weary, you may have rest indeed, but you must come to Christ 
first. For as, if Christ had died only, and not arose, we had ' been still in 
our sins,' (as it is 1 Cor. xv. 17), so though we die by sin, as slain by it, 
(as Paul was, Rom. vii. 11, 12, 13, in his humiliation), yet if we attain not 
to the resurrection of faith (so the work of faith is expressed, Phil. iii. 12, 
13), we still remain in our sins. 

(2.) Secondly, we are not to rest in graces or duties ; they all cannot 
satisfy our own consciences, much less God's justice. If ' righteousness 
could have come' by these, then ' Christ had died in vain,' as Gal. ii. 21. 
"What a dishonour were it to Christ, that they should share any of the glory 
of his righteousness ! Were any of your duties crucified for you ? Graces 
and duties are the daughters of faith, the offspring of Christ ; and they may 
in time of need indeed nourish their mother, but not at first beget her. 

3. In the third place, Christ's person, and not barely the promises of 
forgiveness, is to be the object of faith. There are many poor souls humbled 
for sin, and taken off from their own bottom, who, like Noah's dove, fly 
over all the word of God, to spy out what they may set their foot upon, and 
eying therein many free and gracious promises, holding forth forgiveness of 
sins, and justification, they immediately close with them, and rest on them 
alone, not seeking for, or closing with Christ in those promises. Which is 
a common error among people ; and is like as if Noah's dove should have 
rested upon the outside of the ark, and not have come to Noah within the 
ark ; where though she might rest for a while, yet could she not ride out 



14 CHRIST THE OBJECT OF FAITH. [SECT. I. 

all storms, but must needs have perished there in the end. But we may 
observe, that the first promise that was given, was not a bare word simply 
promising forgiveness, or other benefits which God would bestow ; but it 
was a promise of Christ's person as overcoming Satan, and purchasing those 
benefits, ' The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head.' So when 
the promise was renewed to Abraham, it was not a bare promise of blessed- 
ness and forgiveness, but of that seed, that is, Christ (as Gal. iii. 16), in 
whom that blessedness was conveyed. ' In thy seed shall all the nations 
of the earth be blessed.' So that Abraham's faith first closed with Christ 
in the promise, and therefore he is said to see Christ's day, and to rejoice 
in embracing him. And so all the succeeding fathers (that were believers) 
did, more or less, in then.' types and sacraments, as appears by 1 Cor x. 
1, 2. And if they, then much more are we thus to look at Christ, unto 
whom he is now made extant, not in promises only, but is really incarnate, 
though now in heaven. Hence our sacraments (which are the seals added 
to the word of faith) do primarily exhibit Christ unto a believer, and so, in 
him, all other promises, as of forgiveness, &c, are ratified and confirmed 
by them. Now there is the same reason of them, that there is of the pro- 
mises of the gospel, for they preach the gospel to the eye, as the promise 
doth to the ear, and therefore as in them the soul is first to look at Christ, 
and embrace him as tendered in them, and then at the promises tendered 
with him in them, and not to take the sacraments as bare seals of pardon 
and forgiveness ; so, in like manner, in receiving of, or having recourse to 
a promise, which is the word of faith, we are first to seek out for Christ in 
it, as being the foundation of it, and so to take hold of the promise in him. 
Hence faith is still expressed by this its object, Christ, it being called ' faith 
on Christ.' Thus Philip directs the eunuch, Acts viii. 35. ' Believe on 
the Lord Jesus.' 

The promise is but the casket, and Christ the jewel in it ; the promise 
but the field, and Christ the pearl hid in it, and to be chiefly looked at. 
The promises are the means by which you believe, not the things on which 
you are to rest. And so, although you are to look at forgiveness as held 
forth in the promise, yet you are to believe on Christ in that promise to 
obtain this forgiveness. So Acts xxvi. 18, it is said of believers by Christ 
himself, ' that they may obtain forgiveness of sins, by faith which is on me.' 

And to clear it farther, we must conceive, that the promises of forgiveness 
are not as the pardons of a prince, which merely contain an expression of 
his royal word for pardoning, so as we in seeking of it do rest upon, and 
have to do only with his word and seal, which we have to shew for it ; but 
God's promises of pardon are made in his Son, and are as if a prince sbould 
offer to pardon a traitor upon marriage with his child, whom in and with 
that pardon he offers in such a relation ; so as all that would have pardon, 
must seek out for his child ; and thus it is in the matter of believing. The 
reason of which is, because Christ is the grand promise, in whom, ' all the 
promises are yea and amen,' 2 Cor. i. 20, and therefore he is called the 
Covenant, Isa. xlix. 8. So that, as it were folly for any man to think that 
he hath an interest in an heiress's lands, because he hath got the writings 
of her estate into his hands, whereas the interest in the lands goes with her 
person, and with the relation of marriage to her, otherwise, without a title 
to herself, all the writings will be fetched out of his hands again ; so is it 
with all the promises : they hang all upon Christ, and without him there is 
no interest to be had in them. ' He that hath the Son hath life,' 1 John 
v. 12, because life is by God's appointment only in him, as ver. 11. All 



Chap. III. J christ the object of faith. 15 

the promises are as copyhold land, which when you would interest your- 
selves in, you inquire upon what lord it holds, and you take it up of him, 
as well as get the evidences and deeds for it into your hands ; the lord of 
it will be acknowledged for such in passing his right into your hands. Now 
this is the tenure of all the promises ; they all hold on Christ, in whom 
they are yea and amen ; and you must take them up of him. Thus the 
apostles preached forgiveness to men, Acts xiii. 38, ' Be it known that 
through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.' And as they 
preached, so we are to believe, as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. xv. 11. And 
without this, to rest on the bare promise, or to look to the benefit promised, 
without eying Christ, is not an evangelical, but a Jewish faith, even such 
as the formalists among the Jews had, who without the Messiah closed with 
promises, and rested in types to cleanse them, without looking unto Christ 
the end of them, and as propounded to their faith in them. This is to go 
to God without a mediator, and to make the promises of the gospel to be 
as the promises of the law, Nehushtan (as Hezekiah said of the brazen 
serpent), a piece of brass, vain and ineffectual ; like the waters of Bethesda, 
they heal not, they cleanse not, till this ' angel of the covenant ' come down 
to your faith in them. Therefore at a sacrament, or when you meet with 
any promise, get Christ first down by faith, and then let your faith pro- 
pound what it would have, and you may have what you will of him. 

There are three sorts of promises, and in the applying of all these, it is 
Christ that your faith is to meet with. 

1. There are absolute promises, made to no conditions ; as when Christ 
is said to ' eome to save sinners,' &c. Now in these it is plain, that Christ 
is the naked object of them ; so that if you apply not him, you apply 
nothing, for the only thing held forth in them is Christ. 

2. There are inviting promises ; as that before mentioned, ' Come to me, 
you that are weary.' The promise is not to weariness, but to coming to 
Christ ; they are bidden ' Come to him,' if they will have rest. 

3. There are assuring promises ; as those made to such and such quali- 
fications of sanctification, &c. But still what is it that is promised in them, 
which the heart should only eye ? It is Christ, in whom the soul rests and 
hath comfort in, and not in its grace; so that the sight of a man's grace is 
but a back-door to let faith in at, to converse with Christ, whom the soul 
loves. Even as at the sacrament, the elements of bread and wine are but 
outward signs to bring Christ and the heart together, and then faith lets the 
outward elements go, and closeth, and treats immediately with Christ, unto 
whom these let the soul in ; so grace is a sign inward, and whilst men make 
use of it only as of a bare sign to let them in unto Christ, and their rejoic- 
ing is not in it, but in Christ, their confidence being pitched upon him, and 
not upon their grace ; whilst men take this course, there is and will be no 
danger at all in making such use of signs. And I see not, but that God 
might as well appoint his own work of the new creation within, to be as a 
sign and help to communion with Christ by faith, as he did those outward 
elements, the works of his first creation ; especially, seeing in nature the 
effect is a sign of the cause. Neither is it more derogatory to free grace, 
or to Christ's honour, for God to make such effects signs of our union with 
him, than it was to make outward signs of his presence. 



1G CHRIST, THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT [SECT. II. 



SECTION II. 

CHRIST, THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT OF FAITH FOR JUSTIFICATION, 

IN HIS DEATH. 

Who shall condemn ? Christ hath died. — Rom. VIII. 34. 



CHAPTER I. 

How not Christ's person simply, but Christ as dying, is the object of faith as 

justifying. 

To come now to all these four particulars of or about Christ, as the object 
of faith here mentioned ; and to shew both how Christ in each is the object 
ol faith as justifying ; and what support or encouragement the faith of a 
believer may fetch from each of them in point of justification, which is the 
argument of the main body of this discourse. 

First, Christ as dying is the object of justifying faith, ' Who shall con- 
demn ? Christ hath died.' 

For the explanation of which, I will 

1. Give a direction or two. 

2. Shew how an encouragement, or matter of triumph, may from hence 
be fetched. 

1. (1.) The first direction is this, that in seeking forgiveness or justifica- 
tion in the promises, as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith, 
so it must be Christ as crucified, Christ as dying, as here he is made. It 
was the serpent as lift up, and so looked at, that healed them. Now this 
direction I give to prevent a mistake, which souls that are about to believe 
do often run into. For when they hear that the person of Christ is the 
main object of faith, they thus conceive of it, that when one comes first to 
believe, he should look only upon the personal excellencies of grace and 
glory which are in Jesus Christ, which follow upon the hypostatical union ; 
and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them only, and close with 
him under those apprehensions alone. But although it be true, that there 
is that radical disposition in the faith of every believer, which if it were 
drawn forth to view Christ in his mere personal excellencies, abstractively 
considered, would close with Christ for them alone, as seeing such a beauty 
and suitableness in them ; yet the first view which an humble soul always 
doth, and is to take of him, is of his being a Saviour, made sin, and a 
curse, and obeying to the death for sinners. He takes up Christ in his 
first sight of him, under the ' likeness of sinful flesh,' Rom. viii. 3, for so 
the gospel first represents him, though it. .holds forth his personal excel- 



Chap. I.J of faith, in his death. .7 

lencies also ; and in that representation it is that he is made a fit object 
for a sinner's faith to trust and rest upon for salvation ; which in pait dis- 
tinguished a sinner's faith whilst here on earth, towards Christ, from that 
vision or sight which angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him. 
Faith here views him not only as glorious at God's right hand (though so 
also), hut as crucified, as made sin, and a curse, and so rests upon him for 
pardon ; hut in heaven we shall ' see him as he is,' and be made like unto 
him. Take Christ in his personal excellencies simply considered, and so 
with them propounded as an head to us, and he might have been a fit 
object for angels and men even without sin to have closed withal ; and 
what an addition to their happiness would they have thought it, to have 
him for their husband ! But yet, so considered, he should have been, 
and rather is, the object of love, than of faith or affiance. It is therefore 
Christ that is thus excellent in his person, yet farther considered as clothed 
with his garments of blood, and the qualifications of a mediator and recon- 
ciler ; it is this that makes him so desirable by sinners, and a fit object for 
their faith, which looks out for justification, to prey and seize upon, though 
they take in the consideration of all his other excellencies to allure their 
hearts to him, and confirm their choice of him. 

Yea I say farther, that consider faith as justifying, that is, in that act of 
it which justifies a sinner ; and so Christ, taken only or mainly in his 
personal excellencies, cannot properly be called the object of it. But the 
formalis ratio, the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the 
object of faith as justifying, must necessarily be that in Christ, which doth 
indeed justify a sinner ; which is, his obedience unto death. For the act 
and object of every habit or faculty are always suited, and similar each to 
other ; and therefore Chr'st's justifying must needs be the object of faith 
justifying. It is true, that there is nothing in Christ with which some 
answerable act of faith in us doth not close ; and from the differing con- 
siderations under which faith looks sc\ Christ, have those several acts of 
faith various denominations : as faith that is carried forth to Christ and his 
personal excellencies may be called uniting faith ; and faith that goes forth 
to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sin may, answerably to its object, 
be called sanctifying faith ; and faith as it goes forth to Christ, as dying, 
&c, for justification, may be called justifying faith. For faith in that act 
looks at what in Christ doth justify a sinner ; and therefore Christ con- 
sidered as dying, rising, &c, doth in this respect become the most pleasing 
and grateful object to a soul that is humbled; for this makes Christ suitable 
to him as he is a sinner, under which consideration he reflects upon him- 
self, when he is first humbled. And therefore thus to represent Christ to 
believers under the law, was the main scope of all the sacrifices and types 
therein. ' All things being purged with blood, and without blood there 
being no remission,' Heb. ix. 22. Thus did the apostles also in their 
sermons. So Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, seemed by the mattei 
of his sermon to have ' known nothing but Christ, and him as crucified, 
1 Cor. ii. 2, as Christ above all, so Christ as crucified above all in Christ, 
as suiting their condition best, whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith 
on him. Thus, in his Epistle to the Galatians, he calls his preaching among 
them ' the preaching of faith,' iii. 2. And what was the main scope of it, 
but the picturing out (as the word is) of ' Christ crucified before their eyes' ? 
ver. 1. So he preached him, and so they received him, and so they 
' began in the spirit,' ver. 3. And thus also do the seals of the promises 
(the sacraments) present Christ to a believer's eye ; as they bold forth 

VOT,. IV. B 



18 CHRIST, THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT [SECT. II. 

Christ (as was in the former direction observed), so Christ, as crucified; their 
scope being to ' shew forth his death till he come,' 1 Cor. xi. 26, the bread 
signifying Christ's body broken in the sufferings of it ; and the cup signi- 
fying the sufferings of his soul, and the pouring of it forth unto death. 
And hence likewise, as faith itself is called ' faith on Christ,' as was before 
observed, so it is called ' faith on his blood,' Rom. iii. 25, because Christ, 
as shedding his blood for the remission of sins, is the object of it. So the 
words there are, ' whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through 
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins.' 
And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the promise : under 
that picture of him doth faith at first close with him. And one reason 
similar to the former may be grounded on the 24th verse of that 3d to the 
Romans, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is 
in Christ.' And as I shewed before, in the reason of the former direction, 
that all promises hold of his person, as being heir of all the promises ; so 
the special tenure upon which forgiveness of sins doth hold of him is by 
purchase, and by the redemption that is in him. So that, as the promise of 
forgiveness refers to his person, so also to this redemption that is in him. 
Thus, both in Eph. i. 7 and Col. i. 14, ' In whom we have redemption 
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,' his person gives us title 
to all the promises, and his blood shews the tenure they hold on ; a 
purchase, and a full price, avriXvrgov, and adequate price, 1 Tim. ii. 6. 
And as sin is the strength of the law, and of the threatenings thereof, so 
Christ's satisfaction is the strength of all the promises in the gospel. In 
a word, an humbled soul is to have recourse to that Christ who is now 
alive and glorified in heaven, yet to him as once crucified and made sin. 
He is to go to Christ now glorified, as the person from whom he is to 
receive forgiveness, &c, but withal to him as crucified; as through whom, 
considered in that condition he then was in, he is to receive all. 



CHAPTER II. 

What in Christ's death, faith seeking justification, is especially to eye and 

look at. 

(2.) Now then a second direction for faith towards Christ as dying, is, 
faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end, meaning, and intent 
of God and Christ in his sufferings, and not simply at the tragical story of 
his death and sufferings. It is the heart, and mind, and intent of Christ 
in suffering, which faith chiefly eyeth, and which draweth the heart on to 
rest on Christ crucified. When a believer sees that Christ's aim in suffer- 
ing for poor sinners agrees and answers to the aim and desires of his heart, 
and that that was the end of it, that sinners might have forgiveness, and that 
Christ's heart was as full in it, to procure it, as the sinner's heart can be 
to desire it ; this draws his heart in to Christ, to rest upon him. And 
without this, the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings, 
and of the greatness of them, will be altogether unprofitable. And yet all, 
or the chief use which the papists and many carnal protestants make of 
Christ's sufferings, is to meditate upon, and set out to themselves the 
grievousness of them, so to move their hearts to a relenting, and compassion 
to him, and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him, with an 
admiring of his noble and heroical love herein ; and if they can but get 



Chap. II. J of faith, in his death. 19 

tluir hearts thus affected, they judge and account this to be grace; whenas 
it is no more than what the like tragical story of some great and noble 
personage, full of heroical virtues and ingenuity, yet inhumanely and 
ungrately used, will work, and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous 
spirits, who read or hear of it, yea, and this ofttimes, though if it be but 
in the waj r of a fiction ; which, when it reacheth no higher, is so far from 
being faith, that it is but a carnal and fleshly devotion, springing from 
fancy, which is pleased with such a story, and the principles of ingenuity 
stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit, and yet abused. Such stories 
use to stir up a principle of humanity in men unto a compassionate love ; 
which Christ himself at his suffering found fault with, as being not spiritual, 
nor raised enough, in those women who went weeping to see the Messiah 
so handled. ' Weep not for me,' says he ; that is, weep not so much for 
this, thus to see me unworthily handled by those for whom I die. 

And therefore, accordingly as these stirrings are but fruits of the flesh, so 
human inventions, as crucifixes, and lively representations of the story of 
Christ's passion unto the sight of fancy, do exceedingly provoke men to such 
devotional meditations and affections ; but they woi'k a bare historical faith 
only, a historical remembrance, and an historical love, as I may so call 
them. And no other than such doth the reading of the story of it in the 
word work in many, who yet are against such crucifixes. But saving, justi- 
fying faith chiefly minds, and is most taken up with the main scope and 
drift of all Christ's sufferings ; for it is that in them which answers to its 
own aim and purpose, which is, to obtain forgiveness of sins in Christ 
crucified. As God looks principally at the meaning of the Spirit in prayer, 
Rom. viii. 27, so doth faith look principally to the meaning of Christ in 
his sufferings. As in all other truths a believer is said to have the mind 
of Christ, 1 Cor. ii. 16, so especially he minds what was the mind and heart 
of Christ in all his sufferings. And therefore you may observe, that the 
drift of all the apostles' epistles, is to shew the intent of Christ's sufferings ; 
how he was therein set forth to be 'a propitiation for sin ;' to ' bear our 
sins upon the tree ;' to ' make our peace,' &c. ; ' he was made sin, that we 
might be made righteousness of God in him ;' as in like manner the scope 
of the evangelists is to set forth the story of them, for that is necessary to 
be known also. And thus did that evangelical prophet Isaiah chiefly set 
forth the intent of Christ's sufferings for justification, Isa. liii., throughout 
the chapter, as David before had done the story of his passion, Ps. xxii. 
And thus to shew the use and purpose of his sufferings, was the scope of 
all the apostles' sermons, holding forth the intent of Christ's passion to be 
the justification and salvation of sinners. ' This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners,' 
1 Tim. i. 15 ; and they still set forth what the plot was, at which God by 
an ancient designment aimed at in the sufferings of Christ, which was an 
end higher than men or angels thought on, when he was put to death. 
And thus faith takes it up and looks at it. And upon this doth Peter (in 
his sermon, Acts ii.) pitch their faith, where having set forth the heinous- 
ness of their sin in murdering ' the Lord of life,' then to raise up their hearts 
again (that so seeing God's end in it, they might be drawn to believe), he 
tells them, that ' all this was done by the determinate counsel of God,' 
ver. 23, and that for a farther end than they imagined, even for the remis- 
sion of sins through his name, as in the closure of that sermon he shews. 
It was not the malice of the Jews, the falseness of Judas, the fearfulness of 
Pilate, or the iniquity of the times he fell into, that wrought his death, so 



20 CHRIST, THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT [SECT. II. 

much as God his father complotting with Christ himself, and aiming at a 
higher end than they did. There was a farther matter in it ; it was the 
execution of an ancient contrivement and agreement, whereby God made 
Christ ' sin,' and laid our sins upon him. God ' was in Christ, not im- 
puting our sins to us, but making him sin,' 2 Cor. v. 20. Which covenant 
Christ came, at his time, into the world to fulfil. ' Sacrifice and burnt 
offering thou wouldst not have,' Heb. x. 5. ' Lo, I come to do thy will,' 
and that will was ' to take away sins,' verses 4, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16. These 
words Christ spake when he took our nature, and when he came into the 
world, clothed with infirmities like unto us sinners. ' God sent his Son in 
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh,' Rom. 
viii. 3. Mark that phrase ' for sin;' <irsgt is there put for propter, as John 
x. 33, ou irsgl xakoZ 'igyou, ' not for a good work.' That is, not because of 
a good work, or for a good work's sake. So here, for sin, that is, because 
of sin. Sin was the occasion of his taking the likeness of sinful flesh. 
What, to increase it ? No, but to condemn it, as it follows : that is, to cast 
and overthrow it in its power and plea against us, that instead of sin's con- 
demning us, he might condemn sin, and that we might have ' the righteous- 
ness of the law,' verse 5. This phrase ' for sin' is like unto that in Rom. 
vi. 10, ' he died unto sin,' that is, for sin's cause ; for so the opposition 
that follows evinceth, ' In that he liveth, he liveth unto God,' that is, for 
God and his glory. So he died merely for sin, that sin might have its 
course in justice, and for its sake suffered death, so putting to silence the 
clamour of it. The death of Christ was the greatest and strangest design 
that ever God undertook and acted, and therefore surely had an end pro- 
portionable unto it. God, that ' willeth not the death of a sinner,' would 
not for any inferior end will the death of his Son, whom he loved more than 
all creatures besides. It must needs be some great matter for which God 
should contrive the death of his Son, so holy, so innocent, and separate 
from sinners ; neither could it be any other matter, than to destroy that 
which he most hated, and that was sin ; and to set forth that which he most 
de ightel in, and that was mercy. So Rom. hi. 25, 26. And accordingly 
C hrist demeaned himself in it, not at all looking at the Jews, or their malice, 
but at his Father's command and intent in it. And therefore when he was 
to arise to go unto that place where he should be taken, and carried to 
slaughter, ' As the father gave me commandment,' says he, ' so do I ; arise, 
let us go hence,' John xiv. 31. And when Judas went out at Christ's own 
provocation of him, ' What thou doest, do quickly,' says he, ' the Son of man 
goeth as it was determined ;' he looked to his Father's purpose in it. When 
he went out to be taken, it is said, ' Jesus knowing all things that should 
befall him, went forth,' John xviii. 4. And when he was in his agony in 
the garden, whom doth he deal with but his Father ? ' Father,' he says, 
' if it be possible, let this cup pass ;' and God made his passion of so great 
necessity, that it was even impossible that that cup should pass. Indeed, 
had Christ stood in his own stead, it had been an easy request, yea, justice 
to grant it ; and so he tells Peter, that he could command millions of angels 
to his rescue ; but he merely submits unto his Father, ' Not my will, but 
thy will be done,' for God had laid upon him the iniquities of us all, 
Isa. liii. 

Let our faith therefore look mainly to this design and plot of God, and of 
Christ in his suffering to satisfy for our sins, and to justify us sinners. ' 
When we consider him as born flesh and blood, and laid in a manger, think 
we withal that his meaning was to ' condemn sin in our flesh,' Rom. viii. 4. 



Chap. III. ] of faith, in his death. 21 

So when we read of him fulfilling all, or any part of righteousness, take we 
his mind in withal to be, that the ' law might be fulfilled in us,' as it fol- 
lows there, who were then represented in him, and so the fulfilling of it is 
accounted ours. Behold we him in his lifetime, as John the Baptist did, 
even as ' the Lamb of God, bearing and taking away the sins of the world ;' 
and when upon the cross, let our faith behold the iniquities of us all met in 
him. ' Surely he hath borne our sorrows, bearing our sins in his body on 
the tree, aud thereby once offered to bear the sins of many,' Heb. ix. &c. 
This intent of Christ in all that he did and suffered, is that welcome news, 
and the very spirit of the gospel, which faith preys and seizeth on. 



CHAPTER III. 

What support or matter of triumph Christ's death affords to faith for 
justification. 

2. Now, having thus directed your faith to the right object, Christ, and 
Christ as dying ; let us, secondly, see what matter of support and encourage- 
ment faith may fetch from Christ's death for justification. And surely that 
which hath long ago satisfied God himself for the sins of many thousand 
souls now in heaven, may very well serve to satisfy the heart and conscience 
of any sinner now upon earth, in any doubts in respect of the guilt of any 
sins that can arise. We see that the apostle here, after that large discourse 
of justification by Christ's righteousness, in the former part of this Epistle 
to the Romans, and having shewed how every way it abounds, chap, v., he 
now in this 8th chapter doth as it were sit down like a man over-convinced, 
as ver. 31, ' What then shall we say to these things ?' He speaks as one 
satisfied, and even astonished with abundance of evidence ; having nothing 
to say, but only to admire God and Christ in this work ; and therefore pre- 
sently throws down the gauntlet, and challengeth a dispute in this point 
with all comers. Let conscience and carnal reason, law and sin, hell 
and devils, bring in all their strength. ' Who is he shall lay any thing to 
the charge of God's elect ?' • Who shall condemn ?' Paul dares to answer 
them all, and carry it with these few words, ' It is God that justifies, it is 
Christ that died.' And (as in ver. 87) ' we are more than conquerors in 
all these.' It was this that brought in the prodigal, that in his ■ father's 
house there was bread enough.' And so likewise he (whoever he was) who 
was the author of the 130th Psalm, when his soul was in deep distress by 
reason of his sins, verses 1, 2, yet this was it that settled his heart to wait 
upon God, that there was ' plenteous redemption with him.' Christ's re- 
demption is not merely avriXurgov, a price or ransom equivalent, or making 
due satisfaction according to the just demerit of sin, but it is ' plenteous 
redemption ;' there is an abundance of ' the gift of righteousness,' Rom. 
v. 17, and unsearchable riches of Christ,' Eph. iii. 8. Yea, 1 Tim. i. 14, 
'the grace of our Lord,' that is, of Christ, as verse 12, u^s^Xsomffs, we 
translate it, ' was abundant,' but the word reacheth farther, ' it was overfull, 
redundant, more than enough.' And yet (says Paul, verse 13) I had sins 
enough to pardon, as one would think, that might exhaust it, ' I was a 
blasphemer,' &c. But I found so much grace in Christ, even more than I 
knew what to do withal. 

I shall not insist so largely on this first head of Christ's dying, as upon 
those three following, because it is the main subject of another discourse, 



22 CHEIST, THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT [SECT. II. 

which, through God's grace, I intend to publish, though in another method. 
Only, for a taste, to instance in some few particulars, shewing how Christ's 
satisfaction may be opposed, and set against the guilt of a poor sinner's 
offences. What is there that can be said to aggravate sin in tbe general, 
or any man's particular sins, that may not be answered out of this, ' Christ 
hath died' ? and something be considered in it, which the conscience may 
oppose thereto ? So that whatever evil, which according to the rules of 
spiritual reason, (which the righteous law proceedeth by, and containcth as 
the foundation of its righteousness in condemning or aggravating sin), a 
man's conscience may suggest to be in sin ; oppositely hereunto may a 
man's faith, according to the like rules of true spiritual reason, shew a more 
transcendent goodness to have been in Christ's death, which the gospel 
reveals, and so many oppose the one to the other, and have as good reason 
to shew why sin should not condemn, from Christ's death, as conscience 
can have, that the law may condemn. 

(1.) As first, is sin the transgression of the law ? Christ dying, the law- 
maker, was subjected to the law ; and will not that make amends ? Is sin 
the debasement of God's glory, manifested in his word and works ? Christ's 
dying was the debasement and emptying of the brightness of his glory in 
the highest measure, who was God personally manifested in the flesh. The 
one of them is but as the darkening the shine or lustre of the sun upon a 
wall, but the other is as the obscuring of the sun itself. Sin's highest evil 
lies in offending God, but Christ's righteousness is (oppositely) the right- 
eousness of God himself, or Jehovah made our righteousness. So that 
God in our sin is considered but as the object against whom ; but God in 
this our righteousness, is the subject from whom and in whom this right- 
eousness comes and is seated. And so his Godhead answerably gives a 
higher worth to it, by how much the alliance whicl the subject hath to an 
action of its own, that proceeds from it, is nearer than that which an object 
hath, against which the action is committed. 

(2.) Or secondly, what peculiar aggravations or circumstances are there 
in thy sins, to weigh thee down, with which some circumstances in Christ's 
obedience and death may not be paralleled, to lift thee up again ? 

As first, is it the greatness of thy sin in the substance of the fact com- 
mitted ? Hath there been lewdness in thy wickedness, as the prophet 
speaks ? Consider what guilt, of how heinous crimes, God suffered to be 
laid to Christ's charge by profane men, when he was made an offering for 
sin. He died as a traitor to his prince, and a blasphemer of God in the 
highest kind of blasphemy, as making himself equal with God ; an impostor, 
a seducer, yea, a devil, yea, a prince of devils, than whom a murderer was 
esteemed more worthy to live. Which imputations, though by men unjustly 
charged on him, yet by God were so ordered as just, in respect of his bear- 
ing our sins. For him who was holiness itself to be made the greatest of 
sinners, yea, to be ' made sin,' and the worst of sins, and accordingly to 
suffer from God and men, what greater satisfaction for the taking of sins 
away can be desired or imagined ? 

Or secondly, dost thou aggravate thy sins by the naughtiness of thy heart 
in sinning, and sayest that the inward carriage thereof hath been much 
worse than the outward ? Look thou into the heart of Jesus Christ dying, 
and behold him struggling with his Father's wrath, thou wilt find the suffer- 
ings of his soul more than those of his body, and in them to lie the soul of 
his sufferings. 

Thirdly, may thy sin be aggravated, in that thou didst commit it with so 



Chap. III.] of faith, in his death. 23 

great delight ami greediness, and pouredst out thy heart unto it ? Consider 
that Christ offered himself more willingly than ever thou didst sin. ' Lo, I 
come,' says he, Ps. xl., ' I delight to do thy will ;' and ' how am I straitened 
till it be accomplished !' Luke xii. 56. And though to shew how great an 
evil and misery it was in itself, he shewed an averseness to it ; yet as it was 
his Father's will for our salvation, he heartily embraced and drank off that 
cup unto the bottom. 

Fourthly, didst thou sin with much deliberation, when thou mightest 
have avoided it ? There was in this circumstance in Christ's sufferings to 
answer that, that he knew all he was to suffer, and yet yielded up himself, 
as John xviii. 4. 

Fifthly, hast thou sinned presumptuously, and made a covenant with 
death and hell ? Christ in like manner offered up himself by a covenant 
and complot with his Father so to do. 

Sixthly, are there any especial circumstances of time and place, &c, that 
aggravate thy sins ? 

As first, that so great a person in the church should scandalize the name 
of God in sinning. Why, how great a person was Christ ? Even equal 
with God the Father ; and yet how greatly humbled, even to the death ; 
his offices of King, Priest, and Prophet being debased with him. How 
great a name had he ! as Heb. i. 4, which notwithstanding was dishonoured 
more than ever any man's. 

Or secondly, that thou sinnedst at such a time, or in such a company, 
which sometimes serve to make a sin the more heinous. Consider how God 
contrived to have the shame and affliction of his Son's death aggravated 
by all these circumstances. It was of deaths the most accursed, at a time 
most solemn, in a place most infamous, with company most wretched. 

Thus might we find out that in Christ's suffering and satisfaction made, 
that would fitly answer to anything in our sins ; and so thereby we should 
be the more relieved. And though the whole body of his sufferings do 
stand and answer for the whole bulk of our sinnings, yet the consideration 
of such particulars will much conduce to the satisfying of an humbled and 
dejected soul, about the particulars of its sinnings. 

Therefore (to conclude) get your hearts and consciences distinctly and 
particularly satisfied in the all- sufficiency of worth and merit which is in 
the satisfaction that Christ hath made. As it is a fault and defect in hu- 
miliation, that men content themselves with a general apprehension and 
notion that they are sinners, and so never become thoroughly humbled ; so 
it is a defect in their faith, that they content themselves with a superficial 
and general conceit, that Christ died for sinners, their hearts not being 
particularly satisfied about the transcendent all-sufficiency of his death. 
And thence it is, that in time of temptation, when their abounding sinful- 
ness comes distinctly to be discovered to them, and charged upon them, 
they are then amazed and their faith nonplussed, as not seeing that in 
Christ which might answer to all that sinfulness. But as God saw that in 
Christ's death which satisfied him, so you should endeavour by faith to see 
that worth in it which may satisfy God, and then your faith will sit down 
as satisfied also. If a man were to dispute for his life some hard and diffi- 
cult controversy, wherein are many great and strong objections to be taken 
away, he would be sure to view, and study, and ponder all that might be 
said on that other part which he were to hold, in way of answer to them, 
and to get such a clear and convincing light as might make the truth of his 
position apparent and manifest through those clouds of objections that hang 



21 CHRIST THE OBJECT AND SUPPORT OF FAITH. [SECT. II. 

in the way. Now you will all be thus called one day to dispute for your 
souls, sooner or later ; and therefore such skill you should endeavour to get 
in Christ's righteousness, how in its fulness and perfection it answereth to 
all your sinlulness ; that your hearts may he able to oppose it against all 
that may be said of any particular, in or about your sins ; that in all the 
conflicts of your spirits, you may see that in it which would clear your whole 
score ; and that if God would but be pleased to impute it to you, you might 
say, I durst presently come to an account with him, and cut scores with 
his law and justice. 

Thus much of the first thing made the object of faith, namely, Christ as 
dying. 



Sect. III. J faith supported by Christ's resurrection. 



SECTION III. 

FAITH SUPPORTED BY CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 

Yea ratlier, that is risen again. — Rom. VIII. 34. 



CHAPTER I. 

Christ 's resurrection supporteth faith two ways: 1. By being an evidence of 
our justification ; 2. By having an influence into our justification. — The 
necessity of Christ's resurrection, for the procuring our justification. 

The next thing to be looked at in Christ, as he is the object of justifying 
faith, and from whence our faith may seek and fetch support and comfort 
in the matter of justification, is Christ's resurrection: upon which we see 
here, the apostle putteth a rather, ' Yea rather, that is risen again.' There 
must therefore be some special thing in the resurrection of Christ, which it 
contributes to our faith and justification, for which it should have a rather 
put upon it, and that comparatively to his death. Now to shew wherein 
this should he, consider how the resurrection of Christ serveth to a double 
use and end, hi the matter of justification. 

First, as an evidence to our faith, that God is fully satisfied by Christ's 
death ; his resurrection may give us full assurance of it. 

Secondly, it had, and hath an influence into our justification itself ; yea, 
and as great an influence as his death had. In both these respects it 
deserves a rather to be put upon it, and Paul had them both in his eye, 
when he wrote these words. So as first, if you ask an account of his faith, 
and a reason of his so triumphant assurance, he allegeth his resurrection 
to confirm it, ' Christ is risen.' Or, 

Secondly. If you would have a reason o: the thing, how it comes to pass 
that we who are believers cannot be condemned ; ' Christ is risen,' saith 
he. He allegeth it as a cause, that hath such an influence into justifica- 
tion itself, as it makes all sure about it. 

1. By way of evidence. Although Christ's obedience in his life and his 
death past do alone afford the whole matter of our justification, and make 
up the sum of that price paid for us (as hath been shewn), so as faith may 
see a fulness of worth and merit therein, to discharge the debt f yet faith 
hath a comfortable sign and evidence to confirm itself in the belief of this, 
from Christ's resurrection after his death. It may fully satisfy our faith, 
that God himself is satisfied, and that he reckons the debt as paid. So 
that our faith may boldly come to God, and call for the bond in, as having 
Christ's resurrection to shew for it, that the debt is discharged. And hence 
the apostle cries victory over sin, hell, and death, upon occasion of, and as 



26 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

the coronis and conclusion of that, his large discourse about Christ's resur- 
rection, 1 Cor. xv. 55-57, ' death, where is thy sting ? ' that is, sin, 
and the power of it ; for so it follows, ' the sting of death is sin ;' and ' 
grave, where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God who hath given us victory, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, ' namely, as risen again ; for of his resur- 
rection, and of that chiefly, had he spoken throughout that chapter. 

2. But surely this is not all, that it should only argue our justification 
by way of evidence. This alone would not have deserved such a rather 
to be put upon it, if Christ's resurrection had not had some farther real 
causal influence into justification itself, and been more than simply an evi- 
dence of it to our apprehensions. Therefore, secondly, in justification, 
although the materiale, or matter of it, be wholly the obedience and death 
of Christ ; yet the act of pronot ncing us righteous by that his obedience 
(which is the fonnale of justification), doth depend upon Christ's resurrec- 
tion. Ordinarily there hath been no more expressed concerning this 
dependence, than that the resurrection of Christ justifies by working actual 
faith, to lay hold upon what Christ hath done in his life and death, which 
is called the applying of it, of which more anon. But that speech of Paul, 
1 Cor. xv. 17, seems to import more, ' If Christ be not risen again, ye are 
yet in your sins, and your faith is in vain ;' that is, although you could 
suppose faith to be wrought in you upon the merit of Christ's dying, yet it 
would be in vain if Christ were not risen again ; for your title to justifica- 
tion itself would be void ; ' you were yet in your sins.' Which is said, 
because his resurrection was it, whereby sins (though satisfied for in his 
death) were taken ofi, and they acquitted from them ; which I take to be 
the meaning also of that, Rom. iv. 25, ' He was delivered for our sins, and 
rose again for our justification.' When the apostle says, ' for our sins he 
was delivered,' he means his laying down that which was the price for 
them, a satisfaction for them, which his death was. And in that sense, 
' he died for our sins ;' that is, his death stands instead of our death, and 
so satisfies for sin. But yet still that upon which the act of God's justify- 
ing us, and his discharge given us from our sins, and whereby he reckoneth 
us justified, that depends upon his resurrection. ' He rose again for our 
justification.' Note that justification there imports the act of imputation, 
and reckoning us just, which he had spoken of in the verses immediately 
foregoing, ver. 22, 23, 24. 

In a word, to the full discharge of a debt, and freeing the debtor, two 
things are requisite : 1. The payment of the debt ; 2. The tearing or can- 
celling of the bond, or receiving an acquittance for the freeing of the debtor. 
Now the payment was wrought by Christ's death, and the acquittance to 
free from the death was at and by his resurrection. 



CHAPTER II. 

For the explanation of both these is shewn, how Christ sustained a double relation 
first, of a surety given for us; secondly, of a common person in our stead. 
The difference of these two, and the usefulness of these two considerations, 
for the explaining all the rest that follows, in this whole discourse. 

Now the better to explicate both these, you must consider how that 
Christ, in almost all that he did for us (as the phrase is here, and is to be 
annexed to each particular) did stand in a double relation for us unto God. 



Chap. II. J from Christ's resurrection. 27 

1. Of a surety, bound to pay the debt for us, and to save our souls. 

2. Of a common person, or as an attomey-at-law in our stead. And 
both these, as they have a distinct and differing consideration in themselves, 
so those several considerations of them will conduce to the understanding 
of those two things forementioned, as ways and arguments to shew how 
the resurrection of Christ may support our faith, both by way of evidence 
that the debt is paid, and by way of influence that we are thereby acquitted, 
and cannot be condemned. The notion of his being risen, who is our 
surety, clears the first, and that of his rising as a common person, illus- 
trates the other. And I shall here a little the largelier insist upon the 
explication of these two relations, because their consideration will be of use 
through all the rest that follows, to illustrate thereby the influence that his 
ascension, and sitting at God's right hand, &c, have into our justification ; 
and so I shall carry them along throughout this discourse. 

1. A surety is one that undertakes, and is bound to do a thing for 
another ; as to pay a debt for him, or to bring him safe to such or such a 
place, or the like ; so as when he hath discharged what he undertook and was 
bound for, then the party for whom he undertook is discharged also. 

2. A common person with, or for another he goes for, is one who repre- 
sents, personates, and acts the part of another, by the allowance and war- 
rant of the law ; so as what he doth, as such a common person, and in the 
name of the other, that other whom he personates is by the law reckoned 
to do ; and, in like manner, what is done to him, as being in the other's 
stead and room, is reckoned as done to the other. Thus, by our law, an 
attorney appears for another, and money received by him is reckoned as 
received by him whom it is due unto. Thus the giving possession of an 
estate, a re-entry made, and possession taken of land, &c, if done by 
and to a man who is his lawful attorney, it stands as good in law unto a 
man, as if in his own person it had been done. So ambassadors for princes 
represent their masters : what is done to them is reckoned as done to the 
prince ; and what they do, according to their commission, is all one as if 
the prince, whose person they represent, had done it himself. In like man- 
ner also, the marriages of princes are transacted and solemnized by proxy, 
as a common person representing his lord, and in his name, is married to a 
princess in her father's court ; and the laws of men authorize it, and the 
marriage is as good as if both princes themselves had been present, and 
had performed all the rites of it. And thus to be a common person is more 
than simply to be a surety for another : it is a farther thing ; and there- 
fore these two relations are to be distinctly considered, though they seem 
to be somewhat of a like nature. Thus an attorney is a different thing 
from a surety. A surety undertakes to pay a debt for another, or the like ; 
but a common person serves to perform any common act, which by the law 
is reckoned and virtually imputed to the other, and is to stand as the other's 
act, and is as valid as if he had done it ; so as the good and benefit which 
is the consequent of such an act, shall accrue to him whom he personated, 
and for whom he stood as a common person. Adam was not a surety for 
all mankind ; he undertook not for them in the sense forementioned, but he 
was a common person representing all mankind ; so as what he should do was 
to be accounted as if they had done it. Now the better to express and make 
sure our justification in and by Christ, according to all sorts of laws (the 
equity of all which God usually draws up into his dispensations), God did 
ordain Christ both to be a surety for us, and also a common person repre- 
senting us, and in our stead. That as Christ took all other relations for us, 



28 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

as of an Husband, Head, Father, Brother, King, Priest, Captain, &c„ that 
so the fulness of his love might be set forth to us, in that wbat is defective 
in any one of these relations, is supplied and expressed by the other ; even 
thus did God ordain Christ to take and sustain both these relations, of a 
surety and a common person, in all he did for us, thereby to make our 
justification by him the more full and legal ; and justify, as I may so speak, 
our justification itself or his justifying of us, by all sorts of legal considera- 
tions whatever, that hold commonly among men in like case ; and that 
which the one of these relations or considerations might not reach to make 
good, the other might supply ; what fell short in the one the other might 
make up ; and so we might be most legally and formally justified, and made 
sure never to be condemned. 



CHAPTER III. 

The first head: The evidence of justification which Christ's resurrection affords to 
faith, explained by two things. 1. By shewing how Christ was made a Surety 
for us. 2. How his resurrection as a Surety holds forth this evidence. 

1. Concerning the first of those two heads at first propounded, namely, the 
evidence which Christ's resurrection affords unto our faith in point of non- 
condemnation, I have two things to handle in this chapter to make this out : 
First, how Christ was made a Surety for us, and what manner of Surety he 
did become ; secondly, what the consideration hereof will conti'ibute to that 
evidence which faith hath from Christ's resurrection. 

(1.) For the first, Christ was appointed by God (and himself also under- 
took) to be our Surety. This you have, Heb. vii. 22, ' He was made Surety 
of a better testament ' or covenant, namely, of the new. The Hebrew 
word for covenant the Septuagint still translated A/a^x?j, testament: the 
word in the Hebrew being of a large signification, and comprehending both 
a covenant and testament ; and so in the New Testament it is used pro- 
miscuously for either ; and indeed this ' new covenant of grace ' is both. 
Of this covenant Christ is the syyvog, the plighter of his troth for it, the 
Surety, the Promiser, the Undertaker. The verb this comes of is syyvdoi, 
promittere, which comes from h yvloig, in manibus, striking hands, or giving 
one's hand, as a sign of a covenant ; and so to bargain with, or make up a 
covenant. Prov. xxii. 26, ' Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or 
of them that are sureties for debts :' which whole verse the Septuagint reads, 
Give not thyself £/*. iyyvqv, to suretyship ; the same word that is here used 
by the apostle. It was the manner both of the Jews and Romans also, to 
make covenants by striking of hands. And in testaments, the heir and 
executor shook hands, or the executor gave his hand to fulfil it. And the 
word lyyvr/Gacdai is used, not only in promising to pay a debt for another, 
but also in becoming a pledge for another, for to undergo death or a capital 
punishment in another's room, as in that famous story of friends, namely, 
Evephenus and Eucritus : Eucritus did r^iuasv syyuriCagOai* willingly be- 
come a surety for Evephenus, when condemned to die by Dionysius the 

* It Is remarkable that Goodwin has, through inadvertence, mistaken the mean- 
ing of this expression. It was Evephenus, who, having sent for Eucritus, TiQwGiV 
syyvrjUaadai, asked him to stand surety for him. The mistake does not affect the 
argument, which depends upon the meaning of 'iyy\jr}aa,69cu, and not upon that of 
r^i'jiSiv. — Ed. 



Chap. III. J from Christ's resurrection. 29 

tyrant. This very word is used by Polyasnus,* the historian of that fact. 
Now such a Surety every way did Christ become unto God for us, both to 
pay the debt, by undergoing death in our stead, and so to satisfy God ; and 
then as the Heir, to execute his will and testament. He became a Surety 
of the whole covenant, and every condition in it, take it in the largest sense ; 
and this of all, both on God's part, and on ours. For us he undertook to 
God to work all our works, and undergo all our punishments ; to pay our 
debts for us, and to work in us all that God required should be done by us, 
in the covenant of grace. And thus to be a surety is much more than 
simply to be an intercessor or mediator (as Pareus well observes). God 
did (as it were) say to Christ, What they owe me, I require it all at your 
hands ; and Christ assented, and from everlasting struck hands with God, 
to do all for us that God could require, and undertook it under the penalt}' 
that lay upon us to have undergone. 

Yea, Christ became such a Surety in this for us, as is not to be found 
among men. On earth, sureties are wont to enter into one and the same 
bond with the creditors, f so as the creditor may seize on which of the two 
he will, whether on the debtor or on the surety, and so (as usually) on the 
debtor first, for him we call the principal. But in this covenant God would 
have Christ's single bond ; and hence Christ is not only called the Surety 
of the covenant for us, but ' The Covenant,' Isa, xlix. 8, and elsewhere. 
God making the covenant of grace primarily with him, and with him as for 
us, thereby his single bond alone was taken for all, that so God might be 
sure of satisfaction : therefore he laid all upon Christ, protesting that he 
would not deal with us, nor so much as expect any payment from us, such 
was his grace. So Ps. lxxxix. 19, where the mercies of the covenant made 
between Christ and God, under the type of God's covenant with David, are 
set forth, ' Thou spakest in vision to thy holy One, and saidst, I have laid 
help on one who is mighty.' As if God had said, I know that these will 
fail me, and break, and never be able to satisfy me ; but you are a mighty 
and substantial person, able to pay me, and I will look for my debt of you. 
And to confirm this, than which nothing can give stronger consolation, or 
more advanceth God's free grace, when God went about the reconciling the 
world in and by Christ, and dealt with Christ about it, the manner of it is 
expressed to have been, that God took off our sins from us, and discharged 
us, as it were, meaning never to call us to an account for them, unless 
Christ should not satisfy him, and laid them all on Christ, so as he would 
require an account of them all from him first, and let him look to it ; and 
this he did to make the covenant sure. Thus, 2 Cor. v. 19, it is said (the 
apostle speaking of God's transaction of this business with Christ) that 
' God was in Christ,' namely, from everlasting, ' reconciling the world ' (of 
elect believers) ' to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them ; and 
made him sin who knew no sin.' Observe, that as he laid our sins on 
Christ, so withal he discharged us in his compact between Christ and him- 
self, ' not imputing their trespasses to them.' So then, all laid upon Christ, 
and he was to look to it, or else his soul was to have gone for it. This is 
not the manner of other creditors : they use to charge the debt on both the 
surety and the debtor ; but in this covenant (of grace, namely) Christ's 
single bond is entered ; he alone is ' The Covenant,' so as God will have 
nought to say to us, till Christ fails him. He hath engaged himself first to 
require satisfactions at Christ's hands, who is our Surety. 

(2.) Now then for to make use of this notion, for the clearing of the point 
* Stratagems, Book V. chap. ii. — Ed. f Qu. ' debtors?' — Ed. 



30 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH "SECT. III. 

in hand. It might afford us matter of unspeakable comfort, only to hear 
of Christ's having been arrested by God for our debt, and cast into prison, 
and his bond sued, and an execution or judgment served on him, as the 
phrases are, Isa. liii. 8. For thereby we should have seen how God had 
begun with our Surety, as minded to let us alone, and that it lay on him to 
discharge the debt, who was so able to do it. And thereby we might also 
see how he was ' made sin for us,' and therefore we might very well have 
quieted our hearts from fearing any arrests, or for God's coming upon us, 
till we should hear that our surety were not sufficiently able to pay the 
debt, as you have heard he is. 

But yet our hearts would still be inquisitive (for all that) to hear whether 
indeed he hath perfectly satisfied God or no ; and would be extremely soli- 
citous to know whether he hath satisfactorily performed what he undertook, 
and how he got clear of that engagement, and of being ' made sin for us.' 
And therefore the apostle comforts believers with this, that Christ shall 
' the next time appear without sin.' • Unto them that look for him he shall 
appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation,' Heb. ix. 28. One 
would think it no great matter oi comfort to us to hear that Christ should 
appear without sin ; for who would imagine that it could be otherwise with 
' The Holy One,' ' The Lord of Glory ' ? There is no wonder in that. Ay, 
but, says the apostle, your very salvation is interested in this, as nearly as 
is possible. It is well for you that Christ is now without sin ; for he hav- 
ing as your Surety undertook to satisfy for sin, and having accordingly been 
once made sin when on earth, and arrested for it by God at his death ; in 
that now he is got clear of that engagement — which could be no way but 
by satisfaction, which he undertook — this doth plainly evince it, and ascer- 
tain you, that you shall never be condemned for it ; for by the law, if the 
surety hath discharged the debt, the debtor is then free. And therefore no 
news would or could be more welcome to sinners, than to have a certain 
and infallible evidence given, that their Surety were well come off, and had 
quitted all, to satisfaction. 

Now then to evidence this serveth his resurrection ; ' Christ is risen.' 
Nothing so sure. Therefore certainly the debt is discharged, and he hath 
paid it to the full, and so is now without our sin, and fully got clear of it. 
For God having once arrested Christ, and cast him into prison, and begun 
a trial against him, and had him to judgment, he could not come forth till 
he had paid the very utmost farthing. And there is the greatest reason for 
it, to ascertain us, that can be. For he was under those bonds and bolts, 
which if it had ' been possible,' would have ' detained ' him in the grave, as 
Acts ii. 2-1. The strength of sin, and God's wrath, and the curse against 
sin (Thou shalt die the death) did as cords hold him, as the Psalmist's 
phrase is. Other debtors may possibly break their prisons ; but Christ 
could not have broke through this, for the wrath of the all-powerful God 
was this prison, from which there was no escaping, no bail ; nothing would 
be taken to let him go out but full satisfaction. And therefore to hear that 
Christ is risen, and so is come out of prison, is an evidence that God is 
satisfied, and that Christ is discharged by God himself; and so is now 
' without sin,' walking abroad again at liberty. And therefore the apostle 
proclaims a mighty victory, obtained by Christ's resurrection, over death, 
the grave, the strength of sin, the law, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, and cries out, 
' Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord,' ver. 57. You may now rest secure indeed : ' Christ is risen ; who 
therefore shall condemn T 



Ciiap. IV. I from Christ's resurrection. 81 



CHAPTER IV. 

The second head propounded, the influence Christ's resurrection hath into justi- 
fication. — Tuo branches of the demonstration of this: First, thai Christ 
was a common person, representing us in all he uas, or did, or suffered, 
handled at large ; more especially a common person in his resurrection. 

2. Now secondly, to come to that other head propounded, the influence 
Christ's resurrection hath into our justification. The demonstration or 
making out of which depends on two things put together ; the first, how 
Christ was appointed by God, and himself acted the part of a common per- 
son, representing us in what he did, and more particularly in his resurrec- 
tion. Of this in this chapter. 

The second is, how from that consideration ariseth, not only an evidence 
to our faith, but a real influence into our justification and non-condemna- 
tion. So as, ' Who shall condemn?' because ' Christ is risen again,' as a 
common person, representing us therein. 

(1.) For the first of these, to illustrate and prove it in the general, that 
instance of Adam serves most fitly, and is indeed made use of in the Scrip- 
ture to that end. Adam, as you all know, was reckoned as a common 
public person, not standing singly or alone for himself, but as representing 
all mankind to come of him. So as by a just law, what he did was reckoned 
to his posterity whom he represented. And what was by that law threat- 
ened, or done to him for what he did, is threatened against his posterity 
also. Now this man was herein a lively type of our Lord Christ, as you 
have it, ' who was the type of him who was to come,' Rom. v. 14. Unto 
which purpose, the titles which the apostle gives these two, Christ and 
Adam, 1 Cor. xv. 47, are exceeding observable ; he calls Adam ' the first 
man ; ' and Christ our Lord, ' the second man ; ' and both for that very pur- 
pose and respect which we have in hand. For, first, he speaks of them as 
if there had never been any more men in the world, nor were ever to be for 
time to come, except these two. And why ? but because these two between 
them had all the rest of the sons of men hanging at their girdle ; because 
they were both common persons, that had the rest in like (though opposite) 
considerations included and involved in them. Adam had all the sons of 
men, bom into this world, included in himself, who are therefore called 
• earthly men,' ver. 48, in a conformity to him ' the earthly man,' ver. 47 ; 
and Christ the second man had all his elect — who are ' the first born,' and 
whose ' names are written in heaven,' and therefore, in the same verse, are 
oppositely called ' heavenly men ' — included in him. You see how he sums 
up the number of all men in two, and reckons but two men in all ; these 
two, in God's account, standing for all the rest. And farther observe, that 
because Adam was in this his being a common person unto us, the shadow 
and the lively type of Christ, who was to come after him ; that therefore he 
is called ' the first man' of these two, and Christ ' the second man,' as 
typified out by him. 

Now if you ask wherein Christ was a common person, representing us, 
and standing in our stead ; I answer, if in anything, then in all those con- 
ditions and states wherein he was, in what he did, or befell him, whilst here 
on earth especially. For he had no other end to come down into this 
world, but to sustain our persons, and to act our parts, and to have what 
was to have been done to us acted upon him. 



32 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH j SECT. III. 

[1.] Thus, first, in their two several conditions, qualifications, and states, 
they both were common persons. That is, look what state or condition the 
one or the other was made in, is by a just law to be put upon those whom 
they represented. So the apostle reasons from it, ver. 48, ' as is the earthly 
man' (namely, the first man, Adam), ' such are the earthly,' namely, to be 
earthly men as well as he ; because he who is a common person represent- 
ing them, was in his condition but an earthly man. And oppositely, by 
the same law, it follows, 'as is the heavenly man' (namely, the second 
man, Christ), ' such are and must be the heavenly,' who pertain to him, 
because he also is a common person, ordained to personate them ; and 
Adam, who came after him, was therein but his type. 

[2.] And as thus, in this place to the Corinths, the apostle argues Christ 
to be a common person, in respect of his condition and state, by an argu- 
ment of parallels taken from his type, Adam ; so, secondly, in that 5th to 
the Romans, he argues Christ to have been a common person, in his actions 
which he did on earth : and this also from the similitude of Adam, whom, 
ver. 14, he therein makes to have been Christ's type. And he speaks of 
Adam there as a common person, both in respect of what he did, namely, 
his sin ; and also in respect of what befell him for his sin, namely, death and 
condemnation. And because he was in all these not to be considered as a 
sini/le man, but as one that was all wen, by way of representation ; hence, 
both what he did, they are said to do in him ; and what condemnation or 
death was deserved by his sin, fell upon them all, by this law of his being 
a public person for them. 

First, For what he did. He sinned, you know, and, ver. 12, all are said 
to have sinned, namely, in his sin ; yea, and according to those words in 
the Greek, ev <Z ,* which are added there, you may render that sentence (and 
the original bears it, and it is also varied in the margin) thus, ' in whom 
all have sinned,' namely, in Adam, as in a public person. Their act was 
included in his, because their persons were included in his. And 

Secondly, For what befell him for sin, that befell them also by the same law 
of his being a person representing them. Hence, ver. 12, death is said to 
' pass upon all men,' namely, for this, that Adam's sin was considered as 
theirs, as it there follows. It is said to pass, even as a sentence of death 
passeth upon a condemned malefactor. And, ver. 18, judgment is said to 
' come by that one man's offence, upon all men, to condemnation.' Now 
in Gen. ii. 17, the threatening was spoken only to Adam, as but one man, 
' In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.' And Gen. iii. 
19, that sentence seems only to pass upon him alone, ' Unto dust thou 
shalt return.' Yet in threatening Adam, God threatened us all ; and in 
sentencing Adam to death, he sentenced us. also. The curse reacheth us 
too ; ' death passed upon all men' then, and therefore by a just law ' death 
reigns over all,' as Piom. v. 14 and 17, because Adam was in all this a com- 
mon person representing us, and so in our stead ; and so all this concerns 
us as truly and as nearly as it did him. I say by a just law ; for, indeed, 
the Scripture, upon the equity of this rule, pronounceth a statute out against 
all men that they should die, Heb. ix. 27. Statutum est, it is appointed by 
a statute law that all should die. Now if you search for this statute, when 
and where enacted, you will find that the original record and roll is that in 
Gen. iii. 19, spoken only of Adam, but holding true of us, ' to dust thou 
shalt return.' 

* This reading, sv w, for sip w, which the author quotes, and which our trans- 
lators must have had before them, is not given by Griesbach. — Ed. 



Chap. IV. from Christ's resurrection. 83 

(8.) Just thus the matter stands in the point of our justification and 
salvation hotween Christ and elect helievcrs ; for Adam was herein his type. 
Christ was considered and appointed of God as a common person, both in 
what ho did and in what was done to him. So as by the same law, what 
he did for us is reckoned or imputed to us, as if we ourselves had done it ; 
and what was done to him, tending to our justification and salvation, is 
reckoned as done to us. Thus when Christ died, he died as a common 
person, and God reckoneth that we died also. When Christ arose, he rose 
as our head, and as a common person, and so then God accounts that wo 
rose also with him. And by virtue of that communion which we had with 
him in all those actions of his, it is, that now when we are born again, we 
do all rise both from the guilt of sin and from the power of it : even as by 
virtue of the like communion we had with (or being one in) Adam, we como 
to be made sinful, when we begin first to exist as men, and to be first born. 
Thus in his death he was considered as a common person, and God 
reckoned us dying then, and would have us reckon so also. So, Rom. vi. 
10, the apostle, speaking of Christ, saith, ' In that he died, he died unto sin 
once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.' Then, ver. 11, speaking 
of us, he says, ' Likewise reckon you yourselves to be dead unto sin, but 
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.' The meaning whereof is 
plainly this, that whereas regenerate men are for the present in the reality 
nut imperfectly mortified and dead to sin, as considered in themselves, and 
in respect of the work of it, as wrought in them ; yet that being considered 
in Christ as their head, and a common person representing them, they may 
Xoyi^uv, they may truly, by a way of faith, reason or ' reckon ' themselves 
wholly dead, in and through Jesus Christ our Lord, in that once he died 
perfectly unto sin, as a common person representing them. So as what yet 
is wanting in the work of mortification, in their sense and experience of it, 
they may supply by faith, from the consideration of Christ their head, even 
themselves to have died when he died. The apostle, I say, would have 
them by reason conclude or infer (for so the word Xoyi^isds signifies, as 
chap. iii. 28, ' Therefore we conclude,' &c, it is the same word) from Christ's 
death, that they are dead ; which conclusion cannot be made unless this be 
one of the propositions in this argument, that we died in Christ when he 
died ; and so though in ourselves we are not yet wholly '■ dead to sin,' nor 
perfectly ' alive to God,' yet ' through Jesus Christ your Lord and Head' 
(says he), ' reckon yourselves so,' ' in that (as ver. 10) he died and now 
lives,' and you were included in him. And, indeed, this consideration the 
apostle suggests unto our faith, both as the greatest encouragement against 
imperfect mortification begun ; that yet we may comfort ourselves by faith, 
as reckoning ourselves wholly dead in Christ's death, and so may assure 
ourselves we shall one day be perfectly dead in ourselves by virtue of it ; 
and withal, as the strongest argument also and motive unto mortification, 
to endeavour to attain to the highest degree of it ; which, therefore, he car- 
ries along in his discourse throughout that whole chapter. He would have 
them by faith or spiritual reasoning take in, and apprehend themselves long 
since dead to sin in Christ, when he died ; and so should think it the 
greatest absurdity in the world to sin, even the least sin, we being dead 
long since, and that wholly, when Christ our head died : ver. 2, ' and how 
shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? ' and, ver. 7, 'he 
that is dead is free from sin ; ' and how then shall we do the least service 
to it ? Now all this he puts upon Christ's dying, and our dying then with 
him : ver. 6, ' Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,' even 
VOL. iv. c 



34 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

when he was crucified, ' that it might be destroyed ' one day in us, fully 
and perfectly ; Christ's body representing therein, as a public person, the 
elect, and their body of sin conjunct with them. So as thus by faith they 
are to reason themselves wholly dead to sin in Cbrist, and to use it as a 
reason and motive to stir up themselves not to yield to the least sin. I use 
this expression of being wholly dead, because if he had spoken merely of 
that imperfect mortification begun in us, the argument would not bave been 
a perfect motive against the least sins. ' We who are dead, how shall we 
live in sin,' or yield unto the least sin ? For it might be said, alas ! we 
are but imperfectby dead ; and from an imperfect death could but an imper- 
fect argument have been drawn. But tbe Scripture elsewhere tells us, that 
' Christ by his death hath perfected for ever all that are sanctified ;' so Heb. 
x. 14 ; so as in his death they may reckon themselves perfectly dead by 
faith, and perfectly sanctified, though yet the work be not actually and fully 
perfected. 

And all this communion with Christ as a common person, representing 
them in his death, he there instructs them to be represented and sealed up 
to them by their baptism ; so ver. 3, 4. How, I shall shew afterwards. 

(4.) Now as this place holds forth Christ as a common person in his 
death representing us, so other places hold forth the like of his resurrec- 
tion. In 1 Cor. xv. 20, the apostle argues, that elect believers must and 
shall rise, because ' now Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the 
first-fruits of them that sleep.' See the force of this argument founded 
upon this notion and consideration, that Christ was a common person repre- 
senting all the rest ; and this strongly presented in that expression of his 
being ' the first-fruits,' in allusion to the rite in the Levitical law. All the 
sheaves in a field being unholy of themselves, there was some one sheaf in 
the name and room of all the rest (which was called the first-fruit), which was 
lift up, and waved before the Lord ; and so all the sheaves abroad in the 
field, by that act done to this one sheaf, were consecrated unto God, 
Lev. xxiii. 10, &c, by virtue of that law. The meaning of which rite, the 
apostle expounding, allegeth, Rom. xi. 16, • If the first-fruits be holy, all 
the lump is holy also.' Thus, when we were all dead, Christ as the first- 
fruits riseth, and this in our name and stead, and so we all rise with him 
and in him. And although the saints departed are not, in their own per- 
sons, as yet risen (as we all who are now alive are not in our own persons 
yet dead), yet, in the mean time, because thus they are risen in Christ, as 
their first-fruits, hence, in the very words following, he saith, they are but 
asleep, ' He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep,' because they 
remain alive in Christ their head, and shall rise one day, because in him 
they virtually are already risen ; and this in God's account in as time and just 
a sense as we, though personally alive, are yet all reckoned dead in Adam, 
because he, as a common person, had the sentence of death pronounced on 
him, by virtue of which we must die ; and this by the force of the same 
law, even of that which we have inculcated, of being a common person repre- 
senting us. And indeed, so it follows (which argues this to be the apostle's 
meaning), ver. 21, ' For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all 
be made alive.' His argument lies thus : Adam was the first-fruits of them 
that died ; Christ, of them that rise. Hence, therefore, we are elsewhere 
said (though in respect to another life) to be ' risen with Christ,' Ephes. ii. 
5, 6, and, which is yet more, ' to sit together with him in heaven ;' because 
he, as a common person representing us, sits there in our name and stead, 
as you shall hear when I come to it in the text in the next section. 



ClIAP. V.J FROM ciiKisTS BBBUBBBOTION. 35 



CHAPTER V. 

The second branch: How Christ's representing us as a common person in his 
resurrection, hath em influence into our justification, made forth by two 
things: (1.) How Christ at his resurrection was justified from our sin; (2.) 
That we were all then justified in him as a common person. 

2. Now, then, to come to the other branch of the demonstration, namely, 
how this relation to us as a common person representing us in his resur- 
rection, hath a real influence into our justification. And this is the point 
I drive at ; and for the clearing of which that large and general discourse 
by way of digression in the former chapter was but to make way for. 

I shall absolve and despatch this branch by shewing two things : 

(1.) That Christ himself was justified, and that at his resurrection. 

(2.) That he was justified then as a common person, representing us 
therein, as well as that he rose as a common person ; and so that we were 
then justified in him and with him ; and by this means it is that by that act 
then done to him, our justification is made irrepealable for ever. 

(1.) For the explicating of the first: As Christ was in his death made 
sin for us, and so sustained our persons in his satisfying for sin by his 
death (which is the matter of our righteousness), so in and upon his resur- 
rection he was justified and acquitted from our sins by God, as having now 
fully in his death satisfied for them, which I make forth by these three 
things put together : 

[l.J First, in reason, if that Christ were made sin for us, and satisfied 
for it, there must then some act pass, whereby Christ should be pronounced 
acquit of our sins, and fully clear of them, and so be himself formally justi- 
fied in respect of those sins, for which he undertook to satisfy. For, 
according to the course of all proceedings, if a charge of guilt be formally 
laid, there must be as formal an act of acquitting, and of giving a quietus 
est. There is no man but for his own discharge and security would desire 
it ; nor is there any wise man that pays a debt for which he is legally sued, 
that will not have, upon the payment of it, as legal an acquittance. Paul, 
when he was cast into prison by a public act of authority, he stood upon it 
to have a public act of release from the same magistrates, and would not 
go forth of prison privily, though themselves sent to him so to go out, 
Acts xvi. 37. Now God himself did • lay the iniquities of us all' upon 
Christ, Isa. liii. 6, and ' had him to prison and judgment' for them, ver. 3. 
There must, therefore, some act pass from God, legally to take them off 
from him, and declaring him discharged, to deliver him from prison and 
judgment. 

And, de facto, it is evident that there was some such act passed from God ; 
for, as we read, that Christ, while he lived, and also in his death, ' was 
made sin,' and ' did bear the sin of many,' as the phrase is, Heb. ix. 28. 
So we read in the very next words, that ' he shall appear the second time 
without sin,' which must needs be spoken in a direct opposition to his 
baring borne our sins, and appearing then with all our sins laid to his 
charge. He appeared charged with them then, but now he shall appear, 
as apparently and manifestly to be without those sins, for of our sins it 
must needs be meant, and so to be discharged of them as fully as ever he 
appeared charged with them. For it is said, ' he shall appear without sin ;' 
and therefore to the judgments of all it shall be made manifest, that that 



36 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

God that once charged him with them, hath now fully discharged him of 
them. The apostle speaks of it as of a great alteration made in this respect 
between Christ whilst on earth, and Christ as he is to appear the second 
time, and is now in heaven. And this alteration or discharge must neces- 
sarily be made by God ; for he is the creditor who followed the suit, and 
therefore he alone can give the acquittance. 

[2.] Now, secondly, from hence it will follow, that there must be some 
time when this alteration was first made, and discharge given, when Christ, 
from being sin, as he was made, should become without sin, through God's 
acquitting of him ; and this, say I, was at his resurrection. It is not deferred 
as then to be first done, when he is to appear the second time, though 
then it appears indeed, but it is really done before ; for he comes then to 
judge others for sin. Now in reason when should this acquittance or justi- 
fication from our sins be first given to Christ, and legally pronounced on 
him, but when he had paid the last farthing of the debt, and made his satis- 
faction complete ? which was then done when he began to rise ; for his lying 
in the grave was a part of his humiliation, and so of his satisfaction, as gene- 
rally orthodox divines hold. Now, therefore, when he began to rise, then 
ended his humiliation ; and that was the first moment of his exaltation. His 
acquittance, therefore, bears date from thence, even from that very hour. 

[3.] Hence, thirdly, we read, as that Christ was ' condemned,' so that 
he was ' justified.' Thus, 1 Tim. hi. 1G, God is said to be • manifest in 
the flesh,' and then that this God-man was 'justified in the Spirit.' That 
is, whereas God was manifest or appeared in flesh to condemn sin in the flesh, 
as Rom. viii., that same God-man was also justified in the Spirit from all 
those sins, and so ' received up to glory,' as it follows there. And not to 
go far, the very words of this my text, ' it is God that justifies,' are taken 
out of Isa. 1. 8, 9, and as there they are first spoken by Christ of himself, 
then, when he ' gave his back to the smiters,' in his death (as in the verses 
before), and was put to death as a ' condemned' man, he comforts himself 
with this, ' He is near that justifies me ; who shall condemn ?' And when 
was that done, or to be done, but at his resurrection ? So the phrase in 
Timothy imports, if you compare it with another in Peter, 1 Pet. iii. 18. 
' Being put to death in the flesh, and quickened in (or by) the Spirit.' 
Paul, he says, 'justified in the Spirit;' Peter, he says, ' quickened in the 
Spirit :' both mean one and the same thing. By S})irit is meant the power 
of his Godhead and divine nature, whereby he was at once both raised 
from the grave, and from under the guilt of sin together. He was at once 
both quickened, or raised, and justified also. And that by Spirit they 
mean his divine nature, the opposition in both places evidently implies ; 
for it is opposed to his flesh, or human nature. Now, because he was 
quickened, or raised, by the power of the Godhead, and at that raising him 
he was justified also by God, and declared justified by that resurrection, as 
he had been declared condemned by his death ; hence, to be justified is 
put for his resurrection ; for that was his justification, to declaration of all 
the world, that he was justified from all the sins laid to his charge. And 
that other place I cited out of Isaiah hath the same meaning also ; for 
Christ there comforts himself against the Jews condemning him, and put- 
ting him to death, with the hopes of God's justifying of him, when he 
should have gone through that work. And Christ's meaning there is this, 
' God will raise me up and acquit me,' though you condemn and kill me. 
In the other prophets you shall find Christ still comforting himself against 
his condemnation at his death, with the thoughts of his resurrection, which 



Ciiap. V.J from Christ's resurrection. 87 

he foresaw as shortly to follow after it ; as here, in Isaiah, he comforts 
himself with these hopes of his heing justified after their condemnation of 
him. For instance, Ps. xvi. 9, • My flesh shall rest in hope : thou wilt not 
leave my soul in hell, nor sutler thy Holy One to see corruption.' Which 
words, you know, Peter, in the Acts, doth twice interpret of Christ's resur- 
rection. In like manner here, in Isaiah, against his death and condemnation, 
he comforts himself with the hopes of God's justification of him at his resur- 
rection, ' He is near who justifies me (and he shall help me) ; who shall 
condemn ?' 

And further, to confirm and strengthen this notion, hecause his resurrec- 
tion was the first moment of this his justification from our sins, therefore 
it is that God calls it his first begetting of Christ, ' This day have I 
begotten thee,' speaking manifestly of his resurrection, Acts xiii. 33. And 
the reason of his so calling it, is, because all the while before he was covered 
with sin, and ' the likeness of sinful flesh ; ' but now, having flung it off, he 
appears like God's Son indeed, as if newly begotten. And thus also he* 
cometh to be the fuller conformity between Christ's justification and ours. 
For as our justification is at our first being born again, so was Christ's also 
at this his first glorious begetting. He was under an attainder before ; here 
was the act of restitution first passed. And as at our conversion (which is 
to us a resurrection) we ' pass from death to life,' that is, from an estate 
of death and condemnation, unto justification of life, so did Christ also at 
his resurrection, which to him was a re-begetting, pass from an estate of 
death and guilt laid on him, to an estate of life and glory, and justification 
from guilt ; and so shall ' appear,' as the word is, Heb. ix. 28 (as he doth 
now in heaven), • without sin ; ' for he became to be without sin from that 
very moment. Thus I have shewn how Christ was justified at his resurrec- 
tion. 

(2.) Now then, in the second place, I am to shew that this his justifica- 
tion, and pronouncing him without sin, thus done at his resurrection, was 
done to him as the ' first-fruits,' and as to a common person bearing our 
persons, and so in our names. From whence will necessarily follow, as 
the conclusion of all, that the persons of all the elect believers have been 
justified before God in Christ, as their head, at or from the time of his 
resurrection ; and so that act of justification to have been so firmly passed as 
it cannot be revoked for ever. Now this is proved, 

First, by the very same reason or respect that he was said to be the 
■ first-fruits of them that sleep,' as representing the rest in his resurrection, 
which I shewed at large in the former chapter ; upon the same ground he 
is to be so looked at also in this his justification pronounced upon him at 
his resurrection, even as the first-fruits also of them that are justified. And 
so in the same sense, and by the same reason that we are said to be ' risen 
with Christ,' in his resurrection ; we must also be said to be 'justified with 
him,' in this his justification, at his resurrection. 

And indeed (to enlarge this a little), as there is the same reason and 
ground for the one that there is for the other, he being a public person in 
both, so the rule will hold in all other things which God ever doth to us, or 
for us, which are common with Christ, and were done to him ; that in them 
all Christ was the first-fruits, and they may be said to have been done in 
us, or to us, yea, by us, in him, and with him. Yea, whatever God meant 
to do for us and in us, whatever privilege or benefit he meant to bestow 
upon us, he did that thing first to Christ, and (some way) bestowed the 
* Qn. 'there?'— Ed. 



38 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

like on him as a common person, that so it might be by a solemn formal 
act ratified, and be made sure to be done to us in our persons in due time, 
having first been done to him representing our persons ; and that by this 
course taken, it might (when done to us) be effected by virtue of what was 
first done to him. Thus God meaning to sanctify us, he sanctifies Christ 
first, in him as a common person sanctifying us all ; ' For their sakes I 
sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through thy truth,' John 
xvii. 19. He sanctifies the human nature of Christ personal, (that is his 
body), and him first, as a common person representing us, that so we, being 
virtually and representative!}" sanctified in him, may be sure to be sanctified 
afterwards in our own persons, by means of his sanctification. And so in 
like manner for our sakes he was 'justified in the Spirit ; ' because we were 
to be justified, and so to be justified first in him, and with him as a common 
person. Now this rule holds in all blessings else bestowed ; for Paul pro- 
nounceth of them all, that ' God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 
in Christ Jesus,' Eph. i. 3, which God did so order, that, as he speaks of 
ordaining salvation to be by faith, Rom. iv. 16, that all those 'blessings 
might be sure to all the seed.' For this formal investiture of estating us 
into all blessings by such solemn acts done to Christ as our head and repre- 
senter of us, makes what he intends to bestow sure beforehand, by an 
irrepealable act and sentence, which hath its warrant in all laws of men, as 
I have shewn, and shall anon again urge. And, 

Secondly, by the equity of the same law that in Adam we were all con- 
demned, Adam being a type of him in this, by the same law, I say, we were 
all justified in Christ when he was justified, else the type were not therein 
fulfilled. Now the sentence of condemnation was first passed upon Adam 
alone, yet considered as a common person for us ; therefore also this 
acquittance and justification was then passed towards Christ alone, as a 
public person for us. Yea, in this his being justified, Christ must much 
rather be considered as a common person representing us, than Adam was 
in his condensation. For Christ in his own person, as he had no sin, so 
he had no need of any justification from sin, nor should ever have been 
condemned. And therefore this must be only in a respect unto our sins 
imputed to him ; and if so, then in our stead. And so herein, he was more 
purely to be considered as a common person for us, than ever Adam was, 
in his being condemned. For Adam, besides his standing as a common 
person for us, was furfherrnore condemned in his own person ; but Christ 
in being justified from sin, could only be considered as standing for others. 
Thus, Pom. v. 18, ' Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation ; even so (or in like manner) by the righteousness 
of that one man Christ, the free gift came upon all men (namely, in Christ) 
unto justification of life.' He parallels both with a so, only with this 
difference between Adam's being a common person for us, and so between 
the ground of our being condemned in him, and Christ his being a common 
person for us, and our acquittance in him, that the ' condemnation came 
upon ah" by a necessary, natural covenant, for by such a covenant was 
Adam appointed a common person for us ; but Christ his being appointed 
thus a common person for us, it was by a ' free gift' of grace ; and therefore 
in like manner by a free gift of grace it is that the imputation of that which 
he did, or was done to him, is reckoned ours. As then ' in Adam all died,' 
when he sinned, as the apostle speaks, so in Christ ' were all justified,' 
when he was justified. For as in his death Christ was a public person for 
ns, and in all that befell him ; so in his resurrection, and in all that was 



Chap. VI.] from Christ's resurrection. 80 

then done to him ; and ho, in this his being then justified. And as when 
he died, 'the just was put to death for the unjust' (as Peter speaks), so 
when he arose and was justified, the just that needed no justification was 
justified for the unjust, who else had been condemned ; and so we were 
then justified with him. 



CHAPTER VI. 

How our faith may raise from hence just matter of triumph about our justifica- 
tion. — An explication how we are justified by faith, althouyh justified in 

Christ at his resurrection. 

And hereupon is grounded this triumph of faith here, from Christ's 
resurrection, ' Who shall condemn ? It is Christ that is risen.' The mean- 
ing whereof is, that he was justified at his resurrection (justified in the Spirit 
and quickened in the Spirit being all one), and ' we in him.' Yea, and a 
father is put upon this, rather than put upon his death ; for this act was a 
solemn discharge from all sin and condemnation ; it was a legal acquittance 
given to Christ for all our sins, and so to us also considered as in him. 
His death was but the satisfaction and payment ; but this is the first act of 
absolution. Yea, and this is the original act, which is upon record between 
God and Christ ; and our justification and atonement (when we are justified 
by faith in Christ) is but a copy fetched from this roll, and court-sentence 
then pronounced. 

And such a way and course to ratify and make acts good and legal, even 
to have them done by another representing one's person, is common among 
men, as those instances I formerly gave do shew. An attorney- at- law 
receives a debt, or an acquittance for a debt, paid or given for another man, 
and it is as legal as if the man himself or creditor had done it, and the 
debtor had received the acquittance himself. Yea, acts of the greatest and 
highest concernment are ofttimes no otherwise transacted ; as the marriages 
of princes are by proxy solemnized, their ambassadors representing their 
persons, and contracting and marrying their wives in their stead, which acts 
are thereby made as irrevocable, and irrepealable, as if themselves had in 
person done them. And so if we were justified when Christ did rise and 
was justified, our justification then cannot be reversed, but stands as legal 
and warrantable as any act that God or man ever ratified or confirmed. 
And who shall condemn ? ' 

Only, for farther explication's sake, lest there be a mistake, let me add 
this, that it is necessary that we be justified in our own persons by faith, 
(notwithstanding this former act thus legally passed), whereby we lay hold 
upon what God did thus before for us in Christ, to the end that God upon our 
believing may, according to his own rules, justify his justifying of us unto all 
the world ; which, until we do believe, he could not do. For according 
to the revealed rules of his word, which he professeth to proceed by at the 
latter day, there is a curse and a sentence of condemnation pronounced against 
us, under which we stand till he shall take it off by giving us faith ; unto 
which he hath, in the same word, made the promise of justifying us in our 
own persons, as before he had done in Christ. Yet still notwithstanding, 
so as although, when we first believe, then only justification is actually and 
personally applied to us, yet at Christ's resurrection, and in his being then 
justified, this act and sentence was virtually pronounced upon us ; and so 



40 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

doth necessarily require, and exact at God's hands, the bestowing faith upon 
us ; that so by virtue of this former act passed, we come to be actually 
justified in our own consciences, and before all the world. And so our 
justification, which was but secretly wrought and passed upon us in Christ, 
is never made void, but stands irrepealable ; and so ratified, that our per- 
sonal justification by faith doth always infallibly second and succeed it. 
And (to illustrate it a little) our condemnation in Adam, and this our justi- 
fication in Christ, do in this hold parallel together, that as in Adam we were 
all virtually condemned, ' in Adam all die,' — and that legal enough too, for 
thereupon came out that statute-law, statutum est, ' It is appointed' that all 
should die, and yet we are not actually in our own persons condemned till 
we are born of him ; nor do we personally die, until we lay down our flesh, — 
even so it is in the matter of our justification : it was done virtually in 
Christ, and afterwards, when we believe, is actually passed in and upon our- 
selves. Now I call this former but a virtual justification, even as by the 
sentence of condemnation passed upon a malefactor, he is called a dead 
man, that is, he is so virtually and in law (as we say), though naturally he 
die not many days after, but in that respect may be still alive ; so by 
Christ's being justified, we are all virtually and in law justified, through a 
secret j r et irrepealable covenant between God and Christ, who only did 
then ' know who were his.' 

And for a confirmation even of this also, that God accounts all the elect 
justified in his justifying of Christ, we shall not need to go any further 
than the words of this text, if we do but diligently compare their standing 
here with that of theirs in that place out of which they are taken, and 
where we find them first recorded and spoken, namely, in that 50th of 
Isaiah, 7, 8, ' He is near that justifies me ; who is he that shall condemn ? ' 
Now there (as interpreters agree, and as the context shews), those words 
are spoken by Christ himself ; for, ver. 5, he speaks of God's ' boring his 
ear' to do his will (the same expression that is used of Cbrist, Ps. xl. G), 
and farther says, ' I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them 
tbat pulled off the hair, and I hid not my face from shame and spitting' (all 
which you may read in Christ's sufferings, Mat. xxvi. 67 and xvii. 26). 
And he spake before (in ver. 4), of God's having ' given him the tongue of 
the learned, to speak a word in season to him that is weary,' which you 
may read done by Christ, Mat. xi. 28. Now those words were spoken by 
Christ, to comfort himself against the Jews condemning him, as considering 
that God would justify him ; as at his resurrection, you have heard, he did. 
Now mark it, those very words which Isaiah brings in Christ speaking as 
of himself alone, those very words Paul here boldly applies, in the like 
triumph, to all the elect of Christ, ' Who shall condemn ? It is God that 
justifies ; ' and this because Christ is dead, and risen, and acquitted by 
God. Christ spake those words as a public person in the name of all 
his elect, whom he in his death and in his justification represented ; 
and for that very respect Paul speaks the like words over again, of 
of all elect believers, as being as truly and really intended of them, when 
spoken by Christ, as of himself, and of his own person. ' He is near that 
justifies me (says Christ) ; who shall condemn ? ' namely, me, or mine elect, 
whose persons I sustain. And ' Who shall lay anything to the charge of 
God's elect ?' says Paul. ' It is God that justifies; who shall condemn ?' 
for Christ hath died, and been condemned for them, and Christ was 
justified from that condemnation, and they in him. And because the justi- 
fication of himself, which Christ spake of, as looked for from God, was to 



Chap. VII. from Christ's resurrection. 41 

be made at his resurrection, as bath been said, tbercforo Paul bere puts a 
rather upon bis resurrection. 

And farther to establish this, as you heard before out of Rom. vi. 11, 
that in respect of sanctification we were dead with Christ, even then when 
he died ; so in Col. ii. 13, we are said to be ' risen with him,' in respect of 
our justification, which is the thing in hand. The words are, ' And you 
being dead in your sins,' namely, the guilt of your sins, ' and the cir- 
cumcision of your flesh,' that is, in respect of the power of corrupt nature, 
' hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all your tres- 
jmsses.' See here, the forgiveness of our sins, or our justification, is called 
a ' quickening' or ' a raising up of us' (as the 12th verse hath it), ' together 
with him,' in a conformity and relation to that justification from our sins, 
which at his resurrection he received in our names. His meaning is, he 
was justified then, and in our names ; and so we are now justified through 
the virtue of that our communion with him therein. For if you mark the 
connection of the words with what follows, ver. 14, you will find this 
1 forgiving of their trespasses (ver. 13) through their being quickened 
together with him,' not only to have been done when they believed, and so 
when they had that justification personally first applied to them, of which, 
it is true, the words in the 12th verse are to be understood, but also then 
to have been done, ' when he having (as it follows in the 14th verse) blotted 
out the handwriting of ordinances which was against us, nailing it to his cross, 
and having spoiled principalities and powers,' and got the victory, namely, in 
his rising again, ' had made a show of them openly ' (in his ascending to 
heaven), ' triumphing over them h avruj in himself (as the margin hath it) ; 
of which words I shall farther speak in the next head. So as then when 
Christ did this in himself, then were our sins forgiven, then were we 
acquitted with him, and triumphed with him, he doing all this in our stead, 
representing us. 



CHAPTER VII. 

How all this, both the support of our faith and out justification by Christ's 
reswrection, is sealed up to us in baptism. — The conclusion. — How faith 
may make use of Christ's resurrection in its pleas to God. 

And all this our communion with Christ in his resurrection, both in 
respect of sanctification, which the 6th of the Romans holds forth, and of 
justification, which this place in the Colossians holds forth, is lively (as both 
places declare) set out, and sealed up to us, in the sacrament of baptism. 
Romans vi. 3, 4, we are said to be ' buried with him in baptism,' &c. ; 
and Colossians ii. 12, 'buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen 
with him.' The eminent thing signified and represented in baptism is not 
simply the blood of Christ as it washeth us from sin ; but there is a farther 
representation therein of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, in the 
baptized's being first buried under water, and then rising out of it ; and 
this not in a bare conformity unto Christ, but in a representation of a com- 
munion with Christ in that, his death and resurrection. Therefore it is 
said, ' we are buried with him in baptism ; ' and ' wherein you are risen 
with him.' It is not simply said, like as he was buried, and rose, but with 
him. So as our communion and oneness with him in his resurrection, is 
represented to us therein, and not only our conformity or likeness unto him 



42 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III. 

therein. And so baptism representeth this to us, that Christ having once in 
himself sustained the persons of all the elect, in his burial and resurrection, 
that now, upon the party himself who is baptized, is personally, particularly, 
and apparently re-acted the same part again, in his baptism; thereby 
shewing what his communion with Christ before was, in what was then 
done to Christ ; that he then was buried with Christ, and rose with him ; 
and upon that ground is now in this outward sign of baptism, as in a show 
or representation, both buried and also riseth again. 

And moreover, hence it is, that the ' answer of a good conscience,' which 
is made the inward effect of this ordinance of baptism, 1 Pet. iii. 21, is 
there also attributed unto Christ's resurrection, as the thing signified and 
represented in baptism, and as the cause of that answer of a good con- 
science. ' Even baptism,' saith he, ' doth now also save us,' as being the 
ordinance that seals up salvation, ' not the putting away of the filth of the 
flesh,' or the washing of the outward man; ' but the answer of a good con- 
science towards God, by the resurrection of Jesiis Christ.' To open these 
words : Our consciences are that principle in us which are the seat of the 
guilt of all the sins of the whole man ; unto whose court they all come to 
accuse us, as unto God's deputy ; which conscience is called good or evil, 
as the state of the man is. If his sin remain unpardoned, then as his 
estate is damnable, so his conscience is evil. If his sins be forgiven, and 
his person justified, his conscience is said to be good ; conscience having 
its denomination from the man's state, even as the urine is called good or 
bad, as the state of the man's body is healthful or unsound whose urine it 
is. Now in baptism, forgiveness of sins and justification being sealed up 
to a believer's faith and conscience, under that lively representation of his 
communion with Christ in his resurrection ; hence this is made the fruit of 
baptism, that the good conscience of a believer, sealed up in baptism, hath 
wherewithal from thence to answer all accusations of sin that can or do at 
any time come in upon him ; and all this, as it is here added, ' by virtue 
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ ;' namely, in this respect, that his com- 
munion with Christ in his resurrection hath been represented in his baptism 
as a ground of his faith, and of that ' answer' unto all accusations. So 
that indeed the same thing that Paul says by way of triumph and de- 
fiance to all accusations, ' Who shall condemn ? Christ is risen ; ' the 
very same thing Peter here mentions, though not by way of defiance, yet 
of a believer's answer and apology, that if sins do come to condemn or 
accuse, a good conscience is ready to say, ' Christ is risen,' and I was then 
'justified in him.' There is my answer, which nothing in heaven or hell 
is able to reply unto. ' This is the answer of a good conscience, by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ.' 

Now to crown this second pillar of faith with this coronis or conclusion, 
by way of application or direction to a believer's faith, how to make use of 
Christ's resurrection in point of non-condemnation. You heard before, out 
of Romans vi., that in respect of mortification (as the apostle there 
reasoneth) we may be truly said to have been ' perfectly dead to all sin ' in 
Christ's ' dying unto sin once; ' and through his representing us therein as 
dying unto sin, in and with him. So as although we be for the present 
but imperfectly mortified in ourselves, yet when corruptions arise, the 
apostle bids us help ourselves against them by faith, ' reasoning' ourselves 
to stand wholly dead to sin, when Christ died ; and so to conclude from 
thence, that we shall one day be fully dead to sin, because we then did 
perfectly die in Christ unto it ; which kind of reasoning also God would 



Chap. "VTL] from Christ's resurrection. 48 

have us uso as a motive (and of all motives that arc in the gospel it is the 
strongest) against any corruption whenas it ariscth. ' Shall I that am dead 
to sin' in Christ, and so am freed from it, ' shall I live any longer therein?' 
ver. 2. Now as God would have our faith make this use of our communion 
with Christ in his death, in point of sanctification, just so, when guilt of 
sin ariseth in thy conscience to accuse or threaten condemnation, reason 
thou thyself (as the apostle's word in that other case), or ' reckon thyself 
(as our translation hath it) justified in Christ, in his justification, which was 
done at his resurrection. Yea, and seeing God would have thee use thy 
communion with Christ in his death, as an argument to move thee to 
mortify sin, bidding thee to reckon thyself dead to sin in Christ, do thou 
desire him, in like manner, to reckon thee as justified at Christ's resurrec- 
tion (for the ground of hoth is the same), and return that as an argument 
to him to move him to justify thee. And this is that answer of a good 
conscience which Peter speaks of ; this is the meaning of Paul's challenge, 
' Who shall condemn ? Christ is risen.' 

And should thy heart object and say, But I know not whether I was one 
of those that God reckoned justified with Christ when he arose ; then go 
thou to God, and ask him boldly, whether he did not do this for thee, and 
whether thou wert not one of them intended by him. Put God to it, and 
God will (by virtue of Christ's resurrection for thee) even himself answer 
thy faith this question ere thou art aware. He will not deny it. And 
to secure thee the more, know that however Christ will be sure to look to 
that for thee ; so as that thou having been then intended, — as, if thy heart 
be drawn to give itself up to Christ, thou wert, — shalt never be condemned. 



44 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. IV. 



SECTION IV. 

FAITH SUPPORTED BY CHRIST'S ASCENSION, AND SITTING AT GOD'S 

RIGHT HAND. 

Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ, . . . who is even at the right 
hand of God.— Rom. VIII. 34. 



CHAPTER I. 

A connection of this third head with the two former ; shewing how it affords a 
farther degree of triumph. — Two things involved in it : 1. Christ's ascension; 
2. Christ's power and authority in heaven. 

I come next to this third great pillar and support of faith, Christ's being at 
God's right hand ; and to shew how the view and consideration hereof may 
strengthen faith seeking justification and pardon of sin ; ' Who is he that 
condemneth? Christ is even at God's right hand.' 

In the opening of which, I shall keep to the begun method, both by 
shewing how justification itself depends upon this, and the evidence thereof to 
us ; both which the apostle had here in his eye, and from both which our 
faith may derive comfort and assurance. And I mean to keep punctually 
to the matter of justification only, as in the former. 

These two latter that remain here in the text — Christ sitting at God's 
right hand, and his interceding for us — are brought in here by the apostle, 
as those which have a redundant force and prevalency in them, for the non- 
condemnation of the elect ; that although the two former abundantly served 
to secure it, yet these two added to the former, do make the triumph of 
faith more complete and full, and us ' more than conquerors,' as it after 
follows. Nor doth this place alone make mention of Christ's ' sitting at 
God's right hand,' which I now am first to handle, in this its relation, and 
influence into our justification, and the assurance of faith about it ; but you 
have it to the same end, use, and purpose, alleged by that other great 
apostle, 1 Peter iii. 18-22. And if the scopes of these two apostles in both 
places be compared, they are the same. Here the resurrection of Christ, 
and his sitting at God's right hand, are brought in as the ground of this 
bold challenge and triumph of faith ; and there, in Peter, is mentioned the 
answer or plea of a good conscience in a believer justified, which it puts 
into the court, and opposeth against all condemning guilts, (so it is called, 
verse 12), the apostle alleging the resurrection of Jesus Christ as one 
ground of it, ' the answer of a good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ.' And then further to back and strengthen this plea or answer of a 
good conscience, the apostle puts his ascension and sitting at God's right 



Chap. I.] from Christ's ascension. 45 

hand into the bill, as further grounds confirming it ; so it follows, ' who is 
gono to heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels, and authorities, 
and powers, being made subject to him.' All which the apostle here ex- 
presseth in one word (as enough to carry it) that Christ is ' even at God's 
right hand.' The soul hath sufficient answer against condemnation in 
Christ's death and resurrection, full enough though it should stop there ; 
yea therein can faith triumph, though it went no further; for it can shew 
a full satisfaction given in his death, and that accepted by God for us, and 
Christ acquitted, and we in him. Therefore, faith (you see) comes to a 
rather there. But then, let it go on, to consider Jesus sitting at God's 
right hand, and making intercession for us ; and then faith will triumph 
and insult over all accusers, be more than a conqueror ; then it comes not 
to a ratlin- only, as here, but to a ' much more shall we be saved by his life,' 
thus Rom. v. 10. And the meaning thereof is, that if his death had power 
to pay all our debts, and justify us at first, then much more hath his life 
this power. So that his death is but the ground and foundation of our 
faith herein, and the lowest step of this ladder, but these other are the 
top and full triumph of faith therein. And our spirits should rise, as the 
apostle here riseth. Faith upon these wings may not only fly above the 
gunshot of all accusations and condemners, but even clean out of their 
sight, and so far above all such thoughts and fears, as it may reach to a 
security that sins are forgotten and shall be remembered no more. What 
joy was there in the disciples, when they saw Christ risen ! John xx. There- 
fore in the primitive times it was used as a voice of joy ; and to this day 
the Grecian Christians so entertain each other, at that time of the year, 
with these words, ' The Lord is risen,' your Surety is out of prison, fear not. 
But (as Christ said in another case, so say I) what will you say, if you see 
your Surety ascended up to heaven, and that, as far ' above angels and prin- 
cipalities' (as the apostle speaks, Eph. i.) as the heavens are above the 
earth '? Will you not in your faiths and hopes proportionably ascend, and 
climb up also, and have thoughts of pardon, as far exceeding your ordinary 
thoughts as the heavens are above the earth ? Therefore, first view him 
as ascending into heaven, ere ever he comes to be at God's right hand, and 
see what matter of triumph that will afford you ; for that you must first sup- 
pose, ere you can see him at God's right hand, and so is necessarily in- 
cluded, though not expressed here. But that place fore-quoted out of 
Peter (1 Peter iii.) gives us both these two particulars included in it : 1. 
His ascension (who is gone into heaven) ; and 2. his power and authority 
there (is at God's right hand, and hath all power and authority subject to 
him), and prompts both these, as fit matter to be put into a good conscience, 
its answer and apology why it should not be condemned ; and therefore 
both may here as well come in into faith's triumph, and that as being in- 
tended also by the apostle, and included in this one expression. He speaks 
with the least, to shew what cause faith had to triumph, for the least ex- 
pression of it ; his purpose being but to give a hint of faith, or that which 
comprehensively contains many things in it, which he would have us dis- 
tinctly to consider for our comfort. 



46 THE TBIUMPH OF FAITH [SeOT. IV. 

CHAPTER II. 

Shewing first what evidence for our justification Christ's ascension into heaven 
affords unto our faith, upon that first forementioned consideration of his 
being a Surety for us. 

1. First, then, to see what triumph his ascending into heaven will add 
unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation. 

(1.) And herein, first, there is not nothing* in it to consider what he then 
did, and what was his last act when he was to take his rise, to fly up to 
heaven. He ' blessed his disciples,' and thereby left a blessing upon earth 
with them, for all his elect, to the end of the world. The true reason and 
mind of which blessing them was, that he being now to go to execute the 
eternal office of his priesthood in heaven, (of which God had sworn, ' Thou art 
a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec') ; as Melchisedec in the 
type blessed Abraham, and in him all the faithful as in his loins, — therefore 
the apostle said that ' Levi paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abraham's loins,' 
therefore he was blessed in his loins, — so did Christ begin this new and second 
part of his priesthood with blessing the apostles, and in them all the elect 
to the end of the world. This was the last thing that Christ did on earth, 
yea this he did whilst ascending, ' he was taken up whilst he did it.' So 
Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And thus solemnly he now did this, to shew that the 
curse was gone, and that sin was gone, and that action speaks thus much, 
as if Christ himself had said it ; my brethren (for so he styled his dis- 
ciples after his resurrection), I have been dead, and in dying made a curse 
for you ; now that curse I have fully removed, and my Father hath acquitted 
me and you for it ; and now I can be bold to bless you, and pronounce all 
your sins forgiven, and your persons justified. For that is the intendment 
and foundation of blessing. ' Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven 
him,' and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them ; which 
he reserved thus as his last act, to shew how by his death he had redeemed 
them from the curse of the law, and now going to heaven, was able to bless 
them with all the spiritual blessings that are there, and which heaven can 
afford, for heavenly they are called in that respect, Eph. i. 3. And as in 
Abraham (blessed by Melchisedec) all the faithful were blessed, so, in 
these apostles, all the elect to come are blessed. As when God individually 
blessed Adam and Eve at the first creation, yet he in them, blessed all that 
were for ever to come of them ; so Christ in blessing them, blessed us, and 
all ' that shall believe through their word,' to the end of the world. And 
that they were thus then to be considered as common persons, receiving 
this blessing for us all, appeareth by Christ's words then uttered, ' I am 
with you to the end of the world' (i. e., with you and all your successors, 
both ministers and other believers), Mat. xxviii. 20. And Christ herein did 
as God did before him. When God had done his work of creation, he 
' looked upon all he had done, and saw that it was good, and he blessed it.' 
Thus did Jesus Christ ; now that he had by that ' one offering perfected 
for ever all the elect,' he comfortably vieweth and pronounceth it perfect, 
and them blessed ; and so goes to heaven, to keep and enjoy the Sabbath of 
all there. 

(2.) Now, secondly, let us see him ascending, and see what comfort that 
will also afford our faith, towards the persuasion of justification. The 
apostles stood gazing on him ; and so do you lift up your hearts to gaze on 
* That is, ' there is something,' or 'it is not useless.' — Ed. 



Chap. II. J from Christ's ascension. 47 

him by faith, and view him in that act, as lie is passing along into heaven, 
as leading sin, hell, death, and devil in triumph, at his chariot-wheels. 
And therewith let your faith triumph, in a further evidence of justification. 
Thus, Eph. iv. 8, out of Ps. lxviii. 18, the apostle saith, ' When he ascended 
up on high, he led captivity captive ' (to which Hebraism the Latin phrase, 
vineere victoriam, to win a victory, doth answer): then he led captive all our 
spiritual enemies, that would have captived us, they being now captived. 
Now leading of captives is always after a perfect victory. And therefore, 
whereas at his death he had conquered them, at his rising scattered them, 
now at his ascension he leads them captive. And so that Psalm in the 
type begins, ver. 1, 'Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered, let 
them flee before him ;' so at his resurrection they did. And then he 
ascends in triumph (as here) in token of victory, ' he is ascended up on 
high,' ver. 18. He ascends, as David after his victory, up to Mount Sion 
(for the celebrating of which that Psalm seems to have been made by David), 
whereof this was the intended type. 

And two actus triwnphales, triumphing acts there were, here mentioned : 
[1.] Leading the captives bound to his chariot- wheels ; as the manner of 
the Roman triumph was, when the conqueror went up to the Capitol ; and 
other heathens in David's time ; as Achilles led Hector captive, who tied 
his feet to his chariot- wheels, and dragged him dead round about the walls of 
Troy, Now thus did Christ then deal w T ith our sins and all other enemies. 

[2.j The second act is casting abroad of gilts, ' He gave gifts to men.' 
It was the custom at their triumphs to cast new coins (missilia) abroad 
among the multitude ; so doth Christ throw the greatest gifts for the good 
of men, that ever were given. Therefore, ' who shall condemn ?' Sins and 
devils are not only dead, but triumphed over. Compare with this that other 
place, Col. ii. 15, 'Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a 
show of them openly, triumphing over them in himself.' So I read it, and 
the Gi'eek bears it, and so it is in the margin varied. It is a manifest allu- 
sion unto the manner of triumphs after victories among the Romans, even 
unto two of the most notable parts thereof : the first, of spoiling the enemy 
upon the place, ere they stirred out of the field ; and this was done by 
Christ on the cross. ' Having spoiled them ' first, as ver. 14 hath it. He 
speaks it of the devils, our enemies and accusers ; they had all God's threat- 
enings in his law, and the ceremonial law (the bond for our debt unto the 
moral law) to shew for it ; in these lay the power of the devil over us, that 
he could boldly come to God and accuse us, and sue our bond. And there- 
fore, Heb. ii. 14, he is said to have ' the power of death.' Now Christ 
first took away all his power, and spoiled him of all his ensigns, weapons, 
and colours ; which he did on the place where the battle was fought, namely, 
on the cross ; and ' nailed our bond ' thereto, and, having paid the debt, 
left the bond cancelled, ere he stirred off the cross. But then, having thus 
spoiled these enemies on the cross, he further makes a public triumphal 
show of them in his own person, which is a second act ; as the manner of 
the Roman emperors was, in their great triumphs, to ride through the city 
in the greatest state, and have all the spoils carried before them, and the 
kings and nobles whom they had taken they tied to their chai'iots, and led 
them as captives. And this did Christ at his ascension (for of his triumph- 
ing at his ascension I take this triumph in this epistle to the Colossians to 
be understood, and so to be interpreted by that fore-cited 4th of the Ephe- 
sians) ; he plainly manifesting by this public open show of them at his 
ascension, that he had spoiled and fully subdued them on the cross. That 



48 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH ■ SECT. IV. 

which hath diverted interpreters from thinking this of Col. ii. to have been 
the triumph of his ascension hath been this, that the triumph is said to 
have been made sv durui, which they interpret ' in /'/,' as if it referred to the 
cross (mentioned ver. 14), as the place of it ; whenas it may as well be 
translated ' in himself,' i. e., ' in his own power and strength,' noting how 
he alone did this, which other conquerors do not : they conquer not in 
themselves, and by themselves, which Christ did. And yet it was the law, 
that if the Roman emperors or generals themselves took anything in war, 
they had a peculiar honour to dedicate it in triumph more peculiarly. Now 
Christ conquered in himself, and therefore triumphed in himself, and him- 
self alone. And thus it became our Redeemer (like another Samson) not 
only to break sin's bars, and fling off hell-gates, and come out of that prison 
he was in ; but, as in sign of a trophy, to take them on his back, and carry 
them up the hill, as Samson (the type of him) did the gates of the city to 
an high hill, himself triumphantly carrying them on his own shoulders. 

Now did Christ then, who was your Surety, thus triumph ? Then let 
your faith triumph likewise ; for this was not only done by your Surety, but 
in your stead ; seeing this for us here is to be put to each thing mentioned. 
The apostle calls for this at our hands here. ' We are more than con- 
querors,' says he, ver. 37. 

(3.) Then, thirdly, see him entering into heaven : when he comes first 
to court after this great undertaking, how doth God look on him ? Is God 
satisfied with what he hath done ? As, you know, when a general comes 
home, there useth to be great observing how the king takes his service, as 
performed according to commission. Christ as a Surety undertook for 
sinners fully to conquer all our enemies ; and God bade him look that he did 
it perfectly, or never see his face more, Heb. v. 8, 9. He was to be ' perfect 
through sufferings,' and those sufferings to be such as ' to perfect' us also, 
Heb. x. 14. Now, behold, your Surety is like a conqueror entered heaven : 
let that convince you that he hath satisfied the debt, and performed his 
commission to a tittle. God would never have suffered him to come thither 
else ; but as soon as ever his head had peeped into heaven, have sent him 
down again to perform the rest. But God lets him enter in, and he comes 
boldly and confidently, and God lets him stay there. Therefore be con- 
vinced that he hath given God full satisfaction. Christ himself useth this 
argument, as the strongest that could be brought to ' convince the world ' 
that this righteousness (which he had in his doctrine taught them) was the 
righteousness which men were only to be saved by, the true righteousness 
of God indeed. Johnxvi. 9, 10, He ' shall convince the world of righteous- 
ness ;' that is, work faith in the hearts of men, to believe and lay hold on 
my righteousness, as the true righteousness that God hath ordained ; and 
this ' because (says he) I go to my Father, and you shall see me no more.' 
That is, by this argument and evidence it is and shall be evinced, that I 
who undertook to satisfy for sin, and to procure a perfect righteousness, 
have perfectly performed it ; and that it is a righteousness which God's 
justice doth accept of, to save sinners by ; in that I, after my death, and 
finishing this work, will ascend up to my Father, into heaven, and keep 
my standing there, and you shall see me no more : whereas, if I had not 
fulfilled all righteousness, and perfectly satisfied God, you may be sure 
there would be no going to heaven for me, nor remaining there. God 
would send me down again, to do the rest, and you should certainly see 
me with shame sent back again ; but ' I go to heaven, and you shall see 
me no more.' 



Chap. III.! from ohbist's bitting at god's bight band. 49 



CHAPTER III. 

Shewing what evidence also Christ's sitting at God's right hand, having been 
our Surety, affords i<> our faiih for justification. 

2. Now then, in the next place, for his being or sitting at God's right 
hand, which is the second particular to be spoken of. As soon as Christ 
was earned into heaven, look, as all the angels fell down and worshipped 
him, so his Father welcomed him, with the highest grace that ever yet was 
shewn. The words which he then spake we have recorded, Ps. ex., 'Sit 
thou at ruy right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.' You may 
by the way observe, for the illustration of this, how upon all the several 
parts of performance of his office, either God is brought in speaking to 
Christ, or Christ to his Father. Thus, when he chose him first to be our 
Mediator, he takes an oath, ' Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of 
Melchisedec' Again, when Christ came to take upon him our nature, 'the 
words he spake are recorded, ' Lo, I come to do thy will, a body hast thou 
fitted me :' so Heb. x. 5, out of the 40th Psalm. Likewise, when he hung 
upon the cross, his words unto God are recorded, Ps. xxii. 1, 'My God, 
my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' In like manner, when he rose 
again, God's words used then to him are recorded, ' Thou art my Son, this 
day have I begotten thee,' Ps. ii. (which place is expounded of the resur- 
rection, Acts xiii. 33), which is as much as if he had said, Thou never 
appearedst like my Son till now ; for whereas I chose a Son to be glorified 
with power and majesty, hitherto thou hast appeared only as ' a son of 
man ' (Enosh, sorry man) ; hitherto thou hast been made sin, and a curse ; 
not like my Son, but hast appeared ' in the likeness of sinful flesh,' and of 
' a servant,' all besmeared with blood ; therefore this is the first day wherein 
I make account ' I have begotten thee ;' even now, when thou first begin- 
nest to appear out of that sinful hue and likeness of sinful flesh : now I 
own thee for my Son indeed. And in him he owned us all thus at his 
resurrection. And then, last of all, when he comes into heaven, the first 
word God speaks to him is, Son, ' sit thou at my right hand ;' thou hast 
done all my work, and now I will do thine ; (he gives him a Quietus est) 
rest here ; ' sit here, till I make all thy enemies thy footstool.' 

And now, what say you, are ye satisfied yet, that God is satisfied for 
your sins? What superabundant evidence must this Christ's sitting at 
God's right hand give to a doubting heart ? It argues, first, that Christ, 
for his part, hath perfectly done his work ; and that there is no more left 
for him to do by way of satisfaction. This the word sitting implies. Se- 
condly, it argues that" God is as fully satisfied on his part: this his sitting 
at God's right hand implies. 

(1.) For the first; the phrase of sitting doth betoken rest, when work is 
fulfilled and finished. Christ was not to return till he had accomplished his 
work, Heb. x. 11. The apostle comparing the force and excellency of 
Christ's sacrifice, with those of the priests of the old law, says, that ' those 
priests stood daily offering of sacrifices, which can never take sins away.' 
Their standing implied that they could never make satisfaction, so as to say, 
' we have finished it.' But Christ (says he, ver. 12), ' after he had offered 
up one sacrifice for ever, sat down,' &c. Mark how he opposeth their 
standing to his sitting down. He sat as one who bad done his work. 
Thus, Heb. iv. 10, « he that is entered into his rest '—speaking of Christ, 
vol. rv. D 



50 Tin: triumph of faith [Sect. IV. 

as I have elsewhere shewn — ' hath ceased from his work, as God from 
his.' 

(2.) Secondly, this, his being at God's right hand, as strongly argues that 
God is satisfied; for if God had not been infinitely well pleased with him, 
he would never have let him come so near him, much less have advanced 
him so high as his right hand. And, therefore, in that place even now 
cited (Heb. x. ver. 10, 11, 12, compai'ed with the former verses), this is 
alleged as an evidence that Christ had ' for ever taken sins away' (which 
those priests of the law could not do, who therefore ' often offered the same 
sacrifice,' as ver. 11). That ' this man, after he had offered one sacrifice 
for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God,' as thereby shewing 
(and that most manifestly) that he had at that once offered up such a satis- 
factory sacrifice as had pleased God for ever ; and thereupon took up his 
place at God's right hand as an evidence of it ; so possessing the highest 
place in court. This setting him at God's right hand, is a token of special 
and highest favour. So kings, whom they were most pleased with, they did 
set at their right hands, as Solomon did his mother, 1 Kings ii. 19 ; and so 
Christ, the church his queen, Ps. xlv. 9, and it was a favour which God 
never after vouchsafed to any, Heb. i. 13. ' To which of all the angels did 
he say, Sit thou at my right hand?' Therefore, Phil. ii. 9, it is not only 
said that he ' exalted him,' but, superexaltavit , ' he highly exalted him,' so 
as never any was exalted ; for he was ' made thereby higher thar. the 
heavens.' Thus much for the first head. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Demonstrates, in the second place, what influence Christ's ascension hath in a 
believer's non-condemnation, upon that second premised consideration of 
Christ's being a common x>erson for us. — The security that faith may have 
from thence. 

We have thus seen what triumphing evidence and demonstration, both 
Christ's ascension and sitting at God's right hand, do afford us for this, 
that Christ being considered as our Surety, hath therefore undoubtedly sub- 
dued our enemies and sins, and satisfied God. Let us now consider further, 
what force, efficacy, and influence these two (both his ascending and sitting 
at God's right hand as an head and common person for us) have in them 
towards the assured working and accomplishment of the salvation of be- 
lievers, his elect. And from the consideration of this, which is a second 
head, our faith may be yet further confirmed and strengthened in its confi- 
dence. ' Who shall condemn ? It is Christ that is at God's right hand.' 
I shall take in (as in the former) both his ascension and sitting at God's 
right hand. 

1. And first for his ascending ; consider these two things in it which may 
uphold our confidence. (1.) That the great end and purpose of that his 
ascending, the errand, the business he ascended for, was ' to prepare and 
provide a place for us,' and to make way for our coming thither. This he 
assures his disciples of, John xiv. 2, ' In my Father's house are many man- 
sions : I go to prepare a place for you ; ' as Joseph was secretly sent before 
by God's intendment to prepare a place in Egypt for his brethren, whom 
God's providence meant to bring after him, so more openly doth Christ 
ascend to heaven, professedly declaring that to be his business : ' I go to 



Cw w. IV.] from Christ's SITTING at cod's BIGHT HAND. 61 

prepare a place for you,' and it is my Father's house, saith he, where I can 
provide for you and make you welcome. You heard before, wind w< I 
God gave Christ when tie first arrived there, and what lie said to him, and 
Christ said (as it were) again to God : I come not alone, I have much com- 
pany, many of my brethren and followers to come after (for it was the 
declared and avowed end of his coming to prepare a place for them), I 
prayed when I was on earth, ' that where I am they might be also,' John 
xvii. 24 ; and now I am come hither, my train must come in too, I am not 
complete without them; if you receive me you must receive them also, and 
I am come to take up lodgings for them. Thus the Captain of our salva- 
tion, being ' made perfect through sufferings,' and then ' crowned with glory 
and honour,' in ' bringing of many sons to glory,' as Heb. ii. 10, of which 
company he was Captain, is brought in saying to God, vcr. 13, ' Behold I 
and the children which God hath given me,' he speaks it when brought to 
glory. I am their Captain, and they must follow me ; where I am they 
must be. Lo ! I am here, and am not to come alone, but to bring to glory 
all the children which thou hast given me. They shall be all welcome 
(says God), there is room enough for them, ' many mansions ;' so that we 
need not fear, nor say in our hearts doubting and despairing, ' Who shall 
ascend up to heaven for us,' to bring us thither? (as Rom. x. G). Christ 
hath done it ; that is the first thing, but that is not all. 

(2.) He entered into heaven in our very names, and so is to be con- 
sidered in that act as a common person (as well as in his death and resurrec- 
tion), and so representing us, and also taking possession in our right, and 
we in him, as a guardian takes possession for heirs under age. Heb. vi. 20, 
' The forerunner is for us entered' into heaven ; ' the forerunner for us,' that 
is, our forerunner. A forerunner is a forerunner of followers, and of such 
as stay not long behind, and usually goes before as a harbinger, to provide 
and take up lodgings for them that are to come, and writes the names of 
those who are to come over the doors of such and such rooms, that they 
may not be taken up by any other. And so, Heb. xii. 23, the names of 
' the first-born' are said to be ' written in heaven,' or enrolled there ; and, 
1 Pet. i. 4, their places or mansions in heaven are said to be ' reserved for 
them ; ' they stand empty as it were, yet taken up, so as none shall take 
them from them ; their names and titles to them being entered and super- 
scribed. And so he truly entered, pro nobis, for us, that is, in our stead 
and in our names, as a common person ; and therefore the high priest (in 
the t.ype) entered into the holy of holies, with all the names of the tribes on 
his breast ; even so doth Christ with ours, even as a common person in 
our names, thereby shewing" that we are likewise to come after him ; and 
this is more than simply to prepare a place, it is to take possession of a 
place, and give us a right thereto. 

So that your faith, through this consideration, may see yourselves as good 
as in heaven already ; for Christ is entered as a common person for you. 
Justification hath two parts : first, acquittance from sin and freedom from 
condemnation, as here, 'Who shall condemn ? ' and secondly, 'justifica- 
tion of life,' as it is called, Rom. v. 18, that is, which gives title to eternal 
life. Now dying and rising as a common person for us, procures the first, 
sets us perfectly enough in' that state of freedom from condemnation. But 
then, this Christ, his entering into heaven as a common person, sets us far 
above that state of non-condemnation. It placeth us in heaven with him. 
You would think yourselves secure enough if you were ascended into heaven. 
As Heman said of his condition, that he was ' free among the dead,' Ps. 



52 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. IV. 

lxxxviii. 5, that is, he reckoned himself (in his despair) free of the company 
in hell, as well as if he had been there ; thinking his name enrolled among 
them and his place taken up. So you may ' reckon yourselves' (as the 
word is, Rom. vi.) free of the company of heaven, and your places taken 
up there ; so that when you come to die, you shall go to heaven as to your 
own place, by as true a title, though not of your own, as Judas went to 
hell, which is called ' his own place,' as (Acts i.) the apostle speaks. What 
a start is this ! How far have you left below you pardon of sins and non- 
condemnation ! You are got above. How securely may you say, ' Who shall 
condemn ? ' Christ hath ascended and entered into heaven. This is the 
first branch of the second head : the influence that Christ's ascension hath 
into our justification and salvation. 



CHAPTER V. 

Demonstrateth in like manner what influence Christ's sitting at God's right hand 
hath into our justification, upon that second consideration of his being a 
common person. And the security faith may have from thence. 

The consideration of his sitting at God's right hand may, in respect of 
the influence that it must needs have into our salvation, yet add more 
security unto our faith, if we either consider the power and authority of 
the place itself, and what it is to sit at God's right hand ; or secondly, the 
relation, the person he bears and sustains in his sitting there, even of a 
common person in our right. And both these being put together will add 
strength mutually each to other, and unto our faith ; both to consider how 
great a prerogative it is to sit at God's right hand, and what such a one as 
sits there hath power to do ; and then that Christ (who is invested with 
this power, and advanced to it), he possesseth it all as our head, and in our 
right, as a common person representing us. And 

(1.) Consider the prerogatives of the place itself; they are two : 

[1.] Sovereignty otj>oiver, and might, and majesty. 

[2. J Sovereignty of authority and judgment ; cither of which may secure 
us ft'om non-condemnation. 

[1.] Sovereignty of power and might ; this the phrase ' sitting at God's 
right hand' implies, Mat. xxvi. 64, where Christ himself expounded the 
purport of it : ' Hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right 
hand of power.' And so, Ephes. i. 20, 22, this is made the privilege of 
God's ' setting him at his right hand,' ver. 20, that ' he hath put all things 
under his feet,' ver 22 — a phrase importing the highest sovereignty and 
power, not used of any creatures, angels, or men ; none of them have other 
things under their feet i.e., in so low a subjection as to be their vassals ; 
especially, not all things ; and therefore by that very phrase, ' the putting 
all things under his feet,' the apostle argues in Heb. ii., that that man of 
Avhom David in the 8th Psalm (there cited by him) had spoken, was no other 
but Christ ; not Adam, nor the angels, for to neither of these hath God 
subjected all things, ver. 5, but to Christ only, ver. 8, who sits in the 
highest throne of majesty. And to make his seat the easier, hath a world 
of enemies made his footstool, even all his enemies (so Ps. ex.) ; which is 
the highest triumph in the world. Now to what end hath God committed 
this power to him, but that himself may be his own executor, and adminis- 
trator, and perform all the legacies which he made to those whom he died 



Chap. V. fbom Christ's bitting at god's mght hand. 58 

for? As the expression is, Heb. ix. 15th, 16th, and 17th verses, that none of 
his heirs might be wronged. Fairer dealing than this could there ever be, 
nor greater security given to us. This to have bees God's very end of 
investing Christ with this sovereign power, is declared by Christ himself, 
John xvii. 2, ' Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should 
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.' And accordingly at 
his ascension, to comfort his disciples, in the fruit of their ministry, -Mat. 
xxviii. 18, he says, ' All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.' 
What holy confidence may this breed in us ! He is at God's right hand, 
and we are in his hands, John x. 28, and all his enemies are under his 
feet, who then can pull us out ? Rev. i. 18, says Christ, ' I have the keys 
of hell and death.' The key is still in the Scripture phrase the ensign of 
power and authority. Now Christ hath both the keys of death, the postern 
gate out of this world, and of hell, even of the broad gates of that eternal 
prison ; so as none of his can be fetched out of this world by death, but 
Christ he must first open the door ; much less can any go to hell without 
his warrant. Yea, Mat. xvi. 19, he hath ' the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven' also, to open to wdiom he will. By his resurrection, we may see 
and rest assured that he hath the keys of death and hell (for he unlocked 
the doors, and came out from thence), and by his ascension and sitting at 
God's right hand, that he hath the keys of heaven, whose door he hath 
unlocked, and now set open. What need we then fear hell, when Christ 
our Redeemer hath the keys of it '? 

[2.] Secondly, to sit at God's right hand, imports all judgment to be 
committed to him ; for sitting was a posture of judges ; a phrase used to 
note out their authority. So Prov. xx. 8, ' A king that sitteth on the 
throne of judgment, scattereth the wicked with his eye;' and so doth Christ 
his and our enemies. See what Christ says, John v. 21, 22, ' The Son of man 
raiseth up whom he will ; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath com- 
mitted all judgment to the Son.' Now if he who loved us so, and died for 
us, be the Judge himself, then, ' Who shall condemn?' Christ sits on God's 
right hand. This is the very inference that after followeth, ver. 24, of that 
5th chapter of John, ' He that believes shall not eome into condemnation.' 
Christ utters it upon his having said he had all judgment committed to him, 
in the foregoing, ver. 22, on purpose that he might from that consideration 
ascertain believers of their non- condemnation. For what need w r e fear any 
under-officers, when we have the Judge thus for us ? 

(2.) But then, in the last place, add that second particular mentioned to 
all these, that Christ sits there as an head, as a common person for us. 
First as an head ; so Eph. i., when the apostle had so hyperbolically set 
forth his power, of being advanced unto God's right hand, ver. 21, ' far 
above all principalities and powers, and above every name that is named, 
not only in this world, but that which is to come ; ' and how God ' hath 
put all things under his feet ; ' he adds, ' and hath given him to be head 
over all things to the church.' Observe now, he is said to sit there over 
all things, not in his own pure personal right simply, as it is his inheritance, 
as he is the Son of God (as Heb. i. 3, 4, 5, it is affirmed of him), but he 
sits thus over all as ahead to the church. That same over all things comes, 
in there, between his being a head, and to the churchy on purpose to shew 
that he is set over all, in relation to his church. So that we see that our rela- 
tion is involved, and our right included, in this exaltation of his, and so put 
into his commission; for this prerogative is there said to be given him. He 
sits not simply as a Son, but as an head ; and he sits not as an head with- 



54 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SliCT. IV. 

out a body, and therefore must have bis members up to him. Wherefore 
in the next verse it is added, ' which is his body, yea, his fulness ; ' so as 
Christ is not complete without all his members, and would leave heaven if 
any one were wanting. It were a lame, maimed body, if it wanted but a 
toe. Christ is our element,* and he being ascended, we are sparks that fly 
upwards to him. He took our flesh, and carried it into heaven, and left 
us his Spirit on earth, and both as pawns and earnests that we should follow. 

Nay, further yet, he is not only said to sit as our head, but we are also 
said ' to sit together with him.' That is made the upshot of all in the next 
chapter, Eph. ii. 0. So that as we arose with him, he being considered as 
a common person, and ascended with him, as was said ; so yet further, we 
' sit together with him in the highest heavens' (as there), h roTg emvgavioig, 
in superccelestibus, ' in his exalted estate above the heavens,' as is the meaning 
of that phrase ; not that Christ being at God's right hand (if taken for that 
sublimity of power) is communicable to us ; that is Christ's prerogative 
only. So Heb. i. 5, ' To which of all the angels did he ever say, Sit thou 
at my right hand ? ' Yet so as his sitting in heaven, as it is indefinitely 
expressed, is understood to be as in our right and stead, and as a common 
person, and so is to assure us of our sitting there with him, in our pro- 
portion; so, Rev. hi. 21, it is expressly rendered as the mind and intend- 
ment of it, ' Him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me in my 
throne, even as I also am set down with my Father in his throne.' There 
is a proportion observed, though with an inequality ; we sit on Christ's 
throne, but he only on his Father's throne ; that is, Christ only sits at 
God's right hand, but we, on Christ's right hand ; and so the church is 
said to be at Christ's ' right hand,' Ps. xlv. 9. Yea, further (and it may 
afford a farther comfort to us in the point in hand), this represents, 
that at the latter day we shall sit as assessors on his judgment-seat, 
to judge the world with him. So Mat. xix. 28, and Luke xxii. 30, ' When 
the Son of man shall sit in his glory, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, 
judging the tribes of Israel.' So as this our sitting with him, it is spoken 
in respect to judgment, and to giving the sentence of it ; not a sentence 
shall pass without your votes. So as you may by faith not only look on 
yourselves as already in heaven, sitting with Christ, as a common person, 
in your right, but you may look upon yourselves as judges also; so that if 
any sin should arise to accuse or condemn, yet it must be with your votes. 
And what greater security can you have than this ? For you must con- 
demn yourselves, if you be condemned ; you may very well say, ' Who shall 
accuse ? Who shall condemn '? ' for you will never pronounce a fatal 
sentence upon your own selves. 

As then Paul triumphed here, so may we ; for at the present we sit in 
heaven with Christ, and have all our enemies under our feet. As Joshua made 
his servants set their feet on the necks of those five kings ; so God would have 
us by faith to do the like to all ours ; for one day we shall do it. And if 
you say, We see it not, I answer, as Heb. ii., the apostle saith of Christ 
himself, ' Now we see not yet all things put under him,' ver. 8., now not 
under him, for he now sits in heaven, and expects, by faith, when his 
enemies shall be made his footstool, as Heb. x. 12th and 13th verses ; ' but 
we see ' for the present ' Jesus crowned with glory and honour,' ver. 9, and 
so may be sure that the thing is as good as done ; and we may, in seeing 

* The reference is to the old idea of the four elements occupying their several 
places, one above the other ; which was supposed to be the reason why stones fall, 
and rivers run into the sea. and flames rise. — Ed. 



Chap. V.] from Christ's BITTING at cod's bight hand. £>,> 

him thus crowned, see ourselves sitting with him, and quietly wait and 
expect, as Christ himself doth, till all be accomplished, and our sal . 
finished and fully perfected. 

His intercession now remains only to be spoken of, which yet will a 'lord 
further considerations to strengthen our faith. His sitting at God's right 
hand notes out his power over all, from God ; but his intercession, all 
power and favour with God for us ; so as to effect our salvation for us, 
with God's highest contentment and good will, and all yet further to secure 
us. ' Who shall condemn '? ' &o. 



56 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 



SECTION V. 

THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH FROM CHRIST'S INTERCESSION. 
Who also maketh intercession for us. — Rom. VIII. 34. 



CHAPTER I. 

A connection of this ivith the former ; and how this adds a further support. — 
Two things out of the text propounded to be handled : First, the con- 
currency of influence that Christ's intercession hath into our salvation. 
Secondly, the security that faith may have therefrom for our justification. 

We have seen Christ sitting at God's right hand as a judge and king, 
having all authority of saving or condemning in his own hands ; and having 
all power in heaven and earth to give eternal life to them that believe ; and 
the confidence that this giveth us. 

Let us now come to his intercession, and the influence which it hath into 
our justification and salvation ; which as it strikes the last stroke to make 
all sure, so as great a stroke as any of the former ; therefore, as you have 
heard that there was an all- sufficiency in his death — ' Who shall condemn? 
It is Christ that died' — a rather in his resurrection — ' yea rather, is risen 
again' — a much rather [toaXw paWov], that he lives and is at God's right 
hand, Rom. v. 10. The apostle riseth yet higher to an g/g to wavTgXsg, ' a 
saving to the utmost,' put upon his intercession; Heb. vii. 25, ' Wherefore 
he is able to save to the utmost, seeing he ever lives to make intercession.' 
So that if you could suppose there were anything which none of all the 
former three could do or effect for us, yet his intercession could do it to the 
utmost, for itself is the uttermost and highest. If money would purchase 
our salvation, his death hath done it, which he laid down as a price and an 
equivalent ransom (as it is in 1 Tim. ii. G). If power and authority would 
effect it, his sitting at God's right hand, invested with all power in heaven 
and earth, shall be put forth to the utmost to effect it. If favour and 
entreaties added to all these (which ofttimes doth as much as any of those 
other) were needful, he will use the utmost of this also, and for ever make 
intercession. So that if love, money, or power (any of them, or all of them) 
will save us, we shall be sure to be saved, ' saved to the utmost,' tig rh 
KavrsXis, all manner of ways, by all manner of means; saved over and over. 

For the clearing of this last general head, the intercession of Christ, and 
the influence and security it hath into our faith and justification, I shall 
handle two things, and both proper to the text. 

1. First, shew how unto all those other forementioned acts of Christ for 
us, this of intercession also is to be added by him for the effecting our 



Chap. II.] from Christ's intercession. 57 

salvation, and the securing our hearts therein. This that particle also in 
the text calls for, ' Who also maketh intercession for us.' 

2. Then secondly, to shew the security that faith may assume and fetch 
from this intercession of Christ, or his praying for us in heaven ; ' Who 
shall condemn ? It is Christ that maketh intercession for us.' 



CHAPTER II. 

The first head explained by two things : First, Intercession one part of Christ's 
priesthood, and the most excellent part of it. 

1. Towards the explanation of the first of these, two things arc to be 
done. 

(1.) First, To shew how great, and necessary, and how excellent a part 
of Christ's priesthood his intercession and praying for us in heaven is. 

(2.) Secondly, To shew the peculiar influence that intercession hath into 
our salvation, and so the reasons for which God ordained this work of inter- 
cession for us, and that in heaven, to be added to all the former. 

(1.) For the first I will proceed therein by degrees. 

[1.] It is one part of his priesthood. You must know that Christ is not 
entered into heaven simply as a ' forerunner' (which hath been explained) 
to take up places for you, but as a priest also : ' made a priest, after the 
order of Melchisedec,' which is more than simply a forerunner. Yea, his 
sitting at God's right hand is not only as a king armed with power and 
authority to save us, but he sits there as a priest too : Thus, Heb. viii. 1, 
1 We have such an High Priest, who is set down at the right hand of the 
Majesty on high.' 

In the old Levitical priesthood, the high priest's office had two parts, 
both which concurred to make them high priests. 

First, Oblation, or offering the sacrifice. 

Secondly, Presentation of it in the holy of holies, with prayer and inter- 
cession unto God, to accept it for the sins of the people. The one was 
done without, the other within the holy of holies. This you see in many 
places, especially Lev. xvi. 11, 15, 16, where you have the law about the 
high priest's entering into the holy of holies ; he was not to come into the 
holy place till first he had offered a sacrifice for himself and the people, 
ver. 11 and 15, and this without. Then, secondly, when he had killed it, 
he was to enter with the blood of it into the holy of holies, and sprinkle the 
mercy-seat therein with it, ver. 14, 17, and to go with incense, and cause 
a cloud to arise over the mercy-seat. And this you have also, Heb. xiii. 11, 
it is said, that ' the blood of those beasts that were burnt without the camp 
was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest ; and in that 16th of 
Leviticus you shall find the atonement made as well by the blood, when 
brought into the holy place, ver. 16, as by the killing of the beast, ver. 11. 
Both these were acts of the high priesthood for atonement. 

And this was done in a type and* priestly office of Christ, and the parts 
thereof. So, Heb. ix. 23, he calls all those transactions under the ceremo- 
nial law, ' the patterns of things heavenly ;' instancing in this part of 
Christ's office, ver. 24, ' For Christ,' says he, ' is not entered into the holy 
places made with hands,' as that was, ' which are the figures of the true, 
but into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for us.' Now, 
* Qu. ' of the ? -En. 



58 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

then, in answer to this type, there are two distinct parts of Christ's priest- 
hood. 

First, The ' offering himself a sacrifice' up to death, as Heb. ix. 26, which 
answers to the killing of the sacrifice without the holy of holies ; for 
answerably he was crucified without the city, Heb. xiii. 12. 

Secondly, He carried this his blood into the holy of holies, namely, the 
heavens, Heb. ix. 12, where he appears, ver. 24, and there also prays in 
the force of that blood. And the type of those prayers was that cloud of 
incense made by the high priest ; so it is expressly interpreted, Rev. viii. 
3, &c. The angel Christ is said to have had ' much incense to offer with 
the pra} T ers of all the saints.' Which incense is his own prayers in heaven, 
which he continually puts up when the saints pray on earth, and so per- 
fumes all their prayers, and procures all blessings for them. 

Both these parts of his priesthood the apostle John mentions in his first 
Epistle, chap. ii. ver. 2, where, as he calls Jesus Christ a ' propitiation for 
our sins ' (that is, an oblation or sacrifice offered up for us) ; so likewise he 
calls him our advocate, both going to make up this his office. And, indeed, 
this latter of intercession, and bringing his blood into the holy of holies 
(or heaven), is but the same action continued. That blood which he 
offered with tears and strong cries on the cross, where he likewise inter- 
ceded, the same blood he continues virtually to offer up with prayers in the 
heavens, and makes atonement by both, only with this difference ; on earth, 
though he interceded, yet he more eminently offered up himself; in heaven, 
he more eminently intercedes, and doth but present that offering. 

[2.] Secondly, this was so necessary a part of his priesthood, that with- 
out it he had not been a complete priest. Thus, Heb. viii. 4, ' If he were 
on earth he should not be a priest ;' that is, if he should have abode on 
earth he should not have been a complete priest. Paul saith not, that if 
he had offered that his sacrifice on earth, he had not been a priest, for that 
was necessary ; but that if he had staid still on earth, after he had offered 
it, he had not been a priest, that is, a perfect priest ; for he had then left 
his office imperfect, and had done it but by halves, seeing this other part 
of it (the work of intercession) lay still upon him to be acted in heaven. 
Thus the high priest, his type, if he had only offered sacrifice without the 
holy of holies, had not been a perfect high priest ; for to enter into the holy 
of holies, and to act the part of a priest there, was the proper, pecidiar 
Avork of the high priest as such. Which shews, that Christ had not been 
an high priest if he had not gone to heaven, and priested it there too, as I 
may so speak, as well as upon earth. Yea, if Christ had not gone to 
heaven, and were not now become a priest there, then the Levitical priest- 
hood were still in force, and should share the honour with him ; and the 
high priest must continue still to go into the holy of holies. To this pur- 
pose you may observe, that so long as Christ was on earth, though risen, 
the types of the law held in force, and were not to give way, till all the 
truth signified by their ministry was fully accomplished ; and so, not until 
Christ was gone into heaven as a priest, and there had begun to do all 
that which the high priest had clone in the holy of holies, and as his type 
fore-signified. And this is plainly the meaning of what follows (in that 
Heb. viii. ver. 4) as the reason or demonstration why that Christ should 
not have been a priest, if he had not gone to heaven, not only as a king, 
but as a priest too, as he had affirmed, ver. 1, 'Seeing,' says he, 'that 
there are priests upon earth that do offer gifts according to the law.' The 
force of the reason lies thus : there arc already priests, and that of a tribe 



Chap. II. J fbom chbist's intercession. r>9 

he was not of, that offer gifts on cavth, hefore he came into the world. 
And, therefore, if that had been all his priesthood, to be a priest on earth, 
they would plead possession before him, having been priests before him. 
And then he further backs his reason by this, that ' those priests served' 
(as it follows, ver. 5), ' unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.' 
And, therefore, it is only a real priesthood in heaven which must put them 
out of place ; and till such a priesthood comes, they must serve still, for 
the truth, which these serve to shadow out, is not till then fulfilled. This 
you have also, chap. ix. 8. The ' first tabernacle' was to stand until a 
priest went into heaven, and did act that office there ; so that, if Christ 
will be a priest alone, he must become a priest interceding in heaven ; 
or else high priests must come up again, and share that oltice with him ; 
and so he should as good as fall from his office, and lose all that he had 
done. 

[3.] Yea, thirdly, this part of his priesthood is of the two the more emi- 
nent, yea, the top, the height of his priesthood. And this is held forth to 
us in the types of both those two orders of priesthood that were before 
him, and figures of him, both that of Aaron and Melchisedec : First, This 
was typified out in that Levitical priesthood of Aaron and his fellows : the 
highest service of that office was the going into the holy of holies, and 
making an atonement there ; yea, this was the height of the high priest's 
honour, that he did this alone, and did constitute the difference between 
him, as he was high priest, and other priests ; for they killed and offered 
the sacrifices without as well as he, every ordinary priest did that ; but 
none but the high priest was to approach the holy of holies with blood, and 
this but once a-year. Thus, Heb. ix. 6, 7, ' the priests,' namely those 
inferior priests, ' went always,' that is, daily, morning and evening, ' into 
the first tabernacle,' or court of priests, which was without the holy of 
holies, 'accomplishing the service of God;' namely, that offering of the 
daily sacrifice ; ' but into the second,' namely, the holy of holies, ' went 
the high priests alone every year.' So, then, this was that high and trans- 
cendent prerogative of that high priest then, and which indeed made him 
high priest ; and answerably the height of our high priest's office, — 
although he alone also could offer a satisfactory sacrifice, as the apostle 
shews, Heb. ix. and x., — yet comparatively lay in this, that he entered 
into the heavens by his blood, and is set down on the majesty on high, 
and in the virtue of his sacrifice there doth intercede. I know but one 
place that calleth him the ' Great High Priest' (higher before than Aaron), 
and that is Heb. iv. 14, 10. And then it is in this respect that he is 
' passed into the heavens,' as it follows there. 

Secondly, The excellency of this part of his priesthood was likewise typi- 
fied out by Melchisedec's priesthood, which the apostle argueth to have 
been much more excellent than that of Aaron's, inasmuch as Levi, Aaron's 
father, paid tithes to this Melchisedec in Abraham's loins. Now Melchi- 
sedec was his type, not so much in respect of his oblation, or offering of 
sacrifice (that work which Christ performed on earth), but in respect of that 
work which he ever performs in heaven : therefore that same clause for 
ever still comes in, in the quotation and mention of Melchisedec's priest- 
hood in that Epistle ; because in respect of that his continual interces- 
sion in heaven, Melchisedec was properly Christ's type. And accordingly 
you may observe, Ps. ex., when is it that speech comes in, ' Thou art a 
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec,' but then, when God had 
him sitting at his right hand? ver. 1. So that, as the transcendent excel- 



60 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH ISECT. V' 

lency of Christ's priesthood was typified out by Melchisedec's rather than 
Aaron's, as being the better priesthood of the two, so this, the most 
excellent part thereof, was typified out thereby, namely, that which Christ 
for ever acteth in heaven. 

And, thirdly, to confirm this, you shall find this to be made the top 
notion of this Epistle to the Hebrews, and the scope of it chiefly, to discourse 
of Christ's eternal priesthood in heaven, and to shew how therein Melchi- 
sedec was a type of him. This is not only expressed both in Heb. vii. 21 
and 25, where this same for ever is applied to his intercession, ver. 25, but 
more expressly in chap. viii. 1, where the apostle puts the emphasis upon 
this part of his priesthood, saying, that ' of the things which we have 
spoken,' — or which are to be spoken, for the word evi roT; Xsyofi&oie will 
bear either, — ; this is,' says he, ' the sum or argument' of all : the word is 
■/.■:d'/.uiov, and signifies as well the head, the chief, the top of all, and above 
all, as it doth the sum of all. And what is it that he thus professeth to be 
both the main subject and argument of this epistle, and the top and emi- 
nent thing in Christ he intends to discourse of? It follows, that ' we have 
such an high priest as is set down at the right hand of the throne of the 
Majesty in the heavens.' And of the priestly office he alone discourseth both 
before and after ; and in the following verses calleth his ministry or office 
(in respect of this) ' a more excellent ministry,' ver. 6, ' he being such a 
priest as was higher than the heavens,' as he had set him out in the latter 
part of the former chapter. And therefore you may observe, how in his 
preface to this Epistle to the Hebrews, in chap. i. ver. 3, he holds up this 
to our eye as the argument of the whole saying, ' When he had by himself 
purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.' 

Yea, to conclude this, all his priesthood would have been ineffectual, if 
he had not acted the part of a priest in heaven, by intercession there ; for 
by his death he did but begin the execution of his office : in heaven he ends 
it ; and if he had not fulfilled his office in both, the work of our salvation 
had not been fully perfected; it was therefore as necessary as oblation 
itself. Not but that his death was a perfect oblation ; it was perfect for an 
oblation, to which as such nothing can be added. There needed no more, 
nor any other price to be paid for us ; 'by that one offering, he perfects us 
for ever,' as Heb. x. 14, and became himself perfect thereby, Heb. v. 9. 
And in the 9th chapter ver. 12, ' By his own blood he entered into the 
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.' Mark how before 
he entered by his blood into heaven, he had fully obtained a redemption, 
and that eternal, that is, for ever sufficient ; which done, he became through 
his intercession in heaven an applying cause of eternal salvation, as Heb. 
v. 10, 11, hath it. So that as in his death he paid the full sum of all he 
owed ; unto which payment nothing can be added, no not by himself, 
though he would come and die again ; it was made at that once as perfect, 
that Is, for an oblation, as ever himself could make. But yet still by God's 
ordination there remained another further action of another kind that was 
to be added to this of oblation, and that is, intercession, or praying for us 
in heaven ; otherwise our salvation by his death were not perfected ; for if 
his priesthood be imperfect, our salvation then must needs be so. The 
presenting of that his sacrifice in heaven, was the consummation of his 
priesthood, and the performance of that part there, the perfection of it. 



Chap. III.] from Christ's cntebcession. 01 



CHAPTER III. 

The second; the special peculiar influence that intercession hath into OUT sal ra- 
tion and justijication, and the reasons why God appointed it to he added So 
the fanner. 

2. To come now more particularly to shew that proper and special 
influence that intercession hath into our salvation, and what it adds to the 
ohlation of Christ's death, though in its kind perfect, in order to the effect- 
ing our salvation ; and to shew the more inward reasons why God ordained 
— for upon his ordination alone this is to be put — this work of intercession 
in heaven to be joined with his death. And both these I shall put pro- 
miscuously together ; for in laying down the reasons why God thus ordered 
our salvation to be brought about by it, that influence also which intercession 
hath into our salvation, will together therewith appear. 

The reasons either respect (1.) God himself, who will have us so saved 
as himself may be most glorified ; or (2.) respect us and our salvation ; 
God ordering all the links of this golden chain of the causes of our salva- 
tion, as should make our salvation most sure and stedfast, (as David in 
his last song speaks, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5). Or (8.) respect Christ himself, 
whose glory is to be held up, and throughout continued as the author and 
finisher of our salvation, beginner and ender of our faith and justification. 

(1.) The first sort of reasons respect God himself. 

[1.] In general, God will be dealt withal like himself, in and throughout 
the whole way of our salvation, from first to last, and carry it all along as 
a superior wronged, and so keep a distance between himself and sinners ; 
who still are to come to him by a priest, and a mediator (as Heb. vii. 25 
hath it) upon whose mediation and intercession ' for ever,' as there, at 
least till the day of judgment, their salvation doth depend ; and therefore 
though Christ, in his dispensation of all to us downward, doth carry it as a 
king, as one having all power to justify and condemn (as hath been shewn), 
yet upward, towards God, he carries it as a priest, who must still intercede 
to do all that which he has power to do as a king. Therefore in the second 
Psalm, after that God had set him up as ' King upon his holy hill,' ver. 6, 
namely, in heaven, and so had committed all power in heaven and earth to 
him ; then he must yet ' ask ' all that he would have done ; ' Ask of me, 
and I will give thee,' &c, ver. 8, says God to him; for though he be a 
king, yet he is God's king, ' I have set my king,' &c, and by asking him, 
God will be acknowledged to be above him. But more of this hereafcer. But 

[2.] More particularly. God hath two attributes which he would have 
most eminently appear in their highest glory by Christ's effecting our salva- 
tion, namely, justice and free grace ; and therefore hath so ordered the 
bringing about of our salvation, as that Christ must apply himself in a more 
especial manner unto each of these, by way of satisfaction to the one, of 
entreaty to the other. Justice will be known to be justice, and dealt with 
upon its own terms ; and grace will be acknowledged to be free grace, 
throughout the accomplishment of our salvation. You have both these 
joined, Bom. iii. 24, 26, ' Being justified freely through his grace, by the 
■redemption that is in Christ Jesus ; that he might be just, and the justifier 
of him that believes.' Here is highest justice and the freest grace both 
met to save us, and both ordained by God to be ' declared' and ' set forth,' 
as ver. 25 and 26 have it. I said before, that God justifies and saves us 



G2 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

through free grace, so absolutely freely, as if his justice had had no satis- 
faction. Now therefore our salvation depending and being carried on, even 
in the application of it, by a continuation of grace in a free way, notwith- 
standing satisfaction unto justice, therefore this free grace must be sought 
to, and treated with like itself, and applied upon in all, and the sovereignty 
and freeness of it acknowledged in all, even as well as God's justice had 
the honour to be satisfied by a price paid upon it, that so the severity of it 
might appear and be held forth in our salvation. Thus God having two 
attributes eminently to be dealt withal, his justice and his free grace, it was 
meet that there should be two eminent actions of Christ's priesthood, 
wherein he should apply himself to each according to their kind, and as 
the nature and glory of each doth require. And accordingly in his death 
he deals with justice, by laying down a sufficient price ; and in his inter- 
cession, he entreateth free grace, and thus both come to be alike acknow- 
ledged. In Heb. iv. 1G, we are encouraged to ' come boldly to the throne 
of grace,' because ' we have an high priest entered into the heavens.' 
Observe how it is called a throne of grace, which our high priest now in 
heaven officiates at ; so called because his priesthood there deals with free 
grace chiefly, it is a throne of grace, and so to be sued unto ; therefore he 
treateth with God by way of intercession. Of this throne of grace in 
heaven, the mercy-seat in the holy of holies was the type. And as there 
the high priest was to bring the blood and mercy- seat together, he was to 
sprinkle the blood upon it, so Christ. And as the high priest was to go 
into the holy of holies by blood, so with iuceDse also, (that is, prayer), to 
shew that heaven is not opened by mere justice, or bringing only a price in 
hand for it, but by grace also, and that must be entreated ; and therefore 
when the priest was within that holy place, he was to make a cloud over 
the mercy-seat, which cloud of incense is prayer, whereof incense was the 
type, Rev. viii. 3. And thence it is, that Christ hath as much work of it 
still in heaven as ever, though of another kind. He dealt with justice here 
below, to satisfy it, and here got money enough to pay the debt ; but in 
heaven he deals with mercy. Therefore all the grace he bestows on us, he 
is said first to receive it, even now when in heaven. Acts ii. 83, it is said 
of him, after his going to heaven, and that he was exalted, &c, that he 
'received the promise of the Spirit,' which John xiv. 16, he told them he 
would ' pray for.' And this is part of the meaning of that in Ps. lxviii. 18, 
' He ascended up on high, and received gifts for men,' says the Psalmist. 
The apostle renders it, Eph. iv., 'gave,' but you see it was by 'receiving' 
them first, as fruits of his intercession and asking after his ascending. He 
is said both to give, as being all of his own purchase, and as having power 
as a king also both to do and bestow all he doth ; and yet withal he is said 
to receive all that he gives, because as a priest he intercedes for it, and asks 
it. Free grace requires this. This is the first thing. 

Yea, secondly, justice itself might stand a little upon it, though there was 
enough in Christ his death to satisfy it ; yet having been wronged, it stood 
thus far upon it, as those to whom a debt is due use to do, namely, to 
have the money brought home to God's dwelling-house, and laid down 
there. God is resolved not to stoop one whit unto man, no nor to Christ 
his suretj". Justice will not only be satisfied, and have a suilicient ransom 
collected and paid, as at Christ's death, but he must come and bring his 
bags up to heaven ; justice will be paid it upon the mercy-seat ; for so in 
the type the blood was to be carried into the holy of holies, and sprinkled 
upon the mercy-seat. And therefore his resurrection, ascension, &c, were 



Chap. III. J from ctirist's intercession. G3 

but as the breaking through all enemies, and subduing them, to the end to 
bring this price or satisfaction to the mercy- scat ; and so God having his 
money by him, might not want wherewithal to pardon sinners ; so as the 
blood of Christ is current money, not only on earth, but in heaven too, 
whither all is brought, which is for our comfort, that all the treasure which 
should satisfy God is safely conveyed thither, and our surety with it. 

(2.) The second sort of reasons why God ordained Christ's intercession 
to be joined to his death, are taken from what was the best way to effect 
and make sure our salvation, and secure our hearts therein ; and these 
reasons will shew the peculiar influence that intercession hath into our 
salvation, and therein as in the former. 

[1.] First in general, God would have our salvation made sure, and us 
saved all manner of ways, over and over. First, By ransom and price, (as 
captives are redeemed) which was done by his death, which of itself was 
enough ; for it is said, Heb. x. to ' perfect us for ever.' Secondly, By 
power and rescue ; so in his resurrection, and ascension, and sitting at 
God's right hand, which also was sufficient. Then, thirdly, again by inter- 
cession, a way of favour and entreaty ; and this likewise would have been 
enough, but God would have all ways concur in it, whereof notwithstanding 
not one could fail ; a threefold cord, whereof each twine were strong enough, 
but all together must of necessity hold. 

[2.] Secondly, the whole application of his remedy, both in justifying 
and saving of us first and last, hath a special dependence upon this his 
intercession. This all divines on all sides do attribute unto it, whilst they 
put this difference between the influence of his death, and that of his inter- 
cession into our salvation : calling his death medium impetrationis, that is, 
the means of procurement or obtaining it for us ; but his intercession medium 
applicaiionis, the means of applying all unto us. Christ purchaseth salva- 
tion by the one, but possesseth us of it by the other. Some have attributed 
the application of justification to his resurrection ; but it is much more 
proper to ascribe it to his intercession, (and what causal influence his 
resurrection hath into our justification, hath been afore in the third section 
declared). But that his eternal priesthood in heaven, and the work of its 
intercession, is the applying cause of our eternal salvation, in all the parts 
of it, first and last, seems to me to be the result of the connection of the 
8th, 9th, and 10th verses of the 5th chapter to the Hebrews. For having 
spoken of his obedience and sufferings unto death, ver. 8, and how he 
thereby was made perfect, ver. 9, he says, 'and being' thus first 'made 
perfect, he became the author' or applying cause, ainog, ' of eternal salva- 
tion, unto all them that obey him ; ' and this by his being become an eternal 
priest in heaven, after he was thus perfected by sufferings ; for so it follows, 
ver. 10, ' called of God an high priest, after the order of Melchisedec' 
And Melchisedec's priesthood was principally the type of his priesthood in 
heaven, as was before declared. One leading instance to shew that his 
intercession was to be the applying cause of salvation, was given by Christ, 
whilst he was on earth, thereby manifesting what much more was to be 
done by him in heaven, through his intercession there ; when he was on 
the cross, and as then offering that great sacrifice for sin, he at that time 
also joined prayers for the justification of those that crucified him, ' Father 
forgive them, for they know not what they do ; ' so fulfilling that in Isa. 
liii. 12, ' He bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the trans- 
gressors.' And the efficacy of that prayer then put up, was the cause of 
the conversion of those three thousand, Acts ii., whom, ver. 25, the apostle 



64 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

had expressly charged with the crucifying of Christ, ' whom ye by wicked 
hands have taken, crucified, and slain.' These were the first-fruits of his 
intercession, whose prayers still do reap and bring in the rest of the crop, 
which in all ages is to grow up unto God on earth. 

[3.] And more particularly, as the whole application in general, so our 
justification, in the whole progress of it, depends upon Christ's inter- 
cession. As, 

First, Our first actual or initial justification, which is given us at our first 
conversion, depends upon Christ's intercession. Therefore in the fore- 
mentioned prayer on the cross, the thing he prayed for was forgiveness, 
'Father, forgive them.' You heard before that Christ's death affords the 
matter of our justification, as being that which is imputed, the ransom, the 
price, the thing itself that satisfies ; and that his resurrection was the 
original act of God's justifying us in Christ. We were virtually justified 
then in Christ his being justified, as in a common person. But besides all 
this, there is a personal or an actual justification to be bestowed upon us, 
that is, an accounting and bestowing it upon us in our own persons, which 
is done when we believe, and it is called (Rom. v. 1) a being 'justified by 
faith,' and (ver. 10) ' received the atonement ;' now this depends on Christ's 
intercession, and it was typified out by Moses his sprinkling the people 
with blood, mentioned Heb. ix. 19, which thing Jesus Christ as a Mediator 
and Priest doth now from heaven. For, Heb. xii. 21, it is said, ' You are 
come to heaven, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and,' as it 
is next subjoined, ' to the blood of sprinkling.' He shed his blood on the 
cross on earth, but he sprinkleth it now as a priest from heaven. For it is 
upon Mount Zion, to which (he had said first in the former verse) ye are 
come ; and so to Christ as a mediator standing on that mount, and sprink- 
ling from thence his blood ; and so therein there is an allusion unto Moses, 
Christ's type, who sprinkled the people with the blood of that ceremonial 
covenant, the type of the covenant of grace. Now, in 1 Peter i. 2, ' The 
sprinkling of his blood,' as it is there made the more proper work of Christ 
himself, in distinction from the other persons, and therefore was done by 
Moses, who was his type, so is it also put for our first justification. And 
this sprinkling, as it is there mentioned, is from the virtue of his interces- 
sion. And therefore in that place of the Hebrews fore-cited, he attributes 
an intercession unto it, as the phrase that follows, ' which speaks better 
things,' &c, doth imply, of which more hereafter. Yet concerning this 
first head, let me add this by way of caution (which I shall presently have 
occasion to observe), that though this our first justification is to be ascribed 
to his intercession, yet more eminently intercession is ordained for the 
accomplishing our salvation, and this other more rarely in the Scripture at- 
tributed thereunto. 

Secondly, The continuation of our justification depends upon it. And as 
his intercession is the virtual continuation of his sacrifice, so is it the con- 
tinuing cause of our justification ; which though it be an act done once, as 
fully as ever, yet is it done over every moment, for it is continued by acts 
of free grace, and so renewed actually every moment. There is a ' standing 
in grace' by Christ, spoken of Rom. v. 2, as well as a first ' access by Christ,' 
and that standing in grace, and continuing in it, is afterwards, ver. 10, attri- 
buted to his life, that is, as it is interpreted, Heb. vii. 25, his living ever to 
intercede. We owe our standing in grace every moment to his sitting in 
heaven and interceding every moment. There is no fresh act of justifica- 
tion goes forth, but there is a fresh act of intercession. And as though 



Chap. III.] from Christ's intercession. C5 

God created the world once for all, yet every moment he is said to create, 
every new act of providence being a new creation ; so likewise to justify 
continually, through his continuing out free grace to justify as at first ; and 
this Christ doth by continuing his intercession ; he continues ' a priest for 
ever,' and so we continue to be justified for ever. 

Thirdly, There is hereby a full security given us of justification to be con- 
tinued for ever. The danger either must lie in old sins coming into re- 
membrance, or else from sins newly to be committed. Now, first, God 
hereby takes order, that no old sins shall come up into remembrance, to 
trouble his thought, as in the old law, after the priest's going into the holy 
of holies, their sins are said yet to have done, Heb. x. 3 ; and to that end 
it was that he placed Christ as his remembrancer for us, so near him, to 
take up his thoughts so with his obedience, that our sins might not come 
into mind. Not that God needed this help to put himself in mind, but 
only for a formality sake, that things being thus really carried between God 
and Christ for us, according to a way suiting with our apprehensions, our 
faith might be strengthened against all suppositions, and fears of after re- 
viving our guilts. Look therefore as God ordained the rainbow in the 
heavens, that when he looked on it, he might remember his covenant, never 
to destroy the world again by water ; so he hath set Christ as the rainbow 
about his throne. And look as the bread and wine in the Lord's supper 
are appointed on earth to ' shew forth Christ's death,' as a remembrancer to 
us ; so is Christ himself appointed in heaven to shew forth his death really 
as a remembrancer thereof to his Father ; and indeed, the one is corres- 
pondent to the other. Only the papists have perverted the use of the 
Lord's supper, by making it on earth a commemorative sacrifice to God, 
whenas it is but a remembrancer thereof to men ; and besides, their priests 
therein do take upon themselves this very office of presenting this sacrifice 
to God, which is proper only to Christ in heaven. But God, when he would 
make sure not to be tempted to remember our sins any more, nor trouble 
himself with them, hath set his Christ by him to put him in mind of his so 
pleasing an offering. So the high priest going into the holy of holies, was 
for a memorial, and therein the type of Christ. And this is plainly and 
expressly made the use of this execution of his priestly office in heaven, 
Heb. viii. where the apostle having discoursed of that part of his office, as 
the chief thing he aimed at in this epistle, ver. 1, and of the necessity of it, 
verses 3, 4, and 5, and excellency of it in this respect, ver. 6, he then shews 
how from thence the new covenant of pardon came to be sure and stedfast, 
that God ' will remember our sins no more,' ver. 12, which he there brings 
in as the proper use of this doctrine, and of this part of his priesthood. 

Secondly, As by reason of intercession God remembers not old sins, so 
likewise he is not provoked by new. For though God, when he justifies us, 
should forgive all old sins past for ever, so as never to remember them more, 
yet new ones would break forth, and he could not but take notice of them ; 
and so, so long as sin continues, there is need of a continuing intercession. 
Therefore for the securing us in this, it is said, Rom. v. 10, that ' if, when 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much 
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' Where we see that 
his death is in some more special manner said to procure reconciliation at 
first for sins of unregeneracy, and to bring us to Christ ; but then his life 
and intercession, or living to intercede, is said to keep God and us friends, 
that we may never fall out more. What Christ did on earth, doth more 
especially procure reconciliation for sins which we do in the state of nature ; 
VOL. iv. E 



66 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

so as notwithstanding them, God resolves to turn us from that state and 
draw us to Christ. But sins which we commit after conversion, though 
pardoned also by his death, yet the pardon of them is more especially attri- 
buted to his life and intercession, as a daily preservative, a continual plaster 
(as some call it) to heal such sins. So that it would seem that God out 
of his eternal love doth bring us to Christ, and draws us to him through the 
beholding the reconciliation wrought by his death, and so gives us at first 
conversion unto Christ ; and we being brought to him, he sprinkles us with 
his blood ; and then God says to him, Now do you look to them, that they 
and I fall out no more. And to that end Christ takes our cause in hand 
1 y that eternal priesthood of his, and from that time begins more especially 
to intercede for us. And thus sins after the state of grace may be said 
more eminently to be taken away by that part of his priesthood which he 
now in heaven performs. That place also, 1 John ii. 1, 2, seems to make 
this the great end of intercession, ' If any man sin ' (that is, if any of the 
company of believers, to whom alone he wrote), ' we have an advocate with 
the Father ;' so as intercession principally serves for sins to come, or com- 
mitted after grace received. Thus also in his prayer, John xvii., which was 
left as a pattern of his intercession in heaven, he prays for his elect as be- 
lievers, ' I pray for them that shall believe through their word.' Not but 
that sins after conversion are taken away by his death ; and sins before it, by 
his intercession also ; for Christ interceded for those who crucified him, and 
by virtue of that intercession, those three thousand were converted (as was 
observed). But the meaning only is, that yet more eminently the work of 
reconciliation for sins before conversion is attributed to his death ; and for 
sins after conversion to his intercession. Even as the persons of the Trinity, 
though they have all a like hand in all the work of our salvation, yet we 
see that one part is attributed more to one person, and another to another. 

(3.) A third sort of reasons why God ordained this work of intercession 
to accomplish our salvation by, do respect Christ himself, whose honour 
and glory, and the perpetuation of it in our hearts, God had as well in his 
eye in the ordering all the workings of our salvation, as much as his own, 
• that all might honour the Son as well as the Father,' as Christ himself 
speaks. Now, therefore, for the maintaining and upholding his glory, and 
the comings in thereof, did God ordain, after all that he had done for us 
here below, this work of intercession in heaven to be added to all the rest, 
for the perfecting of our salvation. As, 

First, It became him, and was for his honour, that none of his offices 
should be vacant or lie idle, and he want employment in them. All offices 
have work to accompany them, and ah work hath honour, as its reward, to 
arise out of it. And therefore when he had done all that was to be done 
on earth, as appertaining unto the merit of our salvation, he appoints this 
full and perpetual work in heaven, for the applying and possessing us of 
salvation, and that as a priest, by praying and interceding in the merit of 
that one oblation of himself. God would have Christ never to be out of 
office, nor out of work. And this very reason is more than intimated, Heb. 
vii. 24. ' This man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable 
priesthood,' (or, as ver. 21 expounds it) for ever. And the work of his 
priesthood is interpreted, ver. 25, to be ' ever to make intercession.' The 
meaning is, that God would not have him continue to be a priest in title 
onlv, or in respect only of a service past, and so to have only the honour of 
priesthood perpetuated to him out of the remembrance of what he once had 
done, as great generals have, even in time of peace, the glory of some great 



Chap. IV.] from Christ's intercession. G7 

battle fought, continued to them in their titles, or rewards for ever. But 
God would have him have, as the renown of the old, so a perpetual spring 
of honour by new work, and employment in that office which he is con- 
tinually a-doing, so to preserve the verdure of his glory ever fresh and green, 
and therefore ordained a continual work for him. And the sum of the 
apostle's reasoning is this, that seeing himself was to be for ever, so should 
his work and priesthood be, that so his honour might be for ever. So ver. 
28 concludes it, ' consecrated or perfected for evermore.' 

Secondly, For the same reason also, it became him that the whole work 
of our salvation, first and last, and every part of it, every step and degree 
of accomplishment of it, should be so ordered as he should continue still to 
have as great and continual a hand in every part, even to the laying of the 
top stone thereof, as he had in laving the first foundation and corner stone 
thereof. And this you have expressed, Heb. xii. 2, ' Looking to Jesus the 
beginner and perfecter of our faith.' Two things had been said of him, as 
two causes of two effects ; and we must look to him in both. [1.] He is to 
be looked at as dying, ' enduring the cross,' as there he is set forth. [2.] 
As ' sitting at God's right hand and interceding,' as that whole Epistle had 
represented him. We are to look at these two as causes of a double effect, 
to look at his dying as that which is the ' beginning of our faith,' (so accord- 
ing to the Greek, and the margin of our translation), and at his sitting at 
God's right hand as an intercessor, for the ' finishing of our faith' there- 
by ; and so of our final salvation. For as Christ's work began in his life 
and death, which is put for all his obedience here below, so our first be- 
lieving (as was said) begins by virtue of his death at first ; and as his work 
ends in his intercession, and sitting at God's right hand, so answerably is 
our faith and salvation perfected by it, that thus he might be left out in 
nothing, but be ' the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, to 
whom be glory for ever.' So that we are to look upon our Mediator Christ, as 
doing as much work for us in heaven at this instant, as ever he did on earth ; 
here suffering, but there praying and presenting his sufferings. All hi3 
work was not done, when he had done here ; that work here was indeed the 
harder piece of the two, yet soon despatched ; but his work in heaven, 
though sweeter far, yet lies on his hands for ever ; therefore let us leave out 
none of these in our believing on him. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The second head . the great security the consideratioji of Christ's intercession 
affords to faith for our justification, shewed, 1. By way of evidence ; by 
two things. 

And so I come (as in the former I have done) to shew what strong grounds 
of security and triumph our faith may raise from this last act, namely, 
Christ's intercession for us in the point of justification ; ' Who shall con- 
demn ? It is Christ that intercedes.' And was the second general pro- 
pounded ; and therein to proceed also according to the method taken up in 
the former. 

1. What assurance by way of evidence this doth afford unto faith of non- 
condemnation. 

2. What powerful efficacy and influence this must be of, that Christ 
intercedes. 



G8 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

1. First, to handle it by way of evidence. 

That Christ intercedes, is a strong evidence to our faith by two demon- 
strations. 

(1.) From the very intent and scope of the work of intercession itself, 
and what it is ordained by God to effect. 

(2.) From the end of Jesus Christ himself, who lives in heaven on pur- 
pose to intercede for us. Our salvation it is both finis operis, the end of the 
work, and finis ipsius operands, in some respect the end of Christ himself, the 
interceder ; and both these do lay the greatest engagement that can be upon 
Christ, to accomplish our salvation through his intercession. 

(1.) For the work itself. Intercession, you have seen, is a part of the 
office of Christ's priesthood, as well as his dying and offering himself: now all 
the works of Christ are and must be perfect in their kind (even as God's are, 
of which says Moses, Deut. xxxii. 4, ' His work is perfect '), for otherwise 
he should not be a perfect priest. Now the perfection of every work lies in 
order to its end for which it is ordained ; so as that work is perfect that 
attains to such an end as it is ordained for, and that imperfect which doth 
not. Now the immediate direct end of Christ's intercession is the actual 
salvation of believers elect, and persons whom he died for. The end of 
his death is adoptio juris, purchasing a right unto salvation ; but of inter- 
cession, procuratio ipsius salutis, the very saving us actually, and putting us 
in possession of heaven. To this purpose, observe how the Scripture 
speaks concerning Christ's death, Heb. ix. 12, 'He entered into heaven, 
having obtained redemption,' or found redemption, that is, by way of right, 
by procuring full title to it. But of his intercession it says, Heb. vii. 25, 
that by it ' Christ is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God 
by him ;' that is, actually to save, and put them in possession of happiness : 
that is made the end and scope of intercession there ; and that phrase (sig 
rb vavTiXsc), to the utmost, notes out a saving indeed, a doing it not by 
halves, but wholly, and throughly, and completely ; si; rb ■xavrfAsg is to save 
altogether, to give our salvation its last act and complement, that is the 
true force of the phrase, even to effect it, to the last of it, all that is to be 
done about it. Thus also Rom. v. 9, 10, ' We are justified by his death, 
but saved (namely, completely) by his life ;' that is, his living to intercede. 
So that the very salvation of believers is it that is the work, the rb 'igyov of 
Christ's intercession. 

Now what security doth this afford ? For, to be saved is more than to 
be justified ; for it is the actual possessing us of heaven. So then, do but 
grant that Christ's intercession is as perfect a work in its kind as Christ's 
death is in its kind, and you must needs be saved. The perfection of 
Christ's death, and the work thereof, wherein lay it (as on Christ's part to 
be performed) but in this, that he should lay down a ransom sufficient to 
purchase salvation for such and such persons as God would save ? And so 
the perfection of it lies in the worth and sufficiency of it, to that end it 
was ordained for ; it being a perfect sacrifice in itself, able to purchase 
eternal redemption for us, and to make us salvable against all sins and the 
demerits of them, and to give us right to heaven ; and had it wanted a grain 
of this, it had then been imperfect. Now then, answerably for intercession, 
the comfort of our souls is, that the proper work that lies upon Christ 
therein is the complete saving those very persons, and the possessing them 
of heaven ; this is the rb egyov, the proper work thereof. To outvie the 
demerits of our sins was the perfection of his death, but to save our souls 
is the end and perfection of his intercession. Our sins are the object of 



Chap. IV.J from Christ's intercession. 69 

the one, and our souls of the other. To that end was intercession added to 
his death, that we might not have a right to heaven in vain, of which we might 
be dispossessed. Now therefore, upon this ground, if Christ should fail 
of our souls' salvation, yea, but of any one degree of glory (purchased by 
his death to any soul) which that soul should want, this work of his would 
then want and fall short so much of its perfection. That place in Heb. 
vii. says not only that Christ will do his utmost to save, but save to the 
utmost. 

Obj. You may say, My infidelity and obstinacy may hinder it, though 
Christ doth what in him lies. 

Am. Well, but intercession undertakes the work absolutely ; for Christ 
prays not conditionally in heaven, 'If men shall believe, &c.,' as we do 
here on earth ; not for propositions only, but for persons ; and therefore 
he prays to cure that very infidelity. Now, as if a physician undertakes to 
cure a madman (if he knows what he doth), he considers the madness of 
his patient, and how he will tear oft' what is applied, and refuse all physic? ; 
he therefore resolves to deal with him accordingly, and so to order him as 
he shall not hinder that help which he is about to afford him, and so upon 
those terms he undertakes the cure : even so doth Christ, when by inter- 
cession he undertakes to save us sinners ; he considers us what we are, and 
how it is with us, what unbelief is in us, yet undertakes the matter ; and 
so to save us is the scope and end of this his work, which if he should not 
accomplish, he after all this should not be a perfect priest. It was the fault 
that God found with the old priesthood, that it ' made nothing perfect,' 
Heb. vii. 19, and therefore, ver. 12, the ' law was changed ;' and the 'priest- 
hood was changed ' together with it, as there you have it. Now in like 
manner Christ's priesthood should he imperfect, if it made not the elect 
perfect, and then God must yet seek for another covenant, and a more per- 
fect priest ; for this would be found faulty, as the other was. So then our 
comfort is, if Christ approve himself to be a perfect priest, we who come to 
God by him must be perfectly saved. It is in this office of his priesthood, 
and all the parts of it, as in his kingly office. The work of his kingly office 
is to subdue all enemies, to the last man, even fully to do the thing ; and 
not only to have power, and to go about to do it : so as if there should be 
any one enemy left unsubdued, then Christ should not be a perfect king. 
The same holds in his priestly office also ; he should not be a perfect priest, 
if but one soul of the elect, or those he intercedes for, were left unsaved. 
And this is indeed the top and highest consideration for our comfort in this 
argument, that intercession leaves us not till it hath actually and completely 
saved us ; and this is it that makes the apostle put a further thing upon 
intercession here in the text, than upon that other, his ' sitting at God's 
right hand.' So as we are in this respect as sure of attaining unto the 
utmost glory of our salvation, as Christ to have the full honour of his priest- 
hood. A man saved is more than justified ; and Christ cannot reckon his 
work, nor himself a perfect priest, until we are saved. ' Who shall con- 
demn ? It is Christ that intercedes.' 

(2.) Besides the consideration of the nature and scope of this work itself, 
which Christ, upon his honour of acquitting himself as a perfect priest, hath 
undertaken, there is in the second place a farther consideration that argues 
him engaged by a stronger obligation, even the loss of his own honour, his 
office, and all, if he should not effect salvation for those that come to God 
by him ; so much doth it concern him to effect it. Of all the works that 
ever he did, he is most engaged in this ; it will not only be the loss of a 



70 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

business which concerns him, and of so much work, but himself must be 
lost in it too ; and the reason is, that he intercedes as a Surety. He was 
not only a ' surety on earth ' in dying, and so was to look to do that work 
tkroughby, and to be sure to lay down a price sufficient, or else himself had 
gone for it : he pawned in that work, not only his honour, but even his life 
and soul to effect it, or lose himself in it ; but he is a surety now also in 
heaven, by interceding. This you may find to be the scope of Heb. vii. 22, 
by observing the coherence of that 22d verse (wherein he is called a ' surety ') 
with verses 23, 24, 25, that title and appellation is there given him, in rela- 
tion unto this part of his office especially. And although it holds true of 
all parts of his office whatsoever, yet the coherence carries it, that that 
mention there of his being a surety doth in a more special manner refer 
unto his intercession, as appears both by the words before and after : in the 
words before (ver. 21), the apostle speaks of this his ' priesthood, which is 
for ever,' and then subjoins (ver. 22), ' By so much was Jesus made a 
surety of a better testament ;' and then after also he discourseth of, and 
instanceth in his intercession, and his continuing a priest for ever in that 
work : so, ver. 23, 24, 25, ' Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost, 
seeing he ever lives to make intercession.' Yea, he is therefore engaged to 
save to the utmost, because even in interceding (for which he is said there 
to live) he is a surety. 

He was a surety on earth, and is a surety still in heaven ; only with this 
double difference, which ariseth first from the different things which he 
undertook for then, whilst on earth, and for which now he undertakes in 
heaven ; that on earth he was a surety to pay a price so sufficient as should 
satisfy God's justice ; which having paid, he was discharged (in that 
respect, and so far) of that obligation, and his bond for that was cancelled ; 
but so as still he remains a surety, bound in another obligation as great, 
even for the bringing to salvation those whom he died for ; for their persons 
remained still unsaved, though the debt was then paid ; and till they be 
saved, he is not quit of this suretj'ship and engagement. And, secondly, 
these two suretyships do differ also by the differing pawns which he was 
engaged to forfeit, by failing in each of these works : for the payment of 
our debt, his soul itself lay at the stake, which he offered up for sin ; but 
for the saving of the persons all his honour in heaven lies at stake. He 
lives to intercede. He possesseth heaven upon these terms, and it is one 
end of his life ; so that as he must have sunk under God's wrath, if he had 
not paid the debt, his soul standing in our souls' stead, so he must yet quit 
heaven, and give over living there, if he brings us not thither. It is true, 
he intercedes not as a common person (which relation in all other foremen- 
tioned acts he still bore ; thus in his death he was both a common person 
and a surety representing us, so as we died in him ; so likewise in his re- 
surrection we arose with him, and in his ascension we ascended, &c, but 
yet he intercedes not under that relation, namely, not as a common person), 
for we must not, cannot be said to intercede in him, for this last work lay 
not upon us to do. He doth it wholly for us indeed, but not in our stead, 
or as that which we should have done, though on our behalf; for it being 
the last, the crown of all his works of mediation, is therefore proper to him 
as Mediator, and his sole work as such. Thus in like manner the first 
work of incarnation, and answerably the last of intercession, in neither of 
these was Christ a common person representing others, though a common 
Saviour of others in these. For the one was the foundation of all, the other 
the accomplishment of all, and so proper only to himself as mediator. But 



Chap. V.J from Christ's intercession. 71 

although he intercedes not as a common person, as representing us in what 
we were to have done for ourselves ; yet, so as that other relation of a surety 
is continued still in that work, he stands engaged therein as an undertaker 
for us, and so as a surety intercedes : such as Judah was for Benjamin, 
Gen. xliii. 9, ' I will be surety for him ; of my hand shalt thou require him : 
if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the 
blame for ever.' So says Christ for us. And therefore sponsio, or under- 
taking for us, is by divines made a great part of this part of his office. Now 
the consideration of this may the more secure us ; for the more peculiarly 
and solely it is his work, the more his honour lies at stake, and the more 
he will set himself to eflect it ; yea, and being by way of suretyship, it con- 
cerns him yet more nearly, for he hath engaged, and if he should fail, might 
even lose that honour which he hath now in heaven. 



CHAPTER V. 

The prevalency of Christ's intercession, and the powerful influence it hath into 
our salvation, demonstrated, first, from the greatness of Christ, and his 
favour with God. 

2. Thus we have heard what matter of support to our faith, by way of 
evidence, this must needs afford, that Christ intercedes. Let us consider 
now what further assurance will arise to our faith, from the influence which 
Christ's intercession must needs have, to eflect and carry on our salvation 
to an assured issue. The work of intercession being effectually to procure 
our salvation, and to continue the pardon of our sins, and hold us in favour 
with God, therefore the influence and energy it hath herein must needs lie 
in that potency and prevalency which this intercession of Christ hath with 
God, to obtain anything at his hands for us, and so to continue his favour 
towards us. Now, to raise up our apprehensions how potent and prevalent 
this intercession of Christ must needs be, let us consider both the Person 
interceding, namely, Christ ; and the Person with whom Christ intercedes for 
this favour, which is God ; the one the Son, the other the Father ; and so 
the greatness of Christ with God, and the graciousness of God to Christ, 
together with the oneness of wills and unity of affections in them both : so 
that Christ will be sure to ask nothing which his Father will deny, and his 
Father will not deny anything which he shall ask. 

(1.) Now, first, for the greatness of Christ the Intercessor, that is, his 
greatness with God the Father. This is often urged in this epistle to the 
Hebrews, to persuade confidence in us, in this very point in hand ; thus, 
Heb. iv. 14, 16, ' Seeing we have a great high priest, let us come boldly.' 
And whilst great and priest are thus joined together, the more comfort and 
boldness we may have, the greater he is ; for he is a priest in relation to 
his dealing with God for our pardon. As he is a priest, he deals in nothing 
else ; and the greater the person is who useth his interest herein, the 
better, the sooner he will prevail. And he is there said to be great, because 
great with God, in prevailing with him ; and indeed so great, as it is im- 
possible but he should prevail. It was the greatness of his person which 
did and doth put such an influence into his death, that it was, as you heard, 
a price more than enough to satisfy justice, even to overflowing. And 
therefore, ' Who shall condemn ? It is Christ that died.' And the great- 
ness of his person must needs have as much influence to make intercession 



72 THE TBIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

prevalent. In a matter of intercession, the person that intercedes prevails 
more than any other consideration whatsoever. We see what great friends 
do procure oftentimes with but a word speaking, even that which money, 
no, nor anything could have obtained. Now Christ must needs be great 
with God in many respects. 

[1.] First, in respect of the nearness of his alliance to him. He is the 
natural Son of God, God of God, and therefore certain to prevail with him. 
This is diligently still put in, almost in all places, where this part of his 
priesthood (his intercession) is mentioned, in the Epistle to the Hebrews. 
So in chap. iv. of the same Epistle, ver. 14, ' We have a great high priest 
entered into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. So Heb. vii. 25, and 28th 
verse compared, the apostle having said, ver. 25, that ■ he is able to save to 
the utmost, seeing he ever lives to make intercession,' he doth, ver. 28, 
devolve this ability of his to save (ultimately) upon his being the Son ; thus in 
the 28th verse, in the end of that discourse, this is made as the basis of all : 
4 The law (saith he) makes men high priests which have infirmity,' which 
infirmity or disability of theirs is mentioned in opposition unto what he had 
just before spoken of the great ability of this our high priest in his inter- 
ceding, ver. 25, in those words, ' He is able to save to the utmost.' Those 
priests whom the ceremonial law made, Aaron and his sons, are unable to 
save, they have infirmity. Now what is it in him that makes this difference, 
and him so able above what they were ? ' The word of the oath makes the 
Son (says he), who is perfected (as you have it in the Greek and margin) 
for evermore.' He mentions this his sonship principally in relation to his 
intercession, which there he had discoursed of. Intercession is a carrying 
on our salvation in a way of grace and favour, as his death was by way of 
satisfaction. 

And answerably it may be observed in the Scripture, that as the all-suffi- 
ciency of the satisfaction of his death is still put upon his being God ; and 
so upon the greatness of his person considered in respect of his nature or 
essence, namely, his Godhead ; so in like manner, that the prevalency of 
his intercession is founded upon the nearness of his relation unto God, his 
alliance to him, and the being his Son. Thus for the first. When redemp- 
tion is spoken of, the sufficiency of the price is eminently put upon his God- 
head, ' the blood of God.' Thus also, Heb. ix., where when he had (ver. 
12) shewn how Christ had purchased and obtained a ' perfect redemption,' 
he then argues the sufficiency of it from his Godhead, ver. 13, 14, ' For if 
the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the 
unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh ; how much more shall the 
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself?' &c. The 
eternal Spirit is his Godhead. Thus answerably, when he speaks of the 
prevailing of his intercession in heaven, he puts it upon his sonship ; ' Jesus 
the Son.' He mentions the nearness of the relation of his person to God, 
as being that which draws with it that great respect, and favour, and grace, 
he being by this great with God, as great in himself. All matters of inter- 
cession are carried, we know, by way of favour. And therefore look how 
prevalent in a way of merit his being God makes his death in its kind ; no 
less prevalent doth his being the Son of God make his intercession in its 
kind, namely, in a way of obtaining grace and mercy ; yea, so prevalent of 
itself it is, that we might build upon it alone, even as much as upon his 
death. And, indeed, Christ intercedes not only in the virtue and strength 
of his satisfaction, though in that also, and of his obedience to his Father 
but also in the strength of his relation as a Son who pleads his own grace 



Chap. V.] fboA Christ's intercession. 73 

and interest in God, as he is his Son, which is a consideration that doth 
always actually exist and abide. Whereas his obedience, though perfect, 
was but once offered up, and its existence is but virtual ; but he continues 
a Son for ever, not virtually only, but actually. And therefore it is added 
in that 7th to the Hebrews, ver. 28, that the • gospel ordained the Son, 
perfected for ever.' The meaning whereof is, that he is not only a priest, 
perfected in the time past by that perfect offering once made, but in that he 
is the Son, he remains a perfect priest for ever, for time to come ; whom 
therefore no imperfection in his office, no failing or missing of his suits can 
befall. So as if it could be supposed that his obedience, because past so 
long ago, might be forgotten ; yet never this, that he is a Son. That for 
ever abides, and of itself were enough to prevail. And how effectual must 
the intercession of such a Son be, who is so great a Son of so great a Father, 
equal with him, and the express image of his person ? Never any Son so 
like, and in so peculiarly a transcendent manner a Son, as the relation of 
sonship among men is but a shadow of it ! Christ is one with his Father, 
as himself often speaks ; and, therefore, if his Father should deny him any- 
thing, he should then cease to be one with him, he must then ' deny him- 
self,' which God can never do. He is in this respect ' the Beloved,' as he 
is called, Eph. i. 6, as on whom (originally and primarily) all the beams of 
God's love do fall. Solomon (the type of Christ) was ' the beloved of God,' 
2 Sam. xii. 24, and had his name from thence (namely) Jedidiah, that is, 
' beloved of the Lord.' And to shew how beloved he was, God, when he 
came first into his kingdom, bade him ' ask what he should give him,' 
1 Kings iii. 5. Now the like God says to Christ, when come first to his 
kingdom, also, Ps. ii. 8, 'Ask of me, and I will give thee,' namely, when ' he 
had set him as King on his holy hill,' ver. 6 ; and of him he says, ' This 
is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him.' God bids 
us therefore and upon that respect to hear him ; and tbat speech was but 
the echo of his own heart, in that he himself is so well pleased with him for 
this that he is his Son, as he himself will hear him in everything ; yea, and 
is so pleased with him, as that although Christ had never died nor obeyed 
the law, yet simply because he is his Son, he hath so full an acquiescency 
of all desires in him, and complacency of delights, that he could deny him 
nothing. How prevalent then must Christ's intercession needs be, though 
there were nothing else to be considered ! 

And that God had indeed this as one main consideration upon which he 
made him a priest thus to intercede, those words do testify, Heb. v. 5, 6, 
' He that said, unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order 
of Melchisedec' These latter words are not only a paraphrase (as some 
think) merely to shew that he that said, ' Christ was his Son,' said also, 
1 he was a priest ; ' but it is to shew the foundation of his call to that office. 
The great consideration that fitted him for it was, that he was God's Son ; 
especially that fitted him for that part of his priesthood which was to 
remain ' for ever,' of which that 110th Psalm and the Epistle to the Hebrews 
do especially speak. Neither is the meaning of the fore-cited place only to 
shew that in that he was God's Son, it was his birthright to be a priest, so 
as if God would have any priest at all it must be he, and so, upon that con- 
sideration, he that said to him, ' Thou art my Son,' said, ' Thou art a 
priest ; ' and that being his right, he therefore called him to it, because he 
was his Son, for, according to the law of nature, the eldest of the family 
was to be priest; and so Christ, even as God-man, being the ' first-born of 



74 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

every creature,' and the natural first begotten Son of God, had right to be 
the prime leader of that great chorus in that eternal worship in heaven. 
That (I say) is not all the meaning of those words, nor all that God consi- 
dered in it, when he thus ordained him to be a priest ; but he had a further 
and more peculiar respect unto this especial part of his priesthood, his inter- 
cession (as that clause ' forever' imports), as for which, be being his natural 
Son, so nearly allied to him, would transcendently fit him, and give such 
an omnipotent prevalency and effectualness to his requests, that he would 
be the most absolute perfect priest for ever, in this respect, that could be. 
That as God himself is perfect, and his power irresistible, so his priesthood, 
through this relation, might be perfect also, and his requests undeniable. 
Thus did God order it to strengthen our faith. And that, indeed, God did 
consider this relation of his to him to this very end, is evident by that of 
the 2d Psalm, out of which that saying, ' Thou art my Son,' is cited, ver. 
7 and 8, ' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee ; ' and what fol- 
lows ? ' Ask of me, and I will give thee,' &c. He connects both these 
together, namely, intercession, that part of his priestly office of asking, with 
his sonship, for that is it which moveth God to grant all that he asks. 
God loves Christ as he loves himself, and therefore can deny him nothing, 
as he cannot deny himself. And so, by the way, this clears the ground of 
the apostle's quoting those words of Ps. ii. in Heb. v., as a proof of Christ's 
call to the priesthood, which interpreters have been troubled how to make 
out ; for (as you have seen) that speech, ' Thou art my Son, ask,' &c, is 
all one as if he had said, ' Thou art a priest ; ' and so was as fit and full a 
place to prove his being a priest in the Holy Ghost's intent, as is'that other 
quoted with it, out of Ps. ex., though uttered in more express words, 
1 Thou art a priest for ever.' Both speeches come to one in both places, 
the Holy Ghost especially aiming in both at that part of his priesthood in 
heaven, his intercession : in the one speaking of him after he is set upon 
God's hill as king (so Ps. ii. ver. 6) ; and in the other, after he is set down 
at God"s right hand (so Ps. ex. ver. 1, 2). Yea, and this his favour with 
his Father, and intercession alone, might have procured pardon for us sin- 
ners, but that God's will was to have justice satisfied. 

[2.] And secondly, he intercedes not only as a Son (and in that respect 
a priest perfect enough for ever), but also as a Son who hath been obedient 
to his Father, and hath done at his request, and for his sake, the greatest 
service for him, and the most willingly that ever was done. And you all 
know how much former services done do always forward suits. In Heb. 
v. ver. 8, 9. 10, it is said, that ' though he were a Son, yet learned he 
obedience,' and thereby ' became perfect.' The apostle had said, in the 
verses before, that in respect of his being his Son, God had called him to 
this office, as one that was thereby sufficiently qualified to be a priest that 
might prevail : and yet in these verses he further adds, that though he was 
a Son, and in that respect a priest perfect enough, yet he was to be obe- 
dient also, and thereby yet to become, in a further respect, a perfect high 
priest also, even in respect of service done and obedience performed. And 
so shews that he comes to have a further perfection and power of prevailing 
in his priestly office added to that relation of sonship spoken of, ver. 5. 
And therefore it follows, that he being thus become perfect, namely, through 
his obedience, ' he became author of eternal salvation unto all them that 
obey him, called of God an high priest for ever,' &c. That therefore which 
makes him yet more potent, that he may be sure to prevail, is his obedience 
and service done ; and this alone also were enough to cany anything. And 



Chap. V.] from Christ's intercession. 75 

both these considerations, of his sonship and obedience, as giving an efficacy 
to his intercession, you have also in that, Heb. vii. From ver. 26 to 28, he 
had spoken of the power of intercession, ver. 24, 25, how he was ' able to 
save to the utmost ; ' and then, in the following verse, he shews the ground 
of it, first in his fore-past ' obedience,' ver. 26. First, active, ' for such a 
high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled.' And such a 
priest he was, and therefore able thus to save by his intercession. For 
such an one who was holy, harmless, and no guile found in his mouth, 
what requests come out of such lips must needs be accepted. Then, secondly, 
he mentions his passive obedience, ver. 27, ' He offered up himself once,' 
and thereby made so full a satisfaction, as he needed not to do it but once ; 
and in the strength of both these he intercedes, for to that purpose doth 
the mention of both these there come in. And then he adds that other 
which we before insisted on, that he is the Son, which follows in the next 
words, ver. 28. And accordingly you shall find Christ himself urging this 
his obedience, as the foundation of all those his suits and requests for us 
that follow after. So in that last prayer, John xvii. (which is, as it were, a 
pattern or instance of his intercession for us in heaven), ' I have glorified 
thee on earth, I have finished the work thou gavest me,' ver. 4. And 
whereas two things may be distinctly considered, in that his obedience. 
First, the worth of it, as a price in the valuation of justice itself; secondly, 
the desert of favour and grace with God ; which such an obedience and 
service, done for his sake, might in a way of kindness expect to find at his 
hands. You may for your comfort consider, that besides what the worth 
of it as a price, which I shall urge in the next chapter, might exact of jus- 
tice itself between two strangers (as we use to say), he having well paid for 
all that he asks ; he hath, moreover, deserved thus much grace and favour 
with his Father, in that this obedience was done for his sake and at his 
request ; and this it calls for even in way of remuneration and requital, as 
of one kindness with the like. That therefore his Father should hear him 
in all the requests that ever he should make, yea so transcendent was the 
obedience which he did to his Father, in giving himself to death at his 
request (and it was done at God's sole entreaty, ' Lo ! I come to do thy 
will'), as he can never out- ask the merit of this his service. And, which 
which may yet further encourage us herein, he hath nothing at all left to 
ask for himself simply, for he hath need of nothing. So that all his favour 
remains entire, for to be laid forth for sinners, and employed for them. 
And then add this thereto, that all he can ask for them is less, yea far less, 
than the service which he hath done to God comes to ; our lives, and par- 
don, and salvation, these are not enough, they are too small a requital. 
So that besides his natural grace and interest which he hath with his Father, 
as he is his Son, which can never be lessened, this his acquired favour 
by his obedience must needs make him prevail, seeing it can never be 
acquitted to the full. Some divines put so much efficacy in this, that they 
say, Christ's very being in heaven, who once did this service, and so putting 
God in mind of it by his very presence, is all that intercession that the 
Scripture speaks of; so sufficient they think this alone to be. 



76 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V 



CHAPTER VI. 

Secondly, the prevalency of Christ's intercession demonstrated from the 
righteousness of the cause he pleads even injustice ; how forcible the cry of 
his blood is, himself appearing to intercede with it. 

Besides favour and grace in all these respects, he can and doth plead 
justice and righteousness, and is able so to cany it; so you have it, 1 John 
ii. 1 and 2, ' We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 
righteous.' An advocate hath place only in a cause of justice, and this 
Christ's advocateship is executed by pleading his own satisfaction. So it 
follows, ' who is a propitiation for our sins ; ' and can plead his own 
righteousness so far, that justice itself shall be fain to save the worst of 
sinners. He can turn justice itself for them, and handle matters so, as 
justice shall be as forward to save them as any other attribute. So that if 
God be said to be ' righteous in forgiving us our sins, if we do but confess 
them' (as chap. i. of this 1st Epistle of John, ver. 9), then much more when 
'Jesus Christ the righteous' shall intercede for the pardon of them, as he adds 
in 2d verse of the ensuing chapter, and this if he will be just. The worst 
case he will make a good one ; not with colouring it over, as cunning 
lawyers do, or extenuating things ; but with pleading that righteousness, 
which being put into the opposite balance, shall cast it for thee, be there 
never so many sins weighed against it. Yea, and he will be just in it too, 
and carry all by mere righteousness and equity. 

In the explication of this branch, my purpose is not to insist upon the 
demonstration of that all-sufficient fulness that is in Christ's satisfaction, 
such as may in justice procure our pardon and salvation (because it will 
more fitly belong to another discourse), but I shall absolve this point in 
hand by two things which are proper to this head of intercession. 

[1.] First, by shewing how that there is even in respect to God's justice 
a powerful voice of intercession attributed unto Christ's blood ; and how 
prevalent that must needs be in the ears of the righteous God. 

[2. J Secondly, especially when Christ himself shall join with that cry 
and intercession of his blood, himself in heaven appearing and interceding 
in the strength of it. 

[1.] For the first, the apostle, Heb. xii. 24, doth ascribe a voice, an 
appeal, an intercession unto the blood of Christ in heaven. ' The blood of 
sprinkling' (says he) 'speaks better things than the blood of Abel.' He 
makes Christ's very blood an advocate to speak for us, though Christ him- 
self were silent, as he says in another case, ' Abel, though dead, yet 
speaketh,' Heb. xi. 4. Many other things are said to cry in Scripture (and 
I might shew how the cry of all other things do meet in this), but blood 
hath the loudest cry oi all things else, in the ears of the Lord of Hosts, the 
Judge of all the world, as he is in the 23d verse of that 12th chapter styled. 
Neither hath any cry the ear of God's justice more than that of blood. 
' The voice of thy brother's blood,' says God to Cain, ' cries unto me from 
the ground,' Gen. iv. 10. Now in that speech of the apostle fore-cited, is 
the allusion made unto the blood of Abel, and the cry thereof. And he 
illustrates the cry of Christ's blood for us, by the cry of that blood of Abel 
against Cain, it ' speaks better things than the blood of Abel.' And his 
scope therein is by an antithesis, or way of opposition, to shew that Christ's 
blood calls for greater good things to be bestowed on us for whom it was 



Chap. VI.] from Christ's intercession. 77 

shed, than Abel's blood did for evil things, and vengeance against Cain, by 
whom it was shed. For look how loud the blood of one innocent cries 
for justice against another that murdered him ; so loud will the blood of 
one righteous, who by the appointment and permission of a supreme judge 
hath been condemned for another, cry for his release and non-condemnation, 
for whom he died. And the more righteous he was, who laid down his life 
for another, the louder still is that cry, for it is made in the strength of all 
that worth which was in him, whose blood was shed. Now to set forth the 
power of this cry of Christ's blood with justice, let us compare it with that 
cry of Abel's blood in these two things, wherein it will be found infinitely to 
exceed it in force and loudness. 

First, even the blood of the wickedest man on earth, if innocently shed, 
doth cry, and hath a power with justice against him who murdered him. 
Had Abel murdered Cain, Cain's blood would have cried, and called upon 
God's justice against Abel; but Abel's blood (there is an emphasis in that), 
Abel's, who was a saint, and the first martyr in God's calendar ; and so 
his blood cries according to the worth that was in him. Now ' precious in 
the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints ; ' and the blood of one of them 
cries louder than the blood of all mankind besides. Now from this I argue, 
if the blood of a saint cries so, what must the blood of the King of saints 
(as Christ is called, Rev. xv. 3), then do ? If the blood of one member of 
Christ's body, what will then the blood of the head, far more worth than 
that whole body ? How doth it fill heaven and earth with outcries, until 
the promised intent of its shedding be accomplished ! And (as the anti- 
thesis carries it) look how the blood of Abel cried for the ruin and con- 
demnation of his brother Cain ; so does Christ's blood on the contrary for 
our pardon and non- condemnation ; and so much louder, by how much his 
blood was of more worth than Abel's was. This was the ' blood of God ; ' 
so Acts xx. 28, ' Who therefore shall condemn ? ' But, 

Secondly, Christ's blood hath in its cry here a further advantage of Abel's 
blood attributed to it. For that cried but from earth, ' from the ground,' 
where it lay shed, and that but for an answerable earthly punishment on 
Cain, as he was a man upon the earth ; but Christ's blood is carried up to 
heaven ; for as the high priest carried the blood of the sacrifices into the 
holy of holies, so hath Christ virtually carried his blood into heaven, Heb. 
ix. 12-. And this is intimated in this place also, as by the coherence will 
appear. For all the other particulars (of which this is one), whereto he 
says the saints are come, they are all in heaven. ' You are come (says he, 
ver. 22) to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an 
innumerable company of angels, to the church of the first-bom who are 
written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men 
made perfect.' All which things are in heaven ; neither names he any other 
than such; and then adds, ' and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks,' 
&c, as a thing both speaking in heaven, and besprinkled from heaven, yea, 
wherewith heaven is all besprinkled, as the mercy-seat in the holy of holies 
was, because sinners are to come thither. This blood therefore cries from 
heaven, it is next unto God who sits judge there, it cries in his very ears ; 
whereas the cry of blood from the ground is further off, and so though the 
cry thereof may come up to heaven, yet the blood itself comes not up 
thither, as Christ already is. Abel's blood cried for vengeance to come 
down from heaven, but Christ's blood cries us up into heaven ; like to that 
voice, Eev. xi. 12, ' Come up hither.' So John xvii. 24, ' Where I am, let 
them be' for whom this blood was shed. 



78 THK TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. "V 

But though this speaking, this voice and intercession, be attributed to 
his blood, yet it is but in a metaphorical and improper (though real) sense ; as 
also that this blood is in heaven, is spoken, though in a real, yet not a 
proper sense. Some divines of all sides, both popish and protestant, would 
make the whole work of intercession to be only metaphorical. It is true 
indeed, the voice and intercession of his blood apart considered, is but 
metaphorical (I grant), and yet real ; such a voice as those groans are that 
are attributed to the whole creation, Rom. viii. 22. But intercession as an 
act of Christ himself, joined with this voice of his blood, is most properly 
and truly such. 

[2.] Therefore, in the second place, add to this Christ's own intercession 
also, which was the second thing propounded, that Christ by his own 
prayers seconds this cry of his blood ; that not only the blood of Christ 
doth cry, but that Christ himself being alive doth join with it. How 
forcible and prevalent must all this be supposed to be ! The biood of a man 
slain doth cry, though the man remain dead ; even as of Abel, it is said 
(though to another purpose), that ' being dead he yet speaketh,' Heb. xi., 
but Christ liveth and appeareth, Vivify et in caelum ccelorum venit. He 
follows the suit, pursues the hue and cry of his blood himself. His being 
alive, puts a life into his death. It is not in this as it was in that other, 
the first Adam's sin and disobedience. Adam, although he himself had 
been annihilated when he died, yet he having set the stock of our nature 
a-going in propagation of children, his sin would have defiled and condemned 
them to the end of the world, and the force of it to condemn is neither 
furthered nor lessened by his subsisting and being, or his not being ; it 
receives no assistance from his personal life, one way or other. And the 
reason is, because his sin condemns us in a natural and necessary way ; 
but the death of Christ and his blood shed, these saving us in a way of 
grace and favour unto Christ himself and for his sake, that very being alive 
of Christ, that shed this blood, adds an infinite acceptation to it with God, 
and moves him the more to hear the cry of it, and to regard it. In a 
matter of favour to be done for the sake of another man, or in a suit or 
matter of justice that concerns another who is interested in it, that man's 
beincr { n vivis, his being alive, puts a life into the cause. If David would 
have respect to Jonathan (when dead) in his children, he would much 
more if himself had been alive. God made a covenant with Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob, to remember their seed after them ; and why ? They 
are alive, and were to live for ever ; and thongh dead, shall rise again. So 
Christ reasoneth from it, Mat. xxii. 32, ' I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob. God is the God of the living (says he), and not of the dead ; ' 
and so, ' though Abraham be ignorant of his children' (as the prophet 
speaks) and should not intercede for them, yet because Abraham's soul 
lives, and is not extinct (as the Sadducees thought), but shall live again at 
the resurrection, therefore God remembers and respects his covenant 
with them ; for he is a God of the living, and so his covenant holds with 
them whilst they live. The old covenant of the first Testament ran in the 
names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — ' the God of Abraham, Isaac, and 
j ac0D ' — Du t this new covenant runs in the name of Christ, ' The God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ;' so Eph. i. 3, and so he becomes our 
God and our Father in him. And God being thus our Father, because 
Christ's Father, and Christ (in whose name the covenant runs) being alive, 
and God by covenant the God of a living, not of a dead Christ, this there- 
fore works effectually with him to respect his blood and hear the cry of it ; 



Chap. VII.] from Christ's intercession. 79 

and this, though Christ were absent, much more then when he is present 
also, and on purpose ' appeareth in the presence of God for us ;' as it is, 
Heb. xi. 21. He is alive, and so able to follow his own suit, and will be 
sure to see to it, and to second the cry of his blood, if it should not be 
heard. 

To illustrate this by the help of the former comparison begun. If as 
Abel's blood cries, so also it proves that Abel's soul lives to cry; that both 
his cause cries and himself lives to follow it; so that the cry of Abel's blood 
is seconded with the cry of Abel's soul that lives, how doubly forcible must 
this needs be ? And thus indeed you have it, Rev. vi. 9, where it is 
said that ' the souls of them which were slain for the testimony which they 
held, cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, Lord, holy and true, 
dost thou not avenge our blood ? ' Yea, see that not only their blood cries, 
but their sculs live, and live to cry. And it is not spoken metaphorically 
of their souls, but what is truly done by them now in heaven, it being 
mentioned to shew how and by what God was moved to bring vengeance on 
the heathenish empire of Rome that had shed their blood. Now not only 
Christ's soul (as theirs) lives to cry, but his whole person ; for he is risen 
again, and lives to intercede for ever. In the Rev. i. ver. 18, Christ 
appearing to John, when he would speak but one speech that should move 
all in him, he says but this, ' I am he that liveth, and was dead,' and died 
for thee. And whose heart doth it not move to read it with faith? And 
doth it not move his Father, think you, who was the chief cause and mo- 
tioner of his death, to think, my Son that was dead, and died at my request 
for sinners, is now alive again, and liveth to intercede, and liveth to ' see 
the travail of his soul ' fulfilled and satisfied ? God pronounceth this upon 
it in that 53d of Isaiah, ver. 10, ' By his knowledge (or faith in him) shall 
he justify many ; ' even as many as he died for. • Who then shall con- 
demn ? Christ that was dead is alive, and liveth to intercede.' 



CHAPTER VII. 

Thirdly, the prevalency of Christ's intercession, and of his grace with his 
Father, demonstrated from the greatness and absoluteness of his power to do 
whatever he asks. 

[3.] A third demonstration both of Christ's greatness with God, and his 
power to prevail for us, is taken from this, that God hath put all power 
into his hand, to do whatever he will, hath made him his king to do what 
pleaseth him either in heaven, earth, or hell ; yea, to do all that God him- 
self ever means to do, or all that God desires to do. And certainly if his 
Father hath been so gracious to him as to bestow so high and absolute a 
sovereignty on him, as to accomplish and effect whatever he means to do, 
surely his purpose was never to deny Christ any request that he should after 
this make : he would never have advanced the human nature to that abso- 
luteness else. Those two great monarchs made great grants and largesses, 
the one to Esther, the other to Herodias's daughter ; but yet they were limited 
only to the half of their kingdoms ; so Mark vi. 22. and Esth. v. 6, and the 
royal power in their kingdoms they meant still to retain and reserve wholly 
to themselves. But God having placed Christ on his throne, bids him ask 
even to the whole of his kingdom, for God hath made him a King, sitting 
on his throne with him, not to share halves, but to have all power in heaven 



80 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

and earth ; ' he hath committed all judgment to the Son,' to save and con- 
demn whomever he will ; and so far as the kingdom of God goes, or is 
extended, he may do anything. So John v. 21, ' As the Father raiseth 
up the dead, so the Son quickeneth whom he will ; for as the Father hath 
life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,' ver. 26 ; 
and hath in like manner ' given authority to execute judgment also, as the 
Son of man' (namely, of himself), ver. 27 ; as he said, ' he had given him 
to have life in himself,' ver. 26, not dependency, as we have, but inde- 
pendently, so to execute judgment also, ver. 27. So that Christ's will is 
as free, and himself as absolute a monarch and king of himself, as God him- 
self is. He indeed hath it not ct, seipso, but in seipso ; not a seipso originally, 
but from his Father ; but in seipso, independently. 

Now, then, if he who is king, and may and doth of himself command 
all that is done, as absolutely as God himself doth, I speak in respect of 
the execution of things downward, by second causes ; if he, over and above, 
to honour his Father, will ask all that himself hath power to do, what will 
not be done ? Qui rogat, et imperare potest ; he that can and doth command 
whatever he would have done, and it is straight done, if he shall ask and 
entreat, what will not be done ? As a king who sues for peace, backed 
with a potent army which is able to win what he entreats for, must needs 
treat more effectually, so doth Christ sue for everything with power to 
effect it. Remember that he is said here in the text, first to be at God's 
right hand, and there to intercede. He treats the salvation of sinners as a 
mighty prince treats the giving up some town to him, which lies seated 
under a castle of his which commands that town : he stands treating with 
the governor, having his ordnance ready for the battery, and to bring all 
into subjection, as 2 Cor. x. 4. And this is a consideration that God him- 
self took, in that 2d Psalm, when he made him that promise, ' Ask, and I 
will give thee,' why he made so large a grant. He had said before, ver. 6, 
' I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion,' which made him, one 
would think, past asking, and above the condition of an intercessor. Now 
God says of him, ' He is my Bang,' not in respect of his commanding God 
(that were blasphemy to think), but it is spoken in respect of commanding 
all below him. God having set him in his throne, to do as much as he 
himself would, or means to have done, says, he is my King, to rule all, not 
bo much under me as for me, and in my stead, yet absolutely, and 
in himself ; ' the Father judgeth no man.' Now when the Father had first 
made and constituted him thus great a King, then he bids him ask, to 
whom he had first given this absolute power to command. We may, 
without blasphemy, say of this God-man, that God hath not only not 
the heart, as being his Father, but not the power to cross anything he 
doth. Thus fast hath he God unto him. Only he who in respect of 
this his power is to be honoured as the Father, as John v. 23, yet 
to honour his Father, who gave this power originally to him as media- 
tor, he is to ask for that which of himself he yet can do. And there- 
fore, says God, though thou art a King (so ver. 6), and all my kingdom, 
even ' the utmost ends of the earth,' are ' thine inheritance' by a natural 
right, now that thou art my Son (as ver. 8) ; yet because thou art my King, 
of my appointing, and ' I have set thee' on the throne (as the word is, 
ver. 6), and ' thou art my Son, and I have begotten thee,' therefore acknow- 
ledge my grant in all, ' ask of me, and I will give thee the utmost ends of 
the earth for thy inheritance.' I cannot deny thee, but I would have thee 
ask ; and therefore Christ asks. Yet still withal remember, that he asks 



Chap. VII.] fbom Christ's intercession. 81 

who can command the thing to be dono ; and yet, as ho must ask ere tho 
thing be done, so if ho ask it must needs bo granted. These are tho 
terms between this Father and this Son, who, in a word, had not been so 
great a Father if ho had not had a Son thus great, that himself could not 
deny what this Son would have done. It is for his own honour to have such 
a Son : so John v. 23, ' That they might honour tho Son as they honour 
the Father,' therefore ' all judgment is committed to him.' Now, then, if 
he who hath so much power will join the force of entreaty with a Father 
that so loves him ; if ho who is the word of his Father, that commands, 
creates, and upholds all, as Heb. i., ' He spake, and it was done ;' if he will 
become a word to his Father, and speak a word for us, and ask all that he 
means to do ; how forcible will such words be ! 

Therefore, observe Christ's manner of praying, John xvii. (which prayer 
is a platform of intercession in heaven), ver. 24, • Father, I ivill that they 
whom thou hast given me bo where I am.' He prays like a king, who is 
in joint commission with God. If God puts that honour upon our prayers, 
that we are said ' to have power with God,' as Jacob, Hos. xii. 3, that if 
God be never so angry, yet by ' taking hold of his strength,' we hold his 
hands, as Isa. xxvii. 5, that God cries out to Moses, like a man whoso 
hands are held, ' Let me alone,' Exod. xxxii. 10, yea that ho accounts it as 
a command and a mandamus, so he styles it, Isa. xlv. 11, ' command yo 
me,' so unable is he to go against it ; then, how much more doth Jesus 
Christ's intercession bind God's hands, and command all in heaven and 
earth ! Therefore, Zech. i. 12, you have Christ, ' the Angel of the cove- 
nant,' brought in interceding with the Father for his church; and he speaks 
abruptly as one full of complaints, and in an expostulating way, ' Lord of 
Hosts, how long wilt thou not be merciful to Jerusalem and the cities of 
Judah ?' and, ver. 13, Zechariah saith, that he observed that ' the Lord 
answered the Angel with good words and comfortable.' God was fain to 
give him good words (as we use to say), that is, words that might pacify 
him, as words of comfort to us, so good words in respect to the Angel's com- 
plaint. And you may observe, how in the answer God returns upon it 
(which he bade Zechariah write), God excuseth it, as it were, to Christ, 
that his church had been so long and so hardly dealt withal ; as if beyond 
his intention, he lays the fault on the instruments, ' I was but a little dis- 
pleased, but they helped forward the affliction,' ver. 15. This is spoken 
and carried after the manner of men, to shew how tender God is of dis- 
pleasing Christ our intercessor : that when Christ hath, as it were, been a 
long while silent, and let God alone, and his people have been ill dealt 
withal, he on the sudden in the end intercedes and complains of it, and it 
is not only instantly redressed, but excused for times past, with ' good 
words, and comfortable words.' Christ's Father will not displease him, nor 
go against him in anything. 

Now that you may see a reason of this, and have all cavils and exceptions 
taken away, that may arise against this, and how that there is an impossibility 
that it should be otherwise, know that this Father and this Son, though two 
persons, have yet but one will between them, and but one power between 
them (though the Son, ad extra, outwardly executes all). John x. 30, ' My 
Father and I are one ;' that is, have but one and the same power to save you, 
and one mind and will. So also, John v. 19, ' The Son can do nothing of 
himself, but what he sees the Father do ; and whatever he doth, the same the 
Father doth also :' they conspire in one, have one power, one will ; and then 
it is no matter though God commit all power to the Son, and that the Son, 

vol. rv. f 



82 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

though he hath all power, must ask all of the Father, for to be sure what- 
ever he asks, the Father hath not power to deny, for they have but one 
will and power. They are one ; so as if God deny him, he must deny him- 
self, which the apostle tells us he cannot do, 2 Tim. ii. 13. And so in the 
same sense that God is said not to have power to deny himself, in the same 
sense it may be said, he hath not power to deny Christ what he asks. 
Therefore God might well make him an absolute King, and betrust him 
with all power ; and Christ might well oblige himself, notwithstanding 
this power, to ask all that he means to do ; for they have but one will and 
one power, so as our salvation is made sure by this on all hands. ' I come 
not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me ; and his will is, that I 
shall lose none of all those whom he hath given me,' John vi. 88, 39. And 
therefore, ' who shall condemn ? It is Christ that intercedes.' As who 
shall resist God's will ? (as the apostle speaks) so who shall resist or gain- 
say Christ's intercession ? God himself cannot, no more than he can gain- 
say or deny himself. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The potency and prevalency of Clirisfs intercession, demonstrated from the 
graciousness of the person with whom he intercedes, considered first as he is 
the Father of Christ himself. 

(2.) "We have seen the greatness of the person interceding, and many 
considerations from thence, which may persuade us of his prevailing for us. 
Let us now, in the next place, consider the graciousness of the person with 
whom he intercedes, which the Scripture, for our comfort herein, doth dis- 
tinctly set before us, to the end that in this great matter our joy and secu- 
rity may every way be full. Thus in that, 1 John ii. 1, when for the com- 
fort and support of believers, agaiust the evil of the greatest sins that can 
befall them after conversion, the apostle minds them of Christ's intercession 
in those words, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the 
righteous ;' mentioning therein the power and prevaleney of such an advo- 
cate, through his own righteousness. But yet, over and above all this, the 
more fully to assure us of his good success herein for us, he also adds, ' An 
advocate with the Father.'' He insinuates and suggests the relation and 
gracious disposition of him upon whose supreme will our case ultimately 
dependeth, ' the Father,' as affording a new comfort and encouragement, 
even as great as doth the righteousness and power of the person interceding. 
He says not, ' with God' only, as elsewhere, but ' with the Father.' And 
that his words might afford the more full matter of confidence, and be the 
more comprehensive, and take in all, he expresseth not this relation of God 
limitedly, as confined to his Fatherhood, either unto Christ only, or us 
alone. He says not only, ' an advocate with his Father,' though that would 
have given much assurance, or ' with your Father,' though that might afford 
much boldness ; but indefinitely he says, ' with the Father,' as intending 
to take in both ; to ascertain us of the prevailing efficacy of Christ's inter- 
cession from both. You have both these elsewhere more distinctly, and on 
purpose, and together mentioned, John xx. 17, ' I go to my Father, and 
your Father,' says Christ there. And it was spoken after that all his dis- 
ciples had before forsaken him, and Peter denied him ; when Christ himself 
could send them the greatest cordial that his heart could utter, and wrap 



Chap. VIII. j fkom cueist's intercession. 88 

up the strongest sublimation of comforts in one pill. What was it ? Go, 
tell them (says he) not so much that I have satisfied for sin, overcome death, 
or am risen, but that ' I ascend.' For in that which Christ doth for us 
being ascended, lies the height, the top of our comfort. And whereas he 
might have said (and it had been matter of unspeakable comfort) I ascend 
to heaven, and so, where I am you shall be also ; yot he chooseth rather to 
say, ' I ascend to the Father : ' for that indeed contained the foundation, 
spring, and cause of their comfort, even that relation of God's, his Father- 
hood, with which Christ was to deal after his ascending for them. And 
because when, before his death, he had spoken of his going to his Father, 
their hearts had been troubled, John xiv. 28, they thinking it was for his 
own preferment only (as Christ's speech there implies they did) therefore 
he here distinctly adds, ' I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my 
God and your God.' He had in effect spoken as much before, in the words 
foregoing, ' Go, tell my brethren,' but that was only implicitly ; therefore, 
more plainly and explicitly he says it, for their further comfort, ' I go to my 
Father and your Father.' And consider that Christ being now newly risen, 
and having as yet not seen his disciples, and being now to send a message, 
his first message, a gospel of good tidings to them, and that in a brief sen- 
tence, by a woman ; he chooseth out this as the first word to be spoken 
from him now, when he was come out of the other world, at their first hear- 
say of his return, he utters forth at once, the bottom, the depth, of all com- 
fort, the sum of all joy, than which the gospel knows no greater, nor can go 
higher. So as if Christ should intend now at this day to send good news 
from heaven to any of you, it would be but this, I am here an advocate, 
interceding with my Father and thy Father. All is spoken in that. Even 
he could not speak more comfort, who is the God of comfort. Now, there- 
fore, let us apart consider these two relations, which afford each of them 
their proper comfort and assurance ; both that Christ is ascended and inter- 
cedes with his own Father, and also with our Father ; and, therefore, how 
prevailing must this intercession be ! 

First, Christ intercedes with his Father, who neither will nor can deny 
him anything. To confirm this, you have a double testimony, and of two 
of the greatest witnesses in heaven : both a testimony of Christ's own, 
whilst he was on earth, and God's own word also declared since Christ 
came to heaven. The fanner, in the 11th of John, whilst Christ was here on 
earth, and had not as then fully performed that great service which he was 
to finish ; which since he having done, it must needs ingratiate him the 
more with God his Father. 'When Lazarus was now four days dead, Martha, 
to move Christ to pity her, first tells him that if he had been there before 
her brother died, that then he had not died ; and then (as having spoke 
too little) she adds, yea, thou canst, if thou pleasest, remedy it yet. ' But 
I know' (says she, ver. 22) ' that even now' (though he be so long dead), 
' whatever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.' Here was her con- 
fidence in Christ's intercession, though this were a greater work than ever 
yet Christ had done any. And Christ seeing her faith in this, he confirms 
her speech when he came to raise him, and takes a solemn occasion to 
declare that God had never denied him any request that he had ever put up to 
him, first thanking God particularly that he had heard him in this, ver. 41, 
1 Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.' He had (it seems) prayed 
for the thing at her entreaty ; and now, before the thing was done, he 
(being assured his prayer was heard) gives thanks, so confident was he of 
his being heard. And then, secondly, shews upon what this his confidence 



84 THE TEIUMPH OF FAIT1J "SECT. V. 

at this time was grounded, his constant experience that God had never 
denied him any request ; for it follows, ver. 42, ' And I know that thou 
hearest me always,' and therefore was so bold as to express my confidence 
in this before the thing was done, ' but because of them who stood by, I 
said it.' As if he had said, though I gave this public thanks for being 
heard only in this one miracle, and at no time the like so publicly ; yet 
this is no new thing, but thus it hath been always hitherto in all tho 
miracles I have wrought, and requests I have put up, which made me so to 
give thanks beforehand ; and this is not the first time that God hath heard 
me thus, which I speak, that they might believe. Thus he was never 
denied on earth from the first to the last. For this was one of his greatest 
miracles, and reserved unto the last, even a few days before his crucifying. 
And now he hath performed the service designed him, and is come to 
heaven, let us, secondly, hear God himself speak, what he means to do for 
him. You heard before, when he came first to heaven, what God said to 
him, and how he welcomed him with a ' Sit thou on my right hand till I 
make thine enemies thy footstool.' And before Christ opened his mouth to 
speak a word, by way of any request to God, which was the office that ho 
was now to execute, God himself prevented him, and added, ' Thou art my 
Son ; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee,' Ps. 
ii. ver. 8. He speaks it at Christ's first coming up to heaven, when he had 
his S King on his holy hill,' as ver. 6. Christ was new glorified, which 
was as a new begetting to him, ' To-day have I begotten thee.' And this 
is as if he had said, I know you will ask me now for all that you have died 
for : and this I promise you beforehand, before you speak a word, or make 
any request unto me, you shall ask nothing but it shall be granted ; and 
this I speak once for all as a boon and a grace granted you upon your 
birthday, as the solemnest celebration of it; for such was his resurrection, 
and ascension, and sitting at God's right hand, ' This day have I begotten 
thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee.' So full of joy was his Father's 
heart that he had his Son in heaven with him, whom he had begotten from 
everlasting, and ordained to this glory, who was lately dead, and in a man- 
ner lost, and therefore now (as it were) new begotten. God's heart was so 
full that he could not hold from expressing it in the largest favours and 
grants. And whereas kings upon their own birthdays use to grant such 
favours to their favourites, so Herod on his birthday, to the daughter of 
Herodias, promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask, 
Mat. xiv. 7. God himself having no birthday, not being of himself capable 
of it, yet having a Son who had, he honours him with that grace upon that 
day. And if Queen Esther (a subject, yea, a slave, in her original condi- 
tion) was so prevalent for the Jews, her people and nation, when their 
case was desperate, and when there was an irrevocable decree past, and that 
not to be altered, for their ruin and destruction, then what will not Christ, 
so great a Son, even equal with his Father, prevail for with his Father for 
his brethren ? Be their case for the time past never so desperate, be 
there never so many threatenings gone out against them, never so many 
precedents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins, and in 
the like case, yet Christ can prevail against them all. 



Cuap. IX. J from Christ's intercession. 85 



CHAPTER IX. 

The potency of Christ's intercession demonstrated, in that he intercedes with 
God, who is our Father. — How God's heart is as much inclined to Ixear 
Christ for us as Christ's is to intercede. 

Secondly, Christ is an advocato for us with our Father. You may per- 
haps think there is littlo in that, but Christ puts much upon it ; yea, so 
much, as if that God would however grant all that Christ himself means to 
ask, whether Christ asked it or no. This you have expressly in John 
xvi. 2G, 27, ' At that day (says Christ) you shall ask in my name : and I 
say not to you, that I will pray the Father for you : for the Father himself 
loveth you.' To open this place, where he says ' at that day.' The day 
he means through this whole chapter, is that time when the Holy Ghost 
should be shed upon them ; for throughout his discourse he still speaks of 
the fruits of his ascension, and of giving the Comforter, which was done 
upon his ascending, and was the first fruits of his priestly office in heaven. 
Thus Peter informs us, Acts ii. 33, ' He being (says he) exalted by the 
right hand of God, and having received ' (namely, by asking, ' Ask, and I 
will give thee') ' of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath 
shed forth this, which you now see and hear.' Now, of that time when he 
shall be in heaven, he says, ' I say not that I will pray for you ;' which is 
not meant that Christ prays not for us in heaven, but rather those very 
words arc the highest intimation that he would and doth pray for us that 
can be. When men would most strongly intimate their purpose of a kind- 
ness they mean to do for one, they use to say, I do not say that I love you, 
or that I will do this or that for you ; which is as much as to say, I will 
surely do it, and do it to purpose ; but Christ's scope here is, as in the 
highest manner to promise them that he would pray for them ; so withal, 
further to tell them of their more abundant assurance and security, that 
besides their having the benefit of their prayers, God himself so loves them 
of himself, that indeed that alone were enough to obtain anything at his 
hands, which they shall but ask in his name ; so as he needs not pray 
for them, and yet he will too. But now in case that he himself pray for 
them, and they themselves in his name, and both unto a Father who of 
himself loveth them, and who hath purposed to grant all, before either he 
or they should ask ; what hope must there needs be then of a good suc- 
cess ! This is both the meaning of this place, and a great truth to be 
considered on by us, to the purpose in hand. That it is the meaning of the 
place, the manner of Christ's speech implies, ' I say not that I will pray 
the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth you.' It is such a speech 
as Christ used upon a clean contrary occasion, John v. 45, ' Do not think 
(says he) that I will accuse you to the Father : there is one who accuseth 
you, even Moses,' &c. He there threatens the obstinate and accursed 
Pharisees with condemnation. Never stand thinking that it is I (says he) 
who am your only enemy and accuser, that will procure your condemna- 
tion, and so prosecute the matter against you merely for my own interest, 
no, I shall not need to do it ; though I should not accuse you, your own 
• Moses in whom you trust,' he is enough to condemn you, he will do your 
errand sufficiently, you would be sure to be damned by his words and say- 
ings ; I shall not need to trouble myself to come in and enter my action 
against you too, Moses and his law would follow the suit, and be enough 



86 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. V. 

to condemn you to hell. So as this speech doth not imply that Christ will 
not at all accuse them ; no, he means to bring in his action against them 
'too ; for he after says, ' if he had not spoke to them, they had had no 
sin, and therefore he meant to bring the greatest accusation of all. Now, 
in an opposite (though parallel) speech here, to comfort his disciples, he 
says, 'I say not that I will pray for you,' that God may save you, I who 
yourselves shall see will die for you, I say not that I will pray for you, not 
I. But though I speak this to insinuate in the highest manner that I will, 
for if I spend my blood for you, will I not spend my breath for you ? 
Yet the truth is, that the case so stands, that but for God's own ordination 
I should not need to do it, ' for the Father himself loves you ; ' that is, 
the Father of his own motion and proper good will, taken up of himself to- 
wards you, and not wrought in him by me, doth love you, and bears so 
much love to you, as he can deny you nothing, for he is ' your Father ' as 
well as mine. How much more then shall you be saved when I shall 
strike in too, and use all my interest in him for you ? Christ on purpose 
useth this speech, so to dash out of their hearts that conceit which har- 
boureth in many of ours, who look upon God in the matter of salvation as 
one who is hardly entreated to come off to save sinners, and with whom 
Christ, through the backwardness of his heart, hath so much ado ; and we are 
apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon, he doth it only and merely 
at Christ's entreaty, and for his sake, having otherwise no innate motion in 
himself sufficient to incline his heart to it ; but that it is in this transac- 
tion by Christ with him, as a favourite procures a pardon for a traitor, 
whose person the king cares not for; only at his favourite's suit and 
request he grants it, which else he would never have done. You are 
deceived, says Christ, it is otherwise ; my Father's heart is as much to- 
wards you, and for your salvation, as mine is ; himself, of himself, loveth 
you. And the truth is, that God took up as vast a love unto us of himself 
at first as ever he hath borne us since, and all that Christ doth for us is 
but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in God's own 
heart. Thus we find that out of that love he gave Christ for us. So John 
iii. 16, ' God so loved the world (of elect), that he gave his only begotten 
Son to die,' &c. Yea, Christ's death was but a means to commend or set 
forth that love of his unto us. So Eom. v. 8. It was God also that did 
himself give the persons unto Christ, and underhand set him on work to 
mediate for them. 'God was in Christ reconciling the w r orld to him- 
self:' he only used Christ as his instrument to bring it honourably about. 
All the blessings he means to give us he first purposed and intended in 
himself (so Eph. i. 3, 5, 9, 11, compared) ' out of the good pleasure of his 
will,' yet in Christ (as it is added there) as the means through which he 
would convey them ; yea, Christ adds not one drop of love to God's heart, 
only draws it out ; he broacheth it, and makes it flow forth, whose current 
had otherwise been stopped. The truth is, that God suborned Christ to 
beg them on our behalf for an honourable way of carrying it, as also to 
make us prize this favour the more ; so as his heart is as ready to give all 
to us, as Christ's is to ask, and this out of his pure love to us. 

The intercession therefore of Christ must needs speed, when God's heart 
is thus of itself prepared to us. In Isa. liii. 10 it is said, ' The pleasure 
of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.' If our salvation be in Christ's 
hand, it is in a good hand ; but if it be the pleasure of the Lord too, it 
must needs prosper. It is said of our hearts and prayers, that ' he pre- 
pareth the heart, and keareth the prayer ; ' much more therefore, when his 



Chap. IX.] from Christ's intercession. 87 

own heart is prepared to grant the suit, will he easily hear it. When ono 
hath a mind to do a tiling, then the least hint procures it of him. So a 
father having a mind to spurt! his child, he will take any excuse, any one's 
mediation, even of a servant, a stranger, or an enemy, rather than of none. 
Now, when Christ shall speak for us, and speak God's own heart, how 
prevalent must those words need be ! David's soul, ' longing to go forth 
unto Absalom,' 2 Sam. xiii. 39, whom notwithstanding, for the honour of 
a father and a king's state policy, and to satisfy the world, he had banished 
the court for his treason ; when Joab perceived it, that ' the king's heart 
was towards Absalom,' chap. xiv. 1, and that the king only needed one to 
speak a good word for him, ho suborns a woman, a stranger (no matter 
whom, for it had been all one for speeding), with a made tale to come to 
the king ; and you know how easily it took and prevailed with him, and 
how glad the king's heart was of that occasion ; even so acceptable it was 
to him, that Joab could not have done him a greater kindness, and that 
Joab knew well enough. Thus it is with God's heart towards us, Christ 
assures us of it, and you may believe him in this case. For Christ might 
have took all the honour to himself, and made us beholden to himself alone 
for all God's kindness to us ; but he deals plainly, and tells us that his 
Father is as ready as himself; and this he doth for his Father's honour 
and our comfort. And therefore it is that, John xvii., in that this prayer 
so often cited in this discourse, he pleads our election, ' Thine they were, 
and thou gavest them me,' ver. 6. Thou commendedst them unto me, and 
badest me pray for them, and I do but commend the same to thee again. 
In the high priest's breastplate, when he went into the holy of holies, were 
set twelve stones, on which were written the names of the twelve tribes : 
the mystery of which is this, Christ bears us and our names in his heart 
when he goes to God ; and moreover, we are God's jewels, precious in his 
own account and choice. So God calls them, Mai. iii. 17, ' Made precious 
to him out of his love.' So Isa. xliii. 4. So that God loves us as jewels 
chosen by him, but much more when he beholds us set and presented unto 
him in the breastplate of Christ's heart and prayer. 

To conclude, therefore; we have now made both ends of this text to meet, 
God's love and Christ's intercession. The apostle began with that, ' Who 
shall accuse ? It is God that justifies ;' and he being for us, ' who can be 
against us ? ' The Father himself loves us, as he is our Father. And then 
he ends with this, ' Christ intercedes,' namely, with our Father and his 
Father, ' who then shall condemn ? ' Who or what can possibly con- 
demn, all these things being for us, the least of which were alone enough 
to save us ? 

Let us now look round about, and take a full view and prospect at once, 
of all those particulars that Christ hath done and doth for us, and their 
several and joint influence which they have into our salvation. 

1. In that Christ died, it assures us of a perfect price paid for, and a 
right to eternal life thereby acquired. 

2. In that he rose again as a common person, this assures us yet further 
that there is a formal, legal, and irrevocable act of justification of us passed 
and enrolled in that court of heaven between Christ and God ; and that in 
his being then justified, we were also justified in him, so that thereby our 
justification is made past recalling. 

3. Christ's ascension into heaven is a further act of his taking possession 
of heaven for us, he then formally entering upon that our right in our stead ; 
and so is a further confirmation of our salvation to us. But still we in our 



88 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH. [SECT. V 

won persons are not yet saved, this being but done to us as we are repre- 
sentatively in Christ as our head. 

4. Therefore he sits at God's right hand, which imports his being armed 
and invested with ' all power in heaven and earth, to give and apply eternal 
life to us.' 

5. And last of all there remains intercession, to finish and complete our 
salvation ; to do the thing, even to save us. And as Christ's death and 
resurrection were to procure owe justification, so his sitting at God's right 
hand and intercession are to procure salvation; and by faith we may see it 
done, and behold our souls not only sitting in heaven, as in Christ a com- 
mon person sitting there in our right, as an evidence that we shall come 
thither; but also through Christ's intercession begun, we may see ourselves 
actually possessed of heaven. And there I will leave all you that are be- 
lievers by faith possessed of it, and solacing your souls in it, and do you 
fear condemnation if you can. 



CHAPTER X. 

The mo of all; containing some encouragements for weak believers, from Christ's 
intercession, out of Heb. VII. 25. 

Now, for a conclusion of this discourse, I will add a brief use of encour- 
agement ; and this, suited to the lowest faith of the weakest believer, who 
cannot put forth any act of assurance, and is likewise discouraged from 
coming in unto Christ. And I shall confine myself only unto what those 
most comfortable words, as any in the book of God, do hold forth, which 
the apostle hath uttered concerning Christ's intercession, the point in hand : 
' Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by 
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them,' — words which I 
have had the most recourse unto in this doctrinal part of any other, as most 
tending to the clearing of many things about intercession ; and which I 
would also commend to and leave with poor believers, to have recourse 
unto for their comfort, as a sufficient abundary of consolation unto their 
souls, and as a catholicon or universal cordial against all faintings and mis- 
givings of spirit whatsoever. 

In the words observe, 

1. A definition of faith by the lowest acts of it, for the comfort of weak 
Christians. 

2. Encouragements unto such a faith, opposite to all misgivings and dis- 
couragements whatsoever. 

1. A definition of faith ; and such as will suit the weakest believer. It 
is a coming unto God by Christ for salvation. 

(1.) It is a coming to be saved. Let not the want of assurance that God 
will save thee, or that Christ is thine, discourage thee, if thou hast but a 
heart to come to God by Christ to be saved, though thou knowest not 
whether he will yet save thee or no. Remember that the believers of the 
New Testament are here described to be comers to God by Christ ; such as 
go out of themselves, and rest in nothing in themselves, do come unto God 
through Christ for salvation, though with trembling. 

(2.) It is a coming unto God. For he is the ultimate object of our faith, 
and the person with whom we have to do in believing, and from whom we 
are to receive salvation, if ever we obtain it. 



Chap. X.] from Christ's intercession. 89 

(3.) It ia a corning unto God by Christ ; which phraso is used in this 
Epistle, in an allusion to tho worshippers of tho Old Testament, who, when 
they had sinned, were directed to go to God by a priest, who with a sacri- 
fice made an atonement for them. Now Christ is tho great and true high 
priest, ' by whom we have access to the Father,' Eph. ii. 18. Tho word 
is -TrgotJayuyriv, a leading by the hand. Dost thou not know how to appear 
before God, or to come to him ? Como first to Christ, and ho will tako 
thee by the hand, and go along with thee, and lead thee to his Father. 

(4.) It is a coming unto God by Christ for salvation. Many a poor soul 
is apt to think that in coming to God by faith, it must not aim at itself, or 
its own salvation. Yes, it may : for that is here made tho errand or busi- 
ness which faith hath with God in coming to him, or which it comes for ; 
and this is secretly couched in these words, for the apostle, speaking of 
the very aim of the heart in coming, he therefore on purpose mentions 
Christ's ability to save : ' he is able to save.' 

2. Secondly, here are many encouragements to such a faith as is not yet 
grown up unto assurance of salvation. 

(1.) Here is the most suitable object propounded unto it, namely, Christ 
as interceding ; which work of intercession, because it remains for Christ 
as yet to do for a soul that is to be saved, and which he is every day a-doing 
for us ; therefore it is more peculiarly fitted unto a recumbent faith. For, 
when such a soul comes and casts itself upon Christ, that thing in Christ 
which must needs most suit that kind of act is that which is yet to be done 
by Christ for that soul. Now for that soul to come to Christ to die for it, 
and offer up himself a sacrifice (as sinners did use to come to the high 
priest to sacrifice for them), this were bootless, for (as it is, ver. 27) he 
hath at ' once done that ' already. And as for what is already past and 
done, such a believer's faith is oftentimes exceedingly puzzled what manner 
of act to put forth towards Christ about ; as (for example) when it is about 
to come unto God, and it hears of an election of some unto salvation from 
all eternity made by him ; because this is an act already passed by God, tho 
soul knows it to be in vain to cast itself upon God for election or to come 
unto him to elect and choose itself. And so, in like manner, when the 
soul looks upon Christ's death, because it is done and past, it knows not 
how to take it in believing, when it wanteth assurance that Christ died for 
it, though it should come to Christ to be saved by virtue of his death. But 
there is this one work that remains still to be done by him for us, and which 
he is daily a-doing, and that is, interceding ; for he lives ever to intercede 
or to pray for us, in the strength and merit of that his sacrifice once offered 
up. This therefore is more directly and peculiarly fitted unto a faith of 
recumbency, or of coming unto Christ ; the proper act of such a faith (as it 
is distinguished from faith of assurance) being a casting one's self upon 
Christ for something it would have done or wrought for one. Hence inter- 
cession becomes a fit object for the aim and errand of such a faith in this 
its coming to Christ, as also ' to be saved ' is ; it being a thing yet to be 
wrought and accomplished for me by Christ, is therefore a fit mark for such a 
faith to level at in its coming to Christ. Those acts of God and Christ which 
are past, faith of assurance doth more easily comply with : such a faith takes 
in with comfort that Christ hath died for me, and risen again, and doth now 
intercede for me, and so I shall certainly be saved ; but so cannot this weak 
faith do. Come thou therefore unto Christ, as to save thee through his 
death past, and by the merit of it, so for the present, and for the time to 
come, to take thy cause in hand, and to intercede for thee : it is a great 



90 THE TRIUMPH OP FAITH [SECT. V. 

relief unto such a faith (as cannot put forth acts of assurance, that what 
hath been done by Christ hath been done for it), that God hath left Christ 
this work yet to do for us. So as the intercession of Christ may afford 
matter to such a faith to throw itself upon Christ, to perform it for us, and 
it may set a-work to do it. 

(2.) Now if such a soul ask, But will Christ, upon my coming to him for 
salvation, be set a-work to intercede for me, and undertake my cause ? 

I answer it out of those words, ' He lives to intercede for them who come 
to God by him.' He lives on purpose to perform this work ; it is the end 
of his living, the business of his life. And as he received a commandment 
to die, and it was the end of his life on earth, so he hath received a com- 
mand to intercede, and to be a common high priest for all that come to 
God by him. God hath appointed him to this work by an oath, ' He sware, 
and would not repent, Thou shalt be a priest for ever, after the order of Mel- 
chisedec :' and this is the end of his life in heaven. That as in the old 
law the high priest (Christ's type in this) ' ought to offer up the sacrifice ' 
of every one that came unto God by him (as Heb. v. 5), in like manner 
Christ ; for it is his calling, as you have it, ver. 6. Otherwise, as that 
woman said to Philip, when she came to him for justice, and he put her off, 
Then cease (says she) to be a king : so if Christ should deny any such soul 
to take its cause in hand, he must then cease to be a priest. He lives to 
intercede ; he is a priest called by God, as was Aaron, ver. 6. Wherefore 
he ought to do it, in that it is his office. 

(3.) And if thy soul yet feareth the difficulty of its own particular case, 
in respect of the greatness of thy sins, and the circumstances thereof, or any 
consideration whatsoever, which to thy view doth make thy salvation an 
hard suit to obtain : the apostle therefore further adds, ' He is able to save 
to the utmost,' whatever thy cause be, and this through this his interces- 
sion. That same word, ' to the utmost,' is a good word, and well put in 
for our comfort. Consider it therefore, for it is a reaching word, and ex- 
tends itself so far, that thou canst not look beyond it. Let thy soul be set 
upon the highest mount that ever any creature was yet set upon, and that 
is enlarged to take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sin and 
misery, and difficulties of being saved, that ever yet any poor humbled soul 
did cast within itself: yea, join to these all the objections and hindrances 
of thy salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against itself : 
lift up thy eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see, and Christ by his 
intercession is able to save thee beyond the horizon and furthest compass 
of thy thoughts, even ' to the utmost ' and worst case the heart of man can 
suppose. It is not thy having lain long in sin, long under terrors and 
despairs, or having sinned often after many enlightenings, that can hinder 
thee from being saved by Christ. Do but remember this same word, ' to 
the utmost,' and then put in what exceptions thou wilt or canst, lay all the 
bars in thy way that are imaginable ; yet know thou that ' the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against thee.' 

(4.) Again, consider but what it is that Christ, who hath by his death 
done enough to save thee, doth yet further for thee in heaven. If thou 
thoughtest thou hadst all the saints in heaven and earth jointly concurring in 
promoving thy salvation, and competitors unto God in instant and incessant 
requests and prayers to save thee, how wouldst thou be encouraged ? 
Shall I tell thee ? One word out of Christ's mouth (who is the King of 
saints) will do more than all in heaven and earth can do : and what is there 
then which we may not hope to obtain through his intercession ? 



Chap. X.] from Christ's intercession. 91 

And wouldst thou know -whether ho hath undertaken thy cause, and 
begun to intercede for thee ? In a word, Hath he put his Spirit into thy 
heart, and set thy own heart on work to make incessant intercessions for 
thyself ' with gi'oans unutterable ' (as the apostle hath it, Horn, viii.) ? 
This is the echo of Christ's intercession for thee in heaven. 

(5.) And lastly ; if such a soul shall further object, But will he not give 
over suing for me ? May I not be cast out of his prayers through my un- 
belief ? Let it here be considered that he lives ' ever ' to intercede : and 
therefore, if he once undertake thy cause, and getteth thee into his prayers, 
he will never leave thee out, night nor day. He intercedeth ever, till he 
hath accomplished and finished thy salvation. Men have been cast out of 
good and holy men's prayers, as Saul out of Samuel's, and the people of 
Israel out of Jeremiah's, but never out of Christ's prayers ; the ' smoke of 
his incense ascends for ever,' and he will intercede to the utmost, till he 
hath saved thee to the utmost. He will never give over, but will lie in the 
dust for thee, or he will perfect and procure thy salvation. 

Only, whilst I am thus raising up your faith to him upon the work of his 
intercession for us, let me speak a word to you for him, so to stir up your 
love to him, upon the consideration of this his intercession also. You see you 
have the whole life of Christ, first and last, both here and in heaven, laid 
out for you. He had not come to earth but for you, he had no other busi- 
ness here. ' Unto us a Son is born.' And, to be sure, he had not died but 
for you. ' For us a Son was given ;' and when he rose, it was ' for your 
justification.' And now he is gone to heaven, he lives but to intercede for 
you. He makes your salvation his constant calling. therefore, let us 
live wholly unto him, for he hath and doth live wholly unto us. You have 
his whole time among you ; and if he were your servant, you could desire 
no more. There was much of your time lost before you began to live to 
him ; but there hath been no moment of his time which he hath not lived 
to, and improved for you. Nor are you able ever to live for him but only 
in this life, for hereafter you shall live with him, and be glorified of him. 
I conclude all with that of the apostle, ' The love of Christ it should con- 
strain us,' because we cannot but 'judge ' this to be the most equal, that 
1 they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him 
who died for them, and rose again,' and (out of the text I also add) ' sits 
at God's right hand ;' yea, and there ' lives for ever to make intercession 
for us.' 



THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN, 
TOWARDS SINNERS ON EARTH. 



[ORIGINAL TITLE.] 



THE 

HEART 

OF 

CHRIST In Heaven, 

Towards 

Sinners on Earth. 

OB, 

A TREATISE 

DEMONSTRATING 

The gracious Disposition and tender 

Affection of Christ in his Humane Nature now in 

Glory, unto his Members under all sorts of 

Infirmities, either of Sin or Misery. 

By Tho : Goodwin, B.D. 

LONDON, 
Printed by J. G. for R. Dawlman, 1651. 



THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN, 
TO SINNERS ON EARTH. 



PART I. 

Having set forth our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in all those great and 
most solemn actions of his — his obedience unto death, his resurrection, 
ascension into heaven, his sitting at God's right hand, and intercession for 
us, which of all the other hath been more largely insisted on — I shall now 
annex (as next in order, and homogeneal thereunto) this discourse that 
follows, which lays open the heart of Christ, as now he is in heaven, sit- 
ting at God's right hand and interceding for us ; how it is affected and gra- 
ciously disposed towards sinners on earth that do come to him ; how will- 
ing to receive them ; how ready to entertain them ; how tender to pity 
them in all their infirmities, both sins and miseries. The scope and use 
whereof will be this, to hearten and encourage believers to come more boldly 
unto the throne of grace, unto such a Saviour and High Priest, when they 
shall know how sweetly and tenderly his heart, though he is now in his 
glory, is inclined towards them ; and so to remove that great stone of 
stumbling which we meet with (and yet lieth unseen) in the thoughts of 
men in the way to faith, that Christ being now absent, and withal exalted 
to so high and infinite a distance of glory, as to ' sit at God's right hand,' 
&c, they therefore cannot tell how to come to treat with him about their 
salvation so freely, and with that hopefulness to obtain, as those poor sin- 
ners did, who were here on earth with him. Had our lot been, think they, 
but to have conversed with him in the days of his flesh, as Mar}-, and 
Peter, and his other disciples did here below, we could have thought to 
have been bold with him, and to have had anything at his hands. For they 
beheld him afore them a man hke unto themselves, and he was full of meek- 
ness and gentleness, he being then himself made sin, and sensible of all 
sorts of miseries ; but now he is gone into a far country, and hath put on 
glory and immortality, and how his heart may be altered thereby we know 
not. The drift of this discourse is therefore to ascertain poor souls, that 
his heart, in respect of pity and compassion, remains the same it was on 
earth ; that he intercedes there with the same heart he did here below ; and 
that he is as meek, as gentle, as easy to be entreated, as tender in his 
bowels ; so that they may deal with him as fairly about the great matter 
of their salvation, and as hopefully, and upon as easy terms to obtain it of 



96 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

lira, as they might if they had been on earth with him, and be as familiar 
with him in all their needs — than which nothing can bo more for the 
comfort and encouragement of those who have given over all other lives 
but that of faith, and whose souls pursue after strong and entire commu- 
nion with their Saviour Christ. 

Now the demonstrations that may help our faith in this I reduce to 
two heads : the first more extrinsical and outward ; the second more 
intrinsical and inward : the one showing the on of it, that it is so ; the 
other the dwrt, the reasons and grounds why it must be so. 

I. First, for those extrinsical demonstrations (as I call them), they are 
taken from several passages and carriages of his, in all those several condi- 
tions of his ; namely, at his last farewell afore his death, his resurrection, 
ascension, and how he is sitting at God's right hand. I shall lead you 
through all the same heads which I have gone over in the former treatise 
(though to another purpose), and take such observations from his speeches 
and carriages, in all those states he went through, as shall tend directly to 
persuade our hearts of the point in hand, namely this, that now he is in 
heaven, his heart remains as graciously inclined to sinners that come to 
him, as ever on earth. And for a ground or introduction to these first sort 
of demonstrations, I shall take this Scripture that follows ; as for those 
other, another Scripture, as proper to that part of this discourse. 



When Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this 
world unto the Father, having loved his own, he loved them to the end; (or) 
for ever. — John XIII. 1. 

Demonstrations from Christ's last farewell to his disciples. 

I. It was long before that Christ did break his mind to his disciples that 
he was to leave them, and to go away to heaven from them, for, John xvi. 4, 
he says, he had forborne ' to tell it them from the beginning.' But when 
he begins to acquaint them with it, he then at once leaves them an abund- 
ance of his heart, and that not only how it stood towards them, and what 
it was at the present, but what it would be when he should be in his glory. 
Let us, to this end, but briefly peruse his last carriage, and his sermon at 
his last supper which he did eat with them, as it is on purpose penned and 
recorded by the evangelist John ; and we shall find this to be the drift of 
those long discourses of Christ's, from the 13th to the 18th chapter. I will 
not make a comment on them, but only briefly take up such short observa- 
tions as do more specially hold forth this thing in hand. 

1. These words which I have prefixed as the text, are the preface unto 
all that his discourse that follows (namely, unto that washing of his disciples' 
feet, and his succeeding sermon), which accordingly do shew the argument 
and sum of all. The preface is this : ' Before the feast of the passover, 
when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this 
world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he 
loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, Jesus knowing that 
the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from 
God, and went to God, he then washed his disciples' feet.' Now this pre- 
face was prefixed by the evangelist, on purpose to set open a window into 
Christ's heart, to shew what it was then at his departure, and so withal to 
give a light into, and put a gloss and interpretation upon all that follows. 



Part I.] unto sinners on earth. 97 

The scope whereof is to shew what his affections would be to them in 
heaven : he tells us what Christ's thoughts were then, and what was his 
heart amidst those thoughts, both which occasioned all that succeeds. 

(1.) He premiseth what was in Christ's thoughts and his meditation. 
He began deeply to consider, both that he was to depart out of this world, 
' Jesus knew,' &c, says the text (that is, was then thinking of it), ' that he 
should depart unto the Father,' and how that then he should shortly be 
installed into that glory which was due unto him ; so it follows, ver. 3, 
* Jesus knowing' (that is, was then actually taking into his mind) ' that the 
Father had given all things into his hands,' that is, that all power in heaven 
and earth was his, so soon as he should set footing in heaven ; then in the 
midst of these thoughts he tells us, he went and washed his disciples' feet, after 
he had first considered whither he was to go, and there what he was to be. 

(2.) But, secondly, what was Christ's heart most upon, in the midst of 
all these elevated meditations ? Not upon his own glory so much, though 
it is told us that he considered that, thereby the more to set out his love 
unto us, but upon these thoughts his heart ran out in love towards, and 
was set upon, ' his own:' ' having loved his own,' says the 1st verse, rhug 
idiovg, his own, a word denoting the greatest nearness, dearness, and inti- 
matcness founded upon propriety.* The elect are Christ's own, a piece of 
himself, not rd "iha, as goods, John i. 11 : ' he came unto his own, and 
his own received him not ;' ra 'ibia, the word shews that he reckons them 
his own, but as goods, not as persons, but he calls these here rbvg idiovg, 
his own by a nearer propriety, that is, his own children, his own members, 
his own wife, his own flesh ; and he considers, that though he was to go 
out of the world, yet they were to be in the world, and therefore it is on 
purpose added, ' which were in the world,' that is, to remain in this world. 
He had others of his own who were in that world unto which he was going, 
even ' the spirits of just men made perfect,' whom as yet he had never 
seen. One would think, that when he was meditating upon his going out 
of this world, his heart should be all upon Abraham, his Isaacs, and his 
Jacobs, whom he was going to ; no, he takes more care for his own, who 
were to remain here in this world, a world wherein there is much evil (as 
himself says, John xvii. 15), both of sin and misery, and with which them- 
selves, whilst in it, could not but be defiled and vexed. This is it which 
draws out his bowels towards them, even at that time when his heart was 
full of the thoughts of his own glory : ' having loved his own, he loved 
them unto the end.' Which is spoken to shew the constancy of his love, and 
what it would be when Christ should be in his glory. ' To the end,' that is, 
to the perfection of it, g/g rsXiiusiv, says Chrysostom ; having begun to love 
them, he will perfect and consummate his love to them. And ' to the 
end,' that is, for ever. So in the Greek, zig r'eXog is sometimes used, and 
so by the evangelist the phrase is here used in a suitableness to the Scrip- 
ture phrase, Ps. ciii. 9, ' He will not always chide, nor reserve anger for 
ever,' so we translate it ; but in the original, ' He reserves not anger unto 
the end.' So that the scope of this speech is to shew how Christ's heart 
and love would be towards them even for ever, when he should be gone 
unto his Father, as well as it was to shew how it had been here on earth, 
they being his own ; and he having loved them, he alters, he changes not, 
and therefore will love them for ever. 

(3.) And then thirdly, to testify thus much by a real testimony, what his 
love would be, wherfin heaven, to them, the evangelist shews, that when he 
* That is, 'property,' or 'ownership.' — Ed. 

VOL. IV. O 



!J8 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

was in the midst of all those great thoughts of his approaching glory, and 
of the sovereign estate which he was to be in, he then took water and a 
towel, and washed his disciples' feet. This to have been his scope will ap- 
pear, if you observe but the coherence in the second verse, it is said, that 
' Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,' then 
(ver. 4) ' he riseth from supper, and lays aside his garments, and took a 
towel and girded himself ;' (ver. 5) after that, ' he poured water into a bason, 
and began to wash his disciples' feet,' &c, where it is evident that the evan- 
gelist's scope is to hold forth this unto us, that then when Christ's thoughts 
were full of his glory, and when he took in the consideration of it unto the 
utmost, even then, and upon that occasion, and in the midst of those 
thoughts, he washed his disciples' feet. And what was Christ's meaning in 
this, but that, whereas when he should be in heaven, he could not make 
such outward visible demonstrations of his heart, by doing such mean 
services for them ; therefore by doing this in the midst of such thoughts of 
his glory, he would shew what he could be content (as it were) to do for 
them, when he should be in full possession of it ? So great is his love 
unto them. There is another expression of Christ's like unto this, in Luke 
xii. 36, 37, which confirms this to be his meaning here, and to be his very 
heart in heaven. At ver. 36, he compares himself to a bridegroom, who 
is to go to heaven unto a wedding-feast ; who hath servants on earth that 
stand all that while here below, as without, waiting for him ; at which, be- 
cause they wait so long, they may think much, Christ adds, ' Verily I say 
unto you, that when the bridegroom returns' (refreshed with wine and glad- 
ness) ' he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will 
come forth and serve them.' The meaning is not as if that Christ served 
at the latter day, or now in heaven, those that sit down there ; but only it 
is an abundant expression in words, as here in a real instance, to set forth 
the overflowing love that is in his heart, and the transcendent happiness 
that we shall then enjoy, even beyond what can be expected by us ; he 
utters himself therefore by an unwonted thing not heard of, that the Lord 
should serve his servants, and wait on them that waited for him. And it 
is to shew his heart to them, and what he could be contented to do for 
them. So that you see what his heart was before he went to heaven, even 
amidst the thoughts of all bis glory ; and you see what it is after he hath 
been in heaven, and greatened with all his glory, even content to wash poor 
sinners' feet, and to serve them that come to him and wait for him. 

(4.) Now, fourthly, what was the mystery of this his washing their feet ? 
It was, as to give them an example of mutual love and humility, so to signify 
his washing away their sins ; thus, verses 8 and 10, himself interprets it. 
It is true indeed, that, now he is in heaven, he cannot come to wash the 
feet of their bodies, but he would signify thus much thereby, that those sin- 
ners that will come to him when in his glory, he will wash away all their 
sins ; ' He loved his church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify 
and cleanse it with the washing of water, that he might present it to himself 
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle,' &c, Eph. v. 25-27. 

2. This specimen or declaration of his mind, we have from this his car- 
riage, at this his last farewell. Let us next take a survey of the drift of 
that long sermon which he made at that his farewell, and we shall find the 
main scope of it to be further to assure his disciples of what his heart would 
be unto them ; and that will make a second demonstration. 

It were too long a work to insist upon each pai-ticulfcr. But certainly, 
no loving husband ever endeavoured more to satisfy the heart of his spouse 



Part I.] unto sinners on earth. 99 

during his absence, than Christ doth his disciples' hearts, and in them all 
believers. For take that along, once for all, that what Christ said unto 
them, he says unto us, as in that 17th of John that speech implies, ' I pray 
not for them only, but for those also that shall believe through their word. 
And as what he prayed for them was for all believers also, so what he then 
spake unto them. 

(1.) First, he lets them see what his heart would be unto them, and how 
mindful of them when in heaven, by that business which he professeth he 
went thither to perform for them ; concerning which, observe first, that he 
lovingly acquaints them with it aforehand what it is, which argued care and 
tenderness, as from an husband unto a wife it doth. And withal, how 
plain-heartedly doth he speak, as one that would not hide any thing from 
them ! ' I tell you the truth of it' (says he), ' it is expedient, and expedient 
for you, that I go away,' John xvi. 7. And secondly, he tells them, it is 
wholly for them and their happiness, ' I go to send you a comforter,' whilst 
you are in this world, and ' to prepare a place for you,' John xiv. 2, when 
you shall go out of this world. ' There are many mansions in my Father's 
house,' and I go to take them up for you, and to keep your places for you 
till you come. And there again, how openly and candidly doth he speak 
to them ! ' If it had been otherwise, says he, I would have told you.' 
You may believe me, I would not deceive you for all the glory in that place 
to which I am a-going. Whom would not this openness and nakedness of 
heart persuade ? But then, thirdly, the business itself being such as is so 
much for us and our happiness, how much more doth that argue it. And 
indeed, Christ himself doth fetch from thence an argument of the continu- 
ance of his love to them. So ver. 3, ' If I go to prepare a place for you, 
if that be my errand, then doubt not of my love when I am there, all the 
glory of the place shall never make me forget my business. When he was 
on earth, he forgot none of the business for which he came into the world ; 
• Shall I not do my Father's business ?' said he, when he was a child ; 
yes, and he did it to the utmost, by fulfilling all righteousness. Surely 
therefore he will not forget any of that business which he is to do in heaven, 
it being the more pleasant work by far. And (as I shewed in the former 
discourse, out of Heb. vi. 20) ' He is entered as a^forerunner,' an harbin- 
ger, to take up places there for us ; and if he could forget us, yet our 
names are all written in heaven round about him, and are continually afore 
his eyes written there, not only by God's election, so Heb. xii. 23, ' Ye are 
come to mount Zion, and to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the church of 
the firstborn which are written in heaven, and to Jesus, and to the blood 
of sprinkling,' &c, but Christ himself scores them up anew with his blood, 
over every mansion there, which he takes up for any. Yea, he carrieth 
their names written in his heart, as the high priest did the names of the 
ten* tribes on his breast, when he entered into the holy of holies. He sits 
in heaven to see to it, that none other should take their rooms over their 
heads, as we say. And therefore, 1 Peter i. 4, salvation is said to be ' re- 
served in heaven for them,' that is, kept on purpose for them by Jesus 
Christ. The evil angels had places there once, but they were disposed of 
unto others over their heads, as the land of Canaan was from the Canaanites ; 
the reason of which was, because they had not a Christ there to intercede 
for them as we have. 

(2.) Then, secondly, to manifest his mindfulness of them, and of all be- 
ievers else, when he should be in his glory, he tells them that when he hath 
* Qu. 'twelve'?— Ed. 



100 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

despatched that business for them, and made heaven ready for them, and 
all the elect that are to come, that then he means to come again to them. 
So chap. xiv. ver. 3, ' If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again,' which is a mere expression of love, for he if he had pleased, he 
might have ordered it to have sent for them to him ; but he means to come 
for them himself, and this when he is warm (as we speak) and in the height 
and midst of his glory in heaven ; yet he will for a time leave it to come 
again unto his spouse. And what is it for? [1.] To see her, ' I will see 
you again, and your heart shall rejoice.' [2.] To fetch her, so John xiv. 3, 
' I will come again and receive you to myself.' He condescends to the 
very laws of bridegrooms, for notwithstanding all his greatness, no lover 
shall put him down in any expression of true love. It is the manner of 
bridegrooms, when they have made all ready in their father's house, then 
to come themselves and fetch their brides, and not to send for them by 
others, because it is a time of love. Love descends better than ascends, 
and so doth the love of Christ, who indeed is love itself, and therefore comes 
down to us himself ; ' I will come again and receive you unto myself ' (says 
Christ), ' that so where I am, you may be also.' That last part of his speech 
gives the reason of it, and withal bewrays his entire affection. It is as if 
he had said, The truth is, I cannot live without you, I shall never be quiet 
till I have you where I am, that so we may never part again ; that is the 
reason of it. Heaven shall not hold me, nor my Father's company, if I 
have not you with me, my heart is so set upon you ; and if I have any 
glory, you shall have part of it. So ver. 19, ' Because I live, you shall 
live also.' It is a reason, and it is half an oath besides, As I live is God's 
oath ; Because I live, says Christ. He pawns his life upon it, and desires to 
live upon no other terms, ' He shall live to see his seed,' &c, Isa. liii. 
And yet farther, the more to express the workings and longings of his heart 
after them all that while, he tells them it shall not be long neither ere he 
doth come again to them. So John xvi. 16, ' Again a little while and ye 
shall see me ; a little while and ye shall not see me,' says he. Which not 
seeing him refers not to that small space of absence whilst dead and in the 
grave, but of that after his last ascending, forty days after his resurrection, 
when he should go away, not to be seen on earth again until the day of 
judgment ; and yet from that ascension but ' a little while,' says he, ' and 
you shall see me again,' namely, at the day of judgment. It is said, Heb. 
x. 37, ' Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not 
tarry.' The words in the Greek are, eri yue iir/Sw oeov osov, 6 h-^o^ivog f^u, 
f As little little as may be.' Though long for the time in itself, yet as little 
while as may be in respect of his desire, without the least delaying to come. 
He will stay not a moment longer, than till he hath despatched all our 
business there for us. And then the doubling of the phrase, 6 s^o/j.mog 
ij^si, veniens venict, ' Coming he will come,' implies vehemency of desire to 
come, and that his mind is always upon it, he is still a-coming, he can 
hardly be kept away. Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgency, 
vehemency, and intenseness of some act, as ' expecting I have expected,' 
' desiring I have desired,' so coming he will come. And as not content with 
these expressions of desire, he adds over and above all these, ' and will not 
tarry ;' and all to signify the infinite ardency of his mind towards his elect 
below, and to have all his elect in heaven about him. He will not stay a 
minute longer than needs must, he tarries only till he hath throughout till 
ages by his intercession prepared every room for each saint, that he may 
entertain them all at once together, and have them all about him. 



Part I. unto sinners on earth. 101 

(8.) Thirdly, what his heart would bo towards thcin in his absence lie 
espresseth by the careful provision he makes, and the order he takes for 
their comfort in Ins absence, John xvi. 18, ' I will not leave yon as 
orphans ' (so the word is), I will not leave you like fatherless and friend- 
less children, at sixes and sevens. My Father and I have but only one 
friend, who lies in the bosom of us both, and proceedeth from us both, the 
Holy Ghost, and in the mean time I will send him to you, doing herein 
as a loving husband useth to do in his absence, even commit his wife to 
the dearest friend he hath ; so doth Christ, ver. 16, • I will pray the 
Father,' says he, ' and he shall give you another Comforter.' And chap, 
xvi. 7, he saith, ' I will send him to you.' Who, 

First, shall be a better Comforter unto you than I am to be in this kind 
of dispensation, which whilst I am on earth T am bound up towards you 
in. So in that 16th of John ver. 7 he intimates, ' It is expedient,' says 
he, • that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come,' 
who, by reason of his office, will comfort you better than I should do with 
my bodily presence. And this Spirit, as he is the ' earnest of heaven,' as 
the apostle speaks, so he is the greatest token and pledge of Christ's love 
that ever was, and such a one as ' the world cannot receive.' And yet, 

Secondly, all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while will be but 
from the expression of my heart towards you ; for as he comes not of him- 
self, but I must send him, John xvi. 7, so ' he will speak nothing of him- 
self, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak,' ver. 13. And ver. 
14 he says, ' He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.' Him, 
therefore, I shall send on purpose to be in my room, and to execute my place 
to you, my bride, spouse, and he shall tell you, if you will listen to him, 
and not grieve him, nothing but stories of my love. So it is there, ' He 
shall glorify me,' namely, to you ; for I am in myself already glorified in 
heaven. All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me, and to greaten 
my worth and love unto you, and it will be his delight to do it. And he 
can come from heaven in an instant when he will, and bring you fresh 
tidings of my mind, and tell you the thoughts I last had of you, even at 
that very minute when I am thinking of them, what they are at the very 
time wherein he tells you them. And therefore in that 1 Cor. ii., by 
• having the Spirit,' ver. 12, we are said to ' have the mind of Christ,' ver. 
16 ; for he dwelleth in Christ's heart, and also ours, and lifts up from one 
hand to the other what Christ's thoughts are to us, and what our prayers 
and faith are to Christ. So that you shall have my heart as surely and as 
speedily as if I were with you ; and he will continually be breaking your 
hearts, either with my love to you, or yours to me, or both ; and if either, 
you may be sure of my love thereby. And whereas, says he, you have the 
Spirit now in your hearts, so, ver. 17 oi chap, xiv., ' he now dwells in yon;' 
yet after my ascension ' he shall be,' in a further measure, ' in you,' as it 
follows there. And at that day, ver. 20, ' you shall know ' (namely, by his 
dictate) ' that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.' He will 
tell you, when I am in heaven, that there is as true a conjunction between 
me and you, and as true a dearness of affection in me towards you, as is 
between my Father and me, and that it is as impossible to break this knot, 
and to take off my heart from you, as my Father's from me, or mine from 
my Father. And then. 

Thirdly, you shall be sure that what he says of my love to you is true, 
for « he is the Spirit of truth,' chap xvi. ver. 13, as also chap. xiv. ver. 16, 
17, which Christ speaks of him as he is a Comforter. And as you believo 



102 THE HEART OP CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

me when I tell you of my Father, because I come from him, so you may 
believe him in all that he says of me and of my love to you, for he comes 
from me. 

Aye, but might they say, Will not he also leave us for a time, as you have 
done ? No, says Christ, chap. xiv. 16, ' The Father shall give you another 
Comforter, and he shall abide with you for ever.' Christ speaks it in 
opposition to himself. He himself had been a comforter unto them, but 
he was now to be absent ; but not so the Spirit. ' He shall be with you 
for ever ; ' and as he is now • with you,' so he ' shall be in you,' ver. 17. 

In the fourth place, if this be not enough to assure them how his heart 
would be affected towards them, he assures them he will give them daily ex- 
perience of it. Do but try me, says he, when I am gone, and that by sending 
me word upon all occasions what you would have me to do for you, and I 
have left my Spirit to be your secretary and the inditer of all your peti- 
tions. ' Hitherto you have asked nothing (that is, little) in my name ' — 
he blames them that they have asked him no more to do for them — ' but 
now ask, and you shall receive.' And if otherwise you will not believe, 
yet you shall believe your own eyes ; ask, and you shall see yourselves 
answered presently. Believe, and so believe me, says he, ' for the works' 
sake,' John xiv. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in 
answer to their prayers when he was gone, which should be as so many 
epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs ; for it follows, ver. 12, 
' He that believeth on me shall do greater works than I, because I go to 
my Father,' so that it is manifest he speaks of the works done after his 
ascension. And how were they to get and procure them to be done ? By 
prayer ; so it follows, ver. 13, ' And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, 
that will I do.' He speaks it of the time when he is gone. And again he 
says in ver. 14, ' If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.' Let 
me but hear from you, be it every week, every day, every hour, you shall 
be sure of an answer. ' Open your mouths wide, and I will fill them.' 
And those your prayers shall be as continual tokens both of your hearts 
towards me, and my answers shall be the like of mine to you. And because 
Christ bids them direct (their letters) their prayers, to the Father, only 
to send them in his name, as John xvi. 23, and so they might perhaps not 
so clearly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them, but 
his Father's hand only, therefore he adds twice in the 14th of John, ' I will 
do it, I will do it.' He speaks like one as forward to do for them, as his 
Father is, or should be, and as desirous to have them know and take notice 
of his hand in it. And it is as if he had said, Though you ask the Father 
in my name, yet all comes through my hands, and ' I will do it ; ' there 
must be my hand to the warrant for everything that is done, and my heart 
shall not be wanting. 

In the fifth place, yet further to evidence his love, he not only bids them 
thus pray to him and in his name upon all occasions, but he assureth them 
that he himself will pray for them. And observe but the manner of his 
telling them this ; it is in the most insinuating, persuasive expressions to 
convey his heart into them that men use to utter when they would inti- 
mate the deepest care and purpose to do a thing. Chap. xvi. 2G, ' At 
that day (namely, after his ascension) ye shall ask,' &c, says he, ' and I 
say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you ; ' no, not I. I 
mentioned it afore ; I will but add this illustration to it. It is such a 
speech as men use when they would express the greatest reason that 
another hath to rest confident and assured of their love, ' I do not love 



Part I.] unto sinners on earth. 103 

you, no, not I.' It is an expressing a thing by its contrary, which is 
most emphatical. As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good 
turn done him that can be, You are shrewdly hurt. It is such an ex- 
pression as Paul used to the Corinthians, I converted your souls when 
you thought not of it ; 'I caught you with guile ; forgive me this wrong.' 
»:\s Christ here, ' I say not that I will pray for you,' when the truth 
is, that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven. ' He lives ever 
to intercede ; as he ever lives, so to intercede ever, and never to hold 
his peace till sinners are saved. But the work of Christ in heaven is a 
subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse ; I will 
therefore speak no more of it now, neither will I mention any more par- 
ticulars out of this his sermon. Read but over those three chapters (the 
14th, loth, and 16th), for in thern you have the longest sermon of his 
that is recorded ; and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other, 
because, indeed, his heart was more in it than in any point that he ever 
preached on. 

Only, if any object and say, He spake all this to his disciples to quiet 
and pacify them, and so, more in respect to their trouble, than otherwise 
he would have spoken. 

In the sixth place, read but the next chapter (the 17th), and you shall 
see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father, and speaks over 
all again unto him that which he had said unto them. He says as much 
behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them. Read 
it, and you will find that he was the same absent that present with them. 
He was, therefore, not only hearty in what he had said, but his heart was full 
of it. That chapter, you know, contains a prayer put up just before his suffer- 
ing, and there he makes his will and his last request, for in such a style 
it runs, ' Father, I will,' ver. 21, which will he is gone to see executed 
in heaven. And Arminius said true in that, that this prayer is left us 
by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in heaven. He spake 
as he meant to do in heaven, and as one that had done his work, and 
was now come to demand his wages ; ' I have finished thy work,' &c, 
says he, ver. 4. And whereas he speaks a word or two for himself (in 
the first five verses), he speaks five times as many for them, for all the 
rest of the chapter is a prayer for them. He useth all kind of argu- 
ments to move his Father for his children. ' I have finished the work 
which thou gavest me to do,' says he, and to save them is thy work, 
which remains to be done for me by thee ; and ' they are thine, and thou 
gavest them me,' and I commend to thee but thine own. ' And all mine 
are thine, and thine are mine.' He insinuates that he of himself had not 
added a man, but useth all his interest only for those that the Father had 
given him. And what a motive is this ? And he professeth he will not 
open his mouth for a man more : ' I pray not for the world,' says he, I 
will not open my lips for any one son of perdition ; but I employ all 
my blood, my prayers, and my whole interest with thee but for those thy- 
self hast given me. And, says he, though thou hast given me a per- 
sonal glory, which I had before the world was, yet there is another glory 
which I account of almost as much, and that is, in their being saved. 
1 1 am glorified in them,' says he, ver. 10, ' and they are my joy,' ver. 
13, and therefore I must have them ' with me wherever I am,' ver. 24. 
Thou hast set my heart upon them, and hast loved them thyself as thou 
hast loved me, and thou hast ordained them to be one in us, even as we 
are one, and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them ; I have thy 



104 THE HEABT OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

company, but I must have theirs too ; ' I will that they be where I am,' 
ver. 24. If I have any glory, they must have part of it. So it follows in 
the fore-named verse, ' That they may behold the glory which thou hast 
given me.' He speaks all tins as if he had been then in heaven, and in 
possession of all that glory ; and, therefore, it is an expression of his heart 
in heaven, which you have very good ground to build upon. 



Demonstrations from passages and expressions after his resurrection. 

II. These demonstrations have been taken from his carriage and sermon 
before his death, even at his first breaking of his mind unto his disciples 
concerning his departure from them. Let us now take a view of our 
Saviour in his behaviour after his resurrection ; whence a further indicium 
of his heart, how it would stand towards sinners when he should be in 
heaven, may be taken, and his love demonstrated. For his resurrection 
was the first step unto his glory, and indeed an entrance into it ; when he 
laid down his body, he laid down all earthly weakness, and passions of flesh 
and blood. ' It was sown,' as ours is, ' in weakness ; ' but with raising of 
it up again, he took on him the dispositions and qualifications of an immortal 
and glorious body, ' it was raised in power.' And ' the days of his flesh,' 
or frail estate, as the author to the Hebrews by way of distinction speaks, 
were past and over at his resurrection ; and the garment of his body was 
new dyed, and endowed with new qualities ; and thereby it was made of a 
stuff fit to bear and sustain heaven's glory ; and therefore, what now his 
heart upon his first rising shall appear to be towards us, will be a certain 
demonstration, what it will continue to be in heaven. And to illustrate this 
the more, consider, that if ever there were a trial taken, whether his love 
to sinners would continue or no, it was then at his resurrection ; for all his 
disciples (especially Peter) had carried themselves the most unworthily 
towards him in that interim that could be ; and this then when he was 
performing the greatest act of love towards them, namely, dying for them, 
that ever was shewn by any. And by the way, so God often orders it, that 
when he is in hand with the greatest mercies for us, and bringing about 
our greatest good, then we are most of all sinning against him ; which he 
doth, to magnify his love the more. You know how they all forsook him, 
and in the midst of his agony in the garden, in which he desired their 
company, merely for a relief unto his sadded spirit, they slept, and lay like 
so many blocks, utterly senseless of his dolours, which had they any friendly 
sympathy of, they could never have done ; ' Could you not watch with me 
one hour ? ' Then you know how foully Peter denied liim with oaths and 
curses ; and after that, when he was laid in the grave, they are giving up 
all their faith in him ; ' We trusted it should have been he,' say two of them, 
1 that should have redeemed Israel.' They question whether he was the 
Messiah or no, Luke xxiv. 21. Now when Christ came first out of the 
other world, from the dead, clothed with that heart and body which he was 
to wear in heaven, what message sends he first to them ? We would all 
think, that as they would not know him in his sufferings, so he would now 
be as strange to them in his glory ; or at least, his first words shall be to 
rate them for their faithlessness and falsehood. But here is no such matter ; 
for John xx. 17, his first word concerning them is, ' Go tell my brethren,' 
&c. You read elsewhere, how that it is made a great point of love and 
condescending in Christ so to entitle them ; Heb. ii. 11, 'He is not ashamed 



Part I.] unto sinners on earth. 105 

to call them brethren;' surely his brethren had been ashamed of him. 
Now for him to call them so when he was first entering into his glory, 
argues the more love in him towards them. He carries it as Joseph did in 
the height of his advancement, when he first brake his mind to his brethren ; 
'I am Joseph your brother,' says he, Gen xlv. 4. So Christ says here, 
Tell them you have seen Jesus their brother ; I own them as brethren still. 
This was his first compellation ; but what was the message that he would 
first have delivered unto them ? That I, says he, ' ascend to my Father, 
and your Father.' A more friendly speech by far, and arguing infinite 
more love than that of Joseph's did (though that was full of bowels), for 
Joseph after he had told them he was their brother, adds, ' whom you sold 
into Egypt ; ' he minds them of then - unkindness ; but not so Christ, not 
a word of that, he minds them not of what they had done against him. 
Poor sinners, who are full of the thoughts of their own sins, know not how 
they shall be able at the latter day to look Christ in the face when they 
shall first meet with him. But they may relieve their spirits against their 
care and fear, by Christ's carriage now towards his disciples, who had so 
sinned against him. Be not afraid, ' your sins will he remember no more.' 
Yea further, you may observe, that he minds them, not so much of what 
he had been doing for them. He says not, Tell them I have been dying for 
them, or, that they little think what I have suffered for them ; not a word 
of that neither ; but still his heart and his care is upon doing more : he 
looks not backward to what is passed, but forgets his sufferings, as ' a 
woman her travail, for joy that a man-child is born.' Having now des- 
patched that great work on earth for them, he hastens to heaven as fast as 
he can to do another. And though he knew he had business yet to do 
upon earth, that would hold him forty days longer, yet to shew that his 
heart was longing, and eagerly desirous to be at work for them in heaven, 
he speaks in the present tense, and tells them, ' I ascend ; ' and he 
expresseth his joy to be, not only that he goes to ' his Father,' but also 
that he goes to ' their Father,' to be an advocate with him for them, of which 
I spake afore. And is indeed Jesus our brother alive ? And doth he call 
us brethren ? And doth he talk thus lovingly of us ? Whose heart would 
not this overcome ? 

But this was but a message sent his disciples, before he met them ; let 
us next observe his carnage and speech at his meeting together. When he 
came first amongst them, this was his salutation, ' Peace be to you,' ver. 
19, which he reiterates, ver. 21 ; and it is all one with that former speech 
of his used in that his parting sermon, ' My peace I leave with you.' After 
this he ' breathes on them,' and conveys the Holy Ghost in a further measure 
into them, so to give an evidence of what he would do yet more plentifully 
in heaven ; and the mystery of that his breathing on them was to shew 
that this was the utmost expression of his heart, to give them the Spirit, 
and that it came from the very bottom of it (as a man's breath doth), as 
well as that the Holy Ghost proceeds from him, as well as from the Father, 
which was also the meaning of it. And to what end doth he give them the 
Spirit ? Not for themselves alone, but that they by the gift and assistance 
of that Spirit might forgive men's sins by converting them to him. ' Whose 
sins soever ye remit,' namely, by your ministry, ' they are remitted to them.' 
His mind, you see, is still upon sinners, and his care for the conversion of 
their souls. And therefore in another evangelist, namely, Mark, his last 
words recorded are these : ' Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 
unto every creatine ; and he that believeth shall be saved,' &c, chap. xvi. 15. 



106 THE HEABT OF CHEIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

And in Luke, chap. xxiv. ver. 46, 47, his last words on earth there 
recorded are, ' Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise, . . . that 
repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations,' 
and adds, ' beginning at Jerusalem,' where he had been but a few days 
before crucified. Of all places, one would have thought he would have 
excepted that, and have charged them to pass by it ; but he bids them begin 
there. Let them have the first-fruit and benefit by my death, that were the 
actors in it. And, to that end, he also says, ' Behold I send you the pro- 
mise of my Father,' &c, ver. 49. Another time he appears to two of them, 
and then indeed he rates them, saying, ' ye fools, and slow of heart ! ' 
but for what is it, but only because they would not believe on him ; for no 
other sin, not for that they had forsaken him ; so it follows, ' ye fools, 
and slow of heart to believe,' &c, Luke xxiv. 25, and this because he is 
glad when we believe, as John xi. 16. And after that he appears to all the 
eleven, and upbraids them, the text says, but with what ? With their 
' unbelief and hardness of heart ; ' still because they believed not, so ver» 
14. No sin of theirs troubled him but their unbelief. "Which shews how 
his heart stands, in that he desires nothing more than to have men believe 
in him ; and this now when glorified. Afterwards he meets with Thomas, 
and scarce chides him for his gross unbelief, only tells him, it was well 
that, ' having seen, he believed ; ' but pronounceth them more ' blessed, who 
though they have not seen, yet believe ; ' and so he is reproved, John xx. 
29. Another time he shews himself to his disciples, and particularly deals 
with Peter, but yet tells him not a word of his sins, nor of his forsaking of 
him, but only goes about to draw from him a testimony of his love to him- 
self ; ' Peter' (says he), ' lovest thou me' ? Christ loves to hear that note ; 
full well do those words sound in his cars, when you tell him you love him, 
though he knows it already ; as Peter tells him, ' Thou knowest all things, 
thou knowest I love thee,' John xxi. 15, and this Christ puts him thrice 
upon. And what was Christ's aim in drawing this acknowledgment of love 
from Peter to him, that if he loved him as he professed, and would ever 
shew it, then to ' feed his lambs ' ? This is the great testimony that he 
would have Peter to shew his love in, when he should be in heaven ; and 
this is the last charge he gives him. Which, how great a testimony is it, 
to shew how his own heart was affected, and what his greatest care was 
upon ! His heart runs altogether upon his lambs, upon souls to be 
converted. He had said afore, ' Sheep I have,' John x. 6, ' which are not of 
this fold, them I must bring in ; ' and he left his apostles to do it ; but this 
here was a more moving and affectionate expression, for sheep can shift for 
themselves, but poor little lambs cannot. Therefore Christ says unto Peter, 
' Feed my lambs ; ' even as John, to express the more love unto those he 
writes to, calls them ' my little children.' And to what end doth the 
evangelist record these things of him after his resurrection ? One of the 
evangelists that recorded them informs us. In the 20th of John ver. 30, 
it is said, that ' Jesus did many other signs,' namely, after his resurrection ; 
for in the midst of the story of those things done after his resurrection he 
speaks it, ' which are not written in this book,' but partly recorded by other 
evangelists, and partly concealed ; ' but these things are written that ye 
might believe that Jesus is the Christ,' that is, that so you might come to 
him as to the Messiah, the Saviour of the world ; and therefore, the most 
of the things recorded tend to shew Christ's heart and carriage towards 
sinners, that so we might believe on him, and that ' believing we might have 
life through his name.' 



Part I.J unto sinners on earth. 107 



Demonstrations, from passages at and after his ascension into heaven. 

III. Let us view him next in his very ascending : his carriage then also 
will further assure our hearts of this. Luke xxvi. 50, it is said, ' He lifted 
up his hands and blessed them ; ' and to put the greater emphasis upon it, 
and that we might the more observe it, as having some great mystery in it, 
ver. 51, it is added, 'And whilst he blessed them, he was parted from 
them, and carried up into heaven.' This benediction Christ reserved to be 
his last act ; and what was the meaning of it, but (as I have before shewn) 
to bless them, as God blessed Adam and Eve, bidding them ' increase and 
multiply,' and so blessing all mankind that were to come of them. Thus 
doth Christ, in blessing his disciples, bless all those that shall believe through 
their word unto the end of the world. I only add this to the illustration of 
it; this mystery is interpreted by Peter, Acts iii. 26, when, speaking to the 
Jews, he says, ' Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent 
him to bless you,' (and how ?) ' in turning away every one of you from his 
iniquities,' and so forgiving of them ; for ' blessed is the man whose sin is 
forgiven.' Thus at his ascending. 

IV. In the next place, let us consider what Christ did when he was come 
to heaven and exalted there : how abundantly did he there make good all 
that he had promised in his last sermon ! 

For, first, he instantly poured out his Spirit, and that 'richly' (as the 
apostle to Titus speaks), and he ' being by the right hand of God exalted, 
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath 
shed forth this which you now see and hear,' says the apostle in his first 
sermon after, Acts ii. 33. He then received it, and visibly poured him out. 
So Eph. iv. 8, it is said, ' He ascended up on high, and gave gifts unto 
men . . . for the work of the ministry (ver. 15), and for the jointing in of 
the saints to the increase of the body of Christ' (ver. 16), that is, for the 
converting of elect sinners, and making them saints. And the gifts there 
mentioned (some of them) remain unto this day, in ' pastors and teachers,' 
&c. And this Spirit is still in our preaching and in your hearts, in hearing, 
in praying, &c, and persuades you of Christ's love to this very day; and 
is in all these the pledge of the continuance of Christ's love still in heaven 
unto sinners. All our sermons and your prayers are evidences to you, that 
Christ's heart is still the same towards sinners that ever it was, for the 
Spirit that assists in all these comes in his name, and in his stead, and 
works all by commission from him. And do none of you feel your hearts 
moved in the preaching of these things, at this and other times ? And who 
is it that moves you ? It is the Spirit who speaks in Christ's name from 
heaven, even as himself is said to ' speak from heaven,' Heb. xii. 25. And 
when you pray, it is the Spirit that indites your prayers, and that ' makes 
intercession for you ' in your own hearts, Kom. viii. 26, which intercession 
of his is but the evidence and echo of Christ's intercession in heaven. The 
Spirit prays in you, because Christ prays for you. He is an intercessor on 
earth, because Christ is an intercessor in heaven. As he did take off 
Christ's words, and used the same that he before had uttered, when he 
spake in and to the disciples the words of life, so he takes off Christ's 
prayers also when he prays in us ; he takes but the words as it were out of 
Christ's mouth, or heart rather, and directs our hearts to offer them up to 
God. He also follows us to the sacrament, and in that glass shews us 



108 THE HEAET OF CHEIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

Christ's face smiling on us, and through his face his heart ; and thus help- 
ing of us to a sight of him, we go away rejoicing that we saw our Saviour 
that day. 

Then, secondly, all those works, both of miracles and conversion of 
sinners, in answer to the apostles' prayers, are a demonstration of this. 
What a handful had Peter's first sermon after Christ's ascension, when 
three thousand souls were converted by it ! The apostles (you know) went 
on to preach forgiveness through Christ, and in his name, and to invite men 
to him ; and what signs and wonders did accompany them, to confirm that 
their preaching ! And all were the fruits of Christ's intercession in heaven. 
So that what he promised (John xiv 12), as an evidence of his minding 
them in heaven, was abundantly fulfilled. They upon their asking did 
' greater works than he ; ' so Acts iv. 29, 80, at the prayers of Peter. And 
Heb. ii. 3, 4, the apostle makes an argument of it, ' How shall we escape,' 
says he, ' if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to bo 
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, 
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and with 
divers miracles ? ' &c. Yea, let me add this, that take aiso the New Testa- 
ment, and all the promises in it, and expressions of Christ's love, it was 
written all since Christ's being in heaven, by his Spirit, and that by com- 
mission from Christ, and therefore all that you find therein you may build 
on as his very heart ; and therein see, that what he once said on earth, he 
repealeth not a word now he is in heaven, his mind continues the same. 
And the consideration hereof may add a great confirmation to our faith 
herein. 

Thirdly, Some of the apostles spake with him since, even many years 
after his ascension. Thus John and Paul, of which the last was in heaven 
with him, and they both do give out the same thing of him. Paul heard 
not one sermon of Christ's (that he knew of) whilst on earth, and received 
the gospel from no man, apostle or other, but by the immediate revelation 
of Jesus Christ from heaven, as he speaks, Gal. i. 11, 12. But he was 
converted by Christ himself from heaven, by immediate speech and con- 
ference of Christ himself with him, and this long after his ascension. And 
in that one instance Christ abundantly shewed his heart and purpose to 
continue to all sorts of sinners to the end of the world. Thus in two places 
that great apostle telleth us; the first is, 1 Tim. i. 13, 'I was a persecutor, 
a blasphemer,' says he, ' but I obtained mercy, and the grace of our Lord,' 
namely, Jesus Christ, ' was exceeding abundant ; ' and upon this he declares 
with open mouth, as it were, from Christ's own self, who spake to him from 
heaven, that this is ' the faithfullest saying ' that ever was uttered, ' that Christ 
came into the world to save sinners, whereof I am chief,' says he, ver. 15. 
And to testify that this was the very scope of Christ in thus converting of 
Paul himself, and Paul's scope also in that place to Timothy, to shew so 
much, appears by what follows, ver. 16, 'For this cause I obtained this 
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for 
a pattern to all them that should hereafter believe on him unto life ever- 
lasting.' It is express, you see, to assure all sinners, unto the end of the 
world, of Christ's heart towards them. This was his drift. ' For this very 
cause,' says Paul. 

The second place I allege in proof of this, is the story of Paul's conver- 
sion, where he diligently inserts the very words that Christ spake to him 
from heaven (Acts xxvi. 16), which were these, ' I have appeared unto thee 
for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, ... to send thee 



Part I.] cnto sinnkks on eaetii. KjU 

to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, 
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness 
of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is 
in me.' Brethren, these are Christ's words since he went to heaven, and 
he tells Paul he appeared unto him to testify thus much. Thus for Paul's 
conference with him. 

Then again, sixty years after his ascension, did the apostle John 
receive a revelation from him, even when all the apostles were dead, for 
after all their deaths was that book written, and the Revelation is said to be 
in a more immediate manner ' the revelation of Jesus Christ' (so chap. i. 
ver. 1), than any other of the apostles' writings ; and you read that Christ 
made an apparition of himself to him, and said, ' I am he that was dead, 
and am alive for evermore,' chap. i. ver. 18. Now let us but consider 
Christ's last words, in that his last book, the last that Christ hath spoken 
since he went to heaven, or that he is to utter till the day of judgment ; 
you have them in the last chapter, ver. 16, ' I Jesus have sent mine angel 
to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the 
offspring of David. . . . And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And 
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And 
whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.' They are the 
latter words I cite this place for. The occasion of these words was this : 
Christ was now in heaven, and had before promised to come again, and 
fetch us all to heaven. And in the mean time, mark what an echoing and 
answering of hearts and of desires there is mutually, between him from 
heaven and believing sinners from below. Earth calls upon heaven, and 
heaven calls upon earth, as the prophet speaks. The bride from earth savs 
unto Christ, ' Come to me ; ' and the Spirit in the saints' hearts below 
says 'Come' unto him also; and Christ cries out as loud from heaven, 
' Come,' in answer unto this desire in them ; so that heaven and earth ring 
again of it. ' Let him that is athirst come to me ; and let him that will 
come, come, and take of the waters of life freely.' This is Christ speech 
unto men on earth. They call him to come unto earth, to judgment ; and 
he calls sinners to come up to heaven unto him for mercy. They cannot 
desire his coming to them, so much as he desires their coming to him. 
Now what is the meaning of this, that upon their calling upon him to come, 
he should thus call upon them to come ? It is in effect as if he had plainly 
uttered himself thus: I have a heart to come to 3 r ou, but I must have all 
you my elect that are to be on earth, come to me first. You would have 
me come down to you, but I must stay here till all that the Father hath 
given me be come to me ; and then you shall be sure quickly to have me 
with you. Hereby expressing how much his heart now longs after them. 
This to be his meaning is evident by the words which he adds, ver. 20, 
' He which testifies these things,' namely, Christ, ' says, Surely I come 
quickly.' And if we observe how much by the by, as it were, these words 
of Christ's do come in, it makes them the more remarkable to shew his 
heart in uttering them. This book was intended merely as a prophecy of 
the times of the gospel until his coming ; unto which period of it, when 
John had brought that prophetic story, he brings in the bride longing for 
that coming of Christ, ' The bride says, Come.' And no sooner says she so, 
but Christ by way of retortion doth likewise say ' Come ' unto her also ; 
yea, it puts the more observation upon it, that he had uttered the same 
words before, Rev. xxi. 6, but notwithstanding he will repeat them again, 
and have them to be his last words. All which shews how much his heart 



110 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART I. 

was in this part of the gospel, to invite sinners to him ; that now when he 
is to speak but one sentence more, till we hear the sound to judgment, he 
should especially make choice of these words. Let them therefore for ever 
stick with you, as being worthy to be your last thoughts when you come to 
die, and when you are a-going to him. He speaks indeed something else 
after them ; but that which he says afterwards is but to set a seal unto 
these words, and to the rest of the Scriptures, whereof this is the chief. 
And further to shew that these words were singled out to be his last, and 
that he meant to speak no more till the day of judgment, therefore also he 
adds a curse to him, who should ' add to them, or take from them.' He 
adds indeed after that another speech, but it is only to ingeminate his will- 
ingness to come quickly, were all his elect but once come in to him, so 
ver. 20. And all this tends to assure us that this is his heart, and we 
shall find him of no other mind until his coming again. 

And that you may yet the more consider them as thus purposely brought 
in by him as his last words, to make them stick with us, let me add another 
observation about them, and that is this, that at another time when he was 
upon earth, he in like manner singled out these very words (I mean the 
matter of them) as the conclusion of many days' preaching. Thus John 
vii. 37, ' In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, 
If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.' These words were 
spoken on the ' last day of the feast,' after which he was to preach no more 
at that time, and for a good while after, unto them ; and he had preached 
upon all the former days of that feast, as his manner was ; and it was ' the 
great day of the feast,' when he had the greatest audience ; and you see he 
chooseth this for his last sentence of that his last sermon then ; and when 
he would give them something at parting, as a viaticum, which he would 
have them carry home with them to feed upon above all the rest, these are 
his words, ' If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink ;' which him- 
self interprets to be believing on him, ver. 38, and he stands up to speak 
this ; yea, ' he cries,' says the text, with open mouth, with utmost vehe- 
mency, to the intent that all might hear this above all sayings else. And 
thus in like manner, at this time also, when he is to speak no more, but to 
hold his tongue for ever till the day of judgment, nor is to write any more 
Scriptures, he then sends his angel to testify these to be his last words ; and 
this although he had spoken them before. It was therefore assuredly done 
to shew his heart in them. They were his last words then, and they shall 
be mine in the closure of this discourse, for what can there be added to 
them ? 



PaT.T II. 1 UNTO SINNKliS ON EAIITII. Ill 



PART II. 



For tee have not an high priest which cannot be touched tvith the feeling of our 
injirmities ; but ivas in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. — 
Heb. IV. 15. 

The only use I shall make of these words is, to be a foundation unto that 
second part of that head or point of doctrine into which I have made an 
entrance ; which was to demonstrate the gracious inclination and temper of 
Christ's heart toward sinners, now he is in heaven. 

II. The extrinsical demonstrations of this, which I make the first part of 
it, are despatched. And for a groundwork to these more intrinsical demon- 
strations, which make a second part, I have chosen this text, as that which 
above any other speaks his heart most, and sets out the frame and workings 
of it towards sinners ; and that so sensibly that it doth, as it were, take our 
hands, and lay them upon Christ's breast, and let us feel how his heart 
beats and his bowels yearn towards us, even now he is in glory — the very 
scope of these words being manifestly to encourage believers against all 
that may discourage them, from the consideration of Christ's heart towards 
them now in heaven. 

To open them, so far as they serve to my present purpose. 

First, all that may any way discourage us he here calls by the name of 
infirmities, thereby meaning both 

1. The evil of afflictions, of what sort soever, persecutions, &c, from 
without. 

2. The evil of sins, which do most of all discourage us, from within. 
And that both these are meant, 

1. That under 'infirmities' he means persecutions and afflictions is 
manifest ; not only in that the word is often used in that sense, as 2 Cor. 
xi. 30, and xii. 5, but also it is plain that the phrase is here so intended, 
for his scope is to comfort them against what would pull from them their 
profession, as that foregoing exhortation, ' Let us hold fast our profession,' 
implies. Now that which attempted to pull it from them were their perse- 
cutions and oppositions from without. It appears also because his argu- 
ment here of comforting them against these infirmities, is drawn from 
Christ's example, ' In that he was in all things tempted as we are.' 

2. Yet secondly, by ' infirmities ' are meant sins also, for so in the pro- 
cess of this discourse he useth the phrase, and makes them the main object 
of our high priest's pity ; for in the next words, chap. v. 2, shewing what 
the qualifications of the high priests under the law were, who were types of 
our great high priest, he makes this one suitable to this here mentioned, 
that he was to be one that ' could have compassion on the ignorant, and 
those that were out of the way ;' that is, upon sinners, for sins are those 
ignorances and goings astray from God ; and then adds, ' in that himself 
was clothed with infirmities,' that is, with sins. And although it is said 



112 THE HEART OF CHRIST IX HEAVEN iPaRT II. 

here that Christ was without sin in all, yet he was tempted by Satan unto 
all sorts of sins, even as we are. And that by ' infirmities ' sins are mainly 
here intended, is yet more evident from the remedy propounded against 
them, which they are here encouraged to seek for at the throne of grace, 
namely, grace and mercy. « Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of 
grace, that we may find grace and mercy to help in time of need. So it 
follows in the next words. Grace to help against the power of sin, and 
mercy against the guilt and punishment of it ; both which are the greatest 
discouragers to come boldly to that throne ; and therefore he must needs 
intend those kinds of infirmities chiefly in this his encouragement and com* 
fortory given. 

Now, secondly, for a support against both these, he lets us understand 
how feelingly and sensibly affected the heart of Christ is to sinners under 
all these their infirmities, now he is in heaven, for of him advanced into 
heaven he here speaks, as appeareth by verse 14. And if the coherence 
with that verse be observed, we shall see that he brings in this narration of 
it setly, by way of preventing an objection which might otherwise arise in 
all men's thoughts from that high and glorious description which he had 
given of him in that 14th verse. ' We have a great high priest, who is 
passed into the heavens,' &c. He knew we would be apt from this pre- 
sently to think, he may be too great to be an high priest for us to transact 
our affairs ; and that this greatness of his might cause him to forget us, or 
if he did remember us, and take notice of our miseries, yet, ' being passed 
into the heavens,' and so having cast off the frailties of his flesh which he 
had here, and having clothed his human nature with so great a glory, that 
therefore he cannot now pity us. as he did when he dwelt among us here 
below, nor be so feelingly affected and touched with our miseries, as to be 
tenderly moved to compassionate and commiserate us, so he is not now 
capable of a feeling of grief, and so not of a fellow-feeling or sympathizing 
with us ; his state and condition now is above all such affections, which 
affections notwithstanding are they that should put him upon helping us, 
heartily and cordially. And for him to be exposed to such affections as 
these, were a weakness, an infirmity in himself, which heaven hath cured 
him of. His power and glory is so great that he cannot be thus touched, 
even as the angels are not. And he is ' advanced far above all principalities 
and powers,' Eph. i. 15. 

This the apostle carefully pre-occupates ; and it is the very objection 
which he takes away. ' "We have not a high priest who cannot,' &c. Dup- 
lex negatio cequipoUet affirmatUmi ; nay, two negatives do not only make an 
affirmative, but affirm more strongly : they make an affirmation contradic- 
tory to a contrary and opposite thought. Now this speech of his is as much 
as if he should have said, Well, let heaven have made what alteration 
soever upon his condition, in glorifying his human nature, which be it 
never so free from fleshly passions, and instead of flesh be made like heaven, 
let him be never so incapable of impressions from below ; yet he retains 
one tender part and bare place in his heart still unarmed, as it were, even 
to suffer with you, and to be touched if you be. The word is a deep one, 
Af/MraSjjirai. He suffers with you, he is as tender in his bowels to you as 
ever he was ; that he might be moved to pity you, he is willing to suffer, 
as it were, one place to be left naked, and to be flesh still, on which he 
may be wounded with your miseries, that so he might be your merciful 
high priest. 

And whereas it may be objected, that this were a weakness. The 



Part II. J unto sinners on earth. 113 

apostle affirms that this is his power, and a perfection and strength of love 
surely, in him, as the word Suvdfievov importeth ; that is, that makes him 
thus able and powerful to take our miseries into his heart, though glorified, 
and so to be affected with them, as if he suffered with us, and so to relieve 
us, out of that principle out of which he would relieve himself. 

There are two things which this text gives me occasion to take notice of, 
and apart to handle. 

First, more generally, that Christ's heart now in heaven is as graciously 
affected unto sinners as ever it was on earth. 

And, secondly, more particularly, the manner how. Or thus : 

1. That he is touched with a feeling, or sympathises with us, as the 
word is. 

2. The way how this comes to pass ; even through his having been 
tempted in all things like unto us. In handling the first, I shall give those 
intrinsical demonstrations of it that remain ; and in handling the other, 
further open the text. To come therefore first to those intrinsical demon- 
strations of this doctrine, which I engraft upon these words, and shoot 
naturally froni them, namely, That the heart of Jesus Christ, now he is in 
heaven, is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth. 



The first sort of intrinsical demonstrations, drawn from the influence all the 
three Persons have for ever into the heart of the human nature of Christ in 
Jieaven. 

I. The first sort of demonstrations shall be fetched from all the three 
Persons, and then* several influence they have into Christ's heart in heaven, 
to incline it towards us. 

1. The first shall be taken from God his Father, who hath thus advanced 
him ; and it hath two parts : (1.) That God hath given a perpetual com- 
mand to Christ to love sinners ; (2.) That therefore his heart continues the 
same for ever. 

(1.) For the first, God the Father hath given Jesus Christ a special com- 
mand to love sinners ; and hath withal implanted a merciful, gracious dis- 
position in his heart toward them. This I mention to argue it, because it 
is that which Christ allegeth, John vi. 37, as the original ground of this 
disposition of his, • not to cast out those that come to him.' For ' it is my 
Father's will,' says he in the following verses, ' that I should perform that 
which I came down from heaven for,' verse 38. And this lies now still 
upon him, now he is in heaven, as much as ever ; for ' his will also is,' 
says he, verses 39, 40, ' that I should raise them up at the last day,' so as 
it must needs continue the same till then. And compare with this the 10th 
of John, from verse 15 to 18, where, having discoursed before of his care 
and love to his sheep, to ' give his life ' for them, to ' know ' and own them, 
and to ' bring them into the fold,' &c, he concludes at verse 18, ' This 
commandment have I received from my Father.' It is his will, says the 6th 
of John, and if a good son knows that a thing is his father's mind and will, 
it is enough to move him to do it ; much more if it be bis express command. 
And in this 10th of John, he further says, that it is the command which he 
had received from the Father. A command, is a man's will peremptorily 
expressed ; so as there must be a breach, if it be not fulfilled : and such a 
command hath God given Christ concerning us. Out of both which places 
I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of God's. 

VOL. IV. H 



114 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

First, that Christ should die for his sheep ; in respect to which command, 
he continued so to love them whilst here, as to lay down his life for them ; 
so John x. 15 ; but then he took it up again, and is ascended into heaven. 
Therefore, those other two things commanded him, do concern him when 
he is in glory; namely, to 'receive all that come to him,' which is the 
second ; and the third, to look that he ' lose none of those for whom he 
died,' but to ' raise them up.' And for these his Father's command lies as 
strictly on him, now he is in heaven, as for dying for them whilst he was on 
earth. ' This command have I received from my Father, and this is his will.' 

And together with this command, God did put it into his heart, as where 
he commands he ever useth to do, such an instinct of transcendent love to- 
wards them, as shall so strongly incline him to perform it, that he shall 
need no more commands. He hath put such a erogyq, such an especial 
love into him, as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their 
own children, more than to all other men's children which they see besides, 
although more beautiful and more witty than their own. And both this 
commandment, and this inclination of love towards them, we have at once 
expressed, Ps. xl. 8, where, giving the reason why he became our Mediator 
and sacrificed himself, he not only says, ' I come to do thy will, God ; ' 
but also, ' Thy law is in my bowels.' In which speech, both these two are 
mentioned : 

[1.] That command I mentioned is there expressed, for it is called a law. 
And, 

[2.] It was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart ; and, 
therefore, said to be a ' law in his heart ' or bowels. 

You may easily conceive what law it was by the subject of it, his bowels, 
which are still put for the most tender affections (Col. hi. 1 2, ' Bowels of 
mercy, kindness,' &c). It was no other than that law of love, mercy, and 
pity to poor sinners which God gave him in charge, as he was to be 
Mediator. It was that special law which lay on him as he was the ' second 
Adam,' like that which was given to the first Adam, non concedendi, over 
and above the moral law, not to eat the forbidden fruit ; such a law was 
this he there speaks of. It was the law of his being a Mediator and a 
sacrifice, for of that he expressly speaks, verses 6, 7, over and besides the 
moral law, which was common to him with us. The word in the original 
is, ' In the midst of my bowels,' to shew it was deeply engraven; it had its 
seat in the centre, it sat nearest and was most inward in his heart. 

Yea, and as that special law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam 
prccceptum symbolicum, as divines call it, given over and besides all the ten 
commandments, to be a trial, a sign or symbol, of his obedience to all the 
rest, such was this law given unto Christ, the second Adam, so as that God 
would judge of all his other obedience unto himself by this. Yea, it was 
laid on him with that earnestness by God, and so commended* by him, as 
that if ever Christ would have him to love him, he should be sure to love 
us. Thus in that place fore-cited, John x. 17, 18, Christ comforts himself 
with this in his obedience, ' Therefore doth my Father love me.' It is 
spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned, 
and so withal imports, as if God should love Christ the better for the love 
he should shew to us, it pleased him so well to see Christ love us. And so 
it is as if God, when he gave Christ that commandment, ver. 18, had said, 
Son, as you would have my love continue towards you, let me see your 
love towards me shewn in being kind to these I have given you, ' whom I 
* Qn. 'commanded'? — Ed. 



Part II. J unto sinners on earth. 115 

have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you,' as you have 
it, John xvii. 23. As God would have us shew love unto him by loving 
his children, so he would have Christ also shew his love towards him by 
loving of us. 

(2.) Now, for the second branch of this demonstration, namely, that that 
love which Christ when on earth expressed to be in his heart, and which 
made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father, that it doth 
certainly continue in his heart still, now that he is in heaven, and that as 
quick and as tender as ever it was on earth, even as when he was on the 
cross, and that because of his Father's command. It is evidenced thus, 
for it being a law written in the midst of his bowels by his Father, it be- 
comes natural to him, and so indelible, and, as other moral laws of God 
written in the heart are, perpetual. And as in us, when we shall be in 
heaven, though faith shall fail and hope vanish, yet love shall continue, as 
the apostle speaks ; so doth this love in Christ's heart continue also, and 
suffers no decay, and is shewn as much now in receiving sinners and inter- 
ceding for them, and being pitiful unto them, as then in dying for them. 
And this love to sinners being so commanded and pressed upon him, as 
was said, that as he would have his Father love him, he should love them, 
and so being urged upon all that great love that is between him and his 
Father, this, as it must needs work and boil up a strong love in him unto 
sinners, so likewise the most constant and never- decaying love that could 
be. And this is argued from the analogy of that principle upon which 
Christ urgeth us to love himself, John xv. 10. He moveth his disciples to 
' keep the commandments ' he gave them, and useth this argument, ' For 
so shall you abide in my love,' and backs it with his own instance, ' Even 
as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.' Now, 
therefore, this being the great commandment that God layeth on him, to 
love and die for, and to continue to love and receive, sinners that come 
to him, and raise them up at the latter day, certainly he continues to keep 
it most exactly, as being one of the great ties between him and his Father, 
so to continue in his love to him. Therefore, so long as he continues in 
his Father's love, and, now he is in heaven and at his right hand, he must 
needs continue in highest favour with him, so long, you may be sure, he 
continues to observe this. And thus that he should continue still to love us, 
both love to his Father and love to himself obligeth him ; we may therefore 
be sure of him, that he both doth it and will do it for ever. what a 
comfort is it, that as children are mutual pledges and ties of love between 
man and wife, so that we should be made such between God the Father 
and the Son ! And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the 
first person of the Trinity, namely, from God the Father. 

2. Then, secondly, this his love is not a forced love, which he strives 
only to bear towards us, because his Father hath commanded him to marry 
us ; but it is his nature, his disposition, which, added to the former, affords 
a second demonstration of the point in hand, and is drawn from God the 
Son. This disposition is free and natural to him ; he should not be God's 
Son else, nor take after his heavenly Father, unto whom it is natural to 
shew mercy, but not so to punish, which is his strange work, but mercy 
pleaseth him ; he is ' the Father of mercies,' he begets them naturally. 
Now, Christ is his own Son, 'idwg vtbg, as by way of distinction he is called, 
and his natural Son ; yea, his human nature being united to the second 
person, is thereby become the natural Son of God, not adopted, as we are. 
And if he be his natural Son in privileges, then also his Father's properties 



11G THE HEART OP CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

are natural to him, more natural than to us, who are but his adopted sons. 
And if we, ' as the elect of God,' who are but the adopted sons, are exhorted 
to ' put on bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,' 
&c. (as Col. hi. 12), then much more must these dispositions needs be 
found in Christ, the natural Son ; and these, not put on by him, but be as 
natural to him as his Sonship is. ' God is love,' as John says, and Christ 
is love covered over with flesh, yea, our flesh. And besides, it is certain 
that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men, and some of the sons of 
men unto more mercy and pity naturally than others, and then the Holy 
Spirit, coming on them to sanctify their natural dispositions, useth to work 
according to their tempers, even so it is certain that he tempered the heart 
of Christ, and made it of a softer mould and temper than the tenderness of 
all men's hearts put together into one, to soften it, would have been of. 
When he was to assume a human nature, he is brought in saj'ing, ' A 
body hast thou fitted me,' Heb. x. ; that is, a human nature, fitted, as in 
other things, so in the temper of it, for the Godhead to work and shew his 
perfections in best. And as he took a human nature on purpose to be a 
merciful high priest, as Heb. ii. 14, so such a human nature, and of so 
special a temper and frame as might be more merciful than all men or 
angels. His human nature was ' made without hands ; ' that is, was not 
of the ordinary make that other men's hearts are of; though for the matter 
the same, yet not for the frame of his spirit. It was a heart bespoke for 
on purpose to be made a vessel, or rather fountain, of mercy, wide and 
capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again 
all God's manifestative mercies ; that is, all the mercies God intended to 
manifest to his elect. And therefore Christ's heart had naturally in the 
temper of it more pity than all men or angels have, as through which the 
mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us ; and this heart of 
his to be the instrument of them. And then this man, and the heart of 
this man so framed, being united to God, and being made the natural Son 
of God, how natural must mercy needs be unto him, and therefore con- 
tinue in him now he is in heaven ! For though he laid down all infirmities 
of our nature when he rose again, yet no graces that were in him whilst he 
was below ; they are in him now as much as ever ; and being his nature, 
for nature we know is constant, therefore still remains. You may observe, 
that when he was upon earth, minding to persuade sinners to have good 
thoughts of him, as he used that argument of his Father's command given 
him ; so he also lays open his own disposition, Mat. xi. 28, ' Come to me, 
you that are weary and heavy laden, . . . for I am meek and lowly of heart.' 
Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ, but he tells them his dis- 
position there, by preventing such hard thoughts of him, to allure them 
unto him the more. We are apt to think that he, being so holy, is there- 
fore of a severe and sour disposition against sinners, and not able to bear 
them. No, says he ; ' I am meek,' gentleness is my nature and temper. As 
it was of Moses, who was, as in other things, so in that grace, his type ; 
he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron, but interceded for them. So, 
says Christ, injuries and unkindnesses do not so work upon me as to make 
me irreconcilable, it is my nature to forgive: ' I am meek.' Yea, but (may 
we think) he being the Son of God and heir of heaven, and especially being 
now filled with glory, and sitting at God's right hand, he may now despise 
the lowliness of us here below ; though not out of anger, yet out of that 
height of his greatness and distance that he is advanced unto, in that we 
are too mean for him to marry, or be familiar with. He surely hath higher 



Part II.] unto sinners on earth. 117 

thoughts than to regard such poor, low things as we are. And so though 
indeed we conceive him meek, and not prejudiced with injuries, yet he may 
be too high and lofty to condescend so far as to regard, or take to heart, 
the condition of poor creatures. No, says Christ ; 'I am lowly ' also, 
willing to bestow my love and favour upon the poorest and meanest. And 
further, all this is not a semblance of such an affable disposition, nor is it 
externally put on in the face and outward carriage only, as in many great 
ones, that will seem gentle and courteous, but there is all this h rri naoh'ia, 
' in the heart ;' it is his temper, his disposition, his nature to be gracious, 
which nature he can never lay aside. And that his greatness, when he 
comes to enjoy it in heaven, would not a whit alter his disposition in him, 
appears by this, that he at the very same time when he uttered these 
words, took into consideration all his glory to come, and utters both that 
and his meekness with the same breath. So ver. 27, ' All things are de- 
livered to me by my Father ; ' and presently after all this he says, ' Come 

unto me, all you that are heavy laden I am meek and lowly,' ver. 

28, 29. Look, therefore, what lovely, sweet, and delightful thoughts you 
use to have of a dear friend, who is of an amiable nature, or of some 
eminently holy or meek saint, of whom you think with yourselves, I could 
put my soul into such a man's hands, and can compromise my salvation 
to him, as I have heard it spoken of some. Or look how we should have 
been encouraged to have dealt with Moses in matter of forgiveness, who 
was the meekest man on earth ; or treated with Joseph, by what we read 
of his bowels towards his brethren ; or what thoughts we have of the 
tender hearts of Paul or Timothy unto the souls of men in begetting, and 
in nurturing, and bringing them up to life, ' Being affectionately desirous 
of you, we were willing (says Paul) to impart our own souls to you,' 
1 Thes. ii. 8; and this 'naturally,' as his word is, Philip, ii. 20; even 
such and infinitely more raised apprehensions should we have of that 
sweetness and candour that is in Jesus Christ, as being much more natural 
to him. 

And therefore the same apostle doth make Christ's bowels the pattern 
of his, ' God is my witness, how greatly I long after you in the bowels of 
Jesus Christ,' Philip, i. 8. This phrase, ' in the bowels of Christ,' hath, 
according to interpreters, two meanings, and both serve to illustrate that 
which I intend. First, ' in the bowels of Christ ' is taken causally, as if 
he meant to shew that those bowels or compassions were infused into him 
from Christ, and so longed after them with such kind of bowels as Christ 
had wrought in him ; and if so that Christ put such bowels into him, hath 
he not then in himself much more ? Paul had reason to say, ' in the bowels of 
Christ,' for (in this sense) I am sure he once had scarce the heart and bowels 
of a man in him ; namely, when he was out of Christ, how furious and lion-like 
a spirit had he against the saints, and what havoc made he of them, being 
ready even to pull out their bowels ! And how came Paul by such tender 
bowels now towards them ? Who gave him now such tender affections ? 
Even Jesus Christ, it was he that of a lion made him a lamb. If therefore 
in Paul these bowels were not natural, but the contrary rather were natural 
to him, and yet they so abounded in him, and that naturally, as himself 
speaks, how much more must they needs abound in Christ, to whom they 
are native and inbred ? Or else, secondly, ' in the bowels,' is put for 
instar, ' like the bowels,' or ' after the bowels,' according to the analogy of 
the Hebrew phrase. And so then the meaning were this, like as the 
bowels of Jesus Christ do yearn after you, so do mine. ' Bowels ' are a 



118 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

metaphor to signify tender and motherly affections and mercies. So Luke 
i. 78, ' through the tender mercies.' In the original it is ' the bowels of 
mercy.' Thus Paul, when he would signify how tender his affections 
were, he instances in the bowels of Jesus Christ (he making Christ his 
pattern in this in all, ' Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ '). Now, 
how desirous was this great apostle to beget men to Christ ! He cared not 
what else he lost, so he might win some. He ' counted not his life dear,' 
nay, not his salvation dear, but ' wished himself accursed for his brethren,' 
who yet were the greatest enemies Christ then had on earth. How glad 
was he when any soul came in ! How sorry when any fell off ! Falling 
' into a new travail (he knew not how better to express the anxiety of his 
spirit for the Galatians), till Christ was formed in them.' How comforted 
was he when he heard tidings of the constancy and increase of any of their 
faith ! 1 Thes. hi. 6, 7 ; and ver. 8 he says, ' for now we live, if you stand 
fast in the Lord.' Bead all his epistles, and take the character of his 
spirit this way ; and when you have done, look up to Christ's human 
nature in heaven, and think with yourselves, ' Such a man is Christ.' 
Paul warbles out in all these strains of affections but the soundings of 
Christ's bowels in heaven, in a lower key. They are natural to Christ, 
they all and infinite more are eminent in him. And this is the second 
demonstration, taken from his own natural disposition as Son of God. 

3. A third demonstration shall be taken from the third person of the 
Trinity, the Holy Ghost. If the same Spirit that was upon him, and in 
him, when he was on earth, doth but still rest upon him now he is in 
heaven, then these dispositions must needs still entirely remain in him. 

This demonstration is made up of two propositions put together : (1.) 
That the Holy Ghost dwelling in him concurs to make his heart thus gra- 
ciously affected to sinners; and (2.) That the same Spirit dwells and con- 
tinues in and upon him for ever in heaven. 

(1.) For the first : It was the Spirit who overshadowed his mother, and, 
in the meanwhile, knit that indissoluble knot between our nature and the 
second person, and that also knit his heart unto us. It was the Spirit who 
sanctified him in the womb. It was the Spirit that rested on him above 
measure, and fitted him with a meek spirit for the works of his mediation ; 
and indeed for this very grace sake of meekness did the Spirit come more 
especially upon him. Therefore, when he was first solemnly inaugurated 
into that office, at his baptism (for then he visibly and professedly entered 
upon the execution of it), the Holy Ghost descended upon him ; and how ? 
As a dove ; so all the evangelists jointly report it. But why in the shape 
of a dove ? All apparitions that God at any time made of himself, were 
not so much to shew what God is in himself, as how he is affected towards 
us, and declare what effects he works in us. So here, this shape of a dove 
resting upon him was to shew those special gracious dispositions wherewith 
the Holy Ghost fitted Jesus Christ to be a Mediator. A dove, you know, 
is the most innocent and most meek creature, without gall, without talons, 
having no fierceness in it, expressing nothing but love and friendship to its 
mate in all its carriages, and mourning over it in its distresses ; and was 
therefore a fit emblem to express what a frame and temper of spirit the 
Holy Ghost did upon this his descending on him, fill the heart of Christ 
with, and this without measure, that as sweetly as doves do converse with 
doves, sympathising and mourning each over other, so may we with Christ, 
for he thus sympathiseth with us. And though he had the Spirit before, 
yet now he was anointed with him, in respect of such effects as these, which 



Part II. J unto sinners on earth. 119 

appertained to the execution of his offico, with a larger measure and moro 
eminently than before. Therefore the evangelist Luke notes upon it (chap, 
iv. 1), ' Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan.' And 
Peter also puts the like gloss upon it, as appears, Acts x. 37, for speaking 
there of the baptism of John, he shows how ' after that his being baptized, 
he began to preach,' and ' how God having anointed him with the Holy 
Ghost,' namely, at that baptism of his, 'he went about doing good,' &c. 
And that this was the principal thing signified by this descending of the 
Holy Ghost as a dove upon him, even chiefly to note out his meekness, and 
sympathising heart with sinners, wrought in him by the Holy Ghost, is 
evident by two places, where Christ himself puts that very intendment on it. 

The first presently after, in the first sermon that he preached after that 
his having received the Holy Ghost (in the same 4th of Luke), where first 
it is noted, ver. 1, that he returned from being baptized, ' full of the Spirit,' 
and so was led to be tempted ; then, ver. 14, it is said that he returned 
from being tempted, ' in the power of that Spirit,' and after this is explained 
by himself, the mystery of his having received the Spirit in the likeness of 
a dove, and this is the subject matter of the first text which he opened in 
his first sermon, singled out by him on purpose, by choice, not chance, out 
of Isaiah, which he read to them (ver. 18), ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon 
me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor,' that is, 
in spirit, the afflicted in conscience for sin ; ' he hath sent me to heal the 
broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering sight 
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,' &c. And when he 
had read so much as concerned the expressing the compassionate disposi- 
tion of his Spirit unto sinners, whose misery he sets down by all sorts of 
outward evils, then he reads no further, but closeth the book, as intimating 
that these were the main effects of that his receiving the Spirit. ' The 
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the 
gospel to the poor ; ' that is, for this end, or for this very purpose hath he 
given me his Spirit, because I was designed or anointed to this work, and 
by that Spirit also hath he anointed or qualified me with these gifts and 
dispositions suitable to that work. 

Another place that makes the fruit and end of his receiving the Spirit 
then at his baptism, to be these tender dispositions unto sinners, is that in 
Mat. xii. 18, 19, &c, out of another place in Isaiah, ' Behold my beloved, 
in whom my soul is well pleased ; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he 
shall shew judgments to the Gentiles,' &c. That seems to be a terrible 
word, but be not afraid of it, for by ' judgment ' is meant even the doctrine 
of free grace and of the gospel, that changeth and reforms men. As in 
like manner (according to the Hebrew phrase), in ver. 20, by judgment is 
meant the work of God's grace on men's hearts, when he says, ' He will 
send forth judgment unto victory,' the work of grace being the counterpart 
of the doctrine of grace. And in preaching this doctrine (which in itself is 
good tidings) the prophet shews how he should carry it with a spirit, answer- 
able and suitable thereunto, even full of all meekness, stillness, calmness, 
and modesty, which he expresseth by proverbial speeches usual in those 
times, to express so much by, ' He shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall 
any man hear his voice in the streets,' that is, he shall deal with all still- 
ness and meekness, without violence or boisterousness. John had the voice 
of a crier, he was a man of a severe spirit ; but Christ came ' piping and 
dancing,' all melodious sweetness was in his ministry and spirit ; and, in 
the course of his ministry, he went so tenderly to work, he was so heedful 



120 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

to broken souls, and had such regard to their discouragements, that it is 
said he would not ' break a bruised reed,' that is, he would set his steps 
with such heed as not to tread on a reed that was broken in the leaf ; or he 
would walk so lightly or softly, that if it lay in his way, though he went 
over it, yet he would not have further bruised it : nor quenched either by 
treading out ' the smoking flax,' which is easily done, or with any rushing 
motion have raised so much wind as to blow out a wick of a candle, as 
some translate it, smoking in the socket, which the least stirring of the air 
puffs out. All this is to express the tenderness of his heart ; and this, upon 
his receiving the Spirit, and especially from the time of his baptizing ; for 
then, you know, those words were together therewith uttered, ' This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;' and they are the same words also, 
which, together with God's giving him the Spirit, are joined in that 40th of 
Isaiah, whence these words are taken, so that he was filled with the Spirit, 
to that end to raise up in him such sweet affections towards sinners. 

(2.) Now, for the second part that goes to make up this demonstration: it 
is as certain that the same Spirit that was upon Christ, and acted * his spirit 
here below, doth still abide upon him in heaven. It must never be said, 
the Spirit of the Lord is departed from him, who is the sender and bestower 
of the Holy Ghost upon us. And if the Spirit once coming upon his mem- 
bers ' abide with them for ever,' as Christ promiseth, John xiv. 16, then 
much more doth this Spirit abide upon Christ the Head, from whom we all, 
since Christ was in heaven, receive that Spirit, and by virtue of which 
Spirit's dwelling in him, he continues to dwell in us. Therefore, of him 
it is said, Isa. xi. 2, ' The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.' Yea, 
and in that story of the Holy Ghost's descending upon him at his baptism, 
it is not only recorded, that ' he descended on him,' but over and above it 
is added, ' and abode upon him.' Yea, further, to put the greater emphasis 
upon it, it is twice repeated ; so John i. 32, ' I saw the Spirit' (says the 
evangelist) ' descending from heaven like a dove ;' and he adds this also as 
a further thing observed by him, • and it abode upon him.' And then 
again, ver. 33, ' I knew him not' (says he) ' but that he that sent me gave 
me this token to know him by, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit 
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he.' And further, as it 
is intimated there, he 'rested on him' to that end, that he might bap- 
tize us with the Holy Ghost unto the end of the world : ' The same 
(says he) is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.' He at first descends 
as a dove, and then abides as a dove for ever upon him ; and this dove 
itself came from heaven first. And therefore, certainty, now that Christ 
himself is gone to heaven, he abides and sits upon him much more as a 
dove still there. Moreover, let me add this, that although the Spirit rested 
on him here without measure in comparison of us, yet it may be safely said, 
that the Spirit, in respect of his effects in gifts of grace and glory, rests 
more abundantly on him in heaven, than he did on earth, even in the 
same sense that at his baptism, as was said, he rested on him in such 
respects more abundantly than he did before his baptism, during the time 
of his private life. For as when he came to heaven he was installed king 
and priest, as it were, anew, in respect of a new execution ; so, for the work 
to be done in heaven, he was anew anointed with this ' oil of gladness above 
his fellows,' as Ps. xlv. 7. Which place is meant of him especially as he is 
in heaven, at God's right hand, in fulness of joy ; as Ps. xvi. 11, it is also 
spoken of him, when also it is, that he ' goes forth in his majesty to con- 
* That is, ' actuated.'— Ed. 



Part II. J unto sinners on earth. 121 

quer,' as ver. 4 of that 45th Psalm. And yet, then, ' meekness' is not far 
off, but is made one of his dispositions in his height of glory. So it fol- 
lows in the fore-cited verse, ' In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of 
truth and meekness,' &c. Therefore Peter says, Acts ii. 36, that ' that 
same Jesus whom you (Jews) have crucified,' and who was risen and 
ascended, ' God hath made both Lord and Christ :' Lord, that is, hath exalted 
him as King in heaven ; and Christ, that is, hath also anointed him ; and 
this oil is no other than the Holy Ghost, with whom, the same Peter tells 
us, ho was anointed at his baptism, Acts x. 38. Yea, and because he then 
at once received the Spirit in the fullest measure that for ever he was to 
receive him, therefore it was that he shed him down on his apostles, and 
• baptized them with him' (as in that 2d of the Acts we read). Now 
it is a certain rule, that whatsoever we receive from Christ, that he himself 
first receives in himself for us. And so one reason why this oil ran then 
so plentifully down on the skirts of this our High Priest, that is, on his 
members the apostles and saints, and so continues to do unto this day, is 
because our High Priest and Head himself was then afresh anointed with 
it. Therefore, ver. 33 of that 2d of the Acts, Peter, giving an account 
how it came to pass that they were so filled with the Holy Ghost, says, 
that Christ ' having received from the Father the promise of the Holy 
Ghost, had shed him forth on them ;' which receiving is not to be only 
understood of his bare and single receiving the promise of the Holy Ghost 
for us, by having power then given him to shed him down upon them, as 
God had promised, though this is a true meaning of it ; but further, that he 
had received him first as poured forth on himself, and so shed him forth 
on them, according to that rule, that whatever God doth unto us by Christ, 
he first doth it unto Christ. All promises are made and fulfilled unto him 
first, and so unto us in him ; all that he bestows on us he receives in him- 
self. And this may be one reason why (as John vii. 39) ' the Spirit was 
not as yet given, because Jesus was not as yet glorified.' But now he is 
in heaven, he is said to ' have the seven spirits ;' so Rev. i. 3, which book 
sets him out as he is since he went to heaven. Now those seven spirits 
are the Holy Ghost, for so it must needs be meant, and not of any creature, 
as appears by the 4th verse of that chapter, where ' grace and peace are 
wished ' from the seven spirits ;' so called, in respect of the various effects 
of him both in Christ and us, though but one in person. And seven is a 
number of perfection, and is therefore there mentioned, to shew, that now 
Christ hath the Spirit in the utmost measure that the human nature is 
capable of. And as his knowledge (which is a fruit of the Spirit) since his 
ascension is enlarged — for before he knew not when the' day of judgment 
should be, but now when he wrote this book of the Revelation he did — so 
are his bowels (I speak of the human nature) extended ; all the mercies 
that God means to bestow being now actually to run through his hands, 
and his particular notice, and he to bestow them, not on the Jews only, 
but on Gentiles also, who were to be converted after he went to heaven. 
And so he hath now an heart adequate to God's own heart, in the utmost 
extent of shewing mercy unto any whom God hath intended it unto. 

And this is the third demonstration, from the Spirit's dwelling in him ; 
wherein you may help your faith, by an experiment of the Holy Ghost his 
dwelling in your own hearts, and there not only working in you meekness 
towards others, but pity towards yourselves, to get your souls saved ; and 
to that end, stirring up in you incessant and * unutterable groans' before 
the throne of grace, for grace and mercy. Now the same Spirit dwelling 



122 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

in Christ's heart in heaven, that doth in yours here, and always working 
in his heart first for you, and then in yours by commission from him ; rest 
assured, therefore, that that Spirit stirs up in him bowels of mercy infinitely 
larger towards you than you can have unto yourselves. 



A second sort of demonstrations, from severed engagements noiv lying upon 

Christ in heaven. 

II. There are a second sort of demonstrations, which may be drawn 
from many other several engagements continuing and lying upon Christ 
now he is in heaven, which must needs incline his heart towards us as 
much, yea more, than ever. As, 

1. The continuance of all those near and intimate relations and alliances 
unto us of all sorts, which no glory of his can make any alteration in, and 
therefore not in his heart and love, nor a declining any respects and offices 
of love, which such relations do call for at his hands. All relations that 
are natural, such as between father and child, husband and wife, brother 
and brother, &c, look what world they are made for, in that world they 
for ever hold, and can never be dissolved. These fleshly relations, indeed, 
do cease in that other world, because they were made only for this world ; 
as, ' the wife is bound to her husband but so long as he lives,' Rom. vii. 1. 
But these relations of Christ unto us were made in order to ' the world to 
come,' as the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it ; and therefore are in their 
full vigour and strength, and receive their completement therein. Where- 
fore it is that Christ is said to be ' the same to-day, yesterday, and for 
ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. To illustrate this by the constant and indissoluble tie 
of those relations of this world, whereto no difference of condition, whether 
of advancement or abasement, can give any discharge. We see in Joseph, 
when advanced, how as his relations continued, so his affections remained 
the same to his poor brethren, who yet had injured him, and also to his 
father. So Gen. xlv., where in the same speech he mentioneth both his 
own greatest dignities and advancement : ' God hath made me a father to 
Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of 
Egypt ;' so ver. 8, and yet withal he forge tteth not his relations, ' I am 
Joseph, your brother,' ver, 4, even the same man still. And his affections 
appeared also to be the same ; for he ' wept over them, and could not 
refrain himself,' as you have it, ver. 1,2. And the like he expresseth to 
his father, ' Go to my father, and say, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God 
hath made me lord over all Egypt,' ver. 9 (and yet thy son Joseph still). 

Take another instance, wherein there was but the relation of being of 
the same country and alliance, in Esther, when advanced to be queen of an 
hundred, twenty, and seven provinces ; who when she was in the arms of 
the greatest monarch on earth, and enjoyed highest favour with him, yet 
then she cries out, ' How can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto 
my people, or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred ! ' 
So chap. viii. 6. She considered but her relation, and how doth it work 
in her veins by a sympathy of blood ! Now much more doth this hold 
good of husband and wife, for they are in a nearer relation yet. Let tha 
wife have been one that was poor and mean, fallen into sickness, &c, and 
let the husband be as great and glorious as Solomon in all his royalty, all 
mankind would cry shame on such a man, if he should not now own his 
wife, and be a husband in all love and respect to her still. But beyond 



Part II. J unto sinners o « earth. 123 

all these relations, the relation of head and members, as it is most natural, 
so it obligeth most ; ' No man ever yet hated his own flesh,' says the 
apostle, though diseased and leprous, ' but lovcth and cherisheth it.' And 
it is the law of nature, that ' if one member be honoured, all the members 
are to rejoice with it,' 1 Cor. xii. 26 ; ' and if one member sutler, all the 
rest are to suffer with it.' ' Even so is Christ,' as ver. 12. And these 
relations are they that do move Christ to continue his love unto us. ' Jesus 
knowing that he was to depart out of this world, having loved his own who 
were in the world, he loved them unto the end,' John xiii. 1. And the 
reason thereof is put upon his relation to them : they were ' his own,' and 
his own by virtue of all relations whatsoever, his own brethren, his own 
spouse, his own flesh ; and ' the very world will love its own,' as himself 
speaks, much more will he himself love his own. ' He that provides not 
for his own family is worse than an infidel,' says the apostle. Now though 
Christ be in heaven, yet his people are his family still ; they are retainers 
to him, though they be on earth, and this as truly as those that stand about 
his person now he is in his glory. So that speech evidently declares, ' Of 
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named ;' they all together 
make up but one and the same family to him as their Lord. Christ is 
both the founder, the subject, and the most perfect exemplar and pattern 
to us, of the relations that are found on earth. 

(1.) First, he is the founder of all relations and affections that accom- 
pany them both in nature and grace. As therefore the Psalmist argues — 
', Shall he not see who made the eye ? — so do I. Shall not he who put all 
these affections into parents and brothers, suitable to their relations, shall 
not he have them much more in himself ? Though our father Abraham, 
being in heaven, ' be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not, yet, O 
Lord, thou art our Father, and our Redeemer,' &c, Isa. xxxvi. 16. The 
prophet speaks it of Christ, as appears by verses 1 and 2, and in a prophecy 
of the Jews' call ; and he speaks it of Christ, as supposed in heaven, for he 
adds, ' Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy 
holiness and thy glory.' There are but two things that should make him 
to neglect sinners : his holiness, as they are sinners, and his glory, as they 
are mean and low creatures. Now he there mentions both, to shew that 
notwithstanding either as they are sinners he rejects them not, and as they 
are base and mean, he despiseth them not. 

(2.) He is the subject of all relations, which no creature is. If a man be 
a husband, yet not a father, or a brother ; but Christ is all, no one relation 
being sufficient to express his love, wherewith he loveth and owneth us. 
And therefore he calls his church both sister and spouse, Cant. v. 1. 

(3.) He is the pattern and exemplar of all these our relations, and they 
all are but the copies of his. Thus, in Eph. v., Christ is made the pattern 
of the relation and love of husbands. ' Husbands,' says the apostle, ' love 
your wives, as Christ loved his church,' so ver. 25. Yea, verses 31, 32, 33, 
the marriage of Adam, and the very words he then spake of cleaving to a 
wife, are made but the types and shadows of Christ's marriage to his church. 
Herein I speak, says he, ' concerning Christ and the church, and this is a 
great mystery.' First, a mystery ; that is, this marriage of Adam was 
ordained hiddenly, to represent and signify Christ's marriage with his 
church. And secondly, it is a great mystery, because the thing thereby 
signified is in itself so great, that this is but a shadow of it. And there- 
fore all those relations, and the affections of them, and the effects of those 
affections, which you see and read to have been in men, are all, and were 



c 

124 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PaRT II. 

ordained to be, as all things else in this world are, but shadows of what is 
in Christ, who alone is the truth and substance of all similitudes in nature, 
as well as the ceremonial types. 

If, therefore, no advancement doth or ought to alter such relations in 
men, then not in Christ. ' He is not ashamed to call us brethren,' as Heb. 
ii. 11. And yet the apostle had just before said of him, ver. 9, ' We see 
Jesus crowned with glory and honour.' Yea, and as when one member 
suffers the rest are touched with a sympathy, so is it with Christ. Paul 
persecuted the saints, the members, and ' Why persecutest thou me ?' cries 
the Head in heaven ; the foot was trodden on, but the Head felt it, though 
• crowned with glory and honour.' ' We are flesh of his flesh, and bone of 
his bone,' Eph. v. 30 ; and therefore as Esther said, so says Christ, ' How 
can I endure to see the evil that befalls my people ? ' If a husband hath 
a wife that is mean, and he become a king, it were his glory, and not his 
shame, to advance her ; yea, it were his shame to neglect her, especially if, 
when the betrothment was first made, she was then rich and glorious, and 
a king's daughter, but since that fallen into poverty and misery. Now, 
Christ's spouse, though now she be fallen into sin and misery, yet when 
she was first given to Christ by God the Father, who from all eternity made 
the match, she was looked upon as all glorious ; for in election at first 
both Christ and we were by God considered in that glory which he means 
to bring him and us unto at last, that being first in God's intention, 
which is last in execution. For God at the beginning doth look at the 
end of his works, and at what he means to make them ; and so he then, 
primitively intending to make us thus glorious, as we shall be, he brought 
and presented us to his Son in that glass of his decrees under that face 
of glory wherewith at last he meant to endow us. He shewed us to 
him as appareled with all those jewels of grace and glory which we shall 
wear in heaven. He did this then, even as he brought Eve unto Adam, 
whose marriage was in all the type of this ; so that as this was the first 
idea that God took us up in, and that we appeared in before him, so also 
wherein he presented us then to Christ, and as it were said, Such a wife 
will I give thee ; and as such did the second person marry us, and 
undertook to bring us to that estate. And that God ordained us thus to 
fall into sin and misery was but to illustrate the story of Christ's love, 
and thereby to render this our lover and husband the more glorious in 
his love to us, and to make this primitive condition whereunto God meant 
again to bring us the more eminently illustrious ; and, therefore, we being 
married unto him, when we were thus glorious in God's first intention, 
although in his decrees about the execution of this, or the bringing us 
to this glory, we fall into meanness and misery before we attain to it, 
yet the marriage still holds. Christ took us to run the same fortune with 
us, and that we should do the like with him ; and hence it was, that we 
being fallen into sin, and so our flesh become frail and subject to infir- 
mities, that he therefore ' took part of the same,' as Heb. ii. 14. And 
answerably on the other side, he being now advanced to the glory ordained 
for him, he can never rest till he hath restored us to that beauty wherein at 
first we were presented to him, and till he hath purged and ' cleansed us, 
that so he may present us to himself a glorious church,' as you have it, 
Eph. v. 26, 27, even such as in God's first intention we were shewn to him 
to become, having that native and original beauty, and possessing that estate, 
wherein he looked upon us when he first took liking to us and married us. This 
is argued there from this very relation of his being our husband^ver. 25, 26 ; 



Part II.] unto sinners on earth. 125 

and, therefore, though Christ be now in glory, yet let not that discourage 
you, for he hath the heart of a husband towards you, being ' betrothed unto 
you for ever in faithfulness and in lovingkindness,' as Hos. ii. 19, and the 
idea of that beauty is so imprinted on his heart, which from everlasting was 
ordained 3 r ou, that he will never cease to sanctify and to cleanse you till he 
hath restored you to that beauty which once he took such a liking of. 

A second engagement. This love of his unto us is yet further increased 
by what he both did and suffered for us here on earth before he went to 
heaven. ' Having loved his own ' so far as to die for them, he will cer- 
tainly ' love them unto the end,' even to eternity. We shall find in all 
sorts of relations, both spiritual and natural, that the having done much for 
any beloved of us doth beget a further care and love towards them ; and 
the like effect those eminent sufferings of Christ for us have certainly pro- 
duced in him. We may see this in parents, for besides that natural affec- 
tion planted in mothers towards their children, as they are theirs, the very 
pains, hard labour, and travail they were at in bringing them forth, increaseth 
their affections towards them, and that in a greater degree than fathers 
bear ; and, therefore, the eminency of affection is attributed unto that cf 
the mother towards her child, and put upon this, that it is ' the son of her 
womb,' Isa. xh'x. 15. And then the performing of that office and work of 
nursing them themselves, which yet it is done with much trouble and dis- 
quietment, doth in experience yet more endear those their children unto 
them, which they so nurse to an apparent difference of bowels and love, in 
comparison of that which they put forth to others of their own children 
which they nursed not ; and, therefore, in the same place of Isaiah, as 
the mother's affection to ' the son of her womb,' so to her ' sucking child ' 
is mentioned as being the highest instance of such love. And as thus 
in paternal affection, so also in conjugal, in such mutual loves in the 
pursuing of which there have any difficulties or hardships been encountered ; 
and the more those lovers have suffered the one for the other, the more 
is the edge of their desires whetted and their love increased, and the 
party for whom they suffered is thereby rendered the more dear unto them. 

And as it is thus in these natural relations, so also in spiritual. We 
may see it in holy men, as in Moses, who was a mediator for the Jews, 
as Christ is for us, Moses therein being but Christ's type and shadow, 
and therefore I the rather instance in him. He under God had been 
the deliverer of the people of Israel out of Egypt with the hazard of his 
own life, and had led them in the wilderness, and given them that good 
law that was their wisdom in the sight of all the nations, and by his 
prayers kept off God's wrath from them. And who ever, of all those heroes 
we read of, did so much for any nation, who yet were continually mur- 
muring at him, and had like once to have stoned him ? And yet what 
he had done for them did so mightily engage his heart, and so immovably 
point and fix it unto their good, that although God in his wrath against 
them offered to make of him alone a greater and mightier nation than 
they were, yet Moses refused that offer, the greatest that ever any son of 
Adam was tempted with, and still went on to intercede for them, and, 
among other, used this very argument to God, even the consideration of 
what he had already done for them, as ' with •what great might and 
power he had brought them out of Egypt,' &c, thereby to move God to 
continue his goodness unto them ; so Exod. xxxii. 11, and elsewhere. 
And this overcame God, as you may read in the 14th verse of the fore- 
named chapter. Yea, so set was Moses his heart upon them, that he not 



126 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

only refused that former offer which God made him, but he made an offer 
unto God of himself to sacrifice his portion in life for their good: ' Rather,' 
says he, ' blot me out of the book of life.' So ver. 32. 

And we may observe the like zealous love in holy Paul, towards all those 
converts of his whom in his epistles he wrote unto ; towards whom that 
which so much endeared his affections was the pains, the cost, the travail, 
the care, and the sufferings that he had had in bringing them unto Christ. 
Thus, towards the Galatians how solicitous was he ! how afraid to lose his 
labour on them ! ' I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you 
labour in vain :' so he expresseth himself, Gal. iv. 11 ; and, ver. 19, he 
utters himself yet more deeply, « My little children (says he), of whom I 
again travail in birth, until Christ be formed in you.' He professeth him- 
self content to be in travail again for them, rather than lose that about 
which he had been in travail for them once before. 

Now from both these examples, whereof the one was Christ's type, and 
the other the very copy and pattern of Christ's heart, we may raise up our 
hearts to the persuasion of that love and affection which must needs be in 
the heart of Christ, from that which he hath done and suffered for us. 

First, for Moses ; did Moses ever do that for that people which Christ 
hath done and suffered for you ? He acknowledged that he had ' not borne 
that people in his womb ;' but Christ bare us all, and we were the ' travail 
of his soul,' and for us he endured the birth-throes of death (as Peter caUs 
them, Acts ii. 24). And then for Paul, ' Was Paul crucified for you ? ' (says 
Paul likewise of himself). But Christ was, and he speaks it the more to 
enhance the love of Christ. Or if Paul had been crucified, would or could 
it have profited us ? No. If therefore Paul was contented to have been 
in travail again for the Galatians, when he feared their falling away, then 
how doth Christ's heart work much more toward sinners ! he having put 
in so infinite a stock of sufferings for us already, which he is loath to lose, 
and hath so much love to us besides, that if we could suppose that other- 
wise we could not be saved, he could be content to be in travail again, 
and to suffer for us afresh. But he needed to do this but once, as the 
apostle to the Hebrews speaks, so perfect was his priesthood. Be assured 
then, that his love was not spent or worn out at his death, but increased by 
it. His love it was that caused him to die, and to ' lay down his life for 
his sheep ;' and 'greater love than this hath no man,' said himself before 
he did it. But now, having died, this must needs cause him from his soul 
to cleave the more unto them. 

A cause or a person that a man hath suffered much for, according to 
the proportion of his sufferings, is one's love and zeal thereunto ; for these do 
lay a strong engagement upon a man, because otherwise he loseth the thanks 
and the honour of all that is already done and passed by him. ' Have you 
suffered so many things in vain ? ' says the apostle to the Galatians, 
chap. hi. 4, where he makes a motive and an incitement of it, that 
seeing they had endured so much for Christ, and the profession of 
him, they would not now lose all for want of doing a little more. And 
doth not the same disposition remain in Christ ? Especially seeing the 
hard work is over and despatched which he was to do on earth ; and that 
which now remains for him to do in heaven is far more sweet and full of 
glory, and as the ' reaping in joy,' of what he had here 'sown in tears.' If 
his love was so great, as to hold out the enduring so much ; then now 
when that brunt is over, and his love is become a tried love, will it not 
continue ? If when tried in adversity (and that is the surest and strongest 



Part II. j unto sinners on eartii. 127 

love), and the greatest adversity that ever was ; if it then held, will it not 
still do so in his prosperity much more ? Did his heart stick to us and 
by us in the greatest temptation that ever was ; and will his glorious and 
prosperous estate take it off, or abate his love unto us ? Certainly no. 
' Jesus the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. When he 
was in the midst of his pains, one for whom he was then a-suffering, said 
unto him, ' Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;' and 
could Christ mind him then ? as you know he did, telling him, ' This day 
shalt thou bo with me in paradise.' Then surely when Christ came to para- 
dise he would do it much more ; and remember him too, by the surest 
token that ever was, and which he can never forget, namely, the pains 
which he was then enduring for him. He remembers both them and us 
still, as the prophet speaks of God. And if he would have us ' remember 
his death till he comes,' so to cause our hearts to love him, then certainly 
himself doth it in heaven much more. No question but he remembers us, 
as he promised to do that good thief, now he is in his kingdom. And so 
much for this second engagement. 

A third engagement is the engagement of an office which still lies upon 
him, and requires of him all mercifulness and graciousness towards sinners 
that do come unto him. And therefore whilst he continue in that place, 
and invested with that office, as he for ever doth, his heart must needs 
continue full of tenderness and bowels. Now that office is the office of his 
priesthood, which this text mentions as the foundation of our encourage- 
ment to ' come boldly to the throne of grace, for grace and mercy, .... 
seeing we have a great high priest entered into the heavens.' 

Two things I am to shew to make up this demonstration. 

First, that this office of high priesthood is an office erected wholly for 
the shewing of grace and mercy. 

And secondly, that this office doth therefore lay upon Christ a duty to be 
in all his dispensations full of grace and mercy, and therefore his heart 
remains most certainly suited and framed thereunto. 

For the first. The office of high priesthood is altogether an office of 
grace. And I may call it the pardon-office, set up and erected by God in 
heaven; and Christ he is appointed the lord and master of it. And as his 
kingly office is an office of power and dominion, and his prophetical office 
an office of knowledge and wisdom, so his priestly office is an office of 
grace and mercy. The high priest's office did properly deal in nothing else. 
If there had not been a mercy- seat in the holy of holies, the high priest had 
not at all been appointed to have gone into it. It was mercy, and recon- 
ciliation, and atonement for sinners that he was to treat about, and so to 
officiate for at the mercy-seat. He had had otherwise no work, nor any- 
thing to do when he should come into the most holy place. Now this was 
but a typical allusion unto this office of Christ's in heaven. And therefore 
the apostle (in the text), when he speaks of this our high priest's being 
entered into heaven, he makes mention of a throne of grace, and this in 
answer to that in the type both of the high priest of old, and of the mercy- 
seat in the holy of holies. And further to confirm this, the apostle goes 
on to open that very type, and to apply it unto Christ, unto this very pur- 
pose which we have now in hand. And this in the very next words to my text, 
chapter v. 1st, 2d, and 3d verses ; in which he gives a full description of 
a high priest, and all the properties and requisites that were to be in 
him, together with the eminent and principal end that that office was 
ordained for. Now the great and essential qualifications there specified, 



128 THE HEAET OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

that were to be in a high priest, are mercy and grace, and the ends for 
which he is there said to be ordained are works of mercy and grace. And 
besides what the words in their single standing do hold forth to this pur- 
pose, observe that they come in to back and confirm that exhortation in the 
text, wherein he had set forth Christ as an ' high priest touched with the 
feeling of infirmities : ' and that therefore we should ' come with boldness 
for grace and mercy ;' ' for every high priest (says he) taken from among 
men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God : that he may offer 
both gifts and sacrifices for sin.' ' One who can have compassion,' &c. 
So that these words are a confirmation of what he had before said, and do 
set out Christ the substance, in his grace and mercifulness, under Aaron and 
his sons the shadows ; and all this for the comfort of believers. 

Now for the ends for which those high priests were appointed, they speak 
all nothing but grace and mercy unto sinners ; it is said, he was one ' or- 
dained for men, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.' There is both 
the Jin is at jus, the end for whom, and the finis cut, the end for which, he 
was ordained. 

(1.) For whom. He was ordained for men, that is, for men's cause, and 
for their good. Had it not been for the salvation of men, God had never 
made Christ a priest. So that he is wholly to employ all his interest and 
power for them for whose cause he was ordained a priest, and that in all 
things that are between God and them. He is to transact ra ir^hg rhv Qsbv, 
all things that are to be done by us towards God, or for us with God, he is 
to take up all our quarrels with God, and to mediate a reconciliation between 
us and him. He is to procure us all favour from God, and to do all that 
which God would have done for our salvation. And that he might do this 
willingly, kindly, and naturally for us, as every high priest was ' taken from 
among men,' so was Christ, that he might be a priest of our own kind, 
and so be more kind unto us, than the nature of an angel could have been. 
And how much this conduceth to his being a merciful high priest, I shall 
shew anon. 

(2.) The end for which every high priest was ordained, shews this ; he 
was to ' offer gifts and sacrifices for sins : ' sacrifices for sins, to pacify God's 
wrath against sin, and gifts to procure his favour. You know the apostle, 
in the foregoing words, had mentioned grace and mercy, and encouraged us 
to come with boldness unto this high priest for both ; and answerably to 
encourage us the more, he says, the high priest by his office was to offer 
for both : gifts for to procure all grace, and sacrifices to procure all mercy 
for us, in respect of our sins. Thus you see the ends which he is ordained 
for are all matter of grace and mercy, and so of encouragement unto men 
for the obtaining of both, verse 1. 

(3.) The qualification that was required in a high priest was, that he 
should be ' one that could have compassion,' &c, and this is set forth, verse 2. 
He that was high priest was not chosen into that office for his deep wis- 
dom, great power, or exact holiness ; but for the mercy and compassion 
that was in him. That is it which is here made the special, and therefore 
the only mentioned, property in a high priest as such ; and the special 
essential qualification that was inwardly and internally to constitute him 
and fit him for that office : as God's appointment did outwardly and exter- 
nally, as verse 4 hath it. And the word dwdpsvog, ' that can ' or 'is 
able,' imports an inward faculty, a spirit, a disposition, a heart that knows 
how to be compassionate. And it is the same word that the apostle had 
before used to express Christ's heart by, even in the wordsof the text, 



Part II.] unto sinners on babth. 129 

duvd/Aivov e-jij.'radrjaui, that is, ' who can be touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities.' And he had also used it of him afore that, in the point of 
mercy, chap. ii. 18, Buvarat, &c, ' he is able' to succour, etc., which is not 
meant of any external power (which we usually call ability), but of an in- 
ternal touch in his will ,• he hath a heart able to forgive, and to ail'ord help. 

Now, therefore, if this be so essential a property to a high priest as 
such, then it is in Christ most eminently. And as Christ had not been 
fit to have been God's king, if he had not had all power and strength in 
him, which is essential to constitute him a king, so not to have been God's 
high priest, if he had not had such an heart for mercifulness ; yea, and no 
louger to have been a priest than he should continue to have such a heart. 
Even as that which internally qualifies a minister for the ministry is his 
gifts, ' which if he loseth, he is no longer to be in that office ; or as rea- 
son makes a man a man, which if he loseth he becomes a beast ; thus no 
longer should Christ continue to be a priest than he hath a heart that 
' can have compassion,' as this second verse hath it. And the word which 
we translate ' to have compassion,' is exceeding emphatical, and the force 
of it observable ; it is in the original /uroio-rahTv, and signifies ' to have 
compassion according to every one's measure and proportion.' He had said 
of Christ in the words of my text, that he was ' touched with the feeling of 
our infirmities,' or that ' he had a suffering with us in all our evils ; ' and 
this word also here used imports a suffering. 

But then, some greatly distressed souls might question thus : Though he 
pities me, and is affected, yet my misery and sins being great, will he take them 
in to the full, lay them to heart, to pity me according to the greatness of 
them ? To meet with this thought therefore, and to prevent even this 
objection about Christ's pity, the apostle sets him out by what was the duty 
of the high priest, who was his shadow ; that he is one that ' can have 
compassion according to the measure of every one's distress ;' and one that 
considers every circumstance in it, and will accordingly afford his pity and 
help, and if it be great, he hath a great fellow-feeling of it, for he is a great 
high priest. Thy misery can never exceed his mercy. The word here 
used comes froni /jbtrgov, a measure, and vafoTv, to suffer. And that it is 
the apostle's scope to hold this forth in this word, is evident by what follows, 
for he on purpose makes mention of those several degrees, proportions, and 
ranks of sinners under the old law, who were capable of mercy and com- 
passion, 'who can have compassion' (says he) 'on the ignorant, and on 
them that are out of the way.' In the old law you may read of several 
degrees and kinds of sinners, for which God appointed or measured out 
difi'ering and proportionable sacrifices, Lev. iv. ver. 2 and 5, and another 
for sins against knowledge, or such as were wittingly committed, chap. vi. 
ver. 2, 3, compared with ver. 6. Now when any sinner came to the high 
priest to make atonement for him, the priest was wisely to consider the 
kind and proportion of his sin ; as whether it were a sin of mere ignorance, 
or whether it were against knowledge ; and accordingly he was to proportion 
a sacrifice, and to mediate for him. And so he did (urgimra^v, ' pity him 
according to measure,' or according to reason or discretion, as in the 
margin it is varied. And therefore the apostle here mentions both the 
ignorant, that is, those that sin out of mere ignorance, and them that are 
gone out of the way, namely, by wilful and witting iniquity. And so by 
this property that was to be in the high priest, doth he here set forth Christ. 
As the measure of any man's need and distress is from sin and misery, 
accordingly is he affected towards him. And as we have sins of several 

vol. rv. j 



130 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART II. 

sizes, accordingly hath he mercies, and puts forth a mediation proportion- 
able ; whether they be ignorances, or sins of daily incursion, or else sins 
more gross and presumptuous. And therefore let neither of them discourage 
any from coming unto Christ for grace and mercy. 

So that (for the closure of this) here is both the qualification disposing 
him for this office, merciful compassionateness ; and here ai'e the ends of 
this office, even to deal mercifully with all sorts of sinners, according to the 
proportion and measure of their sins and miseries. From each of which do 
arise these corollaries, which make up the demonstration in hand, as the 
conclusion: 1. That he is no longer fit for this place, than he continues 
to be of a gracious disposition, and one that can have compassion. 2. That 
he can no longer be faithful in the discharge of this office, according to the 
ends for which it was appointed, than he shews all grace and mercy unto 
them that come unto his throne of grace for it. 

And that is the second thing which I at first propounded : that this office 
did lay a duty upon him to have compassion ; and it necessarily follows 
from the former. And answerably to confirm this, we have both these two 
brought to our hands in one place together, and which is a parallel place 
to this last interpreted. It is Heb. ii. 17, ' That he might be a merciful 
and a faithful high priest,' &c. He is at once here said to be both merciful 
and faithful ; and both are attributed to him, in respect of this high priest's 
office, ' faithful high priest ; ' and that, as it is to be executed in heaven, 
after the days of his flesh ended. For the apostle giving the reason of it, 
and shewing what it is that fits him to be such a high priest, adds, ver. 
28, • in that himself hath suffered ; ' so that it relates to the time aiter his 
sufferings ended. Now in that he is said to be merciful, this relates to that 
internal disposition of his heart, before spoken of, qualifying him for this 
office ; and in that he is said to be faithful, that respects his execution of 
it ; he is faithful in the discharge of the duty which that plaeie laj'S on him. 

So then this goes further than the former, for it shews, that to exercise 
mercy is the duty of his place, and that, if he will be faithful, he must be 
merciful. For faithfulness in any office, imports an exact performance of 
something appointed by him, who designs one to that office, and that as a 
duty ; and that this is a true description of faithfulness, and also that this 
faithfulness so described is in Christ, we have at once implied, in that which 
immediately follows in the beginning of the 3d chap. ver. 3, 'Who was' 
(says the apostle, going on to speak of Christ) ' faithful to him that 
appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house ; ' we have the 
same thing as expressly spoken in that fore-quoted place, Heb. v., in the 
next words to those we even now opened, ver. 3, ' And by reason hereof 
he ought to offer for sins.' He speaks it of Christ's type, the high priest 
(as the former also he had done), but thereby to shew that it is Christ's 
duty also to mediate for all that come to him, ' He ought to do it.' Now 
then to enforce this consideration, for the help of our faith herein. If this 
office doth by God's appointment thus bind him to it, and if it be the duty 
of his place, then certainly he will perform it most exactly, for else he doth 
not do his duty. And our comfort may be, that his faithfulness lies in 
being merciful ; therefore, you see, they are both here joined together. 
Every one is to do the proper duty of his place, and exactly to see to that. 
And therefore the apostle, Rom. xii., exhorting to the discharge of the duties 
of each office in the church, ver. 7, he says, ' Let him that hath a ministry,' 
committed to him, ' wait on his ministry ; ' and, among others, if his place 
of ministration be to ' shew mercy,' as ver. 8 (which was an office in the 



Part II.] unto sinners on earth. 131 

church, upon which lay tho caro of the poor and rick), ho is to ' do it with 
cheerfulness.' And so says Christ of himself, Isa. lxi. 1,2, ' The Spirit of 
tho Lord is upon me, to bind up the broken-hearted, to open the prison 
doors to them that are bound,' to visit and relieve them, and ' to preach 
good tidings to the meek.' Such kind of souls are they that he hath the 
charge of. He is the great shepherd and bishop of souls, 1 Peter ii. 25, 
and the sick, and the broken, they are his sheep, his charge, his diocese, 
as Ezekiel hath it, chap, xxxiv. 16. And to tend such as these, he looks 
for ever upon it as his duty, as his own expression upon the like occasion 
importeth, in John x. 16, ' Other sheep I have' (says Christ), ' them I must 
bring,' &c. Observe how he puts a /xe ou, an / must upon it ; looking at it 
as his duty, strictly laid upon him by his place of being a shepherd. And 
the proper duty of his place being to shew merey, he doth it with cheer- 
fulness, as the apostle speaks. For mercy makes one do what they do 
with cheerfulness. And Christ, as he is the bishop, so the didxovoi, Ihe 
deacon also (for he bears all offices to his church), as of the circumcision, 
so of the uncircumcision also ; so he is called, Rom. xv. 8. And these 
offices of high priest, shepherd, bishop, &c, he hath still in heaven; for 
* he continues a priest for ever,' Heb. vii. 24. 

Now, therefore, to conclude this head. Never fear that Christ's great 
advancement in heaven should any whit alter his disposition ; for this his 
very advancement engageth him the more. For although he be ' entered 
into the heavens,' yet consider withal that it is here added, to be an high 
priest there ; and so long fear not, for his place itself will call for mercy 
from him unto them that treat with him about it. And although in the 
heavens he be ' advanced far above all principalities and powers,' yet still 
his high priesthood goes with him, and accompanies him ; for • such an 
high priest became us, as was higher than the heavens,' Heb. vii. 26. And 
further, though he sits at God's right hand, and. on his Father's throne, yet 
that throne it is a ' throne of grace,' as the text hath it, upon which he sits. 
And as the mercy-seat in the type was the farthest and highest thing in the 
holy of holies, so the throne of grace (which is an infinite encouragement 
unto us) is the highest seat in heaven, So that if Christ will have and 
keep the greatest place in heaven, the highest preferment that heaven itself 
can bestow upon him, it engageth him unto grace and mercy. The highest 
honour there hath this attribute of grace annexed to it in its very title, ' A 
throne of grace ; ' and as Solomon says, ' A king's throne is established by 
righteousness,' it continues firm by it, so is Christ's throne by grace. 
Grace was both the first founder of his throne, or his raiser to it, and also 
it is the establisher of it. 

First, it is the founder of it ; for the reason why God did set him up in 
that place was, because he had more grace and mercy in his heart than 
all the creatures had, or could be capable of. All favourites are usually 
raised for something that is eminent in them, either beauty, pleasantness of 
wit, state policy, or the like. Now if you ask what moved God to advance 
Christ to this high throne, it was his grace. So Ps. xlv. 3, ' Grace is 
poured into thy lips,' and so dwells much more in his heart : • therefore 
God hath blessed thee ;' so it follows, namely, with all those glories in heaven, 
which are God's blessings to his Son. 

And then, secondly, grace is the upholder of his throne ; so ver. 4 of the 
aforesaid Ps. xlv., ' In thy majesty . . . prosper thou,' as well ' because of 
meekness' as of ' righteousness,' and also because of ' truth ;' that is, the 
word of truth, ' the gospel of our salvation,' as Paul exegetically expoundcth 



132 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN PaRT II. 

it, Eph. i. 13. These are the pillars and supporters of his throne and 
majesty. And there are two of them, ) r ou see, that are of grace (meekness, 
and the gospel of our salvation), unto one of justice, or righteousness, and 
yet that one is for us too. And these establish Christ's throne. So it fol- 
lows, ver. 6, ' Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever,' and you know who 
applies this unto Christ, Heb. i. 8. Fear not then, whenas meekness sup- 
ports his majesty, and grace his throne, and whenas he holds his place by 
shewing these. And thus much from that office that is laid upon Christ as 
he is a priest. 

A fourth engagement, which added to the former may mightily help our 
faith in this, is, his own interest, both in that our salvation is the purchase 
of his blood, and also that his own joy, comfort, happiness, and glory are 
increased and enlarged by his shewing grace and mercy, in pardoning, re- 
lieving, and comforting his members here on earth, under all their infirmi- 
ties. So that, besides the obligation of an office undertaken by him for us, 
there is the addition of a mighty interest of his own, coincident therewith, 
to fix his heart unto faithfulness for us, in all that doth concern us. We 
see that advocates and attorneys who plead for others, although that they 
have no share in the estate for which they plead, no title to, or interest 
therein, yet when they have undertaken a client's cause (if honest), how 
diligent will they be to promote and carry it for that their client, simply 
because it is their office, and the duty of their place ; and yet the}* have but 
a very small fee given them, in comparison of that estate which ofttimes 
they follow suit about. How much more would their diligence be whetted, 
if the lands and estates they sue for were then* own, or a purchase of theirs 
for their wives' jointure, or children's portions ! Now such is the pardon- 
ing of our sins, the salvation of our souls, and the conforming of our hearts 
unto Christ ; these are the purchase of Christ's blood, and whilst he is 
exercised in promoving these, he doth good to his own child and spouse, 
&c, which is in effect a doing good unto himself. Yea, to do these, bringeth 
in to himself more comfort and glory than it procures to them. And 
therefore the apostle, in the beginning of the following chapter (namely, 
Heb. hi.), says, that Christ is engaged to faithfulness in the execution of 
his office, not as a mere servant only, who is betrusted by his master, but 
as an owner, who hath an interest of possession in the things committed 
to his care, and a revenue from these. So ver. 5, ' Moses verily' (says he) 
' was faithful as a servant in God's house, but Christ as a Son over his own 
house,' that is, as an heir of all, ' whose house (or family) are we,' says the 
apostle, ver. 6 ; If a physician for his fee will be faithful, although he be a 
stranger, much more will he be so if he be father to the patient, so as his 
own life and comfort are bound up in that of the child's, or when much of 
his estate and comings in are from the life of the party unto whom he minis- 
ters physic. In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost, 
and to lack no cordials that will comfort them, no means that will cure 
them and keep them healthful, and no fit diet tbat may nourish and 
strengthen them ; as the care of that prince of the eunuchs, in the first of 
Daniel, was, to have those children committed to his charge, to eat and 
drink of the best, because that on their looks and good liking his place 
depended. Now so God hath ordered it, even for an everlasting obliga- 
tion of Christ's heart unto us, that his giving grace, mercy, and comfort to 
us, is one great part of his glory, and 01 the revenue of his happiness in 
heaven, and of his inheritance there. 

First, to explain how this may be, consider, That the human nature of 



Part II. unto sinners on earth. 188 

Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory, happiness and delight ; 
one on that mere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other 
persons, through his personal union with the Godhead. Which joy of his 
in this fellowship, Christ himself speaks of, Ps. xvi. 11, as to be enjoyed 
by him, ' In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand are plea- 
sures for evermore.' And this is a constant and settled fulness of pleasure, 
such as admits not any addition or diminution, but is always one and the 
same, and absolute and entire in itself ; and of itself alone sufficient for the 
Son of God, and heir of all things to live upon, though he should have had 
no other comings in of joy and delight from any creature. And this is his 
natural inheritance. 

But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory, and a revenue 
of pleasure to come in another way, and answerably another fulness, namely, 
from his church and spouse, which is his body. Thus Eph. i., when the 
apostle had spoken the highest things of Christ's personal advancement in 
heaven that could be uttered, as of his ' sitting down at God's right hand, 
far above all principalities and powers,' &c, verses 20, 21 ; yet, ver. 22, he 
adds this unto all, ' and gave him to be an head to the church, which is 
his body, the fulness of him who filleth all in all.' So that although he of 
himself personally be so full, the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, 
that he overflows to the filling all things ; yet he is pleased to account — 
and it is so in the reality — his church, and the salvation of it, to be another 
fulness unto him, super-added unto the former. As Son of God he is com- 
plete, and that of himself ; but as an head, he yet hath another additional 
fulness of joy from the good and happiness of his members. And as all plea- 
sure is the companion, and the result of action, so this ariseth unto him, 
from his exercising acts of grace, and from his continual doing good unto, 
and for those his members ; or, as the apostle expresseth it, from his filling 
them with all mercy, grace, comfort, and felicity, himself becoming yet 
more full, by filling them ; and this is his inheritance also, as that other 
was. So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon : one personal, 
and due unto him, as he is the Son of God, the first moment of his incar- 
nation, ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation ; 
another acquired, purchased, and merited by his having performed that 
great service and obedience ; and, certainly, besides the glory of his person, 
there is the glory of his office of mediatorship, and of headship to his church. 
And though he is never so full of himself, yet he despiseth not this part of 
his revenue that comes in from below. Thus much for explication. 

Now, secondly, for the confirmation and making up the demonstration 
in hand. This superadded glory and happiness of Christ is enlarged and 
increased still, as his members come to have the purchase of his death 
more and more laid forth upon them ; so as when their sins are pardoned, 
their hearts more sanctified, and their spirits comforted, then comes he to 
see the fruit of his labour, and is comforted thereby, for he is the more 
glorified by it, yea, he is much more pleased and rejoiced in this than 
themselves can be. And this must needs keep up in his heart his care 
and love unto his children here below, to water and refresh them every 
moment (as Isaiah speaks, chap, xxvii. 3). For in thus putting forth acts 
of grace and favour, and in doing good unto them, he doth but good unto 
himself, which is the surest engagement in the world. And therefore the 
apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground, that in so 
doing they love themselves : ' So ought men to love their wives, as their 
own bodies : he that loveth his wife loveth himself,' Eph. v. 28, so strict 



134 THE HEAET Of CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PaBT II. 

and near is that relation. Now, the same doth hold true of Christ in his 
loving his church. And therefore in the same place the love of Christ 
unto his church is held forth as the pattern and exemplar of ours ; so ver. 
25, ' Even as Christ alsc loved the church.' And so it may well be argued 
thence, by comparing the*, one speech with the other, that Christ in loving 
his church doth but love himself; and then the more love and grace he 
shews unto the members of that his body, the more he shews love unto 
himself. And accordingly it is further added there, ver. 27, that he daily 
' washeth and cleanseth his church,' that is, both from the guilt and power 
of sin, ' that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having 
spot or wrinkle,' &c. Observe, it is to himself. So that all that he doth 
for his members is for himself, as truly, yea, more fully, than for them ; 
and his share of glory out of theirs is greater than theirs, by how much 
the glory of the cause is greater than that of the effect. And thus indeed 
the Scripture speaks of it, as whilst it calls the saints the ' glory of Christ.' 
So 2 Cor. viii. 23. And Christ, in John xvii. 13, and verses 22, 23, says, 
that he is ' glorified in them.' And Psalm xlv., where Christ is set forth 
as Solomon in all his royalty and majesty ; yet, ver. 11, he is said ' greatly 
to desire or delight in the beauty' of his queen, that is, the graces of the 
saints ; and that not with an ordinary delight, but he ' greatly desires ; ' 
his desire is increased as her beauty is. For that is there brought in as a 
motive unto her to be more holy and conformed unto him, ' to incline her 
ear, and forsake her father's house,' ver. 10. ' So shall the king greatly 
desire thy beauty.' Christ hath a beauty that pleaseth him as well as we 
have, though of another kind ; and therefore ceaseth not till he hath got 
out every spot and wrinkle out of his spouse's face, as we heard the apostle 
speak even now, ' so to present her glorious unto himself,' that is, 
delightful and pleasing in hij eye. And suitably unto this, to confirm us 
3~et more in it, Christ in that sermon which was his solemn farewell before 
his going to heaven, assures his disciples that his heart would be so far from 
being weaned from them, that his joy would still be in them, to see them 
prosper and bring forth fruit ; so John xv. 9, 10, 11, whei*e his scope is 
to assure them of the continuance of his love unto them when he should 
be gone ; so verses 9, 10, ' As my Father hath loved me, so have I loved 
you : continue in my love,' &c. As if he had said, Fear not you my love, 
nor the continuance of it in my absence ; but look you to do your duty, &c. 
And to give them assurance of this, he further tells them, that even when 
he is in heaven, in the greatest fulness of pleasure at God's right hand, 
yet even then his joy will be in them, and in their well-doing ; so ver. 11, 
1 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may remain in you, 
and that your joy may be full.' He speaks just like a father that is taking 
his leave of his children, and comforting them at his departure, and giving 
them good counsel to take good courses when he is gone from them, to 
keep his commandments, and to love one another, so verses 10 and 12, 
and backs it with this motive, so shall my joy remain in you : it is as 
fathers use to speak ; and it will be for your good too, your joy will be 
also full. 

To open which words a little : the word remain, used concerning their 
abiding in his love, and his joy abiding in them, is used in reference to the 
continuing of both these towards them in heaven. And when Christ says, 
' that my joy may remain in you,' it is as if he had said, that I may even 
in heaven have cause to rejoice in you when I shall hear and know of you, 
that you agree and are loving each to other, and keep my commandments. 



Part II.] unto pinners on eakth. 135 

The joy which ho there calls his joy, ' tny joy,' is not to be understood 
objective, of their joy in him, as the object of it ; but subjective*, of the joy 
that should be in himself, and which he should have in them. So Augus- 
tine long since interpreted it. Quidncun, says he, est ill ml gttudhm Christi 

in nobis, nisi quod file di/fimtur (jaudere de nobis? What is Christ's joy in 
us, but that which he vouchsafeth to have of and for us ? And it is evi- 
dent by this, that otherwise, if it were their joy which he meant in that 
first sentence, then that other that follows, ' and your joy shall be full,' 
were a tautology. He speaks therefore of his joy and theirs, as of two 
distinct things ; and both together were the greatest motives that could be 
given to encourage and quicken his disciples in obedience. Now, take an 
estimate of Christ's heart herein, from those two holy apostles Paul and 
John, who were smaller resemblances of this in Christ. What, next to 
immediate communion with Christ himself, was the greatest joy they had 
to live upon in this world, but only the fruit of their ministry, appearing in 
the graces both of the fives and hearts of such as they had begotten unto 
Christ ? See how Paul utters himself, 1 Thess. ii. 19, ' What is our hope,' 
says he, ' or joy, or crown of rejoicing '? Ye are our glory and our joy,' 
ver. 20. And in the 3d Epistle of John, ver. 3, John says the like, that 
he greatly rejoiced of that good testimony he had heard of Gaius ; for, says 
he, ' I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth,' 
ver. 4. Now what were Paul and John but instruments by whom they 
believed and were begotten '? and not on whom. Neither of these were 
crucified for them ; nor were these children of theirs the travail of their 
souls. How much more then unto Christ, whose interest in us and our 
welfare is so infinitely much greater, must his members be his joy and his 
crown ? And to see them to come in to him for grace and mercy, and to 
walk in truth, rujoiceth him much more ; for he thereby sees of the travail 
of his soul, and so is satisfied. Certainly what Solomon says of parents, 
Prov. x. 1, that ' a wise son maketh a glad father,' &c, is much more true 
of Christ. Holiness, and fruitfulness, and comfortableness in our spirits 
while we are here below, do make glad the heart of Christ, our ' everlasting 
Father.' Himself hath said it, I beseech you believe him, and carry your- 
selves accordingly. And if part of his joy arise from hence, that we thrive 
and do well, then doubt not of the continuance of his affections ; for love 
unto himself will continue them towards us, and readiness to embrace and 
receive them when they come for grace and mercy. 

There is a fifth engagement, which his very having our nature, which he 
still wears in heaven, and which the end or intention which God had or- 
dained Christ's assuming it, do put upon him for ever. For one great end 
and project of that personal union of our nature unto the Godhead in the 
second Person for ever, was, that he might be a merciful high priest. So that 
as his office lays it as a duty upon him, so his becoming a man qualifies 
him for that office and the performance of it, and so may afford a farther 
demonstration of the point in hand. This we find both to have been a 
requisite in our high priest, to qualify him the better for mercy and bowels ; 
and also one of those great ends which God had in that assumption of our 
nature. 

First, a requisite, on purpose to make him the more merciful. So, Heb. 
v. 1, the place even now insisted on, when yet this primary qualification I 
then passed over, and reserved unto this mention, it is said, ' Every high 
priest taken from among men is ordained for men,' and that to this end, 
' that so he might be one that can have compassion :' namely, with a pity 



lo6 THE HEART OF CHBIST IN HEAVEN [PaKT II. 

that is natural and kiudly, such as a man bears to one of his own kind. 
For otherwise the angels would have made higher and greater high priests 
than one of our nature ; but then they would not have pitied men, as men 
do their brethren, of the same kind and nature with them. 

And secondly, this was also God's end and intention in ordaining Christ's 
assumption of our nature, which that other place before cited, namely, 
Heb. ii. 16, 17, holds forth, ' Verily he took not on him the nature of 
angels, but the seed of Abraham :' that is, an human nature, and that 
made, too, of the same stuff that ours is of, and ' it behoved him to be made 
like us in all things, that he might be a merciful high priest,' &c, 'ha etejjften 
yhrjui, ' to the end he might become,' or ' be made merciful.' 

But was not the Son of God as merciful (may some say) without the 
taking of our nature, as afterwards, when he had assumed it ? Or is his 
mercy thereby made larger than of itself it should have been, had he not 
took the human nature on him ? 

I answer, Yes ; he is as merciful, but yet, 

[1.] Hereby is held forth an evident demonstration (and the greatest one 
that could have been given unto men) of the everlasting continuance of 
God's mercies unto men, by this, that God is for everlasting become a man ; 
and so we thereby assured that he will be merciful unto men, who are of 
his own nature, and that for ever. For as his union with our nature is for 
everlasting, so thereby is sealed up to us the continuation of these his mer- 
cies, to be for everlasting ; so that he can and will no more cease to be 
merciful unto men, than himself can now cease to be a man; which can 
never be. And this was the end of that assumption. 

[2. J But, secondly, that was not all. His taking our nature not only 
adds unto our faith, but some way or other even to his being merciful. 
Therefore it is said, ' that he might be made merciful,' &c. That is, mer- 
ciful in such a way as otherwise God of himself had never been ; namely, 
even as a man. So that this union of both natures, God and man, was 
projected by God to make up the rarest compound of grace and mercy in 
the result of it that ever could have been, and thereby fully fitted and ac- 
commodated to the healing and saving of our souls. The greatest of that 
mercy that was in God, that contributes the stock and treasury of those 
mercies to be bestowed on us : and unto the greatness of these mercies 
nothing is or could be added by the human nature assumed ; but rather 
Christ's manhood had all his largeness of mercy from the Deity. So that, 
had he not had the mercies of God to enlarge his heart towards us, he could 
never have held out to have for ever been merciful unto us. But then, this 
human nature assumed, that adds a new way of being merciful. It assimi- 
lates all these mercies, and makes them the mercies of a man ; it makes 
them human mercies, and so gives a naturalness and kindness unto them 
to our capacities. So that God doth now in as kindly and as natural a 
way pity us, who are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, as a man 
pities a man, thereby to encourage us to come to him, and to be familiar 
with God, and treat with him for grace and mercy, as a man would do with 
a man ; as knowing that in that man Christ Jesus (whom we believe upon) 
God dwells, and his mercies work in and through his heart in a human 
way. 

I will no longer insist upon this notion now, because I shall have occa- 
sion to touch upon it again, and add unto it under that next third general 
head, of shewing the way how Christ's heart is affected towards sinners. 
Only take we notice what comfort this may afford unto our faith, that Christ 



P.VRT II.] UNTO SINNERS ON EARTH. 137 

must cease to be a man if he continue not to be merciful ; seeing the very 
plot of his becoming a man was, that he might be merciful unto us, and 
that in a way so familiar to our apprehensions, as our own hearts give the 
experience of the like, and which otherwise, as God, he was not capable of. 
And add but this bold word to it, though a true one, that he may now as 
soon cease to be God as to be a man. The human nature, after he had once 
assumed it, being raised up to all the natural rights of the Son of God ; 
whereof one (and that now made natural unto him) is to continue for ever 
united. And he may as soon cease to be either as to be ready to shew 
mercy. So that not only the scope of Christ's office, but also the intention 
of his assuming our nature, doth lay a farther engagement upon him, and 
that more strong than any or than all the former. 



138 THE HEART OF CHKIST IN HEAVEN [PaKT III. 



PART III. 

For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities, hut was in all things tempted like as we are, yet ivithout sin. — 
Heb. IV. 15. 



Some generals to clear how this is to be understood, that Christ's heart is 
tmiclied with the feeling of our infirmities, together ivith the way how our 
i u fi unities come to be feelingly let into his heart. 

I. Having thus given such full and ample demonstrations of the tenderness 
and sameness of Christ's heart unto us now he is in heaven, with that which 
it was whilst he was here on earth ; and those, both extrinsical (in the first 
part) and intrinsical (in the second) ; I now come to the last head which I 
propounded in the opening of these words, namely, the way and manner of 
Christ's being affected with pity unto us ; both how it is to be understood 
by us, and also how such affections come to be let into his heart, and 
therein to work these bowels of compassion unto us. This in the begin- 
ning of the second part I propounded to be handled, as being necessary both 
for the opening and clearing the words of the text, which mainly holds forth 
this, as also for the clearing of the thing itself, the point in hand. For, as 
I there shewed, these words come in by way of preoccupation or prevention 
of an objection, as if his state now in heaven were not capable of such 
affection as should tenderly move him to pity and commiseration, he being 
now glorified both in soul and body. Which thought, because it was apt 
to arise in all men's minds, the apostle therefore forestalls it, both by 
affirming the contrary, ' We have not an high priest that cannot be touched,' 
&c, that is, he both can be, or is capable of it, and likewise is touched, 
notwithstanding all his glory, as also by his annexing the reason of it, or 
shewing the way how it comes to pass, in that ' in all points he was tempted 
like as we are.' 

Now in handling and opening these, which is a matter full of difficulty, 
I shall, with all wariness, proceed to the discovery of what manner of 
affection in Christ this is, and that by these steps and degrees. 

1. This affection of compassion, or his being 'touched with the feeling 
of our infirmities,' is not wholly to be understood in a metaphorical or a 
similitudinary sense, as those speeches used of God in the Old Testament 
are to be understood, when bowels of compassion are attributed unto him, 
and his bowels are said to be ' rolled together,' or as whenas it is said of 
God, that he repented, and was afflicted in all his people's afflictions. All 
which expressions were of God (as we all know) but merely vm.§ uvQ^wzuKudiiav, 
after the manner of men ; so to convey and represent to our apprehensions, 
by what affections use to be in parents or friends in such and such cases 
(what provoke them unto such and such actions), which like effects proceed 



Part III. J unto sinners on earth. 139 

from God towards us when he sees us in distress. And so they are spoken 
rather per modwn effectua, than affeetus, rather by way of like effect, which 
God produceth, than by way of such affection in God's heart, which is not 
capable of any such passions as these are. Now towards the right under- 
standing of this, the first thing which I affirm is, that barely in such a 
sense as this, that which is here spoken of Christ, is not to be understood, 
and my reason for it is grounded upon these two things put together. First, 
that this affection of his towards us here spoken of, is manifestly meant 
of his human nature, and not of his Godhead only, for it is spoken of that 
nature wherein he once was tempted as we now are. So expressly in the 
next words, which can be meant of no other than his human nature. 

And secondly, that those kind of expressions which were used of God 
before the assumption of our nature, only in a way of metaphor and 
similitude, ' after the manner of men,' should in no further or more real 
and proper sense be spoken of Christ and his human nature now assumed, 
and when he is a man as truly and properly as we are, I cannot imagine ; 
when I consider and remember that which I last insisted on, that one end 
of Christ's taking a human nature, was ' that he might be a merciful high 
priest for ever,' in such a way as, he being God alone, could not have 
been. I confess I have often wondered at that expression thei-e used, ' He 
took the seed of Abraham, that he might be made a merciful high priest,' 
Heb. ii., which at the first reading sounded as if God had been made 
more merciful by taking our nature. But this solved the wonder, that this 
assumption added a new way of God's being merciful, by means of which 
it may now be said, for the comfort and relief of our faith, that God is 
truly and really merciful, as a man. And the consideration of this con- 
tributes this to the clearing of the thing in hand, that whereas God of 
himself was so blessed and perfect, that his blessedness could not have 
been touched with the least feeling of our infirmities, neither was he in 
himself capable of any such affection of pity or compassion : ' He is not as 
a man, that he should pity or repent,' &c. He can indeed do that for us 
in our distress, which a man that pities us useth to do ; but the affections 
and bowels themselves he is not capable of. Hence, therefore, amongst 
other ends of assuming man's nature, this fell in before God as one, that 
God might thereby become loving and merciful unto men, as one man is to 
another. And so, that what before was but improperly spoken, and by 
way of metaphor and similitude, in the Old Testament, so to convey it to 
our apprehensions, might now be truly attributed unto him in the reality ; 
that God might be for ever said to be compassionate as a man, and to be 
touched with a feeling of our infirmities as a man. And thus by this 
happy union of both natures, the language of the Old Testament, uttered 
only in a figure, becomes verified and fulfilled in the truth of it, as in all 
other things the shadows of it were in Christ fulfilled. And this is the 
first step towards the understanding of what is here said of Christ, taken 
from this comparison with the like attributed unto God himself. 

2. A second and further step to let in our understanding to the appre- 
hension of this, is by the like further comparison to be made with the 
angels, and those affections of love and pity that are certainly found in 
them. In comparison of which, these affections in Christ's human nature, 
though glorified, must needs be far more like to ours, even more tender, 
and more human ; for in that Heb. ii. it is expressly said, ' He therefore 
took not the nature of the angels, that he might be a merciful high priest.' 
Part of the intendment of those words is to shew and give the reason, not 



140 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [P AR ' r HI« 

only why he took our nature under frail flesh, though that the apostle 
mentions, ver. 14, but why a human nature for the substance of it, and 
not the nature of angels ; because in his affections of mercy he would for 
ever come nearer to us, and have such affections, and of the same kind 
with ours. Whereas otherwise, in other respects, an angel would have 
been a higher and more glorious high priest than a man. 

Now the angels being fellow- servants with us, as the angel called him- 
self, Rev. xxii. 9, they have affections towards us more assimilated unto 
ours than God hath, and so are more capable of such impressions from 
our miseries than God is. Although they be spirits, yet they partake of 
something analogical, or resembling and answering to those affections of 
pity, grief, &c, which are in us. And indeed, so far as these affections 
are seated in our souls, and not drenched in the passions of the body, unto 
which our souls are united, they are the very same kind of affections in us 
that are in them. Hence the same lusts that are in men are said to be in 
devils, John viii. 44, and therefore the devils also are said to fear and 
tremble, &c. And so, oppositely, the same affections that are in men, so 
far as they are spiritual, and the spirit or soul is the seat of them, they 
must needs be found in the good angels. But Christ having a human 
nature, the same for substance that ours is, consisting both of soul and 
body, although through glory made spiritual, yet not become a spirit ; ' A 
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have,' says Christ of himself, 
after his resurrection, Luke xxiv. 39 ; therefore he must needs have affec- 
tions towards us, yet more like to these of ours than those are which the 
angels have. So then by these two steps we have gained these two things, 
that even in Christ's human nature, though glorified, affections of pity and 
compassion are true and real, and not metaphorically attributed to him as 
they are unto God ; and also more near and like unto ours here than those 
in the angels are ; even affections proper to man's nature, and truly human. 
And these he should have had, although this human nature had, from the 
very first assumption of it, been as glorious as it is now in heaven. 

3. But now, thirdly, add this further, that God so ordered it, that 
before Christ should elothe this his human nature with that glory he hath 
in heaven, and put this glory upon it, he should take it as clothed with all 
our infirmities, even the very same that doth cleave unto us, and should 
live in this world, as we do, for many years. And during that time God 
prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through, which 
we ourselves do here meet withal ; and ah that time he was acquainted 
with, and inured unto, all the like sorrows that we are ; and God left him 
to that infirmity and tenderness of spirit, to take in all distresses as deeply 
as any of us (without sin), and to exercise the very same affections under 
all these distresses that we at any time do find stirring in our hearts. And 
this God thus ordered, on purpose thereby to fit him and to frame his 
heart, when he should be in glory, unto such affections as these spoken of 
in the text. And this both this text suggests to be God's end in it, as also 
that fore-mentioned place, Heb. ii. 13, ' Forasmuch as we,' namely, his 
members, ' are partakers of flesh and blood,' which phrase doth ever note 
out the frailties of man's nature, as 1 Cor. xv. 50, &c, ' he himself took 
part of the same, .... that he might be a merciful high priest,' &c, 
verse 17. And then the apostle gives this reason for it, verse 18, ' For in 
that himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able' — this ability is, as was 
before interpreted, the having an heart fitted and enabled, out of experience, 
to pity — and 'to succour them that are tempted.' The meaning of which 



Part III.] unto sinners on earth. 141 

is, that it is not the bare taking of a human nature, if glorious from the 
first, that would thus fully have fitted him to be affectionately pitiful out of 
experience, though, as was said, the knowledge of our miseries taken in 
thereby would have made him truly and really affectionate towards us, 
with affections human and proper to a man, and so much nearer and liker 
ours than what are in the angels themselves, or than are attributed to God, 
when he is said to pity us ; but further, his taking our nature at first 
clothed with frailties, and living in this world as we, this hath for ever 
fitted his heart by experience to be in our very hearts and bosoms ; and not 
only or barely to know the distress, and as a man to be affected with a 
human affection to one of his kind, but experimentally remembering the 
like in himself once. And this likewise the text suggests as the way where- 
by our distresses are let into his heart the more feelingly, now he is in 
heaven. ' We have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the 
feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet 
without sin.' And the more to comfort us herein, observe how fully and 
universally the apostle speaks of Christ's having been tempted here below. 
First, for the matter of them, or the several sorts of temptations, he says 
he was tempted xara vatra, ' in all points,' or things of any kind, where- 
with we are exercised. Secondly, for the manner, he adds that too, -/.at)' 
ofuuorqra, ' like as we are.' His heart having been just so affected, so 
wounded, pierced, and distressed, in all such trials as ours use to be, only 
without sin, God, on purpose, left all his affections to their full tender- 
ness, and quickness of sense of evil. So that Christ took to heart all that 
befell him as deeply as might be ; he slighted no cross, either from God or 
men, but had and felt the utmost load of it. Yea, his heart was made 
more tender in all sorts of affections than any of ours, even as it was in love 
and pity; and this made him ' a man of sorrows,' and that more than any 
other man was or shall be. 

Now therefore, to explicate the way how our miseries are let into his 
heart, and come to stir up such kindly affections of pity and compassion in 
him, it is not hard to conceive from what hath now been said, and from 
what the text doth further hint unto us. 

(1.) The understanding and knowledge of that human nature hath notice 
and cognisance of all the occurrences that befall his members here. And 
for this the text is clear ; for the apostle speaks this for our encouragement, 
that ' Christ is touched with the feeling of our infirmities ;' which could not 
be a relief unto us, if it supposed not this, that he particularly and dis- 
tinctly knew them ; and if not all as well as some, we should want relief in 
all, as not knowing which he knew, and which not. And the apostle affirms 
this of his human nature, as was said, for he speaks of that nature thai 
tempted here below. And, therefore, ' the Lamb that was slain,' and so 
1 the man Christ Jesus' is, Rev. v. 6, said to have ' seven eyes,' as well as 
1 seven horns,' which seven eyes are • the seven spirits sent forth into all 
the earth.' His eyes of providence, through his anointing with the Holy 
Ghost, are in all corners of the world, and view all the things that are done 
under the sun. In like manner he is there said to have seven horns for 
power, as seven eyes for knowledge ; and both are defined to be seven, to 
shew the perfection of both, in their extent reaching unto all things. So 
that, as ' all power in heaven and earth is committed unto him as Son 
of man, as the Scripture speaks, so all knowledge is given him of all 
things done in heaven and earth, and this as Son of man too ; his know- 
ledge and power being of equal extent. He is the Sun as well in respect 



142 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART III. 

of knowledge as of righteousness, and there is nothing hid from his light 
and beams, which do pierce the darkest corners of the heai-ts of the sons 
of men. He knows the sores, as Solomon expresseth it, and distresses of 
their hearts. Like as a looking-glass made into the form of a round globe, 
and hung in the midst of a room, takes in all the species of things done or 
that are therein at once, so doth the enlarged understanding of Christ's 
human nature take in the affairs of this world, which he is appointed to 
govern, especially the miseries of his members, and this at once. 

(2.) His human nature thus knowing all — ' I know thy works, thy labour, 
and thy patience,' &c, Rev. ii. 2 — he therewithal hath an act of memory, 
and recalls how himself was once affected, and how distressed whilst on 
earth, under the same or the like miseries. For the memory of things 
here below remains still with him, as with all spirits in either of those two 
other worlds, heaven or hell. ' Son, remember thou in thy lifetime receivedst 
thy good things, and Lazarus evil,' &c, says Abraham to the soul of Dives 
in hell, Luke xv. 25. ' Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,' 
said the good thief to Christ ; and, Rev. i., ' I am he,' says Christ, ' that 
was dead, and am alive.' He remembers his death still, and the sufferings 
of it ; and as he remembers it, to put his Father in mind thereof, so ho 
remembers it also, to affect his own heart with what we feel. And his 
memory presenting the impression of the like now afresh unto him, how 
it was once with him ; hence he comes feelingly and experimentally to 
know how it is now with us, and so affects himself therewith ; as Dido in 
Virgil — 

' Haud ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco.' 

Having experience of the like miseries, though a queen now, I know how 
to succour those that are therein. As God said to the Israelites when they 
should be possessed of Canaan their own land, Exod. xxiii. 9, ' Ye know 
the hearts of strangers, seeing ye were strangers,' &c, and therefore doth 
command them to pity strangers, and to use them well upon that motive, 
so may it be said of Christ, that he doth know the hearts of his children 
in misery, seeing himself was once under the like. Or, as the apostle 
exhorts the Hebrews, ' Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with 
them, and them that suffer adversity, as being yourselves in the body,' 
Heb. xiii. 3, and so ere you die, may come to suffer the like. So Christ, 
the head of the body, which is the fountain of all sense and feeling in the 
body, doth remember them that are bound and in adversity, having himself 
been once in the body, and so he experimentally compassionates them. 
And this is a further thing than the former. We have gained this further, 
that Christ hath not only such affections as are real and proper to a human 
nature, but such affections as are stirred up in him, from experience of the 
like by himself once tasted in a frail nature like unto ours. And thus much 
for the way of letting in all our miseries into Christ's heart now, so as to 
strike and affect it with them. 

A more -particular disquisition, what manner of affection this is; the seat 
thereof, whether in his spirit or soul only, or the whole human nature. — Some 
cautions added. 

II. But concerning this affection itself of pity and compassion, fellow- 
feeling and sympathy, or suffering with (as the text calls it), which is the 
product, result, or thing produced in his heart by these, there still remains 



Part III. j unto sinners on earth. 143 

another thing more particularly to be inquired into, namely, what manner 
of affection this is; far that such an all'ection is stirred up in him, besides 
and beyond a bare act of knowledge or remembrance how once it was with 
himself, is evident by what we find in the text. The apostle savs, not only 
that he remembers how himself was tempted with the like infirmities that 
we are, though that be necessarily supposed, but that he is struck and touched 
with the feeling of our infirmities ; to the producing of which this act of 
remembrance doth but subserve. And he tells us, Christ is able, and his 
heart is capable of thus being touched. And the word g-j/x^u^uui is a 
deep word, signifying to suffer with us until we are relieved. And this 
affection, thus stirred up, is it which ruoveth him so cordially to help us. 

Now, concerning this affection, as here thus expressed, how far it extends, 
and how deep it may reach, I think no man in this life can fathom. If 
cor rer/is, the heart of a king, be inscrutable, as Solomon speaks, the heart 
of the King of kings now in glory is much more. I will not take upon 
me to ' intrude into things which I have not seen,' but shall endeavour to 
speak safely, and therefore warily, so far as the light of Scripture and ricdit 
reason shall warrant my way. 

I shall set it forth three ways : 

1. Negatively; 2. positively; 3. privatively. 

1. Negatively. It is certain that this affection of sympathy or fellow-feel- 
ing in Christ is not in all things such a kind of affection as was in him in 
the days of his flesh. Which is clear, by what the apostle speaks of him 
and of his affections then, Heb. v. 7, ' Who in the days of his flesh, when 
he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cryings and tears, 
was heard in that which he feared.' "Where we see his converse and state 
of life here below, to be called by way of difference and distinction from 
what is now in heaven, ' the days of his flesh :' by flesh, meaning not the 
substance of the human nature, for he retains that still, but the frail quality 
of subjection to mortality, or possibility.* So flesh is usually taken, as when 
all flesh is said to be grass ; it is spoken of man's nature, in respect to its 
being subject to a fading, wearing, and decay, by outward casualties, or 
inward passions. So in this epistle, chap ii. 14. ' Forasmuch as the chil- 
dren,' we his brethren, ' did partake of flesh and blood,' that is, the frailties 
of man's nature, ' he himself also took part of the same.' And accordingly 
the apostle instanceth in the following words of that 14th verse, as in death, 
which in the days of his flesh Christ was subject to, so also in such frail 
passions and affections as did work a suffering in him, and a wearing and 
wasting of his spirits ; such as passionate sorrow, joined with strong cries 
and tears, both which he mentioneth, and also fear, in these words, ' He 
was heard in that which he feared.' Now these days of his flesh being over 
and past, for this was only, as says the apostle, in the days of his flesh, 
hence therefore all such concomitant passionate overflowing of sorrow, fear, 
&c, are ceased therewith, and he is now no way capable of them, or sub- 
jected to them. Yet ; — 

2. Positively. Why may it not be affirmed that for substance the same 
kind of affection of pity and compassion, that wrought in his whole man, 
both body and soul, when he was here, works still in him now he is in 
heaven ? if this position be allayed with those due cautions and considera- 
tions which presently I shall annex. For, if for substance the same flesh 
and blood and animal spirits remain and have their use, for though Christ, 
in Luke xxiv. 29, mentioned only his having flesh and bones after his resur- 
* Qu. ' passibility ' '? — Ed. 



144 THE HEAET OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PaKT IV.. 

rection, unto Thomas and the other disciples, because these two alone were to 
be the object of his touch and feeling ; yet blood and spirits are included .i 
that flesh, for it is cam vitalis, living flesh, and therefore hath blood ana 
spirits that flow and move in it ; then why not the same affections also ? 
And those not stirring only and merely in the soul, but working in the body 
also, unto which that soul is joined, and so remaining really human affec- 
tions. The use of blood and spirits is, as to nourish (which end is now 
ceased) so to affect the heart and bowels by their motion to and fro, when 
the soul is affected. And why this use of them should not remain (and if 
not this, we can conceive no other) I know not. Neither why this affection 
should be only restrained to his spirit or soul, and his corporeal powers 
not be supposed to communicate and partake in them. That so as he is a 
true man, and the same man that he was, both in body as well as in soul, 
for else it had not been a true resurrection, so he hath still the very same 
true human affections in them both ; and such as whereof the body is the seat 
and instrument, as well as the soul. And seeing this whole man, both body 
and soul, was tempted, and that (as the text says) he is touched with a feel- 
ing in that nature which is tempted, it must therefore be in the whole man, 
both body and soul. Therefore, whenas we read of the ' wrath of the Lamb,' 
as Rev. vi. 16, namely, against his enemies, as here of his pity and com- 
passion towards his friends and members, why should this be attributed only 
to his deity, which is not capable of wrath, or to his soul and spirit only ? 
And why may it not be thought he is truly angry as a man, in his whole 
man, and so with such a wrath as his body is affected with, as well as that 
he is wrathful in his soul only, seeing he hath taken up our whole nature, 
on purpose to subserve his divine nature in all the executions of it ? 

But now, how far, in our apprehensions of this, we are to cut off the 
weakness and frailty of such affections as in the days of his flesh was in 
them, and how exactly to difference those which Christ had here, and those 
which he hath in heaven, therein lies the difficulty ; and I can speak but 
little unto it. 

Yet, first, this we may lay down as an undoubted maxim, that so far, or 
in what sense his body itself is made spiritual (as it is called, 1 Cor. xv. 44), 
so far, and in that sense, all such affections as thus working in his body are 
made spiritual, and that in an opposition to that fleshly and frail way of their 
working here. But then, as his body is made spiritual, not spirit (spiritual 
in respect of power, and likeness to a spirit, not in respect of substance or 
nature), so these affections of pity and compassion do work not only in his 
spirit or soul, but in his body too, as their seat and instrument, though in 
a more spiritual way of working, and more like to that of spirits, than those 
in a fleshly frail body are. They are not wholly spiritual in this sense, 
that the soul is the sole subject of them, and that it draws up all such 
workings into itself, so that that should be the difference between his affec- 
tions now and in the days of his flesh. Men are not to conceive as if his 
body were turned into such a substance as the sun is of, for the soul, as 
through a case of glass, to shine gloriously in only ; but further it is united 
to the soul, to be acted by it, though immediately, for the soul to produce 
operations in it. And it is called spiritual, not that it remains not a body, 
but because it remains not such a body, but is so framed to the soul that 
both itself and all the operations of all the powers in it are immediately and 
entirely at the arbitrary imperiwm and dominion of the soul ; and that as 
the soul is pleased to use it, and to sway it and move it, even as imme- 
diately and as nimbly, and without any clog or impediment, as an angel 



Part III.] unto sinners on earth. 145 

moves itself, or as the soul acteth itself. So that this may perhaps be one 
difference, that these affections, so far as in the body of Christ, do not affect 
his soul, as here they did, though as then under the command of grace and 
reason, to keep their motions from being inordinate or sinful ; but further, 
the soul being now too strong for them, doth at its own arbitrement raise 
them, and as entirely and immediately stir them as it doth itself. 

Hence, secondly, these affections of pity and sympathy so stirred up by 
himself, though they move his bowels and affect his bodily heart as they 
did here, yet they do not afflict and perturb him in the least, nor become 
a burden and a load unto his Spirit, so as to make him sorrowful or heavy, 
as in this life here his pity unto Lazarus made him, and as his distresses 
at last, that made him sorrowful unto death. So that as in their rise, so 
in their effect, they utterly differ from what they were here below. And 
the reason of this is, because his body, and the blood and spirits thereof, 
the instruments of affecting him, are now altogether impassible, namely, in 
this sense, that they are not capable of the least alteration tending to any 
hurt whatever. And so, his body is not subject to any grief, nor his spirits 
to any waste, decay, or expense. They may and do subserve the soul in 
its affections, as they did whilst he was here ; but this merely by a local 
motion, moving to and fro in the veins and arteries, to affect the heart and 
bowels, without the least diminution or impair to themselves, or detriment 
to him. And thus it comes to pass, that though this blood and spirits do 
stir up the same affections in his heart and bowels which here they did, 
yet not, as then, with the least perturbation in himself, or inconvenience 
unto himself. But as in this life he was troubled and grieved ' without 
sin ' or inordinacy ; so now when he is in heaven he pities and compas- 
sionates without the least mixture or tang of disquietment and perturbation, 
which yet necessarily accompanied his affections whilst he was here, because 
of the frailty in which his body and spirits were framed. His perfection 
destroys not his affections, but only corrects and amends the imperfection 
of them. Passiones perfectivas to be now in him, the best of schoolmen do 
acknowledge. 

Thirdly, All natural affections that have not in them indecentiam status, 
something unbefitting that state and condition of glory wherein Christ now 
is, both schoolmen and other divines do acknowledge to be in him, humance 
affectiones qua, naturales sunt, neque cum probro vel peccato conjunct^, sed 
omni ex parte rationi subduntur ; denique ab Us conditionibus liberantur quce 
vel animo, vel corpori aliquo modo officiunt, beatis nequaquam repugnare cen- 
sendcB sunt. ' Those affections which are natural to man, and have no 
adhesion of sin or shame unto them, but are wholly governed by reason, 
and lastly are exempt from such effects as may any way hurt either the 
soul or the body, there is no ground to think that such affections may not 
well stand with the state of souls in bliss,' says Justinian upon this place. 
Now if we consider it, Christ his very state in glory is such, as it becomes 
him to have such human affections of pity and compassion in his whole 
man, so far as to quicken and provoke, him to our help and succour : not 
such as to make him a man of sorrows in himself again (that were uncomely, 
nay, incompatible to him), but such as should make him a man of succours 
unto us, which is his office. To this end it is to be remembered that Christ 
in heaven is to be considered, not personally only as in himself made happy 
in his Father, but withal in his relations and in his offices as an head unto 
us; and in that relation now he sits there, asEph. i. 21, 22 (and the head 
is the seat of all the senses for the good of the body), and therefore most 

vol. rv. k 



146 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART III. 

sensible of any other part. Wherefore because his members, unto whom 
he bears this relation, are still under sin and misery, therefore it is no way 
uncomely for him in that estate to have affections suitable to this his rela- 
tion. If his state of glory had been wholly ordained for his own personal 
happiness, then indeed there had been no use of such affections to remain 
in him ; but his relation to us being one part and ingredient of his glory, 
therefore they are most proper for him, yea, it were uncomely if he had 
them not. Neither are they a weakness in him, as so considered, but 
rather part of his strength, as the apostle calls them, bbva/Mig. And although 
such affections might in one respect be thought an imperfection, yet in 
another respect, namely, his relation to us and office for us, they are his 
perfection. As he is our head, which he is as he is a man, it is his glory- 
to be truly and really, even as a man, sensible of all our miseries, yea, it 
were his imperfection if he were not. 

And, fourthly, let me add this for our comfort, that though all such affec- 
tions as are any way a burden to his spirit, or noxious to his body, be not 
now compatible to him ; and though that passionate frailty and infirmity 
which did help him here to pity and relieve men in misery, out of a suffering 
hurtful to himself ; though these be cut off, yet in those workings of affections 
and bowels which he hath now, which for substance are the same, there is, 
instead of that passionate frailty, a greater capaciousness, vastness, and also 
quickness in his affections now in heaven, so to make up a compensation, 
and so no less effectually to stir and quicken him to relieve us, than those 
former affections did. For it is certain that as his knowledge was enlarged 
upon his entering into glory, so his human affections of love and pity are 
enlarged in solidity, strength, and reality, as true conjugal love useth to be, 
though more passionate haply at first. They are not less now, but are 
only made more spiritual. And as Solomon's heart was as large in bounty 
and royalty as in knowledge, so Christ's affections of love are as large as 
his knowledge or his power. They are all of a like extent and measure. 
So far as God's intention to shew mercy doth reach (and who knows the 
end of those riches ?), so far doth Christ's disposition to bestow it. Eph. 
iii. 19, ' The love of Christ,' God-man, ' passeth knowledge.' It hath not 
lost or been diminished by his going to heaven. Though God in his nature 
be more merciful than Christ's human nature, yet the act and exercise of 
Christ's affections is as large as God's purposes and decrees of mercy are. 
And all those large affections and mercies are become human mercies, 
the mercies of a man unto men. 

3. Privatively. If these affections of Christ's heart be not suffering and 
afflicting affections, yet we may, by way of privation, express this of them, 
that there is a less fulness of joy and comfort in Christ's heart, whilst he 
sees us in misery and under infirmities, comparatively to what will be when 
we are presented to him free of them all. 

To clear this I must recall, and I shall but recall, that distinction I made 
(in the fourth demonstration, sect. 2, part II.) of a double capacity of glory, 
or a double fulness of joy which Christ is ordained to have : the one natural, 
and so due unto his person as in himself alone considered ; the other addi- 
tional, and arising from the completed happiness and glory of his whole 
church, wherewith mystically he is one. So in Eph. i. 23, although he by 
reason of his personal fulness is there said to ' fill all in all,' yet as he is 
an head in relation to his church as his body, as in the verses before he is 
spoken of, thus the perfection of this his body's beatitude, it is reciprocally 
called his fulness ; and therefore, until he hath filled them with all happi- 



Part III.] unto sinners on earth. 147 

ness, and delivered them from all misery, himself remains nnder some kind 
of imperfection, and answerably his affections also, which are suited to this 
his relation, have some want of imperfection in them, whilst they he under 
misery, in comparison of what his heart shall have when they receive this 
fulness. "We may warrantably say Christ shall be more glad then, and is 
now, as his children are grown up from under their infirmities, and as they do 
become more obedient and comfortable in their spirits, so John xv. 10, 11. 
I shall add some illustration to this by this similitude (which though it 
hold not in all things, yet it will hold forth some shadow of it). The spirits 
of just men departed are said to be perfect, Heb. xii., yet because they 
have bodies unto which they have a relation, and unto which they are or- 
dained to be united, they in this respect may be said to be imperfect, till 
these bodies be reunited and glorified with them, which will add a further 
fulness to them. Thus in some analogy it stands between Christ personal 
and Christ mystically considered. Although Christ in his own person be 
complete in happiness, yet in relation to his members he is imperfect, and 
so accordingly hath affections suited unto this his relation, which is no 
derogation from him at all. The Scripture therefore attributes some affec- 
tions to him which have an imperfection joined with them, and those to be 
in him until the day of judgment. Thus expectation and desire, which are 
but imperfect affections in comparison to that joy which is in the full 
fruition of what was expected or desired, are attributed to him, as he is 
man, until the day of judgment. Thus, Heb. x. 12, 13, he is said to sit 
in heaven, • expecting till his enemies be made his footstool ;' the destruc- 
tion of which enemies will add to the manifestative glory of his kingdom. 
Now, as that will add to the fulness of his greatness, so the complete sal- 
vation of his members will add to the completeness of his glory. And as 
the expectation of his enemies' ruin may be said to be an imperfect affec- 
tion, in comparison of the triumph that one day he shall have over them, 
so his joy which he now hath in his spouse is but imperfect, in comparison 
of that which shall fill his heart at the great day of marriage. And accord- 
ingly, the Scripture calls the accomplishment of these his desires a satis- 
faction ; so Isa. liii. 11, 'He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be 
satisfied,' which argues desires to be in him, lying under a want of some- 
thing in the end to be obtained. Only we must take in this withal, thai 
Jesus Christ indeed knows and sees the very time when this his fulness, 
through the exaltation of his members up to himself, shall be completed, 
and when he shall trample upon the necks of all his and their enemies ; he 
sees their day a-coming, as the Psalmist hath it, which alleviates and 
detracts something from this imperfection, that he should thus expect or 
tarry. 



This scruple satisfied, how his heart can be feelingly touched with our sins 
(our greatest infirmities), seeing he was tempted without sin. 

III. There remains one great unsatisfaction to be removed, which cannot 
but of itself arise in every good heart. You told us, may they say, that by 
infirmities sins were meant, and that the apostle's scope was to encourage 
us against them also ; and they are indeed the greatest discomforts and 
discouragements of all other. Now, against them this which the apostle here 
speaks affordeth us but little, seeing Christ knows not how experimentally 
to pity us therein, for ' he knew no sin.' Yea, the apostle himself doth 



148 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN [PART III. 

here except it, • He was tempted in all things, yet without sin.' It may 
comfort us, indeed, that Christ doth and will pity us in all other infir- 
mities, because he himself was subject to the like, but he never knew what 
it was to be under sin and vexed with lust, as I am ; and how shall I re- 
lieve myself against that by what the apostle here speaks of him ? I shall 
endeavour to give some satisfaction and relief in this by these following 
considerations. 

First, The apostle puts it, indeed, that ' he was tempted, yet without 
sin.' And it was well for us that he was thus without sin, for he had not 
been a fit priest to have saved us else ; so Heb. vii. 26, ' Such an High 
Priest became us as was separate from sinners, innocent,' &c. Yet for 
your relief withal, consider that he came as near in that point as might be. 
• He was tempted in all things,' so says the text, though ' without sin ' on 
his part ; yet tempted to all sin so far as to be afflicted in those temptations, 
and to see the misery of those that are tempted, and to know how to pity 
them in all such temptations. Even as in taking our nature in his birth 
he came as near as could be, without being tainted with original sin, as, 
namely, by taking the very same matter to have his body made of that all 
ours are made of, &c, so in the point of actual sin, also, he suffered him- 
self to be tempted as far as might be, so as to keep himself pure. He 
suffered all experiments to be tried upon him by Satan, even as a man who 
hath taken a strong antidote suffers conclusions to be tried on him by a 
mountebank. And, indeed, because he was thus tempted by Satan unto 
sin, therefore it is on purpose added, ' yet without sin ; ' and it is as if he 
had said sin never stained him, though he was outwardly tempted to it. 
He was tempted to all sorts of sins by Satan, for those three temptations 
in the wilderness were the heads of all sorts of temptations, as interpreters 
upon the gospels do shew. 

Then, secondly, to fit him to pity us in case of sin, he was vexed with 
the filth and power of sin in others whom he conversed with, more than 
any of us with sin in ourselves. His ' righteous soul was vexed ' with it, 
as Lot's righteous soul is said to have been with the impure conversation 
of the Sodomites. He ' endured the contradiction of sinners against him- 
self,' Heb. xii. 3. ' The reproaches of them that reproached thee,' that is, 
upon his God, ' fell upon me,' Rom. xv. 3. It was spoken by the Psalmist 
of Christ, and so is quoted of him by the apostle ; that is, every sin went 
to his heart. So as in this there is but this difference betwixt him and 
us, that the regenerate part in us is vexed with sin in ourselves, and that 
as our own sin, but his heart with sin in others only, yet so as his vexation 
was the greater by how much his soul was more righteous than ours, which 
makes it up ; yea, in that he sustained the persons of the elect, the sins 
which he saw them commit troubled him as if they had been his own. The 
word here translated tempted is read by some -rtTBipafievov, that is, vexed. 

Yea, and thirdly; to help this also, it may be said of Christ whilst he 
was here below, that in the same sense or manner wherein he ' bore our 
sickness,' Mat. viii. 17, who yet was never personally tainted with any 
disease, in the same sense or manner he may be said to have borne our 
sins, namely, thus : Christ, when he came to an elect child of his that was 
sick, whom he "healed, his manner was, first by a sympathy and pity to 
afflict himself with their sickness, as if it had been his own. Thus at his 
raising of Lazarus, it is said that he ' groaned in spirit,' &c. ; and so by 
the merit of taking the disease upon himself, through a fellow-feeling of it, 
he took it off from them, being for them afflicted, as if he himself had 



Part III.] unto sinners on earth. 14. J) 

been sick. And this seems to be the best interpretation that I have met 
with of that difficult place in Mat. viii. 16, 17, where it is said, ' he healed 
all that were sick : that it might be fulflled which was spoken by Isaiah 
the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness.' 
Now, in the like way or manner unto this, of bearing our sicknesses, he 
might bear our sins too ; for he being one with us, and to answer for all 
our sins, therefore when he saw any of his own to sin, he was affected 
with it, as if it had been his own. And thus is that about the power of sin 
made up and satisfied. 

And fourthly, as for the guilt of sin, and the temptations from it, he 
knows more of that than any one of us. He tasted the bitterness of that, 
in the imputation of it, more deeply than we can, and of the cup of his 
Father's wrath for it, and so is able experimentally to pity a heart wounded 
with it, and struggling under such temptations. He knows full well the 
heart of one in his own sense forsaken by God, seeing himself felt it when 
he cried out, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' 



Uses of all. 

Use 1. Thus that which hath been said may afford us the strongest con- 
solations and encouragements against our sins of any other consideration 
whatsoever, and may give us the greatest assurance of their being removed 
off from us that may be ; for, 

First, Christ himself suffers (as it were), at least is affected under them, 
as his enemies, which therefore he will be sure to remove for his own quiet 
sake. His heart would not be quiet, but that he knows they shall be re- 
moved. As God says in the prophet, so may Christ say much more, ' My 
bowels are troubled for him, I remember him still,' Jer. xxxi. 20. 

Secondly, There is comfort concerning such infirmities, in that your very 
sins move him to pity more than to anger. This text is plain for it, for 
he suffers with us under our infirmities, and by infirmities are meant sins, 
as well as other miseries, as was proved ; whilst therefore you look on 
them as infirmities, as God here looks upon them, and speaks of them in 
his own, and as your disease, and complain to Christ of them, and do cry 
out, ' miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me ? ' so long fear 
not. Christ he takes part with you, and is so far from being provoked 
against you, as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruin it ; yea, his 
pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of a father is to 
a child that hath some loathsome disease, or as one is to a member of his 
body that hath the leprosy, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, 
but the disease, and that provokes him to pity the part affected the more. 
What shall not make for us, when our sins, that are both against Christ 
and us, shall be turned as motives to him to pity us the more ? The object 
of pity is one in misery whom we love ; and the greater the misery is, the 
more is the pity when the party is beloved. Now of all miseries, sin is the 
greatest ; and whilst yourselves look at it as such, Christ will look upon it 
as such only also in you. And he, loving your persons, and hating only 
the sin, his hatred shall all fall, and that only upon the sin, to free you of 
it by its ruin and destruction, but his bowels shall be the more drawn out to 
you; and this as much when you lie under sin as under any other affliction. 
Therefore fear not, < What shall separate us from Christ's love?' 

Use 2. Whatever trial, nr temptation, or misery we are under, we may 



150 THE HEART OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN TO SINNERS ON EARTH. [PART III. 

comfort ourselves with this, that Christ was once under the same, or some 
one like unto it, wtiich may comfort us in these three differing respects that 
follow, by considering 

First, That we are thereby but conformed to his example, for he was 
tempted in all, and this maj 7 be no small comfort to us. 

Secondly, We may look to that particular instance of Christ's being under 
the like, as a meriting cause to procure and purchase succour for us under 
the same now ; and so in that respect may yet further comfort ourselves. 
And, 

Thirdly, His having once bome the like, may relieve us in this, that there- 
fore he experimentally knows the misery and distress of such a condition, 
and so is yet further moved and quickened thereby to help us. 

Use 3. As the doctrine delivered is a comfort, so the greatest motive 
against sin and persuasive unto obedience, to consider that Christ's heart, 
it' it be not afflicted with— and how far it may sutler with us we know not — 
yet for certain hath less joy in us, as we are more or less sinful, or obedient. 
You know not by sin what blows you give the heart of Christ. If no more 
but that his joy is the less in you, it should move you, as it useth to do 
those that are ingenuous. And take this as one incentive to obedience, 
that if he retained the same heart and mind for mercy towards you which 
he had here on earth, then to answer his love, endeavour you to have the 
same heart towards him on earth which you hope to have in heaven ; and 
as you daily pray, ' Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' 

Use 4. In all miseries and distresses you may be sure to know where to 
have a friend to help and pity you, even in heaven, Christ; one whose 
nature, office, interest, relation, all, do engage him to your succour ; you 
will find men, even friends, to be oftentimes unto you unreasonable, and 
their bowels in many cases shut up towards you. Well, say to them all, 
If you will not pity me, choose, I know one that will, one in heaven, whose 
heart is touched with the feeling of all my infirmities, and I mil go and be- 
moan myself to him. Come boldly (says the text), /mto, <7rabhr t 6rt.$, even 
with open mouth, to lay open your complaints, and you shall find grace 
and mercy to help in time of need. Men love to see themselves pitied by 
friends, though they cannot help them ; Christ can and will do both. 



AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 



[ORIGINAL TITLE.] 



AGGRAVATION 

OF 

I SINNE: 

J AND 

(sinning 
. (knowledge. 

Against \ 

[MERCIE. 

Delivered in severall Sermons 
upon divers occasions. 

BY 

Tho : Goodwin, B. D. 



LONDON. 

Printed by J. G. for R. Dawlman. 
M. D C. L. 



AGGRAVATION OF SIN 



Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, 
that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good ; that 
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. — Rom. VII. 13. 

We find our apostle in the 9th verse to have been alive, but struck upon 
the sudden dead, by an apparition presented to him in the glass of the law, 
of ' the sinfulness of sin.' ' Sin revived,' says the 9th verse, ' appeared to 
be sin,' says the 13th verse, looks but like itself, ' above measure sinful ;' 
and he falls down dead at the very sight of it ; 'I died,' says he in the 9th ; 
' it wrought death in me,' says the 13th, that is, an apprehension of death 
and hell, as due to that estate I was then in. But yet as the life of sin 
was the death of Paul, so this death of his was but a preparation to a new 
life, ' I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live to God,' Gal. 
ii. 19. And here he likewise speaks of God's work upon him at his first 
conversion ; for then it was that he relates how sin became in his esteem, 
so ' above measure sinful.' 

The subject then to be insisted on is the sinfulness of sin, a subject 
therefore as necessary as any other, because if ever we be saved, sin must 
first appear to us all, as it did here to him, • above measure sinful.' 

And first, because all knowledge begins at the effects, which are obvious 
to sense, and interpreters of the nature of things, therefore we will begin 
this demonstration of the evil of sin, from the mischievous effects it hath 
filled the world withal, it having done nothing but wrought mischief since it 
came into the world, and all the mischief that hath been done, it alone hath 
done, but especially towards the poor soul of man, the miserable subject 
of it. 

Which, first, it hath debased the soul of man, the noblest creature under 
heaven, and highest allied, made to be a companion fit for God himself, but 
sin hath stript it of its first native excellency, as it did Reuben, Gen. xlix. 4, 
debased the soul more worth than all the world, as Christ himself saith, 
that only went to the price of it ; yet sin hath made it a drudge and slave 
to every creature it was made to rule ; therefore the prodigal as a type is 
said to serve swine, and feed on husks, so as every vanity masters it. 
Therefore we find in Scripture, that men are said to be ' servants to wine,' 
Titus ii. 3, servants to riches, and divers lusts, &c. 

And hence it is that shame attends upon it, Rom. vi. 21. Now shame 



151 AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 

ariseth out of an apprehension of some excellency debased ; and by how 
much the excellency is greater, by so much is the shame the greater ; and 
therefore unutterable confusion will one day befall sinners, because sin is 
the debasement of an invaluable excellency. 

Secondly, It not only debaseth it, but denies it also ; and indeed there 
was nothing else that could defile it, Mat. xv. 20, for the soul is a most 
pure beam, bearing the image of the Father of lights, as far surpassing the 
sun in pureness as the sun doth a clod of earth ; and yet all the dirt in 
the world cannot defile the sun, all the clouds that seek to muffle it, it 
scatters them all ; but sin hath defiled the soul, yea, one sin, the least, 
defiles it in an instant, totally, eternally. 

(First.) One sin did it in the fall of Adam, Eom. v. 17, ' one offence' 
polluted him, and all the world. Now suppose you should see one drop of 
darkness seizing on the sun, and putting out that light and eye of heaven, 
and to loosen it out of the orb it moves in, and cause it to drop down a 
lump of darkness, you would say it were a strange darkness ; this sin did 
then in the soul, to which yet the sun is but as a taper. 

(Secondly.) It defiles it thus in an instant. Take the most glorious angel 
in heaven, and let one of the least sins seize upon his heart, he would in an 
instant fall down from heaven, stript of all his glory, the ugliest creature 
that ever was beheld. You would count that the strongest of all poisons, 
that would poison in an instant ; as Nero* boiled a poison to that height, 
that it killed Germanicus as soon as he received it ; now such an one is 
sin. 

(Thirdly.) Sin defiles it totally. It rests not in one member only, but 
beginning at the understanding, eats into the will and affections, soaks 
through all. Those diseases we account strongest, which seize not on a 
joint or a member only, but strike rottenness through the whole body. 

(Fourthly.) It defiles eternally, it being a:terna macula, a stain which no 
' nitre or soap' or any creature can ' wash out,' Jer. ii. 22. There was 
once let in a deluge of water, and the world was all overflowed with it ; it 
washed away sinners indeed, but not one sin. And the world shall be 
afire again at the latter day, and all that fire, and those flames in hell that 
follow, shall not purge out one sin. 

Thirdly, It hath robbed the soul of the ' image of God,' deprived us of 
' the glory of God,' Rom. iii. 33, the image of God's holiness, which is his 
beauty and ours. We were beautiful and all glorious once within, which 
though but an accident is more worth than all men's souls devoid of it, 
it being a likeness unto God, ' a divine nature,' without which no man shall 
see God. Though man in innocency had all perfections united in him rid 
eminentia;, that are to be found in other creatures, yet this was more worth 
than all ; for all the rest made him not like to God, as this did ; without 
vrhich all paradise could not make Adam happy, which when he had lost, 
he was left naked, though those his other perfections remained with him, 
which is ' profitable for all things,' as the apostle says. The least dram of 
which, the whole world embalanced with, would be found too light, without 
which the glorious angels would be damned devils, the saints in heaven 
damned ghosts, this it hath robbed man of. 

Fourthly, It hath robbed man even of God himself. ' Your sins sepa- 
rate,' says God, ' betwixt you and me ;' and therefore they are said to ' live 

* That is, Tiberius Nero. Suetonius only says, that Germanicus died at Antioch, 
not without suspicion of poison ; and again, that the common belief was that he died 
through the treachery of Tiberius, by the agency of C. Piso. — Ed. 



AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 155 

without God in the world ;' and in robbing a man of God, it robs him of 
all things, for ' all things are onrs,' but so far as God is ours, of God whoso 
face makes heaven, he is all in all, 'his lovingkindness is better than life,' 
and containeth beauty, honours, riches, all, yea, they are but a drop to 
him. 

But its mischief hath not stayed here, but as the leprosy of the lepers in 
the old law sometimes infected their houses, garments, so it hath hurled 
confusion over all the world, brought a vanity on the creature,' Rom. viii. 20, 
and a curse ; and had not Christ undertook the shattered condition of the 
world to uphold it, Heb. i. 3, it had fallen about Adam's ears. 

And though the old walls and ruinous palace of the world stands to this 
day, yet the beauty, the gloss, and glory of the hangings is soiled and marred 
with many imperfections cast upon every creature. 

But as the house of the leper was to be pulled down, and traitors' houses 
use to be made jakes, so the world (if Christ had not stepped in) had 
shrunk into its first nothing ; and you will say, that is a strong carrion that 
retains not only infection in itself, but infects all the air about ; so this, 
that not the soul the subject of it only, but all the world. 

Lastly, It was the first founder of hell, and laid the first corner-stone 
thereof. Sin alone brought in and filled that bottomless gulf with all the 
fire, and brimstone, and treasures of wrath, which shall never be burnt and 
consumed. And this crucified and pierced Christ himself, poured on him 
his Father's wrath, the enduring of which for sin was such as that all the 
angels in heaven had cracked and sunk under it. 

But yet this estimate is but taken from the effects of it ; the essence of 
it, which is the cause of all these evils, must needs have much more mischief 
in it. Shall I speak the least evil I can say of it ? It contains all evils 
else in it; therefore, James i. 21, the apostle calls it 'filthiness, and abun- 
dance of superfluity,' or excrement, as it were, of naughtiness, vzsiggsiu 
rqg xazlag. As if so transcendent, that if all evils were to have an excre- 
ment, a scum, a superfluity, sin is it, as being the abstracted quintessence 
of all evil — an evil which, in nature and essence of it, virtually and emi- 
nently contains all evils of what kind soever that are in the world, insomuch 
as in the Scriptures you shall find that all the evils in the world serve but 
to answer for it, and to give names to it. Hence sin, it is called poison, 
and sinners serpents ; sin is called a vomit, sinners dogs ; sin the stench 
of graves, and they rotten sepulchres ; sin mire, sinners sows ; and 
sin darkness, blindness, shame, nakedness, folly, madness, death, whatso- 
ever is filthy, defective, infective, painful. Now as the Holy Ghost says of 
Nabal, ' as is his name, so is he ;' so may we say of sin : for if Adam gave 
np" ^.es to all things according to their nature, much more God, ' who calls 
things as they are.' Surely God would not slander sin, though it be his 
only enemy. And besides, there is reason for this, for it is the cause of 
all evils. God sowed nothing but good seed in the world ; ' He beheld, 
and saw all things were very good.' It is sin hath sown the tares, all 
those evils that have come up, sorrows and diseases, both unto men and 
beasts. Now whatsoever is in the effect, is via eminentia in the cause. 
Surely therefore it is to the soul of man, the miserable vessel and subject 
of it, all that which poison, death, and sickness is unto the other creatures, 
and to the body ; and in that it is all these to the soul, it is therefore 
more than all these to it, for corruptio optimi pessima ; by how much the 
soul exceeds all other creatures, by so much must sin, which is the cor- 
ruption, poison, death, and sickness of it, exceed all other evils. 



156 



AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 



But yet this is the least ill that can be said of it. There is, secondly, 
some further transcendent peculiar mischief in it, that is not to be found 
in all other evils, as will appear in many instances. 

For, first, all other evils God proclaims himself the author of, and owns 
them all ; though sin be the meritorious cause of all, yet God the efficient 
and disposing cause. ' There is no evil in the city, but I have done it.' 
He only disclaimeth this, James i. 13, as a bastard of some other's breed- 
ing, for he is ' the Father of lights,' verse 17. 

Secondly, The utmost extremity of the evil of punishment God the Son 
underwent, had a cup mingled him of his Father, more bitter than if all 
the evils in the world had been strained in, and he drank it off heartily to 
the bottom ; but not a drop of sin, though sweetened with the offer of all 
the world, would go down with him. 

Thirdly, Other evils the saints have chosen and embraced as good, and 
refused the greatest good things the world had as evil, when they came in 
competition with sin. So ' Moses chose rather to suffer, much rather than 
to enjoy the pleasures of sin,' Heb. xi. 24-28. So Chrysostom, when 
Eudoxia the empress threatened him, Go tell her, says he, Nil nisi peccatum 
timeo, I fear nothing but sin. 

Fourthly, Take the devil himself, whom you all conceive to be more full 
of mischief than all the evils in the world, called therefore in the abstract 
' spiritual wickedness,' Eph. vi. 12, yet it was but sin that first spoiled 
him, and it is sin that possesseth the very devils ; he was a glorious angel 
till he was acquainted with it, and could there be a separation made between 
him and sin, he would be again of as good, sweet, and amiable a nature as 
any creature in earth or heaven. 

Fifthly, Though other things are evil, yet nothing makes the creature 
accursed but sin ; as all good things in the world do not make a man a blessed 
man, so nor all the evils accursed. God says not, Blessed are the honour- 
able, and the rich, nor that accursed are the poor ; but • Cursed is the man 
that continues not in all things,' Gal. iii. 10, a curse to the least sin; and, 
on the contrary, ' Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven,' &c, 
Rom. iv. 7. 

Sixthly, God hates nothing but sin. Were all evils swept down into 
one man, God hates him not simply for them, not because thou art poor and 
disgraced, but only because sinful. It is sin he hates, Rev. ii. 15, Isa. 
xxvii. 11, yea, it alone; and whereas other attributes are diversely commu- 
nicated in their effects to several things, as his love and goodness, himself, 
his Son, his children, have all a share in, yet all the hatred, which is as 
large as his love, is solely poured out upon, and wholly, and limited only 
unto sin. 

All the question will be, What transcendency of evil is in the essence of it, 
that makes it above all other evils, and hated, and it only, by God, Christ, 
the saints, &c, more than any other evil ? 

Why ? It is enmity with God, Rom. viii. 7. Abstracts, we know, speak 
essences ; the meaning is, it is directly contrary to God, as any thing could 
be, for contrary it is to God, and all that is his. 

As, 1. Contrary to his essence, to his existence, and being God; for it 
makes man hate him, Rom. i. 30, and as ' he that hateth his brother is a 
murderer,' 1 John iii. 15, so he that hateth God may be said to be 
a murderer of him, and wisheth that he were not. Peccatum est Dei- 
cidium. 

2. Contrary it is to all his attributes, which are his name. Men are jealous 



AGGRAVATION OP SIN. 167 

of their names. God's name is himself; as (1.) it makes a man slight 
God's goodness, and to seek happiness in the creature, as if he were able 
to be happy without him ; and (2.), it deposeth his sovereignty, and sets 
up other gods before his face ; (8.) it contemns his truth, power, and jus- 
tice ; and (4.), turns his grace into wantonness. 

And as to himself, so to whatever is his, or dear to him. Besides, a 
king hath three things in an especial manner dear to him : his laws, his 
favourites, his image stamped upon his coin ; and so hath God. 

First, His laws and ordinances : God never gave law, but it hath been 
broken by sin ; avopia is the definition of it, ' the transgression of the law,' 
1 John hi. 4 ; yea, it is called ' destroying the law,' Ps. cxix. 126. And 
know that God's law, the least tittle of it, is more dear to him than all the 
world. For, ere the least tittle of it shall be broken, heaven and earth 
shall pass. The least sin, therefore, which is a breach of the least law, is 
worse than the destruction of the world ; and for his worship (as envying 
God should have any) it turns his ordinances into sin. 

Secondly, For his favourites, God hath but a few poor ones ; upon whom 
because God hath set his love, sin hath set his hatred. 

Lastly, For his image, even in a man's own breast ; the law of the members 
fights against the law of the mind, and endeavoureth to expel it, though a 
man should be damned for it, Gal. v. 17. ' The flesh,' namely, sin, ' lust- 
eth against the spirit,' for they are contraries. Contrary, indeed, for 
methinks though it hates that image in others, that yet it should spare it in a 
man's self, out of self love ; but yet, though a man should be damned, if 
this image be expelled, it yet laboureth to do this, so deadly is that hatred, 
a man hates himself as holy, so far as he is sinful. 

It abounds now so high as our thoughts can follow it no farther. 
Divines say, it aspires unto infinity, the object against whom it is thus 
contrary unto being God, who is infinite, they tell us, that objectively sin 
itself is infinite. Sure I am, the worth of the object or party offended, 
aggravates the offence ; an ill word against the king is high treason, not 
the greatest indignity to another man. Sure I also am, that God was so 
offended with it, as though he loves his Son as himself, yet he, though 
without sin, being but ' made sin ' by imputation, yet God ' spared him 
not ; ' and because the creatures could not strike a stroke hard enough, he 
himself was • pleased to bruise him,' Isa. liii. 16. ' He spared not his 
own Son,' Rom. viii. 32. His love might have overcome him to have 
passed by it to his Son ; at least a word of his mouth might have pacified 
him ; yet so great was his hatred of it, and offence at it, as he poured the 
vials of his wrath on him. Neither would entreaty serve, for ' though he 
cried with strong cries it should pass from him,' God would not till he 
had outwrestled it. 

And as the person offended aggravates the offence, as before, so also the 
person suffering, being God and man, argues the abounding sinfulness of 
it. For, for what crime did you ever hear a king was put to death ? their 
persons being esteemed in worth above all crime, as civil. Christ was the 
King of kings. 

And yet there is one consideration more to make the measure of its 
iniquity fully full, and to abound to flowing over, and that is this, that the 
least sin, virtually, more or less, contains all sin in the nature of it. I 
mean not that all are equal, therefore I add more or less ; and I prove it 
thus : because Adam by one offence contracted the stain of all, no sooner 
did one sin seize upon his heart, but he had all sins in him. 



158 AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 

And so every sin in us, by a miraculous multiplication, inclines our 
nature more to every sin than it was before ; it makes the pollution of 
nature of a deeper die, not only to that species of sin whereof it is the 
proper individual act, but to all else. As, bring one candle into a room, 
the light spreads all over ; and then another, the light is all over more 
increased : so it is in sin, for the least cuts the soul off from God, and 
then it is ready to go a whoring after every vanity that will entice it or 
entertain it. 

And this shews the fulness of the evil of it, in that it contains not only 
all other evils in the world in it, but also all of its own kind. As you 
would count that a strange poison the least drop of which contains the force 
of all poison in it; that a strange disease, the least infection whereof brought 
the body subject to all diseases : yet such an one is sin, the least making 
the soul more prone and subject to all. 

And now you see it is a perfect evil ; and though indeed it cannot be 
said to be the chiefest in that full sense wherein God is said to be the 
chiefest good, because if it were as bad as God is good, how could he 
pardon it, subdue it, bring it to nothing as he doth ? And then how could 
it have addition to it, one sin being more sinful than another ? Ezek. viii. 
15, John xix. 11. But yet it hath some analogy of being the chiefest evil, 
as God the chiefest good. 

For, first, as God is the chiefest good, who therefore is to be loved for 
himself, and other things but for his sake, so also is sin the chiefest evil, 
because it is simply to be a\oided for itself; but other evils become good, 
yea, desirable, when compared with it. 

Secondly, As God is the chiefest good, because he is the greatest happi- 
ness to himself, so sin, the greatest evil to itself, for there can be no 
worse punishment of it than itself ; therefore when God would give a man 
over as an enemy he means never to deal withal more, he gives him up 
to sin. 

And thirdly, it is so evil, as it cannot have a worse epithet given it 
than itself; and therefore the apostle, when he would speak his worst of 
it, and wind up his expression highest, usque ad hyperbolem, calls it by its 
own name, sinful sin, a/jiaprcoXbg d/xagr/a, Rom. vii. 13, that as in God 
being the greatest good, quicquid est in Deo est Dens ipse, therefore his 
attributes and names are but himself, idem pradicatur de seipso ; so it is 
with sin, quicquid est in peccato, peccatum est, &c, he can call it no worse 
than by its own name, ■ sinful sin.' t 

Use I. And what have I been speaking of all this while ? Why ! but 
of one sin in the general nature of it. There is not a man here, but hath 
millions of them, as many as the sands upon the sea shore ; yea, as there 
would be atoms were all the world pounded to dust, it exceeds in number 
also ; and therefore, ere we go any further, let all our thoughts break off 
here in wonderment at the abounding of sin above all things else : for other 
things if they be great, they are but a few ; if many, they are but small ; 
the world it is a big one indeed, but yet there is but one ; the sands, though 
innumerable, yet they are but small ; your sinfulness exceeds in both. 

And next, let all our thoughts be wound up to the most deep and intense 
consideration of our estates ; for if one sin abounds thus, what tongue can 
express, or heart can conceive then* misery, who, to use the apostle's phrase, 
1 Cor. xv., ' are yet in their sins ' ? that is, stand bound to God in their 
own single bond only, to answer for all their sins themselves, and cannot 



AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 159 

in the estate wherein yet they stand of impenitency and unbelief, plead the 
benefit of Christ's death, to take off and ease them of the guilt of one sin, 
but all their sins are yet all their own, which to a man in Christ they are 
not ; for his own bonds are cancelled and given in, and Christ entered into 
bonds for him, and all his sins translated upon him. 

Now for a proper character of their estate, and suitable to this expres- 
sion : 

First, then a man's sins may be said to be still his own, when he com- 
mitteth sin out of his own, that is, the full frame and inclination of his 
heart. Thus the devil is said to sin, John viii. 44, i% rov 'ibiov, ' out of his 
own,' the whole frame of his spirit is in it ; which a man in Christ cannot 
be so fully said to do, for he hath a new creature in him ' that sinneth not,' 
1 John iii. 1, 9, that can say even when he sins, ' It is not I, but sin.' 

And secondly, then sin is a man's own, when he hates it not, but loves 
it : ' The world loves his own,' saith Christ, John xv. 27, and so doth a 
wicked man his sin ' more than any good,' which is David's character, 
Ps. Iii. 3. 

And thirdly, what is a man's own, he nourisheth and cherisheth ; there- 
fore Eph. v. 19, ' No man hates his own flesh, but loveth it and cherisheth 
it ; ' so do men their sins, when they are their own. Those great and rich 
oppressors, James v. 5, are said to ' nourish their hearts in wantonness,' 
and in pleasure, ' as in a day of slaughter ; ' as living upon the cream of 
sinning, and having such plenty, they pick out none but the sweetest bits 
to nourish their hearts withal. 

Fourthly, so what a man provides for, that is his own ; so says the 
apostle, ' A man that provides not for his own is worse,' &c. When there- 
fore men make provision for the flesh, as the phrase is, Rom. xiii. 14, have 
their caterers and contrivers of their lusts, and whose chiefest care is every 
morning what pleasures of sin they have that day to be enjoyed, it is a 
sign that their sins are their own. 

In a word, when men live in sin, it is the expression used, 1 Tim. v. 6, 
' She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.' When the revenues 
of the comfort of men's lives come in from the pleasures of sin, and that 
supplies them with all those necessaries that belong to life ; as when it is 
their element they ' drink in like water ;' their meat, ' they eat the bread of 
wickedness,' Prov. iv. 17, and it goes down, and troubleth them not; their 
sleep also, ' they cannot sleep till they have done or contrived some mis- 
chief,' ver. 16 ; their apparel, as when ' violence and oppression covers them 
as a garment, and pride compasseth them as a chain,' Ps. lxxiii. ; their re- 
creation also, 'It is a pastime for a fool to do wickedly,' he makes sport 
and brags of it, Prov. x. 23 ; yea, their health, being sick and discontented, 
when their lusts are not satisfied, as Ahab was for Naboth's vineyard, 
' Amnon grew lean' when he could not enjoy his paramour. 

All these, as they live in their sins here, and so are dead whilst they live, 
and so are miserable, making the greatest evil their chiefest good ; so when 
they come to die, as we all must do one day, and how soon and how sud- 
denly we know not ; we carry our souls, our precious souls, as precious 
water in a brittle glass, soon cracked, and then we are ' spilt like water 
which none can gather up again,' 2 Sam. xiv. 14 ; or but as a candle in a 
paper lantern, in clay walls, full of crannies, often but a little cold comes 
in and blows the candle out ; and then, without a thorough change of heart 
before, wrought from all sin to all godliness, they will die in their sins. 
And all, and the utmost of all, miseries is spoken in that one word ; and 



1G0 AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 

therefore Christ, when he would sum up all miseries in one expression, tells 
the Pharisees they should ' die in their sins,' John viii. 28. 

Use II. And let us consider further, that if sin be thus above measure sin- 
ful, that hell, that followeth death, is then likewise above measure fearful ; 
and so it is intimated to be a punishment without measure, Jer. xxx. 11, 
compared with Isa. xxvii., ' Punish them as I punish thee,' says God to his 
own, ' but I will punish thee in measure.' And, indeed, sin being com- 
mitted against God, the King of kings, it can never be punished enough. 
But as the killing of a king is amongst men a crime so heinous that no 
tortures can exceed the desert of it, we use to say all torments are too little, 
and death too good, for such a crime. Now, peccatum est Deicidium, as I 
said before, a destroying God as much as in us lies ; and therefore none 
but God himself can give it a full punishment ; therefore it is called ' a 
falling into God's hands,' Heb. x. 31, which, as he says there, is ' fearful.' 
For if his breath blows us to destruction, Job iv. 9, for we are but dust 
heaps, yea, his nod, ' he nods to destruction,' Ps. lxxx. 16 ; then what is 
the weight of his hands, even of those hands ' which span the heavens, and 
hold the earth in the hollow of them' ? Isa. xl. 12. And if God take it 
into his hands to punish, he will be sure to do unto the full. Sin is man's 
work, and punishment is God's, and God will shew himself as perfect in 
his work as man in his. 

If sin be malum catholicum, as hath been said, that contains all evils in 
it ; then the punishment God will inflict shall be malum catholicum also, 
containing in it all miseries. It is ' a cup full of mixture,' so called Ps. 
lxxv. 8, as into which God hath strained the quintessence of all miseries, 
and ' the wicked of the earth must drink the dregs of it,' though it be eter- 
nity unto the bottom. And if one sin deserves a hell, a punishment above 
measure, what will millions of millions do ? And we read that ' every sin 
shall receive a just recompence,' Heb. ii. 2. Oh let us then take heed of 
dying in our sins, and therefore of living in them ; for we shall lie in prison 
till we have paid the very utmost farthing. 

And therefore if all this that I have said of it will not engender answerable 
apprehensions of it in you, this being but painting the toad, which you can 
look upon and handle without affrightment, I wish that if without danger 
you could but lay your ears to hell, that standing as it were behind the 
screen, you might hear sin spoken of in its own dialect by the oldest sons 
of perdition there, to hear what Cain says of murdering his brother Abel ; 
what Saul of his persecuting David and the priests of Jehovah ; what 
Balaam and Ahithophel say of their cursed counsels and policies ; what 
Ahab says of his oppression of Naboth ; what Judas of treason ; and hear 
what expressions they have, with what horrors, yellings, groans, distrac- 
tions, the least sin is there spoken of. If God should take any man's soul 
here, and as he rapt his* into the third heavens, where he saw grace in its 
fullest brightness ; so carry any one's soul into those chambers of death, 
as Solomon calls them, and leading him through all, from chamber to 
chamber, shew him the visions of darkness, and he there hear all those 
bedlams cry out, one of this sin, another of that, and see sin as it looks in 
hell ! But there is one aggravation more of the evil and misery sin brings 
upon men I have not spoken of yet, that it blinds their eyes and hardens 
their hearts, that they do not see nor lament their misery till they be in 
hell, and then it is too late. 

* That is, 'Paul 'a. '—Ed. 



AUdlUVATION OF SIN'. llil 

Use III. But what, doth sin so exceed in sinfulness, and is the venom of 
it boiled up to such a height of mischief, that there should be no name in 
heaven and earth able to grapple with it and destroy it ? Is there no an- 
tidote, no balm in Gilead more sovereign than it is deadly? Surely yes; 
God would never have suffered so potent and malicious an enemy to have 
set foot in his dominions, but that he knew how to conquer it, and that not 
by punishing of it only in hell, but by destroying it ; only it is too potent 
for all the creatures to encounter with. This victory is alone reserved for 
Christ, it can die by no other hand, that he may have the glory of it ; 
which therefore is the top of his glory as mediator, and his highest title, 
the memory of which he bears written in his name Jesus, ' for he shall 
save his people from their sins,' Mat. i. 21. And therefore the apostte 
Paul, his chiefest herald, proclaims this victory with a world of solemnity 
and triumph, 1 Cor. xv. 55, "' death, where is thy sting ? grave, where 
is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; the strength of sin is the law. 
But thanks be to God, that gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
Christ ; ' which yet again adds to the demonstration of the sinfulness of it, 
for the strength of sin was such, that, like Goliah, it would have defied the 
whole host of heaven and earth. ' It was not possible the blood of bulls 
and goats should take away sin,' Heb. x. 4 ; nor would the riches of the 
world, or the blood of men have been a sufficient ransom. ' Will the Lord 
be pleased with rivers of oil ? shall I give my first-born for my transgres- 
sion ? ' No, says he, there is no proportion, for thy first-born is but the 
fruit of thy body, and sin is the ' sin of the soul,' Micah vi. 7. It must cost 
more to redeem a soul than so, Ps. xlix. 7. No; couldst thou bring rivers 
of tears instead of rivers of oil — which, if anything were like to pacify God, 
yet they are but the excrements of thy brains, but sin is the sin of thy heart — 
yea, all the righteousness that we could ever do, cannot make amends for 
one sin ; for suppose it perfect, whenas yet it is but ' dung,' Mai. ii. 3, and 
1 a menstruous cloth,' yet thou owest it already as thou art a creature, and 
one debt cannot pay another. If then we should go a begging to all the 
angels who never sinned, let them lay all their stock together, it would 
beggar them all to pay for one sin. No; it is not the merit of angels will 
do it, for sin is the transgression, the destruction of the law, and the least 
iota is more worth than heaven and all that is therein. 

Only, though it be thus unconquerably sinful by all created powers, it 
hath not gone beyond the price that Christ hath paid for it. The apostle 
compares to this very purpose sin and Christ's righteousness together, Rom. 
v. 15, 20. It is true, says he, that ' sin abounds,' and that one sin, to 
iragavrw/jua, and instanceth in Adam's sin, which staineth all men's natures 
to the end of the world ; yet, says he, the ' gift of righteousness by Christ 
abounds much more,' abounds to flowing over, viregeirXsovaffs, says the 
apostle, 1 Tim. i. 14, as the sea doth above mole-hills, Mai. vii. 14.* 
Though therefore it would undo all the angels, yet Christ's riches are un- 
searchable, Eph. hi. 8. He hath such riches of merit as are able to pay 
all thy debts the very first day of thy marriage with him, though thou hadst 
been a sinner millions of years afore the creation to this day ; and when 
that is done, there is enough left to purchase thee more grace and glory 
than all the angels have in heaven. In a word, he is ' able to save to the 
utmost all that come to God by him,' Heb. vii. 5, let their sins be what 
they will. 

But then we must come to him, and to God by him, and take him as 
* This is of course a misprint. I suppose the reference is to Micah vii. 19. — Ed, 

VOL. IV. L 



1G2 AGGRAVATION OF SIN. 

our lord, and king, and bead, and husband, as be is freely tendered ; we 
must be made one witb bim, and have our hearts divorced from all our 
sins for ever. And why not now '? Do we yet look for another Christ ? 
and to allude to us as Naomi said to Ruth, Is there yet any more sons in 
my womb, that they may be your husbands ? So say I, Hath God any 
more such sons ? Or is not this Christ good enough ? or are we afraid of 
being happy too soon in being married to bim ? 

But yet if we will have Christ indeed, without whom we are undone, 
1 how shall we then continue in sin,' Rom. vi., which is thus above measure 
sinful ? No, not in one. The apostle speaks there in the language of im- 
possibility and inconsistency. Christ and the reign of one sin, they cannot 
stand together. 

And, indeed, we will not so much as take Christ until first we have seen 
more or less this vision here, and sin appear to us, as to him, above 
measure sinful. Naturally we slight it, and make « mock of, and account 
it preciseness to stick and make conscience of it ; but if once sin thus 
appears to any but in its own colours, that man will look upon the least 
sin then as upon hell itself, and like a man affrighted fear in all his ways 
lest he should meet with sin, and starts at the very appearance of it : he 
weeps if sin do but see him, and he do but see it in hiinself and others, and 
cries out, as Joseph did, ' How shall I do this, and sin ? ' And then a man 
will make out for Christ as a condemned man for life, as a man that can 
no longer live, Oh, give me Christ, or else I die ; and then, if upon this 
Christ appears to him, and ' manifests himself,' as his promise is to them 
that seek him, John xiv. 21, his heart thereupon will much more detest 
and loathe it ; he saw it evil afore, but then it comes to have a new tincture 
added, which makes it infinitely more sinful in his eyes, for he then looks 
upon every sin as guilty of Christ's blood, as dyed with it, though ' covered 
by it.' ' The grace of God appearing, teacheth us to deny all ungodliness 
and worldly lusts.' ' The love of Christ constrains him.' Thinks he, Shall 
I live in that for which Christ died ? Shall that be my life which was his 
death ? Did he that never knew sin undergo the torment for it, and shall I be 
so unkind as to enjoy the pleasure of it ? No ; but as David, when he was 
very thirsty, and had water of the well of Bethlehem brought him, with the 
hazard of men's lives, poured it on the ground, for, says he, ' It is the 
blood of these men,' so says he, even when the cup of pleasures is at his 
very lips, It cost the blood of Christ, and so pours it upon the ground. 
And as the love of Christ constrains him, so the power of Christ doth change 
him. Kings may pardon traitors, but they cannot change their hearts ; 
but Christ pardons none he doth not make new creatures, and ' all old 
things pass away,' because he makes them friends, favourites to live with 
and delight in ; and if men ' put on Christ, and have learned him, as the 
truth is in Jesus, they put off as concerning the former conversation the old 
man, with the deceitful lusts,' Eph. iv. 21, 22, and he ceaseth from sin, 
that is, from the course of any known sin. They are the apostle's own 
words which shall judge us ; and if we should expect salvation from him 
upon any other terms, we are deceived, for Christ is ' the author of salva- 
tion to them only that obey him,' Heb. v. 9. 



AGGRAYATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST 
KNOWLEDGE. 



Because that, when they knew God, then glorified him not as God, neither were 
thankful ; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart teas 
darkened. — Rom. I. 21. 

There are two general aggravations the apostle insists on, in these two 
chapters, of the Gentiles' sinfulness: First, their unthankfulness, ver. 21, in 
' despising the riches of God's goodness,' chap. ii. 4; secondly, of rebellion, 
in sinning against knowledge, that ' when they knew him, they glorified him 
not as God.' And of all other, he inculcateth this of sinning against know- 
ledge as the greatest, for, bringing in a long, large, and particular indictment 
of many several sins, idolatry, ver. 23, unnatural uncleanness, ver. 26, &c, 
and all kinds of unrighteousness, ver. 29, he doth, both in the beginning 
and end of the bill, bring in this aggravation, that they sinned against 
knowledge in all these. So, ver. 18, he begins the indictment and pro- 
mulgation of God's wrath above all for this, that ' they withheld the truth 
in unrighteousness,' which was as much as all that unrighteousness com- 
mitted, barely in itself considered. And then again, in the end, when he 
comes to pronounce sentence, he comes in with this, after all particulars 
had been reckoned up, ' Who, knowing the judgment of God against those 
which do such things, yet do them.' 

So that this doctrine is clear from hence, that to sin against knowledge, 
either in omitting good duties which we know we ought to perform, or com- 
mitting of sins we know we ought not to do, is the highest aggravation of sin- 
fulness. 

I put both in ; both sins of omission and commission — for so the par- 
ticular sins the Gentiles are taxed for here are of both sorts, as not glorify- 
ing or worshipping God, as well as turning his glory into a lie, &c. — to omit 
prayer when your consciences tell you you ought to do it, to omit holy dis- 
course, examining the heart, when you know you ought to do them, are as 
well sins against knowledge as to tell a lie against your knowledge, or as 
to steal and forswear, or murder, or be drunk, &c. 

Now, when I say it is an aggravation to these sins, my meaning is this, 
that, take any sin thou thinkest most gross, and view it barely in the act 
of it, put the act nakedly in the one scale, be it a sin of uncleanness or 
drunkenness, and then put this circumstance which was added to it in the 



1C4 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

other scale, that before and when thou didst it thou knewest it to be a 
sin, this alone weighs as much, yea, more than the sin itself doth ; that as 
it is said of Herod that ' he added this to all his other sins, that he cast 
John in prison,' who told him of his Herodias, and so is made as much as 
all his former sins, so is this brought in here, that in and unto all their 
unrighteousness this was added, they withheld the truth, the light of their 
consciences (which is as a prophet from God) they did imprison in un- 
righteousness, ver. 18. And therefore when Daniel would convince Bel- 
shazzar of his deservedness to lose his kingdom, and that he was not able 
to ' hold weight in the balance,' Dan. v. 22, what puts he into the other 
scale against him to weigh him up, and to shew he was too light ? ver. 21, 
22, he tells him how his father knew the God of heaven, and how that 
his knowledge cost him seven years the learning among wild beasts, and 
' thou' (says he) ' his son knewest all this, and yet didst not humble thy- 
self.' Here is the aggravation weighs down all ; he knew the God of heaven 
against whom he sinned, and that judgment on his father for his pride ; 
and then withal he tells him, that ' this God, in whose hands is thy breath, 
and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.' 

I name this place among many others, because it is parallel with this in 
the text. I'll name no more, but give reasons and demonstrations for it. 

I. First, demonstrations. 

The greatness of this kind of sinning might many ways be made appear ; 
we will demonstrate it only by comparing it with other kinds of sinning. 

To sin, though out of simple ignorance, when that ignorance is but the 
causa sine qua non of sinning, that is, so as if a man had known it a sin, 
he had not done it, doth not yet make the fact not to be a sin, though it 
lesseneth it. For, Luke xii. 48, * He that did not know his master's will 
was beaten,' when the thing committed was worthy of stripes, though he 
did not know so much, because the thing deserves it. And the reason is, 
because the law being once promulged, as first to Adam it was, and put 
into his heart, as the common ark of mankind, though the tables be lost, 
yet our ignorance doth not make the law of none effect. For the law of 
nature for ever binds, that is, all that was written in Adam's heart, because 
it was thereby then published in him, and to him for us. But positive 
laws, as I may call them, as to believe in Christ, &c, anew delivered, bind 
not but where they are published. Josiah rent his clothes when the book 
of the law was found, because the ordinances were not kept, although they 
had not known the law of many years ; yet because they ought to have 
known it, therefore for all their ignorance he feared wrath would come upon 
all Israel. So also, Lev. v. 17, sins of ignorance were to be sacrificed for; 
yet however it lesseneth the sin, therefore ' he shall be beaten with few 
stripes.' 

And sure, if ignorance lesseneth them, knowledge aggravates ; for con- 
trariorum eadem est ratio, therefore ' he that knows shall be beaten with 
many stripes.' Yea, such difference is there that God is said to wink at 
sins of ignorance. Acts xvii. 30, ' The time of this ignorance God winks 
at.' "Whiles they had no knowledge, God took no notice ; yea, and he 
abates something for such sins, because the creature hath a cloak, hath 
something to say for itself (as Christ says, John xv. 22) ; but when against 
knowledge, they have no cloak. Yea, farther, Christ makes a sin of ignor- 
ance to be no sin in comparison : so there, ' If I had not spoken and done 
those works never man did, they had had no sin,' that is, none in com- 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 165 

parison ; but 'now they have no cloak,' no shelter to award* the stripes, 
or plea to abate of them. 

1. And that you may see the ground of this vast difference between sins of 
ignorance and against knowledge, consider first, that if a man sin (suppose 
the act the same) out of ignorance merely, there may be a supposition that 
if he had known it he would not have done it, and that as soon as he doth 
know it he would or might repent of it. So, 1 Cor. ii. 8, ' If they had 
known, they had not crucified the Lord of glory.' The like says Christ of 
Tyre, Sodom, and Gomorrah, that ' if the same things had been done in 
them, they would have repented.' But now, when a man knows it afore, 
and also considers it in the very committing it, and yet doth it, then there 
is no room for such a supposition, and less hope. For what is it that 
should reduce this man to repentance ? Is it not his knowledge ? Now if 
that had no power to keep him from his sin, then it may be judged that it 
will not be of force to bring him to repentance for it ; for by sinning the 
heart is made more hard, and the knowledge and the authority of it weakened 
and lessened, as all power is when contemned and resisted, Rom. i. 21, 
' Their foolish heart becomes darker.' Aristotle himself hath a touch of 
this notion in the third of his Ethics, that if a man sin out of ignorance, 
when he knows it, he repents of it ; if out of passion, when the passion is 
over, he is sorry for what he hath done ; but when a man sins deliberately, 
and out of knowledge, it is a sign he is fixed and set in mischief, and there- 
fore it is counted wickedness and malice. And hence it is that those that 
have been enlightened with the highest kind of light but that of saving 
grace, Heb. vi. 4, 5, and Heb. x., 'if they sin wilfully after such a know- 
ledge of the truth,' God looks on them as those that will never repent. 
And therefore likewise the school gives this as the reason why the devils 
sin obstinately, and cannot repent, because of their full knowledge they 
sin with ; they know all in the full latitude that it may be known, and yet 
go on. 

2. Secondly, The vast difference that in God's account is put between 
sins of knowledge and of ignorance, will appear by the different respect and 
regard that God hath to them, in the repentance he requires and accepts 
for them ; and that both in the acts of repentance and also in the state of 
grace and repentance, upon which God accepts a man, or for want of which 
he rejecteth him. 

First. When a man comes to perform the acts of repentance, and to 
humble himself for sin, and to turn from it, God exacteth not, that sins of 
ignorance should particularly be repented of. But if they be repented of 
but in the general, and in the lump, be they never so great, God accepts it. 
This is intimated, Ps. xix. 12, ' "Who can understand his error? cleanse me 
from my secret sins ; ' that was confession enough. But sins of know- 
ledge must be particularly repented of, and confessed, and that again and 
again, as David was forced to do for his murder and adultery, or a man 
shall never have pardon. Yea, farther, greater difference will appear in 
regard of the state of grace and repentance, for a man may lie in a sin he 
doth not know to be a sin, and yet be in the state of grace, as the patriarchs 
in polygamy, and in divorcing their wives ; but to lie in a sin of knowledge 
is not compatible with grace, but unless a man maintaineth a constant 
fight against it, hateth it, confesseth it, forsaketh it, he cannot have mercy. 
This cannot stand with uprightness of heart. A friend may keep corre- 
spondency with one he suspects not to be an enemy unto his friend, and be 
* That is, 'to ward off.' — Ed. 



166 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

true to his friendship notwithstanding; but if he knows him to be an enemy, 
he must break utterly with the one if he leans to the other. 

3. Thirdly, Yet farther, in the third place, so vast is the difference, that 
some kind of sins committed out of and against knowledge, utterly exclude 
from mercy from time to come, which done out of ignorance remained 
capable of and might have obtained it ; as persecuting the saints, blas- 
pheming Christ, &c. Paul's will was as much in those acts themselves, 
and as hearty as those that sin against the Holy Ghost ; for he was mad 
against the church, and in these sins, as himself says, not sinning willingly 
herein only, but being carried on with fury as hot and as forward as the 
Pharisees that sinned that sin ; only, says he, 1 Tim. i. 13, ' I did it 
ignorantly, therefore I obtained mercy.' Though it was ignorantly done, 
yet there was need of mercy ; but yet in that he did it but ignorantly, there 
was a capacity and place for mercy which otherwise had not been. But 
thus to sin, ' after a man hath received the knowledge of the truth, shuts a 
man out from mercy, Heb. x., and ' there is no more sacrifice for sin,' for 
such sins; I say, such sins as these, thus directly against the gospel, when 
committed with knowledge. For sins against the law, though against 
knowledge, there was an atonement, as appears, Lev. vi. 1-8, where he 
instanceth in forswearing. But to persecute the saints, and Christ's truth, 
with malice, after knowledge of it, there is no more sacrifice ; not that 
simply the sin is so great in the act itself of persecution, for Paul did it out 
of ignorance, but because it is out of knowledge : so vast a difference doth 
knowledge and ignorance put between the guilt of the same sin. 

4. And therefore indeed, to conclude this in the last place, this is the 
highest step of the ladder, next to turning off, the very highest but sinning 
against the Holy Ghost ; which must needs argue it the highest aggrava- 
tion of sinning, when it ascends so high, when it brings a man to the brink, 
and next to falling into the bottomless pit, irrecoverably. And therefore to 
' sin presumptuously' (which is all one) and to ' sin against knowledge,' as 
appears, Num. xv. 26-30, it being there opposed to sinning out of ignorance 
(such a sin as David did, of whom it is said, 2 Sam, xii. 9, that ' he despised 
the word of the Lord;' which phrase also is used to express sins of pre- 
sumption, verse 31 of that 15th chapter of Numbers). To sin, I say, pre- 
sumptuously is the highest step. So in David's account, Ps. xix. 12, 13. 
For first he prays, ' Lord, keep me from secret sins,' which he maketh sins of 
ignorance, and then next he prays against ' presumptuous sins,' which, as the 
opposition shews, are sins against knowledge ; for (says he), ' if they get 
dominion over me, I shall not be free from that great offence,' that is, that 
unpardonable sin which shall never be forgiven, so as these are nearest 
it of any other, yet not so as that every one that falls into such a sin 
commits it, but he is nigh to it, at the next step to it. For to commit 
that sin, but two things are required — light in the mind, and malice in the 
heart ; not malice alone, unless there be light, for then that apostle had 
sinned it, so as knowledge is the parent of it, it is ' after receiving the 
knowledge of the truth,'' Heb. x. 27, 28. 

II. These are the demonstrations of it ; the reasons are, 
1. First, Because knowledge of God and his ways is the greatest mercy 
next to saving grace : ' He hath not dealt so with every nation.' Where- 
in ? In ' giving the knowledge of his ways ;' and as it is thus, so to a 
nation, so to a man ; and therefore Christ speaking of the gift of knowledge, 
and giving the reason why it so greatly condemneth, Luke xii. 48, says, 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 167 

1 For to whom much is given, much is required.' As if ho had said, To 
know his master's will, that is tho great talent of all other. There is a 
match in that. Thus it was in the heathens' esteem also. They acknow- 
ledged their foolish wisdom in moral and natural philosophy, their greatest 
excellency ; and therefore Plato thanked God for three things, that he was 
a man, an Athenian, and a philosopher. And Rom. i. 22, the apostle 
mentions it as that excellency they did profess. And Solomon, of all 
vanities, says this is the hest vanity, and that it ' exceeds folly as light 
doth darkness,' Eccles. ii. 13. But surely much more is the knowledge of 
the law, and of God, as we have it revealed to us ; this must needs be 
much more excellent. And so the Jews esteemed theirs, as in this second 
chapter of the Romans, the apostle shews also of them, that they ' made 
their boast of the law, and their form of knowledge of it, and approving 
the things that are excellent.' And what do the two great books of the 
creatures, and the word, and all means else serve for, but to increase 
knowledge ? If therefore all tend to this, this is then the greatest mercy 
of all the rest. 

2. For, secondly, God hath appointed knowledge as the immediate guide 
of men in all their ways, to bring them to salvation and repentance ; for to 
that it leads them. It is that same rb riyrjfiSvtxov, as the philosopher called 
it ; and therefore the law, Rom. vii. 1, 2, is compared to a husband, so 
far as it is written in or revealed in the heart, that as a husband is the 
guide of the wife in her youth, so is the law to the heart. And whereas 
beasts are ruled by a bit and bridle, God he rules men by knowledge. And 
therefore if men be wicked, notwithstanding this light, they must needs sin 
highly, seeing there is no other curb for them, as they are men, but this : 
if he will deal with them as men, this is the only way, and therefore if that 
will not do it, it is supposed nothing will. 

It is knowledge makes men capable of sin, which beasts are not ; there- 
fore the more knowledge, if men be wicked withal, the more sin must 
necessarily be reckoned to them ; so as God doth not simply look what 
men's actions and affections are, but chiefly what their knowledge is, and 
accordingly judgeth men more or less wicked. I may illustrate this by 
that comparison, which I may allude unto : that as in kingdoms God 
measures out the wickedness thereof, and so his punishments accordingly, 
principally by the guides, the governors thereof, what they are, and what 
they do ; as in Jer. v. 4 it appears, where first God looks upon the 
poor people, but he excuseth them, ' These are foolish, and know not the 
way of the Lord ;' and therefore God would have been moved to spare the 
kingdom, notwithstanding their sins. But from them, at the 5th verse, he 
goes to view the rulers, ' I will get me to the great men, for these have 
known the way of the Lord ;' and when he saw that ' these had broken 
the bands,' then 'how shall I pardon thee for this?' So is it in his 
judgments towards a particular man : when God looks down upon a man, 
and sees him in his courses exceeding loose and wicked, he looks first upon 
those rude affections in him, which are unclean, profane, debauched, greedy 
of all wickedness. Ay, but, says he, these are foolish of themselves, but 
I will look upon his understanding, and upon the superior faculties, which 
are the guides of these affections, and see what they dictate to these unruly 
affections to restrain them. And when he finds that the guides themselves 
are enlightened, ' and have known the way of the Lord,' and that the will 
and the affections, though informed with much knowledge, yet ' break all 
bands,' then 'how shall I pardon thee?' thee, who art a knowing 



1G8 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING. 

drunkard, and a knowing unclean person, &c, so as thus to sin aggravates 
and maketh sin out of measure sinful. 

Now that knowledge and reason is a man's guide, will further appear by 
this : that even erroneous knowledge doth put an obligation, a bond, and a 
tie upon a man, which can be in no other respect, but because knowledge 
is appointed to be a man's guide. Thus, if a man thinks a thing which 
is in itself common and indifferent to be a sin, and forbidden, as Rom. 
xiv. 14, although the law forbids it not, yet ' to him it is unclean,' though 
in Christ it is not unclean, that is, by the law of Christ. For this his 
knowledge and judgment of the thing hath to him the force of a law, for 
it propounds it to him as a law, and as from God, which reason of his God 
hath appointed as his immediate guide ; and the will is to follow nothing 
that is evil, which is represented to it as evil. This is the law of mere nature 
in all conditions ; therefore if a man should do an action which is in itself 
good, if he thought it to be evil, he should sin, and so e contra, for he goes 
against the dictate of nature. So that erroneous knowledge, though against 
the law, is a law to me, though not per se, yet per accidens. Now therefore 
if to go against a false light of conscience be yet a sin, though it proves 
that the commandment allows the thing was done, and was for it, then to 
go against the true light of the law, how sinful is it ! 

3. Again, thirdly, the knowledge of the law binds the person so much 
the more to obedience, by how much the more he knows it ; so as though 
it would be a sin when he knows not the law to transgress it, yet when he 
knows it, it is a greater sin. It is true, indeed, that conscience and the 
law, when they meet, make up but one law, not two distinct laws ; and 
therefore in sinning against knowledge, though a man doth not commit two 
distinct sins, yet the knowledge of it doth add a further degree of sinfulness 
to it ; as a cloth is the same cloth when it is white that it was when it is 
dyed with a scarlet dye, yet then it hath a dye, a tincture given it, which 
is more worth than the cloth : and so, when you sin not knowing the law, 
the sin is the same for substance it would be if you had known it, yet that 
knowledge dyes it, makes it a ' scarlet sin,' as Isaiah speaks, far greater and 
deeper in demerit than the sin itself ; and the ground of this is, because 
laws then come to be in force when they are promulged and made known, 
so as the more they are promulged and made known, the more is the force 
of their binding, and so the greater guilt. Therefore, Deut. xii. 3, 8, God 
otraightens the cords more, the binding force of the law more upon those 
Jews' consciences, to whom he at first personally with majesty had promul- 
gated it, than upon their children, though upon theirs also. Now if all 
God's laws, being made known to Adam, bind us, and are in force, and 
this when we know them not, then, if we do know them, or might know 
them, they bind much more, and still the more clearly we know them the 
obligation increaseth, and the guilt ensuing with it ; and the rather, because 
now when we come to know them, they are anew promulged in a way of 
a peculiar mercy, we having defaced the knowledge of them in our fall. 

4. Fourthly, When the law, being known, is broken, there is the more 
contempt cast upon the law, and the lawgiver also, and so a higher degree 
of sinning. And therefore, Num. xv. 30, ' He that sins out of knowledge ' 
is said to ' reproach the Lord, and to despise the word.' And therefore 
Saul sinning against knowledge, Samuel calleth it rebellion ; and though it 
were but in a small thing, yet he parallels it with witchcraft. So also, Job 
xxiv. 13, they are said to rebel when they sin against light ; because rebel- 
lion is added to disobedience. For knowledge is an officer set to see the 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 1G9 

law executed and fulfilled, and makes God present to the conscience. 
Therefore, Rom. ii. 14, it is called a witness, and therefore in sinning against 
knowledge men are said to sin before the face of the Lord himself ; now 
what a great contempt is that ? Therefore also, Ps. 1. 17, the hypocrite 
6inning against knowledge is said to ' cast the law of God behind his back,' 
so as there is a contempt in this sinning, which is in no other. 

5. Fifthly, The more knowledge a man sinneth against, the more the will 
of the sinner is discovered to be for sin, as sin. Now voluntarium est regula 
et mensura actionum moralium, willingness in sinning is the standard and 
measure of sins. The less will, the less sin ; so much is cut off, the less 
the will closeth with it, at leastwise so much is added by how much the 
will is more in it ; and therefore the highest degree of sinning is expressed 
to us by sinning willingly, and this after knowledge, Heb. x. Now though 
an ignorant man commits the act as willingly, as when Paul persecuted the 
church, yet he commits it not considered as sin till he hath the knowledge 
of it ; but then when it is discovered to be sin, and the more clearly it is so 
discovered, the will may be said to join with it as sin. Therefore the 
apostle says, ' To him that knows to do well, and doth it not, to him it is 
sin,' James iv. 17, because by his knowledge the thing is represented as 
sin ; and so he closeth with it the more, under that notion and apprehension. 

6. Sixthby, In sinning against knowledge a man condemns himself, but 
when out of ignorance niereby, the law only doth condemn him ; so Eom. 
ii. 1, a man having knowledge in that wherein he judgeth another, he con- 
demneth himself; so Rom. xiv., now as self-murder is the highest degree 
of murder and an aggravation of it, so self- condemning must needs be 
reckoned. God took it as a great advantage over him that hid his talent, 
that ' out of thine own mouth I will condemn thee, thou wicked servant.' 

The doctrine being thus proved ; first, I will explain what it is to sin 
against knowledge. 

Secondly, I will give the aggravations of it. 

Thirdly, I will give rules to measure sins of knowledge by, and the great- 
ness of them in any act. 

Lastly, the use of all. 

1. For the first, what it is to sin against knowledge. First, to explain 
it, I premise these distinctions. 

(1.) The first distinction: that it is one thing to sin with knowledge, 
another thing against knowledge. 

There are many sins do pass from a man with his knowledge, which yet 
are not against knowledge. This is to be observed for the removal of a 
scruple which may arise in some that are godly, who else may be wounded 
with this doctrine through a mistake. 

A regenerate man is, and must needs be, supposed guilty of more known 
sins than an unregenerate man ; and } T et he commits fewer against know- 
ledge than he. 

[1.] First, I say, he is guilty of more known sins ; for he takes notice 
of every sinful disposition that is stirring in him, every by-end, every con- 
trariety unto holiness, deadness to duty, reluctancy to spiritual duties, and 
when regenerated, beginneth to see and know more evil by himself, than 
ever he did before ; he sees as the apostle says of himself, Rom. vii. 8, 
' all concupiscence ; ' and the holier a man is, the more he discerns and 
knows his sins. So says the apostle, Rom. vii. 18, ' I know that in me 
dwells no good thing.' And ver. 21, ' I find when I would do good, evil 



170 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

is present with me.' And ver. 23, ' I see another law.' All these, he says, 
he perceived and found daily in himself ; and the more holy that he grew, 
the more he saw them. For the purer and clearer the light of God's Spirit 
shines in a man, the more sins he knows, he will see lusts streaming up, 
flying in his heart, like motes in the sun, or sparks out of a furnace, which 
else he had not seen. The clearer the sunbeam is which is let into the heart, 
the more thou wilt see them. 

[2.] But yet, in the second place, I add, that nevertheless he sins less 
against knowledge ; for then we are properly said to sin against knowledge, 
when we do take the fulfilling of a lust, or the performance of an outward 
action, a duty, or the like, into deliberation and consideration, and consider 
motives against the sin, or to the duty, and yet commit that sin, yield to 
it, and nourish that lust, and omit that duty. Here now we sin not only 
with knowledge, but against knowledge, because knowledge stepped in, and 
opposed us in it, comes to interrupt and prevent us ; but now in those 
failings in duty, and stirring of lusts in the regenerate aforementioned, the 
case is otherwise, they are committed indeed with knowledge, but not 
against it. For it is not in the power of knowledge to prevent them, for 
motus primi non cadunt sub libertatem ; but yet though such sins will arise 
again and again, yet, says a good heart, they must not think to pass uncon- 
trolled and unseen. Therefore let not poor souls mistake me, as if I meant 
throughout this discourse of all sins which are known to be sins, but I 
mean such sins as are committed against knowledge, that is, when know- 
ledge comes and examines a sin in or before the committing of it, brings 
it to the law, contests against it, condemns it, and yet a man approveth it, 
and consenteth to it ; when a duty and a sin are brought before knowledge, 
as Barabbas and Christ afore Pilate, and thy knowledge doth again and 
again tell thee such a sin is a great sin, and ought to be crucified, and yet 
thou criest, let it go ; and so for the duty, it tells thee again and again it 
ought to be submitted unto, and yet thou omittest it, and committest the 
sin, choosest Barabbas rather than Christ : these are sins against knowledge. 
Now such sins against knowledge break a man's peace, and the more con- 
sideration before had, the more the peace is broken. 

(2.) The second distinction is, that men sin against knowledge, either 
directly or collaterally, objectively or circumstantially. 

[1.] First, directly, when knowledge itself is the thing men abuse, or 
fight against, becometh the object, the term in us, the butt and mark shot at, 
this is to sin directly against knowledge itself. 

[2.] The second way, collaterally, is, when knowledge is but a circum- 
stance in our sins, so as the pleasure of some sin we know to be a sin is 
the thing aimed at, and that our knowledge steps but in between to hinder 
us in it, and we commit it notwithstanding though we do know it ; here 
knowledge is indeed sinned against, yet but collaterally, and as a stander 
by, but as a circumstance only, shot at^er accidents, concomitanter, and by 
the by, as one that steps in to part a fray is smitten, for labouring to 
hinder them in their sin, as the Sodomites quarrelled with Lot ; they are 
both found in this chapter, and therefore come fitly within the compass of 
this discourse. 

First, this collateral kind of sinning against knowledge is mentioned in 
the 21st verse, where he says, ' They knew God, yet they glorified him 
not ; ' there knowledge is made but a circumstance of their sinning, they 
sinned against it but collaterally. But then that other kind of sinning 
directly against knowledge is mentioned, verse 28, ' They liked not to 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 171 

retain God in their knowledge ; ' that is, they hated this knowledge itself, 
BO as now they did not only love sin they knew to be sin, but also they 
loved not the knowledge of it; so that because both are thus clearly in- 
stanced in. we will speak of both more largely. 

Now, sins directly against knowledge itself are many. I will reduce the 
chief heads of them into two brunches : 

First, In regard of ourselves. 

Secondly, In regard of others. 

(1.) First, In regard of ourselves, five ways we may thus sin against 
knowledge itself. 

[1.] First, When we abuse knowledge to help us to sin : as, first, to plot 
and contrive a sin, as Judas plotted to betray his Master, if he could ' con- 
veniently;' so the text says, Mark xiv. 11, he would do it wisely; and thus 
those that came to entrap Christ with most cunning questions did sin, and 
those who plot against the just, Ps. xxxvii. 12. 

[2.] So, secondly, when men use their wisdoms to tell a cunning lie to 
cover a sin ; as Plato says, men of knowledge stmt ad mendacia potent iores 
et sapient iores, whereas fools, though they would he, yet often tell truth ere 
they are aware. 

[3.] But also, thirdly, when they abuse moral knowledge, which yet, as 
Aristotle says, is least apt to be (I am sure should least be) abused, so as 
to make a show of good pretences to cover their sins and dissemble them, 
not only by finding out some cunning artificial colour, as David did in the 
matter of Uriah, ' Chance of war (says he) falls to all alike ; ' but when 
men are so impudently hypocritical as to make use of religious pretexts, as 
the devil sometimes doth, as Saul, w T ho pretends to Samuel ' I have done 
the will of the Lord ; ' and when Samuel told him of the cattle, Oh, says 
he, 'they are for a sacrifice,' when God had expressly commanded to kill 
them all. But this shift shifted him out of his kingdom, Samuel pro- 
nounced him a rebel in it, rebellion is sin against knowledge, there he 
knew it. Thus also Jezebel coloured over the stoning of Naboth with a 
bolemn fast. So Judas fisheth for money with a charitable pretence, 
4 This might have been sold, and given to the poor.' In sins against 
knowledge, usually the mind endeavours to find out a colour, and that 
provokes God more than the sin, because we go about to mock him. We 
see men cannot endure a shift, much less the all-knowing God not to be 
mocked ; and we see it hard to convince such an one. David was fain to 
be brought to the rack ere he would confess, when he had a shift ; and men 
do seek such shifts only in case of sinning against conscience, for else there 
were no need, they would be sure to plead ignorance, as Abimelech did.* 

Secondly, When men neglect the getting and obtaining of knowledge, 
which knowledge might keep and hinder them from sinning, and might 
make them expert in duties. This is as much as to sin against knowledge, 
although the sins be committed out of ignorance ; yet that ignorance being 
through their own default, it comes all to one, when it may be said of 
men, as the apostle doth of the Hebrews, chap. v. 12, ' that for the time 
they have had to learn, they might have been teachers, they had yet need 
be taught again the first principles.' If a man had an apprentice, who 
through negligence and want of heeding and observing what he daily sees 
and hears about his trade, might have got for his time much knowledge in 
his trade, whereby he might have saved his master much, which he now 
hath lost him, and rid and perfected much work he daily spoils him ; such 
* 1 Sam xxii. 15. — Ed. 



172 AGGRAVATIONS OF SIXMXG 

careless, blockish ignorance it is just for his master to correct him for, and 
to charge on him all that waste and loss, because he might have known 
how to have done better. And therefore even they who thought ignorance 
in itself no sin (wherein they erred), yet the neglect of knowledge upon this 
very ground they thought a great sin, and that it would be so far from 
excusing sins, as that it would aggravate them. So here we see these 
Gentiles shall not only be reckoned with for the actual knowledge they had 
attained to, and sinned against ; but also for what they might have had 
and have picked out of the creatures. For so the apostle brings in this 
here in the 20th verse, that the power of God being clearly seen in the 
creatures, they neglecting to spell and read it, so much knowledge as they 
might have got God will reckon to them, and aggravate their sins by. 

Thirdly, Which is yet much worse, when men refuse knowledge that they 
may sin the more freely, and so stop the ear, lest they should be charmed. 
As when men are loath, and afraid, and dare not read such a book as dis- 
covers or might discover that truth to them, the submission to which would 
prejudice them, and this to the end that they may plead ignorance of their 
sin. Thus also those that assent not to truth when it comes strongly upon 
them, but seek to evade it. But, 1 Cor. xiv. 37, when the apostle had 
clearly discovered the truth in those things controverted, so as whoever 
was spiritual, or not fully blind, might see, and would acknowledge the 
truth, then he shuts up his discourse about them, ver. 38, ( If any be igno- 
rant, let him be ignorant ;' for it is wilful, it is affected ; he speaks it as 
elsewhere, Rev. xxii. 11, it is said, He that is unjust, let him be unjust 
still ;' that is, he that will be unjust, and refuseth to turn, let him go on. 
This is a great sin, for God, you see, gives such a man over. One that is 
but neglectful, or dull of capacity, God will take pains with him, to teach 
him, and bear with him, as Christ did with his disciples ; but if he be wil- 
fully ignorant, he lets him die in his ignorance, and yet will reckon with 
him, as if all his sins had been committed against knowledge, because he 
refused to know. 

[4.] The fourth is to hate the light, and to endeavour to extinguish it. 
This is yet nineh worse, when men hate the word, and the ministers of it, 
the examples of God's people, and the light they cany with them, they 
1 shining as lights in a crooked generation,' Phil. iL 15, and yet they hate 
these, as thieves do a torch in the night, and fly against the light as bats 
do, and as the Jews did, John hi. 20. This Christ says is the great con- 
demning sin of all others. So these Gentiles put Socrates to death for re- 
proving them. And thus men sin also, when they labour to extinguish the 
b>ht in their own consciences, and • like not to retain God in their know- 
ledge,' ver. 28, but would study the art of forgetfulness, when men have 
put the candle out, and drawn the curtains, that they may sin, and sleep 
in sin more freely and securely. Thus those also sin in a higher measure, 
who have had a clear conviction that they ought to be thus strict, and 
ought to sanctify the Lord's day, and pray privately, but now have lost this 
light, and think" they need not be so strict ; when men continue not in what 
they were once assured of, as the apostle speaks, 2 Tim. iii. 14, these sin 
against their knowledge, and are the worst of such sinners. And this estate 
Aristotle himself makes station maligni, the state of a wicked one, namely, 
when the sparks of light are extinguished or hated. For when any man's 
light is lost and turned into darkness by sinning, then, as Christ says, how 
great is that darkness ! When good laws are not only not enacted and 
embraced, but repealed also (it is Aristotle's similitude, to distinguish an 



AGAIXST KNOWLEDGE. 173 

incontinent person and a wicked man), this is an high kind of Burning. B i 
of these Gentiles it is said, ' their foolish heart was darkened,' they had 
extinguished some of that light God gave them. As some drink away their 
wits, so some sin away their consciences, and thus by degrees they first 
sin away the light of the word they had, as t-hey in Jude who were religions 
once, and then they quench even that little spark of nature that is kit. 
Also ver. 10, 'corrupting themselves in what they know naturally.' 

[5.] Fifthly, Men sin against knowledge yet worse, when they hold opinion 
against their knowledge. So many are said to do In 1 Tim. iv. 2, he fore- 
tells they should ' speak lies in hypocrisy,' and invent lies that should have 
a pretence of holiness, which they know to be a lie, or else they should not 
be said to ' speak lies in hypocrisy ;' but they do it to maintain their honour 
and greatness, which must down if their doctrine prove false ; and though 
many are given up to believe their lies, 2 Thes. ii. 11, as a punishment of 
their not loving the truth, yet others of them shall know they are lies, and 
yet vent them for truths. Thus when men fashion their opinion to the 
times and ways of preferment, and their dependencies on great ones, or to 
maintain and uphold a fashion, or out of pride having broached an error 
maintain it, though the pulling out that one tile doth untile all the house. 
These are the two causes given of perverting the truth, 1 Tim. vi. 4, 5, 
namely, pride and covetousness, and supposing gain godliness, and so fashion- 
ing their religion accordingly ; when men are ' knights of the post,' that 
will write or speak anything, whereby they may get gain and preferment. 

(2.) Secondly, Men sin against knowledge in regard of others. 

[1.] First, By concealing it. The apostle indeed says in a certain case, 
' Hast thou knowledge ? keep it to thyself.' He speaks it of opinions or 
practices about things indifferent, which might scandalize the weak ; but if 
thou hast knowledge which may edify thy brother, thou oughtest to com- 
municate it. Socrates, knowing there was but one God, said, in his apo- 
logy for his life, that if they would give him life upon condition to keep 
that truth to himself, and not to teach it to others, he would not accept 
life upon such a condition ; and I remember he expresseth his resolution 
in words very nigh the same words the apostles used, Acts iv. 40, ' Whether 
it be better to obey God than men, judge you ;' and ' We cannot but teach 
the things we have heard and seen,' says Christ ; for knowledge is a thing 
will boil within a man for vent, and cannot be imprisoned. It is light, and 
the end why light was made was to be set up to give light. And Christ 
argues from an apparent absurdity to put a light under a bushel, which 
may give light to all the house. Hast thou knowledge of God and of his 
ways ? thou canst not but speak (if withal thou hast but a good heart) to all 
in the family, to thy wife in thy bosom, &c. God took it for granted that 
Abraham would teach his children what he should know from him : the 
same disposition is in all the children of Abraham. 

[2.] Secondly, When men endeavour to suppress knowledge. As the 
Pharisees, they kept the keys of it in their hands, and would not open the 
treasures of it themselves, nor let others do it neither. So they (Acts 
iv. 16) ' could not deny but a great miracle was done' by the apostles (say 
themselves), ' but that it spread no further, let us threaten them, and charge 
them, that they speak no more in his name.' And this they did against 
their consciences, by their own profession, ' we cannot deny it ;' as if they 
had said, if we could we would, but it was too manifest it was the truth. 
So when masters keep their servants from the means of knowledge, they 
are thus guilty. 



174 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

[3.] Thirdly, When we would make others sin against their consciences. 
The Pharisees, when the blind man would not say as they said, they cast 
him out ; they would have had him say that Christ was a sinner, when 
through the small light he had he judged it evident enough that a sinner 
should not do such a miracle as was never done since the world began. 
And so Jezebel made the judges and witnesses sin against conscience in 
accusing Naboth ; and so some of the Gentiles, that would hold corres- 
pondency with the Jews, would have constrained the Galatians to be cir- 
cumcised, Gal. vi. 12. Those that knew that circumcision was to be abo- 
lished, yet they would persuade them to it by club-argument, drawn from 
avoiding persecution, not from evidence of the truth, or by reasons that 
might convince them and their consciences ; therefore, he says, they ' con- 
strained them.' The persuaders might indeed glory, as having their 
cause and side strengthened, but they won little credit to their cause by it ; 
for as the persuaders' arguments were suited to flesh, so the others' yield- 
ing was out of flesh, and so ' they glory in your flesh' and weakness, says 
he ; as the papists urged Cranmer, not by arguments, but threats and pro- 
mises, to recant ; this is the greatest cruelty in the world, to have a man 
murder himself, stab his conscience. To offend a weak conscience is a sin, 
if but passively, when thou dost something before his face, which his con- 
science is against ; but if thou makest him wound his own conscience, and 
to do an act himself which his own conscience is against, it is much 
worse ; as if thou beest a master, and hast a servant who pleadeth con- 
science that he cannot lie for thy advantage in thy shop, or who will not 
do unlawful business on the Sabbath day, and pleads conscience, w T ilt thou 
smite him and whip him ? ' God will smite thee, thou w T hited wall.' How 
darest thou smite him and so cause him to do that for which God will 
whip him worse ? Shew mercy to those under you, inform their con- 
sciences, wring them not, you may hap to break the wards if you do. 

2. Now for sins committed collaterally, or per modum circwnstantm 
(that I may so express it), against knowledge, they are done either when 
particular acts of sin are committed, and duties omitted, against light 
and knowledge ; and so the saints may and do often sin against know- 
ledge. Or, 

Secondly, in regard of a known estate of sin and impenitency persisted 
in, when men continue and go on in such a state against conviction of con- 
science, that such is their estates. 

(1.) For the first, because particular acts of sin committed against know- 
ledge are infinite, and there will be no end of instancing in particulars, 
therefore I will not insist. Only in brief this distinction concerning such 
acts may be observed , and the observation of it may be useful, that some 
acts of sins against knowledge are merely transient, that is, are done and 
ended at once. And though the guilt of them is eternal, yet the extent of 
the act is finished with the committing it, and reaches no further : as a 
vain oath, breach of the Sabbath, &c, which acts cannot be repealed, 
though they may be repented of. But others there are, which though the 
act may be but once outwardly and professedly done, yet have an habitual and 
continued permanency, life, and subsistence given it, such as that until a 
man doth recall them, he may be said continually to renew those acts, and 
every day to be guilty of them, and to maintain it, and so habitually to 
commit them. As it is with laws, which, though made but once, are yet 
continued acts of the state whilst they stand in force unrepealed, so is it 
in some sins. For instance, when a man doth take goods from his neigh- 



a<;aixst kxowm'.iicf.. 175 

bour unjustly, the act indeed is done but once ; but till he restores them, 
he may be said to steal them ; every day, even- hour, ho continues to do 
it habitually. So a man having subscribed to falsehood, or recanted the 
truth publicly, the act, though done but once, yet until a retraction be 
somewavs made, he continues that act, and so is daily anew guilty of it. 
So if a man should many one whom it is unlawful for him to marrv, as 
Herod did, though that sinful act of espousals whereby they entered into 
it was soon despatched, yet, till a divorce, he lives in a continual sin. 
And such acts (of this latter sort I mean) against knowledge, are most 
dangerous to commit ; because, to continue thus in them, though but once 
committed, hazards a man's estate ; and therefore men find, when they 
come to repent, the greatest snare, and trouble, and difficulty in such 
kind of sins, to extricate themselves out of them by a meet and true 
repentance. 

But as concerning the first branch of this distinction, namely, of parti- 
cular acts committed against knowledge, besides this last distinction briefly 
touched, I will anon give you several aggravations and rules, whereby to 
measure the sinfulness that is in such acts so committed ; but, in the 
mean time, the second branch of this former distinction must be in 
upon, and therefore I will bring in these aggravations and rules which con- 
cern particular acts, as distinct heads, after I have briefly spoken to this 
other, which is, that, 

(2.) Secondly, Those sin against knowledge who go on in an estate of sin 
and impenitency which they know to be damnable ; as Pharaoh. Exod. 
ix. 27, who confessed that he and his people were wicked, and yet har- 
dened himself in sin most dangerously ; and yet three sorts of men may 
apparently be convinced thus to sin. 

First, Those that keep out, and withdraw themselves from professing 
Christ and his ways, and the fear of his name, out of shame or fear of man, 
or loss of preferment, or the like worldly ends, when yet they are convinced 
that they are God's ways, and ought to be professed by them. I do not say 
that all who do not come in to profess Christ, and that do not join them- 
selves with his people, that they go on against knowledge, for many are 
ignorant and mistaken about them ; but when men are convinced of the 
truth, and necessity of professing and confessing of it even ' unto salvation' 
(as the apostle speaks, Rom. x), and yet out of fear or shame keep still on 
the other side, drawing in their homs altogether, these go on in an estate 
of impenitency against knowledge ; for put all these together, and it must 
needs appear to be so. As, first, when they are convinced that this is the 
truth, and that salvation and the power of religion is only to be found in 
such ways and men ; and secondly, that these are to be practised and pro- 
fessed; and yet, thirdly, out of shame, &c, keep still aloof of, and go on a 
contrary way ; these must needs know that they go on in an estate of im- 
penitency against knowledge. This was the case of many of the Pharisees, 
who therefore sinned highly ; they believed, and were convinced that 
Christ was the Messiah ; and so then to be confessed, and followed, and to 
be cleaved unto, and then also they must needs know that his followers 
only were the children of God. Yet, John xii. 42, it is said, ' Though they 
thus believed on him, yet they durst not confess him for fear of the Jews,' 
and of the Pharisees, and of being ' put out of the synagogues.' At the 
latter day Christ shall not need to sever such from the rest as he will do 
the sheep from the goats, for they willingly remain all their days amongst 
them whom they know to be goats, and refuse the company, and fold, and 



176 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

food, and marks of the sheep which they know to he such ; they may 
apologise, and make fair with the saints, that their hearts are with them, 
but they will be ranked at the day of judgment as here they ranked them- 
selves, with the ' workers of iniquity.' Of these doth the psalmist speak, 
Ps. cxxv. 5, ' Those that turn aside by their crooked ways, them shall 
the Lord leave with the workers of iniquity.' 

Those also thus sin, and are to be joined with these, who know the 
terms and condition of salvation, and how they must part with all for 
Christ, and yet will not come to the price ; such do go desperately on 
against knowledge in a bad estate, and do judge themselves unworthy of 
eternal life. Thus the young man in the gospel he was told that he was to 
sell all, and that was the condition, and he knew heaven was worth it, and 
was convinced of the truth herein, that thus he ought to do, for ' he went 
away sorrowful ; ' now if he had not known that he went away without 
happiness, he needed not have been sorrowful at all, but he knew the bargain 
of salvation was not struck up, and likewise what it struck at, and yet still 
rested in his former condition, and chose rather to enjoy his many posses- 
sions. This man now went on in his state against knowledge. 

Secondly, As also those who upon the same or like ground defer their 
repentance ; these go on in a bad estate, and must needs know they do so ; 
for in that they promise to repent hereafter, and take up purposes to do it, 
when thej' have gone on a little while longer, to add drunkenness to thirst, 
they do thereby profess that there is a work of grace which they must attain 
to ere they can be in the state of grace ; for they would not promise so 
much hereafter, but that they know not how, without such a work, they 
should be saved. Whilst therefore such shall rest without present en- 
deavouring after it, so long they are judged in themselves to be in a bad 
estate at present. When men know the curses due to their present estate, 
and yet say as he, Deut. xxix. 19, ' I will go on in the way of my heart, and 
shall have peace ' afterward ; this man sins most highly, and therefore 
God's wrath ' smokes against that man,' and he says of him that he ' will 
not be merciful to him' in that place. 

Thirdly, Sunk and broken professors, such cannot but go on in a bad 
estate against knowledge, when either men are fallen from the practice and 
profession of what is good, which once they thought necessary to salvation, 
or when they continue to hold forth their profession in hypocrisy. Those 
that have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of 
Jesus Christ, but are returned to their vomit again, some of these are in- 
genious,* and acknowledge themselves fallen, and their present estate most 
miserable, and yet go on in it ; and such are to be pitied, but yet are in a 
most dangerous condition. Saul when he was fallen away, yet had this 
ingenuity* a while left, he desired Samuel to pray to his God for him, and 
told David that he was more righteous than he ; yet still went on in his 
courses, and in the end, as some have thought, sinned against the Holy 
Ghost. 

But others there are, who, though they be fallen from all the inward, 
powerful, and secret performance of duties they once did practise, and from 
all conscience of sinning, yet retain their profession, which they know to be 
but an outside. These of all others go on against knowledge ; and, Rev. 
xxii. 15, they are said to ' make a lie,' not only to tell a lie in words, but 
to make a lie in deeds. Now a lie is a sin of all others most against know- 
ledge, and indeed against a double knowledge, both fact i and juris; and so 
* That is, ' ingenuous,' and ' ingenuousness.' — Ed. 



AGAINST kn'o\vlkik;e. 177 

is this. [1.] That they profess themselves to be that they know they aro 
not. T2.j That they will not endeavour after that state they know they 
ought to get into if ever saved. This is the condition of many, who, being 
convinced of the power of religion, have launched forth into a profession, 
and hoist up sail, but now the tide is fallen, the Spirit withdrawn, the con- 
science of sin extinguished in them ; yet for their credit's sake still bear 
their sails up as high as ever, even as many merchants do, who are sunk in 
their estates, still bear a fair show, yea, will seem richer than ordinary, by 
purchasing lands, &c. Such a professor was Judas, he began seriously, 
and thought to have gone to heaven, and was earnest in good duties at first, 
as they also, 2 Pet. ii. 18, they really, or fame, escaped the pollutions of 
the world through the knowledge of Christ ; but in the end Judas became a 
gross hypocrite, one that pretended the poor when he loved the bag, and 
on the sudden betrayed his master, when yet the disciples knew it not, sus- 
pected Judas as little as themselves ; and the end of those also, in that 
fore-named place, it is said to be ' worse than their beginning.' Now 
because such sin so highly against knowledge, therefore their punishment 
is made the regula of all other wicked men's ; as when it is said that other 
sinners ' shall have their portion with hypocrites,' as the wicked angels' 
punishment is made the measure of men's. ' Go, ye cursed, into the fire 
prepared for the devil and his angels.' So among men, such gross hypo- 
crites, their punishment is made the rule, and so the chief of all kind of 
torments which sinners of the sons of men shall undergo. 

Application. Now let me speak a word to all such as thus go on in a 
state of impenitency against knowledge. This is a high kind of sinning, 
and of all the most desperate, and doth argue more hardness of heart, and 
• despising the riches of God's goodness.' For if, as in the Romans, ii. 4, 
to go on in sin when a man knows not, that is, considers not that ' God's 
mercy leads him to repentance,' is made the sign and effect of a very hard 
heart, treasuring up wrath, then much more, when thou knowest and con- 
siderest thou art in an impenitent condition, and hast many motions lead- 
ing thee to repentance, is thy heart then to be accounted hard. When a 
man commits a particular act against knowledge, he haply and usually still 
thinks his estate may be good, and that he shall not lose God utterly, or 
hazard the loss of him, only his spirit being at present empty of communion 
with him, he steals out to some stolen pleasure ; but when a man knows 
his estate bad, and that he is ' without God in the world,' and yet goes on, 
he doth hereby cast away the Lord, and professeth he cares not for him, or 
that communion which is to be had by him, as Esau did his birthright. 

David, though he despised the Lord, yet he did not cast awaj r the Lord, as 
Saul did ; for Saul ventured utterly to lose him, knowing his estate naught. 

David, when he sinned, thought God's eternal favour would still con- 
tinue, though for the present he might lose the sense of it. 

But when a man goes on in a state of sinning, he ventures the loss of 
God's eternal love, and slights it, and knows he doth so. When a man 
knows that he is condemned already as being impenitent, and that all his 
eternal estate lies upon the non-payment of such duties of repentance, &c, 
and that the guilt of all his sins will come in upon him, and that an execu- 
tion is out, and yet goes on, this is more than to commit one act against 
knowledge, whereby he thinks he brings upon himself but the guilt of that 
one sin ; and upon the committing of which, he thinks not the mortgage of 
all lies, though it deserves it ; herein men shew themselves more desperate. 

2. In the next place, I come to those rules whereby you may measure 

vol. rv. m 



178 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

and estimate sinning against knowledge in any particular act of sinning ; 
and they are either hefore the sin, or in sinning ; three of either, which I 
make a second head, to explain this doctrine by. 
(1.) First, Before.. 

[1.] The first rule is, the more thou knewest and didst consider the 
issues and consequents of that sin thou didst commit, the more thou sinnest 
against conscience in it: whenas, in Rom. i. 32, 'Thou knowing' (says 
the apostle) ' that those that commit such things are worthy of death ; ' that 
is, thou considerest that hell and damnation is the issue and desert of it, 
and yet committest it, yea, and this when haply hell fire at present 
flasheth in thy face, and yet thou goest on to do it: in this case men are 
said to choose death, and to love it, Prov. viii. 36. When a man con- 
siders that the way to the whore-house are ' the ways to death,' as Solomon 
speaks ; so when thou, a professor, considerest with thyself before, This 
sin will prove scandalous, and undo me, disable me for service, cast me 
out of the hearts of good men, and yet dost it. Thus that foolish king 
was told again and again, Jer. xxxviii. 17-19, that if he would yield to 
the king of Babel he should save his life, and city, and kingdom, and live 
there still, but if he would not, he should not escape ; but as Jeremiah 
told him, verse 23, ' Thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire,' yet 
he would not hearken. ' This is the word of the Lord,' says Jeremiah, 
and he knew it to be so ; and yet being a weak pi*ince, led by his nobles, 
he would not follow his counsel. And thus Judas fully knew the issue ; 
Christ had said again and again, ' Woe be to him by whom the Son of man 
is betrayed ;' and yet went on to do it. 

[2.] The second rule is, the more consultations, debates, and motives 
against it did run through thee before thou didst it, so much the greater 
and more heinous. How often did mercy come in and tell thee, that if 
thou lookest for any hope or part in it, thou shouldest not do such an evil ! 
How often came that in, ' Shall I do this, and sin against God ? ' Did 
any scripture come in to testify against thee in the nick ? Did God send 
in the remembrance of such a mercy past to persuade thee, or some mer- 
cies to come, which thou dependest upon him for ? That which made 
Spira's sin so great was such debates as these before ; and this made 
Darius's sin in casting Daniel into the lion's den so great, he debated it 
with himself, Dan. vi. 14, he was sore displeased with himself, and laboured 
to the going down of the sun to deliver him. He considered that he was 
at his right hand in all the affairs of his kingdom, and a man entrapped 
merely for his conscience, and that to put him to death was to sacrifice 
him to their malice. He knew him to be holy, and wise, worth all the 
men that sought after his life had yet yielded ; these considerations 
troubled him afore, and also after, insomuch as he could not sleep for 
them, verse 18. Now, because that every such consultation should set an 
impression upon the heart, and countermand the motions of sin, when 
therefore thou dost it, maugre all such debates and motives to the con- 
trary, this is much against knowledge, and very heinous. Therefore the 
Pharisees, Luke vii. 30, are said to have rejected the counsel of God, h<; 
ka-j-rovg, in or against themselves, the words will bear either. ' In them- 
selves,' because they knew it, and took it into consideration, and yet re- 
jected it ; and ' against themselves,' because it was their destruction. 

[3.] The third rule is, that the more confirmations any man hath had of 
the knowledge of that which he sinneth in, and testimonies against it, the 
greater sin against knowledge it is : when a man hath had a cloud of wit- 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 179 

nesses in his observation against a particular sin, and yet doth it, and goes 
on in it, it is the more fearful. To go on against that one witness, the bare 
light and grudging of natural conscience only, is not so much ; but when it 
is further confirmed and backed by the word written, which a man hath read, 
and with testimonies, out of which a man meets with such places, wherein 
again and again in reading of it such a practice is condemned, and observes 
it, and then also hears it reproved in sermons, and of all sins else hears 
in private conference that sin spoken against also, yea, hath in his eye 
many examples of others sinning in the like kind, which have been pun- 
ished, yea, haply himself also ; yet to sin against all these is exceeding 
heinous. Sometimes God orders things so, as a sin is made a great sin by 
such forcwarnings. So he contrived circumstances that Judas sinned a 
great sin ; for Judas knew before that Christ was the Saviour of the world, 
he knew it by all the miracles he had seen, as also by his gracious words 
and converse, and he professed as much in following of him ; and he had 
the written word against it, ' Thou shalt not murder the innocent.' But 
yet further, God, to aggravate his sin to the highest, orders it so, that 
Christ should tell him of it when he was to go about it, pronounceth a woe 
to him, Luke xxii. 22, that ' it had been good for that man that he had never 
been bom,' Mark xiv. 21. And the disciples they were sorrowful at 
Christ's speech when he suspected one of them, and shew T ed an abomina- 
tion and detestation of such a fact ; there was a jury of eleven men, yea, 
witnesses against it ; yea, and Judas against himself, he asked if it were 
he, yea, and Christ gave him a sop, and told him, ' Thou hast said it, and 
do what thou dost quickly :' w T hich even then might argue to his conscience 
that he was God, and searched and knew his heart ; and yet he went out 
and did it immediately. How did he sin against the hair, as we speak, 
and how did all these circumstances aggravate his sin ! 

But yet a more clear evidence of this is that instance of Pilate, whom 
God many ways would have stopped in his sin of condemning Christ, who 
examining him before the Pharisees, he could find no fault with him as 
concerning those things whereof they accused him, Luke xxiii. 14, and yet 
to allay their malice unjustly scourged him, ver. 16. And further, when 
he sent him to Herod, as being willing to rid his hands of him, Herod also 
found nothing worthy of death in him, ver. 15, which was another witness 
might have confirmed him concerning Christ's innocency. Yea, yet fur- 
ther, that the fact might be more aggravated, a most notorious murderer's 
life must be put into the scale with Christ's, and either the one or the 
other condemned ; and when the people yet chose Barabbas, why, says 
Pilate, what evil hath he done? ver. 22. Then he distinctly knew and con- 
sidered that he w r as delivered up through envy. Yea, and when he was upon 
the bench, and ready to pronounce sentence as it were, God admonished him 
by his own wife, Matt, xxvii. 19, whom God himself had admonished in 
a dream, she sending him word she had ' suffered many things by reason 
of him that night, and therefore have nothing (says she) to do with that 
just man ; ' yea, he himself, when he condemns him, washeth his hands. 
And thus it falls out in many sinful businesses which men are about, that 
God often and many several ways would knock them off, and stops them 
in their way, as he did Balaam, reproves them, as he did him by a dumb ass, 
2 Pet. ii. 16 ; so these by some silent passage of providence, and not only 
so, but by his Spirit also standing in their way, with the threatenings ready 
drawn and brandished against them, as the angel did with a drawn sword 
against Balaam ; and yet they go on ; this is fearful. 



180 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

(2.) There are three rales also, whereby the sinfulness of sin, as it is 
against knowledge, may be measured, from what may be observed in the 

[1.] First, The less passion, or inward violence or temptation to a sin 
committed against knowledge, the greater sin against knowledge it is argued 
to be. For then the knowledge is the clearer, passion or temptation being 
as a mist. But then to sin when a man is not in passion, is to stumble at 
noon-day. For as drunkenness takes away reason, so doth passion, which 
is a short drunkenness, cloud and mist a man's knowledge. And so Aris- 
totle compares the knowledge of an incontinent person to the knowledge of 
one that is drunk. "When Peter denied his Master, though he had warning 
of it before, and so it was against knowledge, and it was by lying, and 
swearing, and forswearing, which are sins of all others most directly against 
knowledge, yet he was taken unexpectedly, and when that which might stir 
up fear to the utmost in him was in his view ; for he was then in the judg- 
ment-hall, where his Master, just before his face, was arraigned for his life, 
and he thought he might also have presently been brought to the bar with 
him, if he had been discovered to have been his disciple ; so as his passion 
being up, his soul was distempered, reason had little time to recover itself, 
and therefore, though it was against knowledge, yet the less against know- 
ledge, because knowledge had lasam operationem, it had not its perfect work 
upon his heart ; but now Judas, in betraying his Master, had not only 
warning before, but was not tempted to it, but went of himself, and made 
the offer to the Pharisees, sought how ' conveniently ' to do it, plotted to 
do it, had his wits about him, had time to think of it, and therefore it 
was, besides the heinousness of the act, more also against knowledge, 
and so the greater. So David, when he went to slay Nabal, was in hot 
blood, in a passion ; but when he plotted to kill Uriah, he w r as in cold 
blood ; he was drunk when lie lay with Bathsheba, but sober when he 
made Uriah drunk : he went quietly and sedately on in it. And there we 
find David blamed only in the matter of Uriah, not so much for that of 
Bathsheba. 

[2.] Secondly, The more sorrow, renisus, or reluctancy, and regretting of 
mind there is against a sin, it is a sign that the knowledge of it is the 
stronger and quicker against it, and so the sin the more against knowledge ; 
for that gainsaying and displeasure of the mind against it ariseth from the 
strength and violent beating of the pulse of conscience, and opposition of it 
against the sin ; it springs from the greater and deeper apprehension of the 
evil of the sin in the action which is then in doing. And though that re- 
luctancy be a better sign of the estate of a person than if there were none 
at all, as there is not in those who are ' past feeling,' and ' commit sin with 
greediness,' whose estate is therefore worse, and more incapable of repent- 
ance, yet the fact itself is argued to be the more heinous, for it argues it 
to be against strong, active, stirring knowledge. This argued Herod's sin 
to be much against knowledge, as indeed it was, Mark vi. 26 ; the text says 
' he was exceeding sorrowful :' now that he could not have been, unless he 
had exceedingly apprehended what a great sin it was to behead John, who 
he knew was ' a just and holy man,' ver. 20, and who was one that had a 
great place in his estimation, for ' he observed him,' and was wrought much 
upon by his ministry ; and he knew that he did but sacrifice him to the 
malice of a wicked woman. And in this case the sin is also hereby made 
so much the greater, in that conscience doth stir up a contrary violent 
passion in the heart against the temptation, and therefore yet to do it, when 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 181 

there is such a hank cast up that might resist it, yet then to break all down, 
such a sin wastes the conscience much. 

[8.] Thirdly, On the contrary, the more hardness of heart there is, and 
want of tenderness, in committing that sin which a man knows to be a sin, 
it is argued thereby to be the greater sin against knowledge ; not only the 
greater sin, but the greater sin against knowledge. For hardness of heart 
in sinning is an effect of having formerly sinned much against knowledge 
before. For as the light of the sun hardeneth clay, so the beams of know- 
ledge and conscience, lighting upon men's hearts, use to harden them, and 
do make them in the end past feeling. And therefore, in 1 Tim. iv. 2, 
sinning against knowledge is made the cause of a seared conscience, ' they 
speak lies in hypocrisy ;' and therefore knowingly that they are lies, and 
such lies as damn others as well as themselves, which who believe are 
damned, 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12 ; and if so, no wonder if it follows, ' having 
their consciences seared with a hot iron.' It is not a cold iron will sear 
their consciences, and make them insensible, but a hot iron, a burning and 
a shiniug light, which once having had place in their consciences, and being 
rejected, they begin to be hardened and seared ; for knowledge makes sins 
and the apprehension of them familiar to a man, and so less terrible and 
frightful in the end, ss bears and lions do become to their keepers through 
custom. Judas had a hard heart when he came to betray his Master ; 
surely his conscience had smitten him at first more for nimming out of the 
bag than it did now for this of murder. He could never have had such a 
hard heart, had he not had much knowledge. Was it not a heart, that 
when he was challenged to his face, he could set a brazen face on it, and 
did ask as well as the rest, Is it I ? When also Christ cursed him to his 
face who should do it, and the disciples all abhorred it, had not Judas lived 
under such blessed and glorious means, and sinned long against knowledge, 
all this would have startled him and have staggered him in his purpose ; 
but he goes on as if it were nothing, though when he had done it his con- 
science was then opened too late. When a man formerly hath been troubled 
with a small sin, more than now with a gross lie, which he can digest better 
than once the other, or when before, if he omitted praying, it troubled 
him, now he can go a week without, and is not sensible of it, it is a sign 
that his knowledge hath hardened him. 

III. Thus having given such rules whereby you may estimate the sinful- 
ness of particular acts, I will now proceed to other ways, aggravations taken 
from the kind of knowledge a man sins against, to sin against what kind of 
knowledge is most heinous and dangerous. And these are five, drawn from 
the several qualifications of that knowledge, and the light which men sin 
against ; for the greater, or the more strong and efficacious the light and 
knowledge is, the greater is the sin of knowledge thou committest. And 
this I make a third general head to explain this doctrine by, all these 
five rules being applicable and common both to particular acts against 
knowledge, and also lying in an estate of impenitency against knowledge, 
and all other particulars which have been mentioned. 

1. First, then, to sin against the inbred light of nature, that is, in such 
sins, as though thou hadst wanted the light of the word in, thou wouldst 
have known to be such ; this is a high kind of sinning. Such the apostle 
speaks of, Jude 10, ' What things they know naturally, in these they corrupt 
themselves, as brute beasts ; ' putting as it were no difference of actions 
no more than beasts, no, not in what nature teacheth them ; and therefore 



182 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

therein are as beasts, for it is the light of nature puts the first difference 
between men and beasts ; and in such kind of sins the apostle instanceth 
in this first chapter, as namely, that of unnatural uncleanness, in three 
particulars ; as, 1, self-uncleanness, ver. 24, h lauroTg, that is, alone by 
themselves ; so Beza and Theophilact understand it, which he makes there 
the first degree of unnatural uncleanness, which is therefore unnatural, 
because thou destroyest that which nature gave thee for propagation, quod 
■perdis homo est. Then, 2. the unclean love of boys, ' men burning in lust 
with men,' ver. 27, be it discovered in what dalliance it will, though not 
arising to an act of sodomy, doing that which is unseemly, ver. 27, which 
he therefore says, is the perverting the use and intent of nature, and so is 
a sin against nature, leaving the natural use of women. My brethren, I am 
ashamed to speak of such things as are done in secret. These kind of sins, 
by the apostles ranking them, are in a further degree of unnaturalness than 
any other, because they are made the punishments of other sins, which yet 
were against the light of nature also, namely, not glorifying God when 
they knew him ; yet that being a sin, the light of nature was not so clear 
in comparison of these, therefore these are made the punishments of the 
other, as being more against nature. So for men to be disobedient to 
parents, stubborn to them, and without natural affection, as the apostle 
says, ver. 30, 31, this is against nature, even the instinct of it. So unthank- 
fulness, and requiting evil for good, is against a common principle in men's 
minds. ' Do not the Gentiles do good to those that do good to them ? ' 
Your hearts use to rise against such an one out of common humanity ; or 
if you see one cruel and unmerciful, which is another reckoned up, ver. 31, 
there being usually principles of pity in all men's natures by nature, 
therefore for one man to prey upon and tyrannize over another, as fishes do 
over the small ones, as Habakkuk complaineth, chap. i. 14, this is against 
nature, which teacheth you to do as you would be done to. So covenant- 
breakers, and lying, and forswearing, mentioned ver. 30, inventors of evil, 
and truce-breakers, are sins against nature, and natural light. Lying is 
against a double light, both moral ; both juris, which tells us such a thing 
ought not to be done ; and facti, whilst we affirm a thing that is not, the 
knowledge of the contrary ariseth up in us against it, though there were no 
law forbade it ; therefore of all sins else, the devil's lusts are expressed by 
two : lying, which is a sin in the understanding, and malice in the will, 
John viii. 44. 

[2.] Secondly, To sin against that light which thou didst suck in when 
thou wert young, to sin against the light of thy education, this is an aggrava- 
tion, and a great one. There is a catechism of a blessed mother, Bathsheba, 
which she taught Solomon when a child, put in among the records of sacred 
writ, Prov. 31, wherein she counsels him betimes, ' not to give his strength 
to women ; ' she foretold him of that sin ; and because it is incident to 
kings most, they having all pleasures at command, she tells him particularly, 
' it destroys kings ; ' and so also ' not to drink wine ' was another instruc- 
tion there he was forewarned of. This aggravated Solomon's fault the 
more ; for, read the second chapter of Ecclesiastes, and we shall find there 
that he was most guilty in the inordinate love of these two ; but he had not 
been brought up so, his good mother had not thus instructed him. And 
thus also when God would aggravate his own people's sin unto them, he 
recalls them to their education in their youth in the wilderness. So Jer. 
ii. 2, ' Go and cry to them, I remember the kindness aud towardliness of 
thy youth ; ' he puts them in mind of their education by Moses their tutor, 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 183 

and their forwardness then. And so Hos. xii., ' when he was a child I 
loved him ;' and then God had their first-fruits, ver. 3, this he brings to 
aggravate their backsliding, ver. 5. Therefore the apostle urgeth it as a 
strong argument to Timothy, to go on to persevere in grace and goodness, 
that he ' had known the Scriptures from a child,' and therefore for him 
to fall would be more heinous. The reason is, because the light then 
infused, it is the first, a virgin light, as I may call it, which God in much 
mercy vouchsafed to prepossess the mind with, before it should be deflowered 
and defiled with corrupt principles from the world ; and did put it there to 
keep the mind chaste and pure ; and this also then, when the mind was 
most soft and tender, and so fitter to receive the deeper impression from it. 
And hence ordinarily the light sucked in then seasons men ever alter, 
whether it be for good or for evil ; it forestalls and prejudge th a man 
against other principles. And though a man comes to have more acquired 
knowledge and reasons after put into him when he is come to perfect age, 
yet the small light of his education, if it were to the contrary, doth bias 
him, and keep him fixed and bent that way. So we see it is in opinions 
about religion, the light then entertained can never be disputed out ; so 
in men's ways and actions, ' Train up a child in his way, and he will not 
depart from it,' Pro v. xxii. 6. To sin therefore against it, and to put out 
the beams of it, or defile it, and to wear out the impressions of it, how 
wicked is it, and what a wretch art thou to do so ! 

Many of you young scholars"-" have had a good Bathsheba that instructed 
you, not to pour out your strength to drink or women, but to pray privately, 
and to fear God, and love him ; and when you come hither, you have 
good tutors also, who teach you to pray ; ministers who instil blessed 
truths into you, from which one would think you should never depart ; yet 
you do. 

Think how grievous this is ; for if it is made an excuse for many a man 
in sinning, that it answers his education, that he never knew or saw better, 
as you say of many papists, then must it needs, on the contrary, be an 
aggravation of sinfulness. And as it was Timothy's commendation, that 
he ' knew the Scriptures from a child,' so it will be thy condemnation, that 
thou knewest better from a child, and yet rebellest against thy light. 

[3.] Thirdly, The more real and experimental the light is men sin against, 
still the more sin ; as when they have learnt it from examples of godly men 
whom they have lived amongst, or the observations of God's dealings with 
themselves or others, and not only from the word notionally. To sin 
against such light, this adds a further degree ; not only to sin against the 
bare light of nature, but also further, when nature hath besides lighted her 
torch at the Scripture, and then when beyond all this the real examples 
and observations made of God's dealings with a man's self and others shall 
confirm all this, this makes a man's sinfulness much more grievous ; for as 
exempla ejficacius docent quam prcecepta, so the knowledge got by experiments 
of mercies or judgments is of more force and evidence. Knowledge leamt 
by experience is the most efficacious. Therefore Christ himself, who knew 
all things already, yet ' learnt,' in the school of experience, ' by what he 
suffered.' A little of some knowledge distilled out of a man's own obser- 
vation is most precious, every drop of it ; therefore the apostle urgeth it 
on Timothy, ' Continue in the things thou hast learned, and been assured 
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them,' 2 Tim. hi. 14. There is a 
twofold motive, and both emphatical : first, he was assured in himself ; 
* This was probably preached at Oxford. — Ed. 



184 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

and secondly, that which strengthened that assurance, and was a means to 
work it, was the example of the holy apostle, and of his own parents, 
' knowing of whom thou hast learned it.' And so, verse 10, the apostle 
again urgeth his own example, ' Thou hast fully known my doctrine and 
manner of life ;' and then also brings to his mind the education of those 
his godly parents who instructed him. Hence also, Isa. xxvi. 10, it is 
made an aggravation, that ' in the land of uprightness men deal unjustly.' 
Thus light drawn from the observation of God's judgments upon others, it 
much aggravates ; it is laid to Belshazzar's charge, ' Thou knewest all 
this, how God dealt with thy father Nebuchadnezzar,' Dan. v. 22. So 
some of you come here, and live in a religious society, and see sometimes 
one, sometimes another of thy colleagues turn to Christ, yea haply, chamber- 
fellow converted from his evil courses, and yet thou goest on ; this is sinning 
against a great light. 

[4.] Fourthly, The more vigorous, strong, powerful the light is that is in 
thee, and more stirring in thy heart, and joined with a taste, the greater 
the sins committed against it are to be accounted. The more thou hast 
tasted the bitterness of sin, and God's wrath, and hast been stung with it 
as with a cockatrice, the more thou hast tasted God's goodness in prayer, 
and in the ordinances, — the more of such a knowledge, and yet sinnest, the 
worse. In John v. 35, Christ aggravates the Jews' unbelief in himself, 
and their present hardness, that John was to them, not only a ' shining,' 
but also a ' burning light ;' that is, they had such knowledge engendered 
by his ministry, as wrought joy and heat as well as light ; therefore it is 
added, ' they rejoiced therein for a season.' And thus their fall, Heb. vi., 
is aggravated that it was such a light as had tasting with it. For to explain 
this, you must know, that between ordinary national light, or that assenting 
to spiritual truths which is common with men, from traditional knowledge 
living in the church, that between it and true saving light, or the light of 
life, there is a middle kind of light, which is more than the common con- 
viction men have, and less than having* light. It is a light which leaves 
also some impression on the affections, makes them feel the powers of 
heaven and hell, and be affected with them. Now the more of such light 
against a sin, be it drunkenness, or uncleanness, or oppression, and yet 
fallest to it again, the worse. For this is a further degree added to know- 
ledge, and not common to all wicked men. And therefore as those Jews 
who had not only common means of knowledge, but miracles also, and yet 
believed not, John xi. 47, shall be more condemned ; so those who have 
such tasting knowledge set on by the Holy Ghost, which is as much as if 
a miracle were wrought, for it is above nature, a supernatural work of the 
Spirit. And therefore to sin against such light, and such only, is that 
which makes a man in the next degree of fitness to sin against the Holy 
Ghost. 

[5.] Fifthly, To sin against professed knowledge is an aggravation also, 
and an heavy one, to sin against a man's own principles which he teacheth 
others, or reproves or censureth in others. Titus i. 16, those ' that pro- 
fess they know God, and yet deny him,' these are most abominable of all 
others, for these are liars, and so sin against knowledge as liars do ; in 
1 John ii. 4, such an one is called a liar in a double respect, both in that 
he says he hath that knowledge he hath not, it not being true, and because, 
also, he denies that in deed which he affirms in word. This is scandalous 
sinning. So, Rom. ii. 24, the Jews, boasting of the law, and of having the 
* Qu. ' saving' ? — Ed. 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 185 

form of knowledge iu their brains, caused the Gentiles to blaspheme when 
they saw they lived clean contrary thereunto ; and, therefore, a brother 
that walks inordinately was to be delivered to Satan, ' to learn what it was 
to blaspheme,' 1 Tim. i. 20, that is, to learn to know how evil and bitter 
a thing it is, by the torments of an evil conscience, to live in such a course 
as made God and his ways evil spoken of, as it befell David when he thus 
sinned. Yea, 1 Cor. v. 10, 11, though they might keep company with a 
heathen, because he was ignorant and professed not the knowledge of God, 
yet if a brother, one that professed, and so was to walk by the same rules, 
did sin against those principles he professed, then keep him not company. 
Thus did Saul sin. All the religion he had and pretended to in his 
latter days was persecuting witches ; yet in the end he went against this 
his principle, he went to a witch in his great extremity at last. And thus 
God will deal with all that are hollow, and sin secretly against knowledge, 
in the end. He suffers them to go on against their most professed principles. 
These are aggravations in general, applicable both to any act of sinning, 
or going on in a known state of sinning. 

Use. Now, the use of all that hath been spoken, what is it but to move 
all those that have knowledge to take more heed of sinning than other men, 
and those of them that remain in their natural estate to turn speedily and 
effectually unto God '? For if sinning against knowledge be so great an 
aggravation of sinning, then of all engagements to repentance knowledge is 
the greatest. 

First, Thou who hast knowledge canst not sin so cheap as another who 
is ignorant. Therefore, if thou wilt be wicked, thy wickedness will cost 
thee ten times more than it would another. Places of much knowledge, 
and plentiful in the means of grace, are dear places to live in sin in. To 
be drunk and unclean after enlightening, and the motions of the Spirit, 
and powerful sermons, is more than twenty times afore ; thou mightest have 
committed ten to one, and been damned less. ' This is condemnation,' 
says Christ, ' that light came into the world.' Neither canst thou have so 
much pleasure in thy sins as an ignorant person, for the conscience puts 
forth a sting in the act when thou hast knowledge, and does subject thee 
to bondage and the fear of death. When a man knows how dearly he must 
pay for it, there is an expectation of judgment embittereth all. Therefore 
the Gentiles sinned with more pleasure than we. Therefore, Eph. iv. 
18, 19, the apostle, speaking of them, says that through their ignorance 
and darkness and want of feeling they committed sin with greediness, and 
so with more pleasure, they not having knowledge, or hearts sensible of the 
evils that attend upon their courses. 

Secondly, Thou wilt, in sinning against knowledge, be given up to greater 
hardness. ' If the light that is in thee be darkness,' says Christ, ' how 
great is that darkness.' Therefore, the more light a man hath, and yet 
goes on in works of darkness, the more darkness mil that man be left unto, 
even to a reprobate mind in the end. 

Third!)/, It will procure thee to be given up to the worst of sins more 
than another man ; for God, when he leaves men, makes one sin the 
punishment of another, and reserves the worst for sinners against know- 
ledge. These Gentiles, when they knew God, they worshipped him not, 
God gave them up to the worst of sins whereof they were capable, as un- 
natural uncleanness, &c. But these are not sins great enough for thee, 
that art a sinner of the Christians, to be given up to drunkenness or adultery, 



186 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

&c. ; otherwise than to discover thy rottenness, these are too small sins ; 
but thou shalt be given up to inward profaneness of heart (as Esau was, 
having been brought up in a good family), so as not to neglect holy duties 
only, but to despise them, to despise the good word of God and his saints, 
and to hate godliness and the appearance of it ; thou shalt be given up to 
contemn God and his judgments, to ' trample under foot the blood of the 
covenant,' or else unto devilish opinions. Those other are too small to be 
punishments of thy sin, for still the end of such an one must be seven times 
worse than the beginning, as Christ says it shall. If thou wert a drunkard, 
a swearer, or an unclean person before ; and thy knowledge wrought some 
alteration in thee, thou shalt not haply be so now at thy fall, but seven times 
worse, profane, injurious to saints, a blasphemer, or derider of God's ways 
and ordinances. 

Fourthly, When thou comest to lay hold on mercy at death, thy knowledge 
will give thee up to more despair than another man. Knowledge, though 
when it is but newly revealed, it is an help ; yet not made use of, turns 
against the soul, to wound it, and to work despair ; and this both because 
we have sinned against the means that should have saved us, as also because 
such as sin against knowledge, sin with more presumption ; and the more 
presumption in thy life, the more despair thou art apt to fall into at death. 
Therefore, Isa. lix. 11, 12, what brought such trouble and 'roarings like 
bears' upon these Jews ? and that when salvation was looked for, that 
yet it was so far off from them, in their apprehensions ? ' Out iniquities' 
(say they) ' testify to our face, and we know them.' Now, then, sins testify 
to our face when our conscience took notice of them, even to our faces 
when we were committing them ; and then also the same sins themselves 
will again testify to our faces, when we have recourse for the pardon of 
them. Therefore thou wilt lie roaring on thy deathbed, and that thou 
knowest them will come as an argument that thou shalt not have mere}'. 
As ignorance is a plea for mercy, ' I did it ignorantly, therefore I obtained 
mercy,' so I did it knowingly, will come in as a bar and a plea against thee, 
therefore I shall not have mercy. 

Fifthly, Both here and in hell, it is the greatest executioner and tormentor. 
In this sense it may be said, Qui auget scientiam-, auyet dolorem, ' He that 
increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow,' as Solomon speaks ; for know- 
ledge enlargeth our apprehension of our guilt, and that brings more fear 
and torment. ' Have they no knowledge who eat up my people ? Yes, 
there is their fear/ says David. Therefore, Heb. x. 28, after sinning after 
knowledge, there remains not only a more fearful punishment, but a more 
' fearful expectation' in the parties' consciences. And this is the worm in 
hell that gnaws for ever. Light breeds these worms. 

But then you will say, It is best for us to be ignorant, and to keep our- 
selves so. 

I answer, No. For to refuse knowledge will damn as much as abusing 
it. This you may see in Prov. i. 23, ' Ye fools' (says Wisdom), ' you that 
hate knowledge, turn, and I will pour my spirit upon }ou, and make known 
my words to you.' Well, ver. 24, ' they refused,' and would none of his 
reproof; therefore, says God, ' I will laugh at your calamity,' that is, I 
will have no pity, but instead of pity, God will laugh at you ; ' and when 
your fear comes, I will not answer, because ye hated knowledge,' ver. 29 ; 
so as this is as bad, there remains therefore no middle way of refuge to 
extricate thyself at, and avoid all this, no remedy but turning unto God ; 
otherwise thou canst not but be more miserable than other men. Yea, and 



AGAINST KNOWLEDGE. 1ST 

this must be clone speedily also. For thou having knowledge, God is 
quicker in denying thee grace, and in giving thee up to a reprobate mind, 
than another man who is ignorant. He will wait upon another that knows 
not his will and ways, twenty, thirty, forty years, as he did upon the chil- 
dren of the Israelites that were born in the wilderness, and had not seen 
his wonders in Egypt, and at the Red Sea ; but those that had, he soon 
Bware against many of them, ' that they should never enter into his rest.' 
Christ comes as a ' swift witness ' against those to whom the gospel is 
preached, Mai. hi. 5 ; he makes quick despatch of the treaty of grace with 
them. Therefore few that have knowledge are converted when they are 
old, or that lived long under the means. And therefore you that have 
knowledge are engaged to repent and to turn to God, and to bring your 
hearts to your knowledge, and that speedily also, or else your damnation 
will not only be more intolerable than others, but the sentence of it pass 
out more quickly against you. Therefore as Christ says, John xii. 3G, 
' Whilst you have the light, walk in it.' For that day of grace which is 
very clear and bright, is usually a short one. And though men may live 
many natural days after, and enjoy the common light of the sun, yet the day 
of grace and of gracious excitements to repent may be but a short one. 



AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST 

MERCY. 



Or desjrisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffer- 
ing ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? 
But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself 
wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of 
God.— Ron. II. 4, 5. 

This is the last and most weighty aggravation which the apostle puts into 
the measure of the Gentiles' sinfulness (which in the former chapter he had, 
verse 29, pronounced mil before), to make it fuller yet. Their sinning 
against mercies, and despising the riches of God's goodness, patience, and 
forbearance, the hateful evil and iniquity whereof can be better no way set 
off and illustrated unto men's consciences, than by a display of the riches 
of that goodness which men sin against. 

My purpose therefore is to unlock and carry you into that more common 
treasury of outward mercies, and lead you through the several rooms 
thereof, all which do continually lead you unto repentance ; that then, 
reflecting upon our ungrateful waste and abuse of so many mercies in sin- 
ning, thereby our sins, every sin, the least, may yet appear more sinful 
unto us, ' who are less than the least of all mercies.' Know then, that 
besides that peculiar treasure of ' unsearchable riches of grace laid up in 
Christ,' Eph. ii. 7, the offer of which neglected and despised adds yet to 
all that sinfulness, a guilt as far exceeding all that which shall be spoken 
of, as heaven exceeds the earth, there is another untold mine of riches 
the earth is full of, as the Psalmist tells us, Ps. civ. 24, and the apostle 
here, which these Gentiles only heard of. and which we partake of all as 
much as they. As there are riches of grace offered to you which can never 
be exhausted, so there are ricbes of patience spent upon you which you will 
have spent out in the end, the expense of which cast up, will alone amount 
to an immense treasure, both of guilt in you and of wrath in God, as these 
words inform us. 

To help you in this account, I will, 

1. In general, shew what goodness or bounty, patience, and longsuffer- 
ing are in God. 

2. That there are riches of these spent upon all the sons of men. 

3. That these all lead men to repentance. And then, 



AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST MEBCY. 189 

4. I will expostulate with you and aggravate your sinfulness in going on 
to despise all these by unrcpentance, as the apostle here doth. 

1. First, In that God is said here to be (1.) good or bountiful; (2.) 
patient or forbearing; (3.) longsutl'ering ; they seem to note out three de- 
grees of his common mercies unto men. 

(1.) First, He is a good or a bountiful God ; for so as goodness is here 
used, I exegetically expound it. For though it be true that goodness and 
bounty may differ, yet when riches of goodness are said to be communi- 
cated, it imports the same, and is all one with bounty. And such is God. 
And all those noble and royal qualifications and properties which concur to 
make one truly good and bountiful, do meet and abound in him, in all those 
good things which he doth bestow, and are found truly in none but in him, 
so that it may be truly said, that there is none good but God, as Christ 
says of him. 

Now bounty in the general, which is in God, may be thus described. 

It is a free, willing, and a large giving of what is merely his own, look- 
ing for no recompence again. 

To explain this, that you may see that all these conditions are required 
to true goodness, and all of them to be found in God only. 

[1.] He that is bountiful, he must be a giver and bestower of good 
things ; and all he bestows it must be by way of gift, not by way of recom- 
pence unto, or by desert from the party he bestows all on. Therefore 
Christ says, Luke vi. 33, that to do good to those who have done or do 
good to us, is not thankworthy, nor is it bounty. But God is therefore 
truly good, because he simply, merely, and absolutely gives away all which 
he bestows. For he was not, nor can any way become, beholden to any of 
his creatures, nor had formerly received anything from them which might 
move him hereunto ; so Rom. xi. 35, ' Who hath first given him, that he 
may recompense him again ? ' Nay, until he gave us a being, we were net 
capable of so much as receiving any good thing from him. 

[2.] He who is truly termed good or bountiful, all that he gives away 
must be his own ; and so all which God bestows it is his own. So Ps. xxiv. 1, 
' The earth is the Lord's,' the ground we tread on, the place we dwell in ; 
he is our landlord. But is that all? For the house may be the landlord's 
when the furniture is the tenant's. Therefore he further adds, ' And the 
fulness of it' is his also ; that is, all the things that fill the world, all the 
furniture and provision of it both, all the moveables. So Ps, 1. 11, 12, 
' The cattle and the fowls upon a thousand hills are mine,' says he ; and 
also all the standing goods, 'the corn and oil' which you set and plant, 
' are mine,' Hos. ii. 9 ; yea, and the Psalmist, in the 24th Psalm, adds 
further, that ' they who dwell therein ' are his also ; not the house and 
furniture only, but the inhabitants themselves. And this by the most sure 
and most sovereign title that can be, better than that of purchase or inheri- 
tance of and from another ; for he hath made them. ' All is thine, because 
all comes of thee,' says the same David, 1 Chron. xxix. 11, 12. And all 
things are not only of him, but through him, Rom. xi. 36 ; that is, they 
cannot stand nor subsist without him. Even kings, the greatest and most 
bountiful of men, their bounty is but as that of the clouds, which though 
they shower down plentifully, yet they first received all from the earth below 
them. 

L 3.] He must give largely, it is not bounty else. Now God is therefore 
said to be rich in goodness, because he is abundant in it. So we find it, 
comparing Ps. xxxiii. 5, with Ps. civ. 24, in which it is said, that 'the 



190 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

earth is full of his goodness,' and ' his riches ;' which we may judge of, by 
what he says in the 27th verse of that 104th Psalm, of what an house he 
keeps, and what multitudes he feeds ; ' All these,' saith the Psalmist, ' wait 
on thee, that thou mayest give them meat ; and thou openest thy hand, and 
they are filled with good.' King Ahasuerus, to shew his bounty, made a 
feast to his chief subjects, but it was but for half a year, and not to all ; 
some few half years more would well nigh have beggared him ; but God 
doth thus continually. The greatest and most bountiful of men, when they 
would express the largest of their bounty, speak but of giving ' half of their 
kingdoms ;' so Herod and he did but talk so too ; but God bestows whole 
worlds and kingdoms, as Daniel speaks, Dan. iv. 82, and gives them to 
whom he please. 

4. He that is bountiful must give all he gives freely, and willingly. 
Which, though I put together, yet may imply -two distinct things. As, first, 
that he that gives must be a free agent in it, who is at his choice, whether 
he would give anything away or no. The sun doth much good to the world, 
it affords a large light, and even half the world at once is full of its glory, 
yea, and all this light is its own, not borrowed, as that of the moon and 
Btars is ; yet this sun cannot be called good or bountiful, because it sends 
forth this light necessarily and naturally, and cannot choose but do so, 
nor can it draw in its beams. But God is a free giver, he was at his choice 
whether he would have made the world or no, and can yet when he pleaseth 
withdraw his Spirit and face, and then they all perish, Ps. civ. 29. Secondly, 
It must be willingly also ; that is, no way constrained, nor by extraction 
wrung from him who is to be called bountiful. A willing mind in matter 
of bounty, is more accepted than the thing, 2 Cor. viii. 12. Now of God 
it is said, Dan. iv. 32, that he gives the kingdoms of the world to whom he 
will, and none sways him, or can stay his hand, ver. 35, yea, he gives all 
away with delight. So Ps. civ. 31, having spoken of feeding every living 
thing, and of other the like works of his goodness throughout that Psalm, 
he concludes with this, ' God rejoiceth in all his works ;' that is, doth all 
the good he doth to his creatures with delight. It doth him good (as it 
were) to see the poor creatures feed. 

[5.] Last of all, looking for no recompence for the time to come. This 
is another requisite in bounty. Says Christ, Luke vi. 34, ' If you give to 
receive again, as sinners do, this is not thankworthy ;' but ver. 25, so doth 
not your heavenly Father. For, says he, ' Do good, and hope for nothing 
; so shall you be like your Father,' and then you shall shew yourselves 
true children of the Most High. In which word he insinuates a reason why 
God gives all thus ; because he is so great and so high a God, as nothing 
we do can reach him, as David speaks, Ps. xvi. 2, ' My goodness extends 
not unto thee ;' he is too high to receive any benefit by what we do. And 
even that thankfulness he exacts, he requires it but as an acknowledgment 
of our duty, and for our good, Deut. x. 12. 

(2.) And so much for the first, namely, what goodness and bounty is ; 
and how God is truly good, and he only so. But this attribute of his, and 
the effects of it, he exerciseth towards all our fellow-creatures, and did to 
Adam in paradise. But now to us ward (as the apostle speaks), namely, the 
sons of men, now fallen, he extendeth and manifests a further riches, namely, 
of patience and long-suffering, which the devils partake not of, the good 
angels and other creatures that sinned not, are incapable of. For as Christ 
- -. Luke vi. 85, in what he bestows on us, he is kind to such as are 
evil and unthankful. Mercy is more than goodness, for mercy always doth 



AGAINST MERCY. 191 

respect misery ; and because all the creatures are subject to a misery, Rom. 
viii. 20-22, of ' bondage and vanity,' therefore ' bis tender mercies arc 
over all bis works.' But yet patience is a further thing than mercy (as 
mercy is than goodness), being exercised, not towards miserable creatures 
only, but towards sinners, and includes in it more three things further 
towards tbem. 

[1.] Not only that those persons he doth good unto do offend and injure 
him, but that himself also is exceeding sensible of all those wrongs, and 
moved by tbem, and also provoked to wrath thereby ; it is not patience else. 
So in 2 Peter iii. 9, it is not slackness, says be there, ' God is not slack,' 
that is, he sits not in heaven as one of the idol gods, that regarded not 
what acts were kept here below, or took not to heart mens carriages 
towards him ; but is longsuffering, or patient, that is, he apprehends 
himself wronged, is fully sensible of it, ' is angry with the wicked every 
day,' Ps. vii, 11, he hath much ado to forbear ; even when he doth forbear 
and letteth them alone, he exerciseth an attribute, a virtue towards them, 
namely, patience, in keeping in of his anger, which is as to keep fire in 
one's bosom. 

[2. J But, secondly, this is not all. He cloth not simply forbear and re- 
strain bis anger, but vouchsafeth that time he forbears tbem in, that they 
might repent in it, and his mercies as means leading to repentance. So it 
follows in that, 2 Pet. iii. 9, ' But God is longsuli'ering to us-ward,' and 
bis longsuffering bath this in it, ' not willing that any should perish, but 
come unto repentance.' So also Rev. ii. 21, it is called ' space to repent.' 
And all the blessings he vouchsafeth, he gives them as means and guides to 
' lead them to repentance,' as here. And Mat. xviii. 29, ' Have patience 
with me, and I will pay thee all ; ' that is, give me a longer day and space 
to pay the debt in, and be willing to accept it when I bring it, and let me 
lie out of prison that I may be enabled to pay it. 

[3.] Thirdly, There is yet further thing in his patience, namely, a waiting 
and expectation that men would come in and repent. So Luke xiii. 7, 
' These three years have I come seeking fruit, but have found none.' 
There was an expectation, a longing, a desire it would bring forth fruit. 
' Oh, when shall it once be ? ' says God, Jer. xiii. 27. 

(3.) In the last place, that other attribute of longsuffering, which is the 
third, is but as a further degree of patience, but patience lengthened out 
farther ; that is, when God hath been thus patient, hath forborne and 
waited for their coming in, and that not for three years, but haply thirty, 
forty years, and still they turn not, his patience then begins, as we would 
think, to be as it were worn out, and his anger begins to arise, as if he 
could forbear no longer, as it was towards that tree, ' Why cumbereth it the 
ground ? cut it down ; ' yet he goes on to spare a man another year, and 
many more years still after that, and ' endureth with much longsuffering (as 
Rom. ix. 22) the vessels of wrath,' endures to wonderment, above mea- 
sure, beyond all expectation, all patience, as it were ; this is longsuffering. 

2. The second general head is, that there are riches of this his goodness, 
&c, expended on us. 

It is rich goodness, patience, and longsuffering : (1.) rich in themselves, 
in regard of their abundance, as they came from him ; and (2.) rich also in 
regard of their precious usefulness unto us, as they may be improved by us. 

(1.) First, In themselves they are rich. [1.] If we consider what is ex- 
pended all tbat while he lays out, not simply iris power to sustain and uphold 
all things and to maintain us freely, so to do is nothing to him. For whilst 



192 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

he doth but so, nothing goes out of purse, or is detracted from him ; as I 
may so speak, he feels not the expense either of power, providence, &c. 
All this cost him but words. For he ' upholds all, creates all by the word 
of his power', Heb. i. 3. And thus to maintain the angels, and to have 
maintained all mankind before they fell, had been no more. But, my 
brethren, when now he maintains us sinners, not simply power goes forth 
from him, but his glory is expended and taken from him, and for the while 
wasted, detracted from. He loseth at present every day infinitely by us, 
and he is sensible of it ; every sin takes glory from him, robs him, as he 
himself complains : that he who made the world upholds it, keeps it to- 
gether as the hoops do the barrel — it would fall to pieces else, to nothing — • 
' in whom all live,' as fishes in the sea, yea, upon whom all live ; that he 
should live unknown, unthought of, unserved, yea, disgraced, dishonoured 
in the world, and have this world lost to him as it were, and sin, the devil, 
wicked men, to have all the glory from him, to be exalted, to carry the 
whole world afore them : this spends upon him, he had need of riches to 
do this. 

[2.] Secondly, Consider the multitude of sinners that thus spend and live 
upon these riches, no less than all the world. He had need of multitudes of 
patience in him ; he forbears not one, but all and every one. We look 
upon one man, and seeing him very wicked, we wonder God cuts him not 
off; we wonder at ourselves that God did not cut us off before this, when 
once our eyes are opened ; nay, then, cast your eyes over all the world, and 
stand amazed at God's forbearance towards it. Take the richest man that 
ever was, to have millions of men in his debt, it would undo him soon. All 
the world are in God's debt, and run still in debt every day more and 
more, and yet he breaks not, nay, breaks not them. 

[3.J Nay, thirdly, to manifest this abundance yet more, consider not only 
the multitude he forbears, but the time he hath done it, to forbear much and 
to forbear it long. He hath forborne and been out of purse from the begin- 
ning of the world, since men were upon the face of the earth, five thousand 
years and a half already, and how long it is yet to the day of judgment we 
know not. And yet ye see, he is as patient and as bountiful now in the 
latter days of the world as he was at the first. Did that greatest convert 
that ever was, that had not lived past thirty years in his sinful estate (for 
he was young when he held the stoners' clothes that stoned Stephen), and 
yet was ' the chiefest of sinners,' did he yet, as himself says, think himself 
a pattern of longsuffering, 1 Tim. i. 16, thought it a great matter God 
should forbear so long ? What is the whole world then ? If he, being 
but one small, poor vessel, was so richly laden with the riches of God's 
patience, how is this great bark of the world then fraught that hath gone 
over so vast a gulf of time ? How much of these his riches have been 
laden in it ? 

[4.] And then, fourthly, add to this the expensive prodigality of all these 
sinners in all ages ; every sinner spends something, and how lavish are 
men of oaths ? ' All the thoughts of men's hearts from their youth up, 
they are evil, and only evil, and continually ; ' and how much then hath 
every man spent him ? Every sin is a debt. 

(2.) In the second place, this is a rich goodness and patience in regard of 
the preciousness and usefulness. 

[1.] First, Precious, in regard of what all these manifestations of his good- 
ness and forbearance cost, even, the blood of his Son, who as a Lord hath 
bought and purchased all wicked men, their lives and their reprival, all that 



AGAINST MERCY. 193 

time that here they live ; and all the blessings and dispensations of good- 
ness, which here they do enjoy. Christ's mediation so far prevails with 
God for all the world, that it puts a stop to the present proceedings of jus- 
tice, which otherwise had said of all, ' That day thou sinnest, thou diest.' 
So that as Christ may be called the wisdom and the power of God, so also 
the patience and the long-suffering of God. For, for his sake and through 
his means it is exercised. God would not shew a drop of mercy but for 
his Son. Which, I take, strongly and clearly intimated, in that dealing of 
his with the Jews, Exod. xxiii. 20, compared with Exod. xxxiii. 2, 3, 4, 
&c. Immediately after God had given the law, by the rules and threaten- 
ings whereof God the Father in his government was to proceed, and after 
they had transgressed it, he there declares that he could not go with them. 
For, according to the rules of his government, he ' should destroy them ; 
but his angel he would send with them,' even Christ, he might shew them 
mercy, for he was the purchaser of it ; and that he was that angel appeal's 
in that God tells them, ver. 21, ' that his name was in him,' who also 
would destroy them, if they turned not and repented, according to the rules 
of his law, the gospel. 

[2.] And precious, secondly, to us, in regard of the usefulness, this good- 
ness and longsuffering tend and serve unto. This makes this stock of time 
afforded you, by God's goodness, to be riches indeed, that it is ' space to 
repent,' Rev. ii. 21 ; not a time of reprival only, but to get a pardon in ; 
and this makes all the good things w r e enjoy to be precious indeed, that 
they are means leading us by the hand to repentance. Rich it is, because 
if your time be laid out as it ought, you may obtain those far surpassing 
riches of glory reserved for hereafter ; win and gain Christ by it, and all 
his unsearchable riches. All things receive their worth and valuation from 
what they tend to, and from what depends upon them, and the use they 
might be put to. A bond, a man's will, which in itself, as it is a piece of 
parchment, is not worth one shilling, yet an estate of many thousands 
may lie and depend upon them. And so time is not simply precious in 
itself, but in regard of the opportunities of it. And accordingly, in those 
ordinary passages of our lives do we more or less estimate and count time 
precious, as the business allotted to it is of more or less consequence. 
When a matter falls out that concerns us, and requires despatch, and we 
are cast into straits of time about it, we count every minute precious ; so 
this time of ours, which is the chief and principal of that stock put into 
our hands by God's patience, being space to repent in, to gain and trade for 
heaven with, in this respect every minute of it is as much as heaven is 
worth, and one hour of it may be as much as all the time you are to spend 
for ever, after this life ended, every minute hath an influence into eternity. 
And however you may account it, yet the balance of the sanctuary thus 
estimates your time, calls it your money : ' Why lay you out your money 
for what is not,' &c, Isa. lv. ii. ; that is, this precious day of grace, and 
the thoughts, cares, and endeavours which are brought forth and minted 
in this time allotted, these are your money you might purchase heaven by. 
And thus it hath been esteemed by holy and godly men, who yet had less 
need to value it, having done the main business it w r as allotted for. David, 
in the 39th Psalm, ver. 13, being brought very low, ' Oh spare me a little, 
that I may recover my strength, before I go hence, and be seen no more.' 
So Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii., how did he sue for, and when he had obtained 
fifteen years, how did he bless God ? ver. 20. Or if by this you judge not 
so, think with thyself, what at the day of death thou wouldst account of an 

VOL. IV. N 



194 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

hour, of a month, a year ? What others, who have lain gasping, would 
have given a world for time again, as I have heard one crying day and night, 
' Call time again ; ' or if not then, Oh what in hell ! 

3. The third thing I am to shew is, that all this goodness, patience, and 
forbearance is afforded towards you as a means, and helps to bring you to 
repentance. Acts xvii. 28, God (says the apostle there) hath allotted to men 
both their times to live, and also their places of abode and habitations, all 
richly furnished with blessings to uphold their lives and beings. And to 
what end are both these thus afforded ? That they ' might seek the Lord, 
if by groping after him,' even as men in the dark, ' they might haply find 
him.' But men being in the dark, and destitute of guides to bring them 
unto God, may yet be as far off finding him as ever. Therefore add but 
the words of my text to what the apostle says there, and we see that this 
goodness of God takes us by the hand, and ' leads us to repentance,' to 
tuna from sin unto God, and so to find him. And thus led are you unto 
God by the help of these several guides, which each after other sweetly lead 
you and point you out to this. 

First, All this goodness bears witness to your hearts of a gracious hand 
that extends itself in all these ; therefore in that 17th of the Acts, he sub- 
joins, ' God is not far off any of us.' That there is a good God bestows all 
things on you, is a thought lies at next door of all his blessings not far off. 
Yea, ' they all,' says the apostle to the same Gentiles, Acts xiv. 16, 'do 
bear witness of him,' though they went on in their own ways, ' yet,' says 
he there, ' God left not himself without witness;' that is, an impression on 
their hearts that his good hand bestowed all on them when he ' filled their 
hearts with food and gladness.' 

Secondly, His goodness having brought thus God to men's thoughts, then 
your own consciences take you, and lead you down into yourselves, and 
bear witness that you by walking in your own ways do nothing but provoke 
and offend this good God. So Rom. ii. 15. 

And then, thirdly, there is an indelible principle common to all men to 
love those who love them ; which after the two former have brought you 
hitherto, point you to repentance as the conclusion. Shall we go on to sin 
against this good, so good ? return evil for good ? Is not this a natural, 
necessary consequent out of these, to say as they, ' Let us therefore fear 
the Lord, who giveth us the early and the latter rain,' as it is, Jer. v. 24. 
And though men are said not to know this in the text, yet the meaning is, 
they do not throughly and effectually consider thus much, so as thereby 
to be brought to repentance ; yet, however, there is such a witness of all 
this in all men's hearts, and thus are they led on unto repentance, would 
they see their way and follow their guide. 

The use shall be an use of expostulation, as here the apostle carries it, 
with men sinful and impenitent, for going on to sin against all this mercy, 
together with an aggravation of their sinfulness hereby. Men, if young, 
do usually take the advantage of this their precious time, which of so much 
longsuffering is vouchsafed them, and of all those precious opportunities 
and blessings they enjoy, to improve them only in reaping and gathering 
in to themselves the pleasures of sins, making the time of youth their 
harvest of sinning, and yet think to escape by repenting afterwards ; and 
then when old, after they have already enjoyed a long and a fair sunshine 
day to turn to God in, and to have sown much seed to the Spirit, the comfort 
whereof they might now have reaped, yet, as they have altogether neglected so 
to do all their youth, so they go on to do so still, whilst they see they have 



AGAINST MERCY. 195 

any day left, be it never so near the setting, and do choose rather despe- 
rately to venture their estate in the world to come upon the riches of hi* 
mercy pardoning, though without all care and endeavour to change their 
hearts or lives, upon the experience they have had of the riches of his mercy 
forbearing them in this world, thinking to find him the same in both. With 
all such, let me reason a little, and from the riches of God's goodness, 
patience, &c, spent upon them, at once expostulate with them, for their 
impenitency, and aggravate to them their sinfulness, and also, if possible, 
prevail with them to go on to despise it thus no longer. And if there be any 
principle of common ingenuity, any spark (I do not say of grace, but of 
goodness of nature) left unextinguished, methinks it should affect you, and 
do some good on you ere I have done. 

And to that end, consider a little, and compare together God's loving- 
kindnesses towards you, and your unkind dealings towards him. 

To begin at the beginning of thy being. How much riches of goodness 
were there laid and buried in thy foundation ? when the first corner stone 
was laid, when thou wert made a man (besides the cost which hath been 
spent upon this building since), and, cursed as thou art, even that very 
foundation was laid in bloody iniquities, in which thou wert conceived ; and 
the very materials of soul and body thou consistest of, being tempered with 
sin, ' like the stone in the wall, and beam out of the timber,' Hab. ii. 10, 11, 
cry out every moment to God against thee, as Edom did, ' Raze it, raze it, 
even to the veiy ground,' Ps. cxxxvii. 7. 

Consider how but the other day thou wert mere nothing, and when an 
infinite number that never were nor shall be were in as great a possibility 
of being as thou ; for when he made this world, he could have laid it aside 
wholly, and created millions of other worlds, yet he chose thee to have a 
room in this but one world, for he means to make no more ; and this world 
could have stood without thee, and did before thou wert, and shall do when 
thou art gone ; yet he called thee forth out of nothing, and by his almight} r 
power bade thee stand forth when there was no need of thee. I say, he 
chose thee to have a being ; for as there is an election of things that are to 
salvation, so out of things that were not unto being. And, wretch that thou 
art, if thou repentest not, thou destroyest what God hath made, and hadst 
better have kept nothing still, and never have peeped out, or else to skulk 
into thy first nothing again, for thou art lost, better never to have been 
born. 

Secondly, Consider yet more goodness. Thou mightest have been ad- 
mitted into the lowest form of creatures, have been a worm, a flea, a fly, 
which we men filip and crush to death at pleasure ; but to be made a man, 
created one of the states, barons, lords of the world the first hour, admitted 
into the highest order, crowned a king in the womb, as David says of man, 
Ps. viii. 5, ' made a little lower than the angels, but crowned with glory and 
honour,' made to ' have dominion over all the works of his hands.' The 
one half of thee is more worth than a whole world, thy soul, as Christ says, 
that went to the price of souls ; upon which God hath bestowed an eternity 
of being, and made it the picture of his face, his image, when other creatures 
do wear but his footsteps. And the body, the other piece, and indeed but 
the case, the sheath (as Daniel's phrase and the Chaldee hath it, Dan. 
vii. 15), of thee, what a curious workmanship is it ! ' wonderfully and fear- 
fully made,' as David says, Ps. cxxxix. 15, ' curiously wrought in the lower 
parts of the earth.' So there he calls the womb ; because as curious work- 
men, when they have some choice piece in hand, perfect it in private, and 



196 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

then bring it forth to light for men to gaze at, so God out of a tear, a drop, 
he hath limned out the epitome of the whole world, the index of all the crea- 
tures. Sun, moon, stars, are to be found in thee, Eccles. xii. 2. And yet, 
wretch as thou art, thou art withal the epitome of hell, and broughtest into 
the world with thee the seeds and principles of all the villanies that have 
been acted in the world ; and if thou repentest not, thou hadst better have 
been a toad or serpent, the hatefullest of creatures, and wouldst change 
thy condition with them one day. 

Thirdly, Being a man, hast thou all thy members that belong unto a man ? 
It is because ' he wrote them all in his book,' Ps. cxxxix. 16, if he had left 
out an eye in his commonplace book, thou hadst wanted it ; is not that a 
mercy ? Ask the blind. If thou hadst wanted those windows to look out 
at, thy body would have been a dungeon, the world a prison ; if a tongue, 
which is thy glory, or an ear, thou hadst lived among men, as a beast among 
men. And 3 - et when God gave thee all these, what did he but put weapons 
into an enemy's hand. For hast thou not used all these as ' weapons of 
unrighteousness ?' Rom. vi. 13, insomuch as the tongue, but one member, 
is called ' a world of iniquity ' by the apostle ; and if thou repentest not, 
thou hadst better, as Christ says, have entered into the world without an 
eye, an ear, a tongue, than with these go for ever into hell. 

Fourthly, When thou wert taken out of the womb (where thou didst 
remain, but whilst thou wert a-framing), what a stately palace hath he 
brought thee into, the world, which thou findest prepared and ready 
furnished with all things for thy maintenance, as Canaan was to the children 
of Israel ; a stately house thou buildedst not, trees thou plantedst not, a 
rich canopy spangled, spread as a curtain over thy head ; he sets up a taper 
for thee to work by, the sun, till thou art weary, Ps. civ. 23, and then it 
goes down without thy bidding, for it ' knows its going down,' ver. 19 ; then 
he draws a curtain over half the world, that men may go to rest, ' Thou 
causest darkness, and it is night,' ver. 20. An house this world is, so 
curiously contrived, that to every room of it, even to every poor village, 
springs do come as pipes to find thee water. So Ps. civ. 10, 11. The 
pavement of which house thou treadest on, brings forth thy food, ver. 14. 
' Bread for strength, wine to cheer thy heart, oil to make thy face to shine,' 
ver. 15. Which three are there synecdochically put for all things needful 
to strength, ornament, and delight. The very chambers of that house (as 
David calls them), ' drop fatness,' and water the earth, ver. 13. He wheels 
the heavens about, and so spins out time for thee, every moment of which 
time brings forth some blessing or other, and no one is barren. Therefore, 
Ps. lxv. 11, the year is said to be ' crowned with goodness,' a diadem of 
goodness encircles it round ; and yet thou hast filled this world thou thus 
art brought into, with nothing but rebellions, as he hath done with bless- 
ings, and hast piled up sins to heaven, and thou hast pressed all these 
armies of blessing thou findest the world filled with, to fight against their 
Maker, under the devil's banner, whom thy wickedness sets up as ' the god 
of this world.' And as the year is crowned with goodness, so thy years 
with wickedness, and no moment is barren ; but all thy imaginations are 
evil continually. Yea, thou hast sinned against heaven and earth, and sub- 
jected the whole creation unto vanity, laden the earth, and filled it so with 
wickedness, that it groans, the axle-tree of it is even ready to crack under 
thee, and the ground thou treadest on to spew thee out. 

Fifthly, Since thou earnest into the world, what a long time hath God 
suffered thee to five in it ; he hath not spared thee three years only (as he 



AGAINST MERCY. 197 

did the fig-tree), but thirty, forty. And when thou first madest bold to 
thrust forth thy traitorous head into the world, death (which thy sin brought 
into the world with it) might have arrested thee, and told thee this world 
was no place for thee, for hell is only our own place, Acts i. 25, thou 
shouldest have been executed the first day. And is not so much time of 
ease from punishment infinite mercy ? Cast but your thoughts upon the 
angels that fell, that have been in hell from the moment of then - sinning ; 
do but think with yourselves what they would give to have so much time 
cut out of that eternity they are to run through, and to have it set apart 
for ease, and to be void of torment. If the rich man in hell made it such a 
great suit, and counted it so great a favour to have but one drop of water, 
which could but for a little while, scarce more than a moment, have cooled 
and eased, not his whole body, but the tip of his tongue only, how much 
more would he have thought it mercy, to have lived so many years again 
as he had done free from torment ! What is it then for thee to live so 
many years free from the falling of the least drop of that wrath, whereof the 
full vials should have been poured out many years ago ! The same law 
was out against us which was out against the angels, ' That clay thou 
eatest, thou shalt die the death ; ' what put the difference ? The apostle 
tells us, ' his longsuffering to usward,' 2 Pet. iii. 9 ; not to them, for in 
chap. ii. ver. 4, he had told us that ' he spared not the angels which fell,' 
but posted and threw them into hell as soon as they had sinned. 

Sixthly, But further, in the sixth place, is this all? Hath it been barely 
a time of ease given thee, a time of reprival ? No, it hath been more, 
1 space to repent,' and so to obtain thy pardon in, Rev. ii. 21. And as it 
hath been more than ease of torment unto thee, so also consider it hath 
been more than slackness in him that hath afforded it to thee, as the apostle 
there doth tell us. It is not that he hath took no notice of thy offending 
him, but he is sensible of every idle thought, of every oath, vain word, and 
as the Scripture tells us, Gen. vi. 6, 7, ' he is pained at the very heart,' in- 
somuch as ' he repents ' that ever he made thee. He is ' angry with thee 
every day ' thou risest, every time he looks on thee ; whenever he meets 
thee going into the tavern to be drunk, the whorehouse to be unclean ; 
when he meets thee reeling in the streets, he hath much ado to forbear kill- 
ing thee, as he had to forbear Moses when he met him in the inn. He is 
ready to have a blow at thee, and it should not need be any great stroke or 
fetching his arm about ; if he did but blow on thee, thou wert consumed. 
To suffer thee to live, doth therefore cost him much riches of patience, but 
to cut thee off need cost him nothing ; he can do that with ease. But 
further, all is joined with a willingness that thou shouldest repent and not 
perish, as that place tells thee. 

It were much mercy for a traitor to be reprived, to have a lease of 
his life for twenty years, though there were no hope nor means of obtain- 
ing his final pardon after that time spent, and this also, though but for one 
treason, and though all that time of his reprival he carries and behaves 
himself never so obediently. But unto thee, this time hath been more 
than a longer day of life, and putting off the execution, which for the guilt 
of that first rebellion should have been acted on thee in the womb ; it hath 
been time to repent in. And yet hath not this time of thy reprival made 
thee so much the more rebellious ? And hast not thou spent all this time 
in making up the measure of thine iniquity full ? And hath it been willing- 
ness only in God that thou shouldst not perish ? Yea more, joined with 
waiting also, when it should once be, thinking the time long, as longing 



198 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

and desiring that thou wouldst repent, that he might pardon thee. Thus, 
Jer. xiii. 27, God expresseth himself, ' When shall it once he ?' Yea, and 
consider how many days of payment have been set, and how many pro- 
mises made and broken all by thee, and yet still he waiteth unto wonder- 
ment. Thou receivedst press-money at thy baptism, when thou didst pro- 
mise to forsake the devil and all his works, and to begin to serve him, 
when thou shouldst begin to discern between good and evil. But no sooner 
did the light of knowledge dawn in thy heart, but thou begannest to fight 
against him, and thy first thoughts to this day have been only and con- 
tinually evil. And then, haply, in thy younger years, before thou hadst 
tasted of the pleasures of sin, he gave thee an inkling, by means of thy 
education, of his goodness towards thee, and of that happiness to be had 
in him, and thou hadst the first offer of him, ere thy tender years were 
poisoned by the world, and he hath dealt with thee again and again, both 
by his word and spirit, not waited only, but wooed thee, and hath been a 
suitor to thy heart long ; and I appeal to your hearts how many promises 
you have made him, of turning from all your rebellions to him, after such 
a sermon, which was brought powerfully home : in such a sickness, and 
in such a strait, thy conscience knows full well. And still God hath made 
trial of thee and given thee longer day; and though thou hast broke 
with him again and again, yet he hath forborne thee again and again, and 
hath waited this twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty years, when thou shouldst 
come in and be as good as thy word, and still thou hast failed him. And 
yet behold and wonder, and stand confounded at the riches of his long- 
suffering, that after so many years' expense and promises broken by thee, 
expectations failed in him, and many mockeries of him, after all this he is yet 
willing to accept of the remainder, if thou wouldst ' spend the rest of the 
time left thee in the flesh according to his will,' as the apostle speaks, 
1 Pet. vi. 2, even to lose principle, use, and all, for what is past, and requires 
but the same composition was propounded the first day ; yea, and not only 
so, but with promise to become a debtor unto thee, to bestow further riches 
on thee than ever yet thou sawest or art able to conceive ; yea, and all this 
when he could have his pennyworths out of thee another way, and lose not 
one farthing by thee, but by punishing thee in hell, recover all ' to the 
utmost.' 

Neither, seventhly, hath it been barely and simply an act of patience 
and forbearance, though joined with this willingness thou shouldst not 
perish, or merely a permissive act of suffering thee to live. But God 
shews forth yet' more riches of goodness joined with this longsuffering. 
' In him ye live, and move, and have your being ;' and dost thou live in 
him only ? Nay, thou livest on him also, upon his costs and charges ; ' I 
have hung upon thee,' says David, ' from my mother's womb.' And con- 
sider what thy life is, that of so small a bottom he should spin out so long 
a thread ! Had he not drawn it out of his own power, as the spider doth her 
web out of her own bowels, it had been at an end the second minute ; to 
maintain that radical moisture, that oil that feeds the lamp and light of thy 
life, that radicale balsamum, this is as great a miracle as the maintaining 
the oil in the cruse of the poor famished widow. And further yet, hath 
he maintained thee only ? Nay more, hath he not defended thee, took thy 
part, protected thee, took thee under his wing as the hen doth her 
tdiickens, to shelter from those many dangers thy life hath been exposed 
unto ? Otherwise, how many ways, ere this, hadst thou been snatched 
away out of the land of the living ? Is thy case the case of the fig-tree 



AGAINST MERCY. 199 

only, which before we mentioned, that when God cried, ' Cut it down,' 
another cried, ' Spare it ?' But there have been many have cried, ' Cut thee 
down,' and God hath cried, ' Spare thee :' there is never a minute but the 
devil would have had a blow at thy life, as ho longed to have had at Job's. 
That thou, a poor lump of flesh, shouldst walk through, and in the midst 
of such an host of fierce and cruel enemies, whose hearts are swelled with 
malice at thee, and God should say to them all concerning thee, as he did 
to Laban concerning Jacob, ' Touch not this man.' And yet if thou wert 
not liable to their malice and power, yet consider how many dangers and 
casualties, besides, thou hast been kept in and from ; as falls, drowning, 
killing many ways, how often have the arrows of death come whisking by 
thee, took away those next thee (haply of thy kindred, brother, sister, yoke- 
fellow, of the same house, family with thyself), and yet have missed thee ? 
And if we look no farther than these days of mortality we have lived in, 
two great plagues in this kingdom, how have the most of us all here 
survived, and now the third is increasing and growing upon us ! To have 
our lives in such dear years of time, when to have our life for a prey is 
mercy enough, as Jeremiah told Baruch ! That these arrows should fly 
round about us, over our heads, and miss us ; that God's arrests should 
seize upon men, walking, talking with us, and spare us ! How often, many 
other ways, hath thy neck been upon the block, and the axe held over, and 
yet hath fallen besides ! To go no farther than thy own body, the humours 
thereof, if God should not restrain them, would overflow and drown it, as 
the waters would the earth, if God should not say to them, ' Stay your 
proud waves.' And when in a sickness they have been let out, yet God 
hath kept a sluice, that so much should break forth, and no more, which 
should purge and wash the body, and make it more healthful, as the over- 
flowing of Nilus doth. And when then thy body hath been brought low 
and weak, and like a crasy, rotten ship in a storm, taking in water on all 
sides, so that all the physicians in the world could not have stopped those 
leaks, he hath rebuked wind and sea, hath careened, mended thee, and 
launched thee into the world again, as whole, as sound, and strong as ever ; 
and God hath said, as Job xxxiii., that thou shouldst not die. In a word, 
if thou consider but what thy life is, and the dangers it is subject to, thou 
wilt acknowledge it is as great a wonder to preserve it, as to see a glass that 
hath been in continual use, gone through many hands, and hath had many 
knocks and falls, to be kept for forty, fifty, sixty years whole and unbroken. 
God hath carried thy life in his hand, as it were a candle in a paper 
lanthorn in a strong windy night, and kept it from being extinct, whenas 
we often see in many, that a little cold comes but in at a little cranny, and 
' blows their candle out,' as Job speaks. 

And, eighthly, how have these years and hours of thy time been filled up 
with goodness ? and with how many comforts ? For a traitor to live, 
though but upon bread and water all his days, what favour is it ! And so 
hadst thou lived all this time, never so miserably, though ' all thy days 
thou hadst eaten thy bread in darkness, and hadst had much sorrow with 
thy sickness,' as Solomon speaks, Eccles. v. 17. Some there are who, as 
Job speaks, ' die in the bitterness of their souls, and never eat with plea- 
sure,' Job xxi. 25, scarce seeing a good day ; and if this had been thy case, 
yet this is infinite mercy. Even whatsoever is on this side hell is mercy. 
Lam. iii. 22, say they in the worst estate the church was ever on earth, 
' It is thy mercies,' not mercy only, but multitude of mercies are shewn us, 
' that we are not consumed, because his mercies arc renewed every morn- 



200 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

ing.' If at the brink of hell, and not in, it is mercy. But hath he not all 
this while ' filled thy heart with food and gladness,' as the apostle speaks ? 
Acts xiv. 17. It were infinite to go over the particular kinds of common 
comforts which God vouchsafes men here ; not half the riches of his good- 
ness is yet told, it would require an age to make an inventory of them. 
Hast a house in the world to hide thy head in, and keep thee from the 
injuries of the weather (which was more than Christ had) ? God he is thy 
landlord (though it may be thou payest him no rent) ; ' he it is that builds 
the house,' Ps. cxxvii. 1. Hast a bed to lie upon ? He makes it, especially 
in thy sickness, Ps. xli. 3. Hast thou sleep (which is the nurse of nature, 
the parenthesis of all thy cares and griefs) ? He rocks thee asleep every 
night; and as he gives thee a house, so he gives thee rest, Ps. cxxvii. 2. 
It is God keeps off those gnats of distracting cares, and griefs, and thoughts, 
and terrors of conscience, would buz about a man, and keep one continually 
waking. And when thou sleepest, is thy sleep pleasant to thee ? God 
makes it so, Jer. xxxi. 26. Hast thou clothes to cover thy nakedness ? 
Eead old Jacob's indentures, Gen. xxviii. 20, and thou shalt see by them 
whose finding they are at : if ' thou wilt give me raiment,' that is one of 
his conditions mentioned. Yea, do thy clothes ' keep thee warm ? ' Even 
this is attributed to him, Job xxxvii. 17. He fills thee, feeds thee, spreads 
thy table, serves thee, fills thy cup, as David describes his goodness, Ps. 
xxiii. 5, and gives thee thy meat in due season ; and hath not failed thee a 
meal's meat, but thou hast had it at thy appointed time, as Job speaks. 
And hast thou health (which is the salt to all these blessings, without which 
thou wouldst say thou hadst no pleasure in them) ? He is ' the God of thy 
health,' and keeps off diseases, Exod. xv. 26. ' I will put none of those 
diseases on thee ; I am the Lord who healeth thee ;' that is, preserve thee 
from them which else would seize on thee. And these mercies he vouch- 
safed unto you that are the poorest, and ' loadeth you with these and the 
like benefits every day.' 

But hast thou riches added to these, and abundance ? ' The blessing 
of God maketh rich,' Prov. x. 22. Though thou hadst them by birth, yet 
he made those friends and parents of thine but feoffees in trust for thee ; 
they were no more, it was God who bequeathed them, Eccles. ii. 26. Or 
whether thou hast got them since by thine own industry, it is he ' gives 
thee power to get wealth, Deut. viii. 18 ; Prov. xii. 24 ; and out of • a 
small estate maketh men great,' Job viii. 8. It is he by his providence 
hath stopped the secret issues and drains of expense, at which other men's 
estates run out ; hath stopped ' that hole in the bottom of the bag,' as the 
prophet speaks. And with these riches hath he given thee a heart to use 
them ? This, as it is a farther mercy, Eccles. v. 19, and chap. vi. 2, so 
also from him, as it is noted there. 

Or hast thou credit, which is better than riches ? So says Solomon, 
Prov. xxii. 1. It is God who gives it, not thy wisdom, parts, or worth. 
Eccles. ix. 11, ' Favour is not always to men of skill,' that is, not accepta- 
tion of what they do, without a farther blessing from God. Therefore, 
besides the gift of wisdom, he gave a further promise of honour also unto 
Solomon, 2 Chron. i. 11. It is God who fashions men's opinions. The 
apostle prays to God his service might be accepted of the saints, though no 
service was like to be more acceptable, for it was the gathering and bringing 
in of alms and relief to them. It is he rules men's tongues, bids men bless, 
as well as he bade Shimei curse ; and he hath kept thee from such gross sins, 
which as flies would have putrefied the ointment of thy good name, who also 



AGAINST MERCY. 201 

conceals those thou hast committed, and ' hides thee from the strife of 
tongues,' Job v. 21. 

Hast thou friends, or do any love thee, wherein much of the comfort of 
our lives consist ? And therefore David says of Jonathan, 2 Sam. i. 26, 
' Thou wert pleasant to me.' It is God who gives favour in men's eyes. 
So he did Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 21. If any man or creature doth thee a 
kindness, he toucheth their hearts, as it is said of the men who clave to 
Saul, and visits for thee. He made the Egyptians, beyond all reason, the 
Israelites' friends, gave them favour in their eyes, as the text tells us. And 
hence, Gen. xxxiii. 10, Jacob says, ' He saw the face of God ' in reconciled 
Esau's face, for God's favour appeared in his look. He put you into your 
callings, ranks, and stations, gives you all your skill, success in them. The 
meanest of trades, to sow, and plough, and thresh, they are ' from the Lord, 
who is wonderful in working,' Isa. xxviii. from the 23d to the end, even as 
well as the skill of the most curious engraver, limner, or embroiderer ; as 
of Bezaleel, the Scripture says God was his master, taught him. Hast 
thou enlarged parts and gifts for higher employments ? It is not thy birth 
or age hath acquired them unto thee. Job xxxii. 8, 9, ' Great men are 
not always wise ; ' therefore, it goes not by birth. • Nor have the aged 
always understanding.' It goes not only by experience, but it is the in- 
spiration of the Almighty. And hast a calling answerable to thy parts, to 
be a scholar, and have thy mind enriched and ennobled with the best and 
choicest jewel the world hath, wisdom and knowledge, whereby the mind is 
elevated as much above other men's as they are above beasts ? God hath 
been thy great tutor. ' The mind of man is God's candle,' and he maketh 
wiser than a man's teachers, as he did Moses in Egyptian learning, Daniel, 
David. 

To conclude, Hast thou comfort in all these, in riches, learning, credit, 
wife, children, meat, drink, &c. ? He puts in all the sugar, delight, and 
pleasure ; that especially depends on him, even to fashion the heart to all 
these. As air lights not without the sun, nor wood heats not without fire, 
so neither doth thy condition comfort thee without God. And therefore, 
Acts xiv. 17, it is said, ' He filled their hearts, as with food, so with gladness.' 

And besides all these, consider the many peculiar passages and turnings 
of his providence towards thee for thy good, the working of things together 
ever and anon to do thee a good turn, the packing and plotting all for thee, 
better than thou couldst have plotted for thyself, as thy relief in many 
straits, success in many businesses. ' He works all our works in us and 
or us,' as Isaiah speaks, Isa. xxvi. 12. Hath he not taken such special 
care and providence of thee, as if he had regarded no man else in the world ? 

And now, when thou hast considered all, bethink thyself withal a little 
of thy dealings towards him ; what have been the effects and fruits of all 
this goodness ? Hold up thy head, man ; look God in the face. It is well 
yet that shame begins to cover thee. How hath that, his patience and 
longsuffering, vouchsafing thee space to repent, wrought with thee ? How 
nigh to repentance hath it brought thee ? Such is the perverseness of 
man's nature, as Solomon tells us, Eccles. viii. 11, that ' because sentence 
against an evil work is not presently executed, therefore the hearts of the 
sons of men are fully set to do evil.' Because God defers punishing, they 
defer repenting. Thou thinkest to spend the most precious of thy time and 
strength in sinning, and give God the dregs, the bottom, the last sands, thy 
dotage, which thy very self and friends are weary of; and all these blessings 
and comforts which God hath vouchsafed thee, how hast thou used them 



202 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING 

against him ? This oil, which should have been fuel to thy thankfulness, 
hath increased the fire of thy lusts, and thy ' lusts have consumed them 
all,' James iv. 3. The riches he hath given, thou hast made idols of, and 
sacrificed thy dearest, morning, daily thoughts and affections unto, as God 
complains, Ezek. xvi. from the 15th, and so on. His meat, as at the 19th 
verse he calls it, thou sacrificedst to thy belly, which thou hast made thy 
God; thy strength to women; the wealth he hath given you, you have made 
use of but to live at a high rate of sinning, and to procure the sweetest bits, 
the daintiest and most costly sins. The edge of that sword of power God 
hath put into thy hand thou hast turned against him and his, haply both 
his children and ministers ; so that God, by giving thee all these, hath but 
made thee more able to offend him, and hath strengthened an enemy, and 
by sparing thee thus long hath but made thee more bold to do it ; all his 
mercies have but fortified thy heart against him ; ' Do ye requite the Lord 
thus, ye foolish people and unkind ?' as Moses expostulates the case, Deut. 
xxxii. 6. As Christ said to the Jews, ' For which of all my good works do 
ye stone me ?' So say I to you, For which of all his mercies is it ye sin 
against him ? What, to fight against him with his own weapons ? to be- 
tray all he gives you into the devils, his enemies' hands ? What iniquity 
did you ever find in him, thus to deal ? God will one day thus expostulate 
his cause with you, and ' heap coals of fire upon all your heads,' if that 
you turn not, because you have rendered him evil for good ; and all these 
mercies thus abused will be as so many coals to make hell fire the hotter. 
And to reason this point yet further with you out of the text, and what 
arguments it will afford to work upon you, 

Consider, first, what it is thou doest. Whilst thus thou goest on thou art 
a despiser of the riches of his goodness : that which is opposite to goodness 
must needs be transcendently evil. What, ' art thou evil because God is 
good ?' and so much the more evil by how much more he is good ? Surely 
there must needs be an unexhausted treasure of wickedness in thee, which 
will also cause in the end a treasure of wrath in him. What ? and sin 
against mercy, patience, longsuffering, added to goodness ? of all attributes 
the richest to the most glorious, for it is that he glories in — in the abusing 
of which therefore he thinks himself most debased — of all attributes the 
tenderest. What, kick against his bowels ? So are his mercies called. 
Canst hit him nowhere else but there ? To despise a man's wisdom, power, 
learning, is not so much as to despise his love. What canst thou imagine 
will become of thee when thou comest to die '? What is it thou wilt then 
come to plead and cry for ? mercy, mercy ! Why, wretch that thou art, 
it is mercy thou hast sinned against. Riches of mercy and patience abused 
turns into fury. I may allude to that speech, 1 Sam. ii. 25, ' If a man sin 
against his brother, the judge shall judge him ; but if against God, who 
shall plead for him ?' So, hadst thou sinned against any other attribute, 
mercy might have pleaded for thee ; but if against mercy itself, who shall ? 

Well, if thou goest on thus to do so still, thou hast a hard heart ; it 
argues the greatest hardness of all other ; that is the second. You use 
not, however it comes to pass, to deal thus with the worst of men, sinners 
like to yourselves ; but to them that love you you tender love again, Luke 
vi. 32. And will you deal so v\ith God ? 'Is it a small thing to weary 
men, but you must weary God also ?' says Isaiah, vii. 13. He thought it 
infinitely less to abuse men than God ; but you carry yourselves as men to 
men, but as devils towards God : herein ye have not the hearts of men in 
you, not principles of common humanity, whereby ye differ from beasts. 



AGAINST MERCY. 



203 



The ' cords of love ' are called • the cords of a man,' Hos. xi. 4. The spirit 
of man breaks, melts under kindness ; beasts indeed ye use to prick with 
goads, but the cords of a man are the cords of love, no principle being more 
deeply engraven in men's hearts than this, ' to do good to those who do 
good to you,' Mat. v. 4G. Nay, would ye had herein yet the hearts of 
beasts, ' The ox knows his owner, the ass his master's crib, but my people 
have rebelled against me.' A sin so much against nature that he calls upon 
those creatures who have no more than mere nature in them, viz., the hea- 
vens, to stand astonished at it, Isa. i. 2. But as nature elevated by grace 
riseth higher than itself, so, being poisoned with sin, it is cast below itself, 
sins against itself, and the principles which are begotten in and with itself. 
If it were not so, how were it possible thou shouldst hate him who never 
did thee hurt ? and go on to wound him who weepeth over thee ? and de- 
spise that in him most which seeks to save thee ? and load him with sins, 
Amos. ii. 13, who loads thee daily with his mercies ? Ps. lxviii. 19. 

There is a third consideration the text suggests, to shew the fearfulness 
of thy sin in this respect ; and that is, that thou goest on every minute 
sinning and in impenitency, by despising his goodness, to treasure up wrath 
against the day of wrath. To sin against mercy, of all other increaseth wrath ; 
thou must pay treasures for treasures spent. As thou lavishly spendest 
riches of mercy, so God will recover riches of glory out of thee. God will 
not lose by thee, but will reckon with thee in wrath for every offer of patience 
spent ; for every sand of longsuffering that runs out he drops in a drop of 
wrath into his vials, and it will prove a treasure, such a treasure as shall 
bring in an eternal revenue of glory unto Gocl, of all his glory lost and 
riches spent, with advantage ; such a treasure as will ask an eternity of 
time to be spent upon thee, and yet be never emptied or made less ; and 
the longer thou goest on, the greater heap it will swell unto. And dost 
thou know and consider how fast this treasure fills, and how much the 
longer thou goest on to add to it, still the more thou addest, still the last 
3 r ear more than all the years before ? every minute's impenitency adding to 
this heap and sum, as new figures added in a sum use to do ; the first is 
but one, the second makes it ten, the third an hundred, the fourth a thou- 
sand ; and what a sum will this grow to '? 

Ay, bat thou wilt say, Tush, I am in prosperity, in health, wealth, and 
ease, and to-day shall be as to-morrow, and much more abundant, Isa. 
lvi. 12. Well, but fourthly, consider out of the text, that there will come 
a day at last, the morrow whereof will be a day of wrath. It is treasuring 
up now, but is not brought forth till the day of wrath, till which day thou 
mayest go on and prosper, as Job, giving us the reason why wicked men 
prosper here, says, chap. xxi. 30, they are ' reserved to the day of wraths,' 
in the plural, because treasures are laid up against them ; thou art yet 
spared because thy sins are not yet full, and that treasure is not full, as the 
sins of the Amorites were not, and all this thy present prosperity fits thee 
but for hell. So Rom. ix. 22, they are said to be ' vessels fitted for de- 
struction,' by longsuffering. And so Nahum tells us, they are but as 
stubble laid out in the sun a-drying, till it be ' fully dry,' Nahum i. 10, that 
it may burn the better ; and like grapes that are let to hang in the sun- 
shine till they be ripe, Rev. xix. 15, and so thou for the ' winepress of 
God's wrath.' 

But thy senseless heart may hap to say, I see no such thing, and these 
are but threats, I think so ; therefore it is said in the text, that it is a trea- 
sure, which, as treasures use to be, is hid till that day comes, and then 



204 AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST JlKRCV. 

revealed, as the words have it. For though thou seest not this day 
a-coming, yet God, who sits in heaven, sees thy day a-coming, as David 
says, Ps. xxxvii. 13, who is therefore said to see it, because himself sees 
it not ; and it is coming faster than thou art aware of it. 2 Pet. ii, 3, 
'Damnation slumbereth not,' though thou dreaniest not of it, ' lingereth 
not : ' as a hue and cry it is sent out, and is on its course, and will in 
the end overtake thee, and that when thou least thinkest of it, ' as a thief 
in the night,' when thou art asleep, yet dreamest not of it, 2 Thess. v. ; 
when thou art least prepared for it, as in the old world, when they were 
eating and drinking. As God watcheth when his child is at the best and 
ripest, and then takes him ; so he will watch thee to take thee for thy 
neglect at the worst, and give thee haply no time to prepare ; they go down 
to hell in a moment, Ps. lxxiii. 19. 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 



[ORIGINAL TITLE.] 



Encouragements 

TO 

FAITH. 

Drawn from severall Engagements 

( GODS ) 
B0th0i \cilRTSTS\ nEAUT 



' Eeceive ' 
Pardon J ' 



To\ ., "fSlNNEES. 



By Tno : Goodwin, B. D. 

LONDON. 
Printed by J. G. for R. Daidman, 1G50. 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 



All that the Father givetk me shall come to me : and him that cometh to me 
I trill in no wise cast out. For I came clown from heaven, not to do mine 
own will, but the trill of him that sent me. — John VI. 37, 38. 



A Pnface. 

There are two persons whom faith hath to deal withal in seeking of for- 
giveness and laying hold of salvation, God the Father and God the Son ; 
the Holy Ghost being that person that sets the heart a-work to seek out for 
salvation, and reveals the love of them both. And therefore it is that 
grace and peace (which are the object of faith's inquest) are still wished 
from God the Father and God the Son ; so genera'ly in all epistles, excepting 
that of the Revelation, given immediately by word of mouth from Christ 
himself. 

And accordingly when faith comes to treat with these two about the 
great business of salvation, the first and main thing that it is inquisitive 
after is, what their heart and mind is, and how they stand inclined towards 
the receiving and pardoning of sinners. It listens most to bear something 
of that ; and when a man's heart, through faith, is fully and throughly per- 
suaded of it, then he is fully won. 

Hence, because the Scriptures were written for our comfort, and so fitted 
to and for the workings of faith, therefore they were so written, as especially 
to bring down and lay before us the heart of God and of Christ ; and so 
the main thing they hold forth is, the full intent and purpose both of God 
and of Christ to pardon and receive sinners. ' This is a faithful saying,' 
says Paul with open mouth, ' that Christ came into the world to save 
shiners ; ' and this Christ himself everywhere indigitates ; and to hold forth 
this is the scope of these words uttered by Christ himself. And such 
speeches do contain the very heart, marrow, and pith of tbe gospel. 

And though the heart of a sinner will never be fully satisfied till a per- 
suasion be wrought that God and Christ are purposed and willing to save 
a man's own self in particular, which persuasion is that which we call 
assurance, yet when once there is a thorough persuasion settled upon the 
heart, but of so much indefinitely and in general, that God and Christ are 



208 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

willing and fully resolved to save some sinners, so that the heart does truly 
believe that God is in earnest, this draws on the heart to come to Christ, 
and is enough to work faith of adherence, such as upon which Christ ' will 
never cast us out,' as the text hath it. 

The great business then for the working faith in men, is to persuade 
them of God's good will and gracious inclination unto sinners, to beget in 
them good opinions of God and Christ this way, men naturally having 
hard and suspicious thoughts of both, as that speech of Christ implies, 
1 God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the 
world through him might be saved,' John iii. 17. Christ would never 
have hinted such a jealousy, nor suggested such thoughts to men's minds, 
had they not been in them before, and this to prevent and take off such 
jealousies. Men are apt to think that God had a design upon them as 
upon enemies, and laid but an ambushment for their further condemna- 
tion, in his treaty of peace tendered to them by his Son. An example of 
which we have in Luther, who fell into such suspicions as these, for he, 
misunderstanding some words he met with in the epistle to the Romans, as 
they were rendered by the vulgar translation then in use, namely, these, 
that ' God sent his Son to declare his righteousness ' (as they are by us 
translated), he thought the meaning of them to have been this, ' to declare 
and set forth his judgment' on the world (so he interpreted adjustitiam 
suam, &c). The truth is, the jealousies of men's thoughts herein were 
those that have put God to his oath, ' As I live, I will not the death of a 
sinner,' &c. So also Heb. vi. 17. Men do not so usually question the 
power of God, he is able enough to save them they think ; he is ' able to 
engraft them in,' as the apostle speaks to the Jews, Rom. xi. 23 ; but all 
their doubts are about his will. God's will was the fountain and spring of 
our salvation, in the contriving of which he ' wrought all things according 
to the counsel of his own will,' as the apostle to the Ephesians speaketh ; 
and in another place it is said, ' He will have ruercy on whom he will,' &c. 
And therefore the great queries in our hearts are concerning the will of God 
towards us. 



The words of the text opened. 

Now, these words of my text do hold forth the full willingness of both 
these two persons, both of God and of Christ. 

1. Of Christ, he here professeth himself willing to entertain all that will 
come to him, ' He that will come to me, I will in no wise cast out.' 
"Which words are not to be understood as if spoken only of casting out 
them that are already come unto him, as if they were only a promise 
against being cast off after being received, and so intending against fears 
of falling away ; but they are chiefly intended as an invitement to all that 
are not yet come that they would come to him ; and so, to express how 
ready and willing he is to entertain all comers, as one who sets his doors 
open, keeps open house, and beats back none that would come in, ' Him 
that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.' And though it may seem 
to be but a slender and sparing expression of his readiness to entertain 
such, to say only, ' I will not cast them out,' 3 7 et though he speaks with 
the least, yet he will do with the most, he being ' abundant in goodness 
and truth,' and one that is better than his word in the performance. As 
when he says, he will not despise a broken heart, is that all the esteem he 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 209 

will manifest to such a heart ? Oh, no ! it is the most welcome thing, and 
endeared frame of spirit that can be in any creature. His meaning is to 
shew what he elsewhere says of a meek spirit (which is all one with a broken 
heart), that with God it is ' of great price,' for so in Isaiah he expresseth 
himself. ' I that inhabit eternity, with whom will I dwell ? with a spirit 
that is broken and contrite.' He useth also this expression of not casting 
them out, in relation, and for a more direct answer unto the fear which he 
knew usually possesseth the hearts of poor sinners when they are about to 
come to him ; they fear he may reject them, they know not their entertain- 
ment, their welcome. To meet with this scruple, he says, ' I will not cast 
such out ; ' choosing rather thus to remove the doubt that is in their hearts, 
than to express the fulness of his own ; the Scriptures speaking potiits ad 
cor nostrum, quam, cor suum, rather unto our hearts, than fully what is in 
his own, which can never be done. 

And yet, even in the diminutive expression, there is that inserted, which 
argues not only a willingness and readiness, but a resolvedness joined with 
the greatest care and faithfulness that can be, ou pri, I will in no wise cast 
out. We may see his heart through this little crevice ; he doth herein as 
a faithful man, who, to give the more full assurance, puts in some binding 
word into his promise, as, I will at no hand, or in no wise, fail you. Thus 
does God also in that known promise, Heb. xiii. 5 (to the horns of which 
sanctuary many a soul hath fled for refuge), ' I will never leave thee nor 
forsake thee,' where there are no less than five negatives to bind and assure 
it, ' I will not,' ' in no wise' (&c), leave thee. 

Now this willingness of his, on his part, Christ shews by two things. 

First, By that great journey he took from heaven to earth, and that to 
no other purpose but to save sinners. For this (says he) did I come down 
from heaven. Great actions of one who is wise, must answerably have 
great ends ; now this was the greatest thing that ever was done, that the 
Son of God should come from heaven. And when there can be but one 
end of an action so great, that end must needs be accomplished, or else the 
action is wholly in vain. Now, in coming down from heaven, he could 
have no other end but the saving of sinners, he could have no other business 
to do that he did here, therefore the Scriptures put his coming into the 
world wholly upon this, to seek and to save that which was lost, and do 
attribute his taking upon him ' the likeness of sinful flesh ' to have been 
' for sin ; ' so Rom. viii. 3. Though other ends might be supposed, and were 
accomplished by the assuming man's nature, yet he had no other end of 
taking frail flesh, especially there could be no other end of his dying, but 
merely and only for sin. John xii. 24, he says, If he had not fallen to the 
ground and died, he had then remained in heaven alone, and no sinners had 
come thither ; that therefore they might ascend to heaven, he descends from 
heaven, ' I came down from heaven,' &c. 

Secondly, He demonstrates his willingness by this, that his Father had 
sent him on purpose to receive and to save sinners : ' I come,' says he • to do 
the will of him who sent me ;' and, John viii., he says, ' I come not of 
myself, but my Father he sent me.' And if he were sent by his Father to 
this end (as he affirms he was, and as by the coherence appears, for he 
makes it the reason why he will cast none out), then certainly he will faith- 
fully do the work he was sent for. In Heb. iii. 1, he is called the ' apostle 
of our profession,' apostle, that is, one sent, so the word signifies ; and 
what follows ? • who was faithful to him that appointed him.' Now, upon 

VOL. [/. o 



210 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 



these considerations, Christ tells you that you may build upon him, that 
you shall certainly find him willing. 

2. For his Father's willingness, he tells us we may be much more con- 
fident of it, for he puts his own willingness and all upon that : ' Him ' (says 
he) ' that the Father gives me, shall come to me ; and him that cometh to 
me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do 
my own will, but the will of him that sent me : and this is the Father's will, 
that he hath sent me,' &c. In which words you may observe both wherein 
he declares his Father to be engaged, and how much. 

First, Wherein, and that by two things : 

(1.) That he sent him to that end, and so it is his Father's business 
more than his own. So also, Luke ii. 49, he expresseth himself, ' Shall I 
not do my Father's business ? ' as elsewhere in Isaiah he is called his Father's 
servant in it ; and John v. 36, he makes it his Father's work. 

(2.) Secondly, that he in a solemn manner gave unto him them whom 
he would have to be saved, with charge to lose none : ' All that the Father 
hath given me shall come unto me.' And this is his will, that I should 
lose none, but give him an account of every soul of them at the last day. 
They are given him as jewels, and as his Benjamins, to look to, and see to 
bring back and keep from destruction. Now whom he so solemnly gave to 
Christ to save, he will never cast away, when they shall come unto Christ. 

Then, 2, he shews how much, and how deeply, his Father was engaged, 
and makes it his Father's will rather than his own : ' I come not to do my 
own will, but the will of him that sent me.' The meaning whereof is, not 
to shew that he came unwillingly, or receives sinners unwillingly, but that 
his Father's will was first in it (as I shall shew anon), and so much in it, 
that, if you will resolve it into its first principles, Christ's coming was 
principally to please his Father. It is such a speech as that in John v. 
22, ' The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the 
Son,' &c. Not that God is not a judge as well as Christ, for, Heb. xii. 23, 
he is termed the 'judge of all men,' but because all judgment is visibly 
committed unto Christ ; therefore the Father is said to judge no man. So 
here, because the Father's will is chief and first in it, Christ therefore says, 
he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. 

And so you have the meaning of the words. 



The main observation out of the ivords. — Demonstrations of God's heart herein, 
from his engagements from everlasting. — How his heart stood to sinners afire 
the world was. 

The observation which I single out of these words to insist upon, is this, 
that 

Both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are fully willing and 
resolved to save sinners. 

1. For God the Father. There are many demonstrations of his will 
herein, that may be taken ab extrafrom his oath, word, promise, &c, winch 
I shall handle in another method ; but those which I shall first hold forth 
are more intimate and intrinsical, and homogeneal to the argument which 
Christ useth here in the text ; which we have seen to be these, that it was 
God's will first, and Christ's but because it was his — ' I come not to do 
mine own will ;' and that it was he that dealt with Christ about it, and 
wrought him off to it, and made it his business — ' but the wall of him that 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 211 

sent mo.' So that the demonstrations which I shall pitch upon shall bo 
drawn from God's engagements, both from his transactions with Christ from 
everlastiug, belore he came into the world, and those that now lie upon him 
from Christ's having fully performed what he sent him into the world for. 
And from either may be fetched strong consolations and confirmations to 
our faith, that God's will must needs continue most serious and hearty to 
save sinners. 

Many other sorts of demonstrations of this point might be fetched and 
drawn from the riches of his mercy, lying by him to bestow on some great 
purchase ; and on what greater purchase could they be bestowed, to shew 
forth the glory thereof, than upon the salvation and pardon of sinners '? But 
these also I shall at the present let lie by untold, having elsewhere counted 
them up and set them forth, such demonstrations being only proper to this 
text as argue an engagement of his will ; whereas all those riches of mercy 
that are in him (although the moving cause of all) might have for ever re- 
mained in him as his nature, without any determination of his will to save 
any man. When therefore a poor sinner shall hear, besides the merchal 
disposition of God's nature, that acts and resolutions of his will have passed 
from him about the pardoning of sinners, so as his will hath engaged all 
the mercies of his nature to effect it, this brings in strong consolation. 

Now the deepness of these engagements of his will to pardon sinners 
may be demonstrated, 

(1.) From such transactions of his as were held by him with Christ from 
everlasting ; which hath both put strong obligations upon him, and also 
argue him fully and firmly resolved to save sinners. Now all the particular 
passages of those treaties of his with Christ, about the reconciliation of 
sinners from everlasting, I have elsewhere also at large handled; and 
therefore it is not my scope now to enumerate them. I shall now only 
draw demonstrations from some few of them, by way of corollary, to help 
our faith in this point in hand, namely, God's resolvedness to pardon 
sinners. 

The first is drawn from this, That God the Father had the first and chie 
hand in this matter of saving sinners, as I then shewed : the project was 
his, and the first motion his. 

[l.J The project; he laid the plot of it, and contrived all about it, for 
the effecting of it. Therefore, John v. 19, Christ says, ' The Son can do 
nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do.' 

[2.] The first motion was his. 'I came not to do mine own will,' says 
Christ, ' but the will of him that sent me.' Both which (project and first 
motion) are shut up in that one sentence, Eph. i. 11, 'He worketh all 
things by the counsel of his own ivill.' Now, for God thus to have the 
first hand in it, did put a great and deep engagement upon his will in it. 
We see among men, the projector and first motioner of a business is always 
most forward in it ; because then it is most peculiarly his own, and the 
greater will be his honour in the compassing of it. How many great afiairs 
have been spoiled, because some men have not been the chief and first in 
them, that affect the pre-eminence ? Now this honour God the Father may 
challenge, that he was the first in reconciling and saving sinners. It is 
therefore called God's wisdom, Eph. iii. 10, and his purpose, Eph. i. 9, 
God's righteousness, Rom. i. 17, and the pleasure of the Lord, Isa. liii. 10. 

Secondly, this project and motion did rise up in him unto a strong re- 
solution and purpose, and to an unalterable decree to save sinners by 
Christ ; so Eph. i. 9. 



212 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

And [1.] for his purposes, they are immutable. Would not Paul lightly 
alter purposes taken up by him, ' When I therefore was thus minded (says 
he, 2 Cor. i. 17), did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose do I 
purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and 
nay, nay ?' Would not Paul, I say, alter his purpose because he preached 
the gospel, and will God (think you) alter them, who gave the gospel ? 
No ; it is the ' eternal gospel,' Rev. xiv. 6, and God is of the same mind 
still, so it foUows in that place to the Corinthians, ' But as God is true ' 
(or varies not), ' so was our word to you,' which yet is his more than Paul's, 
&c. 

[2.J For God's decrees, whereof this was one, they are also immutable. 
The great monarchs of the earth, the Persians, took to themselves that in- 
fallibility, that they would not alter the decrees which they made : therefore 
when a thing was unalterable, it was said to be ' as the laws of the Medes 
and Persians ;' which was to shew their greatness and their wisdom, that 
they could so resolve as no person or power whatever should be strong 
enough to cause them to change their resolutions ; and yet they were forced, 
though not to alter a former decree, yet to give countermands unto it, as 
Ahasuerus did ; and men do alter, because they cannot foresee all events, 
and so cannot make unalterable decrees without prejudice. Therefore the 
pope, who takes on him the style of infallible, and so assumes to himself 
the highest prerogative that ever man did, yet of him it is said, Pajw nun- 
quam lif/at sibi manus, that he never binds his own hands by any decree he 
makes, because he cannot foresee all inconveniences, notwithstanding what- 
ever he assumes. But with God it is not thus, ' He is not a man that he 
should ' have cause to ' repent,' for he knows and foresees all that can or 
will follow. 

Now this immutability of his counsel he shews by two oaths ; the first 
made to Christ, the second to us. 

[1.] To Christ, Heb. vii. 21, ' This priest (Christ) was made with an 
oath, by him that said unto him, The Lord sware, and will not repent, 
Thou art a priest for ever, &c.' And this was from everlasting ; for then 
it was that Christ was first made priest. Now then God foresaw that he 
could never have a relenting thought at the pardoning of sinners through 
him, this his Son would so satisfy and please him ; and thereupon he sware. 
[2.] To us, Heb. vi. 17, 18, ' God willing more abundantly to shew unto 
the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an 
oath : that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to 
lie, we might have a strong consolation,' &c. The thing I allege this place 
for, and which I would have observed, is, that this oath is not mentioned 
as that now which makes God so immutable, though that be a truth ; but 
God's oath is here made that whereby God did declare unto us the immu- 
tability of his purpose, formerly and from everlasting taken up, and so that 
immutability of his counsel was the cause of his oath, and that was to 
pardon sinners ; for it is the promise made to Abraham and his seed that 
is there specified. 

Yea [3.] God set his seal unto all further to confirm it. He both ' sealed 
Christ to the work,' John vi. 27, and likewise sealed up in his decrees the 
persons of those sinners that shall be saved. 2 Tim. ii. 19, ' The founda- 
tion of the Lord remains sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth who are 
his.' And if it were but a king's seal, it could not be reversed ; but this is 
God's. Yea, he hath sealed up their sins also by and through Christ, Dan. 
ix. 24, never to be remembered or looked upon more. 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 213 

Thirdly, God rested not in a decree only, but entered into covenant with 
Christ to save sinners by him if he would die. This covenant you have 
dialogue-wise set out, Isa. xlix. First, Chi-ist begins at the first and second 
verses, and shews his commission, telling God how he had called him, and 
fitted him for the work of redemption, and he would know what reward he 
should receive of him for so great an undertaking. God answers him, 
ver. 3, and at first oilers low, only the elect of Israel. Christ who stood 
now a- making his bargain with him, thought these too few, and not worth 
so great a labour and work, because few of the Jews would come in, but 
would refuse him, therefore, ver. 4, he says, he should ' labour in vain,' if 
this were all his recompence ; and yet withal he tells God, that seeing his 
heart was so much in saving sinners to satisfy him, he would do it however 
for those few, comforting himself with this, that his ' work was with the 
Lord.' Upon this God comes off more freely, and openeth his heart more 
largely to him, as meaning more amply to content him for his pains in 
dying. ' It is a light thing,' says God to him, ' that thou shouldst be my 
servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob ; ' that is not worth the dying lor, I 
value thy sufferings more than so, ' I will give thee for a salvation unto the 
ends of the earth.' Upon this he made a promise to Christ, Titus i. 2, and 
a promise is more than a purpose. A purpose may be in one's self, as 
Eph. i. 9, but a promise is made to another. Now God cannot lie in him- 
self, but most of all, not to his Son. 



A second sort of demonstrations. — The engagements of God's heart to sinners, 
from and upon Christ's having died at his request. 

A second sort of demonstrations are drawn from Christ's having already 
come and performed all this : for, 

1. Christ is now to be satisfied for that his dying, as well as he by his 
death had satisfied God ; he is now to have his reward. God never set any 
on work but he gave them wages. Thus unto Nebuchadnezzar he gave 
Egypt as his hire for his service at Tyre, and to Cyrus he gave hidden 
treasure. Now it is not Christ's own glory that will satisfy him ; for that 
he could have had, and never have died ; there remains therefore nothing 
that can or will satisfy him but to have the end of his death, ' to see his 
seed and be satisfied, and to see of the travail of his soul ; and to justify 
many,' as it is, Isa. liii. 11. He died, as himself speaks, John xii. 24, 
that he might not be alone in heaven ; his desire is, that those whom he 
died for might see his glory. 

2. If we consider the act itself, of delivering Christ unto death, there 
was not, nor could there ever be, anything more abhorrent unto God ; no 
act ever went so much against his heart ; for if he be ' afflicted in all our 
afflictions,' and doth 'not willingly punish the sons of men,' neither 'wills 
the death of a sinner ' that deserves it, much less would he will the death 
of his own Son. Now what w T as there to sweeten the death and sufferings 
of his Son unto him, except his end in it '? for it is the end that sweetens 
and facilitates the means tending unto it. Now the end of Christ's death 
could be no other but to take sins away, and to procure the pardon of 
sinners ; and so it must needs be infinitely delightful unto him, and his 
heart strongly set upon it, seeing it did sweeten unto him an act otherwise 
so abhorrent ; and of this end therefore it is impossible he should ever 
repent. Now, Eph. v. 2, the very offering of Christ is called a ' sacrifice 



214 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

of a sweet smelling savour ; ' and what was it that made it so, but even the 
end for which it was done, and which is there put upon it, that it was out 
of love unto us, and out of a mind to have sinners pardoned ? For else in 
itself it must needs have been abominable unto him. 

Again, 3. If at any time he would have repented him of his purpose, it 
would have been at the time of Christ's being crucified, when he came to 
bruise him : then his heart would have recoiled, and especially when 
Christ poured out his soul with such strong cries and tears as he did. At 
other times, in punishing but his children, we find, that when he comes to 
do it, his heart at, it were fails him, as Hos. xi. 8. ' How shall I give thee 
up ?' The rod fails out of his hand, and his bowels yearn within him ; yet 
he relented not when he saw the soul of his Joseph in bitterness, but still 
made an impossibility of it for him to avoid suffering, because his purpose 
was thereby to take sins away. Therefore Christ's request was, ' Father, 
if it be possible, let this cup pass.' The necessity lay only in God's will 
in reference to this end, to forgive sins. If God would ever have relented 
or repented him of this purpose, it would have been then. We read of his 
repenting him of other of his works, but his mind is so fully carried to 
take away sins, that he did not then, or can ever repent of putting his own 
Son to death for the effecting of it. To pardon sinners is more natural to 
him than to kill his Bon was unnatural. Now his end and purpose 
being thus fully set to pardon and save sinners, if he should be frustrated 
of this his end, he would then indeed repent him of using his Son as he 
had done, Nay. it is not only said that he repented not, but that ' it 
pleased him to bruise* Christ, in respect to that his end, which was so plea- 
sant to him : so you have it, Isa. hii. 10. And, therefore, surely it pleaseth 
him much more to pardon sinners, now he hath thus bruised him ; and so 
indeed it follows there, l The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his 
hand." It is spoken of his saving and justifying of sinners. It troubled 
God to hear a soul bemoan itself for its sin, Jer. xxxi. 20, but we read not 
that it did so when Christ bemoaned himself in his sufferings ; and the 
reason was, because the work that Christ was about to do was a sweet sacri- 
fice to him , and it would trouble God more to condemn a sinner that 
Christ died for, than it did to sacrifice Christ for him. 

4. Upon that ancient agreement between God and Christ, God par- 
doned millions of men under the Old Testament upon the bare word of 
Christ, before he came into the world, or had paid one penny of the debt ; 
he must needs therefore be supposed to be much more willing now to do 
it, when Christ has done all that was required, and failed not, and that at 
the due time, as it is said, Rem. v. If Christ had failed to come short but 
ot a little of what he was to do, God might have denied to let the world go 
upon trust any longer ; but now Jesus Christ hath performed all, and is 
aibrehand with him, and hath put in stock enough to pardon sinners to the 
end of the world. 

Yet, 5. Now even justice itself will call upon him to discharge sinners, 
will not let him rest in quiet till he has pardoned and shewed mercy unto 
poor sinners that come to Christ, and hath given in their bond, and this, 
though we had no promise to shew for it. yea, though Christ himself had 
nothing to shew for it : God's very justice would trouble him (I may so 
speak with reverence, for he himself says, that he was ' troubled for 
Ephraim,' Jer. xxxi. 20), till he had given out an acquittance, because he 
knows the debt is paid, and also, that Christ's and his own intent was, that 
when Christ had once died, sinners should thereby be justified. Even as if 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 215 

an honest man had a bond for a debt that is discharged lying still in his 
hands, of which payment he whose debt it is knows nothing, although he 
or they that paid this debt were dead, so that there were no one left that 
were able to challenge an acquittance from him, and a cancelling of that 
bond, yet mere honesty would cause him to give it in. Now Jesus Christ 
died, and God himself put him to death, merely to pay our debts ; and, says 
Christ at his death, Let sinners require my blood, and the merits of it at 
thy hands, and have it out in pardon. 

That was Christ's will that he made at his death, as you have it, Hcb. ix. 
16, 17, where the apostle calls it ' a testament confirmed by the death of 
the testator.' Now there is nothing so sacred as the performance of the 
will of the dead. And now Christ himself is alive again, and is ordained 
by God to be his own executor, and so lives to claim an acquittance ; there- 
fore certainly God will never withhold it. In justice he cannot, he will not, 
have a bond lie by him that is discharged. Hence it is said, that God is 
' just to forgive our sins,' 1 John i. 9. 

There are three things which do cry for justice, and all do meet in this. 

(1.) The wages of a hireling (if detained) are said to cry. So in James 
v. 4, it is said, ' The wages of hirelings detained do cry in the ears of the 
Lord of Hosts.' They cry, wages being due in justice, and because God's 
justice is thereby provoked, and cannot be quiet till God hath avenged it. 
And so would Christ's satisfaction having been made for us ; it would 
restlessly cry to God, and not suffer his justice to be quiet, unless we were 
pardoned. For he was truly and indeed God's hired servant in this work ; 
and God covenanted to give him the salvation of those he died for as his 
wages and reward, as Isaiah often represents it, chap, liii., and elsewhere. 
So that if God be just, he must give forth salvation, otherwise Christ's obe- 
dience would cry as the work of an hireling doth for wages. 

(2.) A second thing that cries for justice, is the will of one that is dead 
unperformed, who hath bequeathed legacies, and left wherewith to pay and 
discharge them. And this is yet a louder cry than the former. Now 
Christ, before he died, did thus make his will, and bequeathed pardon of 
sin and justification, and that eternal inheritance in heaven, as legacies to 
those for whom he died, and to be given out by God after his death, as I 
observed even now out of Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17, where it is said that Christ 
was ' The Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death they 
who are called might receive the promise (or bequeathed legacy) of eternal 
life.' And thereupon, ver. 16, 17, the apostle calls this ' a testament con- 
firmed by his death,' and which at his death ' began to be in force,' so 
ver. 17. And of all things in justice that are held due, the performance of 
the will of the dead hath ever been held most sacred. 

(3.) There is yet a third thing which cries for justice, and that is inno- 
cent blood spilt. And this cries louder than the rest. So Gen. iv. 10. 
And the apostle, Heb. xii. 24, sets forth the cry of Christ's blood for us, 
by Abel's blood crying against Cain. 

It may be notwithstanding this, that God may put the bond in suit against 
a sinner, to make him come to acknowledge the debt, as the apostle there 
speaks. ' If we confess our sins.' But if any soul doth say, ' I have sinned 
and it profited me not ;' God then cannot withhold from throwing down his 
bond cancelled, saying, ' Deliver him, I have found a ransom,' Job xxxiii. 24, 
God will not have innocent blood, such as his Son's is, to lie upon him. If 
he should not pardon sinners, Christ's blood would be upon him, for it was 
for them only that Christ died, being in himself innocent. 



21G EXCOUBAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

6. God mends not himself by damning those for whom Christ died. Now 
there were not only an injustice to Christ and us in it, but God himself also 
would prove a loser. For the end of Christ's death was not simply to 
satisfy justice, so as without it justice could not have permitted a pardon, 
that might have been dispensed with, but it was chiefly to declare the glory 
of God's justice, which required such a satisfaction, as the apostle says, 
Rom. iii. 25, ' To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that 
are past, through God's forbearance.' It was, we see, the manifestation or 
declaration of the glory of his justice that he aimed at in it. So as if any 
one man's sin satisfied for by Christ should be left unforgiven, God's justice 
should lose so much glory. And if justice should think to get a greater 
glory out of the sinners, that could never be ; for the sinner is unable ever 
to satisfy, and so to glorify God's justice by suffering, as Christ hath done. 
Yea, and besides, God would be a further and a greater loser in the glory 
of his mercy also, which by his pardoning sin is advanced. 

The second part of the observation. — Demonstration of Christ's willingness to 
receive sinners that come toJiim. — First, how his heart stood from everlasting. 

And so now I come to Christ's willingness, which was the second thing 
propounded in the doctrine to be demonstrated. Now, though his will 
was not first in it (as was said), yet we shall find him to have been no less 
willing than his Father. As Christ in subsisting is the second person, and 
hath his personal subsistence from his Father, so he is second also in order 
of working, and consequently of willing too, yet he is not second to him in 
heartiness of willing ; but as his Father and he are equal, so in all that his 
Father willeth, his will is equal with his Father, and so, is as much in this 
business as his. 

In the demonstrating of this, I will take the same course that I did in 
the former : , 

First, I will shew how hearty he was in this, to have sinners saved, before 
he came into the world. 

And secondly, how willing he was since he came into the world, and 
since his death and going out of the world. 

And as a general introduction to either, I shall premise this, which shall 
be as the corner-stone in this building, joining both parts of this discourse 
together, and is a consequent of what hath formerly been delivered. 

The thing to be premised is this : That if God the Father be willing, then 
Jesus Christ must needs be willing also, and look how much the will of the 
one is in it, so much the will of the other must be in it also, for ' the Father 
and he are all one.' And this will serve for our further assurance of the 
wills of either ; and we make use of it both ways, either to argue to our 
faith, that if the Father be willing, Christ must needs be so also ; and that 
if Christ be willing, the Father is so also. That whereas some men's 
thoughts have been more taken up about, and so more taken with, the con- 
sideration of how much the Father's heart was in it, and how active and 
plotting he was about it ; and again, other men's apprehensions have been 
carried more unto Christ's heart in the work ; this demonstration which I 
have in hand shall be a help to the faith of either of these : so that if your 
hearts have a ' door of faith,' (as the apostle speaks) ' set open,' or a window 
to see either into God's heart or Christ's, you may raise a confidence of 
the one from the other, and so come to be sure of both. 

And this also I do first mention, because it is the most intrinsical bottom 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 217 

demonstration that can be made of Christ's willingness, and is the utmost 
reason of it. 

This demonstration I found upon John x. 30, ' I and my Father are one.' 
That whereas in this my text he shews how his Father's will and his agree in 
one, he there gives the reason of it, for (says he) wo are one; and the words 
there, as they stand in their coherence, are proper to the purpose in hand. 
For Christ there allegeth them as the reason why his heart, and power, and 
all in him is so engaged for the salvation of his own, that if he have any 
power in him, and be able to do anything, ' not one of them shall perish,' 
because ' his Father and he are one.' For, mark the occasion upon which 
he speaks this, it is the same that here in my text. He had been speaking 
of saving his sheep, and of his power and will to save them ; and concludes, 
that • they shall never perish.' And he says not only that he will never 
cast them out (as here), but that ' neither shall any man pluck them out of 
his hand.' And in that speech he shews and utters the strength of his 
will as much as of his power. For otherwise, although his hand of power 
had been never so potent to have held them against all opposition, yet if 
his will had not as strongly resolved to hold them in his hand, and so, if 
they were not as deep in his heart as.they are fast in his hands, this speech 
of his had not been made good, that • they shall never perish.' And then 
he gives the reason both of this resoluteness of his will and this prevalency 
of his power from his Father's both will and power, engaged as much as 
his own, in this fulness.* ' My Father,' says he, ' that gave them me is 
greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands.' 
He pleads here, first, his Father's will — ' He gave them me ; ' and then, 
secondly, his power, whom these Jews he spake to acknowledged greater 
than all, though him they did not. ' He is greater than all ; none can 
pluck them out of his hands ;' and then argues to himself, ' My Father and 
I are one.' One in nature, therefore much more in will. Two persons that 
have distinct essence may yet be one in will, as the ten kings are said to be 
of one mind when they agreed in one thing, Ptev. xvii. 13, 17 ; so Acts 
iv. 32, it is said that they that believed were of ' one heart and of one soul,' 
that is, in judgment and consent of mind. But Christ and God the Father 
are one yet nearer, one in nature, and therefore much more entire in will, 
for by nature they have but one will between them. And that place speaks 
at once in relation to both their willingness to save, as to both their powers 
to save sinners. And this is not only an argument that they did both agree, 
and were like to agree, in it, but that they can never disagree. Two that 
essentially have two wills, though for the present agreeing in one, yet it 
may be supposed that they may come to disagree, and not will the same 
thing ; but if they essentially have but one will, it is impossible then but 
that they must ever agree. This great security, therefore, doth Christ give 
for the salvation of sinners. You have not only two persons engaged, 
persons greater than all, but all that is in them engaged, both then- power 
and will; and what more can be desired ? And if the one holds his purpose, 
the other must also, for they are one. You have the oneness of God and 
Christ given you for security ; so that if they can never be made two, and 
wrought asunder, then sinnei's must needs be saved. Till these two persons 
do disagree, you are sure enough ; and they must cease to be ere they can 
cease to agree, for they are one, and one in being. 

We have another testimony as full as this, 1 John v. 7 : ' There are 
three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
* Qu. ' business ' ? — Ed. 



218 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

Ghost ' (we are yet surer, here is a third person that comes in), ' and these 
three are one.' Now, what is the thing that these do witness unto ? 
Ver. 11 it follows, ' This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal 
life, and this life is in his Son.' Here their truth is pawned, as in that other 
place their power was, for the apostle allegeth this as such a truth as they all 
agree and stand in to make good. And to prove this, he says (as in that 
other place, John x.) that ' these three are one,' that is, one in nature, 
therefore one in will, and so also one in witness to this truth. He says 
not only they agree in one, for you shall observe that whereas there are 
three other witnesses mentioned to be on earth, there is this difference put 
between their concurrency in their testimonies and that of these, that ' they 
agree in one ' (so ver. 8), but there is more said of these, namely, that they 
are one, that is, in nature, and so in will and purpose, and so must needs 
much more agree in one. Now, that thing which their wills and testimonies 
and all agree in is, as hath been said, that God hath given us eternal life, 
and this life is in his Son, to all that shall come for it. So that for 
demonstrations of this I need go no further. If there be any will, power, 
or truth in these persons, sinners shall be saved. 

This being premised, as the most bottom ground of Christ's being at first, 
and his continuing to be for ever, willing to pardon sinners, let us more 
particularly see, first, how his heart stood to the salvation of them before 
he came into the world ; and then, secondly, how it stood inclined unto it 
after he was come ; and what confirmations our faith may have from both. 
So that the thing I am herein to speak to is not so much bis willingness to 
the work of redemption itself (that I have elsewhere handled apart), but his 
willingness and readiness to save sinners. 

1. Let us see how his heart stood to this before the world was, and before 
he came into it. And for this we find that his delights w 7 ere set upon it ; 
so Prov. viii. 31, ' Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my 
delights w r ere with the sons of men : ' which words are more properly spoken 
of Christ than of God the Father, and therefore I produce them under this 
head. For they are said to be spoken by Wisdom, that is, Christ himself, 
he therein shewing how his mind stood towards us before the world began ; 
for he speaks what he and his Father did ' before the mountains were,' &c. 
' I was set up from everlasting,' ver. 22. ' Then I was by him,' &c, 
ver. 80. And how did they pass away that long arum, as the apostle calls 
it ? In nothing but rejoicing and delights. He there speaks of nothing 
else that they did. And what was the matter of delight unto them ? 

(1.) He and his Father delighted one in another, ver. 30. 

(2.) In the salvation of men, ' My delights were with the sons of men,' so 
ver. 31. And he speaks of men as fallen, for it is said in the beginning of 
the same verse that he ' rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth,' which 
is spoken not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles too, and of men all the 
earth over. Now, first, delights arise out of the strongest and choicest 
desires. Men are pleased with many things in which they delight not. 
Christ's heart and desires must needs have been most on that which his 
delights are in. Again, secondly, the greater the persons are, and the 
greater their minds are, the greater are their delights. Things of great 
concernment are usually the objects which are the delights of kings, and 
which they take pleasure in. Now, the great God and Jesus Christ singled 
out the pardon and reconciliation of sinners for their chief delights. 

(3.) Their delight herein is mentioned, and in no other work of theirs ; 
not the angels, nor the world, nor anything in it. 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 219 

(4.) This their delight is mentioned next to their delighting in each other. 

(5.) And fifthly, this delight he took aforehand, whilst his heart was only 
in the expectation of it, and his mind but laying the plot of it. He delights 
in it ere he doth it. And if all this joy of his be only in the thoughts of it, 
how much more will it delight him when he comes to do it ? All this 
argues how great a matter this was in his esteem, and how much his heart 
was in it, and that from everlasting. 



Demonstrations from the disposition of Christ's heart, and his carriage upon 
earth. — As also some engagements since his death. 

2. In the second place, when Christ had assumed our nature, and whilst, 
he remained upon earth, how did this disposition of his abound in him ? It 
were endless to give all the instances that his story and sermons do afford 
hereof. See but how welcome all sorts of sinners were at all times unto 
him. He cast out none that acknowledged him for the Messiah ; he turned 
none away that gave up their souls unto him to be saved his own way. He 
was indeed most reserved unto that rich young man of any other, yet he 
used him courteously — the text saith, ' he loved him.' Christ turned him 
not away, but directed him the right way to follow him ; and he went away 
of himseli, undervaluing Christ to his possessions. And another time 
Christ indeed seems to discourage the Canaanitish woman, and put her 
away, calling her dog. But it was only in words ; for underhand he strongly 
draws her heart to him by his Spirit, and suggests thereby to her heart by 
way of answer, a consideration of the highest faith towards him, that dogs 
might partake of the crumbs that fall from their master's table. I instance 
in these, because I would prevent and remove any exception which might 
be taken from them. For otherwise Christ's professed entertainment of all 
sinners was so open and notorious, as it w T as turned into his disgrace and 
opprobry, that he was ' a friend to publicans and sinners ; ' which yet he 
owns and glories in, professing that he ' came not to call the righteous, but 
sinners to repentance.' And how glad he was when any such came in unto 
him, he sufficiently expresseth by those parables on purpose taken up, of 
the joy of the prodigal's father for his return, and of the rejoicing for the 
finding of the lost groat, and likewise of the lost sheep, more than of the 
ninety and nine. 

We read of Christ's joy but seldom, and when it is at any time recorded, 
it is at the conversion of souls. He had little else to comfort himself in, 
being a man of sorrows ; and he had nothing else on earth which he took 
delight or pleasure in. When he was converting the poor woman of Samaria, 
which he doth as a pleasure and recreation to him, he forgets his meat, 
although before he had been very hungry, and tells his disciples that he had 
' meat which they knew not of,' which was indeed the saving that poor 
woman's soul. In Luke x. 21, we read that Jesus rejoiced in his spirit; 
but observe the occasion. He had sent out his disciples to preach the 
gospel, and they had in his name and through his power cast out devils. 
He bids them not rejoice in that, ver. 20, but shews them what they should 
rejoice in, by his own example, and by what most comforted him. ' Father' 
(says he) ' I thank thee that thou hast revealed these things unto babes.' 
This in the next words following recorded to be the matter of his rejoicing, 
he saw now an handsel, and an experiment of the fruit of his disciples' 



220 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

ministry, and comforted himself beforehand, in that as their souls had, so 
others of the poorer and meaner sort should thus come in unto him. 

We find him at another time in like manner rejoicing, namely, in the 
story of his raising Lazarus, John xi. 15. And what was it for? Not 
that himself should be glorified by so great a miracle, even the greatest that 
ever he wrought, but, says he, ; I am glad for your sakes that I was not 
there, to the end that you might believe.' He rejoiceth if any of his got a 
little more or further degree of faith. And on the other side, as sorry was 
he when men came not in. Witness his tears over Jerusalem, and those 
spaeches of his, John v. 34, ' These things I speak, that you might be 
saved.' And thereupon in the ensuing verse he complainingly utters him- 
self, ' You will not' (says he) ' come to me, that you may have life.' He 
speaks as one greedy of winning souls, and as sorry that any customers or 
hearers of his should pass by., and not turn in ; ' You will not come to me,' 
&c. And he relieves himself with this, that there were others that would, 
though they would not. So here in this place, when in the verse before 
my text he had complained of them, that they would not believe, he comforts 
himself with this in the words of the text, ' All that the Father giveth me 
shall come unto me.' And the like you have, John x. 25, 2G, : You believe 
not ; but my sheep, they hear my voice,' &c. 

And then at his death, when he was upon the cross, he then convei'ts a 
thief that was crucified with him, and prays for those that crucified him. 
And after his resurrection his last words recorded in Luke xxiv. 47 are, 
' That remission of sins should be preached in his name, beginning at Jeru- 
salem ; ' that so those whom he had prayed for, though they had crucified 
him, might be converted and saved. Thus stood his heart all the while he 
was on earth, both before and after his death. 

3. And then, in the third place, now that he hath died and laid down that 
price which was to purchase the salvation of sinners, he must needs be 
much more willing, if it were possible be should 1)9, than ever. Many 
demonstrations there are from those obligations wbich Christ's sufferings 
and death do put upon him, which 1 have already given in a treatise upon 
this very argument, The Heart of Christ in Heaven, Part II. Only I have 
reserved one or two for this place. As, 

(1.) It was the aim and utmost intent of Christ's soul, in his being cru- 
cified, to have sinners saved, and saved effectually. It was that travail 
which his heart was then big with. And certainly Christ would not that 
so many and so great sufferings, now that they are past and over, should 
be in vain. The apostle makes a motive of it unto the Galatians,* ' Are ye 
so foolish ? . . . . Have ye suffered so many things in vain *? ' Gal. iii. 
3, 4. To be sure Christ's death shall not be in vain ; he will not lose the 
end of his sufferings (as the same apostle intimates but four verses before, 
chap. ii. 21). A business that a man hath prayed for much, how dotb he 
long to see it accomplished and fulfilled ! And how glad is he when it 
falls out as he hath prayed ! And why but because it is the fruit of his 
prayers ? Now, much more glad is Christ to see the fruit of his death, 
' the travail of his soul,' and thereby is ' satisfied.' Isa. liii. 10, a place I 
often quote to this purpose. I will add but this to it. When a woman 
hath been in travail, she forgets all her pains for joy that a man-child is 
bom, which is the fruit of that her travail ; and so doth Christ. And 
then again for that other word, that Christ is said to be ' satisfied ; ' satis- 
faction is the accomplishment of desire, or the fulfilling of one's longings. 
So in that speech of Christ, ' Blessed are those that hunger, for they shall 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. '221 

be satisfied.' So that this doth argue and presuppose the most vehement 
desires and longings in Christ for the salvation of souls, and his having died 
must needs increase them. 

And (2.) add this engagement unto that former, that his death can be put 
to no other use than for the pardon of sinners. So as if he should not 
expend it that way, he should utterly lose the fruit of it, or let it lie useless 
by him. For divert it to any other use he cannot. And yet if he knew 
how to improve it to any other purpose, yet his love (he having intended 
it for the sons of men) would not suffer him to do it. But besides, if it be 
not employed and bestowed this way, it will be wholly in vain ; for the 
good angels, though they stand in need of his personal mediation, to con- 
firm them in grace, yet his blood was not requisite thereunto. And for 
the bad angels, they are utterly excluded the benefit of it. And then 
Christ himself, he stands in no need of it, nor can he have any benefit by 
it, all that personal glory which now he hath in heaven being due unto him 
by that hypostatical union. So that his death serves for no end if not for 
this. Christ indeed hath an honour in heaven besides the glory of the 
personal union ; but then it ariseth to him from the salvation of sinners 
through his death, which salvation is the purchase of his blood ; as you 
have it, Eph. i. ; which might afford a third engagement, in that Christ 
should not only lose the fruit of his death, but that glory that is ordained 
him by the salvation of men. So that he should be a loser not only of his 
sufferings by-past, but of all that glory that is to come from the salvation 
of believers, which is no small thing unto him. As officers in courts of 
law, or in universities, get the more fees, the more clients and the more 
commencers there are, so it is the more for Jesus Christ's gain that many 
sinners get out, and are received to grace and mercy. 



Some extrinsical demonstrations of God's and Christ's willingness to pardon 

sinners. 

And unto all these secret engagements both of God and Christ mutually 
to each other, and to us, we may add all the professed publications of their 
minds herein unto us, which have been made upon all occasions and by all 
means possible. As, 

First, This news hath been published by all three persons : first, God 
the Father he began to preach it to Adam in paradise, and hath renewed it 
again and again, as with his own immediate voice from heaven when Christ 
was baptized, ' This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, 
hear him;' which the apostle Peter records and confirms, as spoken a 
second time upon the mount, as a matter of highest moment to be known 
by us, ' which voice he heard' (says he), ' and is no fable,' 2 Pet. i. 16, 17. 

Secondly, Christ who is 'the faithful and true witness,' Rev. i. 5, he 
came from the bosom of his Father, and preached peace, Eph. ii. 17. Yea, 
and it was one of his first texts he preached upon, Luke iv. 18, ' The 
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the 
gospel, to preach deliverance to the captives.' 

Thirdly, The Holy Ghost he also herewith bearing witness, that ' God 
hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and for- 
giveness of sins,' Acts v. 31, 32. And so Heb. ii. 4. And these are 
these ' three witnesses in heaven,' 1 John v. 7, whose record as it follows 
is this, ' that there is life to be had in his Son Jesus Christ,' ver. 11. 



222 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

Secondly, God hath published this news both by all creatures reasonable, 
and to all creatures reasonable. 

First, The angels they came and preached it, singing, ' Peace on earth, 
good will towards men,' Luke ii. 13, 14. 

Secondly, By men ; and to that end he hath given gifts to men, powerful 
and full of glory, Eph. iv. 8, &c. And a commission with those gifts, a 
most large and gracious one. ' And he hath committed to us the ministry 
of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to 
himself,' 2 Cor. v. 20. 

Yea, and thirdly, he hath maintained this ministry in all ages, even to 
our times, all times have rung of the news hereof, and the world is still 
full of his ambassadors to treat with men about this peace, and they are to 
proclaim that he is fully willing ; and upon that ground, to beseech men to 
be reconciled, and so long as lieger ambassadors reside uncalled home or 
not sent for away, so long the treaty of peace holds. 

Fourthly, He hath proclaimed this by these his ambassadors in all places ; 
he bade them go and preach it to all the world, ' to every creature,' Mark 
xvi. 15. And his disciples did accordingly. Now he would not have had 
it spoken so openly and generally, ii he were not most serious in it. 

Fifthly, Add to this, that he hath declared it by all ways and means that 
do argue faithfulness and seriousness. 

(First.) Not by bare word of mouth, but we have it under his hand, he 
hath left his mind in writing. This book, which is dropped from heaven, 
the title of it is, ' The word of reconciliation,' 2 Cor. v. 19, the main argu- 
ment of it being reconciliation. In tbis book we find proclamation sent 
forth after proclamation, book after book, line after line, all written to this 
end, that we sinners ' might have hope and strong consolation,' as the 
apostle witnesseth. 

(Secondly.) He hath added to this writing those seals of the sacraments, 
and further, an oath to both, and that made advisedly with the greatest 
earnestness and deliberation that might be, Heb. vi. 17, ' God willing' (the 
text says) ' more abundantly to manifest this his intent, the immutability of 
his counsel, he confirmed that promise with an oath ; that by two immu- 
table things, his word and oath, we might have strong consolation.' 

(Thirdly.) If this be not sufficient, he hath pawned heaven and earth, 
the ' covenant of day and night,' in mortgage to forgive iniquity and pardon 
sinners. Thus, Jer. xxxi. 34, 35, 36, ' This is my covenant (says God 
there), that I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more.' 
So ver. 34, and then it follows, ver. 35, ' Thus saith the Lord, who giveth 
the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a 
light by night : if those ordinances depart from before me, then the seed 
of Israel,' &c. The like you have, chap, xxxiii. 25, 26. Day and night 
we see stand still, and therefore this covenant holds good stdl. But we 
have a greater pawn than this, the death of his Son. 

And lastly, Let his actions and courses, which he hath taken from the 
beginning of the world, speak for all the rest ; as Satan hath been a mur- 
derer from the beginning, so God hath been a Saviour from the beginning, 
and Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world. God began 
with the first of mankind, even with Adam and Eve, the ringleaders, the 
heads of this rebellion, who drew all the rest of the world into that enmity, 
these were yet reconciled. Kings usually hang up the heads and chief in 
treasons, for examples of their justice, though they pardon others ; yet 
these did God save and pardon as examples of his mercy, to all that should 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 223 

come of them ; and it is observablo that the first thing he did, after the 
world was fallen, was this act of mercy, both in preaching this gospel and 
in pardoning them, ho began to do that soon, which he meant to be always 
a-doing to the end of the world : it argues he delights in it, yea, and accord- 
ing to Christ's last promise on earth, that he would ' be with us to the end 
of the world.' God is to this day reconciling the world of men to himself; 
some that walk in your streets by you, live among you. And he will have 
thousands when you are gone, and what are these but as flags, and paUorns 
of mercy, hung forth by God to toll and bring others in, as Eph. ii. 7. 

Use. What should the consideration of these things work in our hearts, but 
what the scope of the text itself puts men upon, even that they would come 
in unto Christ, and believe on him, and give up their souls unto him ? 
1 He that believes shall in no wise be cast out.' As Christ therefore is will- 
ing, so should we be ' a willing people.' That which keeps men ofi is, 
that they know not Christ's mind and heart. Think it not to be an indif- 
ferent thing to him whether you believe or no, as if he came into the world 
to do this duty of dying for sinners singly in obedience to his Father, so 
that men might be rendered saveable if they will ; and that however, if they 
will not, he yet hath enough to satisfy and quiet himselt with, even this, 
that he shall be glorified in what he hath done, though few or none of the 
sons of men be saved. It is a prejudicial doctrine this to the salvation of 
men, and derogatory to Christ's free love. What, do we think that Jesus 
Christ is gone to heaven, there to complain unto angels of the unkindness 
and hardness of men's hearts, that will not turn to him notwithstanding he 
hath done so much, and to tell what he had done for them, and what they 
would not be persuaded to do for themselves ; and that so he can suffi- 
ciently please himself with such just complaints ? No, surely ; our effec- 
tual salvation concerns him more than so ; and his heart is more fully bent 
upon it than thus to leave it. Of what he hath bought he will lose nothing. 
The truth is, he is more glad of us than we can be of him. The father of 
the prodigal was the forwarder of the two to that joyful meeting. Hast 
thou a mind ? He that came down from heaven, as himself saith in the 
text, to die for thee, will meet thee more than half way, as the prodigal's 
father is said to do, by his Spirit : he will send him from heaven to thee, and 
at the latter day himself will come again to fetch thee and receive thee to 
himself. If among the angels in heaven there be joy at the conversion of 
a sinner, how much more joy ic there in Christ's heart ? If there be joy 
in the bedchamber-men (as John speaks) what joy is there in the bride- 
groom's heart ? Or if among the standers by, when a man-child is born 
into the world, how much more doth the mother that was in travail for it, 
as Christ's soul was, how much more doth she rejoice ? therefore come 
in unto him. If you knew his heart you would. As they that crucified 
him knew him not, so neither do those who believe not in him. If 
you had been on earth with him, or if he were now here, and had 
this day preached these things unto you, and uttered these his own 
desires and longings after you ; how would you in troops go all thronging 
after him when the sermon were done, and each of you come about him, 
as those that had diseases did, and beseech him to pardon and save you, 
and not leave him till you have obtained some word of comfort and favour 
from him ! Let me tell you, he had preached this day, but that he had 
other business to do for you in heaven, where he is now praying and inter- 
ceding for you, even when you are sinning ; as on earth we see he did for 



224 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO FAITH. 

the Jews when they were a-crucifying him. Now because he could not 
for this other business come himself, he therefore sends us his ambassa- 
dors, and we in Christ's stead do beseech you ; and it is as if ' Christ by 
us did beseech you ;' and we preach but such things as were ' first spoken 
by the Lord himself,' as it is in Heb. ii. 3. And he sends his Spirit, and 
continues to give gifts unto men to this very day ; and in all these respects, 
whenever the gospel is preached, he is said to ' speak from heaven.' Refuse 
not him that speaks from heaven, Heb. xii. 25. And though you have 
not his bodily presence, as they had who heard himself preach here on 
earth, yet you may by faith have as free an access unto him, and know as 
surely that he hears you, as if he were in the same room with you. Retire, 
therefore, into your closet, and treat with him in private, and there press 
these things on him ; say them all over again unto himself, and ask him if 
they be not true ; get the match struck up between thy soul and him, 
which if once made will never be undone again. Say unto him, Lord, why 
may it not be made up now ? Only let me add this : see you come not to 
him without a wedding-garment, and without wedding affections. Take up 
a resolution to love him. For if thou comest to him, what dost thou come 
for ? Pardon of sins. And what is it in him that must procure that ? 
His having died for thee ; that was it. And what was it that moved him 
to die ? An infinite love ; such a love, as were the thing yet to be done, 
he would certainly do it, and die to satisfy God for thee. Now then, seeing 
he hath already done it out of such a love, with what face canst thou ask 
pardon of him, as the effect of such a love, and not love him again, and 
obey him in all things ? But to make short with you, know this, that if 
you will not come in to him, thou wilt be damned. So saith Christ, ' He 
that believes shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned.' And 
I could tell you another, and as large a story of Christ's wrath against 
those that refuse him, as I have told you of his love. The Lamb can be 
angry, for he is a Lion also. ' consider this therefore, lest he tear you 
in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.' 



THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 



VOL. IV. 



NOTE. 



Under the common title, ' The Glory of the Gospel,' Goodwin left two works, 
the one consisting of two sermons, and the other of a treatise divided into eight 
chapters. Although he probably intended that the one should supersede the other, 
and, if he had published his works himself, would probably have suppressed the 
former, the greater part of the matter of which is incorporated and more fully 
treated in the latter, yet, as they are both included in the folio edition of his works, 
it has not been considered right to omit either of them in this reprint ; the rather 
that, as they stand, they differ too widely to be regarded merely as different editiona 
of the same work. — Ed. 



THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 



SERMON I. 

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ayes and generations, bat now is 
made manifest to his saints : to whom God would make known what is the 
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in 
you, the hope of glory. — Col. I. 26, 27. 

The apostle spends this chapter, from the 13th verse to the end, in three 
things principally. 

1. In setting out Jesus Christ in all that fulness of the riches of his glory 
wherewith he is arrayed and represented in the gospel ; from ver. 13 to 23, 
from whence to the 4th verse of the second chapter, he falls into a com- 
mendation and elogium of the gospel, ' Which is that mystery,' as the text 
hath it, • wherein is made known that rich glory of Christ, the glory of the 
mystery, which riches is Christ.' 

And the apostle doth both these on set purpose (as in the 4th and 8th 
verses he professeth), to divert and take off these Colossians' minds, from 
these vain deceitful speculations grounded on philosophy, traditions of men, 
&c, gaudily and speciously set out with enticing words. ' This, I say,' 
says verse the 4th, 'lest any, &c.' 'Beware,' verse the 8th, 'lest any 
spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit.' To dash and put these 
quite out of countenance at once, he discovers riches and glory. To dis- 
cover the beggarliness of these radiments — as the apostle elsewhere epithe- 
tizeth the best of them, Gal. iv. 9 — he lays open the riches of the mysteries 
of Christ, and displays the glory, and the excellency of it, to spoil, and cause 
to vanish, and come to nothing, the enticing gloss and lustre of all other 
wisdom (as it is 1 Cor. i. 19), which had well nigh spoiled them. 

Now, in this place of this first chapter, the words I have read unto you, 
the current of his commendation of the gospel's excellency swells to the 
highest, and runs with the deepest and strongest stream, within the limits 
of which therefore, I will confine myself, as affording matter enough to set 
forth the glory of it, and that by all that doth commend unto us any know- 
ledge. 

For first, it is commended by the original author and revealer of it, with 
his intent therein ; God himself, who is best able to discern what knowledge 
is the fullest of riches and glory, chose to reveal and make known this merely 
for the worth of it ; namely, because the riches of glory were revealed by it. 



228 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON I. 

The first * says God would, or was desirous to, make known the riches of 
glory that were in it ; that moved him to it. 

Secondly, If the worth of the subject matter revealed doth ennoble a know- 
ledge, then must this be glorious, for Christ is the subject matter of it, ' which 
riches are Christ, the Lord of glory.' 

Thirdly, If all the properties that are excellent in any knowledge will add 
worth to it, they centre in this, 

First, If depth and profoundness, it is a mystery. 

Secondly, If preciousness and abundance ; it is full of riches and glory. 

Thirdly, If profitableness and usefulness, it not only reveals riches of glory 
to the knowers of it, the saints, out of themselves, but makes them posses- 
sors of all the riches it reveals, and gives them certain hope of all the glory 
it speaks, which riches are Christ in you, made your Christ, with all his 
riches, for the present, and to you the hope of glory. 

Fourthly, If secrecy commends a knowledge, as it doth, it hath been hid 
long from the beginning of the world in regard of the clear revealing of it, 
but now in the end of the world it is revealed. 

And lastly, If rareness, now it is revealed, it is not made common, it is 
revealed only to the saints, who only know it in the riches and glory of it, 
' To whom God would make known,' &c. 

You have the scope and meaning of the apostle ; mine at this time is by 
enlarging on these particulars to set out the glory of the gospel ; that part 
of the word which in strict sense reveals the doctrine of God's free grace, 
the work of Christ's redemption, and the riches of it, justification, and sancti- 
fication, and the secrets hereof; for this is the gospel. 

But you will say, To what end will all this be ? I wish there were no 
need of it, so I never preached more, and that both in regard of the people 
and ministers themselves ; for the people of this land, it were well for Eng- 
land if the contempt of this glorious gospel and the ministry of it were not 
their greatest sin. Happy were we if the measure of our iniquities were 
made so much fighter by the want of it ! I should then expect to see 
many more years past ere it were filled than now are like to be. And is 
there no need to set forth the glory of it ? And for the ministers, they 
might add more beauty to their own feet, and souls to God, if in their 
speculations and preachings they did not, as the Pharisees of old did in 
their practice, (if we may judge what is in the cistern by what ordinarily 
cometh in and out), neglect the great things of the gospel forementioned, 
and tithe mint and cummin, pick truths of less moment, bolt and sist them 
to the bran, but leave the other unsearched into and uninsisted on. 

But, my brethren, however we may esteem this doctrine of the gospel, 
and what other knowledge we may pride ourselves in, and wear out our 
brains in, yet it is this which is the riches of the Gentiles and saints, as 
this place shews, and many more : ' the pearl of the world,' Mat. xiii. 45 ; 
• the glory of the ministry,' 1 Cor. ii. 7 ; ' which God ordained for our 
glory,' namely, apostles' and ministers', the preachers of it. 

The clear revealing of which was the desire and longing of the patriarchs 
and prophets, who though they knew the legal covenants as fully as we, 
yet this doctrine of salvation, Christ's sufferings, God's grace, was it they 
1 inquired into ;' that is, sought to God by prayer, ' and searched diligently,' 
that is, searched using all means of reading and meditating, to attain the 
knowledge of it, and all this diligently ; spent, and thought it worthy of the 
chiefest of their pains, which, when it came to be revealed, the apostles 
* Qu. ' He first ' ?— Ed. 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of tue gospel. 229 

counted it their glory, which Paul therefore, who had profited so much in 
the Jews' religion, Gal. i. 14, professeth, Phil. iii. 8, that he accounted all 
dross and dung for this excellent knowledge of Christ. He might well say, 
Rom. i. 16, he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for he makes his 
knowledge therein his chiefest excellency, Eph. iii. 4, there is a parenthesis 
wherein you would think he boasted speaking of his own writings, ' Whereby 
when you read ' (saith he) ' you may understand my knowledge in the mys- 
tery of Christ.' 

What do I, speaking of the study and glory of prophets and apostles ? 
It is the study of the angels, which they think worthy of their greatest 
attention. Look into both these places, 1 Pet. i. 12, Eph. i. 10, ' Which 
things the angels desire to pry into ; ' these glorious creatures that know God 
in his legal covenant and work of creation more fully than ever Adam did, 
that have the immediate participation of God himself, have his face to read 
lectures in, day and night, and yet glad if they can get but a peep and 
glimpse of the way of saving men by Christ, as being a knowledge of 
greater excellency than otherwise they have any ; yea, and so desirous are 
they to learn it, that they are content to go to school to the church, Eph. 
iii. 9, 10, ' That to principalities and powers might be made known by the 
church,' &c. 

But what need I speak of angels, prophets, and apostles ? It is the great 
study (if I may so speak with reverence), the wisdom and great learning of 
God himself, who was the first professor of it, called so ■xur s^o-^v, 1 Cor. 
ii. 7, speaking of the gospel, says he, ' We speak the wisdom of God in a 
mystery,' and that a hidden wisdom before the world was, hid in God, Eph. 
iii. 9; God's act, and peculiar to himself; whereas other knowledge men and 
angels have in common with us infused at first creation to attain to, and 
pick out of themselves. 

But this is his wisdom, which he alone had studied, and which none 
knows but those to whom he revealed it, which hath brought me to the 
first part of my text ; ' setting forth the excellency of the gospel,' that it is 
a mystery which God only makes known, and that to saints, for the riches 
of glory that are revealed in it. 

1 . Now, to shew you the original and the intent of framing this mystery, 
you have it expressed in this frame following : 

Our all-wise and infinitely blessed Lord, who had from everlasting riches 
of glorious perfections of holiness, justice, wisdom, mercy in him, which 
though he himself knew and was infinitely blessed in the knowledge of 
them, though no saint or angel had ever been, or ever knew them, yet all 
these his glorious perfections being crowned with goodness, both made him 
willing to make known what riches of glory were in him unto some crea- 
tures which yet were in Christ, his goodness moved him to it, for bonum 
est sui communicativum, and it is the nature of perfection also to be mani- 
festativum sui, and that not because any perfection is added to it when 
made known (which makes us desire to manifest our imperfections, as 
being perfected when made known), but that they might perfect others. 
This set him upon some ways to make known his riches and his glory to 
some that should be made happy by it, and to that end he would have 
saints his saints, as being beloved of him, unto whom he might as it were 
unbosom himself and display all the riches of glory which are in him, into 
whose laps he might withal pour out all his riches, that they might see his 
glory, and be glorified in seeing of it, John xvii. 3, 24. 

And one way he began to manifest his glorious back-parts to angels and 



230 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON I. 

man in the first creation, in the law, covenant of works, and works of crea- 
tion which he had done, as his eternal power, and Godhead, and goodness 
in the glorious workmanship of heaven and earth, and of such glorious 
creatures as they themselves were, Rom. i. 20. His wisdom in the order- 
ing, governing, and guiding so great a host and armies of several creatures, 
to several ends, by several laws ; his justice in his legal covenant, giving 
them life whilst they should obey ; threatening damnation to the disobeyers 
of it ; his infinite holiness in that perfect and exact rule of righteousness, 
the copy of his own will written in their hearts. 

Here was one way whereby God made known what glorious riches were 
in him, which might have made him glorious in their eyes, and themselves 
happy ; and this the angels and Adam at the first had. But all this con- 
tented him not ; God would make known a further mystery, another larger, 
deeper way, an act found out of the depths of his wisdom, namely, this 
doctrine of the gospel, which he kept hid and close in his own breast ; not 
a creature knew it, no, not the angels, who were his nearest courtiers and 
dearest favourites ; it lay hid in God, Eph. iii. 9, hid even from them, 
verse 10. 

A mystery which, when it should be revealed, should amaze the world, 
put the angels to school again, as if they had known nothing in comparison 
of this, wherein they know over again all those glorious riches which are in 
God, and that more perfectly and fully than ever yet. And so after they 
had a little studied the catechism and compendium, there should then come 
out a large volume, a new system, of the riches of the glory of God, the 
mystery of Christ in the text, which is the last edition also that ever shall 
come forth, now set out, enlarged, perfected, wherein the large inventory of 
God's glorious perfections is more fully set down, and with additions. 

The reasons why God did thus intend to manifest himself are : 

First, Because he would shew his manifold wisdom, which is the reason 
given of revealing the gospel, Eph. iii. 10. ' That to the angels might ap- 
pear the manifold wisdom of God.' 

That his wisdom is so vast and large, that he could vary and take more 
ways than one ; and as he had two sorts of reasonable creatures to shew 
himself unto, so a double way, a double sampler, a double method, a systema 
mams et minus. 

And secondly, because indeed it was of itself too obscure and too imper- 
fect. 

First, Too obscure ; for in the gospel, and works of redemption, they came 
to see all that they saw before ; and this more clearly and largely, wherein 
they see more power in Christ, ' the power of God,' 1 Cor. i. 24. In 
raising himself up from death to life, declared with power thereby to be the 
Son of God, Rom. i. 4, and also the exceeding greatness of his power in 
raising us up also, Eph. i. 19, as might easily be shewed greater than in the 
creation. 

Wherein they likewise see a greater and clearer instance and manifesta- 
tion of his justice, iu putting to death his own Son, taking on him to be a 
surety for sin, than if a world of worlds had been damned for ever. And 
in that his Son also, they came to see a greater and more transcendent 
righteousness than ever appeared either in the law or is inherent in the 
angels ; for if all their righteousness were put into one, it could but justify 
themselves, it could not satisfy for the least breach of the law in another. 
But in the gospel, and work of redemption, we see a righteousness of that 
breadth that is able to cover the sins of millions of worlds ; of that length 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 281 

that it reacheth to eternity, and no sin in God's peoplo can wear it out or 
nullify the virtue of it. To instance in no more, 

Secondly, That other was but an imperfect way in comparison of this, 
or, 

(First), Those attributes which God accounts his greatest riches and 
greatest glory, Rom. ix. 23, even his mercy and free grace, which he intends 
most to exalt, never saw light till now ; the doctrine of salvation by Christ 
being the stage, wherein it is only* represented, and elsewhere it is not to 
be seen, and upon it acts the greatest part, for all passages in it tend to this, 
to shew, as Eph. h. 5, that ' by grace we are saved ;' and therefore, 1 Peter 
ii. 10, the whole work of salvation is called ' mercy,' all God's ways to his 
people are mercy, Ps. xxv. 10, the whole plot and frame of it is made of 
mercy, and therefore the doctrine of the gospel is called grace, Titus ii. 
10, 11. Mercy manageth the plot, gives all other attributes, as it were, 
their parts to act ; mercy enters in at the beginning, acts the prologue in 
election ; and, giving Christ, continues every part of it, sets all a- work, ends 
the whole in glory. 

But (secondly), not only more of his attributes came thus to be dis- 
covered, but, farther, the glorious mystery of the Trinity came hereby to 
be unfolded more clearly, if not the first discovery made of the three persons 
hereby, there being scarce the footsteps of them distinctly and clearly to be 
seen in the works of creation or in the law. 

But now, when the gospel came to be revealed, and the work of salvation 
in it, then were there discovered to be ' three witnesses in heaven,' 1 John 
v. 7, witnesses to our salvation, and their several witnessing came to be 
known by three several seals and head works set severally to our salvation, 
bearing the stamp of their three several subsistences, so as by these three 
seals, of the election of Christ and us, redemption, and sanctification, we may 
know there are three persons, and how they do subsist. Even as in men's 
seals, their several arms being engraven, their houses and antiquity is known. 

As, first, God the Father hath set to his seal in election, 2 Tim. ii. 19, 
1 The foundation of the Lord remains firm, having this seal, The Lord 
knows who are his;' and in this seal of election you may read the similitude 
of his subsistence written, and the order of it. For as his subsisting is the 
fountain of the other two, so is election attributed to him, which is the 
foundation, as that place says, both of sanctification and redemption. 

Secondly, God the Son hath set to his seal, even his blood, the seal of 
the new covenant, in the work of redemption, to the sealing up of iniquity.f 
Dan. ix. 24, which carries in it the resemblance of his subsistence also. 
For as it flows from election alone, and is next to it, so his subsistence from 
the Father only- 

And lastly, God the Holy Ghost hath his seal also set to it. Eph. iv. 
30, ' Wherewith we are sealed to the day of redemption ; ' by the work of 
sanctification, which bears the print and manner of his subsistence, for as 
it flows both from election and redemption, so doth his person from the 
Father and from the Son. 

2. And so now in the second place let us come to the subject of the 
gospel, Christ, in whom the riches of glory is alone discovered, ' which 
riches is Christ.' 

Whereas in the law and covenant of works these riches were not only 
imperfectly and obscurely discovered, but also manifested scatteredly and 

* That is, ' wherein only it is.' — Ed. 

t In the authorised version ' the finishing of the transgression.' — Ed. 



232 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SeEMON I. 

with broken beams, as the sun in water when the water is disturbed, one 
attribute shining in one work, another in another, and dimly too ; so as a 
man must have read over all the larger volumes of the world, and picked 
out here and there a several notion of God out of several works ; as now 
we are fain to study many tongues, in which knowledge is bound up and 
hidden as kernels in the shells ; in this second way of manifesting his glory, 
things are more full, large, and clearer than ever, yet all is contracted into one 
volume, bound up in Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge ; who is the subject of the mystery, in whom we may fully 
read the glory of the Lord in Christ Grod-man. And therefore the gospel 
is called the ' mystery of Christ,' Col. iv. 3, and the gospel of God concern- 
ing Jesus Christ, Rom. i. 3 ; he being the adequate subject of it, whom he 
hath set up to be ' all in all,' Col. iii. 11, and therefore we are complete in 
him, chap. ii. ver. 10, all fulness dwelling in him in such fulness, that 
we need no other object to represent these riches of glory to us. 

For first, did we know God, or would we know him in the creatures, we 
shall not need now to look on them if we know but him ; who as a creature 
is the first-begotten of every creature, Col. i. 15 ; and being man, if he were 
no more, hath the excellencies of them all summed up in him. He is the 
compendium and model of the world ; whatever they express of God, is to 
be more fully seen in him. 

Secondly, Did we know or should we have known God by his image 
stamped upon man, and now shining in the law more than in all the creatures 
else, or than in man himself without it ? Turn your eyes on Christ, for he 
is such a man as is the head of men, 1 Cor. xi. 3, yea, and of angels also, 
who are a part of the church, Col. i. 18, and therefore a man of those 
transcendent perfections, that as he is mere man, that image which Adam 
lost, the angels yet wear and count their glory, it shines more brightly in 
him than in them all it should have done. Even as the head contains 
more of the beauty and image of a man, hath more of man in it, than all 
the body. 

But yet, thirdly, He is the Son of God, and second person, and therefore 
the express image and brightness of his Father's glory, the essential sub- 
stantial image of his Father, which transcends infinitely more all other 
draughts of him than the image of a king in his son begotten like him, and 
in a board or tablet. But this image, you will say, it is too bright for us 
to behold it shining in his strength, we being as unable to behold it in him, 
as we were to see his Father himself, who dwells in light inaccessible, which 
no eye can attain to. Therefore that yet we may see it as nigh and as fully 
and to the utmost that creatures could ; this Godhead dwells bodily in a 
human nature, that so shining through the lantern of his flesh we might 
behold it. His human nature and divine make up one person, and being 
so, are united together in the highest kind of union that God can be to a 
creature, and the nearest and fullest communications follow always upon 
the nearest union. To him therefore as man are communicated these 
riches of glory that are in the Godhead, as nearly and fully as was possible 
unto a creature ; and being thus communicated, must needs shine forth in 
him to us to the utmost that they ever could unto creatures ; and there- 
fore more clearly than if millions of several worlds had been created every 
day on purpose to reveal God to us. God having stamped upon his Son 
all his glory, that we might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 
2 Cor. iv. 6. 

But yet, fourthly, this is not all whereby Christ is made the image of the 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory op the gospel. 233 

invisible God to us, for thus we might have seen the fulness of the God- 
head shining in him though he had not come as a redeemer and mediator, 
and had acted nothing, done nothing in us or for us, but had been merely 
set up for us to look on and see God in, as supposing him incarnate, not 
in relation to redemption. Therefore further also, and besides this, he is 
made to us the image of the invisible God in all these his works of media- 
tion which flow from his person, and in the execution of all those glorious 
offices of king, priest, and prophet. The story of which, when it shall be 
all set and viewed together, makes up yet another kind of image and repre- 
sentation of all God's attributes and glorious riches than shine in his person 
as alone in itself considered, or than doth shine in the angels, or man at his 
first creation ; and he himself being a mediator is become a middle person 
between God and man, so the story of those his works of mediation shews 
forth and presents us with a double picture and image of God, between 
them both there being a new and another edition of all God's attributes in 
the story of what he hath done, which infinitely transcends and comes 
nearer to the life than all those images which were or should have been 
stamped upon the hearts, or appeared inj the works of men or angels ; a 
brighter, clearer impression of all in God than such tablets are capable of ; 
and indeed comes so near the life, that not only in regard of his person, 
but also of those his works of mediation, &c, he is called those attributes 
in the abstract which appear shining in them. Men and angels, in regard 
of God's image stamped on them, might have been called wise, but not 
1 the wisdom of God,' but Christ, 1 Cor. i. 24, is called ' The wisdom of 
God, and the power of God,' which yet is not spoken of him in regard of 
his person, as he is substantially and essentially both these, as all the rest ; 
but as in his works he is manifestative, by way of manifestation to us, all 
these ; by reason that in the story of his incarnation, life, and death, and 
mediation, &c, all these are manifested. In all these, when told and set 
together, there appears the greatest depths of wisdom that to the creatures 
could be discovered, which the knowledge of him discovers. So the power 
of God also in the same sense, in regard of the transcendent work of his 
rising again, wrestling with and overcoming hell, subduing sin, &c, in 
which the power of God appears. And there is the like reason of all the 
rest of God's attributes ; as because he is the foundation of all God's great 
and precious promises by his blood, that they are all yea and amen in him, 
therefore he may likewise be called the ' truth and faithfulness of God.' 
So as through his mediation, at his cost, the world subsists, which else 
would fall in pieces, Col. i. 17, Heb. i. 3, and that he governs it, and 
prays his Father for his forbearance of it, he may be called ' the patience 
and longsuffering of God.' That upon him God's justice had its full course, 
and by his judging the wicked at the latter day, with the transcendency of 
knowledge, wisdom, righteousness, &c, which will be required to so vast a 
work, that he may be termed ' the justice of God ; ' for in what he hath 
done, doth daily, and shall do, all these attributes appear. 

Now, as Christ is thus in regard of his person and works the liveliest image 
and representation of God's glorious riches, which is otherwise invisible; 
so is the gospel the image of Christ, who otherwise should be invisible to us 
in this life. When he dwelt with men, the apostles and believers who saw 
and heard him and his works, saw his glory then, • as of the only begotten 
Son of God,' John i. 14. But Christ was to be taken up to glory, John 
xvi. 7, ' It is necessary that I go away.' And though we shall see him when 
we are taken up also ; see his glory which he had before the world was, 



234 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON I. 

John xvii. 24, yet how should believers do in the mean time to see him, 
and the riches of God's glory in him ? Therefore hath God framed and 
revealed the doctrine of the gospel, in the preaching of which, Gal. iii. 1, 
Christ is said to be evidently set forth or pictured, vgosygdpri, before our 
eyes. And as he is the liveliest image of God, so the gospel is the liveliest 
representation of Christ that could possibly be made, for it is a glass, 2 Cor. 
iii. 18, and a glass is the liveliest way of representing things absent that ever 
could be invented, not in dead and lifeless colours only, which pictures only do. 
And indeed it is a middle way of representing a man, from that either when 
we see his person directly before our eyes, or when we see his picture 
drawn in colours ; for though it be less clear and perfect than seeing the 
man himself, yet is more lively than all the pictures in the world ; for 
quod videtur in specula non est imago, it is more than a bare image which is 
seen in a glass, even the person himself, though by a reflex and reverberated 
species, that is his likeness beaten back again to the eyes, which otherwise 
when we behold him face to face is received more directly ; and therefore is 
a more obscure and imperfect way of seeing a man than to see him face to 
face, as the apostle says, 1 Cor. xiii. 12, as in heaven we shall do Christ, 
yet in the mean time this puts down all the pictures in the world. And 
such is the knowledge of Christ under and by the gospel, in comparison of 
that knowledge which was had of him under and by the ceremonial law, 
Heb. x. 1, which he calls the ' shadow,' those representations under the 
gospel, ' the image of good things to come ;' which the apostle calls but a 
shadow of him, Col. ii. 17, drawn in wan and lifeless colours, and of that 
sight and knowledge we shall have of him in heaven, when we shall see him 
as he is ; this knowledge of him in the glass of the gospel is as a middle 
way of seeing him between both, less lively than the one, yet infinitely more 
bright and real than the other, even as I said before, that the image of God 
in Christ which shineth in his works of mediation is a middle image or 
representation between that which shone in Adam and that which is sub- 
stantial in his person. 

For as it comes short of the one, it being substantial, so it exceeds the 
other, as I then shewed. 

So that (to keep to the scope of the apostle in this Epistle), take all the 
knowledge of God and Christ discovered in the most choice and curious 
pieces of Grecian learning, or of the ceremonial law, which far exceeded 
their philosophy ; both which, as it should seem by the second chapter, 
these Colossians so garishly doted upon : and let a believer with the eye of 
faith look upon Christ, as discovered in the glass of the gospel, and then 
with the other eye look upon the other, and what will all those other appear ? 
At best but wan, dead, and lifeless pictures, shadows, as he calls them, ver. 
17, whose rudiments and graved colours are said to be ' the rudiments of 
this world,' ' traditions of men,' ver. 8, whose varnish also is but • the en- 
ticing words of men's wisdom,' ver. 4. But this is lively, real, the colours 
rich, the varnish glory, ' riches of glory ' being bestowed upon it ; ' whereby 
as in a glass we see the glory of the Lord, which cannot be painted,' 2 Cor. 
iii. 18. 

But you will say, what is the gospel but a verbal story told us when 
preached, or read, or meditated on ? It represents Christ to us but as 
words use to do, and words are but umhrm rerum, shadows, pictures, and 
indeed less lively. How comes it then to represent Christ so really ? And 
to be as a glass representing Christ to us so truly ? I answer, That as a 
glass in itself is but an empty thing, unless the objects to be seen in it be 



Col. I. 2G, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 235 

directly placed before it, and by ligbt discovered in it, a glass represents 
nothing to us ; and such I confess the gospel is in itself, a mere verbal re- 
presentation ; but to believers, the saints in the text, the Spirit of the Lord 
joins with these words, presents Christ by a secret, hidden, and unheard of 
act to the eye of faith in the preaching or reading of it, opens heaven, and 
causes the glory of Christ to shine as present in it in a lively, real manner. 
And so it follows in that 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We all behold as in a glass the 
glory of the Lord, even as by the Spirit of the Lord ;' and lastly, which is 
the strangest of all the rest, ' are changed into the same image.' That 
whereas a man may look long enough upon other pictures, though never so 
rich and glorious, and go away as he comes, his countenance no whit altered ; 
but this is such a representation as, by beholding of it, we are changed into 
the same image, and the riches of Christ are made ours ; which riches are 
' Christ in you,' says the text ; the strangest glass and picture that ever yet 
was seen in the world. 

3. The next thing that commends it is that it is a mystery ; and indeed 
how can it be otherwise, if God's wisdom hath been employed for the in- 
venting of it, and that as the utmost way of manifesting himself? And 
therefore, 1 Cor. ii. 7, it is called ' the wisdom of God in a mystery.' And 
if the doctrine of popery, which in imitation of God the devil invented, to 
set up his eldest son antichrist, deserveth to be called a ' mystery of ini- 
quity,' another gospel, and yet not another ; and if the false doctrine of 
these in Thyatira be called depths, though of Satan, Rev. ii. 24 : — and in- 
deed popery is the greatest mystery that ever created understanding hatched, 
if all the frame, and policies, and mysteries of it be considered : — then 
surely this, which is God's gospel, made for Christ, as that for antichrist, 
which is the master-piece of his wisdom. 

And secondly, if Christ be the subject of it, it must needs be a mystery, 
called therefore, Col. iv. 3, ' The mystery of Christ ;' and in that regard it 
is a mystery, and a great mystery too, 1 Tim. iii. 16, ' Without contro- 
versy, great is the mystery of godliness ; God manifest in the flesh ' being 
the subject of it, coming therein to reconcile the world. Which plot, con- 
sidering how things stood betwixt God and us, and laying these conclusions, 
that God will not put up the least wrong at men's hands, now fallen, with- 
out full satisfaction, which they nor any creature is able to make, and yet 
that nature that did offend must satisfy ; — had it been referred to a con- 
sultation of all intelligible* natures, angels and men, that ever were or shall 
be, it would have wildered and plunged their thoughts to eternity how it 
might be done, and after millions of years' consultation they would have 
returned answer, they could not think of nor find out any. 

Great, therefore, is the mystery of godliness, God to this end manifested 
in the flesh, and that so great as, now it is revealed, all the world that hears 
and sees into the plot must needs acknowledge it so ; without controversy, 
generally, without mouth, f as the word signifies, o/xoXoyou/iei/wg. 

And in the incarnation of his Son, and the satisfaction of his justice, so 
many more also meet in this one mystery, things of such a seeming con- 
tradiction, as the wits of men know not how to reconcile. And this in 
every part of it, as in election, that God at once loves the sinner with an 
everlasting, unchangeable love, and yet a child of wrath ; which the Remon- 
strants I therefore quarrel. In the work of redemption, that free grace, and 

* That is, ' intelligent.' — Ed. t Probably a misprint for ' with one mouth.' — Ed. 
% ' The Remonstrants. The Arminians were so called because of the ' remon- 
strances ' which they addressed to the States of Holland in 1610. — Ed. 



236 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON I. 

richest mercy, and fullest satisfaction, should meet together; which the 
Socinians therefore are blinded in. In the work of justification, that one 
in whom God works inherent righteousness, should not stand righteous 
before God's tribunal, but be justified by the righteousness of another, 
which the papists stumble at, as did the Jews, to their destruction. In 
sanctification, how effectual calling, infallible conversion, should stand with 
man's free will, is a riddle to the Arminians and papists, who therefore cut 
the knot, not being able to untie it. All these are mysteries which God 
hath revealed and made up in this, on purpose to shew his wisdom, and to 
make wise his own, and to befool the world. 

A mystery ! Then it is of such depths of wisdom, as take all the poor 
petty plots of accommodating great difficulties, wherein the princes and 
wise men of the world spend their thoughts away to vanity, and yet mag- 
nify and pride themselves in ; and this plot, and any one mystery in it, 
when once discovered, ' confoundeth and brings to nothing' all theirs, 
1 Cor. i. 19 ; ii. 8. It all vanisheth as mere folly; nothing. 

And there are not only depths of wisdom, but depths of love in it also, 
Eph. iii. 18. It reveals a breadth, height, depth of love in Christ dying 
for enemies, and God giving his Son for enemies, as passeth knowledge. 
Sin is a great depth, therefore the apostle saith, ' it doth abound,' Rom. 
v. 20, and is ' above measure sinful,' Rom. vii. 13, and so you will find it 
when you guage it to the bottom. And so the devils and damned spirits in 
hell shall find it, whilst they are a-studying their sinfulness in hell to all 
eternity (that being their business), and can never fathom it. 

But yet this of God's free grace and Christ's love is a depth, which swal- 
lows up this of sin, more than the heavens do the earth. That place seems 
to compare it to a mighty sea, so deep, as it wants a bottom ; so as though 
the thoughts of men and angels shall be diving into it to all eternity, they 
shall not come to ground. Of the length and breadth also, that it knows 
no shore, that though they shall be sailing over it with that small compass 
of their capacities for ever, yet they shall never come to land, ' it passeth 
knowledge.' And indeed, my brethren, these are great incitements, espe- 
cially to large understandings, to search into them. For men of large 
understandings seek after depths, as good swimmers do after deep waters, 
and refuse to go into the shallows, because they cannot have scope enough 
to exercise then- skill, and presently strike aground. 

And besides, this having such depths in it, may still further be searched 
into with pleasure, for still it passeth knowledge. The most hidden things 
in other knowledge, and the causes of them, as the cause of the eclipse of 
the sun and moon, they are like riddles, which though admired, before 
revealed, yet then become trivial, and as it were below the understanding, 
and when you see the furthest of them they grow stale. But there are 
depths in this knowledge, which for ever may be dived into with pleasure ; 
and by reason of their depth, the knowledge of them to a ' renewed under- 
standing ' will be always fresh and new ; every new degree makes all seem 
new, as if not known before, 1 Cor. xiii. 10. Still as knowledge grows 
more perfect, that which was before is done away and swallowed up, as if 
you had not yet known it ; and so still it is new. And to study and hear 
news all the day, the minds of men are led along with pleasure. 

And withal this bids men be sure they come with reverence and fear, to 
hear and read them. 

Thirdly, It was a mystery hid and kept long secret in regard of clear 
revealing of it. The prophets, 1 Pet. i. 11, had inquired into it, and 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 237 

searched diligently, unto whom it was revealed, not unto them but us ; 
which therefore is said to be ' our glory,' 1 Cor. ii. 7, being the privilege 
we have above the patriarchs, who yet had knowledgo of the legal covenant 
as clearly as we ; yet in regard of this, ' the least in the kingdom of God is 
greater than ' John the Baptist, though in regard of clearer insight into the 
gospel he was greater than any before him. 

And this both adds to the excellency of it, so far as to commend it to us 
the more. Were any of these secrets which philosophers and wise men in 
all ages had beat their brains about, as quadratum circuit, &c, and the 
philosopher's stone, found out and revealed to us in these ages ; how would 
we therefore prize it the more, as we do printing, the mystery of which lay 
hid from the beginning. Nay, this mystery and the doctrine of it, is that 
which the saints for four thousand years studied, and sought to God to 
know, all of them one after another ; and still they could get no other an- 
swer but this, that ' not unto them, but us.' 

Again, Where lay it hid all this while ? In God's breast ; ai:h ruv 
aluvuv, the secula seculorum, before the world was, generations since. So 
Eph. hi. 9, ' lay hid in God,' and in* his master-piece, the chiefest of his 
works. 

If one bit of the choice books of Solomon, which had lain hid till now, 
were yet found, a book about the nature of trees, birds, and beasts, how 
would we prize it ! Much more this of God's. But you will say, When 
was it first revealed, it had this to commend it ; yet now it is sixteen hun- 
dred years since it sprang forth. It is not therefore so new to us. I an- 
swer, It is true ; only consider that as the law, which though delivered in 
Moses' time, yet before Josiah's time lay hid long, like some rivers that 
run some leagues under ground, and then discover themselves again ; so 
did the doctrine of the gospel, after the first discovery of it, lie hid many 
ages and generations, as the church herself did in the wilderness, when 
school divinity and popery, both wanting the light of the gospel, did cover 
the world with darkness ; when it might truly be said, that the world was 
1 spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit, traditions of men, rudiments 
of the world, and not after Christ.' 

Whereas, but within the compass of this age we now live in, it hath been 
that the ' kingdoms of the world have become ' again ' the kingdoms of 
Christ,' Bev. xi. 15, and the ' temple opened,' and the ' ark of the testa- 
ment,' as it is in the last verse, that is Christ ; and all his riches have been 
broken up and searched into, and discovered to the eyes of all. That as 
to the popish partf there hath been a new Indies discovered, full of earthly 
treasure, that had not been known before, which had so enriched them ; so 
a new Indies of heavenly treasure, a new world of divinity hath been found 
out, that was but privately known before, which hath enriched us ; and 
happy were we, if we prized and defended ours, as they do theirs. 

And though much of the heavenly treasure was digged up at first, yet 
more hath since and may be, for God will find his church digging and work 
of discovery to the end of the world. And, my brethren, these are the 
times. 

And lastly, Now it is revealed, it is but ' to the saints.' If the secrets 
of it were known to all, they were no secrets, and less to be regarded ; but 
God is dainty of this knowledge, tells it but to few. ' Father, I thank thee,' 
saith Christ, ' that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, 
and revealed them unto babes.' The doctrines of God's free grace, are the 
* Qu. ' is '?— Ed. t That is, ' the Spaniards.'— Ed. 



238 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SEEMON I. 

the most inward, practical, and experimental secrets, and ' the deep things 
of God,' as the things of the gospel are called, 1 Cor. ii. 10. Which 
4 secrets' are only « with them that fear him (Ps. xxv. 14) and he will shew 
them his covenant.' The things of the law may be known by natural men 
as fully as by others, they have a copy of them in their consciences. 

And this shews the excellency of this knowledge. For if there be any 
knowledge better than other, God will be sure to impart it to his friends 
and favourites ; John xv. 15, ' You are my friends, and all I have heard of 
my Father, I have made known unto you.' This he will not tell to tbose 
who are barely servants, ' they know not his mind,' as it is there. Be- 
lievers only • have the mind of Christ,' 1 Cor. ii. 16. 

But you will object, This is not so, for this knowledge is made common 
to all. God would have the gospel ' preached to every creature ; ' and so 
it was, Col. i. 23., 

I answer, as when Alexander objected to Aristotle, • that he would make 
his knowledge common, and so debase it when he published his books.' 
He answered, they were edita et non eclita, for none would understand them 
but his scholars, and therefore entitled them m$ dx^oa/xdruv. So this, 
though published to all the world, yet it is entitled a mystery, and a mys- 
tery hid, for none know it but the saints who are taught of God, and are 
his scholars, John vi. 45. That place shews that there must be a secret 
teaching by God, and a secret learning, ' If they have heard, and been 
taught of God.' Now God teacheth none but saints, for all that are so 
taught come unto him ; ' Every one who hath heard, and learned of the 
Father, cometh unto me.' 

Ay, but you will say, Do not many carnal men know the gospel, and 
discourse of things in it, through strength of learning ? &c. 

I answer out of the text, that though they may know the tbings which 
the gospel reveals, yet not the riches and glory of tbem ; that same rich 
knowledge spoken of in the word, they want, and therefore know them not ; 
as a child and a jeweller looking upon a pearl, both look upon it, and call 
it by the same name ; but the child yet knows it not as a pearl in the worth 
and riches of it, as the jeweller doth, and therefore cannot be said to know 
it. Now Mat. xiii. 45, a Christian only is likened to a ' merchantman, 
that finds a pearl of great price,' that is, discovered to be so, ' and sold all 
he had for it, for he knew the worth of it.' 

But you will say, Do not carnal men know the worth of the things in 
the gospel, and can discourse of the rich grace of Christ, and worth of 
him? 

I answer, Yes, as a man who hath gotten an inventory by heart, and the 
prices also, and so may know it ; yet never was he led into the exchequer 
and treasury, to see all the jewels themselves, the wardrobe of grace, and 
Christ's righteousness, to see the glory of them ; for these are all ' spirit- 
ually discerned,' as the apostle says expressly, 1 Cor. ii. 14. 

Uses. 

Use 1. If it be a mystery, which God only makes known, as you see it 
is, then go to him for it ; you know how to deal with him. James i. 5, 'If 
any lack wisdom, let him ask it,' whose promise is in the new covenant, to 
teach all his to know him. As you cannot see the sun without the light of 
itself, so nor the riches of the glory of Christ without his Spirit, who is 
called the Spirit of wisdom and revelation ; who only knows the deep 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 239 

things of God, 1 Cor. ii. 10, as the mysteries of the gospel are, as the con- 
text shews, that lie all at the bottom of his breast. The well is deep, we 
have nothing to draw. 

But you will say, God hath revoaled himself in the Scriptures, and it is 
but reading them, and I have wit enough to understand them. 

I answer, It was the Spirit that wrote the word, which is not therefore 
(says Peter) of any private interpretation ; that is, no man's nor men's pri- 
vate understanding, without the assistance of that public secretary of heaven, 
can understand them. 

He only hid the treasures of knowledge in the field, and he only knows 
where they lie. "What an advantage is it then by prayer to unlock God's 
breast, and obtain the ' key of knowledge' there, that unlocks God's study, 
and can direct to all his notes and papers. 

Secondly, get to be a saint, to whom God will make known ' the riches,' 
&c, otherwise you cannot receive them, you will count them foolishness, as 
hath been shewed ; if you do, you will but take them upon trust, by the 
wholesale, as we use to say, and in the bundle, will not be able to see the 
particular secrets that are in the truths revealed in the gospel, and opened, 
and riches laid out. 

Or if you could do all this without grace, yet a saint hath advantage, 

First, In the comfort you will have in studying the mysteries of the 
gospel, Col. ii. 2, to go no further. He wisheth them ' the knowledge of the 
mystery, that they might be comforted ; ' for, indeed, a saint, the more he 
sees into it, the more he knows his own riches. He tells them but over, 
and gets more evidence of his title to them, whereas another is but as a 
lawyer, that studies other men's evidences, without any great comfort to 
himself. The choicest flowers of gospel truths to an unregenerate man are 
of the stalk and yield no scent, but grow up in a saint's heart fresh and 
comfortable. 

Secondly, In that place, Col. ii. 2, you shall find ' riches of assurance ' 
joined with a saint's knowledge, which, 1 Thes. i. 4, 5, is made a note of 
election, and not in another. Scotus says that to get a true and perfect 
knowledge in divine things, fides infusa et acquislta, both faith infused and 
acquired, are necessary. 

First, A principle of faith infused, which may be an ' evidence,' as it is 
defined, Heb. xi. 1, of all the principles and fundamental truths which 
are revealed in the gospel and not proved ; for otherwise all our know- 
ledge acquired built thereon will want assurance, will hang upon uncer- 
tainties. Things hanging upon a pin are no firmer than the pin they hang 
on. Unless faith rivets the principles of divine knowledge into the heart, 
all the conclusions hang on uncertainties, and fall down in the end. 

And, thirdly, grace will help you to get the start of another. As for a 
natural man, he brings only natural parts ; a regenerate man is supposed 
to have as good, and moreover hath a further power of discerning given 
him. 1 Cor. ii. 15, ' The spiritual man discerneth all things.' It is his 
own art. And as wicked men are often ' wiser ' in their art and generation 
1 than the children of light ; ' yea, by your leave, the reason will more 
strongly hold that a child of light may easilier be wiser in his, and there- 
fore Solomon says, ' The knowledge of the holy is understanding.' 

And, lastly, if they be saints, God makes known the saving truths of the 
gospel by the writings and judgments of holy men. The angels learn these 
mysteries of the church, and why should not we ? Ps. xxix. 9, ' In the 
church every one speaks of God's glory,' or, as others read it, ' In the 



240 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON I. 

church God utters all his glory.' The saints, especially, that are or have 
been of the church, they speak of the glory of his kingdom and of his power, 
and make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious 
majesty of his kingdom. The ways of grace and mysteries of the kingdom 
are seldom made known hut unto them. 

And if God reveals the mysteries of grace to his saints only, trust not the 
judgments of natural men in the matters of grace ; this is a godly man's 
art, and not a wicked man's, though never so learned, and a man would 
trust an artist in his own trade rather than another. ' The knowledge of 
the holy is understanding,' says Solomon, Prov. ix. 10, especially in ways 
of holiness. 

Take the controversies which are now on foot. Shall they judge of 
election who are reprobate to every good work themselves ? or they of the 
universality of God's free grace who turn the grace of God into wantonness ? 
or they of the power of God in conversion that deny the power of godliness ? 
or those of the perseverance of faith who care not to make voluntary ship- 
wreck of it, men of corrupt minds, whose God is their belly, gain their 
godliness, preferment their religion, and who will cut their own opinions 
accordingly ? 

I will end all with one place, Isa. xxxv. 8. In the former verses he evi- 
dently speaks of the kingdom of Christ coming to preach the gospel, by 
which he shews there should be a 'way' revealed, an ' highway,' which is 
the common road to heaven, there being but one way which Christ and all 
his go in, which shall be called, ' The way of holiness.' Take heed you 
miscall it not, and call it a way of schism, faction, &c, as the Jews 
did call it heresy. But yet this way the unclean shall not pass over ; but 
wayfaring men, who desire to know the way to heaven (though fools) shall 
not err therein ; but the unclean (as the opposition shews) shall err therein, 
though never so learned. 



THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL 



SERMON II. 

F.i-.n the mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations, hut now is 
made manifiest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the 
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles ; which is Christ in 
you, the hope of glory. — Col. I. 26, 27. 

"We have done with the subject and author of it, let us come to the pro- 
perties of it. 

1. It is rich ; 2. Glorious. 

1. First, Rich ; so chap. ii. ver. 3, he tells us that in it or him, that is, 
the gospel or Christ, of both which he speaketh, are ' hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge.' Now the riches of this knowledge appear in 
three thin 

(1.) In abundance ; (2.) Preciousness ; (3.) Gainfulness. And such is 
the knowledge of Christ. 

(1.) First, Abundant. For that place tells us that it is ' all knowledge,' 
inentia ; as the metaphysic is said to be all knowledge, because of 
the fulness, largeness of the subject of it, all truths and axioms in other 
sciences being swallowed up in its principles. Such is this knowledge also, 
the subject of it being Christ ; and therefore, as Christ contains in him, rid 
eminentia, all the treasures of perfection that are in any creature, and is 
1 full of grace and truth,' John i. 14, so doth the knowledge of Christ con- 
tain in it all the treasures of wisdom, and all that is worth knowing ; 
treasures which can never be drawn diy or exhausted, which the mind of 
man can never waste ; but bringing in new revenues of new notions daily, 
so as the more is spent, the more may be. Other knowledges being but of 
the creature, are but imperfect ; for the things known are such, and cannot 
fill the mind with abundance of knowledge, for the things have not where- 
withal to do it, though they be known to the utmost. ' But in him all 
fulness dwells,' verse 19: fulness of truth to fill the mind, as well as fulness 
of grace to fill the will, John i. II. And indeed, for abundance, ' unsearch- 
able riches,' Eph. iii. 8. 

(2.) Secondly, It is a rich mystery for the preciousness of it. The pro- 
mises of it are ' exceeding precious,' 2 Pet. i. 4. Every truth in it is 
precious, so Paul tells us, 1 Cor. iii. 12. All truths of the gospel built 

VOL. IV. Q 



242 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SEKMON II. 

upon the foundation, Christ, he calls pearls, and gold, and silver; and all 
the enticing words of man's wisdom, hay and stubble. Yea, Prov. iii. 15,16, 
Solomon says, wisdom and understanding is better than gold and silver, 
which yet commands all in the world. And if rubies and precious stones 
be more worth than gold, ' she is more precious than rubies.' And what 
is it that makes things precious, that is not found in the saving truths and 
promises of the gospel ? 

[1.] Antiquity makes things precious ; so small pieces of coin and 
medals, if ancient, are precious. And this was coined in heaven, and in 
God before all ages and generations, and bears the image of the great King. 
It is ' the everlasting gospel,' Eev. xiv. 6. 

[2.] Things far fetched are precious. Not a word of this but fell from 
heaven. Christ came from heaven, where he heard and saw all the truths 
revealed in it, and so delivered them to us, John iii. 31, 32. And this 
difference is put between the law and the gospel, Heb. xii. 25. The law 
was spoken from the earth, the gospel from heaven. 

[3.] Things dearly bought are precious. Every truth of the gospel cost 
Christ his blood to make it so ; ' the law came by Moses, but grace and 
truth came by Jesus Christ.' As grace cost his blood, so truth also ; for 
both cost the same price. ' All the promises are yea and amen in him ;' 
they had all been blanks if he had not set his blood as a seal to them. 

[4.] Things charily laid up are precious. The gospel hath had the 
richest cabinet in the world, God's breast ; there is the original of it, Eph. 
iii. 9. The original copy lies there, the counterpart in the heart of God's 
elect, 2 Cor. iii. 3. ' Ye are the epistle of Christ, written by the Spirit of 
the living God.' In whom therefore it is said to ' abide for ever,' 1 Pet. 
i. 25, locked up in the church, the pillar and ground of truth. 

[5.] Things which perish not are precious, especially if still they preserve 
themselves from what attempts to corrupt them, 1 Pet. i. 7. Faith is 
therefore said to be precious, because it perisheth not, though ' tried in the 
fire.' Such are the truths of the gospel, which though men have en- 
deavoured to corrupt it by a world of the dross of human errors and inven- 
tions, yet God hath still come with fire and tried it. And still the more 
men labour to mingle dross with God's truth, still it endures the fire, and 
comes out clearer and clearer in every age. Ps. xii. 6, ' The words of the Lord 
are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.' 
There is no truth of God but hath been tried in one age or other. Heresies 
have been brought in, yet it remains pure, maintains itself. The truth was 
mingled with dross in Pelagius's time, and then purified. So in Bradwar- 
dine's* time, and then also it came out purer; and so now with fine dross,f 
but God will purify it. 

(3.) A third thing in riches is profitableness ; and in that respect the 
gospel to the saints is a rich gospel. It talks not only of riches as stories 
do, as that of Solomon's time, when silver was as stones of the streets ; 
nor doth it open heaven's treasury gates, and shew them the riches of it 
only, as Hezekiah did the ambassadors that came to visit him — a man 

* Bradwardine (Thomas), Archbishop of Canterbury about the middle of the 
fourteenth century, noted as a mathematician, and a defender of Christianity. 
Samuel Ward (Works, p. 142) calls him 'as thankful an English heart as ever 
wrote.' — Ed. 

f The nature of the dross with which Goodwin considered the truth to be mixed 
in his time may be gathered from his Exposition of the Revelation. — Works, vol. 
HI.— Ed. 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 243 

ma3 r thus hear and see the riches of another, and he a poor man still — but 
riches is • Christ in you,' saith the text. When he hears and receives the 
gospel aright, it fills his lap full, he carries Christ and all his riches home 
with him. 

Well might Solomon say, as Prov. iii. 14, 15, ' Happy is the man that 
findeth wisdom, and thatgets understanding; for her merchandise is better than 
silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.' And if anything in the world 
be better than these, which yet the world hath, as rubies and precious 
stones seem to be, ' She is more precious (saith he) than rubies.' And if 
still the heart of man should enlarge its vast desires and wide gapings to 
some more conceived precious things than these, though unknown ; do, 
says Solomon, stretch the compass of your desires to as great a wideness as 
you can ; desire what you can, ' and all you can desire is not to be com- 
pared to her.' It is not only exceeded, but there is no comparison. And 
this he speaks not of the preciousness, as in itself, but of the gain and 
profit it brings to the possessors. ' Their gain,' says he, &c. 

But you will say, Wherein consists these riches of the gospel ? 

Answer, ' Which (riches) is Christ in you.' And can you make an inven- 
tory, and ever value and prize his goods ? Surely, No. 

First, Christ is worth all God is worth, as he is the Son of God ; for he 
is the only Son, the ' well-beloved Son, in whom God is so well pleased,' 
that he will not give a penny away from him ; he is the heir, and shall have 
all. And the gospel makes him yours, with all his riches, which riches is 
' Christ in you.' Thus the apostle argues and pleads the evidence of the 
right a Christian hath to all things, 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23, ' All things are yours, 
for you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' 

God himself can be worth but all things, Christ is worth what God is, 
for all things that are God's are Christ's. And you have as much as Christ 
hath. What riches are here ! All things are given to be inherited, Rev. 
xxi. 7, by the same. And as sure a title as Christ, Rom. viii. 17, we are 
put into God's will, 'joint heirs with Christ,' though not joint purchasers, 
for he purchased all, and all these gives freely; no debts are to be paid, 
nor legacies or portions out of them. Rom. viii. 32, ' If he hath given us 
Christ, shall not he with him give us all things freely ? ' Christ is not only 
worth all things as the heir, and we are worth so much because Christ is 
given to us, but he paid for all things dearly. And look what the revenues 
of Christ's blood come to ; that and so much is a Christian worth. 

For Christ paid ready down, at his death, an invaluable sum of merit into 
his Father's hands (as feoffee in trust), as a common stock or bank, to be 
employed for the good and use of all his saints, who are to have the full 
worth of them out to eternity. ' You know,' says the apostle, 2 Cor. viii. 9, 
1 the grace of Christ ; how, when he was rich, he became poor' (mark it), 
• for your sakes,' to enrich you. Now what must these riches come to, 
think you, which are laid up for you ; whenas Christ was as rich as God him- 
self, ' thought it no robbery to be equal with God,' Phil. ii. 6, as good in 
estate every whit ? Now of all these riches he emptied himself, ver. 8, left 
himself not worth one farthing, and ' became poor,' had not a hole left to 
hide himself in, 'made himself of no reputation,' of no account or reckoning, 
making over all for you. And what must this come to ? The riches of God 
put out to use, to be received with advantage again, if possible, and put into 
sure hands, even God the Father's, who hath bid us ' owe no man anything 
but love.' And surely he loves his own too well to owe them anything. 

If they should doubt, he hath entered into bond, and the gospel is that 



244 THE GLOEY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON II. 

bond, which is therefore called a ' rich gospel,' because it is the promise of 
all these riches ; Eph. iii. 6, ' partakers of the promise of the gospel.' 
It is the gospel that makes us partakers of the promise, that is, the things 
promised ; and they are, ver. 8, ' the unsearchable riches of Christ.' So 
as if you desire particularly to have the value of them, or in gross, the total 
sum, they are unsearchable riches which cannot be told over to eternity, 
much less be spent. Riches in justification, to have all debts paid the first 
day, and that would enhance unsearchable riches. Set a price on all angels, 
all creatures, it would not pay one note, the least bill. All other things are 
not worth so much ; it cost more to redeem souls than so. And besides, 
to have still left so rich righteousness as purchased ' riches of grace,' to have 
the Spirit poured out richly, as Tit. iii. 6. The word in the original is 
1 riches of glory,' Eph. i. 18. In respect of which all riches in the world 
are but as crumbs of the rich man's table, or relics given to the poor. The 
kingdom of Turkey (as one called it), but a crust thrown to a dog. And 
is it not a rich knowledge then, that enriches the knowers of it, which 
should invite men to learn it ? For if men think other knowledge in itself 
so rich, as to be content to spend their estates, to attain but notions to fill 
their brains, not purses ; then how much more for this, which as it is pre- 
cious, so it brings in all these riches as the gain of it ? 

Angels are invited to search it for the preciousness of it, and yet these 
riches are not ' Christ in them,' but ' Christ in you.' But then do but 
know and study your own riches and evidences for them ; therefore in Eph. 
iii., where the end of revealing these riches is laid open, ver. 8, there are 
two sorts of creatures, says he, to whom God intended to reveal them, first, 
men, ver. 9 ; secondly, angels, ver. 10 ; but with this differing intent, that 
the angels might know the wisdom which was in the gospel, ver. 10. The 
harmony in the plot is what the angels are taken with ; and this, though 
men may also see in the gospel, yet further the end was, that they ' might 
know the fellowship of the mystery,' that is, that they might be made par- 
takers of it. 

2. Secondly, glorious; as it is a rich mystery, so also glnious, ' What 
is the riches of the glory,' &c, which words, as other Hebraisms, are con- 
vertible ; ' rich glory,' or ' glorious riches,' so as no man can say whether 
the riches or the glory of it be greater. 

Now this glorious title the apostle gives often unto the gospel, as 1 Tim. 
i. 11. And 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine 
into them.' And in the third chapter of that epistle throughout, he fully 
displays the glory of it, which the apostle doth by comparing it with the 
law, or covenant of works, because there was no question of any other 
knowledge never so excellent, yet revealed, that could stand on terms of 
comparison with it. 

The law indeed, says he, it was a glorious law, though written but in 
stones and dead letters ; and therefore, when it was ministered, the ' glory 
of God appeared on the mount,' Exod. xxiv. 16, 17, to note out, that that 
law was the glorious image of his will. And therefore also even the ' face 
of Moses,' says that 7th verse,* by whose hands it was administered, 
' shining, so as the people could not behold it for the glory of his counte- 
nance.' And • so terrible was the sight,' saith the author to the Hebrews, 
• that Moses said, I quake and tremble,' Heb. xii. 21. 

But yet says Paul, ver. 8, 9, The gospel, it ' exceeds in glory,' yea, and 
so far exceeds, as ver. 10, as the law which was thus made glorious, had 
* That is. 2 Cor. iii. 7.— Ed. 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 245 

no glory in respect of this glory which excelleth ; but like as the sun, when 
it ariseth, puts out the lesser eyes of heaven, dims, yea clean obscures 
these otherwise glorious tapers, so as they have no glory in this respect, so 
the gospel exceeds the law. And if you ask wherein it exceeds in glory, 
the answer is, Because it is the ministration and discoverer of far more 
glorious things to the saints than ever the law could do. 

If you ask, What glorious things are communicated and revealed therein ? 
I answer out of the 3d and 4th chapters, which explain the glorious work 
of the gospel on men's hearts, when they are brought to God. For when 
any man is converted at the preaching of the gospel, first, before the word 
works, the Holy Ghost falls on a man ; as when Christ was baptized, hea- 
ven opened, and ' the Holy Ghost descended and rested on him :' so in 
Acts x. 44, when the gospel was preached by Peter, ' the Holy Ghost fell 
on them ;' and of the Spirit the gospel is the ministration, and not the 
law. Gal. iii. 2, ' I would ask of you, received you the Spirit by the works 
of the law, or of the hearing of faith '?' that is, the gospel, for so faith is 
taken for the doctrine of faith. And this ministration of the Spirit is by 
virtue of a covenant made (Isa. lix. 21) with Christ ; that Spirit that was 
in him, and word that was in his mouth, to wit, the gospel, should not 
depart out of the mouth of his seed's seed for ever, but it should accompany 
his elect. 

And is not then the gospel a glorious gospel, that makes men partakers 
of the Holy Ghost, and that for ever ? which Spirit is a ' Spirit of glory,' 
1 Pet. iv. 14, ivhich rests on his ; the ' Spirit of glory,' because it fills the 
man it dwells in with glory. For look, as when God descended into the 
visible temple, it was filled with glory, 2 Chron. vii. 1 ; and by reason of 
that presence the ark itself was called ' the glory,' Rom. ix. 4 : so when 
God fills the preaching of the gospel (whereof the ark was a type) with his 
glorious Spirit, and by it fills the heart of a man with that Spirit also, as 
Eph. v. 18, there is a new glory put upon that man. 

But Secondly, This gospel is by the power of this Spirit the ministration 
of righteousness to the man God means to call, and therefore also glorious, 
as the apostle there argues ; that is, this gospel, by the help of the Spirit 
working faith in his heart, reveals the righteousness of Christ to be made 
his, and that exceeds in glory ; for it is this ' righteousness ' which in the 
last verse of that third chapter is called ' the glory of the Lord,' viz., Christ; 
who being the ' Lord of glory,' the ' King of glory,' 1 Cor. ii. 8, what a 
glorious righteousness must this be which the gospel thus discovers ? And 
it discovers it not by engraving or dead colours, as the law did ; but as in 
a glass. And as that glass is glorious wherein the sun shines, the very 
image there puts down all the stars, so this glass, the gospel, must needs 
be glorious, wherein the ' Sun of righteousness ' shines, as he is called, 
Mai. iv. 2. Neither doth it reveal it only, but dispenseth it, it is the minis- 
tration ot righteousness ; Christ's righteousness, which is the glory of 
the Sun, the King of glory, made ours to justify us. And therefore, Rev. 
xii. 1, the church appears ' clothed with the sun,' even with Christ himself 
and his glory, who is therefore said to be ' our righteousness,' Jer. xxiii. 6. 
Hereby, as Christ said of the lilies, Mat. vi. 29, that ' Solomon in all his 
glory was not clothed like one of these ;' so may I say of all the angels — 
who yet are the bright morning-stars, that ' sang when the world was made,' 
Job xxxviii. 7 — that they are not clothed with such a glory as the gospel 
dispenseth to us ; such a robe never came on their backs, nor never shall. 
And is not this a glonous gospel then ? 



246 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON II. 

Thirdly, In the sight and dispensation of the glorious righteousness of 
Christ, we come yet to see a further glory shining on us, and still in the 
gospel ; so in the 4th and Gth verses of the next chapter, 2 Cor. iv. For 
the gospel gives ' the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face 
of Jesus Christ ;' that is, through the righteousness of Christ we come to 
see the glorious sunshine of the favour of God, the light of his countenance 
lift up upon us. For when Moses would see his glory, the Lord proclaimed 
only this, Exod. xxxiv. 6, ' The Lord merciful and gracious.' And as he 
is ' the Father of glory,' Eph. i. 17, so his mercy is ' the riches of his 
glory,' Rom. ix. 23, and Ps. xc. 14, 15, 16. The church, praying for 
mercy and favour, says, ' Let thy glory be on thy servants ;' and therefore 
is not this a glorious gospel, that reveals this to a man also, that God gra- 
ciously accepteth us in the beloved ? 

Fourthly, The beholding thus the glory of Christ, viz., his righteousness 
in the gospel, it changeth us into the same image, from glory to glory, verse 
the last of the third chapter ; that is, makes grace in us, which is truly 
glorious, and therefore, Ps. xlv., the church is said to be all glorious within, 
Eph. v. 26, 27, ' He sanctifies his church, that he might present it a glori- 
ous church.' Justification not only makes us glorious, but sanctification 
also, and this is dispensed by the gospel, for that sanctifies us to the end 
of the world, John xvii. 17, and is the glass we are changed by. 

Nay, fifthly, The very light itself whereby we do behold these things in 
the gospel, and are thus changed, is glorious, 1 Pet. ii. 9, ' We are called 
of darkness to a marvellous light.' And the joy that ariseth out of behold- 
ing Christ's righteousness as ours, and God's favour, it is 'joy unspeakable 
and glorious,' 1 Pet. i. 8. 

And last of all, It gives us certain hope of a further glory yet to be re- 
vealed, as the text hath it, and verse 17 of the 4th chapter, ' an eternal 
weight of glory.' All the glory of this world it bears no weight, x&vri oo^a, 
empty, frothy glory, as the apostle calls it, but this is an exceeding weight 
of glory, which if all that glorious lustre men doat on so, were weighed, it 
would be but as a dust balanced against it ; so weighty as flesh and blood, 
that is, the infirmity of man's nature, if not changed and made capable, 
could not subsist under it, 1 Cor. xv. 50. 

And all the glory here is a fading glory, but that is eternal, 1 Pet. i. 24, 
' All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass ; the 
grass withers, and the flower falleth away,' but the glory of this estate fades 
not, ver. 4, but is a flower always green. And the reason is, because the 
glory of things is one thing, and the things another, the grass one thing, 
and the flower another, and therefore the glory fades and is clean gone, 
when j'et the things remain. But glory is de essentia to the things above, 
the very essence of them is glory itself, and so called ; and therefore, whilst 
the things remain (as they do for ever), their glory doth. And is not this 
a glorious gospel ? 

Uses. 

Use First, If the gospel and the riches of it be thus great, then buy it, 
Prov. xxiii. 23, ' Buy the truth, and sell it not ;' he names no price, for 
you are not like to lose by it, cost what it will. This place* hath been the 
greatest mart of truth, and of the mystery of the gospel, that I know under 
heaven. Wisdom hath as it were cried all her wares at this great cross. 

This truth has been purchased for you, and that dearly; it cost the blood 
* Cambridge, as appears afterwards. — Ed. 



Col. I. 2G, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 247 

of many martyrs to derive it to you, the sweat of many preachers, the 
prayers of many saints, and cost God the riches of his patience to see it 
contemned. Buy it therefore at anj 7 rate. 

Especially you who are scholars, you come hither and live under those, 
read those who are wholesale men,* and you should, whilst you are here, 
treasure up as much and as many precious truths as you can, and grace 
withal to vent by retail in the country, when you are sent abroad. 

First, Inquire and learn where these treasures are to be had, even in the 
Scriptures. The merchant who knew the pearl, was fain to buy the field ; 
Timothy, from a child had known the Scriptures, and so should you do, 
1 they are able to make a man wise unto salvation, and make the man of 
God perfect.' As the books of nature, when thoroughly known, make a 
perfect physician for the body, so doth this a perfect divine. ' Search the 
Scriptures,' says Christ, • for they speak of me.' As Christ is the treasury 
of all knowledge, so the Scriptures are ot Christ. These treasures lie 
scattered in all the veins of the prophets and apostles ; dig for them as for 
silver, take pains and travel to understand them, as Dan. xii. 4, when he 
was bidden to seal up his prophecy in the letter, ' Many shall run to and 
fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' That is, by doing as merchants do, 
travelling from place to place, comparing one with another, knowledge will 
be increased. 

Secondly, Go to the markets and warehouses of those who have laid in or 
discovered much of this treasure ; that is, use the help of godly men's 
writings and conferences. The angels do learn of the church, and why not 
we ? Even Paul desires to see them at Rome, that he might be comforted 
by their mutual faith. 

Therefore exchange, and truck one with another to that end. Christ hath 
given several gifts to perfect his body in knowledge, Eph. iv. 12. 

The knowledge of any one man is imperfect, some have more skill in one 
point, and some in another, and so in several ages several truths have been 
delivered and revealed, Heb. i. 1, mXu/isgue, by fragments and by pieces, 
and therefore use the help of all. None of us are as Paul, to whom nothing 
can be added. f 

Thirdly, Go to him above all who hath the key of knowledge, Jesus 
Christ, Rev. iii. 7, pray to him. In 1 Peter i. 10, ' they searched and in- 
quired,' that is, they studied and prayed ; use both. And so the apostles 
did spend the time in both, Acts i. 

Fourthly, Highly prize and esteem every truth. If a fool hath a price in 
his hand, he hath no heart to use it, Prov. xvii. 16, because he esteems it 
not. Count all dross and dung for the excellent knowledge of Christ, doat 
not on human learning too much, lest it spoil and rob you of this. 

Fifthly, Exchange all for it, sell all for it, sell all that you have for it, 
your sins ; no saving truths can be yours whilst sin is yours, John xvii. 17 ; 
1 Peter i. 22, they • purified their souls by obeying the truth ;' for if you 
receive the truth as you ought, it will cast out all. Especially lay down 
pride of parts, Ps. xxv. 12, he will teach the humble his secrets, he will not 
teach proud scholars. God will not deal nor trade with a wicked man, 
1 Tim. vi. 4 ; men being corrupt of dispositions, are destitute therefore of 
the truth. 

Sixthly, Carry all home, and make them your own. It is not your own 

* That is, -who supply the students with that stock of truth, which they are after- 
wards to dispense to their congregations. — E d. 
t Gal. ii. 6.— Ed. 



248 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON II. 

whilst it is in your brains, as no more meat is your own but wbat you eat ; 
Let it be ' the ingrafted word,' James i. 21. Be you evangelised. 

Use Second, If the gospel be so precious, sell it not, for you can never get 
the full worth of it ; ' Buy the truth,' saith Solomon, Prov. xxiii. 23, ' and 
sell it not,' that is, part not with it at any hand. And this know for your 
encouragement, that God takes it not away from any man or nation, until 
they willingly part with it or put it away ; for why else doth he bid them 
not sell it ? His meaning is, if you do not, I will never deprive you of it. 

To this purpose is the example of Esau brought, Heb. xii. 16. For, 
speaking of this rich grace offered in the gospel, he bids them take heed 
that there be no profane person, as Esau was, that sold his birthright. 
That look, as God would not have deprived Esau of the blessing unless he 
had freely sold it, Jonah ii. 8, Job xxxiii. 2G, so nor them of the precious 
gospel. 

And he adds this, to enforce this exhortation the more, that a man must 
not think to receive it when he will ; afterwards he would have inherited 
the blessing, sought it with tears, but could not, ver. 17. And as he takes 
it not from a particular man, so neither from a nation. 

In Acts xiii. 46, the church of the Jews had been the ancient pillar of 
truth, and market for the gospel ; God had new precious wares to be vented, 
which had lain hid from all eternity, as this text shews. See what Paul 
and Barnabas say, who were his factors to trade for him ; ' it is necessary 
they should first be spoken to you.' It is strange, ' it was necessary,' for 
God's custom is not to offer his precious wares to new customers till the 
old had refused them. But now, says he, you shew yourselves unworthy ; 
' Lo, now we turn to the Gentiles ;' we will go seek chapmen all the world 
over, rather than you shall have the offer of them any more. And as in 
an estate of land wherein three have a right, until all give over, it is not 
sold, so in this kingdom there are three, there are magistrates, ministers, 
people. If either of these do what they can to keep it, it is not sold. 
Therefore to these three doth God look, Jer. v. 1 : to the magistrates, 
to see if that there were a man that sought truth ; secondly, to the com- 
mon people, who know not the law ; and last of all, to the prophets and 
priests ; and when all conspired, then ' what shall you do in the end thereof ? ' 

And if the truth be thus rich and precious, let me speak freely to you. 
Let the market stand open, take heed how you prohibit any truth to be 
sold in your markets ; but let the word run and be glorified, and let wisdom 
cry all her wares. If every truth be thus precious, is it not an impoverish- 
ing of the kingdom to hinder the traffic of any ? Nay, is it not a hindering 
the king's custom ? Revenues of God's glory ariseth out of the custom of 
these wares. Those times are in a great degree* of selling away these 
truths, that cannot endure (as Paul speaks, 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4) wholesome 
doctrine. 

Secondly, Take heed of suffering falsehood to be sold for truth. Rev. ii. 20, 
one of the churches is blamed for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce 
Christ's servants. If we do so, we shall have popery bought for truth, 
Arminianism for truth, and so by degrees sell away that blessed inheritance 
which our forefathers left us ; as heirs do sell away their lands, first one 
lordship and then another, piece by piece, till all be gone ; and so our 
silver by little and little becomes dross, as Isaiah speaks, chap. i. 22. This 
will provoke God (if anything) to sell you into your enemies' hands for 
nought, Ps. xliv. 12. 

* Qu. 'danger?'— En. 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 249 

But, thirdly, if it bo thus precious, ' hold it fast,' as Paul speaks to Titus, 
chap. i. 9, • hold fast the faithful word.' The word signifies to hold against 
contrary pulling it away, &VTt%6ftewi. If a man would not sell the inherit- 
ance left him, much less would he suffer it to be taken from him. Suppose 
it be but a trifle, yet men in a case of right will spend their estates to hold 
their own, though the suit will not bear its own charges. But when you 
contend for the truth once given, as the apostle Jude exhorts, you labour 
to preserve not your own only, but God's right. It is not about a trifle, 
but for that which Christ once spent his blood ; and it is the ' faithful 
word,' as the apostle calls it, a cause that will stick to you, and maintain 
itself, be sure to overcome ; and not bear its own charges only, but brings 
a crown with it, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, ' I have fought the good fight, I have kept 
the faith, henceforth a crown is laid up for me.' Christ did witness so be- 
fore Pontius Pilate, 1 Tim vi. 13. 

And, last of all, if it be thus rich as well as precious, let it ' dwell richly 
in you,' rrXovsiu>;, as the word is, Col. iii. 16. Give it not poor but rich 
entertainment, as you would do a rich kinsman who means to make you his 
heir, and estate you in all his riches. 

And to that end, labour to grow rich in the knowledge of it, and speech 
of it, as Paid speaks, 1 Cor. i. 5, ' that you may be enriched in all know- 
ledge, and in all utterance,' or speech about it, as men labour to know what 
they are worth, and love to talk of it. 

Bestow riches of assurance on it, as Col. ii. 2, that you may have ' the 
riches of full assurance of understanding ; ' and James ii. 5, to be ' rich in 
faith.' Trust in him, as men that are rich use to do in their riches, Prov. 
x. 15. And though their riches be uncertain, and not able to do what they 
expect, yet this is profitable for all things, having so many rich promises 
made for you to rely upon. 

Bestow riches of obedience on it, endeavouring to grow ' rich in good 
works,' as the apostle speaks, 1 Tim. vi. 18. Spend the most precious of 
your time and thoughts upon it. 

Uses of that doctrine, — the glory of the gospel. 

First, For trial ; whether a man hath savingly received it or no. For if 
it be thus glorious, then they are still blinded to destruction that see it not 
in the glory of it. This is the direct consequence of the apostle himself in 
2 Cor. iv. 4. For he having discoursed of that rich and excellent glory 
which it reveals, then, says he, those that have lived so long under the 
preaching of it are ' lost,' into whose hearts the light of this glorious gospel 
hath not shined. And certainly, saith he, ' the god of this world hath 
blinded their eyes,' that is, the devil, — by varnishing over the vain glitter- 
ing scheme and gloss of the things of this world, as he did to Christ, Mat. 
iv. 8, — dazzles them so, that they see no more glory in the things which 
the gospel reveals, than blind men do. The fault must certainly be in 
men's eyes ; for this glorious gospel, wherever it shines, is as the sun in 
itself, it is jmmiim visibile. 

Blind men are never the better for the sun. Though they may have eyes 
to see the things the gospel propounds, yet not the glory, the worth, and 
excellency of them, so as to be intimately and deeply affected with them ; 
as to be content to leave house, lands, father, and wife, for the gospel's 
sake, as Christ speaks, Mark x. 29, that is, to enjoy those things you hear 
rrpoken of in the gospel. 



250 THE GLOKY OF THE GOSPEL. [SEKMON II. 

And this is that which Christ expressly, out of Isaiah, speaks of the blind 
pharisees, to whom the glory of Christ was preached in the gospel, John 
xii. 40, 41. For, says he, Isaiah seeing that his glory spoke this of them, 
' that God had blinded their eyes, &c, that they should not see ;' that is, 
not see that glory of Christ as preached to them, so as Isaiah saw it, and 
all saints, to be humbled and converted by it. 

Examine yourselves therefore. You go up and down in the world here, 
and you view daily the riches of it, and the pleasures of it, the beauty, the 
credit, the glory of it. And from viewing these things, you often come 
here to the word, which as a glass that the sun shines in reveals Christ to 
you, the necessity, the worth of his Spirit, righteousness, and graces, which 
are laid open to your view daily. Now seriously tell me, or rather thy own 
heart, in which of these dost thou see most glory, by which art thou most 
imtimately allured ? Shall I tell thee ? If ever thou hadst savingly seen 
the glory of the things of the gospel, all the excellencies of the world would 
seem no excellencies. When thou goest from the church again into the 
world, the devil's varnish would melt off, as women's paint doth against the 
sun ; and as candles burn dim and wan when set against the sun, so these. 

The things thou didst account most glorious before thy eyes were opened, 
would seem to have no glory in comparison of this glory, as the apostle 
speaks of the law, 2 Cor. iii, 10, of this glory that so excelleth, excellens 
sensibile destruit sensum. It would put out the carnal eye quite and clean. 
This you may see, Isa. xl. 5, 6, where the Holy Ghost speaks expressly of the 
preaching the gospel by John the Baptist, whom in the third verse he calls 
the ' voice of a crier ; ' and Peter applies the place to the preaching of the 
gospel, 1 Pet. i. 25. Now (says he, ver. 5) the glory of the Lord Christ 
should thereby be revealed, and so revealed, that all flesh should see it, that 
is, inanj 7 believers both of Jews and Gentiles, for so ' all flesh ' is taken 
also, Ps. lxv. 2. See it namely in this mirror and glass, 2 Cor. iii. 18, and 
what is the effect of it ? Why, ' all flesh is grass,' and the goodliness or 
glory thereof, as Peter calls it, 'as the flower of the field.' And in their 
eyes now, that have seen ' the superexcellent glory,' it withers and fades; 
all the glory of the world appears like withered flowers, for the Spirit of 
the Lord, which reveals this glory in the gospel, blasts, blows upon them 
all, so as they lose their gloss and esteem in men's hearts ; they can never 
doat on them again as before. 

What is learning, thinks the poor soul, in comparison of grace ? What 
is all the world to the righteousness of Christ ? And then all the glow- 
worm righteousness of a man's self, which civil men glory in, so vanisheth, 
which once shined in the dark, so when this sun ariseth. So it did with 
Paul, Philip, iii. Then, however a man thought of himself before, as 
thinking he had many excellencies in him, yet having seen this glory, he 
falls down, as Isaiah did in like case, Isa. vi. 5, 'lam undone,' I am un- 
clean, a vile wretch, that deserves undoing and destruction. 

Secondly, If it be thus glorious, see if thou art able to behold the glory 
of it, comfortably and joyfully, without winking. This is another con- 
sectary* may be had out of this 2 Cor. iii. 18, where the apostle brings 
all believers to the same trial that the eagle doth her young ones ; for as 
she brings them to the sun, and if they be able to behold it without dazzling 
or winking, then she accounts them of a right breed ; now, so doth the 
apostle bring all believers to ' the glory of the Lord,' shining in the mirror 
of the gospel (' and we all,' says he, ' with open face behold the glory of 
* That is, ' conclusion' or ' consequence.' — Ed. 



Col. I. 26, 27.] the glory of ran gosii.i.. 251 

the Lord') to look full upon it. And so indeed unto eagles are they com- 
pared in Matthew ; for why, their hearts are changed into the same image, 
so as there is a suitahleness between them and it. The strictest preaching, 
that reveals the glory and beauty of grace in its strictest and most spiritual 
hue, a good heart can look full upon it and love it. That ministry that 
darts in tin; clearest and hottest beams is the most welcome, and hath the 
most comfortable influence into their hearts. 

In the 4th of Malachi, where the prophet speaks of the preaching of the 
gospel by Jesus Christ, as appears by the 5th verse, where he speaks of 
John Baptist before the day of Christ's appearing, J' Unto you that fear 
my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, 
and ye shall go forth as calves of the stall ;' that is, Jesus Christ, who 
then ariseth in men's hearts, when by the gospel God gives the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, as 2 Cor. iv. 6, 
2 Pet. i. 19. Now those precious truths, and the beams thereof, he com- 
pares to wings, because the beams of the sun are spread forth, even as the 
wings of the eagle, brooding over all the earth, and the things in it, and by 
them flying into all the corners of it. 

So doth Jesus Christ spread forth beams of truth into believers' hearts, 
and by them comes into their hearts, as the sun is said to do ; when the 
beams of it come into a house, you say the sun comes in. Now these 
beams, if they should not heal and change our hearts into the same image, 
they would dazzle and confound men's consciences ; therefore it is added, 
they have healing goes with them, and therefore now, like calves, they can 
go forth, and rejoice and leap for joy in the light of it. Whereas sore eyes, 
that are not healed, are amazed and terrified at the sight of it ; and there- 
fore in the first verse he says, ' They shall be burnt up,' as they in Rev. 
xvi. 8, 9, that are scorched with the heat of the sun, and so blasphemed 
and opposed the word. And as in hot countries some have cursed the 
sun when it ariseth, so they the gospel and the light of it. They hate it, 
rejoice when any of the ' witnesses' are dead, as they, Rev. xi. 10, because 
1 they tormented them that dwelt on the earth.' Like swine laid on their 
backs against the sun, they cease not crying till they be on their feet 
again ; or if they cannot avoid it, yet they wink with their eyes, as they, 
Mat. xiii. 15. For if men be unholy and profane, whoremongei's, liars, &c, 
then the glorious gospel is contrary unto them, as 1 Tim. i. 10, 11, compared. 

But if thou beest not able to behold the glory of the gospel, how wilt 
thou behold Christ coming in his glory, to render vengeance with • flaming 
fire' to them that obey not this gospel ? 

Thirdly, If it be thus glorious, then see if thou endeavourest to glorify 
and admire this gospel, and bring honour to it, which is a third consectary 
whereby you may know whether you receive it in the glory of it or no ; for 
all things we apprehend glorious, we labour to glorify and set forth as 
much as we may ; and this I ground on 2 Thess. hi. 1. ' Pray,' says the 
apostle, ' that the word may run and be glorified,' &c, that is, that it may 
have not only free progress in the world, run upon wheels, as the word 
signifies, but when it is entertained according to the glory and worth of it, 
as it was amongst these Thessalonians, who received it as the ' word of 
God, and not of man,' 1 Thess. ii. 13. ' Turning from idols, to serve the 
living God,' chap. i. 9 ; parting with all their sins, and setting up God in 
their hearts ; receiving it ' in much affliction,' ver. 6, yet rejoicing in it 
' with joy unspeakable and glorious ;' being content to part with lands and 
all for the gospel's sake, as Mark via. 35 ; having a care of their conversa- 



252 THE GLOEY OF THE GOSPEL. [SERMON II. 

tion in all things, that it may be as becomes the gospel, as he exhorts, 
Phil. i. 27 ; when men contend for every truth of it, as Paul in the next 
words, ver. 28, ' striving together for the faith of the gospel,' continuing 
immoveable, not removing from the ' hope of the gospel,' as Col. i. 2, 3 ; 
leaving all for the hopes of what it reveals, accounting this the greatest 
blessing and privilege they can enjoy in this life to enjoy it ; rejoicing in 
it more than in wisdom, learning, strength, riches ; glorying that a man 
knows God merciful and gracious, which is the message of the gospel, as 
Jer. ix. 23, as the Galatians did, Gal. iv. 14, 15, when they first received 
Paul, they received him as an angel : ' Where was then the blessedness you 
spoke of?' They so magnified this mercy, that they counted it the great- 
est blessing of all other, that though a people be blessed, when their gar- 
ners are full, &c, yet, as if nothing were to be accounted of, he says, 
' Happy is that people whose God is the Lord,' &c, Ps. cxliv. 15. 

Use 2. If the gospel be thus glorious, then see and acknowledge what is 
truly the glory of any people, and the want whereof leaves them in the 
most miserable and inglorious condition ; even the gospel. The law, 
which as this 2 Cor. chap. iii. tells us, had not any glory in this respect, 
yet made the people of the Jews a great nation in the eyes of all round 
about them, Deut. iv. 6-9. The nation that should hear of all these 
statutes should say, ' This is a great nation, that hath God so nigh them ; 
and what nation so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as 
all this law ?' 

That which anciently made one commonwealth excel another, to nourish 
more and continue longer, was the excellency and righteousness of the laws 
and form of government among them. This made Lacedemonia great, 
kept the Venetian state standing these 1300 years, and hath made them 
accounted a great, and a wise, and an understanding people. But all 
the nations had not such a law as this in all parts ; ' all this law,' so just, 
so holy, it being that law by which man in his holy state was governed, 
which the angels in heaven live by, which set not up men as their kings 
and rulers, but sets God up as their protector, makes him ' nigh them,' 
ver. 7. Therefore, Ps. lxxvi. 1-4, in that God was known in Judah, this 
made it ' more excellent than the mountains of prey.' He compares all 
the kingdoms of the world besides to wild waste places, where outlaws 
dwell, savage and cruel wild beasts, that prey upon one another, wanting 
the knowledge of this law to civilise and tame them. 

And, therefore, though the Israelites were famous for deliverances above 
all the nations of the world, fuller of inhabitants than any nation, as the 
sands of the sea (which is the glory of a kingdom, Solomon says, Prov. 
xiv. 28), flowing more with outward blessings than any nation else ; in a 
word, though their privileges were much every way above the Gentiles, 
Horn. iii. 2, yet chiefly (says he) ' that to them were committed the oracles 
of God.' This you see is made the top and height of all. 

Now, if tbe law made them thus glorious, and the obscure revealing of 
the gospel, and indeed but the 'shadow,' as Heb. x. 1, the shine and 
glimmering as it were of the glory of the gospel, how much more must 
that make a people glorious (whenas it comes to be fulfilled) which 
Habakkuk foretold, Hab. ii. 14, that ' all the earth shall be filled with the 
knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' And if in 
any age or in any coast it is or hath been full tide, it is now in England. 

In 1 Sam. iv. 22, when the ark was taken, it was said, ' the glory of 



Col. I. 2G, 27. J the glory of the gospel. 253 

Israel is departed.' Now, the ark, which was covered with the mercy- 
seat and the cherubims, was the place where God appeared, sitting between 
the cherubims, and shining bright, as Ps. lxxx. 1, and met the people, Exod. 
xxv. 22, whence he spake and gave oracles, Num. vh. 89 ; and therefore is 
called the ' speaking-place,' debir, 1 Kings vi. 23. And therefore the ark 
was called the ' glory,' Rom. ix. 4; and 'cherubims of glory,' Heb. ix. 5. 
Now, what was this ark a type of, which was thus the glory of Israel ? 
Of the gospel. For, Heb. ix. 23, they were all patterns of things in 
heaven. 

Now, as the temple was the type of the church under the gospel, Rev. 
xi. 1, so the ark was of Christ, revealed in the preaching of the gospel, in 
the last verse of that chapter. There was seen in his temple the ' ark of 
his testament,' wherein Jesus Christ comes and meets his people, and 
speaks from heaven, and wherein believers behold his glory, 2 Cor. iii. 18; 
and therefore they are called the 'oracles of God,' 1 Pet. iv. 11. So as 
when we prophesy, men fall down convinced and say, ' God is amongst 
you,' 1 Cor. xiv. 25. And the cherubims, between which God sits and 
speaks, are ministers of the gospel, as you shall hear anon. 

So as indeed the manifestation of the gospel is called ' the glory,' as the 
ark was of old. So, I take it, that place is to be understood, 1 Pet. i. 
10-12, where, speaking of our privilege who enjoy it, he says, ' the patri- 
archs did foretell the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that followed ; ' 
namely, that spreading of the gospel, shedding forth of the Spirit, and 
gifts, which made those times glorious times after Christ's ascension. 
Yea, in this respect, the congregations assembled to hear this gospel, God 
manifesting his presence, are called ' the glory ; ' I say the assemblies are, 
Isa. iv. 5, which place is to be understood of the times of the gospel, and 
the calling of the Jews ; ' God will create upon her assemblies a cloud by 
day, and a shining fire by night,' to guide them as in the wilderness, ' for 
upon all the glory shall be a defence ; ' that is, upon all those assemblies, 
which, for the presence of God thus gloriously amongst them, he calls 
1 the glory.' 

And this gospel hath made this kingdom and this town as a ' crown of 
glory in the hand of the Lord;' and 'the glory of the whole earth,' as 
Jerusalem is called, Isa. lxii. 7 ; the glorious diamond in the ring of the 
world.* 

And this it is which did raise that great opinion in the hearts of other 
nations, that we were accounted a great people, as Deut. iv. 6, 7, a wise 
and an understanding people, and full of humanity and amiableness of car- 
riage ; whereas others are accounted rude and barbarous, that want it in 
the power that we have it. For when the earth, or any land, is filled with 
' the knowledge of the Lord,' it takes fierceness and wildness away from 
the inhabitants of it. Not from these only whom it converts, but whom it 

* It is not easy to ascertain whether the town referred to here is Cambridge or Lon- 
don. There is no doubt that the sermons were originally preached in Cambridge ; 
but it is possible that they might be afterwards delivered in London, and that some 
sentences might then be added, whilst those having special reference to Cambridge 
might be allowed to remain by the editors of the Works. Still, it ought to be ob- 
served that he represents the glory of the ' kingdom and town,' as consisting in wis- 
dom and understanding, and that may be thought more applicable to Cambridge 
than to London. It is not unworthy of notice that the comparison of the world to a 
ring, and London to the diamond set in it, is employed, in almost the same words, by 
Thomas Adams (Practical Works, vol. II. p. 332), ' What was once said of Ormus is 
true of this city, " Turn the world into a ring, and this is the diamond of it." ' — Ed 



254 THE GLORY OP THE GOSPEL. [SeRMON II. 

convincetb, Isa. xi. ; from the wolves and the lion^, so as not to hart, 
verse 9. 

' Emollit mores, nee sinit esse feros.' 

It makes men more noble and ingenuous, as those of Berea were, having 
received the gospel, Acts xvii. 11. That is it which hath struck much 
terror in former times into the hearts of our enemies, as in Jehoshaphat's 
days ; when he was careful to send Levites to teach in every city, ' fear 
fell upon all the kingdoms round about, so as they made no war,' 2 Chron. 
xvii. 10. And God being ' known for a refuge in our palaces,' ' fear took 
hold of the kings of the earth,' Ps. xlviii. 3 and 6 compared. 

That is it which hath been our defence ; for, Isa. iv. 5, ' where the 
glory of God is, there is a defence upon all the gloiy ; ' that when they 
combined together to make an attempt, as in Eighty-eight,* as it is in the 
same Psalm, xlviii. 4-7. Kings were assembled, a great many, as appears 
by the 7th verse, and they passed by all along our coasts, but they were 
troubled, and they hasted away ; and God broke the ships of Tarshish with 
the east wind, God being known for a refuge, verse 3. And where the 
gospel runs without rub, and is glorified, there, when enemies come in 
like a mighty flood, thinking to bear all before them, Isa. lix. 19, when 
' they fear the name of Jehovah from the west ' (which is thought to be 
meant of these western churches, as they have been always called), ' and 
his glory from the rising of the sun : when the enemy comes in as a flood, 
the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.' Ps. lxxvi. 
1—3, ' In Judah is God known, and his dwelling-place is in Zion : there 
brake he the arrows, and the bow, and the shield, and the sword, and the 
battle.' And so, on the contrary, when we go against others, on just 
quarrels, if the gospel be glorified amongst us, the promise is, Isa. lviii. 8, 
' the glory of God shall be thy rearward ; ' shall make an army for us, to 
fight for us. This defended this town from the plague. 

This is that which, when sought and embraced above all things, makes 
other blessings be cast into the bargain, as Christ promiseth, and to which 
also we owe all the peace, plenty, and abundance of all things, which since 
the day we had the gospel we have enjoyed, which, if we had not, yet it is 
blessing enough. Rom. xv. 29, ' I shall come to you in the fulness of the 
blessing of the gospel,' which whoso enjoys they want no blessing. It is 
full of blessing when it comes to a place, and it carries all away when itself 
removes. Look upon a town where once the king's court was kept, and 
then it flourished and abounded with blessings, which haply before was 
poor as Newmarket ; f but when that is once removed to come no more, 
look on it then again, and how poor, how desolate, doth such a town grow ! 

And Christ, where he comes in, enricheth the place he keeps court in. 
He did good to men's bodies, and souls also, when on earth, and so now 
in heaven, where his tabernacle is pitched. But when he removes, Mat. 
xxiii. 38, • Behold your houses are left unto you desolate.' Why ? ' For 
I say, Ye shall not henceforth see me, till ye say, ' Blessed is he,' &c. 
Judea, that once did flow with milk and honey, is now barren — 
'Insula dives opum Priami dum legna manebant.' 

Great must the misery of that place be, then, from which the glory is de- 
parting, for then their defence is gone, and they are left naked, exposed to 

* That is, 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada.— Ed. 

t Charles I. kept his court at Newmarket ; n 1642. Goodwin had before this left 
Cambridge, but would naturally take an interest in the neighbourhood. — Ed. 



Col. I. 20, 27.] the glory of the gospel. 255 

the fury of their enemies, as the people were in the sight of their enemies, 
Exod. xxxii. 25, stripped of all their ornaments and armour, and there- 
fore ' the people mourned,' chap, xxxiii., and then destruction doth cer- 
tainly and inevitably follow. 

Ezek. ix. 3. Before the executioners of vengeance came with their slaughter- 
weapons, the glory of the Lord went away from the cherub, and then the 
wrath of God falls upon men to the utmost, as upon the Jews, 1 Thes. 
ii. 16, that is, in greater extremities than upon any other. Neither is the 
tenure of us Gentiles so sure as was theirs ; it was as their freehold, Rom. 
ix. 4. ■ To them appertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the 
promises.' Rom. xi. 21, ' If God spared not the natural branches, take 
heed how he spare not thee : be not high-minded, but fear.' ' Towards 
thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness ; otherwise thou shalt be 
cut off,' ver. 22. And yet they are cut off, and have been these sixteen 
hundred years, and that glory which belonged to them is departed from 
them, and not yet returned ; and have we not cause to fear ? 

To that end, let us consider some signs of the departure of this glory 
from a people, and this in those degrees wherein usually it departs. 

First, When those outward privileges, which I mentioned before, which 
have been pawns of its presence, are a-going, and a people is bereft of them ; 
for when you see the train departing and the followers sent away, you 
expect the court removes shortly. When God ' turneth the glory ' of a 
kingdom ' into shame,' as Hosea iv. 7, he threateneth, makes it ' base in 
the eyes of its neighbours,' as, Ezek. xvii. 14, he did that of Judah before 
captivity, so as they are made a derision to those to whom they were a 
terror. When we see blessings ebb, attempts blasted, armies blown away 
and dissolved as dust-heaps in a nation that was once honourable, victorious, 
terrible, prosperous. Winter is nigh when leaves fall off. 

And so God did with the Jews, before that final taking of the gospel from 
them, by taking first away their beauty, their honour and glory, and out- 
ward liberties and privileges of a nation, which once they had enjoyed, broke 
the ' staff of beauty,' and then ' of bands,' Zech xi. 10, 14, then disuniting 
and scattering them over the face of the earth. 

The second thing that departs before the gospel departs is the inward, 
glorious presence of God's Spirit which once did shine in his ordinances, 
that though men enjoy the outward, visible signs of his presence, have the 
ark and preaching of the gospel and cherubims among them, yet the 
Spirit is gone. Ezek. ix. 3, it is said that ' the glory went up from the 
cherubims ' before the destruction that followed, that though the cheru- 
bims and temple and ark still remained, yet the glory was gone. Now, 
the cherubims signified the ministers of the gospel, as you shall hear 
anon. 

Now, when God withdraws his Spirit from us, then the glory goes hence, 
for in this 2 Cor. iii. this is that which makes the gospel glorious, ' the 
ministration of the Spirit ; ' so that, as the glory of the body is gone when 
the soul is out, so the glory of the gospel is gone when the Spirit is de- 
parted, for without it it is but a dead letter. ' For the kingdom of God ' 
(Paul speaks it of preaching of the gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 20) ' consists not in 
word, but in power ; ' so that when that power is gone, the kingdom is gone. 
Now, whilst that power goes forth, so long God hath elect to call, 1 Thes. 
i. 4, 5, « Knowing your election to be of God, because our gospel was 
not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much 
assurance. And when the elect is gone, God takes away the gospel. 



256 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. ["SERMON II. 

But when you shall hear sermons, and lay open the excellent things of 
the law, and discover the secrets of the gospel, which the angels pry into, 
and yet the Holy Ghost withdraw himself, that neither wicked are convinced 
to fall down and say, ' God is amongst them,' the high fortresses of carnal 
opinion, corrupt practices, are not cast down in the congregations that hear 
them, nor are they reformed at all, but they that were filthy are filthy 
still; when the best are dead, and dull, and cold under it, their hearts 
are not warmed as they were wont to burn with them, as the disciples' 
hearts were when they went to Emmaus ; when God ceaseth to shew him- 
self terrible to the wicked in his holy place, Ps. lxviii. 35, but then when 
the sentence of damnation is clearly pronounced against men, yet they all 
hear it as the song of one can sing well ; when God creates not a cloud 
and a pillar of fire upon our assemblies, as Isa. iv. 5, to guide, enlighten, 
and clear our hearts in the ways of godliness ; when few are added to the 
church and none to God, it is a sign God hath his elect out, and that the 
glory is going. 

The second temple was more glorious than the former, Hag. ii. 9, yet the 
former was outwardly more glorious. If Christ be present, he makes the 
glory with less learned teaching. And it is for your sakes God assists, 
1 Thes. i. 5, ' What manner of men for your sakes.' 

Thirdly, Then the Spirit is withdrawing, when wicked hearts grow 
weary of it — -even the wicked a while rejoiced in John's light — and godly 
men are indifferent whether they enjoy it or no, this is a further sign of its 
departure, and an effect of the former. Amos viii. 5, men cried there, 
' When will the Sabbath be gone,' and sermon over, that we may to our 
calling again, and not lose too much time ? 

And what follows on this ? He upon this threateneth, ver. 9, that ' their 
sun shall go down at noon ; ' that glorious light God had set up amongst 
them, should set in the very noon, and height, when it might have run a 
course many years after ; an eclipse, a total one came on the sudden, even 
at noonday. And if the place should not be meant of the light of the word, 
as I think it is, yet ver. 11 expressly threateneth upon this, ' a famine of 
the word,' &c. That word which before had rained down as manna, and 
they were weary of it and would scarce go out of doors to hear it, now they 
should run from sea to sea, and not find it. 

Or suppose they be not weary of it, as the godly are not, yet if they be 
not earnest with God by prayers for it, and continuance of it, when they do 
not strive together, as Paul exhorts them, Pioin. xv. 30, but they sit still 
and let all go, and strive not ; and if God will provide for them, and send 
forth labourers, so it is ; whereas Christ tells them they must pray, Mat. 
ix. 38. You are bidden pray for daily bread, and it must cost you sweat 
besides ; and do j^ou think to enjoy bread of heaven without praying daily 
for it, yea, and that sweating in prayer also ? Jesus Christ looks to be 
constrained to stay with a people, as with those disciples, Luke xxiv. 28, 
29. Whereas otherwise he would have gone further, and certainly would. 
When the keys are laid aside that should unlock the cupboard, whence the 
children should have bread, they are like to lose their suppers. Now 
these keys are prayers. If Paul be given them, it must be by prayer, 
Philem. 22. 

A fourth sign of the departure of this glory is when men begin to let 
error and idolatry creep in, which is an effect of the former ; for (2 Thes. 
ii. 10) men having no pleasure in truth, but in unrighteousness, God 
gave them up to lies, and they provoke the Lord to departure. Gal. ii. 5, 



Vol. I. 2G, 27.] tiie glohy of the gospel. 257 

In case of circumcision, says Paul, ■ I would not yield, or give way, not for 
an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with j'ou.' As if he 
had said, If I had given way to a small error, it had endangered the con- 
tinuance of the gospel with you ; how much more, when gross errors, con- 
trary to our points of catechism, and principles of religion, are admitted in 
a church and suffered to be taught, and grow upon us ; but much more 
must this glory depart when idolatry gets footing. Then God's glory departs 
amain. Ezek. ix., When did the glory go from the cherub to the threshold 
of the door? When, chap, viii., idolatry was committed in the secret 
chambers, yea and in the temple, in worshipping towards the east ; then 
there was no room left for God, he withdrew himself to the threshold, 
shewing he would lain have had a room amongst them, but he was justled 
out, glad to stand at the threshold, one foot in, another out, for what fellow- 
ship hath God with idols ? 2 Cor. vi. 16. God will not walk among you 
where idols are. 

And then, Fifthly and lastly, the glory wholly departs when the cherubims 
do ascend or are removed, Ezek. xi. 22. When the cherubims lift up their 
wings, then the glory went from the city quite. Now cherubims are angels, 
both celestial, and these on earth, namely, ministers of the gospel. For if 
you would see what these cherubims were, see Ezek. i. 5, 6. They were 
four beasts, who had faces of a lion, a man, an ox, an eagle, and wings full 
of eyes. Now in the 10th chapter, verses 1, 14, and 20, these are called 
cherubims. Now, if you would see what these beasts are, see Rev. iv. 6, 
where the same living creatures are in the same manner described with the 
same faces, wings, and eyes; Rev. v. 11. And there they are made distinct 
from the twenty-four elders, that is, the saints and angels ; and therefore 
by them are meant the ministers and magistrates, especially ministers, 
whereof some are lions for zeal and courage, and terror in preaching ; others 
oxen, for then- pains, and diligence, and constancy, and plainness ; others 
are men, preach more rationally to convince the gainsayers ; others eagles, 
that have more deep insight into heavenly mysteries, and soar high and aloft. 

Now, when error is let in, and idolatry is admitted, then look for the 
cherubim to ascend, to be removed. And in any state, or in the mean time, 
when a cherub ascends up to heaven, that had the face of ' a man and an 
eagle,' from a particular place, the glory of God sometimes goes with him ; 
as when old Eli died, the wife of Phinehas said, 1 Sam. iv. 20, ' The glory 
was gone,' not only because of the ark, but also because of her father-in-law. 

And now let me exhort you, of this place and kingdom, seriously to con- 
sider the state and condition of the gospel, standing amongst you, and 
whether many of these signs are not fulfilled before your eyes. For the 
present, to let the kingdom go, look homeward to yourselves. Is not the 
glory of this place exceedingly vanished of late years in men's opinions 
abroad ? Do they not suspect unsoundness in doctrine, and otherwise ? 
Doth God fill his ordinances as sails with the wind he ha I wont to do. 
Your hearts know best, who have had experience of former times. Remember 
the breathings and warnings of former times. It may be our faults, yet 
sure I am, we are assisted ' for your sakes' especially, 1 Thes. i. 5. And 
accordingly do our tongues cleave to the roof of our mouths. Do not your 
hands, which should be lift up to God for supply, even then when your 
losses and fears are greatest, grow slack and flag, and your hearts faint ? 
Do you seek God with mourning and weeping, and stir up one another to 
do so ? Do not errors bordering on popery creep in upon us apace, and 
begin to overgrow us, and our silver to become dross ? Is not one of the 

vol. rv. E 



258 THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. TSeRMON II. 

cherubs ascended, others removed, your sun set at noon, a total eclipse 
threatened ? 

Yet at length, brethren, bestir yourselves. Would you have the word dwell 
with you ? ' Let the word dwell in you,' Col. iii. 15. Get acquaintance with 
it, be familiar to it, keep it company in your thoughts, converse with it, 
meditate in it day and night, let it lie, sleep, wake, walk, sit, ride with you. 

Also be valiant for truth, ' Hold fast the things you have been taught,' 
Rev. ii. 24, 25. However other opinions may be thrust upon you under 
pretence of depths, as there are, ' yet hold fast till I come ; ' so you may 
enjoy it till Christ come. 

Take heed of having pleasure in unrighteousness, 2 Thes. ii. 10. It will 
give you up to lies to be damned. Turn from folly, and return to it no more, 
but fear the Lord, Ps. Ixxxv. 8, 9, compared. ' Let them not return to folly.' 
' Salvation is nigh to them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.' 

Bless God for, and prize the meanest that bring the glad tidings of salva- 
tion in power and faithfulness, Mat. xxiii. 39. ' I will go hence,' saj's Christ, 
' till they say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord,' and then 
will I return again. 

You young ones, get you grace into your hearts, and the word rooted 
there, that when it dies in old men, there may be a succession of it in you. 

Above all, be earnest with God, pray that he thrust forth labourers into 
his harvest. ' God feeds the ravens that cry to him,' Job xxxviii. 41, that 
wander up and down, know not where to have a meal's meat next ; and as 
Christ argues, ' Doth God take care for lilies and birds,' Matt. vi. 26, ' and 
are not you better than they ? ' Are not you children ? And is not the 
word children's bread ? That is, it is theirs, appointed for them, Mat. 
xv. 26. No prayers of children pierce their parents' ear more than when 
they cry for bread, for those that are born must be kept. Lam. vi. 3, ' Sea 
monsters give their breasts to their young ones,' much more God. 

God is loath to remove from an ancient dwelling-place, as you may see 
by his lingering in Ezek. ix. 3. To the threshold, thence to the midst of 
the city, &c. 

His promise is to give them pastors according to his own heart, if there 
be but one or two in a city, Jer. iii. 14, 15 ; and there are more in this 
town. 

And Ps. cxxxii. 11, ' God swore to David, that if his children keep my 
covenant, &c, they should sit upon his throne,' and God would make it his 
rest, ver. 14. It is a trouble to him to remove, and therefore at the 17th 
verse he says, ' He will ordain a lamp,' that is, when one candle is out he 
will give another ; so 1 Kings xv. 4 it is interpreted. 

Now, the same promises are to you all for the sure mercies of David ; I 
say, are promised to be established to all that are in covenant. As one light 
is out, God will set up another ; as of magistrates, so of ministers, Jer. 
xxxiii. 17, 18. I say as Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. 22-24, ' For the Lord will 
not forsake his people for his great name's sake : because it hath pleased 
the Lord to make you his people. Moreover, as for me, God forbid that 
I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you : but I will teach 
you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him in 
truth with all your heart : for consider how great things he hath done for 
you. But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed,' &c. 



A DISCOURSE OF THE GLORY OF THE 
GOSPEL.* 



CHAPTER I. 

The words of the text (Col. i. 26. 27) explained. — Though God had before 
by various trails discovered the glorious mysteries of his grace, yet the revela- 
tion of them by the gospel excels all the other. 



Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but 
now is made manifest to his saints : to ivhom God would make known what 
is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles ; which is Christ 
in you, the hope of glory. — Col. I. 26, 27. 

The apostle, in this chapter, from the 13th verse to the end, draws a 
lively character of Christ and his gospel. 

1. He describes Jesus Christ in all that fulness of the riches of his 
glory wherewith he is arrayed and represented in the gospel, from the 13th 
verse to the 23d. 

2. He falls into a commendation of the gospel, which is that mystery 
wherein is made known the rich glory of Christ, who is the glory of this 
mystery. And if the story that makes Christ known be so full of riches 
and glory, what then is Christ himself, the subject of it ? 

The aposlle doth both these on set purpose (as in the 4th and 8th verses 
of chap. ii. he profe3seth), to divert and take off these Colossians' mind 
from those vain, deceitful speculations of philosophy, and the ceremonial 
law, and traditions of men, gaudily and speciously set out with enticing 
words, ' philosophy and vain deceit.' He exposeth the beggarly condition 
of those rudiments (as he names the best of them, Gal. iv. 9) ; and to dis- 
play the glory and riches of the mystery of Christ in all its brightness, he 
makes the enticing lustre of all other wisdom, which had almost spoiled that 
glory of Christ (Col. ii. 8), to vanish. 

In the words of my text, Col. i. 26, 27, the current of his praise of the 
gospel's glory swells highest, and runs with the deepest and strongest 
stream ; within the limits of which, therefore, I will confine myself (though 
much might be added from other Scriptures) as affording matter abundant 
to set forth the glory of the gospel, by all that doth commend unto us any 
other knowledge. 

* See note, p. 22G. 



260 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. I. 

1. You have here the rise and original of it, as withal of man's salva- 
tion ; how, and for what ends God contrived it and revealed it, and to 
whom. The great God (says he) took up a mind and purpose to reveal 
unto his saints infinite riches of his glory in it, and by it : and to that 
end framed this wisdom on purpose for them, and them alone. ' It is 
made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known his riches 
and glory by it.' 

2. You have the subject of it, and common treasury of all that riches 
and glory discovered in it, which is Christ, God's Son. ' Which riches 
is Christ,' says the apostle by way of explanation. Now Christ's riches 
are unsearchable (Eph. iii. 8), and this doctrine of the gospel is the 
field this treasure is hid in ; and Christ being also ' the Lord of glory' 
(1 Cor. ii. 8), hath filled it with a glory answerable, with ' riches of 
glory.' 

3. You have the gain and benefit of it. For it reveals God and Christ, 
and all his riches and glory ; so being received and entertained by spiritual 
knowledge and manifestation in the hearts of men, it makes those saints 
possessors thereof, by giving them a possession of Christ. And for your 
further security, you have them in you, by having him in you (who is the 
treasury of all those riches) at the present. But then, the glorious know- 
ledge of this Christ, as he is in you, is yet a future pledge of a greater and 
more transcendent glory to come, greater than this gospel can reveal, or 
can be made known to you. ' Christ is in you the hope of glory.' 

4. You have added hereunto all sorts of excelling properties and royal- 
ties to commend the glory of the gospel, above all that are or can be sup- 
posed to be in any other knowledge. (1.) If depth and profoundness sets 
a value, this is a mystery in every fine of it. (2.) If preciousness and 
abundance makes any knowledge estimable, this is full of riches and glory. 
(3.) If secrecy puts an esteem on any science, this ' hath been hid from ages 
and generations, but now made manifest.' (4.) If it recommend any know- 
ledge, that when the secret is revealed, yet still it be not made common to 
the ordinary sort of men, then the gospel is most excellent ; for though 
God hath revealed it, yet he retaineth and useth that art in revealing of it, 
that he makes known the riches and glory of it only to ' his saints ;' others 
know it but in the outward letter of it. 

1. I shall take a view of the rise and original of the revelation of this 
glorious mystery. I cast the brief story thereof into this frame. 

(1.) Our all-wise and infinitely blessed God, possessing in himself infi- 
nite riches of glory, he thinks of ways to make them known, and that to 
some reasonable intelligent creatures, which by knowing of them might be 
made partakers thereof, and have their bosoms filled with all his riches ; 
for both to make them known, and withal to make them possessors 
thereof, are in the text : the one in these words, ' make known ;' the 
other in those, ' Christ in you the hope of glory.' The text says, rfiiKr^aiv, 
' he would,' he had a mind and a will, a longing desire to do it, and com- 
municate it to us, to make us blessed. That is the first thing. ' He would 
make known,' &c. 

(2.) The second thing to be considered is the persons, to v:hom. The 
text says, ' to his saints.' His, that is, his elect, whom he hath chosen 
to be holy, his saints, who are first his own by election, and then made 
saints. 

[1.] They are his, singled out from all the rest to be his peculiar, his 
elect. ' The Lord knows who are his.' ' Thine they were,' (says Christ, 



Chap. I.] glory of the gospel. 2G1 

John xvii. 6), ' and thou gavcst thorn to me ; and they have kept thy 
word.' And ' Father' (says Christ, Mat. xi. 25), 'I thank thee thou hast 
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to 
babes ; even so it pleased thee.' 

Yet [2.] he makes them saints, to whom he communicates himself: 
yea, he makes them saints by making himself known to them. Judas (not 
Iscariot) asked Christ, John xiv. 22, this bold question, ' How is it that 
thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world.' Christ there 
mentions not the first part of this account here, namely, that they were 
his peculiarly, and not the world (which yet being alone with his Father in 
his prayer, he then takes occasion to mention, to move him) but he gives 
them this other part of the account here. Because (says he) I manifest 
myself to saints, which you are, and I will cause you to be. His words 
afore (in which Judas interrupted him) were these, at ver. 2,1, ' He that 
hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he 
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will 
manifest myself to him.' And his words in answer to Judas fully import 
it, ver. 23. ' Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will 
keep my words : and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, 
and make our abode with him.' This answer was needful for their quick- 
ening to obedience. 

(3.) The third thing I add to this head is, that God had afore the dis- 
covery of this gospel, taken other ways to make known something of the 
riches of this glory by them ; but yet had all that while kept and retained 
this knowledge of the gospel as the last, to excel, and exceed, and to put 
down all the former ; which yet is but a preparation to that other discovery 
in the heavens, as all those former were to this. 

Both these assertions are clear. The first is evident from those words, 
1 he now hath made manifest,' that which was hidden from all ages, &c. 
And yet we know that former ages had much of the wisdom of God among 
them, both Jew and Gentiles. 

The other assertion is evident from this, that the utmost discovery of 
this mystery, and of Christ now, is but the hope ; and so not the posses- 
sion of that glory which is to come. We are led therefore to consider a 
little those other ways God had already taken to manifest the riches of his 
glory by, as an ante-masque to this that followed. 

[l.j One way by which he began to manifest his glorious back-parts 
(Exod. xxxiii. 23), both to angels and men, was by the first creation and 
the works thereof, and in the law and covenant of works. Whereof the 
first holds forth his eternal power and Godhead, ' because that which may 
be known of God is manifest in them ; for God hath shewed it unto them. 
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly 
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power 
and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse,' Rom. i. 19, 20. ' The 
heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmament sheweth his handy- 
work,' Ps. xix. 1. And the angels, that were spectators of every day's 
work, were infinitely taken with it : ' Whereupon are the foundations 
thereof fastened ? or who laid the corner-stone thereof; when the morning 
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy ? ' Job xxxviii. 
6, 7. They shouted for joy to see him finish every day's work. Then 
his wisdom also is displayed in governing so great a host, an army of 
several creatures, to several ends, by perpetual laws. I instance but in 
one, the placing of the sun in the heavens and the motion of it, so disposed 



2G2 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. I. 

and ordered as it could nowhere else be placed therein without an apparent 
inconvenience to some parts of the habitable world. But he hath made a 
tabernacle for it, and set out the course thereof to visit all the earth. It 
goes to its tropics, and misseth not a hair's breadth. Tbere is infinite 
justice also apparent in his righteous law, and withal infinite holiness in 
so exact a rule of righteousness, which was the Jews' wisdom and glory in 
the sight of all nations. For the delivery of which law God come down, 
and made a heaven upon a dirty mole-hill, Mount Sinai, and constituted 
Moses a mediator, and put a glory upon his face, and then dressed up a 
high priest gloriously for his worship, and erected a tabernacle, and after 
that a temple admirably magnificent. How did the Jews boast of all these 
things ! Rom. ii. 

[2.] But all this contented not our God, who would make known a fur- 
ther mystery, viz., of the redemption of fallen man by Christ, which he 
kept hid and close in his own breast, and not a creature knew it, no, not 
his angels (not as we now know it in the gospel), which were his nearest 
courtiers and dearest favourites. It lay hid in God, Eph. iii. 9, hid even 
from them, ver. 10. It was a mystery which, when revealed, should amaze 
the world, and put the angels to school again ; as if they had known no- 
thing in comparison of this, wherein they know over again all those 
glorious riches which are in God, and that more perfectly and fully 
than ever before. Such is the mystery of Christ revealed in the gospel, 
which is the last edition also that ever shall come forth in this world, and 
is now set out, enlarged, and perfected ; wherein that large inventory of 
God's glorious perfections is more fully set down, with addition. 

The reasons why God did by two ways intend to manifest himself thus 
variously are : 

First ; Because he would shew forth his manifold wisdom, which is the 
reason given of revealing the gospel, Eph. iii. 10, ' that to the angels might 
appear the manifold wisdom of God.' His wisdom is so vast and large, 
that he could vary, and take more ways than one to display it. And as he 
had two sorts of reasonable creatures to shew himself unto, so he had a 
double way, a double sample, and double method. 

Secondly ; God did so, because indeed that other way was of itself too 
obscure and too imperfect. 

First, It was too obscure ; for in the gospel and works of redemption, 
the angels came to see all that they saw before, and that more clearly and 
largely. They see more power in Christ, ' the power of God,' 1 Cor. i. 24, 
in raising himself up from death to life, ' declared with power thereby to be 
the Son of God,' Rom. i. 4. And they see also the exceeding greatness of 
his power in raising us up also, Eph. i. 19, more than they did in the 
creation. They likewise see a greater and clearer instance and manifesto 
of his justice in putting to death his own Son, taking on him to be a surety 
for sinners, than if a world of worlds should have been damned for ever. 
And in Christ his Son also they came to see a greater and far more tran- 
scendent righteousness than ever appeared either in the law or inherent in 
themselves. 

Secondly, That other way was but imperfect. 

For those attributes which God accounts his greatest riches and greatest 
glory, Rom. ix. 23, even his mercy and free grace, which he intends most 
to exalt, never saw light till now. 

But not only more of his attributes come thus to be discovered, but fur- 
ther, the glorious mystery of the Trinity come thereby to be more clearly 



Chap. I.] glory of the gospel. 2G3 

unfolded, if not tho first discovery made of the three persons ; there being 
scarce the footsteps of them distinctly to be seen in the works of creation 
or in the law. But now, when the gospel comes to be revealed, and the 
work of salvation in it, then they were discovered to be ' three witnesses in 
heaven,' 1 John v. 7, witnesses to our salvation. And their several wit- 
nessing comes to be known by their several seals and hand-works, set 
severally to our salvation, bearing the stamp and similitude of their three 
several subsistences ; so as by those three seals of the election of Christ 
and us, of our redemption and of our sanctification, we may know there are 
three persons, and how they do subsist; even as in men's seals their several 
arms being engraven, their houses and antiquity are known. 

(4.) The fourth thing is, what new model or means it was which God 
singled forth to print and publish his whole and utmost counsel to us by, 
after all those other ; the edition of which should thus excel all the former, 
and alone be full and adequate, and commensurable to his whole design ; 
even to manifest and communicate the whole, the full of all those riches of 
glory in himself, but once for all, and no more, that he shall not need to 
superadd any other, until himself immediately communicates himself face to 
face. The text tells us that this excellent way of discovery is Christ com- 
municated to us, it is ' Christ in us, the hope of glory.' Which notes out, 
not only Christ to be the revealer, ' the prophet ' (as Moses styles him) who 
by word of mouth or way of doctrine should discover the glory of God 
(which the apostle fully renders to the scope I have driven at, Heb. i. 1, 
' God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake by the prophets, 
hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son'). Whereas aforetimes 
God by degrees and by piecemeal, KoXvpegug, uttered himself, one truth at 
one time, another at another, by drops ; so it was for the matter ; and 
<xoXvr foTMi, after sundry fashions and forms and shapes, such as were 
dreams, visions, types, &c. ; so for the manner. This God hath now (as 
the opposition imports) once for all, in the last days and by wholesale, 
uttered his whole counsel, and this uniformly after one only plain and clear 
manner and way, by word of mouth from his Son, spoken by his Son, as 
the revealer. So it follows, chap. ii. ver. 3, ' Which at first began to be 
spoken by the Lord' (namely, Christ), but not only so, but that which the 
text here holds forth is, that Christ, as the argument, subject, matter, is 
the thing revealed. That alone takes up and fills up the whole of this new 
doctrine ; which mystery (says he) is Christ, namely, subjective. It is 
Christ known and communicated ; and in him all God's riches and glory. 

1 . In him all the riches of God and the knowledge of him are laid up, 
as the treasury and subject of them ; and so discovered and communicated 
to us objectively in the knowledge of him. Thus, chap. ii. ver. 2, 3, the 
apostle further explains it. For having termed the gospel (as here) the 
mystery of God and of Christ, he adds, ' In whom are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge ; ' not only to be revealed by him, or subjectively 
known in and by himself; but (which is the proper scope of the apostle) 
objectively set forth, and contained in him alone, and in the knowledge of 
him made known to us. 

2. In him shines ' the glory of God ' (2 Cor. iv. 6, ' The light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ'), as the lively 
image of all his features and perfections, and evidences of his inward coun- 
sels and affections. That therefore which I here insist upon is, that Jesus 
Christ in all his glories is the great and eminent subject of the gospel, 
Rev. i. 1. 



2G4 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. I. 

3. It is tho gospel of God (namely, as the author of it), hut it is con- 
cerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. God had but one Son, and he 
made this gospel on purpose to honour him, and set him forth. It is all, 
and every word of it, some way or other concerning him, or about him. 
God made it purposely to set his Son Christ forth to us ; and in setting 
forth bis Son, himself also. It is therefore termed (chap. ii. of this epistle, 
ver. 2) « the mystery of God the Father, and of Christ.' Christ, in that series 
of truths about him held forth in the whole New Testament, is the sum of 
this newly revealed wisdom of God, 1 Cor. i. 24. 

So then, Cod's Son, first made our Christ, and that by being made man, 
is thereby further made a complete body and system of a new wisdom or 
knowledge of the glory of God. And correspondently is that speech of the 
apostle, chap. ii. ver. 2, to be understood, ' that their hearts might be com- 
forted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance 
of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the 
Father, and of Christ.' This was that subject which terminated the 
apostle's thoughts, as the horizon doth the eye ; he regarded not to look 
beyond it to anything else. And surely, if unto God himself his Christ is 
an aboundary, a sum of that wisdom manifestative, whereby he would make 
himself known to us, and rest contented therein, as the last and fullest till 
we come to glory, then he may well be so to us, and may we reckon our- 
selves complete in him, as Col. ii. 10. How complete and lively a repre- 
sentation Christ, as revealed in the gospel, is of the riches of the glory of 
God to be manifested to us, in comparison with all other, I shall shew by 
and by, when, 

4. In the fourth place, I have added this, how real and lively a demon- 
stration or setting forth of Christ this our gospel, the mystery here is. The 
story of that is this : the apostles that lived and conversed with Jesus Christ 
saw with their own eyes. He dwelt amongst us (says the apostle), John 
i. 14 : God wearing flesh and blood about him and appearing in it, was God 
manifest in the flesh personally, 1 Tim. iii. 16. And so they had the 
privilege in his person to behold his glory. ' And we beheld his glory ' 
(says he), 'the glory as of the only begotten of the Father ; ' so lively repre- 
senting the glory of the Father, that if they knew him, they must needs 
know the Father ; John xiv. 9, ' Have I been so long time with you, and 
yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? He that hath seen me hath seen 
the Father, and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?' They 
beheld it also in his doctrine, in his works and words, and gracious 
converse, full of grace in his converse, and truth in his doctrine, as it 
follows there. ' That which we (says John) have seen with our eyes 
(1 John i. 1), which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of 
the word of life.' Ver. 2, ' For Christ our life was manifested,' &c. And 
when he was gone to heaven, the Holy Ghost came down and caused them 
to understand the end and intent, the use to us, the benefits and the full 
meaning of all he did and said. He turned and translated to them the 
dark mystery of his sufferings written in blood, which they understood not, 
his resurrection, &c, into a familiar language to be understood and learned 
bv lost sinners, of remissions of sins ; redemption through his blood ; 
dying, rising for them, in their stead ; and a thousand such glories redound- 
ing to us, and in us, that are the fruits and results, and reverberations of 
ah he did and acted. The Holy Ghost came and took of his, even all that 
he had done, and unciphered and unriddled it, shewed it to them (as Christ 
says, John xvi. 14) ; and so glorified Christ afresh in that comment of 



Chap. I.] glory of the gospel. 2G5 

gospel light he caused to shine in their hearts. ■ He shall glorify me, for 
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.' And by them were 
all these things in their sermons reported ; as Peter speaks, 1 Pet. i. 12, 
1 These things which are now reported by them (said he) that have preached 
the gospel to you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.' And 
whilst they thus preached him, God gave forth by their ministry ' the light 
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,' 2 Cor. 
iv. 6, even ' the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of 
God,' ver. 4. 

But, alas ! as Christ himself was gone to heaven, and had taken up his 
glory with him ; and those that were eye-witnesses of it, and should report 
it unto us, are likewise gone off the stage : the Holy Ghost therefore caused 
them to leave a frame and doctrine of the gospel in their writings, both the 
6tory of his life and death by the evangelists, which is but Christ written in 
ciphers ; and in their epistles, which give that story forth in plainer letters, 
opening the use, and end, and intent of all. And these writings opened by 
the Holy Ghost, and the ministers of the gospel hold forth all pieces of it, 
and being set all together, make an express picture and image of Christ, 
and all his glories, who is the express image of the glory of God ; and is 
therefore called the glorious gospel of Christ, the subject of it, who is the 
image of God, and whose glory this holds forth. Thus (as Paul preached 
to the Galatians, Gal. iii. 1), before our eyes Jesus Christ hath been 
pictured, «rgosygap»j, depictus fuit; and that so really and lively, that he is 
bold to affirm, he was crucified among them, even as well as at Jerusalem. 
The Holy Ghost did set them down (as it were) at Jerusalem by the cross, 
and brought him forth crucified before the very eyes of their faith, as really 
and expressly as if they had seen it done with their bodily eyes. Let any 
other tragic story be told by the quickest and most poetic fancy, and it 
cannot be said that it was done or perpetrated among them to whom it was 
told. But the story of Christ and his truths, and all that is told, is said to 
be done among them, whilst it is a-telling. Yea, further, the glorious gospel, 
accompanied with the Spirit, is not only compared to a picturing or paint- 
ing by colours, the most lively and artificial that can be supposed, as in 
that Gal. iii. 1 ; but further, it is compared to the real image of a person 
in a glass, in which you see his soul shines out in all the casts of his eyes, 
in all the postures of his demeanour, and all this in that sparkling manner, 
as if all the angels would limn or draw a picture, they could not come near 
it. This you hare in 2 Cor. iii. 18, compared with 2 Cor. iv. 4, 6. In 
the one he says, ' We see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, in 
and by the glorious gospel.' In the other he compareth the other to a glass, 
1 We all behold as in a glass, the glory of the Lord.' That look, how far 
more lovely * the representation of a person is seen in a glass, above what 
in a picture ; so is Christ in this gospel. Let all the curious artists in the 
world conspire to paint the sun, and bring all their orient brightest colours, 
and let a child but come and bring a looking-glass ; and what a wan, pale 
thing is the one, to the glory, splendour, and reality of the other. The 
riches of the glory of the sun, no painting or colours can ever render ; but 
a looking-glass doth. And such is the revelation in the gospel made to 
believers. ' We therein behold as in a glass the g*ory of the Lord ; ' and 
therefore he calls it the glorious gospel of Christ, even as in the text. 

If you ask how this comes to pass ? I answer, By the Spirit that accom- 
panies it. So in that 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' Even as by the Spirit of the Lord,' 

Qu. ' lively ' ?— Ed. 



266 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. I. 

it is added. If the Spirit of revelation, as it is called, Eph. i. 17, accom- 
pany not this ministry and descriptions of Christ, they are but as pictures, 
or as dead words used to set forth any other narration. But the gospel being 
the ministration of the Spirit, he hath a peculiar act to bring down the real 
subsistence, (as Heb. xi. 1), of the things themselves uttered about Christ, 
which put together make up this image of Christ, in the understanding and 
spirit of the soul and mind. Can Satan make a lively shadow of a person 
long since dead, by condensation of colours, and his light shining therein, 
appear to the eye ? The Spirit can do this much more of Christ, so as 
though you see him not in that glory as he is (1 John iii. 2), in heaven, 
yet the spiritual glory of Christ you see in every truth the gospel utters of 
him ; and have real communion with him thereby, 1 John i. 2, 3, even as 
by laying your eye to the least beam of light that comes in at a cranny in 
a dark room, you see the glory of the whole sun. And as you cannot see 
the sun, but by its own light, so, nor Christ, but by a light let down from 
himself, which the Spirit that is in his heart, and in ours, gives. 

If you will ask how ? I answer, By creation. So in that 2 Cor. iv. 6. 
God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our 
hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face 
of Jesus Christ.' The words we speak and utter of his glory are but words, 
and would be no more, though we were able to set them out with the 
tongues of angels. But if that Spirit that is in Christ's heart, and lies hid 
in this word (as the promise is, ' My Spirit and my word shall not depart 
out of thy mouth'), if he accompanies it to our hearts, he presents the 
things, and the real images thereof to our souls in and through those words. 
He turns verba in res, as that philosopher when converted acknowledged. 
Which he doth to no other men but to his saints, ' to whom he would 
make known,' &c. 

So then to shut up this ; suppose you had an absent friend alive, whom 
loving, you desire at times to behold in his converse and behaviour, and 
loving aspect to you ; and a picture of him did not content you, but you 
had a glass, into which at times the lively image came, and in which he 
appeared to you really in such and such deportments : such is the gospel 
when the Spirit accompanies it, and conveys Christ spiritualty, and with 
the sight of faith to the soul. And this will help us to understand why he 
is called ' Christ in us ;' of which hereafter. 

How should we prize and value such a glass as this, preserve it from 
soiling, spots, or breaking, and suffer it not to be perverted! You reject 
such as are false and misrepresent ; you affect pure and clear ones ; oh then, 
keep to and preserve the gospel in its purity. You see your husband in it, 
and his beauty, every day. 

5. How completely doth this gospel hold forth the riches of the glory of 
God in the person of Jesus Christ, as a redeemer and crucified, 2 Cor. iv. 4, 
and 6, compared with 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. The word is h Kgocuvw, 2 Cor. 
iv. 6. John i. 18, ' No man hath seen God at any time ' (John i. 18), 
1 the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath de- 
clared him,' ii*riy7}6a,To, which word (as your late critics- observe) Enarra- 
tioneni notat, von tarn sernwiie aut prcedictione, qucun eocpressiom et reprmen- 
tatione factum. It expressed him to the life, and brought God forth out of 
his invisibility, Christ being (Col. i. 15) ' The image of the invisible God.' 
There is indeed a full and complete image of the glory of God, which 
shineth in his person, as he appears in heaven, whereof John, James, and 
• Ludovicus de Picu. 



Chap. I.J glory of the oobpbl. 2G7 

Peter had a glimpse, which transcends infinitely all that which the gospel 
can, or the Spirit of the gospel doth reveal of him. And by this glory 
(John xvii., ' That they may be where I am, and see my glory ') we sliall 
see and understand by converse with him in heaven more, infinitely more, 
of the glory of God in and by him. But this glory the gospel treats not 
of, but only hints ; we discern it but by collecting what glory must needs 
be due to that man in whom the fulness of the Godhead personally dwells. 
But that image of God which in Christ this gospel holds forth, is but the 
hopes of that other glory, and is a lower thing than that which his person 
wears in heaven. 

And yet this discovery of God in Christ transcends whatever any way 
was or could otherwise have been made. The ' back-parts ' of God, which 
we call his attributes, his power, wisdom, truth, justice, which God calls 
his glory to Moses, Exod. xxxvi., and which w r e cannot see and live : these 
are infinitely more really and substantially, and to the life, set forth to us, 
by what we know of Christ as a redeemer in the gospel ; and do infinitely 
transcend whatever of them either was, or could have been expressed in 
millions of several worlds, filled all of them with several sorts of intel- 
ligent creatures, such as angels and men, to never so great a variety, 
as the KoXvKoixiXog coyia of God could have diversified the natures of 
them into. 

There is a threefold image of God in Christ. 

1. As he is his Son, without the consideration of his dwelling in an 
human nature ; and so he is unto God the Father that image of himself by 
whom he understands himself. And were he not equal with himself, he 
should not understand or behold himself by him fully and perfectly. And 
Christ thus is in that respect as invisible, as incomprehensible as God him- 
self. For, so considered, he is God, and dwells in light inaccessible. 

2. There is an image of the glory of God shining in his person in heaven, 
such as all that shall see it shall say (as they did, Mat. xvii., upon a glimpse 
of it) that it is proper only to the only begotten Son of God. 

But, 3. There is a glorious image of all God's attributes, which shines 
in the person of Christ (as he conversed here), and in the works which 
Christ hath done for us, and in the fruits and benefits that redound thereby 
to us : or in the works of Christ (which are the beams whereof this sun is 
the body) in us, now he is in heaven, leading us into communion with him- 
self. And they all make a complete image, and that more perfect, of the 
riches of God's glory : and this the gospel treats of. The first of these is 
the foundation of the second, the second of this third : and do each exceed 
the other. There is a new and complete edition of all the attributes of 
God, which results out of the story of what he is, hath done, and is made 
to us. 

In the 1 Cor. i. 24, Christ is termed ' the power of God, and the wisdom 
of God.' He calls him by terms of the attributes of God in abstracto. And 
if the question be, How we are to understand it ? Not of what Christ is 
essentially merely as God, or simply as the Son of God, which w^as the 
first, nor yet as in his person as God-man, he hath an infinite wisdom and 
power inherent in him, which was the second ; but as he is made to us by 
his works of mediation for us, and the like, and in respect of what his 
person is made to us. Which is clear by the context : for he speaks of 
Christ as he is crucified, and of the power of God shewn, and put forth in 
calling and converting our souls by the foolishness of preaching. ' It 
pleased God, through the foolishness of preaching, to save them that be- 



2G8 A DISCOURSE OF TUB [CHAP. I. 

lieve,' ver. 21. And so it follows, ver. 23, 'We preach Christ crucified, 
unto them which are called, the power of God.' 

The like is as clear to be understood of Christ's being the wisdom oi 
God, which is attributed to him in respect of what he is made to us ; so, 
ver. 30, ' who is made unto us wisdom,' &c. And both these, the power 
and wisdom of God, appeared in Cbrist, in what he did and suffered. 
And therefore Paul subjoins, chap. ii. 2, ' As to know nothing but Christ ' 
(of which I spake afore), so he adds, ' as crucified.' So then Christ as 
crucified, and by the like reason made flesh, and walking holily, dying, 
overcoming sin, wrath, Satan, hell, rising, ascending, and then converting, 
justifying, glorifying us. In all and each of these works performed by him 
he is the power of God, the wisdom of God ; and so even in these a perfect 
edition of all those attributes. And for the same, and by the like reason, he 
may be entitled the truth, the life, the love of God, as he is in other scriptures. 
The truth of God, because he ratified all the promises, and confirmed them 
true. The faithful witness, God's Amen. So he is to* the love of God, 
1 John iv. 16, where God is said to be love, not in respect of what he is in 
himself, but in what he is to us in giving his Son ; ' God so loved the 
world, that he gave his only begotten Son.' And not only so, but he who 
himself was God ' laid down his life for us' (chap. iii. 16), sinners, enemies, 
which all commend that love, Rom. v. And thus is the love of God made 
manifest to the utmost, 1 John iv. 9, that whereas none could see the 
infinite love of God as it is in himself; — thus John in that very place, 
' no man hath seen God at any time,' ver. 18, — nor can, nor could ever have 
come to have fathomed the infinite sweetnesses of love and kindnesses that 
lie at the bottom of that heart ; therefore God, to express the utmost of 
it, gave Christ, that in the love of Christ we might comprehend the height, 
the breadth, the depth of that love that yet passeth knowledge, as Eph. 
iii. 19. Then to instance again in power ; Adam and the angels saw God's 
power in the creation of the world, Rom. i. 20. But in Christ's, and his 
work of redemption, he came to see infinitely far greater works than these, 
as Christ speaks. Look upon him in the womb, and see God and man's 
nature united into one person, • the power of the most High overshadowing 
his mother,' Luke i. 35. Which word was sought out to shew how great 
and incomprehensible a power, mysteriously and secretly wrought within 
that vail, in the framing and then uniting that human nature to the Son of 
God. As great artists, as curious limners, &c, work within doors, conceal 
their work whilst a-doing, so the Spirit doth his power. And if the fram- 
ing the body of man, and the union of the body and soul, is wondered at by 
David, as so curious a piece of workmanship, and therefore wrought, as it 
were, underground — ' I am wonderfully made,' says he, ' in the lower parts of 
the earth ' — how much more wonderful was the framing of an habitation for 
the fulness of the Godhead to dwell in, and uniting God personally there- 
unto ! Look again upon him on the cross, a weak and sorry man. For, 
as 2 Cor. xiii. 4, ' he was crucified in weakness,' and yet left and found in 
that weakness, but on purpose to make an infinite power of God appear ; 
his power was perfected in that weakness ; look on him as a poor man made 
up of flesh and blood, bearing the wrath of God and all the sins of the 
world. He bore that wrath that brake the back of men and angels, and 
crushed the strongest creatures to hell, and brake their bones without reco- 
very. But this weak drop of flesh and blood is backed and steeled with so 
great and infinite a power, as he eluctates and overcomes it. Yea, and it 

* Qu. 'too'?— Ed. 



Chap. L] glory of the gospel. 2G9 

is impossible that ho should bo held under it, Acts ii. 24. Then see him 
rising and flinging open the gates of death, the grave, and hell, ' declared to 
be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from tbe dead,' Rom. i. 4, 
like another Sampson taking these gates of brass off their hinges, and 
carrying them on his back to the top of the hill he ascended from into 
heaven. Measure but the distance between the low estate of his body in 
the grave, and of his soul on the cross, and that superexalted estate of 
glory in the highest heavens ; and what compasses our * mathematic instru- 
ments can the most enlarged understandings frame within their own thoughts 
to take this elevation ? So transcendent a power appears in raising up this 
Christ from death to glory, which the apostle doth greaten accordingly, 
Eph. i. 19, and makes it the highest pattern of power that God ever put 
forth, ' According to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought 
in Christ, whom he raised from the dead (so low), and set him at his own 
right hand in the heavenly places (so high), far above all principalities and 
powers,' &c. View the like in holiness. The glory of God's holiness is so 
great, and his eyes so pure, that when he beheld the holiness of his best 
creatures, the angels (and in any other that had been mere creatures, if 
supposed greater than they, it had been all one), his critical curious eyes 
reckon it but folly. The angels, the inhabitants of heaven, are not clean 
in his sight. But here is a holiness of a man in whom God dwells, satis- 
fies his curiosity, and though indeed it cannot profit him (as Ps. xvi. 1, 
Christ confesseth), yet he can find no fault with it. It cannot but fully 
please him, for it is the righteousness of God. See the difference of the 
strength, the efficacy of these two holinesses, and by that guess at the 
transcendent excellency and virtue of the one above the other. Sin, the 
least sin, is stronger than all the holiness in men or angels. For the guilt 
of one sin no sooner arrested an angel, but it instantly expelled all holiness 
out of his heart, and wiped out the memory of all his righteous works. 
And no sooner seized it on Adam, but it drave out of his heart, as his 
person out of paradise, all that stock of holiness was laid up in him for all 
mankind, forced it forth of his and all our hearts, being but imputed to us. 
And yet, lo ! the holiness of Christ is such, that when the guilt of sin of all 
the elect were thrown upon him, and reckoned by God and himself as his 
own, yet his holiness is of such a sovereignty that it preserves him from the 
infection thereof, overcometh sin, death, hell, the law ; and triumphing, 
cries out, ' Oh death, where is thy sting ? The sting of death is sin ; the 
strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, who hath not only 
given Christ, but this Christ the victory.' For the strength of his holiness 
is such, that though it preserved not him from being hurt by the imputa- 
tion of our sins, but laid hold on by us, and imputed by God unto us, it 
expels all the virulent poison and venom of the deadliest sins out of our 
hearts. Yet, oh ! f what a demonstration of an infinite holiness is here ? 

4. There is the greatest of justice and wrath against sin. That God 
should put to death his own Son for sin, when he became but a surety for 
it, was a clearer manifestation of his anger, and a higher piece of justice 
against sin, than if he had made and there sacrificed millions of worlds. 

5. There is the clearest brightness of his righteousness, such as is not 
found shining in the law or in their hearts ; I mean of Adam or the angels. 
For this, at the utmost, serves but to justify themselves, and there is little 
enough of it too ; the weight of the least dust in their balance would cause 
a rejection of them as too light. And if the righteousness of them all by a 

* Qu. ' or'?— Ed. t Qu. ■ Yes! oh'?— Ed. 



270 A DISCOURSE OF THE [ClIAP. I. 

general contribution were contracted into any one of them, it could not serve 
to free one sinner from one sin. Yea, only one sinful act in themselves 
would make a forfeiture of all the good in them, or that had come from 
them. But here is a righteousness of that efficacy as serves for millions of 
sinners ; of that breadth, as is able to cover worlds of sins and millions of 
worlds ; of that length, that it reacheth to eternity, an everlasting righteous- 
ness ; and no sin in God's people can wear it out, or evacuate and lessen 
the virtue of it. All the divine perfections mentioned before ; and, 

6. Not only all before are more gloriously and perspicuously set forth 
in a new edition of them, but with addition also of the discovery of some 
perfections in God, which no way else had come forth unto our compre- 
hensions. Yea, those attributes which God accounts his greatest riches 
and highest glory, as, Rom. ix. 23, his mercy and free grace, which he de- 
sired most of all to exalt in the manifestation of himself, never saw light 
till now. That great love wherewith he loved us, hidden in his heart, now 
brake forth, as Joseph's to his brethren. His love to Adam, and mankind 
in him, was but providential, founded on the law of creation, whereby he 
loveth the works of his hands as such ; and whilst they should love God, 
God would love them. But here is a love issuing from what is in his own 
heart as the fountain of it, and a spring, yea, a sea, to feed it, a love in 
Christ founded on him, and in nothing in the creature, the same where- 
with he loves him to everlasting, peremptory, unchangeable. Mercy and 
free grace, which are the richest jewels in his crown, had never else appeared ; 
the doctrine of salvation through Christ being the stage set up on purpose 
whereon only it is represented, and off from which it is nowhere else seen, 
upon which it acts itself the greatest part and gives all the other their parts, 
and manageth, ordereth the whole scenes. All passages begin and end with 
it, and tend to this, that ' by grace we are saved.' The saints' title is, 
{ vessels of mercy,' Rom. ix. 23. The whole plot and frame is made up of 
mercy, and is so called, 1 Pet. ii. 10. The doctrine itself that brings this 
salvation is termed ' grace,' Titus ii. 10, 11. It begins, sets all a- work, 
and ends all in glory. 

Use. Let us, then, both ministers and people, be exhorted to study and 
search into this gospel. My brethren, whatever other knowledge we may 
pride ourselves in, and wear out our brains about the searching into, yet 
this is that which is the riches of the Gentiles and saints, as this text hath 
it, the pearls of the world, Mat. xiii. 45, the glory of the ministry, 1 Cor. 
ii. 7, which God ordained for our glory, namely, apostles' and ministers', 
the preachers of it, the clear revealing of which was the desire and longing 
of the patriarchs and prophets, who, though they knew the legal covenant 
as well as we, yet this doctrine of salvation, Christ's sufferings, God's grace, 
was it they inquired into, 1 Pet. i. 10-12, that is, sought to God by prayer 
and searched diligently, searched, using all the means of reading, medi- 
tating to attain to the knowledge of it, and all this diligently spent, and 
thought it worthy of the chiefest of their pains. And all the answer they 
could get was this, that they delivered these things for us, it being ordained 
for our glory ; which Paul, therefore, that had profited so much in the 
knowledge of the Jews' religion, Gal. i. 14, professeth, Phil. iii. 8, that he 
' accounted all dross and dung, for this excellent knowledge of Christ.' For 
he makes his knowledge therein his chiefest excellency, Eph. iii. 4. There 
is a parenthesis, wherein you would think he boasted, speaking of his 
own writings, whereby, ' when ye read,' saith he, ' ye may understand 
my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.' The first obscure dawning made 



Chap. II.] glory of the gospel. 271 

John the Baptist, who did hut point at Christ, greater than all the pro- 
phets that were afore him. 

What do I speak of the study and glory of prophets and apostles? It 
is the study of tho angels, and which they think worth their greatest in- 
tention. Look into those two places, 1 Pet. i. 10, Eph. iii. 10, ' Which 
things the angels desire to pry into.' Those glorious creatures that 
knew God in his legal covenant and work of creation (and thoso in heaven 
saw it more glorious than this visible world) more fully than ever Adam 
did, that have the immediate participation of God himself, have his face 
to read lectures in day and night, are yet glad if they can get but a 
peep and glimpse of the way of saving men by Jesus Christ, as being a 
knowledge of a greater excellency than otherwise they have any. Yea, 
and so desirous are they to learn it, that they are content to go to school 
to the church, Eph. iii. 9, 10, ' that to principalities and powers might 
be made known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God.' 

But what need I speak of angels, prophets, or apostles ? It is the great 
study (I may so speak with reverence), the wisdom and great learning of God 
himself, who was the first professor of it, called so, 7mt hfyyfa. 1 Cor. 
ii. 7, speaking of the gospel, says he, ' We speak the wisdom of God in 
a mystery,' and that a hidden wisdom before the world was, ' hid in God,' 
Eph. iii. 9. It is God's art, and peculiar to himself, whereas of other 
knowledge men and angels have common notions infused at first creation, 
to attain to and pick out of themselves. But this is his wisdom, which 
he alone had studied, and which none knows but those to whom he reveals it. 



CHAPTER II. 

The excellency of the gospel proved from the profoundness of the knowledge 

revealed in it. 

I shall now go on to discourse the excellency of the knowledge of the 
gospel by those properties that do lie in order in the 26th verse. 

In this 26th verse, as I have told you, there are three properties ascribed 
to this knowledge of the gospel which God hath made known himself by. 

1. Here is the depth and profoundness of it, in that it is called a mystery. 

2. Here is the secrecy and hiddenness of it; it was hidden from all ages 
and from generations, till the apostles' time and till Christ came. 

3. Here is the rareness of the revealing of it, now when it is revealed ; 
it is revealed only to his saints, ' Even that mystery which hath been hid 
from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.' 

I shall open these three heads to you in their order. 

1. First, It is called a mystery. That word importeth more eminently 
these two things : 

(1.) A profoundness and a depth of knowledge. 

(2.) A secret and a hidden knowledge. 

Now because this second is contained in the words aftei*ward — ' hidden 
from ages and generations' — therefore I shall only speak to the first. 

(1.) The knowledge, I say, of the gospel, and the things that are known 
therein, they are all deep, they are profound, they are mysteries— mysteries 
for their depth. In 1 Cor. ii., the apostle, speaking of this wisdom of the 
gospel, he calleth it a mystery, as he doth here, and he calleth it a mystery 
for its hiddenness too. So ver. 7, ' We speak the wisdom of God in a 



272 A DISCOURSE OP THE [ClIAP. II. 

mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world,' &e. 
But if you read ver. 10, you shall find that he calleth the things revealed in 
the gospel, ' the deep things of God.' ' The Spirit' (saith he) ' searcheth all 
things, yea, the deep things of God ;' meaning the things contained in this 
mystery. And hence, therefore, it is called a great mystery, 1 Tim. iii. 16, 
' Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifesteth in the flesh,' &c. Now 
when it is called a great mystery, it is not in respect of its being hidden, 
but in respect of the depth and profoundness of it. Things may be carried 
hiddenly and secretly, that have no great depth in them ; therefore now 
mystery imports more than merely a being hidden. 

And, my brethren, in the general, how can it be otherwise, but that all 
the things the gospel revealeth, every one should be depths and mysteries ? 
For it is the wisdom of God, called so in a special manner. So in that 
1 Cor. ii. 7, ' We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.' It is therefore 
a mystery, because it is a wisdom of his inventing ; and therefore containeth 
nothing but depth in it. What saith the apostle in Rom. xi. 33 ? (It is a 
place full to this purpose.) ' Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom 
and knowledge of God !' And of what wisdom and knowledge doth he 
speak ? You must know that, of all epistles, that of the Romans is a system 
of divinity methodically laid down ; and the apostle having in the latter 
chapters uttered those great and glorious things of the gospel, and fetched 
them all out from the very bottom of God's breast — he having handled elec- 
tion and reprobation just before, and the calling of the Jews, and how that 
God had shut up all under sin, that at last he might have mercy upon all — 
when he had waded now so far into all these depths, that he felt himself as 
it were over head and ears, he breaks off abruptly that whole discourse, 
and cries out, ' Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and know- 
ledge of God !' Like one that is wading into the sea, when he is gone so 
far that he begins to be up to the neck, to the chin, he then cries out, 
' Oh the depth !' and comes back again ; so doth Paul here. It is as if he 
had said, ' ye Romans, I have gone as far as I can, and now I am even 
swallowed up, I can go no farther. Oh the depth !' The things of the 
gospel are depths (for that is the thing I quote this place for). It is a deep 
knowledge, because it is that knowledge which God appropriates unto him- 
self as his invention. 

Which may easily be made out by a small degree of comparison. 
Solomon, in Prov. xviii. 4, saith, that ' the words of a wise man are as deep 
waters ; ' but yet, though the words of a wise man are as deep waters, another 
wise man may fetch it out. So he tells us in Prov. xx. 5, ' Counsel in the 
heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it 
out.' But now take kings amongst men, and of all others, if they be wise 
(for that is Solomon's supposition), their hearts are unsearchable ; so he 
saith in Prov. xxv. 3, where he compares the heart of a wise king, such 
as he himself was, to the heavens for height, and to the earth for deepness : 
' The heaven for height (saith he), and the earth for depth, and the heart of 
a king is unsearchable.' And the reason is, because that they deal with 
metaphysical things (as I may so call them), that is, they deal with generals, 
as with all states and nations about them, and what their interests are with 
them, and their animosities against them ; and they deal with all the factions 
of their own people, and they know all the provocations of them ; there are 
a thousand such secret things by which their actions are guided that the 
people know not ; they having therefore such a mighty compass in all their 
transactions, their subjects cannot search into their hearts. Now then, if 



Chap. II.] glory of the gospel. 278 

the heart of a king bo thus unsearchable, what think you is tho heart of 
God, who had in his eye all souls in all ages, who hath had millions of 
worlds in his thoughts, which he could have made, afore this world was ? 
In that 1 Cor. ii., when tho apostle would commend the gospel, because it 
is the wisdom of God, what doth he do ? He sets by it the wisdom (which 
is the greatest wisdom in this world) of princes, and of the great ones of 
the world ; ' We speak wisdom' (saith he, ver. G), ' yet not the wisdom of this 
world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought ; but we speak 
the wisdom of God,' &c. Ho instanceth, you see, in the wisdom of princes, 
as the greatest wisdom of all the rest ; and he makes that to vanish, and to 
come to nought before the deep things that are in the heart of God (as he 
expresseth it, ver. 10), before the depth of this wisdom which God himself 
hath revealed. In Ps. xxxvi. 6, David makes the judgments of God to be 
a great deep. By the judgments of God there he means the works of his 
common providence, his ways of governing this world, whether in ways of 
mercy or of judgment, for he doth not mean merely ways of judgment strictly 
taken for justice ; for in the Scripture phrase, the judgments of God are as 
well his works of mercy, as of justice ; and the works of his common pro- 
vidence are meant, which appeareth likewise by what followeth in the next 
words, ' He preserveth man and beast ;' that is, his ways whereby he pre- 
serveth man and beast, and governs all the world, they are a great deep. 
But if you come to the salvation of men, he is the saviour of all men, by 
common providence, but especially of those that believe ; if you come to 
those judgments, ' Oh, how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past 
finding out !' saith the apostle in that Rom. xi. 33, when he had spoken of 
his ways of saving men. 

The greatest wisdom that was ever set up in this world by the princes of 
it, is the kingdom of popery ; it is a composition of all sorts of policies, 
called therefore a mystery of iniquity by the apostle in 2 Thess. ii. 7, and 
you shall find in Rev. xvii. 5, that the whore that rideth upon the beast 
hath this name written in her forehead, ' Mystery, Babylon the great,' &c. 
It is a very strange thing, that God in his providence should so order it, 
that in the old mitres that the popes used to wear, there was engraven in 
the inside Mysterium ; but since they were challenged out of the Revelation 
to be that great antichrist and whore, they have left it out. It is a wonder- 
ful thing to read their schoolmen and casuists in their prosecution of what 
concerned the frame of religion they have invented, what great depths (but 
depths of Satan, which he hath helped men to invent), what harmony one 
head hath in it answering to another, what a great deal of profoundness of 
learning there is in that system and fabric. Now this great mystery I may 
call the gospel of antichrist, it is another gospel made onpurpose, and set 
up by Satan to advance his eldest son antichrist. And as Satan did make 
a gospel for his eldest son, a wisdom which the world never knew before, 
and which for the depths of it is called a mystery of iniquity, surely, my 
brethren, when God himself shall go and make a gospel for his Son Jesus 
Christ, to reveal by it the riches of his glory unto the saints, what depths, 
think you, must needs be in this glorious gospel ? It is called ' the mystery 
of Christ,' in Eph. iii. 4. And when Paul boasteth of the profoundness of 
his knowledge, he doth it of his ' knowledge in the mystery of Christ,' Col. 
iv. 3. And as was said before, ' Without controversy, great is the mystery 
of godliness, God manifested in the flesh,' 1 Tim. iii. 16. 

The mystery of Christ's incarnation for the reconciling of the world (to 
instance but in that) was such a mystery, as all created understandings 

VOL. IV. S 



274 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. II. 

could never have brought forth. For consider but this, how things did 
stand between God and man, (let me but state the difference and the con- 
troversy, as I may say, between God and man). First, God laid this for a 
conclusion, that he would not put up the least wrong from his creature, but 
he would have full satisfaction from the sinner. In the second place, it was 
as clear and as apparent, that no creature could satisfy him, neither the sin- 
ner nor any for him. And yet, thirdly, God stood upon this too, he would 
have satisfaction from a creature, and that nature that had sinned should 
satisfy. Do but lay all these three things together. If God now should 
have gone and referred the untying of this knot to a consultation of all in- 
telligible* natures, angels and men, that ever were or shall be, it would 
have wildered, plunged their thoughts unto eternity ; and after millions of 
years of consultation they would have returned this answer, they could 
think and find out no way. Therefore, saith he, ' Great is the mystery of 
godliness, God manifested in the flesh ;' and it is without controversy so 
too, that is, it is such a mystery, as whoever understandeth the state of the 
controversy before between God and man, and this to be the answer, he 
must needs acknowledge, that there are depths of God in it, and that no 
other could have invented it. It carries its own testimony of divinity with 
it. Without controversy, saith he, or universally, must this be received to 
be a great mystery, ' God manifested in the flesh.' 

That is a deep knowledge, and containeth depths in it, which contains 
nothing but the reconciliation of contradictions, to make things, which in 
appearance are seeming contradictions, meet. But so the gospel doth all 
along. I shall give you instances, and some scriptures for them too. 

Take the doctrine of God's election and free grace. That at once a 
creature should be loved with the greatest love of God, and yet be a child 
of wrath at the same time (as before conversion he is), can you solve me 
this ? That he should be a son, and an enemy ; the apostle hath it, 
Rom. xi., where he tells you (speaking of the Jews in the root), that ' they 
are beloved for the fathers' sake, and yet enemies for the gospel's sake.' 
And in Eph. ii. 3, he hath it plainly, ' We' (that is, I Paul and the rest) 
' were by nature the children of wrath;' and yet Paul was a chosen vessel, 
beloved of God, even from everlasting, with the highest and greatest love. 
So were the Ephesians he speaks this of ; and it was therefore a love borne 
to them afore, which was the cause of this their quickening and bringing out 
of that estate. That one and the same man should at the same time be 
blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places — that you have in the 
very next words, ' But God who is rich in mercy, for the great love where- 
with he loved us ;' namely, then, when we were thus children of wrath, as is 
evident by that which follows after that, ' even when we were yet dead in 
sins,' out of that*love ' hath he quickened us,' as it is Eph. ii. 5 — and yet 
be cursed with all the curses written in this book, and stand under them, 
what an amazing wonder is tiiis ! It is plain that every man is so ; for 
' cursed is every one that continueth not in everything that is written in 
this book to do it.' It is applicable unto all. The reconciliation is easy, 
the gospel makes these seeming contradictions meet : for if you take man's 
person as considered in Christ, he is thus loved and blessed ; but if you 
take his person as considered in himself, without any to stand between God 
and his sin and guilt, he standeth under the curse of it. So that both 
these are true of him, one in the one sense, and the other in the other. 

So likewise, when the prophet considered in Isa. liii., that God had a 
* That is, ' intelligent,' or rather, ' capable of intelligence.' — Ed. 



Chap. JL] glory of the gospel. 275 

Son as old as himself (as I may so speak) and equal to himself, he breaks 
out, ' Who can declare his generation ?' Here is a depth. 

Our Saviour Christ himself puts some of these riddles to the Pharisees. 
Saith he to them, in Matt. xxii. 43, Solve me this : ' If David call Christ 
Lord, how is he his son ?' The gospel solveth this. 

That a virgin should conceive a son, this was a riddle to Mary her- 
self. ' How shall this be ?' saith she to the angel in Luke i. 34 ? The 
gospel revealeth this. 

That this man Jesus Christ should be in heaven when ho was on earth, 
and should be said to descend from heaven as man, and yet never was 
there then when he said it ;* this was a riddle that Christ posed Nicodemus 
with. He stood wondering at the doctrine of regeneration, that a man 
must be born again. What ! saith Christ, do you wonder at that ? I'll 
tell you a higher riddle than that : ' No man hath ascended up to heaven, 
but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in 
heaven,' John iii. 13. And if you mark the coherence of this with the 
verse before, you shall see he utters this as an heavenly mystery, beyond 
that which he had expressed of regeneration, which he saith was but an 
earthly thing in comparison of this ; ' If,' saith he, ' I have told you 
earthly things, and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you of 
heavenly things ?' So you have it likewise in John vi. When Christ had told 
them that they must eat his flesh, and drink his blood, they strove amongst 
themselves, saying, ' How can this man give us his flesh to eat ?' And 
many of his disciples when they heard it said, ' This is a hard saying, who 
can bear it ?' When Jesus (saith the text) ' knew in himself that his dis- 
ciples murmured at it' (they were those that were not believers, though 
disciples), ' he said unto them, Doth this offend you ?' Can you not under- 
stand this ? I'll give you a harder thing : ' What, and if you shall see 
the Son of man ascend up where he was before ?' And yet he was but the 
son of a virgin, and was (as man) never but in her womb. 

These riddles the gospel, you see, unfoldeth. Now as the person of 
Christ affords all these mysteries and depths, so his obedience affords more. 
That that God that made the law should be subject to the law, and fulfil 
it himself, this you have in Gal. iv. 4, ' He was made of a woman, and 
made under the law.' That God, who is nothing but spirit, should have 
blood to redeem men by, this you have in Acts xx. 28, ' Feed the church 
of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.' That he, that is 
God blessed for ever, should be made a curse, this you have in Gal. iii. 13. 
That he, that is, ' the Holy One of Israel,' should be made sin, aye, and 
what is more, he that cannot endure sin, for nothing is more contrary to 
the holiness of God than sin, and yet ' he that knew no sin was made sin,' 
this you have in 2 Cor. v. 21. That God should never be more angry 
with his Son than when he was most pleased with him, for so it was when 
Christ hung upon the cross, God did find a sweet-smelling savour of rest 
and satisfaction even then when he cried out, ' My God, my God, why 
hast thou forsaken me ?' Again, that God should be free in pardoning, 
and yet notwithstanding receive the fullest satisfaction, even to the rigour 
of justice, here is a riddle to all the world, yet you have it in Rom. hi. 
23, 24, < Being justified freely by his grace ;' but how ? ' Through the 
redemption that is in Jesus Christ.' Why, if there were a price by way of 
redemption paid, how was it freely by grace ? Yet it is both. And that 
it should ever be said that ' God is just, and the justifier of him that 
* That is, ' in his human nature.' — Ed 



276 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. II. 

believeth on Jesus,' so it follows, ver. 2 ; that though he cloth justify 
out of the freest grace, yet he is in the most absolute manner just in doing 
of it; thus to bring mercy and the extremit}' of justice to meet, what a 
reconciliation is this ! I'll give you another, for indeed the doctrine of the 
gospel is nothing else, it is made up of these. God requires satisfaction of 
his Son Jesus Christ in his human nature, and God must be satisfied with 
something that is not his own, for you can never satisfy any one with what 
is his own already. How can this be reconciled ? Why, my brethren, the 
human nature being joined to the second person, he hath that right in it 
that the Father and the Holy Ghost hath not, it is his own in a more pecu- 
liar manner ; for it is one person with him, which it is not with the other 
two persons. No creature could have made satisfaction unto God, for 
whatsoever the creature had was God's own already ; but this second per- 
son, Jesus Christ, he could say to the Father, I will give you that which is 
mine own, I have such a propriety in it as you have not ; and yet all things 
are God's. This you see is reconciled in Christ, and therefore it is put upon 
redeeming us with his oivn blood. 

To come to justification. What an amazing wonder is it that a man 
should be ungodly at the same time that he is justified, and at the same 
time that he is sanctified too. The Scripture is clear for this, Rom. iv. 5. 
Abraham, not only at his first conversion, but a long time afterward, yea, 
in his whole life, looked upon himself as a person ungodly, and to be justi- 
fied b} T God as ungodly, considered in himself. 

So if you come to conversion, there is no man that truly turns to God, 
but he turns freely to him ; it is the freest act that ever man did, or 
else he will never be saved ; yet notwithstanding, though it hath the 
highest freedom in it, it is wrought in him by an almighty power, even 
the same power that raised up Christ from death to life. Here is the 
highest freedom of will, and God's everlasting purpose and power mixed 
together. 

Come to the life of a Christian after conversion ; take it as the gospel 
hath revealed it, and it consisteth of nothing but seeming contradictions. 
The apostle, in Gal. ii. 20, reckons up together two contradictions in appear- 
ance ; saith he, ' I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live ;' well, ' yet 
not r — this is strange — ' but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I live in 
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.' My brethren, for one soul 
to live in another, and by another one's living in him, and that should be 
his life, it is only the doctrine of the gospel that makes these things true. 
Adam knew no such thing, there was no such art and skill in his life. 
That likewise in Phil. ii. 13, God should work in a man all, both the will 
and the deed, and yet the man work freely with God, this is a seeming 
contradiction, and yet made good by the gospel. 

I have mentioned these, and have given }'ou Scriptures which hold them 
forth to you in very terms. I might mention a thousand others, and I'll 
give you the reason why I mention them : it is not only to confirm the 
point in hand, but let me tell you this, and know it for a truth, the cause 
of all the errors that have been in the world hath been the want of recon- 
ciling these things together. 

The Arians found great things spoken of the manhood of Christ, as of a 
divine man, and therefore they denied that he was God. They could not 
reconcile these two, how God should be man, and man should be God, 
that both should be joined together ; therefore, taking part with one, they 
exclude the other. 



Chap. II. J glory of the gospel. 277 

Our Lord and Saviour Christ is God blessed for ever ; therefore, say the 
papists, he did not suffer the displeasure of God in his soul. Why, say 
they, can God love his Son and be angry with him at the same time ? And 
he that is God blessed for ever, can he be made a curse in his soul ? Yes, 
take him as a surety. They take part with one truth of the gospel to 
exclude the other, whereas the gospel is a reconciliation of both these, and 
therein lies the depth of it. 

So in point of justification. Say the papists, Can a man be justified by the 
righteousness of another ? Are not the saints holy in themselves ? And 
doth not that make them holy ? Is not the wall white with the whiteness 
that is in the wall? It is the want of reconciling these seeming contradic- 
tions that is the ground of that error. I will give you a greater contradic- 
tion in appearance to human reason : a man is ungodly and godly, a sinner 
and justified at the same time. This is true, the Scripture holds it forth 
to be so. 

As for the Socinians, they say there is no satisfaction for sin ; for if God 
pardon freely, how can he pardon for a satisfaction ? Whereas the Scrip- 
ture is clear, that there may be the freest grace in it, and yet satisfaction 
too ; and the truth of the gospel lies in reconciling these two, and that is the 
depth of it ; but they take part with one truth to exclude another. 

Take Antinomianism, as you call it. All those glorious truths of the 
gospel, that a man is justified from all eternity, yea, and glorified from all 
eternity too, &c. ; men cleave to all these truths, whereas other truths are 
to be joined with them. A man, before he believeth, is unjustified, there- 
fore he is said to be justified by faith ; and he is a child of wrath until he 
believe. All believers are now glorified, and sit now in heavenly places 
with Christ, considered in their head, Christ ; yet notwithstanding, what 
poor miserable creatures are they here below. Take believers in their own 
person, they are not so ; but considered in Christ, they are thus. I am 
perfectly sanctified, and perfectly holy, considered in him, and I was cruci- 
fied with him, yea, but the remainders of corruptions are still. All men 
would desire to be more glorified than they are here, yet they are perfectly 
glorified in Christ, considered in him. Here is still taking part with one 
truth to exclude another, whereas both must be taken in. So others object 
they cannot conceive that God should be angry with his elect, and chastise 
for sin ; for if he nothing but love me, how can that be ? It is easily 
answered: there is anger that proceeds from love. Though men's sins are 
forgiven without interruption, yet there is a binding of sins in heaven, so 
saith Mat. xviii. 18 expressly. 

Take Arminianism. What is the foundation of their error ? It is 
merely a want of reconciling seeming, though not real, contradictions in the 
gospel. As, for example, they know not how to reconcile man's free will 
with God's peremptory decree. Say they, If God, out of his unchangeable 
peremptory love to a man, work irresistibly upon his will, how can his will 
be free ? Why, the freest that can be for all this. For consider this, who hath 
more freedom of will than the human nature of Jesus Christ ? For if he 
had not had the height of freedom of will, we could never have been saved 
by him. Yet infallibly and irresistibly, and with the greatest necessity that 
ever could be, was his will carried on always unto good. I say, the taking 
part with one truth, without reconciling it to another, hath been the foun- 
dation of many errors, and therein lies the depth of the gospel, in recon- 
ciling all seeming contradictions whatsoever. 

All these mysteries, I say, hath God knit up in the gospel, to shew his 



278 A DISCOUESE OF THE [CHAP. II. 

own wisdom, and to befool the wise men of the world. So that now, con- 
sidering all those poor and petty plots of reconciling nations and kingdoms, 
all the ways of accommodation, whereby the greatest difficulties are resolved 
between men and men, and kingdom and kingdom, wherein the wise men 
and the princes of the world so glory (for their wisdom lies in ways of 
accommodation, and reconciling things, and in them they spend their 
thoughts, and in them they pride and magnify themselves) — I say, take all 
those depths of state, and the least of these depths that are in the gospel 
makes all the wisdom and policy of the world to vanish before it as mere 
folly. It ' confoundeth the wisdom of the wise, and brings to nothing the 
understanding of the prudent;' so the apostle saith, 1 Cor. i. 19. 

I might likewise shew you that the gospel, in the knowledge of it, is 
excellent in respect of the depths that are in it, so in respect of all that har- 
mony and correspondency that there is in the gospel of one truth with 
another. The excellency of knowledge lies as well in the suiting of one 
thing with another, as in the profoundness of the things themselves. Now 
there was never such an invention as this, that as it is said in Ecclesiastes, 
1 God hath set one thing against another,' so the harmony, the suiting of 
all truths one with another here, in that glorious manner, is nowhere to be 
found in any wisdom or art whatsoever. The philosophers found a great 
deal of harmony in the things of this world, for the skill and art that God 
hath stamped upon the creatures consisteth in the harmony that is between 
one thing and another. 

Now the observations would be infinite that might be made of this kind. 
How our sinfulness and Christ's satisfaction and obedience answers one 
another : there is nothing in tb\ T soul that thou canst object, but there is 
that in the gospel which will answer it particularly. And so of ah other 
truths, it may be said they kiss each other. My brethren, it is the thread 
that runs through all divinity ; therefore a man must make a whole body, a 
system of divinity, that will do this, and when it is done, there is nothing 
more glorious. 

Now, the gospel is not only a mystery and a depth in respect of wisdom, 
but let me give you another depth, and that is a depth of love, which is 
laid up and revealed in this doctrine and knowledge of the gospel, Eph. iii. 
18, 19, ' That you may comprehend, with ah saints, the height, and depth, 
and length, and breadth, of the love of God, which passeth knowledge.' Sin 
is a great depth, which the law lays open ; therefore, saith Jeremiah, chap, 
xvii. 9, ' The heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it ? ' And 
Solomon saith, in Eccles. vii. 25, ' I thought myself wise enough, I set 
myself to find out and to know the wickedness of folly.' But he could not 
find out that depth of wickedness that is in man's heart, or make an 
anatomy of the heart. And poor souls, when they are humbled, find it so, 
and the damned spirits in hell find it so ; for what is it they study, and 
shall do to everlasting *? Then own sinfulness and God's wrath, their parts 
being extended and set upon the utmost tenter-hooks, and their sins being 
set in order before them, they study nothing but their sins, and meditate 
nothing but terror; and this is hell. But now there is a mystery of love 
as well as of wisdom revealed in the gospel, a depth that swalloweth up all 
the depths of sinfulness that is in the elect, yea, and if they were a thousand 
times vaster than they are. The apostle, in that place I quoted even now, 
Eph. iii. 18, speaks of heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths in 
the love of God ; he compares it to a mighty sea, which swalloweth up hills 
like molehills, a sea which is of that depth that the thoughts of men, though 



Chap. II. J glory of tiik gospel. 279 

they shall he diving to all eternity to the bottom of it, shall never come 
thither, a sea of that length and breadth, that though they are sailing over 
it to everlasting, yet they shall never come to shore. It passeth knowledge, 
saith he. God's heart, my brethren, is as deep in love as it is in wisdom ; 
yea, and his love was it that set his wisdom to work, to find out all those 
depths whereby to shew his love. And, therefore, it is an observable place 
in Horn. xi. 33, which I quoted at the first, ' the depth,' saith he, ' of 
the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of God ! ' You would think that 
the apostle there speaks only of the knowledge and wisdom of God. No ; 
he means mercy and love, as well as wisdom, or rather, wisdom set a-work 
by love. And it is clear by the context, for he had spoken in the words 
before of God's shewing mercy to the elect, ' That through your mercy,' 
saith he, ' they might obtain mercy ; ' ' For God hath concluded all under 
unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all ; ' '0 the depth,' &c. Having 
spoken of love and mercy, which God intends to his elect, and the ways 
and contrivances that wisdom hath to shew mercy, he cries out, ' the 
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! ' And there, 
in Rom. xii. 1, where he comes to make application to all, what saith he ? 
' I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you ' do 
so and so. We have two gulfs in us, two vessels, understanding and will, 
and both these must be filled. "Why, the gospel contains two depths in it, 
the one to fill your understanding, the other to fill your will and affections 
for ever. It contains a depth of wisdom, and it contains a depth of love ; 
it is a mystery of wisdom, and it is a mystery of love. And so now I have 
despatched the first property of the excellency of the gospel, that it is a 
mystery. 

I shall but make a short use of it, and that is only this. These are great 
invitements unto men to become saints, and being so, to search in a more 
especial manner into the things of the gospel. You know great under- 
standings seek after depths, as good swimmers do after great rivers, and 
will not go to shallows. It is said of the leviathan, that he plays in the 
sea. There is room enough to do so. If anything invites the under- 
standing of man to be searching and prying, the depths of the gospel will 
do it. 

And let me add this to it, which, as it enhanceth the worth of the gospel, 
so it should set on our spirits after the knowledge of it, and the knowledge 
of it as saints, the depths of it are so great that it will always produce new 
knowledge ; though you know but the same things again, yet your know- 
ledge shall be always new. Why ? Because ' it passeth knowledge.' Go, 
take all other things that are the greatest riddles and secrets in the world, 
and when you once know them, you know them, and they become trivial 
when you once know them. There was a secret in nature which the world 
almost for three thousand years did not know — I am sure the heathens did 
not — and that was the cause of the eclipse of the sun and the moon, and 
they stood all wondering, as of late the West Indians did, when such a 
thing happened. Now, we know that the moon's coming between the sun 
eclipseth it, and the shadow of earth coming between the moon and the 
sun eclipseth it ; and this great riddle that amazed the world, we count it, 
now we know it, but a trivial thing ; and who almost, when the sun or 
moon are eclipsed, thinks of it with any admiration ? But when the depths 
of the gospel are unfolded to you, you may still search into them, and 
search further with new pleasure, and to a renewed understanding they 
are always new and fresh. There is no new thing under the sun, saith 



230 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CuAP. III. 

Solomon in Eccles. i. And he speaks of natural, moral knowledge. But 
there is nothing but new things which are above the sun, which believers 
know. Therefore, as the mercies of God are new every morning, so the 
thoughts of these mercies, they are to an holy heart precious, sweet, new 
every morning. And you shall find this, that as you grow up more in 
holiness, still the things you knew before will be new to you, the very same 
things, besides your enlargement in other things that you did not know before. 
So the apostle clearly saith, in 1 Cor. xiii. 10, ' When that which is perfect 
is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I 
understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish 
things.' Every new degree of spiritual light swallowed up what he knew 
before, that he thinketh that he did not know it before, the knowledge of 
it, or that new light, being so, pleasant to him. 

Now, my brethren, to have the mind of man not only to have depths 
made the object of it, but the holier he grows to be carried on to further 
depths, to be led along thus with continual new knowledge, there is nothing 
more pleasant ; and yet this the gospel is, and all the depths of it. And 
then, when you shall have depths of love added, a sea of love breaking in 
upon your hearts at every thought (if the apprehension be wound up high), 
to fill a man's will and affection, as the other filled his understanding, this 
must needs fill the heart with unspeakable pleasure and joy and content- 
ment in the view and contemplation of this great ard high mystery. Now, 
if we had holiness enough, and love enough, and faith enough, and grew 
in these, this would certainly be our case. And so much now for this first 
property of the gospel that is here mentioned, that it is called a mystery. 



CHAPTEE III. 

Another demonstration of the excellency of the gospel, that it is a secret mystery, 
a hidden and concealed wisdom. 

1 Which hath been hidden from ages and from generations,' 1 <&c. — Col. I. 2G. 

2. I come now to the second of those properties or adjuncts that are attri- 
buted or ascribed unto the gospel, mentioned in this 20th verse, to set forth 
the glory of it, and that is the secrecy and hiddenness of it. ' Hidden,' 
saith he, ' from ages and from generations.' 

That which is here translated hid is, in Rom. xvi. 25, silent, not spoken 
of; it was kept secret, at least the mystery of it. ' Now to him,' saith 
he, ' that is of power to stablish you, according to my gospel, and the 
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, 
which was kept secret since the world began.' The apostle Paul, in all 
the foregoing part of the epistle, had laid open the great things of this 
gospel, and now at the latter end of all, in the conclusion of it, because 
that it is the revelation of the gospel for which we are most of all to 
bless God, he makes that doxology, or closeth it with this praise and 
thanksgiving unto God, ' Now, to him that is of power to stablish you, 
according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to 
the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 
but now is made manifest, to God only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ. 
Amen.' He doth involve and interweave the mention of the glory and 
excellency of this gospel as that for which there is glory to be given to 



Chap. III.] glory of the gospel. 281 

God in all ages and by all nations (fur so the doxology runs), and this for 
ever. 

It is said here to bo ' hid from ages and from generations.' Interpreters, 
some of them, do make a difference between these two, namely, aijes and 
generations, that the one doth import all those times of eternity (if they 
may be called times) before the world was ; and the other all the times 
that have been since God made this world, since indeed time was. I shall 
give you the sense in which the gospel may bo said to be hid in both 
respects. 

If, in the first place, we take from ages to be all the time before the world 
was ; as in Acts xv. it is, ' Known unto God ' (saith he) ' are his works, 
even from everlasting ;' then this gospel was hid with God, even from ever- 
lasting. In 1 Cor. ii. 7, he saith, it is the ' mystery and hidden wisdom 
which God hath ordained before the world ;' and in Rev. xiv. 6, it is called 
' the everlasting gospel.' And therefore you shall observe likewise in the 
place quoted even now, Rom. xvi. 25, 2G, he saith, it is ' a mystery, which 
was kept secret since the world began ' — so our translators read it ; it is 
the same word which is used here for ages — ' and is now made manifest, 
according to the commandment of the everlasting God.' Why comes in 
the epithet of that God which hath been from everlasting, but because the 
gospel hath been so too, and hath been kept secret, not only from the time 
since the world began, but from everlasting also ? 

You will say unto me, In what respect should the gospel be said to be 
hid even from everlasting, when there was no creature to know it ? 

I answer, because it was that knowledge which in God's esteem, even 
from everlasting, he resolved he would be sparing of, and ordained to reserve 
to himself. The things of the gospel they were (as the apostle tells us, 
1 Cor. ii. 10) 'the deep things of God,' that lay (as I may so speak) at 
the bottom of his heart, the great secrets, which he esteemed such even 
from everlasting. And whereas for other kind of knowledge he had but a 
common regard, not much caring or standing upon it, when he should re- 
veal it, and so thought with himself. As for the knowledge of other things, 
I can set no time for the revelation of them (that is, in respect of any 
peculiar account or value I have of them, though all things fall within my 
decree), but I will give means to mankind to know anything else presently; 
but this of the gospel, saith he, I will reserve. Other things in God that 
he meant to reveal, they lay uppermost in his thoughts, &c, they were 
common, he cared not how soon they were known. But these were the 
deep things of God ; God hath not been sparing or nice (as I may express 
it) of any other knowledge whatsoever, that in this world he meant to re- 
veal to the sons of men, either the knowledge of the creature, or of his law ; 
but this of the gospel he locked up in his own breast, he had a peculiar 
cabinet for it, and it lay under a lock of his own decree not to manifest it 
till the fulness of time should come. And therefore it is said to be ' hid in 
God, even from everlasting.' There is a phrase in 1 Cor. ii. 10. Speaking 
of this gospel (as in that chapter he doth), he saith, ' The Spirit searcheth 
all things, yea, the deep things of God.' It is expressed after the manner 
of men, and that phrase with that emphasis, ' Yea, the deep things of God,' 
implies that God, as other artists, and those that are wise, when he hath 
anything that is rare, and which he cares not to let every one see, keeps it 
close. In the like manner, you have a phrase at the 9th verse of that chapter, 
' Eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart 
of man, the things ' (the things of the gospel, namely, for he speaks of the 



282 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. III. 

gospel in that chapter) ' which God hath prepared for them that love him.' 
Prepared, when ? Why, prepared even from everlasting, for, as Austin 
well expresseth it, the decrees of God (saith he) they are but the prepara- 
tions, the contrivements of all those benefits and mercies which God in- 
tended to bestow upon us. 

Secondly, It is said to be hidden also from generations, that is, from ages 
since the world began. So the apostle speaks, looking backward to former 
times. I shall give you the particulars, in respect of which it was said to 
be hidden from all generations past. 

The gospel, as it is now revealed, was hid from all nations. 

(1.) It was hid from the Gentiles, so as it was new to them ; and that is 
plainly one of the apostle's scopes here. He writes to Gentiles, and he 
would magnify the mercy of the revelation of the gospel unto them ; and 
therefore if you mark it, he saith, ver. 27, ' To whom ' (namely, the saints) 
' God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the 
Gentiles.' And so likewise you have it in Eph. iii. 8, ' Unto me, who am 
less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach 
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ ; and to make all men 
see what is the fellowship of the mystery ' (namely, to the Gentiles, that 
they should partake of it), 'which from the beginning of the world hath 
been hid in God ;' insomuch, as some interpreters would make in all 
these places, both that in Rom. xvi. 25, and this place in the Ephesians, 
and likewise this text in the Colossians, the mystery intended to be tbe 
revealing of the gospel unto the Gentiles. But it is clear that is not the 
meaning. The mystery that was kept hid is not only that the gospel 
should be preached to the Gentiles, but it is the things of the gospel itself ; 
it is the mystery of the glory of it ; it is ' Christ the hope of glory ;' and it 
is, in the Ephesians, ' the unsearchable riches of Christ ;' and more plain, 
in 1 Pet. i., the things concealed to former times there, are not only said 
to be the revelation of these things to the Gentiles, but the things them- 
selves, the salvation itself, as you shall find if you read the 10th, 11th, and 
1 2th verses of that chapter. 

(2.) It was kept hid even from the Jews also ; it is therefore indeed called 
a mystery ; for what is properly a mystery '? It is not the thing merely 
hid, wholly kept so close as that there is nothing said about it, but when 
there is that said about it which doth obscurely and darkly reveal it, and 
yet hath a further meaning, which afterwards cometh to be opened. Even 
thus as to the words that Adam spoke concerning his wife, that ' they two 
should be one flesh,' what saith the apostle of it, in Eph. v. 32 ? ' This is a 
great mystery,' saith he. Why ? Because darkly under the union of man 
and wife was intended the union of Christ and his church. ' I speak,' saith 
he, '.concerning Christ and his church.' 

Now it is therefore called a mystery even to the Jews, because although 
they had the gospel, the substance of it, yet it was veiled, and the carnal 
Jew he understood all in the letter, and looked to nothing in the gospel ; 
and as you have it in 2 Cor. iii. 13, ' there was a veil put over Moses his 
face, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of 
that which is abolished,' namely, to what was revealed unto them under 
the law. But now the gospel is come, all is open (as if you should speak 
of a riddle, and when you have done, give the meaning of it), and then 
they saw that all that the prophets and Moses had written was written con- 
cerning Christ. But I say, the Jews in the time of the law saw not this 
mystery intended in it. You shall find this in that place of the Romans I 



Chap. III. ] glory of the gospel. 283 

quoted even now, chap, xvi., ver. 25, 26, 'According to the revelation of 
the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made 
manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets ' — mark that expression — 
1 according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to 
all nations.' Would you know, saith he, why the gospel is called a mys- 
tery ? God hath hid a great deal of it obscurely up and down among the 
prophets, and Christ hath sent out his apostles to make known and reveal 
what all those prophets intended, which they themselves did not know, not 
in the clearness of it as we do ; they had as it were the letter, we have the 
mystery unfolded. Therefore says the apostle Peter (1 Pet. i. 10), ' Of 
which salvation the prophets inquired and searched diligently, who pro- 
phesied of the grace that should come unto you ; unto whom it was re- 
vealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things 
that are now reported unto you,' &c. So that indeed the mystery, and the 
meaning, and the end at which all those things aimed that the prophets 
delivered, they themselves fully knew not ; they were to write the Scrip- 
tures, and they inquired after, and searched diligently what those things 
which they wrote did signify ; but it was answered them, that ' not unto 
themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things that are now re- 
ported.' But now in the times of the gospel (saith he in Rom. xvi.) ' By 
the scriptures of the prophets, it is made known unto all nation^f Men 
had only hints before, but now by opening the prophets, and laying things 
together, the whole business is unfolded, and this mystery is come out. 
And this is properly a mystery, and in this respect the gospel was a mystery, 
hidden even from the Jews themselves. Therefore, to give you another 
place, there is a little particle in Eph. iii. 5, very observable, ' By revela- 
tion he made known unto me the mystery, which in other ages was not 
made known unto the sons of men.' What, did they know nothing of the 
gospel ? Yes, saith the apostle, they might, but it was in a mystery, it 
was not made known to them, saith he, ' as it is now revealed ;' mark 
that particle, ' made known as it is now,' to his holy apostles and pro- 
phets, that is, the prophets of the New Testament, upon whom the Holy 
Ghost fell, who opened unto them all those prophecies of the Old Testa- 
ment, and they saw clearly nothing but Jesus Christ in them. Hid it was, 
you see, from the Gentiles ; hid it was also from the Jews, in respect of the 
revelation of it. Hid it was also, 

(3.) From the angels, and from Adam in innocency. The angels might 
know that they were to have a head, in whom God did unite them unto 
himself, and they might know it as the fathers of the Old Testament 
knew there should be a Messiah, by whom they should be redeemed ; but 
how, and who, and what he was, they knew not ; and in that respect they 
are said, in 1 Pet. i. 10, 11, to pry into these things, which place I shall 
not mention much, but I shall give you another place, which will compre- 
hend both, namely, that the great things of the gospel were kept hidden 
from angels and from man also. And it is in 1 Cor. ii. 9, compared with 
Isa. lxiv. 4 (out of which the words in the Corinthians are taken), ' As it 
is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the 
heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.' 
Now in Isaiah it is thus, ' Since the beginning of the world, men have not 
heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath the eye seen, God, besides 
thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.' To open these 
words a little. When he saith there in the Corinthians, ' Eye hath not 
seen, nor ear heard,' &c, it hath reference to what was said, ver. 7, ' We 



284 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. III. 

speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which 
God ordained afore the world.' And it hath reference also to ver. 8, where 
it is said, ' which wisdom none of the princes of this world knew ; ' and he 
brings a proof why none of the princes, none of the corrupt men of the 
world ever knew it, a majore, from a far greater argument ; for, saith he, 
these great things which the gospel reveals for the salvation of the elect, 
have not only not entered into the heart of corrupt men, but they have not 
entered into the heart of innocent man, not into the heart of Adam himself. 
How do I prove that ? From that in Isa. lxiv. 4, ' Since the beginning of 
the world,' saith he, 'men have not heard,' &c, which phrase the apostles 
often use, when they speak of the gospel being hidden, as in Eph. hi. 9, 
he saith, ' It hath been hid from the beginning of the world.' But you 
will say, he excludes not angels. Why, truly, if you consult the place in 
Isaiah, he saith, that ' none hath seen, God, besides thee.' "Who doth 
he speak to '? To Jesus Christ, as a distinct person from his Father. Why ? 
It is clear by this, because he changeth the phrase, ' None hath seen, 
God, besides thee, what he hath prepared;' not what thou hast prepared, 
but what he hath prepared; as if he had said, besides thee, God the Son, 
knewest what God the Father hath prepared for those that love him, none 
else but only Jesus Christ, which was in God's bosom, knew it. ' Neither 
eye hajft-seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man.' 
There is but those three ways of knowing, either from the inward natural 
principles, which are in the heart of man ; and so a thing enters into a 
man's heart from the principles of reason, which are in a man's self. Why, 
saith he, all the principles that were sown in Adam's heart, or in any man's 
heart else, would not have afforded this knowledge, it would not have 
entered into a man's heart. And then all the way of knowledge by the eye, 
or observation of the creatures, could never have afforded this knowledge, 
or the least jot of it. No; all the hearing by the ear, all the communica- 
tion that God should have made to Adam, would not have laid open these 
things to him. And it is plain, that Isaiah speaks of the things of the 
gospel, not only by the quotation of his words by the apostle Paul, but 
from the desire of the church there, that God would bow the heavens and 
come down, and reveal these things to them. ' Bow the heavens,' saith 
he, ' and come down, touch the mountains,' &c. Even as the mountains, 
when God gave the law, bowed down before him, so he expresseth the 
revealing of the gospel under the same terms. 

Having gone over all these places, there is one place more, in which all 
that I have said out of the Romans, and out of the Corinthians, and out of 
the Colossians, and out ot the Ephesians, concerning the hiddenness of this 
wisdom, is in a manner contained, and it is in the Old Testament, and for 
aught I know, in the oldest book of the Old Testament, even in Job, chap, 
xxviii., which I shall open to you as clearly as I can ; the truth is, I had 
not thought it had lain in that place, till I found the learned Ainsworth refer 
to it, though but in a word. 

Most interpreters, I find, refer all the matter in that 28th chapter to the 
12th verse of the 27th chapter, and that there Job begins his preface to all 
the discourse that follows. ' I will teach you,' saith he — it is translated — 
' by the hand of God ; ' but Piscator reads it, ' Of the hand of God,' that 
is, that shall be the subject I speak of, ' and that which is with the Almighty 
will I not conceal,' that which is secret and laid up with him. Where he 
professeth to hint to them a secret counsel and wisdom, which was in God 
beyond what they had spoken, a wisdom which they knew little of, and 



Chap. III.] glory of the gospel. 285 

which God kept secret from all living. All the discourses of Job's friends, 
what had they been about ? They had been about God's outward dispensa- 
tions, how God punisheth wicked men for their sins, and they confine them- 
selves to that discourse, to the works of God's providence, and an enumera- 
tion of his legal proceedings in a way of justice to sinners, which was a 
common ordinary notion then in the world, and which suited those times 
tinder the law of nature, under which it is thought Job lived. Now in this 
they prided themselves in their discourse ; therefore Job, to confound them, 
and not only to confute them, but shame them too, he professeth to hint to 
them another wisdom, which they did not exercise their thoughts about. 
Why, saith he, ver. 12, you speak nothing but what is ordinary, ' Behold, 
all ye yourselves have seen it ; why then are ye thus altogether vain ?' or 
boast yourselves of such a knowledge as you have uttered, by which you 
condemn me, as if I were a wicked man ? For by it they had condemned 
him, because God punished wicked men according to their works ; and so 
Job goes on to repeat what they had said, as you will see if you compare 
the 13th verse to the end with the 20th chapter. But, saith he, whereas 
you think that this knowledge you have uttered hath such a great deal of 
depth in it, I will tell you, or teach you of the hand of God, that is, of 
God's eternal purpose, for so you shall find it (as Piscator well observeth) 
in Acts iv. interpreted : ' They were gathered together,' saith he, ' to do 
whatsoever thy hand and counsel determined before to be done.' ' I will 
not conceal' (saith Job) 'that which is with the Almighty;' there is a 
higher wisdom, which he in his eternal purpose hath ordered, beyond that 
which you see in the works of his ordinary providence, which you neither 
mind nor search into. Having thus prefaced his following discourse, he 
doth in the 28th chapter, as both Beza and Jansonius observeth, begin to 
speak of this wisdom, and to commend it to them. And see how he sets 
it out, you shall see it will fall in and open all the scriptures I have already 
mentioned. 

First, He compares that wisdom, which he would set their thoughts a- 
work upon, which they neglected, and out of the rigour of their legal spirits 
condemned him, he compares it, I say, first, with all human wisdom, and 
he tells them plainly this, that there is a great deal of wisdom in the hearts 
of men ; and instanceth in the art that men have to find out all the precious 
things that are hid in the bowels of the earth ; so ver 1, ' He findeth out 
where there is a vein for silver, and a place for gold ; ' he taketh iron out 
of the earth, and he hath such skill as he can make brass out of a stone ; 
and if a flood break out while he is digging under the earth, he can over- 
come that difficulty and remove it ; and he digs up stones out of the earth 
where bread grows. One would have thought man should have been con- 
tented with bread. No ; but he digs up the earth, where he finds stones that 
are the place of sapphires, and which hath dust of gold ; and, ver. 10, says 
he, ' He is able to cut out rivers among the rocks,' for he speaks of man 
and his wisdom, which God hath given him in all this, ' and his eye seeth 
every precious thing.' Well, but when he had thus described the art of 
man, from the first verse to the 12th, saith he, though men have all this 
skill and this art, ' Yet where shall wisdom be found, and where is the 
place of understanding ? ' And by wisdom here he means the same that 
Solomon doth in the Proverbs, viz., that wisdom that shall save men, as 
appears in the last verse ; for Job interlaceth many discourses of Christ, 
speaks of him as ' the Redeemer :' ' I shall see him with these eyes,' saith 
he ; and he whom he calleth the Redeemer elsewhere, in this chapter he 



28G A DISCOUKSE OF THE [ClIAP. III. 

calls wisdom, which was to be the ordinary phrase of the Old Testament, 
and so of those times, by which they did call the Messiah. He complains 
in the 13th verse, that man, who had all this art and skill to find out all 
things else, yet he sought not after this ; ' Man knoweth not the price 
thereof, neither is it found in the land of the living ; ' you may go almost 
all the world over and hear no man speak of it, no man values it. He 
speaks not of that wisdom which is in God infinitely, for that is not a thing 
for man to obtain, and so under that consideration to value it as Paul did, 
when he esteemed all as dung in comparison of it. Man knows it not, saith 
he, he would never have enhanced the price of it (as afterward, ver. 16, ' It 
cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the 
sapphire '), but to raise up the hearts to seek it. He speaks just as Solomon 
doth in Prov. viii., when he speaks of Christ. 

Secondly, As he compares it with all. the knowledge that man hath, so 
with all the knowledge that the creatures materially can afford. Go over 
all the creatures, they all do not contain one jot of that wisdom : so saith 
the 14th verse, ' The depth saith, It is not in me ; and the sea saith, It is 
not in me ;' for they do afford to man's understanding no hint at all of any 
such thing, not a whit to be known of the knowledge of God in Christ is in 
the whole frame of nature. ' Whence cometh wisdom then ?' (ver. 20) 
and where is the place of understanding ? seeing it is hid from the eyes of 
all living, and kept close from the fowls of heaven.' Whence comes it ? 
That is, Who is the author of it ? And where is it to be found ? That is, 
What is the subject matter of it ? The depth affordeth it not, it is not to 
be ound there ; the creatures, though they hold forth the footsteps of God, 
yet they do not hold forth this wisdom. He tells us afterward, in ver. 23, 
that ' God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof,' 
for (as the apostle saith, in Eph v.) it lies hid in God ; and Job saith, that 
God had kept it close, and doth keep it close from all ; and so he reckons 
up all things that are to be reckoned up, he reckons up the sons of men. 
1 It is hid,' saith he, ' from the eyes of all living,' that is, of mankind, ' and 
kept close from the fowls of heaven' (as you have it in your margins), as 
metaphorically he calleth angels ; for otherwise, why would he ascend from 
the eyes of all living, speaking of man, to the fowls of heaven, unless he 
spake of such creatures as have more understanding than man, namely, 
angels, for so in Scripture they are called ? And, saith he, ver. 22, ' Go 
down to destruction and death,' and they will say, ' We have heard the 
fame thereof with our ears ; ' all our forefathers that are dead, they knew 
not the way of it neither, though they have heard the fame of it. The 
devil heard it when he was cursed, he heard it with a witness, that 
both his ears tingled when he heard it ; and all our fathers that are dead 
heard the fame of it, knew there was such a thing, as Job also did, but 
they had not that clear revelation of it. It being hidden therefore from all 
these, ' it is God,' saith he, ' that understandeth the way thereof, and he 
knoweth the place thereof; that God that looks to the ends of the earth, 
and seeth under the whole heaven ; that God that makes a weight for the 
winds, and that weigheth the waters by measure; that God, when he made 
a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then did 
he see it,' and (as your margin hath it) ' did number it,' or resolved it in 
his mind ; he recounted it, he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. He 
saw it ; that is, he had it in his view, as the chiefest wisdom of all else, 
greater than whatever else he was a-doing in making the world. And he 
numbered it ; that is, he accounted it as the choicest of all knowledge else. 



CUAP. III.] GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 287 

And he prepared it, as a further thing than the wisdom he stamped upon 
the creature, and he did as it were by study search it out. You find these 
phrases fall in with what the apostles themselves use of it. 

If you ask mo what wisdom this is that Job speaks thus of, it is (as I 
hinted afore) that wisdom whereby men are saved, which was the title 
that then in those old times they gave to the Messiah, and the fear of him, 
and the knowledge of him, and of God. If you look in Prov. viii. (and 
this book of Job was written long afore that of the Proverbs), you shall 
find that Solomon useth the same expressions that Job here doth, and he 
makes a description of Jesus Christ under the title of Wisdom, and of that 
way of salvation that was then but obscurely revealed, and afterward more 
fully manifested in the times of the gospel, even ' the hidden wisdom of 
God,' as the apostle calls it. Solomon, in that 8th of the Proverbs, ver. 11, 
saith that ' the knowledge of it is bejtter than rubies, and that all the things 
that may be desired are not to be compared to it.' Job useth the same 
expression, ver. 18, 'No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls, for 
the price of wisdom is above rubies.' Had it been the wisdom of God 
himself, which God everlastingly keepeth to himself, and is not to be pried 
into, Job would not have put that price upon it to incite men to the search 
of it. So likewise you shall find that Solomon makes the same complaints 
that Job doth, that the sons of men receive it not, value it not. And as 
Job saith, that ' God, when he made a decree for the rain,' then did he see 
that wisdom and prepared it, and searched it out ; so Solomon useth the 
same expressions also, ' When he established the clouds above ' (it is the 
same expression), 'when he strengthened the fountains of the deep, when 
he gave to the sea his decree,' &c, Prov. viii. 28 ; then saith Wisdom, ' I 
was there, and was daily his delight,' &c. And that you may see how one 
Scripture openeth another, you shall find in Eph. iii., where it is called a 
hidden wisdom, he saith, ' To make all men see what is the fellowship of 
the mystery, which from the beginning of the world was hid in God, who 
created all things by Jesus Christ.' Now, what saith Job, and what saith 
Prov. viii. ? Saith Job, ' When God did give a decree for the rain,' ' when 
he established the clouds above,' saith Solomon, then did he see this, he 
had this in his eye ; but he kept it close as a further wisdom than what he 
was a-making, and stamping upon the creatures. ' It was hid in God,' 
saith the apostle, ' who created all things by Jesus Christ.' In the strength 
of Christ, God-man, did he create all things, and had then in his eye the 
Lord Jesus, whom he meant to propound to the creature as the head of 
the creation. It is a wisdom also which is not in nature, but distinct from 
it ; for Job saith, ' When he made the world, he saw this.' And then he 
useth the very same phrases that are used of the gospel. 

There are four things said of it: (1.) he saw it; (2.) recensuit (so Pis- 
cator translates it), he numbered it with himself, recounted it ; (3.) he did 
prepare it ; (4.) he searched it out. Now, do but look in 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10, 
where the apostle speaks of this hidden wisdom, and you have the very same 
phrases, ' We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which God ordained 
before the world.' ' The things which God hath prepared ' (the Septuagint 
useth the very same words in the Greek which the apostle doth here) — 
and then he searcheth it out ; ' the Spirit,' saith he, ' searcheth the deep 
things of God.' And, my brethren, to add this as the conclusion, it is 
that wisdom by which men were then saved that Job had here in his eye. 
Now, what wisdom was it that men were saved by then ? It was by that 
obscure knowledge they had of God in Christ held forth in the promise, 



288 A DISCOURSE OF THb [ClIAP. III. 

which, did cause them to cleave to him, and to fear him, and to worship 
him, and to depart from evil. Now, look in Prov. viii., and compare it 
with the last verse of this 28th of Job. Saith he there, ver. 12, speaking 
of wisdom, ' I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge. The 
fear of the Lord is to hate evil,' &c. ; and, ver. 20, ' I lead in the way of 
righteousness,' &c. And so he goes on, and in the conclusion shews how 
that the knowledge of Christ, and of the gospel as it was then revealed, 
did work men to cleave unto God, to fear God, and to depart from evil ; 
that was the way whereby men were saved then. So Job tells his friends 
here ; you tell me, saith he, of God's dealings with me in an outward way 
of providence, but you mind not the wisdom of God. What is that ? 
' The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil, is 
understanding.' Now, in the Jewish language, the piety of those times, 
by which they are said to believe in God and to be religious, is still ex- 
pressed by ' the fear of the Lord.' And he in the New Testament that is 
called a believer, in the Old is called a man that feareth God, for that was 
the wisdom Christ was made unto men in the Old Testament. I say, as 
faith is the great thing on which the language of the New Testament runs, 
so the fear of the Lord is the language of the Old. There is a world of 
places for it. ' Come, ye children, and I will tsach you the fear of the 
Lord,' Ps. xxxiv. 11. Therefore it is called the beginning of wisdom when 
they come thus to know God ; for it is called the fear of the Lord, because 
it was that by which they were to fear God and come to the Messiah, a 
fear which made them wise unto salvation. The same Christ, by teaching 
them his fear then, made them wise to salvation, which teacheth us now ; 
only our religion is expressed by faith, theirs by fear, because there was 
little gospel mixed with it ; it wrought in a legal way, in a way of bondage 
then, ours in a way of adoption. So that it is clear that Job speaks of 
that wisdom whereby men are saved, according, to the notion of those 
times, having some hint of some further wisdom which was hid in God, 
which was not in angels nor in men, and which God himself in the end 
would reveal. And so you have, as I conceive, truly the meaning of that 
place in Job. 

U se% — Ig the gospel thus a hidden wisdom, hidden from ages and from 
generations ? This should cause us to value and put the highest worth 
and esteem upon it. Amongst all other considerations that should move 
us to it, this is not the least. We see the greatest wits of the world, and 
the greatest understandings, have still been taken with antiquity, with any 
learning and knowledge that is ancient, especially when it is hidden too. 
How do men prize an old copy of a father (as they are called), which hath 
lain hidden in some hole in a manuscript, and is now revealed ! How 
doth a great scholar value such a thing ! They think it a glory to be the 
publisher of such a thing. To have an old copy of the New Testament, 
though it doth not differ three words throughout the whole from what we 
commonly have, yet if it be an old copy (as lately one of the Septuagint, 
written thirteen hundred years ago, was sent over*), what a value is there 
set upon it ! If the prophecy of Enoch, which Jude quoteth (and such a 
thing they say is extant in Africa f), were now found out, how would it be 

* Doubtless the famous Alexandrian manuscript, which was sent from Constanti- 
nople, as a present to Charles I., in 1628. Goodwin was not aware that it contains 
the New Testament, as well as the Septuagint version of the Old.— Ed. 

f The book, which was long believed to be extant in Africa, was at length found 



Chap. III.] glory of the gospel. 289 

valued ! If it were common hero, how would it be esteemed ! Solomon, 
you know, wrote of herbs and plants, from the cedar of Lebanon to tho 
hyssop that springs out of tho wall ; if these books that are lost were now 
found, what a price would we set upon them ! my brethren, a far 
greater than the wisdom of Solomon is here, and far more ancient; for here 
is the wisdom that was hid in God from ages and generations, even before 
the world was, which lay at the bottom of his heart, which are the deep 
things of God. Here is a whole edition (for so the gospel is) of a new 
testament, of a new knowledge of God, in comparison of what the fathers 
had. Here is the wisdom of God himself, which was kept close from the 
Gentiles, from all nations, four thousand years, kept hid from Adam in 
innocency, kept hid from angels, kept hid from all, that his own Spirit even 
searcheth into these deep things of God. How should this whet on our 
souls to be skilful in, and to study this gospel, and to know all the secrets 
of it ; to seek unto God for that holy and blessed Spirit who writ this word, 
and hath hid herein all the treasures of knowledge which are to be revealed 
to us. This did commend it to the primitive times. Paul still in all his 
epistles, as you have seen in that of the Romans, in this of the Colossians, 
in that of the Ephesians, in that of the Corinthians, makes it a mighty 
matter, that unto them this gospel was revealed that was hid before, that 
God had broke up a new treasury, not of notional divinity, but of the know- 
ledge of kiniself, even the mystery of the Father and of Christ, as it is called 
in Col. ii. 1. 

But you will say unto me, this indeed did mightily commend it to our 
forefathers, that lived in the primitive times, to whom it was first made 
known. In regard to them it was admirable, that it should be four thousand 
years before it was revealed, and then made known unto them, and that they 
should be the first ; but for us, we are born under it, and it hath now been 
sixteen hundred years since it was made manifest. Therefore, what is this 
to commend it to us ? 

I answer first, It did lie hid, however, four thousand years afore the 
world knew it ; and that thou shouldst have thy lot to be born in the days 
of the revealing of this gospel, and shouldst come to know these things 
which were hid to the ages before, is a favour ; for thou mightest have been 
bom in the midst of those four thousand years. 

But, secondly, so did God order it in his great wisdom, that though the 
law was given (I parallel it so) in Moses his time, yet there was a time (as 
that of Manasseh's, and of other of those kings) in which the law was in a 
manner lost, and the priest searching in the temple doth by chance find it. 
This hath been the case of the gospel since God delivered it to these times ; 
for this doctrine of the gospel in the greatest glory, and the riches of the 
secrets of it, was obscured for more than a thousand years, yea, from the 
very apostles' time a mystery of iniquity began to work, and another gospel 
to be raised up that darkened the true one by degrees, till antichristianism 
overspread the world ; whenas all the world, and the learned men of the 
world, ran after the rudiments of the world, and not after Jesus Christ ; 
and the world was spoiled through school divinity, and through philosophy, 
as the apostle speaks, Col. ii. 8. And it is not many years since that 

by the traveller Bruce, who brought home three copies of it in the Ethiopic lan- 
guage. It was edited by Archbishop Laurence, and published in 1821. It is clearly 
proved not to be the Book of the prophet Enoch, but the production of a Jew of that 
name, who wrote not earlier than the middle of the second century of the Christian 
era. — Ed. 

VOT.. TV. T 



290 A DISCOURSE OP THE [CHAP. III. 

great and glorious breaking forth of the gospel began in the time of Luther, 
when God did break up another Indies. He gave the pope a world, the 
Spanish world, the West Indies ; he set them a-work about the first part 
of the wisdom spoken of in that 28th of Job, to find out a vein for tho 
silver, and a place for the gold. And he gave another Indies of the gospel 
unto us of the protestant churches, and it had been happy for us to have 
kept ours, and to improve it as they have done theirs. But, my brethren, 
though God began and renewed the knowledge of this gospel, yet the saints 
will find digging work enough in it, even to the end of the world. You shall 
find in the very midst of the book of Revelation, when fourteen chapters 
of it were spent, that it is there said, ver. 6, ' I saw another angel fly in 
the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that 
dwell on the earth.' He speaks of the time of antichrist, for in the 13th 
chapter he describeth the beast, how he ascendeth out of the sea ; and in 
the 14th, he describes the saints under antichrist, and how he tyrannized 
over them, especially at the latter end, when the light of the glorious gospel 
of Christ breaks forth. And whereas they accuse the gospel of novelty ; 
no, it is an everlasting gospel, saith he. And God did set a-work many 
before us to preach this gospel ; and how did they begin to preach it ? for 
it went on by degrees. They fell upon images first, they bade people take 
heed. ' Fear God, and give glory to him, and worship him, that made 
heaven and earth ; ' that was the first great thing which the protestants laid 
open, when they first began to preach the gospel. Afterwards they began 
to challenge Rome with being the antichrist, that was the second angel. 
And then a third comes, and saith, that ' whosoever drinks of her waters, 
and of her cup, shall everlastingly be tormented ; ' so that men that are 
learned and knowing men, living in that religion, cannot be saved. And 
then in the 15th and lGth chapters, there come seven angels out of the 
temple, and they still reveal more and more. Thus doth God by degrees 
go on, so that within these hundred years, we in our age, ever since that 
great light first broke out (especially here in this kingdom), have had the 
light of the gospel rising still clearer and clearer, and so it will do till anti- 
christ be destroyed, for he is to be destroyed, to be melted (so the word is) 
by the dawning of the Sun of righteousness, who is coming upon the world. 
Therefore in Isa. xi. 8 he saith, * The earth shall be full of the knowledge 
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea ; ' he hath the like expression in 
Hab. ii. And he speaks of the latter times, for he speaks of those times 
before, and upon the calling of the Jews ; and that is clear by ver. 11 of 
that Isa. xi., 'It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his 
hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people ; ' he had 
delivered them out of captivity once, and he shall do it again the second 
time, saith he. Now go take Ezekiel : he prophesieth likewise of those 
latter times, and he useth the same expression of the overflowing of waters 
by degrees, in Ezek. xlvii. Speaking of a glorious temple, that was to be 
set up in the latter days (that is clear by all the passages of that prophecy), 
he saith, ' he saw waters issue from under the thresbold of the house,' 
that is, of the church ; and saith he, first I was led through waters, and 
the waters came up to the ankles ; afterwards the waters were to the knees, 
and then to the loins, and at length a river that could not be passed over, 
for the waters were risen, waters to swim in ; and when he was returned to 
the brink of the river (that you may know what times he speaks of), ho 
saith, ' There were very many trees on the one side, and on the other.' 
Now compare this with Rev. xxii. There you have the same trees and tho 



ClIAP. III.] GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 291 

samo waters (speaking of the latter times of the gospel too, as Ezckiel doth), 
whoso leaves did heal the nations every month. So that he speaks of the 
growing of tho knowledge of the gospel by degrees, which should be as 
waters that cover the sea. Tho like you have in Zechariah, where he pro- 
phesieth, that in tho latter times there should come a day, which should be 
clearer towards evening. In the times before this, saith he, it shall bo 
neither light nor dark (which I believe are our times), and it shall begin to 
clear up towards evening (it is in Zech. xiv. 6, 7) ; and he useth the samo 
expression concerning water, ver. 8, ' Living waters,' saith he, ' shall go 
out from Jerusalem,' &c. And Dan. xii. 4, ' Many shall run to and fro, 
and knowledge shall be increased.' 

I speak it for this, that although tho gospel was revealed to the apostles 
so long ago, yet God hath so ordered it, that to us now it is new again. 
My brethren, lot me say this to you, it is 'a faith once given,' so Jude 
tells us. When the apostles had given it out of their hands, what, will 
God send apostles to recover this gospel again ? No ; it is a greater glory 
for God by degrees, and by ordinary light in the hearts of his ministers 
and his people, to recover this gospel (which was thus blasted by antichrist 
in the latter days), that it shall have the same purity in doctrine and govern- 
ment that was in the primitive times ; I say, for God to do this by degrees 
and by ordinary means, it is a greater glory than to send apostles. It were 
an easy matter for him to pour out his Spirit upon men immediately, as he 
did then ; but he chooseth rather to do it by ordinary means, as he hath 
done, yea, and will go on to do it, and will never leave to do it, till he 
hath brought it to that height, when Jesus Christ shall come to possess his 
kingdom, the brightness of whose coming, the dawnings of it, shall consume 
antichristian doctrine and worship. It is a greater matter for him to work 
a miracle by ordinary means in a way of ordinary providence, than to shew 
these great miracles that he did among the Jews, and the like ; as indeed 
he hath in an ordinary way done as great matters for this kingdom, as ever 
he did in Egypt for the bringing of his people out of that bondage. It is, 
I say, an easy matter for God to go and create a new world, and the like ; 
but therein lies his glory, that he will restore things, and reduce them to 
the primitive purity, by ordinary means, and not send extraordinary persons 
to do it. 

Antichrist brought in all his darkness by degrees, and it shall go out by 
degrees. The mystery of iniquity began to work in the hearts of men in 
the apostles' times, and darkness grew more and more till midnight. So 
the mystery of the gospel works likewise, and these dawnings shall increase 
more and more till the perfect day ; and the issue of all these confusions 
that are now, when Jesus Christ hath done his work, will be some glorious 
thing. God hath given pastors and teachers (as the apostle saith), to all 
ages, and one age doth teach another, and they all tend to the edifying of 
the body of Christ, till we come unto a perfect man, unto a measure of the 
stature of the fulness of Christ. All the light of the former ages is drawn 
down to this age, and in this age men suck in their very education the 
light of the former ages, and so are prepared for a further growth ; and so 
in the end, the latter age of the world will have a fulness of stature again. 
And the scope of all this is, though it is a mystery, yet God hath so or- 
dered it in his providence, to endear it to us, to make it a new mystery to 
us, even as if he had had apostles afresh ; for it was obscured, and it hath 
broke out afresh after it lay hid a thousand years. 



292 A DISCOURSE OF THE [ClIAP. IV. 



CHAPTER IV. 

That the knowledge of the gosjiel is a most excellent wisdom, because, as a pecu- 
liar favour, it is communicated by God only to some persons. 

But now is made manifest to his saints. — Col. I. 26. 

Here is the rarity and scarceness of it, when it cometh to be revealed ; 
' but now is made manifest to his saints.' And this is the subject which I 
shall insist upon. 

In the handling of this, I shall do two things. 

1. Give you an explication of the words. 

2. Enlarge upon that theme, to shew from thence the excellency of the 
gospel. 

1. For explication. If you mark it, the apostle doth not say, which is 
now made manifest to me, although Paul makes the manifestation of it 
unto him to be the means to manifest it to all the saints ; for as elsewhere 
he saith, it was a treasure in an earthen vessel committed unto him ; and 
therefore, in the 23d verse, and the last words, he saith, ' Whereof I Paul 
am made a minister ; ' and in the 25th verse, the first words, ' Whereof I 
am made a minister.' But how is he made a minister ? For to reveal it 
to the saints. Therefore he doth not only say, is revealed unto me, but, 
' now is made manifest in the saints.' 

The gospel, although it was at first revealed unto apostles and prophets, 
yet the end and intent of it was, that it should be revealed to all the saints. 
You have this expressly in Eph. hi. 5, comparing it with this. In the 4th 
verse he had called it (as here) ' the mystery of Christ ;' in the 5th verse, he 
saith, ' which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as 
it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.' One 
would think now that the apostle here should only intend, that this gospel 
is revealed to the doctors and teachers of the church, to the holy apostles 
and prophets. No ; read the 9th verse. It is (saith he) ' to make all men 
see' (that is, as these words restrain it, all the saints see) ' what is the fel- 
lowship of the mystery, which hath been from the beginning of the world 
hid in God.' It was not revealed only to apostles and prophets, ' but now,' 
saith he, ' is made manifest to the saints.' And therefore in the 23d verse 
of this chapter, saith he, ' If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, 
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, 
and which was preached to every creature under heaven.' So that not only 
the holy apostles and prophets of the New Testament received it, and it 
was manifested unto them, but to the saints also. Therefore in the 25th 
verse of this chapter, ' I am made a minister of it,' saith he, ' according to 
the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you.' So that indeed it 
was given to the apostles, but only that they might make it manifest to the 
saints ; and hence therefore he saith, ' But now is made manifest to his 
saints.' I shall not need to enlarge more upon this, in the way of open- 
ing it. 

2. I shall come therefore to the thing itself, viz., the rarity of this gospel, 
and of the mysteries of it, and shew you the excellency of it in this respect. 
' But is now,' saith he, ' made manifest to his saints.' 

He speaks as if God were dainty of this knowledge. He reveals it to 



Chap. IV.] glory of the gospel. 293 

saints, and to saints only ; and to his saints. There is a revelation of it, 
which the saints only have, as I shall shew you anon, and answer objections 
to the contrary. In 1 Cor. i. 24 he saith, that ' to them that are called, 
both Jew and Greek, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 
We all say that he is the power of God only to them that are called, for he 
only works effectually in them : but that scripture also tells us that he is 
the wisdom of God only to them that are called ; they so understand the 
mystery of it as none else. 

And then, if you mark it, he commends the knowledge of the gospel to 
us by this, that it is revealed to his saints ; his whom he had chosen, whom 
he had singled out. Certainly, if there had been any knowledge better 
than another, he would have reserved it for his saints. There is an em- 
phasis in that. You know God chose a man beloved of him (for so Solomon 
was called), and as a testimony of his love to him, he gave him, above all 
things else, knowledge ; so that he abounded therein above all that were 
before him, or shall be after him. And Daniel, that had great mysteries 
opened to him, is called, ' a man greatly beloved.' I quote these examples 
for this, to shew that that which is a more special excellent knowledge of 
all others, God would reserve it for them. ' To you,' saith Christ, ' it is 
given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,' speaking to his dis- 
ciples ; ' to you it is given,' it was a gilt, and a special gift. And there- 
fore in Mat. xi. 25, we read of that great thanksgiving which Christ makes 
to his Father, ' I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, becauso 
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed 
them unto babes.' He revealed them to bis saints, and those whom he 
had chosen. 

My brethren, God reserved the gospel to reveal it first unto his Son (you 
shall see the order of it), so you read, in John i. 17, 18, ' The law came 
by Moses, but grace and truth,' that is, the gospel, ' came by Jesus Christ.' 
' No man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, that is in 
the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him.' The Lord reserved this 
knowledge, which was hid from ages and generations, for his Son to declare 
it first ; it came by him, he brought out the gospel first. And you have 
the like in Heb. ii. 3, ' Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, 
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.' You see that God 
prized this gospel so much, as he revealeth it first to his Son. 

And then, next to his Son he chose out holy apostles. Had not they 
been holy men, he would not have revealed it to them, to be the broachers 
of it, as they were: ' Holy apostles and prophets,' saith he, Eph. iii. 

And then, lastly, the end of the revealing of it to all these, is that his 
saints may know it. It is to his saints in distinction now under the gospel 
from the saints in the Old Testament. The saints then were infants in 
knowledge, and they took up their faith much upon trust. But God under 
the gospel doth so reveal the gospel by his Spirit, that saints themselves 
see into the mystery of it, understand it, take in the comfort of it. And I 
take that to be the meaning of the promise of that covenant, in Heb. viii. 11, 
where he saith, ' They shall not need every man to teach his neighbour, 
but they shall all know me, saith the Lord, from the least to the greatest.' 

Now then, to answer some objections that will be brought about this ; by 
which this truth will be the more clear. 

Obj. first, You will say unto me, Is this knowledge so much commended 
to us, that it is reserved thus, and made manifest to his saints ? Why 
doth not all the world know it ? Is not the gospel preached to every crea- 



294 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. IV. 

turo under heaven ? There is an objection lies not far off the text, for, ver. 
23, he saith, ' It hath been preached to every creature under heaven.' 

I answer, When our Saviour Christ, in that Mat. xi. 25, ' gave thanks to 
his Father, that he had hid these things from the wise and prudent of the 
world, and revealed them unto babes ;' yet in the verses before you shall 
read that these things had been revealed to the wise men of the world, and 
yet hid. Read ver. 23 : ' And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up to 
heaven, shalt be brought down to hell.' Christ had preached to Capernaum 
more than to all the cities that were in Judea or belonging to it. It was 
Capernaum in Galilee of which the prophecy went, that Galilee should see 
a great light. It is recorded by the evangelist Matthew, upon Christ's 
going to Capernaum, because he made that the principal seat of all his 
preaching. But yet, though Capernaum were lifted up to heaven, in respect 
of all those glorious truths of the gospel that were preached by Jesus Christ 
thereunto, there were but a few babes that were therein that did receive it ; 
and he thanks his Father that he had concealed it from all the wise and 
prudent, and revealed it only unto those babes. It is true, indeed, that 
the gospel is preached unto every creature, and God is free* of it ; insomuch 
as the apostle saith, Rom. x., 'Have not they all heard?' But then he 
asketh withal another question, ' Have they all believed ? ' And therefore 
saith Christ in Mat. xiii. 11, 'To you it is given to know the mysteries of 
the kingdom of God, but to them it is not given,' though they heard it. 
And therefore I may say of the gospel, as the great philosopher Aristotle 
spake of his writings. When he had published the lectures which he had 
read to his scholars unto the world, Alexander found fault with him ; for 
now, saith he, you have debased all your knowledge by making it common. 
No, saith Aristotle, for they are edlta, non edita, though they are published, 
yet they are not published ; for none will understand them now they are 
published, but only my scholars whom I have read them unto, and are 
privy to my scope in them. So it is true of the gospel, that though the 
mystery of it is made known unto every creature, yet it is editum, non 
editum ; though it be published, yet it is so published as only those that are 
taught of God understand it in the mystery of it. 

Again, to answer this, that you may see the privilege of the saints herein. 
Although the gospel is published unto every creature under heaven, yet it 
was the manifestation of it to his saints that was the motive and ground of 
publishing it. The world should never have known one tittle of it, had it 
not been for his saints in the world, unto whom he meant to convey his 
mind and meaning. And therefore you read in Jude, ver. 2, that it is 
called, ' the faith once delivered unto the saints.' It was delivered unto 
them, and delivered for their sakes ; the world had never known it else. 
And therefore the apostles themselves, so far as they knew it, are called 
holy apostles ; they had not thus known it else. And when they did know 
it more than other men, they were but stewards, for so you know they are 
called in 1 Cor. iv. 1, ' Let every man account of us as stewards of the 
mysteries of God.' Now, though the steward receive money for his own 
expenses, yet the chief of the money he receiveth is for the expense of the 
household. Go, take St Paul, with all his knowledge, and the most of 
that knowledge he did receive, it was not for his own sake chiefly, it was 
for the saints ; and therefore he saith, ' To me it is given, who am less 
than the least of all the saints, that I should preach among the Gentiles the 
unsearchable riches of Christ.' To what end ? ' To make all men see 
* That is?, 'liberal.'— Ed. 



Chap. IV.J glory of the gospel. 295 

what is the fellowship of tho mystery,' &c. Hence, therefore, you shall 
find in Scripture that where God had abundance of people, there tho 
apostles were guided and instructed by tho Holy Ghost to stay long. ' I 
have much people in this city,' saith God unto Paul, when ho came to 
Corinth, and therefore ho continueth there a year and six months, teaching 
the word of God amongst thorn ; and when he would have gone unto one 
place, he was hindered, and carried unto another. Why ? Because still 
the preaching of tho gospel went where God had his elect saints. There- 
fore, in the words before my text, he saith, ' According to the dispensation 
of God, which is given to me for you.' The apostle had a great deal 
of knowledge, but, saith he, ' I am a debtor ; ' so he calls himself iD 
Rom. i. 14, I am but a steward, I have received it for you. It is the 
saints that God principally aimeth at. Therefore, if he did give it to 
the apostles but for the saints, then the world, carnal men, come only to 
hear of it by the saints, because tho saints are amongst them, unto whom 
God would make it known. 

Ohj. second. But again, you will say unto me, Do not carnal men know 
it as well as the saints ? Why, then, is it made their privilege ? 

Ans. first. I answer, first, that carnal men do know the gospel, and 
know much of it, and they know it to their cost. Say the Pharisees unto 
Christ, ' Are we blind also ? ' Aye, saith Christ, • If ye were blind, you 
had no sin.' 

Ans. second. But, secondly, the knowledge that carnal men have of the 
gospel is by hearsay. There is no truth of much moment, if you take the 
matter of truth, that is revealed first to them. You shall find, in Eph. 
iii. 5, that the men that God revealed it first unto were the holy apostles 
and prophets ; and in Peter it is said the Scripture was written by holy 
men. Had they not been saints, holy men, God had not revealed it unto 
them. Others may receive it as by tradition from hand to hand, but the 
men to whom God doth reveal any further light of the gospel are holy men. 

But you will say unto me, Now it is given by those holy apostles and 
prophets, and laid up in the Scriptures, may not all men, or any man, 
understand it ? No ; for, as you have it in 2 Pet. i. 20, the Scripture is 
not of private interpretation (and he speaks especially of the gospel), that 
is, it is not in the power of any man's understanding to apprehend or know 
the meaning of the word. ' But,' saith he, ' holy men of God spake as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost ; ' and, therefore, as the Scripture was 
written by the Holy Ghost, so it must be the Holy Ghost that must 
interpret it. Take all the wise men in the world, they are not able to 
understand one Scripture : it is but private interpretation. The Holy 
Ghost, therefore, the same Spirit that guided the holy apostles and pro- 
phets to write it, must guide the people of God to know the meaning of 
it ; and as he first delivered it, so he must help men to understand it. 

But you will say yet further, Do not carnal men understand the mysteries 
of the gospel, and that by the Spirit of God ? 

I answer, Yet still there is a mystery that all the carnal men in the 
world do not understand. In 1 Cor. ii. 7, ' We speak the wisdom of God 
in a mystery.' He doth not only say it is a mystery in itself, but he saith 
it is still spoken in a mystery. And what is the reason ? Because that 
carnal men, even when it is spoken, yea, when it is apprehended by 
themselves in a notional way, yet they do not know and apprehend that 
mystery that still is in it. You shall find that the Scripture speaketh of 
all the knowledge that carnal men have of the truths of the gospel as of 



296 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. IV. 

no knowledge. In 1 Coi\ viii. 1, 2, speaking to those among the Corinths 
that were puffed up, carnal spirits that thought they knew all things, saith 
he, ' We know that we all have knowledge,' so ver. 1 ; but what saith 
ver. 2 ? 'If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing 
yet as he ought to know.' So that now a man may have all knowledge, 
and yet, notwithstanding, he may know nothing as he ought to know. 
In Prov. ix. 10, he had spoken before of Wisdom (and by Wisdom still is 
meant Jesus Christ revealed, for that was the title they gave the Messiah 
in those times), now saith he, • the knowledge of the holy is understand- 
ing ; ' there is no knowledge or true understanding in the matters of the 
gospel, but only the knowledge of the holy. You know there is a form 
of godliness in the world ; so you have it in 2 Tim. iii. 5, ' Men shall come 
having a form of godliness, and deny the power of it.' As there is a form 
of godliness that is not true godliness, so it is as certain there is a form of 
knowledge that is not true knowledge. I will give you a Scripture that is 
fully answerable to it, it is in Rom. ii. ; saith he, ' Thou knowest his will, 
and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed in the 
law ; ' and ver. 20, ' hast a form of knowledge, and of the truth.' Mark 
the expression ; as there is a form of godliness which is not true godliness, 
so there is a form of knowledge that is not true knowledge, that is but the 
picture of it. 

And therefore, my brethren, know this, that there is no man that is 
become a saint, but as for the truths he doth know out of the gospel, knows 
that of them which no carnal man in the world knows. I will give you but 
this instance for it. Go take any man that hath never so much knowledge 
both in law and gospel, and if God turn this man to him, you shall have 
him say, that all things he knew before are known anew by him ; he that 
had all knowledge before, he now professeth he had none as he ought to 
have had. And therefore, by the w r ay, will you know what it is to be con- 
verted ? It is to know over all anew, that you knew by education. It is 
plain by that of the apostle, in 2 Cor. v. 17, 'If any man be in Christ 
Jesus, he is a new creature ; old things are passed away, behold all things 
are become new.' What doth he speak this of? He speaks it especially 
of knowledge, and that is clear by the verses before, for saith he, ' Though 
we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth we know him no more 
so ; ' all our knowledge of him is new, ' therefore if any man be in Christ, 
he is a new creature.' What is the effect of that ? ' Old things are passed 
away, all things are become new ; ' old things become new in this knowledge. 

But j'ou will say unto me, How can this be ? for carnal men speak the 
same things of the gospel that others do. 

But yet let me say this unto you, although a godly man can express no 
more in words than the other doth, yet he knows that of the gospel which 
the other doth not ; yea he hath such a knowledge of it, as, in comparison 
of his, the other's is no knowledge. I shall first say this, that the notions 
and apprehensions that are in the heart of a saint of spiritual things, never 
entered into the heart of any carnal man in the world. It is the apostle's 
expression in 1 Cor. ii., and I will give you the reason of it. It is a 
received truth and acknowledged by all, that we have no knowledge in our 
minds, but that which we receive, and which we have by the images of 
things which our mind conceiveth. All knowledge which the mind hath, it 
is by forming of some image of a thing within itself. Now if the image 
which is formed up in the mind differ in one man and in another, then the 
knowledge dilfereth. As, for example, if I have seen the picture of a man, 



Chap. IV.] glory of the gospel. 297 

I have an image in my mind of that man according to his picture ; but if I 
have seen the man himself, why, here is another manner of image formed 
up in my mind that have seen him, which is not formed up in the mind of 
any man else, which hath but seen his picture. Now all the knowledge that 
carnal men have of the gospel, is but by images received from the hearsay 
of it only ; but the knowledge which holy men have, is by the impress and 
image received from the thing itself made known unto them by the Holy 
Ghost. I remember one once said of the late Queen Elizabeth, I have 
seen her picture, saith he, but I have one picture of her that I will not sell 
for all the pictures of her in the world. And what was that ? I saw her 
but once, saith he, and the image of her remains still in me ; which image 
he could convey 'to no man living. Even so the image and impress, that 
which entereth into the heart of a spiritual man of the things of the gospel, 
is a different image to what is in the heart of a carnal man. And yet now, 
if the one should go and describe, and speak of the things of the gospel, he 
would express it no otherwise than the other, for there is something still 
that cannot be expressed. As, for example, take the sun, there is some- 
thing in the sun that can never be pictured. And what is that ? The life, 
and glory, and heat of it, and yet therein lies the excellency of the sun. So 
there are those things in Christ, and in the gospel, which can never be 
pictured out by words, that unless Jesus Christ hath by his Spirit mani- 
fested himself to a man's heart, he is never able to take it in. And there- 
fore, now when a carnal man, and a godly man speak both of the same 
thing, he that is a godly man can speak no more than what the other can 
take in notionally ; yet he understandeth further, he hath seen that which 
no words can paint out or picture forth. Therefore, now, if you ask me 
what it is the saints know, which another man knows not ? I answer you 
fully, he himself cannot tell you, for it is certain, as to that impression 
which the Holy Ghost leaves upon the heart of a man, that man can never 
make the like impression on another; he r may describe it to you, but he 
cannot convey the same image and impression upon the heart of any man 
else. Therefore two men shall talk of the same things, and yet mean dif- 
ferent things in matters spiritual. Why ? Because the gospel runs in a mys- 
tery, revealed to his saints, and to none else. 

Am. third. But further, in answer to this objection. Though carnal 
men do know the gospel, yet you shall still find that they will divert to 
other things, and not make this the main of their knowledge. You shall 
find (and it is a thing to be wondered at) that in the times of the gospel, 
when it shone most gloriously, still men that were of corrupt minds they 
diverted to questions about the law, and to chronologies and genealogies, 
and to a thousand other such things. So you find it in Tit. iii. 9, and 
1 Tim. vi. 4, and 1 Tim. i. 7 ; and this, I say, they did when the gospel did 
shine most gloriously about them. Men will run out into criticisms, and 
the duties of the law, and knowledge of sin, and a thousand such things ; 
they will tithe mint and cummin, but the great things of the gospel they 
neglect. Our Saviour Christ, therefore, doth tell it as a wonder in his 
answer to John the Baptist, ' the lame are healed, the blind restored to 
sight, and the poor receive the gospel ; ' for men's spirits to be taken by the 
gospel, he makes it a mighty thing. You shall find, if you compare Mat. 
xi. 12 with Luke xvi. 16, that when the gospel began to be preached, all 
those good souls that were holy and godly were infinitely fired with it. 
Saith he in Luke xvi. 16, ' The law and the prophets were until John, but 
since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth 



298 a discourse of the [Chap. IV. 

unto it,' that is, the saints did. Now compare it with Mat. xi., and he tells 
us there, that ' from the days of John, the kingdom of heaven suffereth 
violence, and the violent take it by force.' That is, the gospel did so 
mightily fire the spirits of men, of those that were holy and godly, that 
they did climb up, for so the word signifies ; it is the same word that is used 
in Exodus, forbidding the people to climb up to the mount when the law 
was given. Now, saith he, since the gospel is preached, they climb up to 
it with all violence — so he expresseth it, both in respect of multitudes that 
press to it, and in respect of the fire in their spirits. 

Again, though carnal men do take in the gospel, and many of the truths 
of it, yet they are apt to mingle it, and embase it, and practically in their 
own hearts to turn it to another gospel, as the expression of the apostle 
Paul is, Gal. i ; when their notions and speculative judgments are orthodox 
about it, they will build their faith and their hope as well upon what is in 
themselves, as upon what is in Christ. You shall therefore find in men 
that profess the gospel (as the Jews and the Gentiles did), those of the cir- 
cumcision and uncircumcision, that as ' those that are after the flesh savour 
the things of the flesh, and those that are after the Spirit the things of the 
Spirit' (as the apostle elsewhere speaks), so those that have legal spirits 
and are still carnal, they savour the things of the law. Therefore in Gal. 
iii. 7th, 9th, and 10th verses compared, you shall find that the apostle gives 
a different title in respect of their cleaving to the gospel. Saith he, ver. 7, 
' They which are of faith,' that is his phrase; and so, ver. 9, ' They which 
are of faith.' He names them as if they were a sect, a different kind and 
strain of men. He means those which follow the gospel, and their hearts 
closed with it ; for, saith he, ver. 2, ' Received ye the Spirit by the works 
of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? ' that is, by the hearing of the 
gospel. And hence he denominateth a company of men, ' they which are 
of faith,' saith he, ver. 7 ; and oppositely he describeth another gang of 
men, ver. 10, 'As many as are of the law,' that is, that are of that strain; 
let them know never so much of the gospel, yet still (as the apostle saith, 
Rom. ix. 32) they will seek righteousness, as it were, by the works of the 
law. They will turn the gospel into law, and turn faith and all duties else 
into a form, and make it as a law ; that as the Jews of old, that had the 
gospel given them in types and sacrifices, turned all that gospel into mere 
law, as merely commanded as duties of works, not viewing Christ in them, 
so will carnal men do with the things of the gospel, and will do it to the 
end of the world. They desire (as he saith, Gal. iv. 21) to be under the 
law ; they will run that way still, and nothing but the grace of God can 
draw them off. 

It is a great matter, my brethren, what truths they are that a man's heart 
closeth with and pitcheth upon, and maketh the eminent and top of his 
religion. Mark what I say, it is the greatest thing in the world, and doth 
as much distinguish carnal men and spiritual men as anything whatsoever. 
I shall give you but an instance or two. In Mark xii. 31, there comes a 
scribe unto Christ, and he doth express the height of his religion, and 
Christ acknowledgeth that he went very far, and he expresseth it with a great 
deal of difference from the common gang of men in the world. ' Master,' 
saith he, ' thou hast said the truth '(for he asked Christ which was the first 
commandment of all) ; for, saith he, ' there is but one God, and there 
is no other but he ; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the 
understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love 
a man's neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt- offerings and sacri- 



GLORY OF TIIE GOSPEL. 299 

fices.' Here is a man now that, being under the law, cloth pitch upon the most 
inward spiritualness of it ; whereas the common ordinary Pharisees put 
all their religion in fasting twico a week, in paying tithes, in ottering sacri- 
fices when they sinned, and all this they did in a formal way. Why, saith 
this scribe, they are all deceived in this. The main of religion lies not in 
this ; but, Master, I say as thou dost, the main of religion lies in loving 
God with all a man's soul ; and although it is true a man must offer sacri- 
fices, yet here lies that which I pursue after. What saith Christ upon it ? 
He doth not give such a testimony of all the Pharisees or of that sort of 
men, the scribes, as he doth of this man. ' When Jesus saw that ho 
answered discreetly, he saith unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom 
of heaven.' It is pity now ; he pitched upon the most spiritual part of the 
law, to the height of it, but wanted the gospel ; yet Christ told him that ho 
was not far from the kingdom of heaven. I quote it for this, that this man 
he was so far enlightened, that he knew where to put the height of the 
legal religion, and he put it right ; to love God, saith he, is more than all 
sacrifices. Now as this man doth pitch upon that which is the most 
spiritual part of the law to put religion in it, so the saints are taught to do 
in matters of the gospel. There is an outward form, as it were, of the 
gospel, you may easily turn it into a form. But see what Paul saith, and 
what the height of his gospel religion was. Phil. iii. 3, ' We are the cir- 
cumcision,' saith he. Who ? ' Which worship God in the Spirit, and re- 
joice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.' We are taken 
off' of anything in ourselves. This is my religion, and this is the true cir- 
cumcision ; let them pursue after the other circumcision that will, I pitch 
upon this. Therefore it is a great thing to see what it is that men contend 
for in their own spirits, as the main, and spirit, and life of religion. 
When the apostle Paul did come to Corinth, he tells us, that he ' deter- 
mined not to know anything among them save Jesus Christ, and him 
crucified ' (so you have it in 1 Cor. ii. 2) ; and he would have spent the 
main of his epistle (and so likewise when he wrote this to the Colossians) 
in holding forth the gospel to them ; but he was put by his scope, for, he 
saith, they were carnal, and they put him upon deciding of I know not how 
many things, about covering and uncovering, and about all the orders of 
the church, which they had either violated or neglected ; but, saith he, ' I 
determined to know nothing save Christ and him crucified,' for here lies 
the height of my religion. And he complains that he was forced to spend 
a whole epistle (as he doth the main of that) in nothing but in resolving 
such cases. And therefore, my brethren, the saints still close most with 
Christ and the pure gospel, make that the height, the top of their re- 
ligion ; and though they may be put upon other things in the several times 
they live in, various duties that are to be done, yet there is something else 
in their eye which is more than burnt- offerings and sacrifices, namely, the 
knowledge of Christ and him crucified ; and to worship the Lord in the 
Spirit is more than all these, though religious duties are evangelical too. 

Ans. fourth. Again, to add an answer or two more which are in the text, 
Col. i. 27, and in the context, the saints only know the gospel in the riches 
and in the glory of it. They only know it so as to value it ; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 
' To you, therefore, which believe, he is precious.' They only know the 
riches and the preciousness of it. Go bring a jewel to a child and to a 
jeweller ; they both know it, but the jeweller only is able to value it ; and 
so are the saints only capable of prizing the gospel. And therefore in 
Mat. xiii. 25, he only is said to be the wise merchantman, that, when he 



300 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. IV- 

hath seen the pearl, knoweth the worth and value of it, so as that he sells 
all for it. 

Am. fifth. In the fifth place, The saints only know it so as to have their 
hearts comforted by it, and by all the riches in it. You have thus much 
expressed in the next chapter, Col. ii. 2. He desired, he saith, ' to see 
them, and those of Laodicea, that their hearts might be comforted, being 
knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of under- 
standing, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, 
and of Christ.' Though others are brought to see the mystery in the let- 
ter of it, yet none else but the saints come so to see the riches of the glory 
of it, as to have their hearts comforted thereby. And what is the reason ? 
Because the saints, when they know the mystery of the gospel and the 
riches of it, do but know what themselves are worth. All the riches which 
they see to be in it, they see to be their own, and if they attain to the 
riches of assurance of the understanding of this mystery, they attain to the 
assurance of the knowing of their own comforts and of their own riches ; 
and so (as the apostle saith) their hearts are comforted. Go take other 
men, though they are able to count and cast up these riches, yet they are 
but as learned lawyers that study other men's estates ; or as surveyors of 
lands that set out what other men possess, and what their titles are to 
them, or cash-keepers for merchants that tell over other men's moneys ; 
but for the heir, the possessor himself, for him to tell over all this, is all 
the while to study his own riches ; and so his heart is comforted according 
to the value that is in them. And therefore, saith the apostle here, ' which 
riches is Christ in you,' it is your Christ. Therefore now a believer, the 
more knowledge he hath of the gospel, the more his heart is comforted. 
To another man all the truths of the gospel are but as flowers plucked 
off the stalks, they do not grow upon his heart, therefore they die and 
wither ; but a saint hath a root within, upon which all these are engrafted, 
and therefore he continually feels the fresh savour of them, there is still a 
fresh scent and verdure and sweet arising from them, whereby his heart is 
comforted. 

Am. sixth. And then, again, though other men may know the mysteries 
of the gospel, yet the saints only know them with the riches of assurance. 
' That your hearts,' saith the apostle, ' may be comforted, being knit 
together in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to 
the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of Christ.' If other men 
do know and understand the mysteries of the gospel, and the harmony and 
correspondency of one thing with another therein, it is but as the know- 
ledge of mathematicians, as I may so express it. You shall have in the 
mathematics a supposition given, that if this and this be true, then all the 
following conclusions do harmoniously and naturally follow thereupon, and 
answer thereunto. As to give you an instance. There are two sorts of 
opinions : the one holds that the earth standeth still, and the heavens 
move ; and another opinion, that the earth moves about continually, but 
the heavens, the sun and moon, and all these stand still. Now suppose 
which you will of them, the one makes out their opinion in a way of har- 
mony and correspondency as rationally as the other. So now carnal men, 
that want faith in the principles and foundations of Christianity, can yet 
say with themselves, if these principles be true, why there is a glorious 
correspondency of one truth with another, all truths do harmoniously kiss 
each other. But now a saint, he hath riches of assurance of understanding 
of the principles themselves ; he apprehends them by faith, and doing so, 



Chap. IV.] glory of the gospel. 301 

ho vieweth all the conclusions that arc built thereupon with an assurance 
of faith, and this no carnal heart in the world doth. 

Aiis. seventh. Lastly, The saints do so know the mysteries of the gospel, 
that the things they know of it are to them the hope of glory. This also 
the text suggestetk, ' which is Christ,' saith he, ' in you, the hope of glory.' 
They do begin to know, and to conceivo what heaven will he by that preli- 
bation, by that taste which they have of what truths and things the gospel 
reveals to their faith. The savour and relish they have of communion 
witli God and with Jesus Christ, and the things revealed in and by the 
gospel, doth give them a hope of that great glory which shall be revealed. 
And so much now for those differences that are between the knowledge 
of the saints, and the knowledge of carnal men, of the things of the 
gospel. 

Use. My exhortation shall be unto all, to procure and heap up to them- 
selves what of spiritual knowledge possibly they can in these mysteries 
of the gospel, for you increase your riches. The truth which by it I 
speak unto all, but especially unto you that are scholars, who come* 
hither to furnish yourselves as scribes fitted for the kingdom of heaven, 
to bring forth out of your treasures and store acquired here both new 
and old, as Christ speaks, to buy the truth, as Solomon, so as to be able 
to teach it to others ; you come as wholesale men to buy by the great. 
Therefore treasure up as much and as many precious truths as you 
can, and grace withal to vent by retail in the country, when you are sent 
abroad. 

First, Inquire and learn where these treasures are to be had, even in the 
Scriptures. The merchant who knew the pearl was fain to buy the field, 
there the pearl lay. Timothy from a child had read the Scriptures, and 
so should you do ; they are ' able to make a man wise unto salvation,' and 
1 make the man of God perfect.' As the book of nature, when thoroughly 
known, makes a perfect physician for the body, so doth this book of the 
Scriptures make a perfect divine. ' Search the Scripture,' says Christ, 
1 for they speak of me ;' as Christ is the treasury of all knowledge, so the 
Scriptures of Christ. These scriptures lie scattered in all the veins of the 
prophets and apostles ; dig for them as for silver, take pains and travel to 
understand them : as Daniel's phrase is (Dan. xii.) ' Many shall run to 
and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Do as merchants, who travel 
from place to place, so do you from scripture to scripture, comparing one 
with another ; and knowledge will be increased. 

Secondly, Go to the markets and warehouses of those that have laid in 
or discovered much of this treasure ; that is, use the helps of godly men's 
writings and conferences, the help of saints both dead and alive. Why ? 
Because it is made manifest to the saints. The angels do learn of the 
church, and why not we ? Even Paul desires to see them at Rome, that 
they and he might be mutually comforted by their mutual faith ; therefore 
exchange and truck one with another. The knowledge of any one man is 
imperfect ; some have more skill in one point, some in another, and so in 
several ages several truths have been delivered and revealed voXv/Azgug, by 
fragments and pieces ; therefore use the help of all. Why ? Because it 
is ' made manifest to his saints ; ' and it is not made manifest in all points 
unto all saints, but they have it amongst them. ' We know but in part,' 

* This was preached in his younger time, when he was Fellow of Katherine 
Hall in Cambridge. 



302 a discourse of the [Chap. IV. 

saith the apostle, much more thou. Therefore saints should truck and 
exchange one with another. There is no man in the world that is as 
Paul was, whom the apostles themselves could add nothing unto, who yet 
professeth that he knew but in part. The angels themselves they learn of 
the saints, they learn of the church, therefore do thou so too. In Eph. 
iv. 11-13, and so ver. 16, a place that falls fully in with this, he saith 
that Christ hath given to the body — and he speaks of the universal church 
— apostles and prophets, and teachers and pastors, from his time to the 
end of the world. For it is until all be come to keep to the unity of the 
faith, and to cause them to grow up to a fulness of stature in Christ ; the 
meaning of which to me is this, that the whole body is fitly joined together 
and compacted by that which every part supplieth the whole universal 
church, from the times of the apostles downwards to this very day ; the 
ministers and the saints that have been in former ages being tied unto us 
by bands and ligaments, have propagated the truth unto us. So as indeed 
it is every part of the church that helpeth forward the other ; it is the 
church in one age that helpeth forward the church in another, and one 
soweth and another reapeth. And the body (take the whole compass of it 
in all ages) is fitly joined together, that it may cause every age and every 
saint to increase according to his proportion. Therefore if God have 
revealed this mystery unto his saints, we must acquaint ourselves with 
saints, not only with saints living, but dead ; and we may have a great 
deal of knowledge from their writings, for it is the ordinance of God that 
the body in all ages fitly joined together should increase by that which 
every part supplieth. We have had a great deal of knowledge from the 
age before, and that which is coming shall have much knowledge from us ; 
and so one age being fitly joined to another, doth cause the body to grow 
to the fulness of the stature of Christ. And this is that which Christ also 
says, John iv. 37, one age sows and another reaps, that all may be one 
together. 

Thirdly, Go to him above all, who hath the key of knowledge, Jesus 
Christ, Rev. iii. 7. Pray to him, as yon have it, 1 Pet. i. 10, • They 
searched and inquired ; i. e., they studied and prayed. Use both, as the 
apostles were to spend the time in both, Acts vi. It is a mystery which 
God only makes known, and you know how to deal with him ; James i. 
4, 5, ' If any lack wisdom, let him ask it of God,' whose special promise 
in the New Testament is to teach all that are his to know him. As you 
cannot see the sun without the light of itself, so not the riches of the glory 
of Christ without his Spirit, who is called the Spirit of wisdom and revela- 
tion, who only knows these deep things of God, 1 Cor. ii. 11, as the 
mysteries of the gospel are, that lie at the bottom of his breast. The well 
is deep, we have nothing to draw with. 

But 3 r ou will say, God hath revealed himself in the Scriptures, and it is 
but reading them, and I have wit enough to understand them. 

I answer, it was the Spirit that wrote that word, which is not therefore 
(says Peter) of any private interpretation ; that is, no man's or men's pri- 
vate understandings, without the assistance of that public secretary of 
heaven, can understand them : optimus mentis sua quisque est interpret, he 
only hid the treasures of knowledge in that field, and he only knows where 
they lie ; what an advantage is it then by prayer to unlock God's breast, 
to obtain the key of knowledge that unlocks God's study, and can direct to 
all his notes and his papers ! 

Fourthly, Look to it that thou art a saint, to whom ' God will make 



Chap. V.] glory of the gospel. 303 

known the riches, 1 &c, otherwise you cannot receive them ; you will count 
them foolishness, as has been shewed, you will take them but as upon 
trust, you will not be able to see the particular secrets that are revealed in 
the gospel. The saints aro they that first find out and do preserve the 
truths of the gospel in the world. It is certain, if there were none but 
earnaJ professors in the world, this gospel would soon be lost, 1 Tim. iii. 9. 
The mystery of the faith is preserved in a good conscience, and without a 
good conscience it leaks out. And, 2 Tim. ii. 13, 14, ' If we believe not, 
yet ho abidcth faithful : he cannot deny himself. Of these things put 
them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not 
about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.' It was 
once delivered unto the saints, and it is the saints that preserve it, and 
shall do to the end of the world. In Isa. xxxv. you have a prophecy of 
the kingdom of Christ and of the times of the gospel (as you shall find it 
to be by reading that chapter), and he says that there shall be a highway, 
and it shall bo called the way of holiness, and the unclean shall not pass 
over it, but it shall! bo a way for wayfaring men, and, though fools, yet they 
shall not err therein ; that is, if they be men that have a mind to go to 
heaven, whose hearts God doth sanctify, though otherwise they are men of 
low parts and mean understandings, they shall not err. Why ? Because 
they are holy, they aro saints, and he hath made manifest this gospel of his 
unto his saints, whereas the unclean shall not so much as cross the way, nor 
pass over it. 

The apostles and prophets themselves were men of holiness, or God had 
not revealed the gospel mysteries to them, as the first publication of it by 
them. It is therefore emphatically said, Eph. iii. 5, ' As now it is revealed 
unto his holy apostles and prophets.' It will, however, to be sure, help you 
to get the start of any other, and grace will do this. ' Now we have received, 
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might 
know the things that are freely given us of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 12. A godly man 
hath a renewed principle, is made a spiritual man ; a natural man brings only 
natural parts ; a regenerate man, supposed to have as good, hath a further 
power of discerning given him ; ' the spiritual man discemeth all things,' 
1 Cor. ii. 15. 'Tis his own art, and as wicked men are often wiser in their art 
and generation than a ' child of light,' the reason will stronglier hold that a 
child of light may easier be wiser in his ; and therefore Solomon says, 
• The understanding of the holy is understanding.' Trust not the judg- 
ments of unclean men, though ministers, in the matters of grace. This is 
a godly man's art, not a wicked man's, though never so learned ; and a 
man will trust an artist in his own trade rather than another. ' The under- 
standing of the holy is understanding,' says Solomon, Prov. ix. 10, espe- 
cially in the ways of holiness. 



CHAPTEK V. 

The excellency of the gospel consists in the riches of spiritual knowledge 
manifested in it. 

To whom (viz., his saints) God would make lenown what is the riches of the 
glory of this mystery, dc. — Col. I. 27. 

Though others know the things of the gospel, yet those to whom God 
intends the intimate knowledge of it are the saints. All God's care and 



304 A DISCOURSE OF THE ClIAP. V. 

contrivance is, that his saints may know it ; and that he may so reveal it that 
all his saints shall know it, he hath taken a sure course for that; and as 
for others, he leaves them to the darkness and blindness of their own minds. 
' To whom God would make known,' &c. 

The greatest controversy now on foot is this, who they are that are the 
supreme judge now upon earth of all the mysteries of the gospel. 

1. The Socinians, they would have human reason to be the judge ; that 
God should have so writ the Scripture, that it should be made known to all 
men's understandings, that have but human reason in them, and tbat God 
would make known to human reason, instead of making known to his saints, 
what is his meaning in all the things delivered in the gospel. Now I con- 
fess, that what they say hath the greatest reason in the world in it, if God 
had intended that the gospel should be made known, in the spiritualness of 
it, unto all mankind. But they do not consider, both that it is a mystery, 
and that God would have it so made known only to his saints. Indeed, if 
God had meant to satisfy all mankind, then the Scripture and all these 
mysteries would have been so delivered, as reason should have subdued 
them, and been able to have been master of them, and taken them in. But 
the care God took in writing the Scripture, was to have his saints satisfied, 
and they to take in the mysteries of it. These, I say, would bring all the 
Scripture to the bar of human reason, and would have the Holy Ghost's 
meaning, in all the places of Scripture, concluded within the circle of a 
syllogism, and believe no more than the power of reason can convince them 
of. Keason indeed subserveth, for this is a certain truth, tbat there is 
nothing that a saint by faith apprehendeth, but when he apprehends it, he 
sees the greatest reason, from the harmony of one truth with another fall * 
in with it, that may be. One scripture doth suit so with another, and one 
theological truth so with another, that there is nothing more agreeable to 
spiritual reason, than what in the mysteries of the gospel are held forth. 
But, my brethren, reason will never alone work out these mysteries. There 
are two principles in the heart of man (and you would wonder they should 
be the greatest enemies, either of them, that can be), the one is natural con- 
science, and the other is human reason. They were the two principles that 
were set up in Adam, and therefore they would be tbe predominant prin- 
ciples still. Now God hath set faith over them both. He will have faith 
subdue conscience ; my meaning is this, conscience shall subserve faith, it 
shall serve to give directions to a believer how he shall walk ; so the law 
doth, and so conscience doth ; but if you will make that the eminent prin- 
ciple, a man will fall into a legal temper, and all his comfort will come from 
his conscience, and not from his faith. So on the other side, if you will 
make reason the predominant principle, when you come to judge of the 
matters of religion, it is a good servant indeed ; but if you will make that 
the supreme judge, you will understand nothing, or little, of the mysteries 
of salvation, for God hath appointed faith, and faith in the saints to receive 
them all. 

2. The papists make a pope that shall determine all controversies, as 
our infallible and standing judge, led into all truth. And, I confess, had 
God meant in delivering the mysteries of the gospel to have satisfied all 
mankind, and to have resolved all their consciences, and all their scruples 
in interpreting scriptures, he would have had some such judge. He would 
have had either an internal judge common to all mankind, which human 
reason is, or an external judge which all mankind should submit unto as to 

* Qu. 'falling'?— Ed. 



Chap. V.] glory of the gospel. 805 

an oracle. But, my brethren, whatsoever power on earth shall be set up, 
the great end and scope of God iu writing the Scriptures, is to make things 
known to his saints, and he hath taken a course, and made provision for 
them beyond all these. And what is that ? 

(1.) He hath given to his saints his Spirit, who writ the Scripture, who 
knows the meaning of all the mysteries therein, and he is the supreme 
judge ; and to be sure he gives this Spirit unto his saints : ' Wo have not 
received the spirit of the world' (1 Cor. ii. 12), ' but the Spirit which is of 
God, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God.' 
Here is my word, here is my Spirit, saith he. Wherever God hath a saint, 
he doth by the ministry of the word convey his Spirit into that saint's heart, 
and teacheth him this mystery ; and let the world quarrel, that they have 
not an infallible rule to judge by ; God never meant to satisfy the world ; 
he meant to make this mystery known to his saints. ' We have not 
received the spirit of the world,' saith he, that is, we have not only received 
that principle, or that ability to judge of things which the world hath, which 
carnal men in the w r orld have, and whereby worldly things are judged, which 
is that of human reason, &c, to beat out truths that way only, ' but we 
have received the Spirit which is of God.' Here then lies the great wisdom, 
and love, and favour of God to his children, that he hath taken a course 
and made provision for them ; he hath given them his Spirit (for he can 
give his Spirit to wdioru he will), and he will certainly lead all those he 
means to save, into so much truth as shall save them. 

(2.) As God hath given to his saints his Spirit, so he doth give to them 
alone an understanding on purpose to know the things of the gospel ; 1 John 
v. 20, ' We know that the Son of God is come, and he hath given us an 
understanding, that we may know him that is true.' As they have the 
Holy Ghost as a guide, so they have an understanding created on purpose 
for to know him that is true ; and therefore you may observe, that still the 
apostles in their writings pray ' that the eyes of their mind may be en- 
lightened,' &c. 

(3.) As he hath given them a renewed understanding, so he hath put a 
new creature, his own image, into the whole man. And what is the image 
of God, that he thus puts in the whole man ? It is a thing suited to all 
truths more or less. And because this image is imperfect, hence therefore 
it is, that there being corruption and darkness in the holiest men, they 
cannot relish all truths ; darkness prevailing in respect of some truths, 
more than the light of God's image in them ; even as it doth in respect of 
ignorance of some sins. But yet I say, as he hath given them his Spirit, 
as he hath given them a renewed understanding on puipose, a new eye, so 
he hath given them a new creature, his own image stamped upon their 
wills and affections, which savoureth and relisheth what is true, as what is 
agreeable unto it. God hath put into every creature a taste, and a discern- 
ing of what shall nourish it. A man by his taste discemeth what is good 
and what is ill for him in a great measure, what agreeth with his stomach 
and with his nature, finds what inflames him, what poisoneth him, what 
comforts him, the whole man feels it. So is it here. God hath suited all 
the truths of the gospel to the regenerate part, that, as some philosophers 
said, all truth is interwoven in the soul of man ; so, to be sure, all truth is 
interwoven in the image of God in a man. And as the senses in a man 
are suited to objects in the world, a man's eye to colours, his ear to sounds, 
his stomach to meats, so hath God made the things of the gospel to suit 
the regenerate part, and the regenerate part to suit them. And therefore 

vol. rv. u 



300 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. V. 

in that 1 Cor. ii. 9, the things of the gospel are called things ' prepared for 
them that love him ;' they are suited, suited on purpose as it were to them ; 
and in Philip, i. 9, the knowledge of the saints it is called sense, ' This I 
pray, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all 
sense,' so the word is in the original, and in your margins. We translate 
it ' in all judgment,' but it is a judgment which ariseth from, or at least is 
joined with sense, a taste, a suitableness that the soul hath to the things 
revealed. And so much now for the clearing of that also, ' To whom God 
would make known,' &c. 

I come now to those two other properties that, in this 27th verse, are 
attributed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The one, that it is a rich mystery ; 
and the second, that it is a glorious mystery. ' To whom,' saith he, ' God 
would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery,' &c. 

Riches and glory here doth not only refer to Christ himself, though 
mainly to him as the subject of the gospel — as those next words, ' which is 
Christ in you,' &c, imply — as if that Jesus Christ only were the riches, and 
the glory that the apostle here intended ; but it refers to the mystery, to the 
doctrine that reveals this Christ also, which by reason of the riches that are 
in him, which it revealeth, is a rich mystery and glorious. It refers there- 
fore both objectively unto Christ, and likewise to the gospel that reveals 
him ; because that Christ himself is so rich and glorious, therefore is the 
gospel which reveals this Christ rich and glorious also. And indeed, ac- 
cording to the Hebraism, that is, that phrase that the Jews use to speak in, 
which the apostles do likewise often use in writing the New Testament, 
these two ' riches of glory are terms convertible, and his meaning is this, 
that the gospel it is either rich in respect of the glory of it, or glorious in 
respect of the riches of it ; so as none knows whether the riches or the glory 
of it be greater. I shall first of all, therefore, open to you the riches of this 
mystery. 

Obs. The gospel itself, which revealeth the Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
free grace of God in him, is a most rich gospel. 

In 2 Cor. iv., the apostle having spoken of the gospel (as you shall find he 
doth all along in that chapter, from the 1st verse to the 7th), and laid open 
the excellency of it in the glory thereof, what saith he when he hath done ? 
' We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power might be of God, 
and not of us.' I am (saith Paul) but a poor man, I am but an earthen 
vessel, made of the same clay mingled with sin, that other men are made of, 
yet God hath been pleased to betrust me with a world of treasure. What 
a world of treasure was lost — though it was not lost, for he had preached 
it out, and writ it — but what a world of treasure was broken when that 
earthen vessel was broken. And what was that treasure ? It was (as the 
coherence evidently carries it) the gospel. Hence is it that every believer, 
that believeth this gospel and the truths of it, is said to be ' rich in faith,' 
James ii. 5, and in 1 Cor. i. 5, to be ' rich in all knowledge.' The know- 
ledge of the gospel is a rich knowledge, and the faith of the gospel is a rich 
faith, and the gospel itself is a treasure, saith Paul, which poor earthen 
vessels carry about with them. Now riches imply these three things — 

1. A preciousness. 

2. Abundance. 

3. Profitableness and gain. 

And the things the gospel revealeth, and the truths contained therein, 
and the knowledge thereof unto those that are the true owners and professors 
of them, and do make them theirs, are rich in all these respects. 



Chap. V.j glory of the gospel. 307 

1. First, There is a preciousness in all the truths the gospel doth reveal. 
Not only Jesus Christ is said to he precious, as the foundation and corner- 
stone (that you have in 1 Peter ii. G, ' I will lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, 
elect and precious'), but the truths that are built upon Christ arc all pre- 
cious too ; so 3-0U have it in 1 Cor. iii. 10, ' I,' saith he, ' as a wise master- 
builder have laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ,' the great precious 
stone of all the rest ; ' now if any man shall build upon this foundation, 
gold, silver, precious stones,' so he calls all the truths that are built upon 
this foundation — there is not a truth of the gospel but it is more worth than 
gold, more rich than precious stones ; and then he expresseth all the false- 
hoods that men build thereupon by wood, and hay, and stubble that will bo 
burnt up, but by gold and precious stones, he means those truths that will 
abide the fire. So that every truth of the gospel that is built upon Jesus 
Christ, that is the superstructure of it, are all pearls and precious stones, 
and gold, and silver ; they have degrees of excellencies indeed, but they all 
have a preciousness in them. I shall not need to enlarge more about it, I 
will only quote one place, and so open the particulars in which the gospel 
is precious. Prov. iii. 14 ; speaking there of wisdom, he saith, ' The 
merchandise of it is better than the merchandises of silver, and the gain 
thereof than fine gold ;' and if there be anything better than these (and yet 
the world hath turned these up as the great things that should master all 
the rest), he prefers it before them. Precious stones, you know, are more 
precious than silver and gold. Why, saith he, ' Wisdom is more precious than 
rubies ;' and yet because the hearts of men imagine there is something more 
precious than these, he addeth, ' All the things thou canst desire are not to 
be compared unto her.' This he speaks of wisdom, which is the knowledge 
of Jesus Christ, and he speaks of it as he knew it even under the time of 
the law ; he valued every truth, and every part of it, above gold, and silver, 
and rubies, and whatever the heart of man could think precious. 

Every truth of the gospel is precious in these five respects : — 

(1.) Antiquity makes things precious. Small pieces of coin that contain 
not much in value, if they be old, are prized ; any old medal, or old pieces 
of brass, or of gold, and silver coined in the time of the Roman emperors, 
or in the time of the Grecian, any piece that hath Alexander's image and 
stamp upon it, and the like, how do your antiquaries esteem it ! How 
more precious do they think it than a great deal of gold ! Now if antiquity 
commend anything to you, why, there is never a truth of the gospel but was 
coined in heaven, and coined from everlasting. It is ' the everlasting gospel,' 
and it bears the image of God upon it. 

(2.) Things far fetched are precious. ' She fetcheth her merchandise 
from afar,' saith Solomon, Prov. xxxi. There is not a word of this gospel, 
but it came from afar, it came from heaven. Jesus Christ came himself 
from heaven on purpose to reveal it. Heb. xii. 25, comparing law and 
gospel together, says the apostle, ' If they escape not that refused him that 
spake from earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from 
him that speaks from heaven.' Who doth he mean by him that speaks 
from earth, and who by him that spake from heaven ? Why, Moses and 
Christ. Moses gave the law, ' the law came by Moses,' and the law came 
but from earth ; but the gospel, every tittle of it, came from heaven. The 
law comes out of a man's own heart, it was written in man's heart on earth, 
namely, in Adam's innocency, and there is a great deal of it written even 
in the hearts of wicked men ; ' they do the things of the law, which are 
written in their hearts,' saith the apostle, Rom. ii. But not a word of this 



308 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. V. 

truth of the gospel was written in Adam's heart ; no, it was written in 
God's heart, it was hid in God, it came from heaven. 

(3.) Things that are dearly bought you account precious. There is not 
one truth of the gospel, but it cost the blood of Jesus Christ. You will 
easily grant, there is no grace you have but it cost Christ's blood ; why, 
my brethren, there is no truth you have that is a gospel truth, but it cost 
the blood of Christ. The law did not cost Christ's blood, for the law was 
written in Adam's heart, and without the supposition of his death, it was 
given to Adam in paradise ; but not a tittle of the gospel, not a promise of 
it, but depends upon the blood of Christ. ' In him all the promises are yea 
and amen,' 2 Cor. i. 20, and they are therefore ' exceeding precious pro- 
mises ; ' so Peter calls them, 2 Pet. i. 4, for they all cost the blood of 
Christ. We could have had no promise if Christ had not paid the thing 
promised ; not a promise had been written if Jesus Christ had not died to 
make it so ; they had all been blanks but for his death. 

(4.) Things charily and warily laid up are precious. The gospel and all 
the truths of it have had the richest cabinet that ever was. First, it had 
God's heart, it was hid in God (as I said afore), Eph. iii. 9. Then there 
was a copy of it transcribed into Christ's heart, and he came into this 
world full of grace and truth, as full of the truths of the gospel as he could 
hold. Then doth God transcribe it out of Christ's heart into the hearts of 
his elect ; 2 Cor. iii. 3, ' Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of 
Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the 
living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.' 

(5.) Things that perish not, but still do vindicate themselves from cor- 
ruption, they also are precious. Why is gold and silver precious ? Because 
that gold if put into the fire, though it will melt, yet it will not be lost, it 
will not be consumed. But, 1 Pet. i. 7, ' faith is more precious than gold.' 
Why ? Because it perisheth not, though it be tried in the fire. Gold in 
time will perish; if you try it too often, it will come to nothing; but faith, 
the more you try it, the more precious it is, there is not a dram of it lost 
at any time. And the doctrine of faith, and of the gospel, is of the same 
nature, it will never perish, and it will still vindicate itself from corruption ; 
though men mingle it, as always in the bringing forth of truths certainly 
men mingle a great deal of dross, and of their own wisdom and artifice, but 
that Spirit that is in the truth itself will work out all that dross in time. 
Never take care* to have the truth of God clear. We may be doubtful of it 
in many things in our age ; it is certain the next age, or an age after, will 
clear it ; the truth hath a spirit in it that will still purify it. In 1 Cor. 
iii. 13, saith the apostle there, where he calls truth gold, and silver, and 
precious stones, ' Every man's work,' saith he, namely, every minister's 
work, whether he preach truth or whether he preach falsehood, whether 
he preacheth gold, silver, precious stones (so he calls the truths of the 
gospel), or whether he preach wood, hay, stubble, ' it shall be made mani- 
fest, for the day shall declare it,' whether it be precious stones or no, ' be- 
cause,' saith he, 'it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every 
man's work of what sort it is.' He speaks evidently of the doctrines men 
preach or hold forth in the world ; still there will come a more clear daylight 
that shall reveal them, and there will come a fire, and if it be hay or stubble, 
or whatever it is that is dross, or falsehood, or error mingled with the truth, 
it shall be burnt up. As when you go and burn cloth of silver or of gold, 

That is, Do not be over anxious, as if it depended on you. Certainly Goodwin 
did not mean to inculcate indifference as to the clearing of (he truth. — Ed. 



CnAP. V.] GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 809 

all the cloth is burnt up, but the silver and gold remains, so it is here ; 
and the Holy Ghost will never leave till ho hath purified his truth thoroughly. 
Therefore the psalmist saith, ' The words of tho Lord are pure words' 
(Ps. xii. 6), • as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times.' You know, 
they that purify silver to the purpose use to put it in tho fire again and 
again that it may bo thoroughly tried. So is the truth of God ; there is 
scarce any truth but hath been tried over and over again, and still if any 
dross happen to mingle with it, then God calls it in question again. If in 
former times there have been scriptures alleged that have not been perti- 
nent to prove it, that truth shall into the fire again, that what is dross may 
be burnt up ; the Holy Ghost is so curious, so delicate, so exact, he cannot 
bear that falsehood should be mingled with the truths of the gospel. That 
is the reason, therefore, why that God doth still, age after age, call former 
things in question, because that there is still some dross one way or other 
mingled with it ; either in the stating of the opinions themselves, or else in 
the scriptures that are brought and alleged for them, that have passed for 
current, for he will never leave till he hath purified it. The doctrine of 
God's free grace hath been tried over, and over, and over again. Pelagius 
he begins and he mingles his dross with it : he saith, grace is nothing but 
nature in man. Well, his doctrine was purified, and a great deal of dross 
purged out. Then comes the semi-Pelagians, and they part stakes ; they 
say, nature can do nothing without grace, but they make nature to concur 
with grace, and to have an influence as well as grace ; and the dross of 
that was burnt up. The papists they take up the same quarrel, but will 
neither be Pelagians nor semi-Pelagians, yet still mingle dross. ^The Armi- 
nians, they come and they refine popery in that point anew ; still they 
mingle dross. God will have this truth tried seven times in the fire, till 
he hath brought it forth as pure as pure may be. And I say it is, because 
that truth is thus precious. And so much now for that first head, that 
it is a rich gospel in regard of the preciousness of the truths that are therein. 
2. The second thing that is proper to riches is abundance. Now the 
doctrine of the gospel hath abundance of truth and knowledge in it. Take 
all philosophy, all the books of human wisdom and learning, if they were 
all distilled, if you could extract the quintessence of them all, there is not 
so much knowledge as one book of the New Testament contains. In this 
Col. ii. 3, saith this apostle there, do you stick to the knowledge of Jesus 
Christ, and do not leave that, ' for in him are hid all the treasures of wis- 
dom and knowledge.' There is all sorts, both wisdom and knowledge, and 
there is all wisdom and knowledge, and there are all treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge hid in this Christ, who is revealed to you in this gospel. 
It is all knowledge by way of eminency, as they use to say metaphysics 
are : it contains all knowledge, because it swallows up all the axioms of all 
other sciences. I may say of all other learning and knowledge whatsoever, 
they are all by way of eminency swallowed up in the truths of the gospel. 
As the person of Jesus Christ contains by way of eminency all the excel- 
lencies in the creature, so the knowledge of Jesus Christ contains all the 
excellency of whatsoever knowledge can be had, the knowledge of governing 
kingdoms, the knowledge of nature, or the things of nature, or the know- 
ledge of the law, or of whatever else. Our Saviour Christ, as he was full 
of grace, so he was full of truth ; John i. 14, ' We saw his glory, as the 
glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth.' He came 
so rich into this world, he had such abundance of treasures, that he 
brought forth continually some truths or other. He was full of grace to 



310 A DISCOUESE OF THE [CHAP. V. 

fill the will and affection, and full of truth to fill the understanding and 
judgment ; and those truths did comprehensively take in all sorts of truths 
that ever were uttered, in a transcendent manner. Solomon he had a 
heart as large for knowledge in natural things, as the sea is full of sands ; 
he had as many notions in his head as there be sands upon the sea- shore. 
This Solomon, Jesus Christ that came from heaven, he had his heart larger 
than the sea, as large as heaven itself, he was full of truth. Saith David, 
who knew but the law (I mean the law in distinction from the gospel, as 
we know it, and as it is now revealed), yet saith he in Ps. cxix., ' I have 
seen an end of all perfection, but thy law is exceeding broad ;' he saw such 
a vastness in the knowledge of the law as he stood aghast at it ; as if a man 
should stand in the midst of the sea, it is so broad, so vast, he cannot see 
where it ends ; I can see to the end (saith he) of all perfection else, but I 
cannot see to the end of thy law, it is so full, so broad. And therefore in 
2 Cor. iii. the apostle tells us they did not see to the end of his ministry ; 
ay, but, my brethren, the gospel is much more endless, for what doth Jobn 
say in that place quoted even now, when he said Christ was full of grace 
and truth, he speaks in opposition to the law, ' The law came by Moses,' 
saith he, ' but grace and truth by Jesus Christ ;' and we saw his glory, and 
we saw him full of grace and truth. Moses his law was but a scanty busi- 
ness, though it was exceeding broad, and David saw an end of it ; but the 
knowledge of Christ, and of what is contained in the gospel, they do so 
abound as they are unsearchable. So the apostle saith, Eph. iii. 8, ' That 
I may preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ ;' and 
Paul himself, though he had abundance of revelations (as he saith in 2 Cor. 
xii.), yet he professeth that he knew but in part, such abundance is there 
in the truths of the gospel. The times of the gospel therefore, they are 
like the times of Solomon, in which the scripture saith, silver was as the 
stones in the street ; so Jesus Christ hath filled the world with the riches 
of the gospel, for so the gospel is called, ' The riches of the Gentiles,' and 
the riches of the world, wherein the precious truths revealed concerning 
him, they are as common as the stones in the streets, and as many for 
number, if men had eyes to see them, and hearts, and heads, and hands to 
dig for them, and search them out of the mines in which they lie. And so 
much now for the second head, viz., that the gospel is a rich gospel, in 
regard of the abundance of truth and knowledge contained in it. 

3. Thirdly, All the truths of the gospel are likewise rich in regard of the 
gain and profitableness of them ; they do make those rich that are the pos- 
sessors of them. There are in the world a great many curiosities of know- 
ledge, which men do pride and boast themselves in ; the trial of the secrets 
of nature, and the experiments thereof. But usually all such knowledge 
doth impoverish all those that are retainers to it. But the knowledge of 
the gospel is clean otherwise, it possesseth them that know it by faith of 
all the treasure it revealeth. It is not like stories that do set forth glori- 
ous and rich things to you, yet when stories do so they do mightily take 
you, but you may read such stories and be poor men still. But the 
gospel, as it reveals to you infinite riches, so it possesseth you of them ; 
therefore what doth the Holy Ghost say here ? ' Which riches is Christ 
in you,' saith he, for the particle which refers to riches as well as to mys- 
tery, and indeed to both. And therefore in Prov. iii., a place I quoted 
afore for the preciousness of wisdom and all the wares thereof, it is not only 
compared to rubies for the worth and preciousness of it, but for the gain 
and profitableness of it also ; ' Happy is the man that findeth understand- 



Chap. V.J gloky ok the oobpel. 311 

ing, for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and 
the gain thereof than of fine gold.' And if the heart of man in its vast 
desires could think of any more precious things unknown, stretch the 
compass of your desires to the utmost, yet saith ho, ' All the things thou 
canst desire cannot he compared to her :' so ver. 15. 

If you ask me, wherein lies this riches ? It lies in wisdom, says Solo- 
mon, and that wisdom is Christ, says the text. ' Which riches,' saith he, 
' is Christ in you.' We all acknowledge that God is infinitely rich and 
blessed in himself, Philip, iv. 19, ' My God shall supply all your need, ac- 
cording to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ ;' riches in glory, for God's 
riches lie in glory most, and he communicateth them to all believers in 
and by Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ's becoming yours — (' Which is Christ 
in you,' saith the text) — hence you come to have a title and interest in all 
those riches of God that God himself possesseth. This is certain, that 
Jesus Christ is worth all that God is worth. He is God's only Son, and 
he is his heir (he is said to be the heir of all things, Heb. i. 2) ; and God 
will not give one penny from him, as I may so express it to you. Now this 
glorious gospel which we preach, if received and entertained, makes Jesus 
Christ yours, and all his riches. And therefore in 1 Cor. iii. 22, the apostle 
thus pleads the title of a Christian, ' Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, 
or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all ai*o 
yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' Here I say you have, as 
the inventory of a Christian, so the title by which all things are derived to 
him. ' All things are yours,' saith he, why God himself is worth but all 
things, and Jesus Christ (as I said) is worth all that God is worth ; ' All 
things are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' And therefore, 
in Rom. viii. 17, we are said to be ' heirs of God, and joint-heirs with 
Christ ;' not only heirs of God, as a son is said to be the heir of his father, 
that is, that he is the bequeather, but we are said to be heirs of God 
materially, heirs of God himself, for he is our inheritance, and we are joint- 
heirs with Christ ; we are so put into God's will, that as men are said 
to be joint purchasers with another, so we are said to be 'joint-heirs with 
Christ.' Joint purchasers we are not, that is Christ's prerogative alone, 
but when it comes to matter of inheritance, then we are joint-heirs with 
Christ. 

And that which we are to possess is a free estate, Rom. viii. 32, ' He 
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he 
not with him also freely give us all things ?' There is not only all things 
that you possess, and the title, as joint-heirs with Christ, but you have it 
freely ; there is no debts to pay out of it, no portions, no legacies, but you 
are heirs of all things, and of all things freely. 

And then do but consider what the revenues of Christ's blood are. Look 
what both Christ's personal interest in all things would convey to you : so 
much is a Christian worth ; and look what the purchase of Christ's blood 
is : so rich is a Christian also that entertains the gospel. I say two things. 
First, Our Saviour Christ is personally the heir of all things, and you have 
the same title he hath, being joint-heirs with him. Then this heir laid all 
that he was heir of down again to make a further purchase ; and do but 
think now what a purchase this must needs be, what riches it must needs 
arise to. In 2 Cor. viii. 9, ' Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that though he was rich ' (for he was rich, as he was the heir of all things), 
' yet for your sakes he became poor.' Why ? ' That ye through his 
poverty might be rich.' Jesus Christ is first rich as the heir, and ye 



312 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. V. 

are ordained joint-heirs with him, by that title. But he that is the heir of 
all things becomes poor, and poor on purpose to purchase, if it be possible, 
more riches, or the same over and over again. As it is in Philip, i. 8, ' He 
thought it no robbery to be equal with God.' As in glory, so in riches, 
he had as great and as good an estate as God himself hath, and it was no 
robbery, it was no stealth. He came not by it by any such course or way, 
it is no unjust claim that he laid to it ; yet he emptied himself, he left him- 
self not worth one farthing. He emptied himself, so saith the text, as in 
respect of glory, so in respect of riches. He became poor, and as we may 
express it, not worth the ground he went on, for he had not a hole to hide 
his head in ; women ministered unto him. Now I say, this heir of all 
things made over all his riches, and did it all for you ; it is said in that 
Prov. iii., ' The merchandise of wisdom is better than that of fine gold.' 
When Wisdom, Christ himself (I do not say that is the meaning of the 
place, only I allude to it, and speak in the expression of it), shall put forth 
all the riches he hath in a way of merchandise to have it returned again, 
and become poor to make us rich, do but think now what riches this must 
needs amount unto. 

Now the gospel therefore is a rich gospel, not only because it doth 
reveal and is the story of all these riches, but because it possesseth you of 
them, and is your bond for it. The gospel, I say, and all the promises of 
it, are the bond that you have to shew for all these riches, and in that 
respect it is rich. When our Lord and Saviour Christ laid down all his 
riches, and laid down his blood to purchase riches for us, what is it that 
he hath to shew for it ? He hath but the promises of the gospel, which 
God hath made to him, and made to us in and through him ; therefore as 
a man is said to be rich, though he be rich but in bonds, if they be sure 
bonds, so is a Christian, he is rich in promises. Compare for this Eph. 
iii. ver. 6 with ver. 8. At the 6th verse, saith he, ' That the Gentiles 
should be fellow-heirs, and partakers of his promise in Christ, by the gos- 
pel. Now what is it the gospel containeth ? Read ver. 8 : ' That I should 
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. ' Where lie 
all these riches ? They lie in the promises ; we are now partakers but of 
the promises of the gospel. They are unsearchable riches, which cannot 
be told over to eternity, and the promises are the conveyers of them, and 
in these promises do our estates lie for the present, but it is a sure estate ; 
and in this respect Peter calleth them ' exceeding great and precious pro- 
mises,' 2 Pet. i. 4. And, therefore, although you will say a Christian hath 
nothing, it is true, but he is rich in promises ; and our apostle answers it in 
that 2 Cor. vi. 10, ' As having nothing, yet possessing all things.' Why ? 
Because a Christian possesseth Christ ; ' which riches is Christ in you,' 
saith the text here. It is all one to be rich in bonds, and rich in money 
told by you, and that is all the difference between your estate here and in 
heaven: in heaven you have the money, the thing itself; and here you 
have the possession of the bonds themselves. 

It were infinite to go over all the inventory of a Christian ; I have there- 
fore done it in a short, brief sum. Here are riches in Christ to pay all 
thy debts the first day thou comest in ; and to pay all thy debts thou shalt 
run into God (and it would have beggared all the angels in heaven to pay 
for one sin), and when that is done, thou hast a righteousness so rich as 
the angels never possessed, a robe stuck so full of jewels (for such is every 
action of Christ, and all his sufficiency) as never came upon the angels' 
back. Every grace thou hast is a rich thing ; ' rich in faith,' James ii. ; 



Chap. V.] glory of the gospel. 313 

1 rich in assurance,' Col. ii. 2. In a word, hath God any more riches? His 
Spirit is as rich as Christ too, and thou hast him. It is a phrase used in 
Tit. iii. G, ' Ho hath poured his Spirit richly on us ;' so it is in the original 
and in your margins. And then thou hast all the riches of glory in the 
world to come, when thou art to be the possessor of all this. And this tho 
gospel reveals to thee, and makes thee possessor of it that art a believer ; 
and although the meanest Christian, if ho have but the least knowledge of 
the gospel, is possessed of this, yet the more he comes to know the gospel, 
the more he comes to know his own riches. 

First, Therefore, my brethren (that I may make a use or two of this, and 
so pass on to the next), it is a very great invitement to us to be acquainted 
with all the things of the gospel of Christ ; for still what dost thou do ? 
Thou dost but study over thine own riches, and increase thine own inven- 
tory, comest to the knowledge of things thou never dreamedst of should be 
thine. The angels do study the gospel, and pry into it, but it is not 
their riches ; it is not ' which riches is Christ in angels,' but it is, ' which 
riches is Christ in you.' It is a thing worth your observation, that in 
Eph. iii., speaking of the excellency of the gospel, and the riches of it, he 
saith, that it is made manifest to all men, and likewise to angels, but with 
this difference, unto men it is called the unsearchable riches of Christ ; so 
ver. 8, ' That I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches 
of Christ ;' but when he speaks of the angels knowing of it, he calls it wis- 
dom : so ver. 10. ' To the intent,' saith he, ' that now unto the princi- 
palities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the 
manifold wisdom of God.' The angels are taken with the wisdom of it, 
but thou mayest be taken with the riches that are in it ; not only with the 
wisdom of it, though that takes the angels, and may take thee ; but it is 
riches to thee, but wisdom only unto them. 

Secondly, Is the gospel thus rich in its preciousness and abundance ? 
Then let us take heed that we do not sell any part of the truths of the gos- 
pel which have been revealed to us. ' Buy the truth,' saith Solomon, 
Prov. xxiii. 22, ' but sell it not ;' for if you do you sell your riches, you 
part with your estates. This kingdom, and this city (for aught I know) 
hath been the greatest mart of truth for this last age, of any part of the 
world, and Wisdom hath cried her wares here more than in any other 
place. There is nothing more the riches of a kingdom or a city than the 
gospel ; it is the expression the Holy Ghost hath in Rom. xi. 12, where, 
speaking of the gospel, when it was revealed to the Gentiles, he calls it, 
' the riches of the Gentiles and the riches of the world,' in the same place. 
Take heed, therefore, of parting with any of the truths of the gospel, 
those truths that have been cried,* that have run through the fire so much 
in all ages, for let me tell you this, that when God did first deliver to the 
saints in the primitive times, all that the apostles said went then for cur- 
rent in a manner ; but when they were gone, God presently went and began 
to put every truth to a trial, first one and then another. 

That there is one God, and one Christ his Son, and that he is God as 
well as man, and hath a true human nature ; all these fundamental truths 
were the exercise and conflicts against heretics and heathens, that the holy 
Christians in the primitive times suffered for. Then God put this truth 
into the fire, whether Christ was God or no, and all the world turned 
Arian ; but he tried it, and it hath stood, and doth stand, and is continued 
to this day. He hath likewise put the doctrine of free grace into the fire. 
* Qu. ' tried ' ?•— Ed. 



314 A DISCOURSE OF THE fCHAP. V. 

He began to do it presently after Arianism was down ; he hath tried it 
over, and over, and over, and it is still propagated purer and purer. Now 
I say, all those truths that God hath thus suffered to run through the fire, 
which we now possess by the blood of Jesus Christ, and by the blood of 
martyrs, and the conflicts of the saints in all ages, should be preserved by 
us. I beseech you, give not up those truths, for they are your riches. 
Shall we now in this age question the foundation of religion ? for so some 
do. Will you sell away those things that have been derived to us age 
after age at such cost ? Oh let us possess them as our dearest treasures. 
Let us value the truths of the gospel as Paul did. ' I profited,' saith he, 
' in knowledge more than any of my brethren, equals,' or as much as any. 
Oh, thought he once, when he had got a form of the knowledge of the 
law in his head, what a treasure have I ! But, saith he, Phil. iii. 7, 8, 
' The things I counted gain to me,' thought myself rich by them, ' I 
esteemed all to be but loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Jesus Christ my Lord.' My brethren, let us not sell the truth. God 
never takes it away from a nation or a people till they sell it, as Esau did 
his birthright. The Lord had made the Jews his market for truth ; to 
them were committed the oracles of God, Rom. iii. 2, and therefore because 
he had committed to them the truth, and they had been the pillar of it, 
when the gospel came to be preached, they must have the first offer of 
it, they must have the refusal of it before God would carry it to another 
market. ' It was necessary,' saith Paul and Barnabas, preaching to the 
Jews, Acts xii. 46, ' that the word of God should first have been spoken 
unto you : but seeing you put it from you, seeing you refuse it, carry your- 
selves unworthy of it, we will go to the Gentiles.' 

And, last of all, let the doctrine of the gospel dwell plenteously in you ; 
' let it dwell richly in you,' for so the expression is, Col. iii. 1G. And let 
us labour to be enriched with all the knowledge of; as it is in 1 Cor. ii. 5, 
let us grow rich in faith, for the more you know, the richer you are. 

But you will say, I am estated into all the riches of the gospel, if I have 
but the least spark of faith, and all the riches of Christ are mine. 

I confess that all the riches of Christ are thine. But let me tell thee 
this, the more thou growest, after thou believest, in the knowledge of the 
gospel, the more thou growest in the knowledge of thine own riches ; and 
what a happiness is that ! And though thou hast all the riches of Christ, 
and all the promises, and all the truths of the gospel tend for to comfort 
thee, and to make thee happy and rich, and will one day make thee so ; 
yet in the mean time, till thou increasest in the knowledge of it, till thou 
hast assurance of the things thou knowest, thou art in thine own appre- 
hension but a poor man. ' There is that maketh himself poor, but is 
rich,' saith Solomon ; which is the case of many poor souls, who either 
want assurance, or else do content themselves with a little knowledge, 
only so much as may save them. So that now here is the advantage of a 
man growing in knowledge, that the more he knows of the gospel of Christ, 
the more he knoweth his own riches ; and if a man had no other work but 
to tell over money newly given him every day, he would surely count it the 
pleasantest work in the world. If thou couldst grow every day in a new 
degree of knowledge, whilst thou dost thereby grow the more in the know- 
ledge of thine own riches, how happy must thou needs be ! And so much 
now for that attribute that is here given to the gospel, it is a mystery, and 
it is a rich mystery. 



ClIAP. VI.] GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 81{ 



CHAPTER VI. 

That the gospel is most excellent, because it is a most glorious revelation of 
God and Christ to lis. 

The next thing that is (in Col. i. 27) attributed to the gospel is, that it 
is a glorious gospel. The apostle, when he speaks of the glory of things 
spiritual, usually gives the title of riches to them ; thus, in Rom. ix. 28, 
when he speaks of the glory that is in God, he callcth it ' riches of glory ; ' 
so in Eph. i. 18, when he speaks of heaven, he callcth it ' riches of glory;' 
and here, when he speaks of the gospel of Christ, he calleth it likewise 
' riches of glory.' 

I need not stand to give you many Scriptures in which the gospel is 
called glorious. I shall quote you but one or two. First, that in 1 Tim. 
i. 11, ' according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God,' and he speaks 
it in opposition to the law clearly. He saith that the law is good, ver. 8 ; 
but when he comes to speak of the gospel, he calls that glorious, for glory 
is the super- excellency and superlative of goodness. You have one whole 
chapter (viz., 2 Cor. iii.) that shews the glory of this gospel ; and indeed 
more than that one chapter, for the apostle doth enlarge his discourse of it 
to the Gth verse of the 4th chapter. And there also he calls it treasure 
(as in ver. 7), as he had called it glory in all the discourse before ; and as 
he had done in Timothy, so here in this chapter of the Corinthians, he 
compares it with the law. He doth acknowledge that the law had a kind 
of glory in it; so ver. 7, 'If the ministration of death, written and engraven 
in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly 
behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance ; which glory 
was to be done away : how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be 
rather glorious ? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much 
more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.' I shall take 
all these arguments afore I have done, to shew how glorious the gospel is, 
both because it is the ministration of the Spirit, and because it is the minis- 
tration of a glorious righteousness ; but now I only quote it for this in the 
general, that the apostle, though he attributeth a glory to the law, yet in 
comparison of the gospel he makes it no glory ; for so it follows, verse 10, 
' Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason 
of the glory that excelleth.' 

The law was glorious (and yet that glory which it had, he saith, was but 
a made glory), first, in the promulgation of it, which indeed was a very re- 
semblance of the day of judgment ; for God, when he came to give the law 
to sinners, came down from heaven and placed his tabernacle upon Mount 
Sinai, like unto a judge, attended with glorious angels (for ' the law was 
given by angels'), and with many glorious miracles, thunder, and earth- 
quake, and fire, and smoke, and the sound of a trumpet. Even as the 
glory of a kingdom is most seen when they go to enact laws, for then the 
king and all the nobles go in their parliament robes ; and so your judges, 
when they go to execute the laws, to condemn men, go attended with the 
sound of a trumpet, and halberds, &c. So God, when he came to give the 
law, came attended with all this glory. 

And then, secondly, as the law was glorious in respect of the promulga- 
tion of it, so in respect of the matter of it. For the moral law, of which 
the apostle specially speaks, for he speaks of that law which was written 



816 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

and engraven in stones, had a glory in it. Why ? This is a certain rule, 
whatsoever holds forth the image of God hath a glory in it, for the least 
ray or beam of God hath glory in it ; and if the law be the image of God, 
if God be glorious, that must be glorious too. Now, the law holds forth 
the image of God's mind. Therefore it is, that man in his first creation is 
called the glory of God, because he was the image of God, and hence there- 
fore the grace in Adam was called glory ; and so I think it is the best inter- 
pretation, or at leastwise one great part of the meaning of that in Rom. 
hi. 23, 'All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.' It is meant 
of the image of God plainly ; for in 1 Cor. xi. 7, the glory of God and his 
image are made all one. They are fallen from that grace and righteousness 
which at first God did implant in them, by which they were justified, and so 
are come short of the favour of God, which did shine upon them. And 
hence likewise in 2 Cor. iv. 4, the gospel is said to be glorious, because it 
holds forth Jesus Christ, the image of God. Now the law, therefore,, con- 
taining the image of God, had a glory in it materially. In these . two 
respects, I say, the law was glorious: 1. In the promulgation of it, God 
put a state upon it when he delivered it ; and, 2. in respect of the matter 
of it, because it contains the image of God. 

But now, my brethren, the gospel infinitely excelleth in glory in both 
these respects. I will not stand so much upon the first, because it is not 
so proper to the text, yet somewhat I will say of it. The gospel, in the 
promulgation of it, had all the glory that could be put upon it. What 
greater glory than for a king, before he comes himself in state, to have a 
train of men of four thousand years ? So had Jesus Christ. Before he 
came into the world to give the gospel, what a long train had he ! For 
all the patriarchs and prophets were but his forerunners, his train, men 
that went before him ; and at last came John the Baptist, who was greater 
than all those patriarchs and prophets, because he came next to Jesus Christ, 
and because he spake more gospel than all of them had done. You have 
an express place for it in Isa. xl., 3d, 4th, and 5th verses compared, where 
the glory of the gospel is held forth by this, that it had this forerunner, 
' The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God,' &c. ; and saith 
he, ver. 5, ' The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.' Because it was so 
great a glory, he ushereth it in thus by John Baptist. It is true indeed, 
there was no sound of a trumpet, nor no earthquakes ; but you shall see 
there was as much, for after all this train was past, and all these forerunners 
gone by, comes Jesus Christ himself, the brightness of his Father's glory, 
and the express image of his person, ' whose shoe-latchet,' saith John 
Baptist, who was yet more than a prophet, ' I am not worthy to unloose.' 
Compare for this but the first chapter of the Hebrews, and the third verse 
of the second chapter together. In the first chapter, he saith, ' That in these 
last days God hath spoken unto us by his Son,' and then he sheweth what 
a Son this was, that ' he was heir of all things, and that by him also God 
made the worlds,' that he was the express image of his Father's person ; 
and all this to the end, that he might shew forth the glory of the gospel ; 
as appears, chap. ii. ver. 2. For, saith he, ' If the word spoken by angels 
was so stedfast and excellent,' how much more shall that word be which 
was spoken by so great a Lord ; so ver. 3. And when Jesus did first come 
to be inaugurated, before he preached one sermon (for his inauguration is re- 
corded by the evangelists before he preached one sermon) it was by a voice 
coming immediately from heaven, saying, ' This is my well-beloved Son, 



Chap. VI.] glory of the gospel. 817 

in whom I am well pleased.' You have the same afterwards in Luke xvii. 
when ho was transfigured, when he appeared all in his glory. Moses his 
face did hut shine, hut Jesus Christ's lace, clothes, and all shone all over ; 
and then comcth a voice from heaven too, ' This is my heloved Son, in 
whom I am well pleased, hear him.' It is a preface to the gospel. Here 
is a Lord of glory, saith he, when he had shewn him in all his glory ; here 
he is, hear him, take that gospel that he delivereth from his mouth, for 
here is the reality of Moses his shadow. There was a voice came from the 
excellent glory, so Peter hath it, which is more than the sound of a trumpet 
which angels made upon the mount at the promulgation of the law. Here 
when this gospel came to he delivered, when it was first begun to be spoken 
by the Lord, all the three persons give witness and testimony, and instead 
of angels the Holy Ghost cometh down ; and instead of the voice of angels, 
here is a voice from heaven, even the voice of God himself ; and instead of 
Moses shining with his face, here is Moses and Elias both appearing in 
glory with Jesus Christ, who put them down clean ; for, saith John, speak- 
ing of his transfiguration, ' We saw his glory, as the glory of the only be- 
gotten Son of God ;' which glory of his was as evidently to be distinguished 
from the glory of Moses and Elias, as the glory of the sun is from that of 
the stars. And, my brethren, what was the purpose of presenting Christ 
in that glory upon the mount ? It is evident, it was in answer to the glory 
of Moses his face, who was the deliverer of the law, and that upon this 
ground ; because there is a voice come from heaven, from the excellent 
glory, saying, ' This is my beloved Son, hear him.' 

And then when Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, that first gave this gospel, 
went to heaven, what follows ? Why, a world of glories, beams of glories, 
were still scattered to confirm it ; 1 Peter i. 10, ' Of which salvation the 
prophets did prophesy, and of the sufferings of Christ, and of the glories 
that should follow,' (so it is in the original). For when Jesus Christ him- 
self ascended and entered into glory, he poured down glorious gifts, he 
poured down a glorious Spirit, he poured down this gospel, whereof he had 
but the substance of it in brief sayings, which the apostles delivered to us. 
So you have it in Heb. ii. 3. As it was first preached by the Lord, so he 
saith it was confirmed by signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and by 
giving of the Holy Ghost. And this was the glory of the gospel in respect 
of the promulgation of it, which indeed is not so much the scope of the 
text, yet because the apostle in that 2 Cor. hi. speaks of the promulgation 
of the law, and of the glory of it in that respect, when he compares it with 
the gospel and the glory of it, I thought good a little to handle it. But, 

Secondly, As the gospel exceeded the law in glory, in respect of the pro- 
mulgation of it ; so let us compare the matter of the gospel with that of the 
law, and we shall find it likewise to be transcendently glorious in that respect 
also. The law, I told you, was a glorious law, because it contained the 
image of God, so far as dead letters could hold forth that image. The law 
written in Adam's heart was the image of God, and that being blotted out, 
God took a copy of what was in Adam's heart, so that indeed the law is 
rather an image of the image of God, than the image of God properly ; 
it is but the image of the image that was in Adam's heart, and but a literal 
picture of it. But now the gospel must needs be much more glorious, 
because, 

First, It is the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the express image of the 
person of his Father, so you have it, Heb. i. 2, 3, ' who is the heir of all 
things' (speaking of Christ), ' the brightness of his glory, and the express 



318 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CliAP. VI. 

image of his person.' Now do but look how more glorious the image of a 
man in his son like himself, who hath the same reason in him, and pro- 
perties of all kinds that himself hath, excelleth the image of his mind, or of 
his thoughts delivered in writing ; so doth Jesus Christ excel that image of 
God expressed in the law. And it is this which makes the gospel so glorious, 
because it is the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God ; so the apostle 
saith in 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who 
is the image of God, should shine unto them ;' hence therefore in Isa. xl. 4, 
Christ is called, ' the glory of the Lord.' Therefore look how far the image 
of God stamped upon Jesus Christ exceeds the image of God in Adam's 
heart, and therefore must needs excel the image of God in the law, which 
is indeed but the copy of the image, so much doth the gospel exceed the 
law in glory, and all the knowledge of it. The law, I say, is the copy of 
the image of God in man's heart, but the gospel is the glass in which the 
image of God in Christ, and the glory of Christ, appeareth. 

I will not stand to enlarge much upon that subject, to shew you how 
transcendent an image there is stamped upon Christ ; I have done it else- 
where, in opening the 18th and 19th verses of this chapter. And that Jesus 
Christ is the great subject of the gospel, I intend, by the blessing of God, 
to speak of that, taking chap. ii. ver. 2, where the gospel is called ' the 
mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ ;' these being the subject 
of the gospel. I will now only shew you, how glorious the gospel must 
needs be, that doth hold forth the glory of Christ, and how lively it holds it 
forth. 

My brethren, let me tell you the story of it a little. The apostles that 
lived with Jesus Christ, ' they saw his gloiy, as the glory of the only be- 
gotten Son of God ;' so you have it in John i. 14. And as John's expres- 
sion is (and he speaks feelingly) in 1 John i. 1, ' That which we have heard, 
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our 
hands have handled ;' they handled him, that is, they had a sensible know- 
ledge of him, their ears took in his gracious words, their eyes beheld him, 
beheld his glorious miracles, beheld the glory that God stamped upon him 
when he was in the mount, and had that voice from the excellent glory. 
Well, but Jesus Christ is gone to heaven, and all his glory is taken up with 
him ; and these apostles that saw his glory were all to leave the earth, and 
therefore though it is true that we shall one day be where he is, according 
to his prayer, John xvii. 24, ' that we may behold his glory,' yet how in the 
mean time should we come to see this image of God, and the glory of Jesus 
Christ, who in that place of Isaiah is called ' the glory of the Lord ' ? Jesus 
Christ therefore did by his apostles frame up a doctrine of the gospel, which 
is left written bj r them ; for he having delivered it unto them, they have 
declared it unto us ; so you have it in the forementioned place, 1 John i. 3, 
' That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you.' He declared 
it first to them, and they while they lived preached the same gospel by word 
of mouth, and then left it unto us in writing, that so in the opening of it by 
pastors and teachers to the end of the world, we may come to see Cbrist, 
as the apostles did, in respect of his glorious excellencies. Now this glorious 
gospel which the apostles have thus left in writing, and which we poor 
ministers in all ages do expound as well as we can unto you, what is it ? 
It is the lively image or picture of Jesus Christ, who is the express image 
of the great God, and of all his glory ; and hence is it a glorious gospel. 
When the apostle Paul preached to the Galatians, what saith he of the 
gospel he preached ? Gal. iii. 1, ' Before whose eyes,' saith he, 'Jesus 



Chap. VI.] glory of the gospel. 310 

Christ was pictured, 1 so the word signifies, or painted, written out. The 
gospel, my brethren, is the liveliest picture of Christ that could be. lint 
you will Bay, pictures do not represent the glory of ;i thing. No more they 
do not. If you would picture the sun with the liveliest colours that could 
be, you could not picture the glory of it ; what hath God done therefore ? 
He hath made his gospel not only a picture of Christ, but he hath made it 
a glass. So the apostle saith in that 2 Cor. hi. 18, compared with chap. 
iv. ver. 1, ' we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the 
Lord,' namely, of Jesus Christ, ' who is the image of the invisible God.' 
What is the reason he calls the gospel glorious ? Because it is the image 
of Jesus Christ. And how doth the gospel hold that forth ? Not only as a 
picture, but as a glass ; and a glass, if the thing be glorious that shines upon 
it, will represent not the thing only, but the glory of it too. As if you hold 
a looking-glass to the sun, you shall not only see the picture of the sun in 
it, but the glory of the sun, and the sun in his glory. Now the glory of 
God that shineth upon the face of Jesus Christ (and therefore ver. 6, we 
are said to have ' the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of 
Jesus Christ), and the face of Christ shineth in the gospel as in a glass. 
Hence we come by looking into the gospel to see his glory, and therefore 
the gospel it is a glorious gospel. To open this a little to you. A glass it 
is the most lively way of representing things absent that can be invented, 
for it doth not represent things in dead, lifeless, and wan colours, as pic- 
tures do, but really. It is a middle way of representing a man, between 
seeing a man's picture and seeing the man himself. It doth represent him 
so lively and clearly, that though indeed it is not so comfortable as seeing 
the man himself, yet it is much more comfortable than seeing the picture 
of the man drawn by all the art in the world. Therefore it is said here, 
' we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord.' Now it is a rule in optics, 
and a true one, quod videtur in speeulo, non est imago, that which is seen in 
a glass is not a mere picture, but it is the thing itself; if you see a man in 
a glass, though you do not look directly upon the man, yet you see the man 
himself. Only with this difference, that when you look upon the man him- 
self you see him by a direct act, and you see him by an image taken off 
from the man himself, coming into your eye ; but when you look upon him 
in a glass, you see him by a reverberation, as I may so express it, the image 
of the man is beaten back again. That I may express this thing to you : 
the eye of a man sees nothing, but by the image of the thing some way or 
other coming into it, and therefore now when you behold any man, if your 
eye be looked upon, there is the image of that man in your eye. Now if a 
glass doth take that image (and a glass it is an artificial eye, as I may call 
it, and the eye is a natural glass), I say, if a glass doth take in that image, 
it beats it back again, and that is seeing a man in a glass ; whereas, if you 
see the man face to face, his image is conveyed immediately into your eye ; 
but go now and hold a glass before that man, and the same image which 
you received directly into your eye by seeing him immediately, is in the 
glass, which if you behold, that image is reverberated or beaten back again 
to you. As an echo is your own voice beaten back again, so is a man's 
image which you behold in a glass. And therefore it is the most lively way 
of seeing and beholding a thing that can be. Why ? Because you do not 
see a mere picture, but you see the man himself by a reverberated species, 
that is, by the likeness of him beaten back again to your eye. And thus, 
• my brethren, doth the knowledge of Christ in the gospel, and in heaven, 
diner. In heaven, there you see him by sight. Why ? Because, as the 



320 A DISCOURSE OF THE fClIAP. VI. 

apostle saith, ' we see him there face to face ; ' but in the gospel, ' we see 
him as in a glass,' but still the same Christ, really represented in the glass 
of the gospel, above all pictures wbatsoever, whom one day we shall see 
face to face in heaven. For the sight wo have of Christ in the gospel, is 
not merely notional or literal, but it hath a reality in it ; and therefore we 
are said to see the glory of the Lord in this glass. This glory could never 
have been painted, for the glory of Christ it must be beams shed imme- 
diately from himself, and to see Jesus Christ with his own beams, though 
shining in the glass of the gospel, is to see Christ himself. And therefore 
you see how the apostles' speak, as they compare the thing we see Christ 
in, to a glass ; so they compare the faith we see him by, to sight plainly, 
Heb. ii. 8, ' We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour.' Alas ! they 
had not eyes of their bodies to look up into heaven, but their sight of Christ 
was so lively, as he was represented in the glass of the gospel, that the 
apostle saith, ' we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour.' So that, my 
brethren, suppose that you had a glass that did perpetually retain the 
image of an absent friend, suppose you had not only a picture of him, but 
a glass, that look what image he had when he looked upon it when he was 
present, that image sticks in it still. What would you give for such a glass ? 
Some nations do use to keep their dead in a glass, which being artificially 
closed up, preserves them from stench ; but, alas ! it is but a dead friend 
in a case of glass. But here is another artifice that Jesus Christ useth : 
he hath framed by his Spirit a doctrine of the gospel, which is delivered to 
us in the writings of the apostles, which doth retain a lively image of Jesus 
Christ ; and if men, when they come to hear it preached, or when they 
look into it, bring the Spirit with them, they see the glory of the Lord there. 

But now you will say unto me, How can this be '? How comes this to 
pass ? Is not the word preached, or read, or thought upon, not merely 
words, and so the picture of things, and of Christ, as all other stories of 
men are '? They are better, indeed, than emblems are ; the ceremonial law 
was nothing but emblems of Christ, but the gospel is a plain describing of 
him in words, but yet as he said, poetry and oratory is but the picture of 
things, how should this word, written and preached, come to be a glass to 
represent Christ thus lively ? 

I will give you the reason of it, for the apostle doth it in that 2 Cor. iii. 
4, he saith, ' that it is the ministration not of the letter, but of the Spirit.' 
The gospel, my brethren, hath a Spirit lying hid in it, and which goes along 
with it ; and if the Holy Ghost did not accompany it to the heart of a believer, 
it would but speak mere words of Christ, even as the law spake but mere 
words. It would be but a mere letter, for, indeed, the gospel of itself is 
but the ministration of the letter to worldly and carnal men, whose eyes 
God doth not open (so saith the 4th verse of the 4th chapter of that 2d Co- 
rinthians), ' It is hid,' saith he, ' to them that are lost, in whom the God 
of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.' But it is 
called spirit, and there is a Spirit that doth accompany it, and as he saith, 
in Isa. lix. 21, ' the word and the Spirit shall not depart out of thy mouth.' 
And the Holy Ghost thus accompanying all that is said of Christ and his 
glory in the gospel, he createth (let me say it, for it is true) such apprehen- 
sions of Christ, and of all the things spoken of him, which never entered 
into the heart of any carnal man in the world. He createth a new light, by 
which you do really view Jesus Christ, although by faith, and though as in 
a glass, yet a real sight you have of him beyond all the story of words and 
hearsay whatsoever. It were indeed but the ministration of the letter, if 



Chap. VI.] glory of the oospki,. 821 

thero were only but a verbal and hearsay knowledgo of him. No ; but 
whilst you read words in the Scripture, or hear but words in the preackin" 
of the gospel, there is a spirit goes along with it, whose peculiar artifice it 
is to make it to bo as a glass, to see Jesus Christ in the doctrine of it, as 
you see a man in a glass, and that sight is a lively and real sight of his 
image. Whilst wo do limn out Jesus Christ by words as well as we can 
(for what we express is still but literal, in comparison of what a man, if he 
be a believer, apprehendeth while it is expressed, and we are to use all the 
art we can to express things to you ; wdiilst, I say, we are doing this), the 
Holy Ghost, that dwelleth in the word, and dwelleth in the heart of believers, 
begetteth such a real image of Christ by that which is spoken, that they 
behold the glory of the Lord as in a glass, and are ' changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.' It is compared 
to the seeing in a glass, because there is a subsistence given by the Holy 
Ghost to the things spoken of, beyond all pictures, or words, or notions. 
And hence do but observe what follows in the text (which I shall afterwards 
more distinctly open) ; ' Which,' saith he, ' is Christ in you,' which 
importeth thus much, that while that Jesus Christ is known by a believer 
in the doctrine of the gospel, he becometh Christ in him ; he is not only 
known by him as a man knows the king, but he is known as when a man 
knows the sun, the beams of it cometh into his eye. So that the appre- 
hensional knowledge that a saint hath of Jesus Christ by faith, the taking 
in of Christ by faith, is so real a thing that it is called Christ in a man. 
And I take that to be the meaning of that in Gal. iii. (which I shall further 
open anon), where he saith, ' Till Christ be formed in you,' and so Piscator 
takes it. 

I shall endeavour to make this further plain to you thus. You may see 
an imitation of this work of the Holy Ghost in this. Suppose there were 
a man standing two or three houses off from your house ; it is possible by 
the reflection of looking-glasses set one against another, to see the image 
of this man in a glass in your own room. Is the art of man able to do 
this ? The art of the Holy Ghost is able to do it much more. You see 
Satan, what doth he do that is a spirit ? Whereas men can make but the 
picture of a man, what can Satan do ? Absolutely he will make a man 
appear before one as a man, in lively colours, not a bare picture. This 
artifice Satan hath. My brethren, the Holy Ghost accompanying the 
doctrine of the gospel, hath a further artifice : though you see not Christ 
face to face (that is reserved for heaven), yet you shall see him in a spiritual 
glass, you shall not only see him as described by words, but you shall have 
those lively, real apprehensions of him created in your mind (and you have 
so, if Christ be in you), as puts down all the literal and hearsay knowledge 
in the world ; it is like the seeing of a man's image in a glass. And there- 
fore, now observe it, in that 2 Cor. iv. (for I have still recourse to that), the 
apostle hints how it cometh to pass that you come to see thus by the Spirit. 
He gives the reason there, why that the gospel that is thus glorious is hid 
from the eyes of the world ; saith he of some, ver. 4, ' Whom the God of 
this world hath blinded, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who 
is the image of God, should shine unto them.' But how is that light 
wrought ? Read on. Ver. 6, ( God, who commanded the light to shine out of 
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of 
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' It is done, you see, plainly 
by a creation. He createth a light in the soul of a man, out of that dark- 
ness that is in him. And without this, let a man stand under the gospel a 

vol. iv. x 



322 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

thousand years together, he would only know Christ by hearsay. But if 
the Spirit cometh and createth a light, this light shall carry the image of 
Christ to the soul, such an image of him as never entered into the heart of 
any carnal man, though he knows never so much of the gospel. I shall 
make it plain by opening the apostle's comparison. Every beam of light 
always carries with it the image of that thing which it is the beam of. If 
you do behold a little beam of the sun coming through a pin-hole in a dark 
room, run to the beam, lay your eye to it ; that beam conveys to you the 
image of the whole sun. So whenas there cometh a created light into 
a man's soul by the Holy Ghost, joining with the gospel which speaks of 
Christ, he who is a believer, by his eye of faith taking in that beam of light, 
beholdeth Jesus Christ, that image of God, beholdeth the glory of Christ in 
the gospel thus described, in such a manner as no creature else is able to 
apprehend. It is, I say, because the light of the glorious gospel is com- 
manded to shine out of darkness. It is a light that is given ; so saith the 
apostle, ' He hath given us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, 
in the face of Jesus Christ.' And therefore now in Isa. lx. 1, 2, 3, where 
he speaks of the glory of the gospel, which shall one day break forth to the 
Jews, he expresseth it in these very terms : ' Arise,' saith he, ' for thy light 
is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.' Whenas the light 
of the gospel cometh and shineth into a man's soul by the creation of the 
Holy Ghost, the glory of the Lord cometh into him too ; he beholdeth the 
glory of the Lord as in a glass. And hence, my brethren, it comes to pass, 
that a man doth see the Lord Jesus Christ really in the glass of the gospel. 
The understanding understandeth everything per phantasma, as we say, the 
fancy of a man. Still when the understanding works to understand any- 
thing, the fancy of a man begets the image of the thing in his mind. When- 
ever you hear a story told of a thing done in such a place, by such or such 
a person, still your fancy will be working the image of that thing or person 
in your mind, though it be a story told you never heard before ; for God 
hath appointed the fancy to give the mind a subsistence of what it under- 
standeth. Now when God cometh to reveal spiritual things, the fancy could 
never take them in, it could never give any subsistence to them, it hath no 
images to make of them. What therefore doth God do ? He createth faith. 
And what is faith ? It is not phantasia, but hypustasia; it gives a subsistence 
(so the apostle saith, Heb. xi.), a reality to the things we understand, even 
as the image of a man in a glass is a real thing, it is a subsistence ; so God 
and Christ, they have a subsistence, a reality in a man's spirit. And hence, 
my brethren, it comes to pass, that the soul doth form up out of the gospel 
glorious apprehensions of Christ, for as the gospel holds forth Jesus Christ 
in his glory really, so by the help of the Spirit, the same image that is in 
the gospel is begot in my heart of this Jesus Christ; that is,. real and 
glorious apprehensions I have of him, which are wrought in me in and by 
the gospel, and according to what the gospel describeth of him. And as I 
said afore, it is part of the apostle's meaning in, that place of the Galatians, 
when he tells them, ' I am in travail, till Christ be formed in you ; ' he doth 
not speak in respect of sanctification, that he laboured to have the image of 
Christ formed in them in that respect, for they were sanctified and had not 
fallen from that ; but saith he, I endeavour, till such time as those appre- 
hensions you have had of Christ, which you have lost, be formed in your 
hearts again, and that your understanding take him in aright. 

So then to close up this first thing, of the glory of the gospel in respect 
of the matter of it, here is the sum of all that that I have said. First, Here 



Chap. VI.] glory op the gospel. 823 

is Jesus Christ ; ho is the imago of God, the most glorious imago of God 
that ever was. Here is the gospel appointed to be a glass to represent this 
glory of Christ, describing him not by words only and in a literal way, or 
by a picture, but in a glass, lively and really, and so the gospel becometh 
a glorious image of Christ; even as if you hold a glass to the sun, there is a 
glorious image of the sun in the glass ; and hold your eye to that glorious 
imago of the sun in the glass, and that image is begotten in your eye : so 
is it here, the gospel being the image of the glory of Christ, having the 
Holy Ghost in it, the heart of a believer coming to it by faith, takes in all 
that glory, so far as it is revealed to him, and so having further and larger 
apprehensions of Christ, he is formed in him, and as the gospel hath Christ's 
image in it, so he hath Christ's image in his heart. So the apostle indeed 
tells us, in that 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We are changed into that image from glory 
to glory.' To see a thing, my brethren, that is glorious, by its own light, 
it always makes a glorious sight, a real sight. The least beam of Christ it 
helps you to the sight of him, if it be a beam of himself. You may hear 
of him by hearsay, as of other things, but if (as the apostle's expression is) 
there shine into your hearts but a beam from himself by his Spirit, it doth 
convey the reality of Christ to you, it makes Christ to be in you, as the 
text saith, although you do not see him face to face. If the sun were down 
at this instant, if there were a glass that took in the beams of it above the 
earth, I might always see the sun in that glass. So though Jesus Christ 
be in heaven now, yet the gospel being that glass in which the image of 
Christ is, I may have a real and lively representation of him, so far as the 
gospel reveals him. And so much now for that first thing, in respect of 
the matter. 

I will but add a comparison to shew you how much the glory of the 
gospel exceedeth that of the law in this respect. Compare it either with 
the moral law, or with the ceremonial law. 

1. Go, take the moral law. Why ? The moral law it is a glass too, 
and a glass that revealeth God, or rather, what the image of the mind of 
God is. Yet it is merely a glass of the image of God in Adam's heart, it 
is but a copy of the image of God in man, and so it is rather a glass to 
shew man to himself than God to him ; you have it in James i. (for it is 
good to compare the similitudes the Scripture useth, one with another), 'If 
any man be a hearer of the word,' saith he, ' and not a doer, he is like to a 
man beholding his natural face in a glass, but he beholds himself, and goes 
his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.' Whilst 
you look into the law, you see what an image of God was once in you, and 
by comparing yourselves with it, you see your own deformity now ; and 
so I know not how far, by a remote consequence, you see what a holy God 
he is that gave such a law. But it is not a glass that representeth God, 
but a glass that representeth yourselves, and representeth that image that 
was in man by nature. And therefore the apostle calleth it only a dead 
letter written upon stones, rather than a glass, when he makes a compari- 
son of it with the glorious gospel. 

2. Go, take the ceremonial law, that was joined to it, and that reveals 
more of the gospel, — for indeed that was nothing else but gospel in shadows, 
— and you shall find that, because it had gospel in it, it is called glorious 
too ; there is glory attributed to it more than to the moral law simply or 
alone considered. Hence the ark, which was Jesus Christ in a shadow, is 
called ' the glory of Israel,' in 1 Sam. iv. 22 ; and so in Rom. ix. 4, ' To 
them belonged the adoption and the glory,' namely, the ark. And so the 



324 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

temple is called a ' glorious high throne,' in Jer. xvii. 12. And in 1 Kings 
viii. 11, ' The glory of the Lord filled it' at the dedication. Yet what is 
all this now in comparison of the gospel, this gospel that is now revealed, 
the glass that we see Christ in ? The law is called glorious, only because, 
as if the sun should shine upon a cloud in a rainbow, it took in the sun 
that was arising before we saw it. All this in comparison of the gospel is 
but a shadow, it is but as the glory of the sun in a cloud ; but the gospel is 
a glass, that look as you would think, what a great deal of difference there 
is between the seeing of a man in a glass, and seeing his mere shadow, 
such a difference is there between that knowledge of Christ which the cere- 
monial law afforded, and this which the gospel now affordeth. You have 
it expressly in Heb. x. 1. (Let us go up and down still, and examine the 
Scriptures which speak to this comparison.) ' The law,' saith he, ' having 
a shadow of good things to come ' (he speaks expressly of the ceremonial 
law, for the moral law had it not), ' and not,' saith he, ' the very image of 
the things.' It was so far off from having the image of it, saith he, that it 
had but the shadow of it. But now what saith he of the gospel ? ' We 
behold as in a glass,' saith he, ' the glory of the Lord.' It is more than a 
shadow, nay, more than an image or picture, you see the thing in a reality. 
The glory of the Lord that filled that same first temple, what was it ? A 
cloud, a mere mist, it was no more ; j T et it is called ' the glory of the Lord.' 
But what is it that appeareth in this glass ? Read Mai. iv. 2, ' The Sun of 
righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings.' He speaks of the 
coming of Christ, for he was the last that prophesied, he had said at the 
3d chapter, ver. 1, ' The Lord shall suddenly come to his temple; ' and 
presently in chapter iv. he saith, that • he is the Sun of righteousness that 
shall arise with healing under his wings.' Nay, further, that you may see 
how the Scripture still speaks in this language, the apostle, in Col. ii. 17, 
speaking of the ceremonial law, saith, ' They are the shadow,' which, saith 
he, vanisheth when the body is come. You will say, the shadow doth never 
use to arise till the body comes. Yea, but if the body be the sun itself, if 
that come, all the other vanish ; so they did when the Sun of righteousness 
did arise. Hence therefore, in Hag. ii, 7, 9, it is said, that ' the glory of 
the second temple should be more than the first.' Why ? Because Christ 
the Sun of righteousness is the glory of it. He is called the ' Glory of 
Israel ' in the song of Simeon, Luke ii. 32. And the gospel is the glass 
in which we see this sun. 

And so now I have done with this first thing, in respect of the matter of 
it, that the gospel is thus glorious, because that Jesus Christ, who is the 
Lord of glory, shineth in it thus really, and clearly, and fully, as in a glass, 
and that compared with the knowledge that the Old Testament afforded. I 
might also compare it with that knowledge which may be had by the crea- 
tures, which is a glass too, for you may behold God in the creatures ; but 
the truth is, they hold forth merely the handiwork of God, you do not see 
God there as in a glass. But I will not stand upon that. 

Secondly, The gospel is glorious in respect of the matter of it, because 
the riches of the glory of God shineth in Christ revealed in this gospel. 
This is intimated too in that 2 Cor. iv. 6, where he endeth the discourse of 
the glory of the gospel, ' He hath shined in our hearts,' saith he, ' to give 
the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' But to give you 
a scripture or two more for it in a word, 1 Tim. i. 11, I quoted it before, 
to prove that the gospel is a glorious gospel, for so it is called there ; but 
mark what follows, it is called, ' the glorious gospel of the blessed Gofl.' 



Chap. VI. J glory of the gospel. 325 

Observe that expression ; there is a connection between those two, why he 
should give that attribute to God, when he calleth it his gospel, and a 
glorious gospel. Why, it is not only a glorious gospel, because it holds 
forth all the glory of God, but because it doth communicate ; and God's 
end in revealing it is to communicate his glory, and to make men blessed. 
And the plain meaning of it is this, as if he had said, the Lord, that great 
God, being so blessed in himself, having such riches of happiness and 
glory in himself, he did so overflow, he did so overbound in himself, that 
he meant to make others happy with this happiness in himself, for he is 
God all-sufficient; and being so full of blessedness, and his blessedness con- 
sisting in his own glory, he inventeth the gospel, contriveth in his own 
glorious wisdom the great design of his Son Christ, in whom he would 
reveal himself, who is the subject of the gospel, that by revealing of it he 
might communicate that blessedness unto others. He did it not only to 
hold forth his own glory, and to manifest how great a God he is, but he 
did it as a blessed God, that delighteth to communicate that glory unto 
others ; and he doth it by the gospel, that so as he was blessed in himself, 
he might by the gospel communicate his glory, and bless others. For, my 
brethren, look as envy ariseth in a sinful creature that is miserable, when 
he sees another happy, and he doth it naturally ; so doth the desire of 
communicating what happiness one hath, arise in the heart of him that is 
truly noble, and perfectly happy and blessed. And so it did in God. Am 
I thus blessed in myself? saith he; I will have others blessed by me, to 
whom I will communicate this happiness and glory; and he therefore 
inventeth this gospel, which is therefore called the glorious gospel of the 
blessed God. 

Of all things God's mercy is his glory ; and while you look upon the face 
of Jesus Christ, you there behold nothing but grace and mercy shine in the 
gospel. ' We behold,' saith he, ' the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,' 
that as in the face of a man you behold his disposition toward you, so you 
see the disposition of God in the face of Christ, you see his mercy, you see 
his glory. Not a whit of this did shine in the law, not a whit of mercy or 
free grace, and yet that is the glory of God. In Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19, 20, 
Moses there desired to see the glory of God : ' I beseech thee,' saith he, 
' shew me thy glory.' Saith God, ver. 19, ' I will make all my goodness 
pass before thee.' But how should all his goodness appear? Clothed all 
in mercy ; for it follows, ' I will proclaim the name of the Lord before 
thee, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew 
mercy on whom I will shew mercy.' The law speaks not such a word ; no, 
my brethren, this is the very bottom of the gospel, the bottom of God's 
heart ; here is his glory, ' I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, 
and shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.' It is the glorious gospel of 
the blessed God, that being blessed in himself, thus resolveth to be gracious 
and good to poor creatures, to such sinners as we are. Moses had seen the 
glory of God upon the mount ; he had seen the glory of God in delivering 
the law in a great deal of state ; after all this, ' Lord,' saith he, ' let me see 
thy glory.' What is God's answer ? ' I will be gracious to whom I will 
be gracious,' &c. Here is my glory. And this glory shineth in the gospel, 
and if you will see it, look upon the face of Jesus Christ. You may 
see Jesus Christ's face in the glass of the gospel, and in that face you 
may see all this grace and mercy shine. And so I have done with the 
second thing, namely, the chief and principal matter of the gospel. It 
revealeth, 1, Jesus Christ in his glory; and, 2, it reveals the glory of 



826 A DISCOUESE OF THE [CHAP. "VT. 

God in the face of Jesus Christ ; and all this as in a glass. I come now 
to the third. 

3. The things that the gospel communicateth and conveyeth are all 
glorious. The apostle compares it with the law too in this respect, in that 
2 Cor. iii. 6, 7, &c, ' God hath made us able ministers of the New Testa- 
ment ; not of the letter, but of the Spirit : for the letter killeth, but the 
Spirit giveth life. If the ministration of the letter, written and engraven in 
stones, was glorious, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather 
glorious ? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more 
doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that 
which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the 
glory that excelleth ; ' that is, the gospel. 

In the first place, he tells you that the gospel is the ministration of the 
Spirit of God. ' It is not the ministration of the letter only,' saith he, 
' but the Spirit,' and he meaneth the Holy Ghost plainly, for in the last 
verse of that chapter he saith, that ' by beholding as in a glass the glory of 
the Lord, we are changed into the same image, even by the Spirit of the 
Lord,' that is, by the Holy Ghost. 

Now do but lay these two things together. First, that the gospel only 
communicateth the Holy Ghost to you. And, secondly, that the Spirit is 
a Spirit of glory upon whomsoever he resteth : and then the gospel must 
needs be, in respect of its communication, a glorious gospel. To make out 
both these to you. 

First, Look, as when Jesus Christ was baptized, that excellent glory 
opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him ; so when the gospel is 
preached, doth the Holy Ghost descend upon the elect, and look upon 
whom the Holy Ghost resteth, he is the Son of God. As he said to John, 
John i. 33, ' Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining 
on him, the same is he ; ' so it is here. In the primitive times, when they 
heard the gospel preached, the Holy Ghost did visibly, and apparently, and 
instantly fall down upon them. And now he falls upon them so as to turn 
their hearts, and to enable them to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
which is more than falling down upon men in extraordinary gifts, simply 
considered, if there were nothing else. For to have the Holy Ghost to fall 
upon a man so as to dwell in him for ever, to take possession of his heart, 
and to bring him to glory, is more than to have extraordinary gifts, which 
many had who never were saved. Now it is the gospel only which helps 
you to the Holy Ghost, and not the law. What saith the apostle in Gal. 
iii. 2, ' This only I would learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the work of 
the law, or by the hearing of faith ? ' No ; it was only by the hearing of 
faith, only by the hearing of the doctrine of the gospel, that is, the doctrine 
of faith, for that is meant by faith there, as in many other places of Scrip- 
ture. The law indeed, as the apostle saith, Eom. vii., is holy and spiritual, 
but it is not the conveyer of the Spirit ; though it be a spiritual thing, it is 
but a spiritual letter, saith he, it is not the ministration of the Spirit itself, 
but so is the gospel. 

Now as the gospel only conveyeth the Holy Ghost to men, and the know- 
ledge of it, so the receiving of the Holy Ghost is to receive all glory. 
For the Holy Ghost will never rest till he hath glorified you fully and per- 
fectly. As Jesus Christ's work was to redeem you, so the Holy Ghost's 
work is to work aU grace and glory into you ; therefore when you receive 
the Holy Ghost you receive all glory in the seed and foundation of it. It 
is the foundation of our union with Christ; ' they that are joined to the 



Chap. VI.] glory of the gospel. 327 

Lord arc one spirit ;' it is by the Holy Ghost. To give you an express 
scripture for it, 1 Pet. iv. 14, ' The Spirit of glory shall rest upon you.' 
And the giving of this Spirit of the Holy Ghost unto you is more than all 
grace and glory that ever you shall have. If you would ask now what is 
the substantial glory of a man, that is the foundation of all his parts and 
wit, and makes him capable of the glory the world puts upon him, without 
which he would lose all in an instant, what is it? It is his soul that 
dwelloth in his body ; take that away and he is a beast ; nay, take that 
away and he is a dead carcase, he is sown in dishonour instantly as soon as 
that is gone. Therefore, in Gen. xlix., the soul of man is called his glory, 
' Into his secret,' saith he, ' let not my glory enter.' Now look, what the 
soul is to a man, that is the Holy Ghost to a holy man. He is the founda- 
tion of all glory, of all grace. When he hath given you the Spirit, he hath 
given you all the grace and glory in the foundation that ever you shall 
have, for he will never leave you till he hath wrought you up to glory ; and 
the gift of him is the earnest of glory ; so he is called expressly in 2 Cor. 
v. 5. Jesus Christ is the glory of the Lord to you objectively, but the 
Holy Ghost is all grace and glory efficiently, yea in heaven ; and when you 
receive him, you receive glory, because you receive a Spirit that will never 
rest till he hath made you glorious ; and this Spirit you receive by the gospel, 
and by nothing else, by no knowledge else, either of the law or whatever else. 
Hence therefore the gospel that communicate th this is called a glorious gospel, 
in respect of what it ministereth ; for, saith he, 'if the ministration of the 
letter was glorious,' which did give nothing else but the literal knowledge 
of the law in men's heads, then the ministration of the Spirit is much more 
glorious. That is the first thing the apostle saith. 

The second thing the apostle saith here in this 2 Cor. iii. is, in respect 
of a righteousness which the gospel doth convey. You shall find it at the 
9th verse of that chapter, ' If the ministration of condemnation be glorious, 
much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.' By 
righteousness here he means the righteousness of justification clearly. 
Why ? Because he doth oppose it to condemnation. He doth not mean 
the righteousness of sanctification ; no, he means the righteousness where- 
by we are justified, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why, 
saith he, what doth the law do ? Alas, saith he, the law, although it be a 
glorious thing, for it reveals the image and mind of God, yet it doth but 
shew you your own unrighteousness, and leaveth you where it found you. A 
man sees his own face as in a glass, and soon forgets what image he had, 
sees his spots and deformity, and sees the sentence of death written in his 
own countenance, and in the threatenings of the law. He sees himself 
look like a dead man, guilty of death, and that is all the law holds forth. 
But, saith he, the gospel is the ministration of righteousness, and that 
righteousness is glorious, and therefore the gospel is such which ministereth 
it ; for that is the thing he aims at. 

Will you know what righteousness it is ? Why it is the righteousness of 
Christ ; and in the last verse of that 3d chapter of the Corinthians, that 
righteousness of Christ is called his glory clearly ; ' We behold,' saith he, 
1 as in a glass the glory of the Lord.' As he means the personal glory of 
Christ, so he also means his holiness and righteousness for justification. 
How prove you that ? Because it is that into which we are changed into 
the same image by beholding it. For whilst a man eyes Christ to be justi- 
fied by him, look what righteousness he lays hold upon by faith, the image 
of that righteousness is wrought in his heart. And therefore the apostle 



328 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

here speaks in a more special manner of the righteousness of Christ, which 
the gospel is the ministration of; 'it is a ministration of righteousness, 
and of the glory of the Lord,' saith he. 

Now then do hut think what a glorious righteousness the gospel reveals 
and offers to men. It is the righteousness of Christ, and the righteous- 
ness of Christ must needs be glorious. Why ? He is the Lord of glory. 
The righteousness of the angels is not glorious in this respect, They are 
glorious creatures, but they are not lords of glory. When you speak of 
the will of a king, what do you call it ? His royal pleasure. If you speak 
of a message he sendeth, what is it ? A gracious message, be it what it 
will be. Why ? Because you put these titles upon his person, therefore 
you put the same upon whatsoever he doth or thinketh. This is the 
manner of men. My brethren, Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory. Did he 
work upon a trade as a carpenter ? It was a glorious action, it was a 
glorious part of that righteousness which he performed in obedience to his 
Father ; for he was the Lord of glory, and therefore I say his righteousness 
is called, ' The glory of the Lord.' 

But besides this, it is glorious also in another respect, viz., because he, 
to perform this righteousness, and in performing of it, laid all his glory 
down, and therefore it is as much worth as the glory he left. His death is 
valued at the rate that the life which he might have led in heaven is worth. 
1 They crucified the Lord of life,' saith he. And the obedience he per- 
formed hath the value and the stamp upon it of that glory he might have 
had. He was equal with the Father in glory, and in all things else ; and 
he emptied himself of it all, laid it all aside, and took upon him the form 
of a servant, and became obedient even to the death. His righteousness 
is therefore a glorious righteousness, because it is to be valued by that 
glory he laid aside, and might have had, to perform it ; so much as he 
forewent to do it, so much it is to be valued at. God the Father was 
sensible of it. ' Father,' saith he, ' glorify me, as I have glorified thee on 
earth ! ' I will give you one scripture more for it, it is in John i. 14, ' We 
saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten Son of God.' What was 
that glory ? In a special manner his grace and a holiness. How do you 
prove that ? It follows in the text, ' Full of grace and truth.' Now, my 
brethren, it is the gospel that doth communicate to sinners, to men con- 
demned to die everlastingly of themselves in hell, all this righteousness of the 
Lord of glory makes it theirs. If they get but this righteousness upon their 
backs, what glorious creatures, think you, must they be ! Yet it is the 
gospel that commuuicateth it to them, and puts it on, through the Holy 
Ghost by faith, as the apostle in Gal. v. 5, ' We through the Spirit wait 
for the hope of righteousness by faith.' In Rev. xii. 1, you have ' a woman 
clothed with the sun.' Is not here a glorious clothing ? What is that 
sun ? It is the Sun of righteousness ; it is the Lord made our righteous- 
ness ; it is the Lord Jesus Christ and his glory ; it is his righteousness 
which a man is clothed withal. Is not this a glorious gospel then, that 
doth not only shew you the glory of this Sun, but wrappeth you about with 
the beams of it, clotheth you with it ? The angels are poor, beggarly 
creatures, that is the truth of it, as we may so speak, to* a poor sinner clothed 
with this righteousness. The text saith, Solomon in all his glory was not 
arrayed like to the lilies of the field ; so the angels in heaven, in all their 
glory, are not clothed like one sinner here upon earth, that is clothed with 
the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This Sun of righteousness was never 
* That is, ' in comparison with.'— Ed. 



Chap. VI.] glory of the gospel. 329 

put upon their backs, not to be righteousness to them. He is a means of 
conveying grace and good to them, but to be ' the Lord our righteousness,' 
so he is only to sinners ; and thus he is only revealed and communicated 
in the gospel. What is it that makes you glorious in God's eyes ? It is 
not your own inherent grace, in any comparison ; it vanisheth, it is nothing. 
No ; it is your being clothed with Christ, with this Sun, this is it which 
makes the foulest creature, an ugly toad (for so a sinner is of himself), 
thus glorious in the eyes of God. A wife shineth with her husband's 
beams, and so doth every believer with the righteousness of Christ. As 
the moon shineth with a borrowed light that the sun clotheth her with ; 
and her own entire light, without that of the sun's (as you see it in an 
eclipse), it looks like the bottom of red brass, such is your own inherent 
righteousness if Jesus Christ take his away from you. But take the moon 
out of an eclipse, when she is clothed with the light of the sun, what a 
glorious creature is she ! So is every believer when he is clothed with this 
Sim of righteousness. 

Thirdly, When a soul is thus, by means of the gospel, clothed with his 
glorious righteousness, which the gospel revealeth, he is able, with open 
face, to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Whenas 
Moses his face did shine, which was a type of the law, they could not 
behold the glory of it, there was a terror in it ; it was the glory of a judge 
condemning which did shine in Moses, for he had the law in his hands. 
But when the Holy Ghost hath once communicated to you, and you come 
by faith to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and appear before God, then you 
dare (as the text saith) with open face behold and look God in the face. 
Why ? Because you behold the glorious mercy and favour of God in the 
face of Jesus Christ, which is called the light of his countenance, that is lift 
up upon you too ; that as the favour of a man is seen in his looks, shines 
more there than in all other parts of his body, so is the glory and the 
mercy of God, it is seen in his face, even in the face of Christ. Therefore 
in Psalm xc. 16, the favour of God is called his glory : ' Let thy glory,' 
saith he, 'be upon thy servants.' This the gospel revealeth to you ; you 
behold the glory of God, that is, his favour, in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Fourthly, The gospel doth not only thus convey the Holy Ghost to you, 
to dwell in you for ever, clotheth you with this righteousness, enableth you 
with open face to behold God — and the more glorious God is, when you 
see him nothing but love and favour, you will never be dazzled with that 
sight ; that is the reason you are not terrified, because all his attributes 
appear in love ; ' God is love,' saith the apostle — I say the gospel doth 
not only do all this, but it changeth you into the same image, from glory to 
glory ; so saith the last verse of that third chapter. You might look in 
the law long enough, even look your eyes out, and never be changed. In 
the law you may see your spots, but you go away as full of corruption as 
you were before. You may there see and read your own destiny, and read 
your own duty, but it will not change you one whit. ' A man beholdeth 
his natural face in a glass,' saith James, ' and goes his way, and straight- 
way forgetteth what manner of man he was.' If it have an impression in 
his memory, that is all ; but, saith the apostle, we in this glass of the 
gospel ' behold the glory of the Lord,' and are thereby changed into the 
same image. If that an ugly and deformed woman or man could have a 
glass that if they see but a beautiful person in it, they should be changed 
into the same image, what would they give for it ? My brethren, this doth 
the gospel do. 



330 A DISCOUESE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

But you will say, If it doth change me into the same image, is that 
image glory too ? Yes, so it followeth, ' We are changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory ; ' that is, from one degree of grace to another. 
All the grace the gospel works in you is glorious, for it is the image of 
Christ, in whom shineth the glory of God. And therefore in Eph. v. 26 
the apostle, there speaking of sanctification (for to me it is clear he speaks 
of it, both by the words before and after), he saith that he hath ' cleansed 
us and washed us with water by the word, that he might present us to 
himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle;' for when he hath 
done (he speaks of what he will do at the latter day, when he hath fully sanc- 
tified us), he will present us to himself a glorious church, not having spot 
or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that we should be holy and without 
blemish. I quote it for this, that every degree of grace is glory, and when 
that is filled up, there is a glory in it which Jesus Christ reckoneth such, 
is pleased to look upon as such, for it is his image. ' He shall greatly 
delight in thy beauty,' saith he, Psalm xlv. What is that beauty ? ' She 
is all glorious within ; ' so it follows there in that Psalm. And, my 
brethren, let me tell you this, so far you are changed into his image, that 
you never look upon him in the glass of the gospel, but you go away with 
some further degree of holiness wrought in you, if you see him really as in 
a glass. You may come to a sermon and hear notions indeed, but if you 
get a real sight of Christ, you will be changed ; and, I say, so far as we 
see him, so far we are changed. Here we seeing of him but as in a glass, 
in his holiness, and in his righteousness, as he is described in the gospel, 
how he walked while he was here below (for so the gospel represents him), 
we are changed into the same image, into the same image of holiness and 
righteousness, from one degree to another. But now, at the latter day, 
when he shall appear, we shall then be changed into his image too, for we 
shall see him as he is ; and when we see him as he is, we shall be as he is, 
in his glory in heaven. 

I will add but one more ; it doth not only change us into a glorious image, 
which is called glory, but it doth work also in the hearts of believers a joy 
that is glorious. And this, although it be but the hope of glory, yet that 
hope of glory works a glorious joy in the hearts of the people of God. It 
is a known place that in 1 Pet. i. 8, ' Whom having not seen, ye love ; in 
whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak- 
able and full of glory.' ' Whom having not seen,' that is, face to face, but 
having seen him in that glass of the gospel — for to the sight of things in a 
glass is the sight of Christ in the gospel compared, even the sight of faith 
— yet because it is not seeing him face to face, the apostle saith, ' Whom 
having not seen,' &c. 

It is not every act of faith that works this joy, but faith may be so ele- 
vated as it will work and bring in 'joy unspeakable and full of glory.' 
That phrase is it I quote it for. It is called unspeakable, because it ex- 
ceeds the sense and the understanding ; that is, the understanding cannot 
naturally take in such joy, or apprehend what it should be ; as in Philip, 
iv. 7, ' The peace of God' is said to ' pass all understanding.' The plea- 
sures of the senses are great, but the pleasures of the understanding are 
far greater ; but, saith he, this is a peace, and this is a joy, that passeth 
all understanding. We read in John xx. 20, that ' when they saw the Lord 
they rejoiced;' so when a believer, though but by faith, seeth the Lord 
Jesus Christ, though but in this glass, and that but darkly, hath but a 
glimpse of him, yet it begets a joy which is unspeakable. And it is not 



Chap. VI.] glory of the gospel. 331 

only said to bo unspeakable, but to bo glorious. All the joys in this world 
are mean things, things that men shall bo ashamed of, but this, saith he, 
is a magnific joy. True joy is a solid thing, but you see the apostle riseth 
higher ; it is, saith he, full of glory ; or, as the word implies, it is dipped, 
it is steeped, in glory. Now, I say, it is not always thus, that whensoever 
any one seeth Christ by faith, that this joy is wrought ; but it is by faith 
though, that is, faith elevated, yet so as it is but a sight of Christ in the 
gospel, and that by faith, whenever it is wrought. It doth not, I say, 
always accompany an act of faith, that is plain and clear from the next 
words, ' receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.' 
You see here that joy unspeakable and glorious, which God sometimes 
works in the hearts of his people, is called ' the end,' the reward of their 
faith (for so in Prov. xvi. 25 the word end there signifies reward) ; and the 
meaning is this, that when a man hath a long while believed and glorified 
God by a way of sheer faith of recumbency, then God doth reward him, 
gives him a reward of his faith by giving him joy unspeakable and glorious, 
which is called the salvation of the soul. And that that is the meaning of 
it is plain by this, because he speaks in the present tense, ' receiving ; ' he 
saith not, ' ye shall receive,' but ' receiving the reward of your faith, the 
• salvation of your souls.' And if you mark it, it is called likewise the sal- 
vation of your souls. Now, the reward which we shall receive at the latter 
day, will be the salvation both of soul and body ; and of that the apostle 
speaks in Rom. viii. 23, which he saith there we wait for. But there is a 
salvation of the soul which a man receiveth now, and therefore in the 24th 
verse of that Romans viii. he saith, ' We are saved by hope,' by hope of 
that glory at present. And so in Eph. ii. 8, ' By grace ye are saved.' 
Now, then, our eyes beholding this salvation of the Lord, having the evi- 
dence of it, the soul is filled with it, it is saved, it receiveth the reward ot 
its faith, the salvation of the soul. And thus, my brethren, it is full of 
glory, the least dram of it is like elixir, it expelleth all trouble. ' We re- 
joice,' saith the apostle in Rom. viii., 'in the hope of the glory of God.' 
It exceeds and weigheth down all the good things here. And this the 
gospel communicateth to us. 

I will mention no more particulars whereby the glory of this gospel is 
held forth to us, but proceed to the next particle, passing by such uses as 
I might make of what I have said of this glory. 

That which is next to be considered is, that the glory of this mystery 
shines among the Gentiles. There is never a word but it doth hold forth 
something of the excellency of this gospel. You know I have made a com- 
parison of this gospel with the law, and shewed you how the law had a 
glory in it, which yet was no glory in comparison of that which the gospel 
hath, which I have opened in divers particulars. Let us now compare the 
law and the gospel together in another respect also. When God did give 
the law, he gave it but to one nation, the Jews, whose land was no bigger 
than the dominion of Wales. Ps. cxlvii. 19, ' He shewed his word unto 
Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel, but he hath not dealt so 
with any nation ; and as for his judgments they have not known them.' 
But now, what saith the apostle ? He did keep from ages and from gene- 
rations a further glorious mystery to be made known among the Gentiles, 
that is, to all nations. You have a place in Num. xiv. 21 (that I may 
"speak coherently to the point of glory, the gospel is a glorious gospel, and 
it is glorious in this respect), when the people of Israel had sinned against 
the Lord, against the law that was newly given, God doth at Moses his 



332 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VI. 

entreaty pardon them for the present : ' I will pardon them according to 
thy word, but as truly as I live,' saith he, ' all the earth shall be filled with 
the glory of the Lord.' I know that many interpreters do interpret this to 
be meant thus, that God would take a course, that his justice in punishing 
of this people should be known to all the world, and so he would fill the 
whole earth with his glory. But I take it (and I shall give you Scripture 
for it) that he here makes known and manifest his own counsels of his one 
day rejecting of the Jews, to the end he might provoke them to jealousy, 
as the apostle saith, he having given them a law, and they sinning thus 
against it ; well, saith he, I will not contain myself within this nation, but 
I have a glory which I will fill all the earth withal ; and that indeed is the 
knowledge of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I shall give you a scrip- 
ture for this interpretation ; it is in Is. vi. 3. For there the phrase of fill- 
ing the earth with his glory is again used, and nowhere else that I know of 
in the whole Scripture, answering to that phrase that God had used in that 
place of Numbers afore-mentioned. Now, whenas it is said here in Isaiah, 
' the whole earth is full of his glory,' what do you think is spoken of? 
Why, it is Jesus Christ revealed sitting upon his throne, with his train 
filling the temple, hardening the hearts of the Jews, and giving commission 
to his apostles to go and preach to all nations. How is that manifest ? 
Look in John xii. 40, where Christ himself quoteth this very chapter in 
Isaiah, ver. 10 and 11. ' Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but 
understand not ; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of 
this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they 
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their 
heart, and convert, and be healed.' And upon that follows their casting 
off, ' Then said I, Lord, how long ? And he answered, Until the cities be 
wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be 
utterly desolate.' But is this spoken of Christ ? Yes ; read John xii. 40. 
' He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should 
not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, 
and I should heal them; these things (saith he) said Esaias, when he saw 
his glory, and spake of him.' Here is plainly, in this prophecy of Isaiah, 
the oath fulfilled that God sware in that place of Numbers. And God 
swears it in that sense (as I said even now) that Paul speaks in Kom. xi. ; 
when he lays open the riches of the gospel, he says he did it that he might 
provoke to emulation them which were of his own nation ; so doth God 
here. Have they indeed sinned thus against my law, which also typically 
holds forth Christ ? Well, though I pardon them for the present, yet I 
have a glory beyond all this, which I will fill the earth with, when I send 
my Son into the world, and which I have reserved for the Gentiles and for 
all nations. And therefore this gospel must needs be infinitely more glo- 
rious than the law, God now breaking up his treasures, and fulfilling his 
oath, to provoke the Jews if possible unto jealousy. He reserved some 
better things for us, as the phrase is, Heb. xi. 40. 

And as he reserved a greater glory for us than that of the law, so, to 
speak to the other property (for the gospel is called both rich and glorious), 
he reserved a greater treasury of riches whenas he would break open his 
mind to the Gentiles. You have it under these very terms expressed in 
Eph. iii. 8, 9, ' To me is this grace given, that I should preach among the 
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is' 
the fellowship of the mystery,' &c. When all men, all sorts of men, were 
to see it, and God meant to communicate it to the world, then he brings 



Chap. VII.] glory of the gospel. 333 

forth his riches, the unsearchable riches of Christ, ' which had been hid,' 
as it is here, ' from all ages and generations.' 

So that now this particle in this text, ' among the Gentiles,' it is not 
idle, it hath an emphasis in it, it hath this emphasis in it, that God did 
reserve the fulness of his glory, and the riches of Christ, till such time as 
all the world was to come in. He would have all the world to be specta- 
tors, and he would have all men know- what is the riches of the glory of 
this mystery among the Gentiles ; and therefore, I say, he reserved the 
revelation of it till then. And so much now for that particle. 

I shall only here, as the coronis of all, spread before you this great truth 
which concerns us : that though God's primary aim in giving the gospel is 
to make it known to his saints, yet because the elect of nations in the 
succession of ages are infinitely numerous, and none knows where this inhe- 
ritance will fall, or upon whose posterity, therefore the gift of the gospel 
unto the several nations of the Gentiles was, and is, indefinitely bequeathed 
to the Gentiles by God as a national endowment, as a national inheritance 
to every nation it takes place in. It is not to be judged given to the 
saints of a present age that enjoy it, but indefinitely to the whole lump 
of a nation, even as you call the proper native commodity of a nation a 
staple commodity to the nation. Although every man in that nation trades 
not in it, yet it is national as proper to that nation, as benefiting the nation, 
and no man is excluded from traffic in it. Because in process of time none 
knows upon whom in that nation it may fall ; therefore every nation is to 
look upon it as a national interest and concernment. 



CHAPTER VII. 

How it is the glory of the gospel, that Christ is not only revealed in it, but 
Christ so known by the believer is in him. 

Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. — Col. I. 27. 

The apostle, in the former words, having laid open the glory and excel- 
lency of the gospel, the riches of the glory, saith he, of this mystery among 
the Gentiles, he closeth up all that he had said of it with this short appli- 
cation, ' which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.' He doth not only hold 
forth Jesus Christ as the subject of the gospel (and yet the highest glory 
the gospel hath is that Christ is the subject of it) ; he doth not content 
himself to say the riches of which mystery is Christ, as he saith afterwards, 
chap. ii. 3, where he calls the gospel ' the mystery of God, and of the 
Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge ;' but he addeth, ' which is Christ in you.' How excellent the 
gospel is, because Christ is the subject of it, I have partly shewn you all 
along ; I shall therefore now shew you why this cometh in here, ' which is 
Christ in you ;' and what is the apostle's meaning thereby. 

In the first place, I take it, the apostle brings this in here by way of 
application, for their comfort. "When he had shewn them all these glories 
which the gospel holds forth, by holding forth of Christ, he tells them, this 
Christ is in you if you be saints ; he is your Christ, by whom you have 
possession of all these riches, and that in so intimate a manner, that they 
are not only without you, but you have them all within you by having 



334 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VII. 

Christ, ' which is Christ in yon,' saith he, and with this addition, ' tho 
hope of glory,' of a greater glory than yet you have received. 

And when he saith, ' which is Christ in you,' the least of his meaning, 
if at all, is that the image of Christ is in them, as some would have it. 
Though ' we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory,' yet I 
know no place where the image of Christ is called Christ, or Christ in us. 
There are many places where the image of God is said to be in Christ, but 
nowhere the image of Christ is called Christ. He that is in Christ is a new 
creature ; and in Jesus Christ there is neither bond nor free, but the new 
creature ; and we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works ; so the 
apostle still expresseth himself. There is one place indeed which hath a 
seeming show of it, that Christ in us should be put for the image of Christ 
in us, and that is that in Gal. iv. 19, ' That Christ may be again formed 
in you ;' but that is not the meaning of that place, as I shall shew anon. 
However, it cannot be the meaning here, at least-wise not the only mean- 
ing, for it is too narrow, too poor a thing, that after he had spoken such 
great and glorious things of the gospel of Christ, he should go and contract 
all the riches and glory of it to the new creature which is in us, to the 
image of Christ in us ; no, it is Christ personally, Christ himself certainly 
that is here meant, 

I shall as briefly as I can give you all the interpretations of this clause 
that have fallen into my thoughts. My scope is not to go and handle how 
many ways Christ is in you, but in relation to the context, to the coherence, 
to the gospel which he had commended before. 

First, Therefore, ' Christ in you ' implies that that knowledge which 
they had of the Lord Jesus Christ, take the object of that knowledge, it is 
Christ. I appeal, saith he, to your own consciences, you Colossians that 
have taken in the gospel as you have done, taken in Christ, in the know- 
ledge of him, whether yea or no, there is not abundance both of riches and 
glory hath been manifested to you concerning Jesus Christ ; and this know- 
ledge which you have of Christ here in this life begotten by the gospel, I 
appeal to you, whether it be not the greatest evidence of a future glory. 
It is impossible it should rest here, but as this Christ, in whom you know 
so much riches of glory, is now in you the hope of glory, so when you 
come to be with him for ever, do but think what a glory you will be filled 
withal then. I take this, I say, to be the first part of the meaning, that it 
is Christ in you, objective. And this is to me clearly one part of his scope, 
for he speaks in respect of the gospel revealing Christ to them, whereby 
they behold the glory of Christ, which gives them hope of that glory after- 
wards with him. 

That which must make good this interpretation is this, that the know- 
ledge which the saints have of Jesus Christ is called Christ, and Christ in 
you. I told you before that the gospel is compared to a glass, and it is 
called the gospel ol Christ, because it representeth him ; and the doctrine 
of the gospel is ordinarily and familiarly called Christ in the Scripture. 
Now that knowledge, that representation which is taken from Christ him- 
self in the gospel, by the eye and faith of a believer, is called Christ in him. 
And as the gospel itself, being the glass of Christ, is called Christ, so the 
sight of Christ, that image of Christ (I call it now image, as being an objec- 
tive image, as I may so express it, not subjective, the grace that is in you, 
but), that knowledge that is in you of him, taken from himself in the gospel, 
which a believer hath, is called Christ in him. In Gal. i. 16, Paul, speak- 
ing there of the revelation of the gospel to him, at the 12th verse, saith, 



Chap. VII.] glory of tiie gospel. 835 

* I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation 
of Jesus Christ;' Christ himself revealed it; now at the 10th verso ho 
saith, ' It pleased God to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him 
among the heathen.' The knowledge that ho had of Jesus Christ by reve- 
lation in the 12th verso is called in the 16th verso the revealing of Christ 
in him ; mark the expression ; and it is the revealing of Christ in him, 
that he might preach him to others. God gave him an intimate knowledge 
of Christ in his own heart, the light of the knowledge of God in the face of 
Christ did shine in his heart, that so he might preach it unto others ; and 
therefore when he saith, ' Ho revealed his Son in me,' it is all one as if ho 
had said, ' He revealed the gospel,' for it was that he might preach the 
gospel. And he speaks not only of an experimental knowledge ; I mean, 
that is not all the purport of it, that he had experience of it, and what it 
wrought, for that he might have had without revelation. Neither doth he 
mean only that the image of Christ was in him, and that God revealed his 
Son in him by enabling him to walk as Christ walked, for it was not tho 
image of Christ only which he preached, but it was Christ himself. There- 
fore now it is the gospel, and the knowledge of Christ in the gospel, that 
is called the revealing of his Son in him ; and it is said to be revealed in 
him, because he had it immediately ; that is the reason why it is said so 
here of Paul, in opposition to other apostles. 

There is another place that I shall give you for this, and that is Gal. 
iv. 19, ' My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be 
formed in you.' They had not lost the image of Christ in respect of sancti- 
fication in their hearts, for certainly they were men that were holy, but the 
truth was this, they had been diverted from the knowledge of Christ which 
at first they had received, they were diverted to another gospel, as he saith, 
chap, i., and so to another Christ ; Moses had been formed in them. Ho 
doth not say, until you are formed in Christ, but until Christ be formed in 
you. He cannot mean the person of Christ dwelling in them. Why ? 
Because that is not formed, that was formed in the womb of the virgin, and 
now is glorious in heaven ; therefore it must be the right notion and appre- 
hension of Christ in the gospel that he meaneth. It is as if he had said, 
till you be fully evangelised ; and as both Piscator and Pareus interpret it, 
till you be fully restored to your former true knowledge of Christ ; now 
you are full of Moses, he is formed in you ; that appears by the 21st verse, 
for there were some amongst them that were so full of the law, that there 
was nothing but law almost in them ; now in opposition to this, saith he, 
I long till such time as Christ be formed in you, till there be a complete 
knowledge of Christ, according to the nature and genius of the gospel be- 
gotten in you. And this is called Christ. 

Now, why should the knowledge of Christ in the gospel be called Christ 
in us, speaking of spiritual knowledge ? 

1. The reason is clearly this, there is no knowledge else in the world 
can be called the thing that is known. 

2. I shall shew you that Christ as thus revealed in the soul may truly 
be called Christ. There is no knowledge else in the world can be termed 
the thing that is known. When a man hath the species or image of an 
horse or man in his mind, or the thought thereof, you cannot call that 
image a man or a horse, because all natural knowledge is but a mere 
phantasm ; but the knowledge of Jesus Christ in the heart of a Christian is 
Christ in him. Why ? Because that faith which we know Christ by doth 
give a being, a reality, and a subsistence to the thing that is known. I 



336 A DISCOURSE OF TIIE [ClIAP. VII. 

mentioned it upon another occasion, in opening that place, ' Beholding as 
in a glass the glory of the Lord ;' and I shall enlarge upon it now, that 
you may still see how one thing follows another. In Heb. xi. 1, faith is 
there called hypostasis, that which doth give a subsistence to the things 
hoped for ; so as indeed in the beholding of Christ, and by beholding of 
Christ, he is in me, there is a reality, a subsistence to me of him. To open 
and explain this to you a little, the difference of the spiritual knowledge of 
Christ, and of all natural knowledge whatsoever, I shall give it you as 
briefly and as plainly as I can. You must know this, and you do know it, 
for you feel it within yourselves, that God hath annexed to the understand- 
ing of a man a fancy, which we call phantasia, I speak it in opposition to 
that other phrase in the Hebrews, where faith is called hypiostasis. Now 
the other word, phantasia, cometh from 2^ ianos & n d stasia, it sheweth its 
office, for it makes things absent from the mind to appear, and yet but to 
appear; it doth not give a subsistence to them, it is but phanos stasia. 
Think where you will of any thing ; if you hear a story told you of a thing 
done at Rome in a church, of such a person, or the like, your mind will be 
thinking of a church, or framing the image of some person of whom the 
story is told, though you were never there. This is natural to the mind of 
man to do it. This is the work of the fancy, which is annexed and joined 
to the understanding of man in his natural knowledge. And the reason 
why God did annex to the understanding of man that faculty of the fancy, 
which makes things which the understanding would understand appear to 
it (for so the word implies), is because the mind of man would still behold 
something ; and because the thing is not present itself, hence therefore God 
hath made the fancy to give an appearance, still to feed the mind with a 
view of the thing it would understand, and so the mind is supported in the 
understanding of what it doth understand by the assistance of the fancy. 
Now the Lord having prepared for his people and children spiritual objects 
of another world, himself and Christ ; alas, the fancy is not able to take in 
the image of himself and of Christ ; it will not serve the understanding to 
any other knowledge of him than merely notional or literal, hence therefore 
he hath put in that grace of faith, which is not phantasia to the understand- 
ing, but it is hypostasis, so the word is, Heb. xi. 1. It doth not give an 
appearance, but a real subsistence to the things the mind would know ; and 
as the fancy helpeth natural knowledge in the understanding of natural 
things, so doth faith spiritual knowledge, and indeed is all one with it. 
And hence therefore the beholding of Christ, and of the glory of God by a 
believer, is not by way of fancy merely, but it is by way of subsistence ; the 
heart findeth a reality in what it believeth, and it hath so great an impres- 
sion, as it changeth the heart into the same image, which all the fancies of 
natural knowledge in the world will never do. And, my brethren, this is 
plainly ' Jesus Christ in you,' in one sense ; and therefore now we find in 
Eph. iii. 17, that Christ is said to ' dwell in our hearts by faith ;' for faith 
hath, by the help of the Holy Ghost, that sight of him that makes him real 
to a man's soul. As now how doth the sun dwell in the eye, or in a house ? 
The sun is in the heavens ; so is Jesus Christ, as Acts iii. hath it, ' the 
heavens must receive him, until the times of restitution of all things ;' and 
yet he is in the heart of a Christian, ' Christ in you,' saith the apostle. 
How comes this to pass ? Why, look as though the sun is in heaven ; if it 
shine into the eye, it dwells there, for there is the real image of the sun 
begotten in the eye ; and as it is said to be in the house, when it comes in 
with its beams and its light, which if a man put his eye to he may see the 



Chap. VII.] glory of the gospel. oM 

sun ; so is it here, there is the light of the glory of God, in the face of 
Jesus Christ, that shines into the heart. And I say, this is the first thing 
that is here intended, when he saith, ' which is Christ in you ;' he dotli 
appeal to those that had known Christ in the gospel, if thcro were not an 
unsearchable riches of glory, a vast glory in him, even so far as they had 
known him, which did give them a hope of infinite glory yet to come, 
though this knowledge was yet imperfect, and therefore was ordained to be 
built up in the world to come ; for (as I hope to make plain and clear to 
you) there is nothing is a greater evidence of a hope of glory to come in 
heaven, than that knowledge we have now of so great a glory in Jesus 
Christ. Jesus Christ in us now is an imperfect thing, and yet hath so 
much riches and glory in the sight of him, as gives us a certain hope that 
there is a perfection of it to be one day. So you have it in 1 Cor. xiii. 12, 
1 Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face ; now we know 
but in part ; it is an imperfection which must be built up ; but, saith he, 
1 then shall we know, even as we are known.' So now that is the first 
meaning of this phrase, why it is that he having spoken of the riches of the 
glory of the gospel in itself afore, addeth, ' which is Christ in you ; ' that 
is, that knowledge which the gospel hath begotten of Jesus Christ in you, 
I appeal to you how rich and glorious it is, though you do not sec all of it, 
and it doth give you a hope of a futui'e glory to come. 

Now to cast in other additional imports, which will come in and stand 
with this, and help to fill up the meaning of it. 

Secondly, It is ' Christ in you;' that is (he speaks still by way of applica- 
tion to them for their comfort), this is for your comfort, that whatsoever 
glory, and whatsoever riches of Jesus Christ the gospel lays open, it is all 
yours, it is all in you, and for you. Which riches of glory, and which 
mystery, and all, is ' Christ in you,' and in you the hope of a further glory. 
When Marcion the heretic had wrote a gospel, as the rest of the evangelists 
had done, said an orthodox Christian of him, it is my Christ that is in your 
gospel ; implying, that he had no part in him, though he had written so of 
him. But all that this gospel saith of Christ is your Christ, it is Christ in 
you; as the apostle saith, 1 Cor. hi. 23, ' All is yours, for ye are Christ's, 
and Christ is God's. The gospel (saith he) which I commend to you, it 
doth not only tell you of riches and glory, it doth not only talk of it as 
other stories do, but it makes all this yours ; ' The riches of the glory of 
this mystery among the Gentiles, which riches is Christ in you,' Christ 
made yours. It is a deep phrase this, and it imports the possession that a 
Christian hath of Christ, and of all riches of glory in him. 

I shall open, as parallel to my text, another scripture, Col. iii. 11, ' Where 
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision ; Barbarian, 
Scythian, bond nor free : but Christ is all and in all.' His scope is this, as 
Rollock hath well observed upon the place, that all outward external privi- 
leges, belonging to the new creature, were nothing at all valued by him ; 
it is not the privilege of any nation that is so much to be considered, 
therefore, saith he, ' it is neither Greek nor Jew.' It is not the privilege 
of any profession of religion, that a man is of this opinion, or of that 
opinion, that he is circumcised or uncircumcised. It is not the privilege 
of tongues, or learning, or wit, ' neither Greek nor Barbarian.' The Greeks 
were a wise and learned people, the Barbarians rude, but men of spirit, as 
the Turkish nation now. It is not riches or honour, or any external con- 
dition, that is valued by the new creature, ' there is neither bond nor free,' 
saith he. But then what hath the new creature, that undervalueth all these 

VOL. IV. Y 



838 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VII. 

privileges, in lieu of them ? He hath Christ, who is all in himself, and is 
in all. He doth not only say, that Jesus Christ alone is all, the meaning 
whereof is this : Go take the old man, though it hath a thousand things to 
make it happy, yet it hath not one thing alone that is instead of all to make 
it happy, but it hath several thourand things that must always go to make 
a creature happy; but saith he, one Jesus Christ doth it, ' Jesus Christ is 
all.' But that I note it for is this, to remark the phrase in aU ; he is not 
only said to be all unto all, but he is all in them all, ' He is all, and in all,' 
saith the apostle. He puts an emphasis upon it by way of difference from 
all outward things whatsoever. He is not only instead of all to Christians, 
but he is all in all Christians, and in every Christian. He is all in them, 
that is, they may find Jesus Christ in themselves to be that to them which 
all things else are. As for example, go take a king, or any great person in 
the world, though he hath all things that this world can afford him, yet all 
these things are but all to him ; they are not all in him, for all that goes to 
make them comfortable are out of himself : honour is out of himself, riches 
out of himself, dainty fare and beauty all out of himself, the wisdom he 
hath, indeed, that is in himself. But now take a Christian, as Jesus Christ 
is all things to him, so Jesus Christ is in him. All other things and a man 
may be severed, because they are but all to a man, but if all things were 
all in a man, a man could never be but completely happy. But so it is 
here, ' which is Christ in you.' He is not only all to you, but all in you ; 
go whither you will go, you carry him about with you, that is all to you. 
And so now, that is a second thing which this phrase importeth, why the 
apostle addeth it here ; saith he, if you have Christ in you, you carry about 
with you, wherever you go, him that is all to you ; come what will to you, 
you can never be parted from this Christ, for he is in you. He is Christ 
in you, all these riches, and the hope of glory likewise. 

Again, this phrase, ' which is Christ in you,' is thus added upon the 
commendation of the gospel ; because, when a man comes fully to know 
the gospel, the more still he knows of the gospel and of Jesus Christ 
savingly, the more he comes to be nothing else in himself, and to himself, 
but Christ. My meaning is this : take a man that hath his spirit evange- 
lised (as the Scripture phrase is), that is, that is gospelised, the more his 
spirit takes the gospel in, the more all he is, and all he hath, and all he 
doth, becomes to him nothing but Christ. Let the gospel have its full and 
perfect work, and Jesus Christ full admission into your hearts by faith, if 
he be fully formed in you, you shall see neither law nor nothing else in 
comparison of Christ, he will swallow up all ; that though other things be 
in you, the law is written in your hearts, and the image of Christ is in you, 
yea, but Christ is all ; ' Christ in you,' saith the apostle, all things are 
turned into Christ, and he gives the glory of all to Christ, all is Christ in 
you. ' I live,' saith the apostle, ' and yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,' 
Gal. ii. 20. He doth not only say, he lived a life to Christ, as you have it 
in 2 Cor. v. 15, ' that we should not live to ourselves, but to him that died 
for us,' but he saith, that ' Christ liveth in him.' What life is it that is in 
the branch or in the buds ? It is the life of the root. So saith he, ' It is 
not I that live,' I am but a branch, ' it is Christ that liveth in me.' Jesus 
Christ converteth the life of nature, the civil life, assimilateth all the actions 
of a Christian to himself, he liveth in him. When a man cometh to be 
perfectly evangelised, it is Christ in him. Even as the members of the 
body do live a reasonable life, but the reasonable life they live is merely 
from the head, it is the life of the head in the members. The tongue 



Chap. VII. J glory of the gospel. 339 

talketh reason. Where hath the tongue that reason ? It is the life of the 
head in the tongue. That these dull members of ours live rationally, it is 
because they live the life of the reasonable soul. So now thus doth Jesug 
Christ to me, he liveth in me ; it is not I that lives that spiritual life that I 
have in all that I do in matters of religion, it is Christ that liveth in me. 
He doth not only say that he liveth with Christ, as if Christ was the authoi" 
of his life (and so it is, for I having had a life from him, I live with him) J 
no ; but he is the author of my life, as he is the root of my life, and he 
liveth in me, rather than I live, as having had life from him. And his 
scope was to shew that he was dead to the law ; saith he, I can never be a 
Jew again while I live. Why? Because I have received Christ into me, 
and there is a life of Christ in me, so that I can never return to my works, 
return to the law again. That is his scope in that coherence. And there- 
fore, you know, he defineth one that is of the true circumcision, that he 
rejoiceth in the Lord Jesus Christ : Philip, iii. 3, ' And God forbid that I 
should rejoice in anything, saving in the cross of Christ;' so Gal. vi. 14. 
Why ? If I live, it is Christ that liveth in me ; and if I die, to me to die is 
Jesus Christ, is gain ; if I act anything, it is not I, but the grace of Jesus 
Christ in me ; if I have any strength, it is the strength of Christ, ' Be strong 
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,' 2 Tim. ii. 1. If I be sanctified, it is 
not grace, so much as Christ, is made sanctification. The truth is, that as 
a man still grows up more and more gospelised in his spirit, so Jesus Christ 
is in him, and works out all things else, till there be nothing but Christ in 
him, melteth the soul into Christ as sugar is melted into wine. All a man's 
graces, whatsoever he doth, he turns it all into Christ, as it is all from 
Christ. As a beam is nothing if it be cut off from the sun, so there is 
nothing in what the soul is, or desireth to be, but so far forth as it is knit 
to Christ, and cometh from him, and is received from him. My brethren, 
I use to say that grace is nothing but a company of nothings, and a com- 
pany of alls, as I may so express it to you. It makes the heart to be 
nothing in its own righteousness, but Jesus Christ to be all. It makes the 
heart to be nothing in its own abilities to do anything, but Jesus Christ to 
be all. It makes the heart to be nothing in its own ends, but to set up 
Jesus Christ in all. It makes the heart to be nothing, in l-espect of being 
accepted for anything in itself, but to be graciously accepted in the beloved, 
to be all in that respect. It brings the heart to be nothing in comfort, to 
seek for nothing of comfort, but what is to be had in Christ, in the face of 
Christ. It makes the heart to be nothing in valuation of itself, but Jesus 
Christ to be all. These things indeed we all fall short of, but this will be 
your pitch, that there shall be nothing but Christ in you, not you in Christ, 
but Christ in you, if your spirits be truly and fully turned to the gospel, if 
they be evangelised. ' That you may know,' saith he, ' the riches of the 
glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you.' 

Lastly, It may also come in here by way of special instance, to shew 
that that union which Jesus Christ hath with the saints, and in the saints, 
whereby he and they are all one, and by which all the glory he hath, and 
riches in him, are made theirs ; that that union, I say, of Jesus Christ and 
his saints, ' Christ in them,' is one great and eminent mystery of the gospel, 
and the greatest hope of glory. There are, saith he, a world of glorious 
riches and mysteries in the gospel, but I will give you one instance, which 
of all other is the greatest, or at least the comfortablest to you, and that is 
this, that Christ and you are one, that Jesus Christ is in you, and so the 
hope of glory. So that he speaks, I say, of the union that is between Jesus 



340 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VII. 

Christ and believers, as of all other the greatest and the richest mystery, at 
least the most comfortable unto us which the gospel holds forth, and is the 
foundation of all glory and of all grace, it is the hope of glory. 

He instanceth, I say, in that, both because it so much concerned them, 
and their comfort by way of application ; and also, because in itself ic is 
one of the greatest mysteries, and a thing of the greatest moment for 
believers to know. 

First, It is one of the greatest mysteries of the gospel. 

I observe this, that all divines, when they come to speak of the union 
that we have with Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ with us, they do generally 
make this apology, if they handle it anything largely, that of all others it is 
one of the greatest mysteries. Still, I say, they make that apology, that 
great is the mystery of our union with Christ, and Christ with us. There- 
fore the apostle might well, in the close of all, say, by way of one instance 
of the greatness of this mystery, ' which is Christ in you.' 

There are two things in the New Testament which the Holy Ghost doth 
put an emphasis upon, and calleth them great mysteries, and they are two 
unions. The first is, the union of the human nature with the Godhead in 
the person of Christ, 1 Tim. iii. 1G, ' Without controversy, great is the 
mystery of godliness.' What is that mystery? 'God manifest in the 
flesh,' that is, the Godhead was manifested in the human nature of Christ, 
uniting it to itself, and in that human nature shining gloriously as God. 
This thing, that God was made flesh, that the Son of God was made man, 
he saith, is a great mystery. The second great mystery is, that this Son 
of God made man should be united to a body of men, his church, his 
saints ; that Christ should be in them as God is in Christ ; and for that 
you have Eph. v. 32, ' This is a great mystery,' saith he, having discoursed 
before of the union of Christ and his church under the representation of 
the first marriage of Adam and his wife in paradise, and so he interpreteth 
himself; and saith he, ' I speak of Christ and his church,' for the but there 
is not adversative, but explicative, that is, when I speak of a great mystery, 
I mean the union of Christ and his church. It was a mystery that that 
union should be infolded in Adam's marriage, and it is a great mystery in 
respect of the thing itself. To give you a scripture or two for this. 

The mystery of the union of Christ with his church is so great, that 
Christ himself parallels it, and setteth it out by the union which the God- 
head had with him, and his union with the Father. So you have it in 
John vi. 56, ' He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, he dwelleth 
in me, and I in him.' Here is now the union between us and Christ, here 
is ' Christ in us.' How doth he parallel tins' union ? Read ver. 57, ' As 
the living Father hath sent me, and I five by the Father, so he that eateth 
me, even he shall live by me.' The scope is plainly this, All life, saith he, 
is by union with the fountain of life. I being united to my Father, who is 
the living Father, do live by my Father. He speaks of himself as he is 
sent, as he is man, as he took up a human nature. ' The living Father,' 
saith he, ' hath sent me,' and so knit and united me to himself, and to the 
Godhead, and as thus sent, ' I live by him ; ' and you, saith he, ' do live 
by me,' and (as he saith elsewhere) ' because I five, you shall live also.' 
Why ? Because, as it is John xiv. 20, 'I am in the Father, and you in 
me, and I in you.' That which I quote it for at this time is this, that he 
parallels our union, and the life we have by virtue of our union with him, 
wtih that union of his human nature with the Godhead, and with the 
Father. 



Chap. VII. . glory of the gospel. 8-il 

And because I am fallen upon this place of John vi., I shall a little open 
it to you. You shall find that this is the great mystery that stumbled the 
world, yea, that stumbled his very disciples, many of them, so that they 
went and left him. In that chapter you have a sermon of his, in which 
he told them that they must, by eating his llesh and drinking his blood, 
come to be united to him, and whosoever did so was united to him. Now 
saith ver. 60, ' Many of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This 
is a hard saying ; who can bear it ?' It is a hard saying, for how can one 
believe it ? Nay, say they, it is an intolerable, an insufferable saying ; 
whose ears can bear it ? And they were disciples too, ' many of his dis- 
ciples said.' And the saying is not only the eating his flesh, but it is all 
his whole sermon about it, that he would dwell in them, and they should 
dwell in him, by eating of his flesh. Saith Christ, ' Doth this offend you ?' 
I will make the wonder yet greater ; ver. 62, ' What and if you shall see 
the Son of man ascend up where he was before ?' He poseth them with 
a greater mystery, and that is the near union of the human nature with the 
divine, so near that he that is now on earth is also in heaven by com- 
munion of properties, though all those that were reprobates did not see him 
ascend with bodily eyes, nor all the saints neither ; but I am gone, saith 
he, and when ye hear that I am gone to heaven, verily you will think then 
that there can be no union between me and those that believe in me, for 
there can be no eating of my flesh or drinking of my blood. If therefore 
you wonder at it now, how will you conceive of it when I am gone up to 
heaven ? But, saith he, I will solve the mystery to you, if you will under- 
stand it : 'It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.' I 
have a Godhead in me, a divine nature (for that is meant by Spirit often, 
when Christ is spoken of, as, ' He was put to death in the flesh,' that is, 
in his human nature, ' but quickened by the Spirit,' that is, by his God- 
head), I have, saith he, a Godhead dwelling in this human nature, though 
this flesh you cannot eat ; and though, if I have nothing else but flesh, I 
could not dwell in you, nor quicken you, nor give life to you, yet having a 
Spirit, a Godhead in me, it is that which quickeneth. And how doth ho 
quicken ? And how doth he cause you to dwell in him, and himself in you ? 
Why, saith he, by the words which I speak unto you, while you by faith 
chew upon the word that describeth me, as I am the Saviour of the world, 
as I gave my flesh for the salvation of the world, the Godhead that is in me, 
and the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in me, causeth me by faith to dwell in 
you, and so to give you life ; for so it follows in that 63d verse ' The words 
which I speak unto you, they are spirit,' and spiritually to be understood ; 
and saith he, ' they are life.' 

There is a great question amongst divines, whether we are first united 
to the human nature of Christ, and by it to the Godhead, or immediately 
to the Godhead ? For my part, this place mightily helpeth me to resolve 
the question. ' It is the Spirit,' saith he, ' that quickeneth,' that is, the 
Godhead (now he had spoke of union before) ; and so by virtue of uniting 
to the Godhead of Christ, there is a quickening of us, and though we 
are united to whole Christ, yet to the Godhead first. 

I shall give you another scripture that this is the great mystery of the 
gospel, it is in John xiv. 20 (a place I named afore, and did but name it). 
The greatest mystery that is in the gospel was reserved for the apostles to 
know it, when Jesus Christ should be ascended, for then the Holy Ghost fell 
upon them, for to reveal to them the great and glorious things of the gospel. 
Now what saith Christ there ? ' At that day,' saith he (namely, when the 



342 A DISCOURSE OF THE [CHAP. VII. 

Holy Ghost is come, for he had promised to send the Comforter in the words 
before) ' ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in 
you.' These two are made parallels. The apostles had had their union 
with the Father and with Christ before now, they had it at this time when 
he spake unto them ; but saith he, then you shall know it, you shall under- 
stand it, both experimentally in your own hearts, and you shall know the 
mystery of it, so as to teach it unto others ; for so the apostles did, they re- 
ceived this knowledge by the Holy Ghost to communicate it to others. And 
this great mystery (which the apostles then did not so clearly understand, but 
should fully know it when they received the Holy Ghost) he reduceth, you 
see, to three heads, and all are matters of union, and indeed the one de- 
pendeth upon the other. First, saith he, you shall understand this great 
mystery, that there is an union between me and my Father, and the human 
nature and the Son of God, and so that I am one with him, and that is the 
foundation of all your comfort. This they understood not at first. ' Ye be- 
lieve in God, believe also in me,' saith he. Secondly, You shall know that 
as I am in my Father, so you are in me ; that is, that God the Father did 
from everlasting make me a public person for you, and I stood in your 
stead, and you all were in me, when I did whatsoever I did here upon the 
earth, and you are in me when I go to heaven ; it is an union representa- 
tive between you and me. And thirdly, you shall know that I am in you, 
and you shall feel it ; and that is a communicative union, as I may so ex- 
press it. And every one of these is the foundation of the other ; you shall 
find, saith he, that as the union of myself with the Father, and the union 
of the human nature with the Son of God, is the foundation of my being a 
public person for you, why I was able to die, and my death to be effectual, 
so you shall find the power and virtue of all these communicated to you by 
my being in you ; you shall be sensible of this union. This, I say, is the 
great mystery, which was reserved for the Holy Ghost to reveal unto the 
apostles themselves. And because that the comfort of all lies in this latter, 
to feel Christ is in me, for by that I climb up to the other, hence the 
apostle singleth it out, when he would hold forth and bring home to their 
hearts the riches of the glory of the gospel as theirs, and that Christ is 
theirs, and that they are one with the Father, and that Christ did represent 
them from everlasting, &c. He instanceth only in the latter, ' which is 
Christ in you.' 

My brethren, this is so great a mystery, as that the angels do not know 
it as we do, for they are not united with so near an union to Jesus Christ 
as we are. As he took up our nature into a greater nearness with God, 
and did not take up the nature of angels, so he takes us up into a nearer 
union with himself, and so with God. It is a mystery indeed, that the angels 
stand and admire at ; ' seen of angels,' saith the apostle, and so it is ad- 
mired by them, that Christ should be in us ; but they do not feel it as we 
do, and therefore of all mysteries it is the greatest. 



CiUP. V11I.J GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 343 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The glory of the gospel farther manifested, forasmuch as Christ, the great 
subject of it, is, in the work of God upon us, revealed in the soul. 

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and 
called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, dc. — Gal. I. 15, 16. 

My designed subject is, the application of Christ to us, or, the appear- 
ing of Christ in us. There is Christ in redemption, which work was 
wholly transacted out of us, between him and his Father. And the work 
thereof I have handled. But this is Christ in application, or as brought 
home to our hearts, which is as necessary for our salvation as that other 
of redemption. 

You hear a great deal of talk of Christ within us. But as that talk runs, 
truly another Christ is meant thereby than that Christ, God-man, that Jesus 
who was crucified at Jerusalem. But, indeed, Christ within us is no other 
than that very same Jesus who was and is out of us ; and both one and 
the same, even Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, and manifested in us 
and to us. 

Brethren, there is the work of election, which is the Father's ; there is 
the work of redemption : and both these wholly are performed without us. 
' God was in Christ reconciling the world ;' that is the Father and Christ 
giving himself for us a ransom. It was he that died and offered a sacrifice, 
and now is risen and ascended long afore we were, and it is he that now in- 
tercedes in heaven, and transacts all with his Father for us ; and thus indeed 
considered, he is a Christ without us ; but the same Christ is in you when 
you are turned to God (or rather, that turns you to God, Acts iii. 26), and 
are called by his grace, as the apostle saith here, ' when it pleased God to 
call me by his grace, and reveal his Son in me,' then you have the same 
Christ that is without you, revealed in you, and brought home to you ; you 
have the whole of him first and last within you, according to what measure 
God hath appointed you in Christ, as you had the whole of himself given 
as a price for you, Eph. v. 2< It is the same Christ without us, and the 
same Christ within us ; only what he is, or did for us without us, the same 
is applied to us. And it is this Christ in application (which is the very 
word the schoolmen use, of this matter) I would make my subject. And 
as concerning that, the doctrine with which I shall centre in is, that Christ 
revealed in us comprehends the whole of that work of application, first and 
last. Or thus, that the whole bulk and sum of our practical religion, as 
you use to call it, is resolved into God's revealing Christ, and Christ's re- 
vealing himself within us, from first to last, throughout our whole lives. 
Which comprehensiveness Paul surely intends here ; for, in saying, ' when 
God revealed his Son in me,' though his first calling was the first begin- 
ning thereof, yet he withal took in what from thence he had gone on to 
do throughout the rest of his life, for the same end that at first ; for that 
revelation at first was, that he might preach what was revealed unto the 
Gentiles. God, as he had begun, went on still to reveal him more in me, 
that I, knowing more and more of him, might be enabled to reveal more 
of him to others to whom I was sent ; only then he began with me. 

This phrase, ' revealing Christ within me,' hath made a great deal of do 
among interpreters, as well as amongst us of late days. It is a strange 



344 A DISCOURSE OF THE j"CHAP. VIII. 

thing that Hierome, so long ago, should unluckily stumble upon the very 
notion of the Quakers, or "that which in those days the Pelagians held, 
namely, that what light of God was in nature, or light of moral good in the 
conscience, was the grace of Christ, which is all one with what our Quakers' 
foundation is. And he fell upon this in opening this text : When it pleased 
God to reveal Christ in me, saith he, doth imply and suppose _ that Christ 
was in him before his calling, and his calling was but a revealing, a disco- 
very of what was by nature in him : Eevelatur quod prius fuit in eo ; and 
plainly and boldly he saith, Perspicuitm est, it is plain from hence, that by 
nature there is the knowledge of God, and that no man is born without 
Christ. This is the language that this man stumbled then upon. 

And truly, this interpretation of Hierome' s so scared many interpreters, 
as it diverted them from the true sense (though it be plain enough), 
though not to his sense, to say, that Christ was revealed in him, this 
phrase they knew not what to make of it, taken in the plain expression : 
Therefore, 

Some interpreted it thus : ' When it pleased God to reveal his Son by 
me.' In me they turned to per me. Voluib per me Jilium cognitum faeere, 
so Grotius took it. Brethren, there is an apparent contradiction to this 
in the text ; for he makes the end of God's revealing him in him to be, 
that he might preach him to others, which denotes that to have been the 
final cause of God's revealing him first in himself. Therefore there can be 
no other meaning than this, that God was pleased first to reveal his Son 
in him, when he called him, that is, in the person of Paul himself; that 
he having the experimental knowledge of this Christ within himself, in his 
own heart, and his own soul, for his own salvation, he might be able to 
reveal him to others the more effectually, suitable to that in 2 Cor. i. 4, 
' Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we might be able to com- 
fort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves 
are comforted of God.' ' When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me ;' 
to make him known sensibly unto me, and to apply him experimentally in 
and to my soul. He did this, that I might (having the knowledge of him 
for myself as the truth is in Jesus) make him known to others. And the 
words afore, ' He called me by his grace,' shew that he speaks of his first 
conversion, which was the fruit of his election, ' when it pleased God,' &c. 
And it was then that God began to reveal Christ savingly unto him, or any 
man, as the main intention of God's calling a man, and as the chief thing 
above all others revealed, or to be revealed at a man's conversion ; though 
God reveals sin (you will say), he convinceth the world of" sin, and of judg- 
ment, and holiness. Yea, but he revealeth Christ ordinarily above all, 
and in all. But of all saints that ever were or shall be, God pitched Paul's 
heart upon Christ at first, though he saw his sin too, Bom. vii., and the 
sin of unbelief especially, as he saith in Timothy. And the knowledge of 
Christ was the eminent work of Paul's conversion, and gave him a com- 
plete knowledge of him at first, because of the eminent present service God 
had for him to do. For immediately (he says) he consulted not, but fell 
to preach Christ instantly, whom he thus knew. 

Calvin interprets it mihi, ' revealed Christ to me,' which he would carry 
into the revelation of the doctrine of Christ in the gospel, whereof he had 
said, ver. 11 and 12, ' The gospel which was preached of me is not after 
man ; for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the 
revelation of Jesus Christ.' And he and the former have their criticisms 
and Hebraisms for this. 



Chap. VIII.J glory op the oospel, 845 

Beza* indeed admits of that reading; to reveal it to me, mihi (for so 
Calvin had afore expounded it :), but says, that it signified some further 
and larger matter ; and that from the like Hebrew propriety, being all one 
with ys ^y, and so signifies the grace of God to have come down from 
heaven into his very soul in the revelation of Christ. 

And Cornelius a Lapide,f among the papists, says, some indeed read it 
ho revealed it to me; but the word is, he revealed it in me, that he mi"ht 
Bignify that his spirit drank in this revelation of Christ into himself, 
within the very intimacy of his heart ; so that Christ should be in him, 
and speak in him, when he preached to others. And he hath his Hebraism 
for this too. 

The main sum and substance of Christianity then is, that Christ be 
revealed in tis, and not only to us ; that you come to have Christ by appli- 
cation in and to your souls ; Christ brought down into your heart. Yea, 
and this is the design of election : ' When it pleased God,' saith he, ' who 
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to 
reveal his Son in me.' It was the design of God's good pleasure towards 
him from eternity, as the word imports. 

But you will say, Why do you bring in Paul an instance to make this 
generally the sum of our Christianity first and last ? You will say, This 
instance shews it to have been Paul's condition in and after his conversion ; 
but what is this to us inferior Christians, to propound his example to us ? 
Truly, because take but the substance of religion and of true conversion, 
and it is common to Paul and us. Indeed, Paul differed from us in some 
particular privileges about this matter. He differed from us herein, [1.] In 
the manner of having this revealed ; for he had it by immediate revelation, 
as the 12th verse tells you, ' I neither received it of man, neither was I 
taught it,' i. e. by the ministry of men, ' but by the revelation of Jesus 
Christ.' Where ' of Christ' notes not out Christ as the object of the reve- 
lation, but as the worker. Christ himself converted him, and Christ him- 
self revealed himself to him, and the Father likewise, as the text here 
hath it ; but as for us, we have it by man. Ours is by means of instruc- 
tion ; and yet that knowledge of faith which we have of Christ is called 
a revelation: Eph. i. 17, speaking of ordinary Christians, he prays that 
they may have ' the spirit of revelation' in the knowledge of him, that is, 
of Christ. Thus, as Adam was made a man, flesh and bone as we have, 
but he was made immediately by God ; take other men, they have the 
same members of body and faculties of soul like, and answerable unto 
what Adam had, but we have them immediately by generation from man : 
so it was with Paul. Again, [2.] Paul and we differ in the measure; 
Paul had it by wholesale, as Adam was made a perfect man the first 
moment, and Paul had the whole system of the revelation of Christ in 
himself to his soul. He knew whole Christ at first, more or less. He 
might know more of him by degrees afterwards, but at that present he 
had a whole knowledge of him ; and the reason is apparent from the end 
of it, which was, that he might preach Christ immediately. He had 
that in three days which others grow unto in many years. He was so 
fully instructed, and made the man of God so perfect, as in the 2d 

* Mihi sed tamen illud videtur quoddam etiam amplius significare; quodapparet 
ex HehrEeorum idiotismo : et videtur eo dicendi geneie significari, Dei gratiam cce- 
litns in animum ipsum illabi, ut Grseca etiam Scholia notarunt. 

t Dicit potius ' in me,' quam 'mihi,' ut significet spiriturn suum intimo cordeimbi- 
bisse, ut Christus in eo esset, et per eum loqueretur. 



346 A DISCOURSE OF THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL. 'CHAP. VIII. 

chapter of this epistle he says, that the other apostles, that were pillars, 
and had lived long with Christ, and had the Spirit come down upon 
them, to enlighten them in what Christ had taught them, added nothing 
to him. 

All, then, that God works upon you savingly, from first to last, is a dis- 
covery of Christ, some way or other, in you. It is either the knowledge 
of his person, or it is a conformity to him, or it is dispositions suited to 
what you know of him ; workings upon us, and operations of God upon 
us suitable to what is in him ; and this I call the sum or substance of our 
religion. 

Even as to the first work upon a man when he is humbled for sin, my 
opinion thereof is, that in a man that shall be saved it is a different work 
from what is in wicked men, that have terrors of conscience, and shall not 
be saved ; and that accordingly there is in it a part of conformity to Christ 
crucified ; and I shall give you scriptures for it. Gal. ii. 19, he speaks of 
being dead to the law through the law, which is to be convinced of sin ; 
and it is effected by the power of Christ crucified, so as if you ask, How 
came Paul to be thus dead to the law ? he tells you, Rom. vii. 4, that it 
was ' by the body of Christ.' 

The very work of humiliation is a conformity to Christ ; and it is a be- 
ginning of revealing Christ in us. And if a man will look back upon all 
hath been wrought in him, he shall see that it is all Christ. 

But however, that which is the eminency of Christianity, the bulk and 
substance of it, that, to be sure, is, all of it, Christ in us. It was Paul's 
eminency that Christ was the sum of all he had and did, to the end that 
he might know and preach Christ ; and it is the whole of Christ that God 
reveals sooner or later, more or less, in and to all Christians, whether they 
know it or no. 

If any ask, Why, when he speaks of revealing Christ in us, he should 
rather say, revealing his Son in us *? my answer is, The word Son com- 
prehends the whole of Christ. 

I shall give you but an observation or two more. 

1. Happy is that soul that in conversion or calling was pitched first on 
Christ, or soon upon his conversion. If you that are now converted had 
lived in our younger days, you would have seen that we were held under 
John Baptist's water, of being humbled for sin, and the work of sanctifi- 
cation. But now, happy it is with some whose lot it is that their conver- 
sion work begins with Christ. Next after their humiliation for sin, they 
are pitched upon Christ. The work upon Paul was in this manner, who 
had the advantage of us this way, for Christ himself appeared to him, and 
yet he was humbled, and saw sin to be above measure sinful, Rom. vii., 
and therefore the work of humiliation is necessary unto faith in Christ. 

2. Another observation is, that whoever of you will be preachers of the 
word, get Christ revealed in you, that you may preach him unto others, out 
of the experience of that revelation. John ate the book, and then wrote 
it, as you have it in Rev. x. 10. 

3. Blessed is he that from his first conversion was pitched upon reaching 
out the experiences he had to others. Some men have, as Paul had, their 
inward motion to be ministers upon then being called ; as Paul had it con- 
joined therewith. And as God separated Paul from the womb for both, so 
he hath separated such. 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER 
AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER 

AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 



BOOK I 



Of the Godhead, and the three Persons within itself. — That there is but one 
God. — That in the divine nature, or one Godhead, there are three Persons 
conversing with, speaking to, and glorifying one another. — Which union 
and communion of the three Persons between themselves is peculiar to the 
Deity, and incommunicable to any mere creature. 

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in 
him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and ive by him. — 
1 Cor. VIII. 6. 



CHAPTER I. 

That God is one in essence. 

That God is but one, you have this declared concerning him by Moses, 
Deut. vi. 4, ' The Lord our God is one Lord.' Also by God's own imme- 
diate testimony you have the same truth pronounced, Deut. xxxii. 39, ' See 
now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me.' To which you 
may add Isa. xliv. 8, ' Is there a god besides me ? I know not any.' He 
puts that last clause as the clearest evidence and the most ultimate de- 
monstration of the truth of this, that God himself, the true God, and the 
God of truth, could give us. It is parallel for certainty and infallibility 
with God's adding an oath to his word, even such is this speech here, ' I 
know not any.' It comes in as upon second deliberate thoughts, after the 
former speech declared. And, to be sure, if there were another god besides 
him, he must needs know it. For, 1, He that is God knows all that are, 
if they be existent ; and therefore if there were another, he must needs be 
privy to it. Especially, 2, Another god : for if there were another god, he 
must be immense in extent of being, and so take up so much room for that 
his being to dwell in as he could not hide nor conceal himself from this 



350 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEE, [BOOK. I. 

one God, nor scape tlie omniscience of his eye, who is the true God. And, 
3, another god would have been hiy compeer for our true God his God- 
head ; the rivalship would have been for no less. Such is the interest of 
the very God in this matter, that his jealousy (who professeth of himself 
that he is a jealous God, in point of worshipping him as God, otherwise 
than he hath appointed), his jealousy, I say, would have risen to the height 
of it, and have provoked him to have seen to that, and to have searched 
out that of all things else. To have an equal (Pompevusve parem*), a corrival 
for the Godhead, would have detracted from the glory of him who hath said 
it, ' I will not give my glory to another,' Isa. xlii. 8. Sole dominion is tho 
essential point to every one that is a monarch ; and God's glory and bless- 
edness lies in that very point of sole dominion : and therefore you find 
these two conjoined, viz., God's blessedness and sovereignty, 'who is the 
blessed and only potentate ' (says Paul of him, 1 Tim. vi. 15). You may 
therefore well believe him, and take it upon his word when he speaks it in 
this manner, upon his knowledge, ' I know not any.' 

We need not seek out many reasons : one God, and one sufficient reason 
for it is enough ; and that is sufficient which hath been in a manner men- 
tioned already before : that there is no room or space for two immense 
beings, diverse from each other. When therefore God says, in Isa. lxiii. 3, 
' There is none with me,' his meaning must be the same with this in 1 Cor. 
viii. 5, ' There is no other God but one,' i.e., no God diverse from him. 
The Godhead is but one, yet the persons in this one Godhead are more 
than one. We may safely say of each person, as of the Father, that he is 
God, and likewise of the Son, that he is God, and of the Holy Ghost, that 
he is God. And that there are three, each of whom is God, but still it is 
but one and the same God for nature, and that oneness, 1 John v. 8, in 
and by which the three are said to be one, is that they all three are one 
God alike. The Godhead is but one, and we must be wary of saying there 
are three Gods ; that would sound at least too much as if there were one 
God diverse from the other ; whereas one and the same Godhead is in all 
and each of the three, you may say it of each thrice over, the Father is 
God, the Son is God, &c. But that there are three Gods sounds harsh, 
and is condemned by Scripture language, yea, by the text, ' There are many 
gods, but to us but one.' 

And the reason of it is his infiniteness for perfection, as well as his im- 
mensity ; for he comprehends all perfections within himself, or else he were 
not infinite, and his blessedness consists in it, so that there cannot be a 
God diverse from himself. 



CHAPTER II. 

That this God, one in essence, is three in persons, who jointly co-operate in all 
God's external works. 

To us there is but one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Cob. 

VIII. 6. 

Here are two persons mentioned in the text, the Father, and Christ the 
Lord ; and these two persons are made distinct in the Godhead. The 

* The reference is to the saying that Caesar would not brook a superior, nor 
Pompey an equal. — Ed. 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus ohbzbt. 351 

Father is a relate, and there must be a Son to answer as a correlate there- 
unto, and an only-begotten Son, for he is that one Lord over us saints, 
and all other things, in the text. So great a Father would put no other person 
into that sovereignty with himself, but such a Son who is of as high a 
birth, and for substantiality of nature and generation, equal with himself, 
and who in his very person should greaten and fill up this office of Lord 
over all the saints, by whom we and all things else are, and do subsist. 

There is a third person in the Godhead, the Spirit of God the Father, 
and of Christ ; who in my handling the point will fall in, and appear to bo 
that only true God, as well as these other two named. 

And this is a prime principle for me to premit, for it is influential into 
the most particular parts of this whole discourse. It runs through every 
vein of it, and we shall meet with it at every turn ; yea, whole treatises in 
it refer to the doctrine of the three persons in the Trinity ; and therefore it 
cannot be omitted here, but deservedly and necessarily claims a place 
amongst these principles I set first. 

And further, there is this occasion of my inserting it. We may and 
cannot but know, that there hath risen up in this our age a generation, of 
all others the most presumptuous, that have affirmed all the whole creation 
to be but emanations of the Godhead, or, in plain words, to be materially 
God himself, though turquoised and translated by himself into so many 
lesser parcels of beings, which considered apart we call creatures. And 
that it is but the folly and ignorance of men to think themselves to be but 
creatures different essentially from God ; and that if men would but believe 
themselves to be God really, and indeed (which, say they, we all are), 
they would be freed from that fond dotage of being in subjection to the law 
of God, and bondage to the fear of hell, and should instantly be enfran- 
chised, and enter into all the privileges the Godhead hath. And because 
they hear of, and in scriptures find three spoken of, to be in that one God, 
as persons distinct, whom these men foreseeing to stand in their way to 
this their aspirement of each and every man to be as so many distinct 
persons enjoying the Godhead themselves with God ; therefore they make 
no more ado but throw down that blessed society of three in the Godhead, 
allowing them no other reality in the divine being, but as three manifesta- 
tions, or else operations of God in us, and to us, doing herein like men 
that are ambitious, and would rise, they cast down those that are in rank 
above them ; so these would deal with the Trinity, as if they stood in their 
way to this high preferment. An high preferment indeed, which Satan 
(having first sinned himself by the like impious ambition) prompted our 
first father unto, Gen. iii. 5, ' You shall be as gods.' And he has left the 
seeds of this aspirement in our corrupted nature, upon which God said, 
' Man is become as one of us.' 

But the nature of God, blessed for ever, cannot admit of this, nor be 
able to raise a creature unto it, for it is utterly inconsistent. For evidence 
of which the man Jesus, though the Father loved him above all his saints 
and angels, yet all the power in God could not make him God in essence 
or in nature ; all that could be done for him was to be one in person with 
him who is God. This he might be, but to turn his human nature into 
the divine being was incompatible with it. 

A lower degree of accursed pride than this fell into the heart of the devil 
himself, whose sin in his first apostatising from God, take the height of it 
then, is conceived to be but a stomaching that man should be one day 
advanced unto the hypostatical union, and be one in person with the Son 



352 THE KNOWLEDGE OE GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK I. 

of God, which his proud angelical nature (then in actual existence the 
highest of creatures) could not brook. But the devil was modest in com- 
parison to these men's pride, which usurps upon the whole of the three 
persons at once ; and will not endure them compeers with themselves. 
And truly these could have no better way whereby to step into these thrones 
in their imaginations, than to depose our blessed three by setting up a re- 
ligion and opinion whereby millions of persons, instead of those three blessed 
ones, should communicate of the Godhead, in the same manner as these 
blessed persons do. This caused me to review the Scriptures afresh, for 
the disquisition of this great truth. 

My method in despatching this great point must be brief and contracted. 
And therefore, though the Scriptures afford plenty of evidence everywhere, 
yet I was satisfied with one full passage of Scripture which I met with at 
first in the very first entrance of my disquisition about the trinity of the 
persons in the one Godhead ; and which is usually cited out of Moses for 
it, in several passages of his in that one book of Genesis. And I con- 
sidered with myself that as he was the first penman of any Scripture, so he 
must needs have laid the foundation (though more darkly and obscurely) of 
such gospel truths, as this of the persons must be supposed to be, if it 
proved to be a truth at all ; and I finding that Christ in his concertation* with 
the carnal Jew, professeth in preaching the gospel which seemed new to 
them, to witness and preach none other things than those which Moses 
particularly and the prophets did say ; and the doctrines of the gospel 
bringing forth this great truth to light more clearly, and so positively and 
determinately, I judged that this great truth (if a truth at all) must be extant 
in Moses ; and Paul having appealed unto Moses to give evidence, unto 
Moses I did go. 

And in the beginning of his first chapter I was accosted with his narrative 
of the creation, as it is in the first day's work set out, ver. 1, 2, 3. And 
after that, more particularly, with that renowned consultation which God 
had about the making of man, and his speech uttered concerning it. ' Let 
us make man' (the summary of all things that he had made) ' in our image, 
according to our likeness,' ver. 24 of that chapter, in which Moses bringeth 
God in, speaking in the language of an us, ' Let us make man.' Which us 
imports a plurality of persons to have been with God when he created man.* 
And we have the same us twice used by Moses, when in like manner he bringeth 
God in speaking of, and to himself, Gen. hi. 22, ' The man is become as 
one of us.' And then chap. xi. ver. 7, at the confusion of languages, ' Let 
us go down.' And at the overthrow of Sodom, it is said in Gen. xix. 24, 
' That the Lord rained fire from the Lord out of heaven.' 

And though I find some of our divines somewhat difficult to admit those 
arguments, drawn from all the proofs out of the first chapter of Genesis, 
and are exceptions here and there against some of them, yet, finding in a 
search and study of other scriptures, which be alleged for the confirmation 
of the whole point itself, and so many of those scriptures usually brought 
for it out of the prophets, and the New Testament, do flow into this current 
of Moses, and speak the same things, and well nigh in the same phrases 
that Moses hath used, and all unto this one purpose and intent, that there 
are such blessed persons in the Godhead, God with God ; I thereupon re-, 
solved to content myself with those few allegations out of Moses alone. 
And finding them so strangely and strongly backed by those other scriptures 

* Irenscus in Prsefat. lib. 4. Homo per manus Dei plasmatus est, hoc est, per 
Filium et Spiritum Sanctum, quibus etiam dixit, Faciamus hominem. 



Chap. II.] and his son jbsus Christ. 353 

that camo in with their suffrages unto these of Moses, I then set up my 
rest in these citations out of him, to make them the rendezvous and centre 
of those other Scripture proofs, which of themselves, though standing 
severed and single, might each be a sufficient argument alone by themselves, 
yet marching under Moses's banner, and being further explanations of his 
speech, they altogether have a joint united force, as so many twisted cords, 
or as so many smaller, they contribute their waters into the same great 
stream and channel. 

1. For those words used about the whole creation, Gen. i. 1-3, 'In the 
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was with- 
out form, and void ; and darkness was upon the face of the deep : and the 
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there 
be light : and there was light.' These words being prefaced to the whole 
of the creation, many judicious divines insist upon them as denoting the 
hand that each person had in the whole work of creation ; and this is no 
less backed by other Scriptures which follow. The Father is said to 
1 create all things by Jesus Christ,' Eph. iii. 9. And the Son is said to 
create, Heb. i. ' Unto the Son he says, Thy throne, God, is for ever 
and ever,' ver. 8 ; ' and God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the 
oil of gladness above thy fellows,' ver. 9 ; ' And Thou, Lord, in the be- 
ginning hast laid the foundation of the earth ; and the heavens are the 
works of thine hands,' ver. 10. And the Holy Ghost is said to create, 
' Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created ; and thou renewest the 
face of the earth,' Ps. civ. 30. And the word Elohim being used of each 
person singly, though it be a word of the plural number, yet, as when 
magistrates are styled Elohim, ' I have said, you are gods,' Ps. lxxxii. 6, 
each magistrate may be called Elohim ; so, applied to each person singly, 
it may be said that Elohim the Father created, and Elohim the Son 
created, &c, creation being an action that is common to the persons 
jointly. Both the plural in the word DTJ/N, God, and the singular in the 
word XII created, are fitly joined then, when the great and materially the 
general work of the creation of the whole world, visible and invisible, made 
out of nothing immediately, is first spoken of, as this of creating both 
heaven and earth in the beginning was. And the creation in a singular 
manner is common to the three, without a special appropriation to any one 
of the three. And then the argument for this interpretation will run thus, 
that who ci'eated heaven and earth is that Elohim of whom Moses did 
speak ; but out of other scriptures it is plain that the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Ghost created heaven and earth, and therefore these words 
of Elohim are spoken of all three. 

I will not utterly leave out that argument from the first words, ' God 
created,' which many judicious and holy divines insist upon. That the 
word QVPtf, God, is in the plural number, signifying more than one, and 
yet NIX created, is in the singular, because that the Persons were in a 
plurality, or more than one ; but the verb created was in the singular, to 
notify the unity and oneness of the Godhead. But there are so many ex- 
ceptions against this, which have broken the wards of the lock, that it is 
difficult to find a key which shall open it. I confess I like not to say of 
the persons that they are Gods, in the plural ; to say of each person 
singly that he is God, that is safe ; but it is not so to say of them, that 
they are Gods. It founds a diversity of the Godhead, as well as distinc- 
tion of the persons. The word DYl^N, Elohim, therefore, though in the 
declension of it it be of the plural number, yet in the sense of it it is singular, 

vol. rv. z 



354 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

sometimes used to signify the Godhead, sometimes applied to each of the 
persons singly, and so no argument can be fetched from it. 

But the argument I urge from these three verses is, that in them the 
three persons are distinctly rehearsed in the work of the creation. First, 
the Father, in that saying ' God created heaven and earth,' which work of 
creation is more generally attributed to the Father ; as in our creed, ' I 
believe in God the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth,' &c. 
Then the Son, who is the Word of the Father, ' by whom he made all 
things,' Eph. iii. 9, is hiddenly covered, and yet truly notified in the 3d 
verse, ' God said, Let there be light,' &c. And this word is in the chapter 
repeated five times, in the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth days' work of the 
creation ; and adds a confirmation, that the Son was included, and aimed 
at ultimately in Moses his ' God said,' for in John i. 3 it is said, ' Without 
the Word nothing was made that was made.' As in Moses, all was by the 
same, ' God said, Let there be,' created, as well as the light. And it is 
no objection to say, that the first day's work, the creation of heaven and 
earth, was without it, or that heaven and the earth was made the first 
day, before the light, which was the second day. For the heavens are 
said to be made by the Word of God. Ps. exxxvi. 5, ' To him that by 
wisdom made the heavens,' not by the attribute wisdom, for in the Pro- 
verbs Wisdom is the person ; and it is said, ' The Lord by wisdom hath 
founded the earth,' Prov. iii. 19. They were therefore all made, both 
heaven and earth, and all things in them, by one and the same ' God said,' 
and by his Word. 

But finding the word ^^s repeated again and again in Moses's story, 
denoting persons whom God speaks unto, as at the creation of man ; and 
again in matters of government about man, as at confounding their lan- 
guages, ' Let us go down,' Gen. xi. 7 ; and in the prophets the same, and 
so many other scriptures flowing in, compared with these of Moses, to 
give evidence, I resolved to content myself with the testimony of Moses 
alone, as it came illustrated unto me by so many concurrent witnesses ; so 
that I will not divert, but will centre in this one proof alone, as the seal for 
all the other. 

Gen. i. 26, ' Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' 

First, It is God speaking himself, ' God said,' and not Moses, as in the name 
of God. And there is no instance in the Hebrew that ice or us is ever used 
of one single person, when God himself speaks of himself. And, 

Secondly, It is God speaking, not by way of declaration of what he could 
do alone singly, but uttered by way of conference unto and with some other 
persons. And not only so, but it is an excitation or calling upon them to 
do it with him, as if he should say, ' Come, let us make,' as those that being 
• with God' at that time were to join in that work also with him. 

Thirdly, God speaks not to his attributes. No wise man ever thus speaks 
to his own abilities, Come, let us do such or such a thing ; which more 
especially appears in that other speech, ' Let us go down.' It is a person 
or persons who are said to descend, as elsewhere the Holy Ghost is said 
to ' descend in the likeness of a dove,' Mat. iii. 16 ; and the Son of God, 
often in the gospels, to come from heaven. 

Fourthly, These spoken unto were not the angels (as some think), for 
they are never called our creators ; but God alone is said to create expressly, 
Job ix. 8, Isa. xlv. 18. And he is still said to create by himself, because 
he used no other instrument. So expressly in Isa. xliv. 24, ' Thus saith 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus christ. 855 

tho Lord, thy Redeemer, and be that formed thee from tho womb, I am 
the Lord that mukoth all things ; that stretcheth forth tho heavens alone, 
and spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;' and chap. xlv. 18 especially. 
The angels create not the souls of men, which God alone is the Father of, 
not angels, Heb. xii. 9. Nor are we said to bo made after their image, but 
God's, Col. iii. 10. 

Nor are the angels meant when it is said, ' thy makers awe thy husband,' 
as Isa. liv. 5 ; or, ' Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth,' which 
style of Creators is yet in the plural used, when God is spoken of, in mul- 
titudes of other places : Ps. cxlix. 2, ' In his Makers ; ' Isa. xliv. 2, • The 
Lord thy Makers.' Yea, as ' Let us make' is in the excitation to it, so in 
the next verse, which mentions the performance of this work, it is accord- 
ingly said, ' so God created man,' which was the thing done, it is thrice 
repeated: 1. ' So God created man in his own image ;' 2. • in the image 
of God created he him ; ' 3. ' male and female created he them ; ' God, not 
angels. Nor did he use them as instruments, as when he gave the law he 
did, but not in the creation of the least creature. 

But let us further consider things impartially, comparing the Old and 
New Testaments together, as to the explication of this one passage, • Let 
us,' &c. 

1. Let us inquire whether it be not elsewhere in the New Testament said, 
when the creation is spoken of, that there were persons, yea, that these 
persons were ' with God ; ' yea, and that when man was made, John i. 1, 
• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God ; ' and 
again, ver. 2, ' The same was in the beginning with God.' Yea, and is it 
not as expressly there affirmed that that Word that was with God was at 
the making of man ? ' All things were made by him, and without him 
was not any thing made that was made,' ver. 3. And if all things were, 
and nothing made without him, then man certainly. And doth it not 
follow also from ver. 4 that • he was the life of man ? ' 'In him was life, 
and the life was the light of men.' 

Again, we find another person, the Spirit of God, to have been with God 
at the creation, moving and upholding the waters : Gen. i. 2, ' And the 
earth was without form, and void ; and darkness was upon the face of the 
deep : and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.' And Ps. 
xxxiii. 6, ' By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host 
of them by the breath of his mouth.' The Psalmist interpreting Moses, 
and referring to the creation, speaks thus. And why should not we think 
then these to be the us ; even the Father, Word, and Spirit. This at the 
creation. 

2. Again, in that other place, we find a consultation about a fact belong- 
ing to the government of the world, to be done even as here, ' Let us make ;' 
so, here, ' Come, let us descend.' Now, let us see if more persons than 
one are not said to have been of counsel with God in these. It is certain 
he excludes all creatures to be of his counsel ; Isa. xl. 13, 14, ' Who hath 
directed the Spirit of the Lord, or, being his counsellor, hath taught him ? 
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in 
the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the 
way of understanding ? ' but professeth of his Son, that he is his ' counsellor.' 
Isa. ix. 6, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ; and 
the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called 
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince 
of peace.' And the same of his Spirit, 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, ' But God hath 



356 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEE, [BOOK I. 

revealed them unto us by his Spirit : for the Spirit searcheth all things, 
yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, 
save the spirit of man which is in him ? Even so the things of God 
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.' And as here, in Genesis, when 
God was to create man ; so there, when he was to judge and exert a great 
act of government in the world. And it came to matter of fact, which when 
it is to be done, he speaks to those of counsel with him, as persons interested 
therein, and shews them what he is about to do ; even in like manner as 
he doth at the creating of man, ' Let us make man,' &c. Now then, when 
we shall read in the New Testament, and find that ' Word,' who was ' with 
God in the beginning,' John i. 1, expressly called God at first dash, and to 
have been with God as a person distinct from him, and this person called 
the Word there, to be the only-begotten Son of God, in ver. 14 ; and shall 
further hear, that the Son of man, whom that word is said to be made one 
person with, is one with God ; and that in his person he says, John v. 19, 
' Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but 
what he seeth the Father do : for what things soever he doth, these also 
doth the Son likewise.' When we consider this, it will be then plain to us, 
that God doth nothing without an us ; and that his Son was an original 
co-worker with him in all things, which he accordingly sheweth unto him ; 
for it follows, ' That doth the Son likewise.' God doth nothing, but the 
Son likewise ; he shews and tells his Son first, and by shewing it to him, 
consulteth with him about it. And mark the coherence, ver. 17. He not 
only consulteth with him, but they two are said to work together every- 
thing that is done, from that first beginning of acting anything outwardly 
even from the creation ; ' My father worketh hitherto, and I work ; ' and 
the Jews thereupon, ver. 18, ' seek the more to kill him, not only because 
he had broken the sabbath, but had said also, that God was his Father, 
making himself equal with God ; having a joint hand with him, and work- 
ing all and everything as much as the Father, whom all acknowledge to be 
God. Whereupon such words of theirs it was that Christ pertinently 
replies, as you heard, ver. 19, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can 
do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do : for what things 
soever he doth, these also doth the Son likewise ; ' acknowledging they had 
spoken rightly according to his very true sense and intent. Now judge 
impartially ; you find this man, this person, speaks in the name of one that 
was with God afore the world was, John i. 1, one ' equal with God.' Verse 
18 of this 5th chapter of John, you find bimself say, that God doth nothing, 
but he shews it to him, as one to co-work and join with him. And you 
find here in Moses, that God, when he was to make man, he consulted some 
or other person then with him, saying, ' Let us make,' that is, join together 
in the same work ; ' Let us make man ;' and shall we not judge that this 
his Son was here, and one of the us ? And there is a Spirit, who is of 
this cabinet-council, John xvi. 13, 15, who 'shews' (as Christ's word of 
him is) and overhears all, and is privy to what the Father still says unto 
the Son. So then, here are three that make the us. 

3. As in creating, these are joined as an us, so in governing and judg- 
ing the world ; 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,' says Christ, 
John v. 17. In such works also this us is used : in confounding the 
languages ; and in bringing vengeance on Sodom ; in bringing them out of 
Egypt we find the same ; Gen. xi. 7, ' Go to, let us go down, and there 
confound their language.' The Holy Ghost descended to give tongues, 
and he descended to confound them. And, for the judgment on Sodom, I 



ClIAP. II.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 357 

shall insist upon it a little. Gen xviii. ver. 1, it is said, ' The Lord 
appeared.' How '? Verse 2, three angels came, one whereof was the Lord, 
and the other two created angels, companions of him. Two angels went 
to Sodom, ver. 22, and the third stayed, chap. xix. 1, who was the Lord 
himself that communed with Abraham ; of whom it is said, chap, xviii. 20, 
21 , ' The Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and 
because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether 
they have done altogether according to the cry of it,' &c. And he stayed 
with Abraham. It is also said, ver. 22, t But Abraham stood yet before the 
Lord.' This angel was God, or bearing the person of one that was God ; 
for, Exod. iii. 2, the angel that appeared in the bush says, ver. 6, ' I am 
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; ' the same that as an angel 
appeared to the fathers : to Abraham, Gen. xviii. ; to Isaac, Gen. xxvi. ; 
and to Jacob, chap. xxxi. and chap, xxxii. 9, 24. Whom, Gen. xlviii. 15, 
16, Jacob, in his blessings, calls both God and an angel ; as Hosea also 
doth, chap. xii. 3, 4, 5. This angel, who was betrusted with the govern- 
ment of the world, and said he ' would see,' ver. 21, was not the Father, 
for he is never missus, sent, as the word angel imports this was, and yet 
withal was God, though in the appearance and office of an angel. And we 
read of ' God sent by God,' in Zech. ii. 8, ' Thus saith the Lord, he hath 
sent me to the nation,' &c. It is Christ's speech of his Father's sending 
him. So also Isa. xlviii. 16, 17, ' The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent 
me,' &c. He that is the Lord says, he was sent by the Lord ; even as, we 
read, the New Testament also speaks of Christ. And he that is sent, must 
be distinct, and a person distinct from the sender. Now there are two 
persons that send him there, ' The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me.' 
And he that was sent was God, and no less Jehovah than they ; as all the 
contexts afore and after shew. So then, you find three persons there ; and 
for this cause it is he is styled ' the angel of God's face,' Isa. lxiii. 9. 

And there you meet with the three persons too, as joining in that great 
work of redemption out of Egypt. First, the Father is spoken of in ver. 
7, 8, ' I will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord, and the praises of 
the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the 
great goodness towards the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on 
them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving- 
kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will 
not lie ; so he was their Saviour.' The Son in ver. 9, ' In all their afflic- 
tion he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them : in his love 
and in his pity he redeemed them ; and he bare them and carried them all 
the days of old.' The Spirit in ver. 10, ' But they rebelled and vexed his 
Holy Spirit.' He that is called Holy Spirit in the New, is, according to 
the Hebraism, called the ' Spirit of holiness' in the Old. But it is Christ 
that was the angel of his presence, appearing afore God, interceding, and 
in whose face God shines, 2 Cor. iii. Exod. xxxiii. 2, ' My angel,' in ver. 
14, is interpreted, God's face, presence. John xiv. 9, ' He that hath seen 
me hath seen the Father.' And he it was that saw the affliction of his 
people, Exod. iii. 7, who, ver. 8, is said to ' come down ;' even as upon the 
occasion of Sodom you have heard it in like manner spoken. And it was 
this angel, in whom (God says) his name was ; that is, his very nature, 
Exod. xxiii. 20, 21, 22. And it was he that governed them in the wilderness. 

Now, this angel, or, the ' Lord sent' in that appearance, both to Abraham 
about Sodom, and to Moses, Exod. iii., and to the people of Israel, was 
one and the same, as all places shew. And this was the Lord himself ; 



358 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, ^BOOK. I. 

as Mai. iii. 1, he is expressly called • The Lord,' and tho angel of the 
covenant ; even Christ, the second person, whom they tempted. So Paul, 
' Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were de- 
stroyed of serpents,' 1 Cor. x. 9. So Stephen expressly, Acts vii. 32, 37, 
38, ' I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of 
Isaac, and the God of Jacob ;' ver. 37, ' This is that Moses which said unto 
the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto 
you of your brethren like unto me ; him shall ye hear. This is he that 
was with the church in the wilderness, with the angel, which spake to him 
in the mount Sinai.' And this person, who came down in the appearance 
of an angel to Abraham about Sodom, Abraham as expressly enstyles ' The 
Lord,' and ' Judge of all the world,' Gen. xviii. 25. All which consider, 
how it punctually agrees with what in the New Testament out of John v. 
hath been observed, as by comparing them will appear. For, as the Son 
hitherto had wrought in all works with the Father, as you heard out of 
John v. 20, 21, so, ver. 22 of that chapter, • God hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son.' And it is answerably said by Moses, Gen. xix. 24, 
'The Lord,' or Jehovah, 'rained down fire from Jehovah;' that is, the 
Son, who was God, he did it by commission from the Father, that was God 
with him, as to whom he had committed the judgment of the world, and 
so was, by his office, the proper executioner of this vengeance upon Sodom ; 
he also joining in all works afore and since, together with the Father, who, 
' shewing him all he doth, the Son doth it likewise ; that all might honour 
the Son as well as the Father ;' as Christ there infers, John v. 23. 

4. That which fully added to my conviction that the us in Scripture 
language, when spoken of, and by God, intends these three in God, whom 
we call persons ; and that to be spoken more regio, after the manner and 
style of kings, is, that I further expressly find these three, Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost, each singly and apart, using it in the name of the other 
two, saying us and we. 

(1.) The Father, he whom all grant is he that is to be understood when 
it is said, ' God said, Let us;' and as speaking to the rest. 

(2.) The Holy Ghost, Isa. vi. 8, ' Also I heard the voice of the Lord, 
saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us ?' If the question be, 
What person spake this us here, and what other persons he speaks of as 
involved in it ? 

[1.] For the person that speaks it, it is the Holy Ghost. Read Acts 
xxviii. 25, 26. Paul resolves it so ; ' Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias 
the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing 
ye shall hear, and shall not understand,' &c. Who is the same Lord that 
in Isaiah says, chap, vi., ver. 9, ' Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, 
but understand not,' &c. And he it is that said also, ver. 8, ' Whom shall 
I send, and who will go for us ?' And the like speech and character of 
language, attributed to the Holy Ghost in the New Testament elsewhere, 
argues that he is the person. For, upon the very same or like occasion, 
we find him as a person brought in, speaking of himself apart, under the 
style of me. The errand or business whereof he here speaks, ' Who will 
go for us ?' was the sending forth ministers, and teachers, and prophets ; 
as it is express in that of the Acts, and in Isaiah. Nay, when the same 
occasion or errand came afore him, we hear him another time expressly 
speaking, Acts xiii. 2, ' The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and 
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.' It is the same employ- 
ment of sending out ministers, Paul and Barnabas, and it is the same person, 



Chap. III. J and his son jesds christ. 859 

the Holy Ghost, in both, and he a person ; for ho speaks as a person, I 
and /, me and me ; and one that was God. Add to this that of Isa. xlviii. 
17, • And now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me.' Thus much 
that he was the person that spake it. And, 

[2.] For the persons in whose name he says us, they are the Father and 
the Son. In ver. 3 you have the angels' cry, ' Holy, holy, holy is the 
Lord of hosts.' All that some would make of these holies is not in respect 
of the three persons, but to shew God is ter sanctm, tcr optimus, most holy, 
which alone I would not urge. But when I considered that in this chapter 
there is such a presence and mention of these persons, I cannot but affix 
even that also, and that the us, ver. 8, refers to it ; and that the Holy 
Ghost in that verse doth give that interpretation or gloss upon it. 

The Father to be Lord of hosts all acknowledge ; and that the Son Christ 
is particularly intended, the first verse of Isa. vi. compared with John xii. 
37, 39, 40, 41, does manifest, ' Therefore they could not believe, because 
that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their 
heart, &c. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake 
of him.' What Mm ? He of whom he had spoken in ver. 37, ' But 
though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not 
on him.' 

Again, Those words in Isa. vi., ver. 3, are also spoken of the Lord, who 
was that angel that was tempted in the wilderness, Num. xiv. 21, 22, which 
Lord was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9, who also sat between the cherubims. 

Then the third person is the Holy Ghost, ver. 8, 9, whose work it is to 
deal with men's hearts by the word, softening or hardening. 

So then there is an us of persons distinctly and apart mentioned and 
spoken of; and then the Holy Ghost at last, comprehending them all in 
this word tis. 

(3.) Then, thirdly, for the Son, we find him likewise speaking the same 
language. Sure I am, that word us, John xvii., is his speech to his Father, 
the first person, ver. 11, ' Holy Father, keep through thine own name those 
whom thou hast given me ; that they may be one, as we are.' And, ver. 
21, ' That they also may be one in us.' 

Thus you have seen I have prosecuted no other argument out of Scrip- 
ture than what the us in Moses, in three places, hath led me into ; and 
alleged but such other scriptures as are complices, and of strict intelligence 
with those passages, and serve to the illustration of them. 



CHAPTEB III. 

That these three persons in the Godhead are jjersons distinct one from the other. 

Who would not judge them to be so, by what hath been already said ? 
But yet for further evidence it is apparent from this, 

First, That they are found speaking, not only us, as persons, but also 
ordinarily one to another, in the language of I and thou, as Heb. x. 5, 'A 
body hast thou fitted me,' which Christ spoke to his Father as a person 
existing with him then when he took a human nature. And, ' Lo, / come 
to do thy will,' Heb. x. 7. Again, the Father speaks to the Son, Ps. ex. 1, 
1 The Lord said unto my Lord.' And again, from heaven, ' This is my 
Son,' Mat. iii. 17 ; and the Holy Ghost, as distinct from both, descending 
as a dove. 



3G0 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK. I. 

And, secondly, one speaks of another, as another person distinct from 
himself; thus, the Son of the Father, John v. 80, ' I seek not mine own 
will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.' Ver. 31, ' If I bear 
witness of myself, my witness is not true.' Ver. 32, ' There is another that 
beareth witness of me ; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth 
of me is true.' Likewise the Son of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, 
John xiv. 16 and 26, ' And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you 
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. But the Com- 
forter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, 
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, 
whatsoever I have said unto you.' And John xvi. 13, ' Howbeit, when he, 
the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ; for he shall 
not speak of himself ; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, 
and he will shew you things to come.' He, the masculine, is put with a 
neuter gender, in the word grvevpa, Spirit, which would never have been, 
but to design a personality in him. 

Thirdly, You have each speaking of himself as a person. Thus the 
Holy Ghost, Acts xiii. 1,2,' Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work 
whereunto I have called them.' 

Fourthly, There are works proper to each assigned. To instance but in 
one scripture, 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6, ' Now there are diversities of gifts, but 
the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the 
same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same 
God which worketh all in all.' All three are mentioned, and as having, to 
distinguish them, several works : and the Spirit there is said to have his 
own things proper to him, as the Son and the Father's ; and, ver. 11, he 
is said to distribute them as he will, which to say, is proper only to a 
person. 

Fifthly, These persons are spoken of as distinct, when also they are 
called God, Ps. xlv. 6, 7, ' Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever. . . . 
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity : therefore God, thy God, 
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.' And there 
also we meet with all three persons too, for the Spirit is the oil he is anointed 
with. 

Lastly, There is this most evident demonstration, that the man Jesus 
being assumed and taken up into one person with the Son of God, that he, 
the Son of God, existing in the man as one person with him, should speak 
of himself as a distinct person from the Father and the Spirit : in John 
x. 31, ' I and the Father are one.' Here he speaks of himself and the 
Father as persons distinct, and yet both but one true God ; as ver. 33, the 
Jews understood him, ' That thou, being a man, makest thyself God,' one 
God and two persons of the three ; and yet it was not the man, as man 
only, that was that person, but it was the Son who was truly God with 
the Father, and the man being made one person with the Son, speaks this 
of himself, so thereby evidently declaring, that in the Godhead there was 
the person of the Son distinct from the Father ; and so, in his defence of 
himself, he declares, ver. 36, ' Say ye of him wLom the Father hath sancti- 
fied and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest ; because I said, I am the 
Son of God ?' And again, ver. 38, ' Know and believe that I am in the 
Father, and the Father in me ;' as two still (as I and the Father imports), 
enjoying one Godhead. And elsewhere, he professeth his manhood not to 
be alone the person. And it was not God the Father that was incarnate, 
and in that respect is styled the Son, as some have wickedly affirmed ; for 



Chap. III. | and his son jesus christ. 361 

if the Father had been one person with this man, this man could not have 
said, ' I and the Father;' or elsewhere often, / and thou, speaking to his 
Father. 

And, indeed, I have judged one great end and issue of God's ordaining 
this personal union of the man Jesus and the Son of God, to have been to 
demonstrate and ascertain us, that there is this distinction of persons in 
the Godhead, in that the man now assumed talks at that rate of himself as 
of a person with God, and yet distinct from his Father ; and, that he was 
so, he refers unto all his works to believe and know it by ; for that, whilst 
he so spake of himself, he should do such works, this invincibly argues the 
truth of what he so spake, as in that John x., in defence of himself, and those 
speeches of himself, ver. 37, 38, he argues, ' If I do not the works of my 
Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe me not, believe the 
works ; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in 
him.' Had the Scripture declared this distinction of persons over and over, 
in a doctrinal assertion, it had not been so great an evidence as this ; to 
hear the man who, when become one person with the Son of God, should 
himself still use to say, I and my Father ; and when he speaks to his 
Father, to say, / and Thou ; himself came by this singular way and means 
to declare it so invincibly, as nothing could have been more satisfyingly 
done. That I may say, as the apostle to the Hebrews doth of other reve- 
lations of divine truth, so I of this, that after God had, at sundry times 
and divers manners, spoke this mystery of the distinction of persons, he 
hath now spoke it to us by the Son himself personally, as now incarnate 
and made man ; who, though he appeared to the fathers, yet never per- 
sonally united to those appearances as now he did. So that put but these 
things together ; 

1. That he that was the Son of God existed before the assumption of 
man's nature, as a person ; and that, 

2. The man he took up was not a person of himself, but it was the Son 
that was the person taking up that man into one I, or personality with 
himself; which that speech of his own, when he came into the world (Heb. 
x. 5, ' A body hast thou prepared me'), evidently shews. The body, or his 
human nature, was not the me, or person, but he that assumes it was the 
me, ' A body hast thou prepared me.' And then, 

3. That hence he should then speak unto the Father, as a person dis- 
tinct from the Father's person, as those their words me and thou do evince. 
And that he, even after the man so assumed, that he should speak as the 
person when once so united, in the language of thine and mine, I and thou, 
and the like, this invincibly argues what I have driven at, viz., that 
the Father and he are distinct. And then, that he should speak of 
another, or third, distinct from both, ' another Comforter,' the Holy Spirit; 
• And he shall take of mine,' &c, John xvi. 15 ; whilst himself says, ' I 
the Son,' and therefore alius, or another, from both Father and Spirit, and 
not alius, or another, by having become man, but as Filius Dei, in whose 
person the man speaks it of himself. 

Use 1. Is to exhort you to retain and hold fast this plain and funda- 
mental truth, and by faith to receive it (if you have been diverted from it) 
as from the Son, and not consult with reason in it, which yet is not con- 
tradictory to it. This I am sure of, that if the Scriptures speak any thing, 
they speak this great truth ; and of all other it hath been the most and 
longest tried of any other. It began to be questioned in the first age of 



302 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

Christianity, and, at times, hath been so ever since. Reason contributes 
little to it, but remains unsatisfied ; and yet God hath still cast the spirits 
of his people, and won them over to it. Receive it, I say, by faith. Christ 
puts them upon bare believing it, John xiv. 10, 11, ' Believest thou not 
that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? The words that I speak 
unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he 
doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in 
me : or else believe me for the very works' sake.' And when they only 
required a demonstrative argument, or rational evidence of it, Christ only 
affirms it, and having affirmed, refers them to his works, after he had said it, 
as was observed before, out of John x. 38 ; for if he had not said true, such 
glorious divine works would not have followed such a doctrine and profes- 
sion. And thereupon he calls for faith from that evidence, John x. 37, 38, 
' If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though 
ye believe not me, believe the works ; that ye may know and believe that 
the Father is in me, and I in him.' David is said to be in Spirit when he 
brings in the Lord speaking to the Lord. By which speech was disco- 
vered both these persons to be in the Godhead, and distinct as persons, 
speaking thus one to another, ' The Lord said unto my Lord,' Ps. ex. 
' David in Spirit,' says Christ, ' said this,' Matt. xxii. 43, 44 ; and I remem- 
ber not that phrase spoken of David upon any other occasion, but this ; 
although it be said, ' The Spirit of the Lord spake by me ;' and this was 
necessary, for reason would, of all else, never have revealed it, nor enter- 
tained it as it is revealed. Heaven opened when there was the first open 
distinct discovery of the three. The Father spake, ' This is my Son,' and 
the Holy Ghost descended ; for but by opening heaven, and upon occasion 
of discovering the Son, was this distinctly revealed. 



CHAPTER IV. 

That the three persons in the Godhead have an union and communion between 
themselves apart, and incommunicable unto us. 

The assertion which I undertake to prove is this, That God and Christ, 
and by consequence the Holy Ghost, have an union and communion of a 
higher kind than what we are ordained ever to receive ; and therefore I 
call it the supreme sovereign union. In a word, the creatures are not 
God veiled under the appearance of creatures, and so hidden as under a 
veil, which is the impious falsification of many of the ranters of our late 
age, as appears by their writings, and which put me upon writing this dis- 
course. 

I. To prove that there is a sovereign, supreme union between the three 
persons in the Godhead, peculiar and proper to themselves alone, and which 
cannot be communicated to any mere creature, I have chose those passages 
in Christ's prayer whereon to found my discourse, John xvii. 21, 22, 23. 
' That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that 
they also may be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou hast sent 
me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them ; that they 
may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me, that they 
may be made perfect in one ; and^that the world may know that thou hast sent 
me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.' Whatever use I have 



Chap. IV. J and his son jesus christ. 363 

made of this 17th of John, in discoursing of this union to another purpose,* 
my scopo now is to shew, how all the ancients have judged this very thing, 
(which I have asserted) with clear evidence of reason, from Christ's manner 
of speech, both negatively and affirmatively, as I shall allege their testimonies 
by and by. 

This alone of itself will evidence it, that an eternity of time did pass 
wben there were no creatures at all ; but the three persons wholly enjoyed 
themselves all that time without interruption. And this also will further 
be demonstrated in the second head of this discourse, which will be a de- 
monstration of the differences and distances of that communion which is 
between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that which we have with thoso 
persons. 

But to return to the exposition of John xvii. That the union of the three 
persons in the Godhead is of a higher kind, and not communicable to us, 
is evident from the manner of Christ's speech in that his prayer. 

1. Neqativehj, from what he forbears to say in it. He does not pray, 
that ' we all may be one with them,' (as if speaking of the Father, and him- 
self, and the saints altogether) : no ; but that ' we all may be one in them,' 
and so with a differing union from theirs. Thus Austin, he prays not that 
they may be one with us, but one in us.f 

2. Positively. He speaks of an union of him and his Father, as stand- 
ing apart entire from that of the saints with them ; and which, though it 
admit this addition of that union of the saints, yet still remains inviolate in 
itself notwithstanding, no way intermingled with, or intercommoning with 
it. He repeats that union of his and his Father's five or six times, from 
verse 11 to the end ; and every time with a character of such a difference 
as this. (1.) He speaks of the saints and their union as at a distance from 
himself and his Father, and of their union also between themselves, ' that 
they all may be one, as we.' Of the we he speaks, as of those who are of a 
superior order, and are one by a superior union. But of them as with a 
distance, that they, that these undersort creatures, this vulgus creaturarum, 
utterly differing and separated from us of themselves, that they yet may be 
• one in us.' (2.) In his repetition of it a second time, ver. 22, ' that they 
also,' there is an emphasis in the word also as to this purpose. [1.] Also, 
that i\ over and besides that union which we have and keep within among 
ourselves, even then when they are supposed united to us, ' One in us.' The 
us still remains in a separate association apart, and retains a consortium, an 
association as a superior, we. [2.] It is a speech of diminution of their 
union in comparison of the us, and sounds thus ; as if Christ, looking down 
from an higber orb, sphere, and throne of union, whereon himself and his 
Father sits, upon these poor things infinitely below, who are void of such a 
condition in their native proper state ; upon them Christ, looking down in 
love, prays, Let these poor things also partake of union with us, little ones 
who of themselves are so far below us, no way worthy to attain, aspire to 
any such thing, and yet by grace are capable of in us. [3.] In his saying, 
' that they be one, as I in thee, and thou in me,' verse 21, observe, he says 
not either, ut sint in te unum, sicut ego in te unum sum,\ that they may be 

* Vide Discourse of Election, Book ii. c. 6. 7. 

f Non enim dicit Christus ut nobiscum siut unum, aut simus unum ipsi et nos, 
sicut nos unum sumus : Sed ipsi in natura sua sint unum, sicut nos in nostra unum 
sumus. — Augustinus, tract 107, in Johannem. Nos quidem in illis esse possumus 
(and I add unum in illis, for the text affirms it) sed unum cum illis esse non pos- 
sumus. — August, ibid. \ Athanasius Oratio 4 adver. Arianos. 



364 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

one in thee, as I am one in thee. No ; but that they may be one in us, as 
I in thee, and thou in me, he therein entertaining and reserving still an 
union as peculiar to himself. Nor he says not, that ' thou mayest be one 
in us,' as involving and reckoning himself but as one of them and their 
rank, and we all one in thee. No ; but he says, ' As thou in me, and I in 
thee' (ita se a creaturis separans*), ' and they one in us ;' whereby he manifestly 
separates himself from them, and betakes himself to a peculiar union and 
interest with God above them. 

The repetition of it a second time, verse 23 (which I most observe), is put 
there by way of caution, and as with a wariness that that union of himself 
and his Father be kept inviolate ; ' I in them, and thou in me, that they 
may be made perfect in one ;' as if he had said, when they arrive to their 
highest perfection of union, yet let them know, (1.) their distance, that I 
am above them in it, ' I in them, and thou in me ;' (2.) their dependence 
and derivation of it from me, ' I in them, and thou in me.' And this still 
continueth, ' that so they may be perfected in one ;' he speaks it not, nor 
would allow it them upon any other terms. As if he should have said, 
when thev are at their height of union, thou art not, nor ever canst be in 
them with that immediate union thou art withal in me, and I in thee ; I 
must come in as a middle between them and thee, when they are with us 
in glory. The descent is, ' The glory thou hast given me, I have given 
them,' ver. 22 ; they hold of me even then, ' I in them, thou in me,' and 
this is their highest perfection. Yea, at the last verse, when he prays his 
Father's love might be in them filling them, his prayer, you see, is not only 
that God's love may be to them, but in them, for the height of our union 
is the fulness of God communicated in love ; as Eph. iii. 19, ' And to know 
the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all 
the fulness of God.' There is first love, then all the fulness of God men- 
tioned, for heaven is but a communication of God in love ; yet even there 
Christ will needs step in between, even God's love in the communication of 
it, ' and I in them.' The love of God is not so in us, so that we become 
the love of God ; nor is God or Christ so in us, as we become God or 
Christ ; nor is Christ left out when God communicates himself in the highest 
manner. But as Paul saith, ' herein is your calling,' so say I of this, here 
is the descent of that union on them, God one with Christ, and you with 
God in Christ. Yea, I observe further his caution in this great point to be 
such, that if, in praying for our oneness, he mention himself first, he will 
needs bring in his Father's being in him ; so ver. 23, ' I in you,' is not 
that enough to make them perfect in one ? No ; but ' thou in me.' Again, 
if he mention his Father's love first, as verse the last, he comes in himself 
for a share also, and ' I in them.' He turns it every way. So that whether 
God be in us, it is because Christ is in us ; or Christ be in us, and so we 
one, it is because God is in Christ. Lastly, which is Ambrose his note, 
nos unum erimu.s, sed Pater et Filius unum sunt. He speaks of that union 
of himself and his Father as already in being and perfection, yea, as that 
which he then needed not to pray for, and which never needed praying for 
by him ; but he prays that we may be one. He prays not that his Father 
and he should be one, for they were as fully one already as for ever they 
could be, to be sure as second person naturally, and as man, it was so 
bestowed at once for ever, as it needed no praying for anew ; for though 
it was a grace at first, yet to the divine person that the man was now one 
withal, it was none, yea, it was a condescending in him, the second person, 
* Ambros. lib 4, de fide. c. 2. 



Chap. IV.] and ras son jesus citrtst. 305 

to match so low as his own speech, when he was to assume it, imports, 
Heh. x. 5, ' a body hast thou fitted me.' He speaks diminutively of it, and 

yet assumes it. But that the saints shall be one with this high and mighty 
us, this us, this is, and was with Christ, a matter of, and subject for, 
prayer ; and this at this time, when yet they were united unto Christ 
already, as this text implies ; for this of ours depends for ever on grace, 
not so that of Christ's human nature. But once the union being made, 
transit in jus, it then becomes a right, though at first it was the highest 
grace to that nature. For why ? He is thereby advanced to be the natural 
Son of God. 

And whereas the word %aOug, that they may be one, as we are one, is 
urged by some for sameness or oneness of union in kind, it is evident by 
all that hath been spoken, that it is but vnion similitudinis,* of imitation 
and similitude, or perhaps of causality, because we are one. The instances 
of which latter are so frequent I need not mention any of them ; as, ' be 
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,' ' forgive us, as we forgive,' as 
we use the speech in the Lord's prayer. 

II. There is not only this superior union of the three persons, so far 
above that union which we poor creatures have with God ; but there is also 
a supreme and independent communion between those persons in the God- 
head, having an entire abstracted converse among themselves, and incommu- 
nicable to anj'mere creature; and this communion, which they had one with 
another from all eternity, consists, 

1. In that divine eternal life of the three persons among themselves. 

2. In the mutual interest, or propriety, which they have in the things of 
each other. 

3. In a mutual communication and enjoyment. 

4. In a mutual knowledge and acquaintance one with another. 

5. In a mutual communication, and imparting of secrets, a discovery of 
each other's mind. 

6. In mutual love and delight. 

7. In their possession of one common and equal glory and blessedness. 
1. As to the first, the life of the three persons among themselves. That 

excellent man in his age, Bishop Usher, in a sermon before King James, 
expressed the dependence which the best of saints, the apostles, held upon 
the supreme life of Christ, considered as second person in the Trinity ; 
John i. 16, ' And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.' 
There is (said he) plenitudo font is, the fulness of the fountain ; Ps. xxxvi. 9, 
' With thee is the fountain of life,' spoken of God much more, and there is 
plenitudo vasis, the fulness of the vessel, which is but the pittance of the 
best of saints, and that but received, which is soon dried up if not supplied, 
and they receive but grace for grace, glory for glory, all from Christ. We 
have our grace and glory by measure, but Christ had the Spirit without 
measure. 

Life is an excellency added to being. And the divine life of God is a 
pure activity and quickness, which never ceaseth nor abateth. All three 
persons therefore have the title of living. Of the Father there is none that 
questions it ; Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, Mat. xvi. 16, and 
that imports he is a person of the same substance and nature with God. 
And as man begets his like, so God begets his like, and he is his only 

* Non est sicut sequalitatis sed modi et similitudinis : imitations non perfectione, 
— Brvgensis. Ut haec vohmtaria imio naturalis istius in Filio et Patre unitatis imago 
videatur. — Cyrill. 



366 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

begotten Son. The Spirit is said, to the same purpose, to be the ' Spirit 
of the living God,' 2 Cor. iii. 3. And as Christ is compared to the Son of 
a living Father, as being begotten of his substance, so the Spirit is com- 
pared to the soul that dwells in a man, which is his life. 1 Cor. ii. 11 is 
express for it, ' What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of 
man which is in him ? ' And the life of all three is God, and the enjoying 
of the life of God, and exercising all the acts of life among themselves. 

This is for their life abstracted, such as they had in eternity, when no 
creature was. 

Now to the point proposed, the difference and dependence of our union, 
and the life thereof, upon this of the three persons that has been specified, 
take that place in the 6th of John, with the rest that are to follow, when at 
the third verse Christ had declared of all believers, ' He that eateth my 
flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life,' and then had explained 
himself, and founded that communication of life, ver. 56, upon our union 
with himself, wherein he speaks of that sort of union which is between his 
divine and human nature, and also of our union with himself, as the next 
words of the verse shew, ' He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, 
dweUeth in me, and I in him,' which union of ours with himself, the very 
similitude of eating and drinking doth alone import (for what we eat or 
drink becomes one with our bodies). Yet his adding ' dwellerh in me, and 
I in him,' doth explicitly declare it in the letter. This done, as if he could 
not pass over this declaration of our union (as neither in that 17th of John he 
doth, as may be observed), without superadding how it was that it was 
communicated from that his superior union with his Father ; and that from 
thence it is, that life is first communicated to himself, and also from him to 
us, as it expressly immediately follows, ver. 57, ' As the living Father hath 
sent me, and I live by the Father ; so he that eateth me, even he shall 
live by me.' 

Yea, and withal, to give a clear and evident instance that this union of 
his with the Father, and ours with him, are of a differing kind, yea, and 
infinitely differing, let us but add to this what himself had said of this com- 
munication and descent of life from his Father to us, by virtue of his own 
union, in the former chapter ; John v. 26, the words are these, ' As the 
Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son to have life in him- 
self.' The sense whereof is (as I understand it), that his very subsistence 
as a Son is from his Father, as he is the only begotten of him. Can this 
be said of us, or of our having life, though spiritual and heavenly, that it 
is given us to have life in ourselves, as Christ hath, or as the Father hath 
in himself independently, and with power to give life to others ; so as to be 
the lords of life, and to be able to bestow it as we please? But thus doth 
Christ, ver. 21, ' For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth 
them ; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.' And this power to 
give life to others he declares to this end, ver. 23, ' that all men may honour 
the Son as they honour the Father.' May this be said of us, poor things 
that we are ! Alas ! we are so far from having life thus in ourselves, or 
to be lords of hfe, that it is well for us (take us as we are fallen), if as con- 
demned persons we have that life derived unto us at all, nay, that we have 
our lives, it is well if we scape so. This infinite grace, as I have thus set 
it out, the 2-ith verse indigitates, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that 
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, 
and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life ; ' 
thus low and flat do we fall when his life and union with his Father are 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus christ. 307 

compared with ours. To gather up this ; our tenure of life is but a copy- 
hold of life, in respect of our whole dependence for it, by way of influence, 
from him, and as it is derived from him, and from his lifo. Tenants at will 
I may not call us, in regard he hath endowed us with an eternal donation 
of it (why else called ' eternal life' ?), and estated it on us for ever; yet still 
in regard both of the original of it at first from him, and his continual 
influential maintaining it, and ' keeping our souls in life,' which is the very 
phrase tbe psalmist exprcsseth our lifo by, there appears an infinite dif- 
ference and distance between us and him, in that eternal life which is his 
and ours ; but upon a differing tenure, for he is the lord paramount of life, 
to ' have life in himself;' but Ave are to hold all from him, from first to 
last, though for ever. And if our dependence on him for life be so vastly 
different from his in himself, then our union is accordingly answerable 
thereto, distant in inferiority and subordination ; and so in like proportion 
differing; for life, as the effect, flows from union as the cause. Therefore, 
good souls, set your hearts at rest, know your own imum, your own bottom, 
and lowness you stand in, in the best condition as saints you could have 
been set in. Be not deceived neither, to soar or aspire too high upon con- 
ceits of unions which are above you, nor of which indeed you are not 
capable. You must needs acknowledge that the setting these mutual unions 
of Christ and* the Father in their ov^vylag from that of the saints, and 
first theirs, and then ours apart by themselves, that they hold forth at least 
this to you, that though by means of your union with Christ you have a 
union with the Father, yet that Christ hath a union separate from your 
union, apart by himself, with the Father, and the Father with him, which 
you can never attain. Would you be all Christs ? Then let us see you 
redeem your lost brethren of the sons of men, whom Christ died not for effec- 
tually, or who of them have not as yet taken hold of his death to save them- 
selves from sin and hell. The psalmist speaks thus, ' None is able to 
redeem his brother from the grave,' and to quicken whom he will; no, nor 
is able to raise up himself at the day of judgment, as Christ did. And are 
you hypostatically united to the person of Christ then ? 

You might see this truth of the infinite disproportion between these two 
unions of God and Christ, and us and Christ, in a thousand other like 
effects, which you might make, demonstrations, that argue it, if a man had 
time to gather them, or indeed to utter them. I come to a second instance 
like to this. 

2. Mutual interest or propriety, which the three persons have in the 
things of each other. 

Mutual interest and propriety in one another follows upon union. Now 
there is a vast subordination of the mutual interests, the one of Christ in 
and with the Father, and that other of Christ with us ; and such therefore 
must there also be in the several unions. Will you see your pedigree em- 
blazoned ? ' All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' 
Here is the interest, the propriety and right of a Christian to God, Christ, 
all things, yet in a chain of subordination set forth thus ; therefore it 
must be so in the union also. Christ is in the Father, and the Father in 
Christ ; and this their mutual inbeing, as the ground of their sharing in 
the same common stock, causeth answerable interest in the things of each 
other, even of all things. If you take a view of this, in the first and 
highest supreme union of all, between Christ considered simply as a second 
person, they are one in the Godhead, and all things therein, or belonging 
to it, are thereupon equally common to both. ' All things the Father hath 



3G8 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, fBoOK I. 

are mine,' John xvi. 15. And John xvii. 10, < All mine are thine, and 
thine are mine.' And how is it that they have this equal mutual interest 
in all things ? It is because they are one, as the next verse hath it, ver. 11. 
And their union and their interest runs parallel. But we cannot speak 
thus as Christ doth, we must lowly and humbly acknowledge all things are 
ours, because they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And again, that the 
man Jesus hath a personal oneness with the Son, and so with God ; hence 
it is, that all things are committed unto him of the Father ; and he also 
may say, ' All thine are mine,' &c. And now we are Christ's, and Christ 
is God's ; and so all things become ours derivatively, as our union is but 
a secondary union. As the unions have their subordination, so answerably 
the interests. 

3. As to their communication and enjoyment mutual. 

You may view these gradations and descents in the communications and 
enjoyments mutual that pass between God and Christ, and Christ and us. 
Union is for mutual delight, and communication, and knowledge each of 
other. As the Father and Son have an union superior and entire to them- 
selves (with the Spirit) which is immediate, and differing from that of ours 
with them, so they have an entire communication of themselves one to and 
with another, distinct and apart from us ; and they had it ere ever any 
communication of themselves did descend unto us ; and wnen they have 
communicated a suitable share to us like theirs, yet theirs still continues 
incommunicable to us, apart by themselves. 

4. Compare the communications of them in mutual knowledge one of 
another, and acquaintance. 

Where there is a union of persons, there is, or shall follow in the end, a 
making each other known one to the other. So it is in our union, which 
is inferior, ' At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and you in 
me, and I in you,' John xiv. 20. And because these of Christ's and the 
Father, and ours are unions of a differing order, you shall see he speaks of 
their knowledge still in the same style of transcendency as he doth in parallel 
language unto what he doth of union in those texts, John xiv. and xvii. 
chapters ; making one sort of knowledge, and so converse by knowledge, 
proper, and peculiar, and entire to the Father and the Son, distinct and 
apart from us, and infinitely above ours ; and a lower of ours, passeth be- 
tween God, and Christ, and us. Thus, John x. 14, ' I am the good shep- 
herd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.' Here you see first 
there is an intercourse between his sheep and him expressed, as his union 
with them here ; but still he having another sort of intercourse, which, as 
Son of God, he drave with his Father (and Christ had the experience of 
both), which was the cause and pattern of ours, he adds, ' As the Father 
knoweth me, even so know I the Father,' ver. 15. You see he could not 
pass by the mention of one sort between him and his sheep, but he must 
withal mention that other sort between his Father and himself. 

5. And together with this knowledge, there passeth a communication of, 
and imparting of secrets, a discovery of each other's mind. 

Now, as there is that superior order of union, and a transcendent singular 
affection that accompanies it, between the Father and the Son, so the mani- 
festation of the Father to the Son is answerable : ' The Father loveth the 
Son, and shews him all things that himself doth,' John v. 20. He shews 
them all unto his Son, as one that is a co-worker with him in all the 
things himself doth ; as the words afore and after shew, ver. 19, ' Whatso- 
ever things he doth, these also doth the Son likewise.' Thus high is this 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus ciirist. 3C9 

original union, that is proper and alone between themselves, even to an 
equality ; for this speech of his comes in to justify himself against tho 
Jews who accused him, in vcr. 18, that he called God his own Father, 
'iBtov rrarspa, 'making himself equal with God;' which he justifies against 
them, ver. 19, 'Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, 
I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, hut what he Beeth the 
Father do: for what things soever he doth, these also doth the Sou like- 
wise. 1 But as for us, as our union is far remote, so the manifestation 
both of Christ and God to us is also very far off from tins. They shew us 
indeed, and reveal many blessed secrets indeed to us that concern our own 
salvation; but what we have thus discovered to us, is but at second-hand 
of what they speak about us among themselves. The Spirit tells us again 
what they say, as John xvi. 15, 'The Spirit shall take of mine, and give 
it unto you;' and ver. 13, ' Whatsoever he' (speaking of the Spirit) ' shall 
hear, that shall he speak,' namely, to you. He speaks of him as a mes- 
senger sent, who conveys to us the mind of them that send him ; but we 
have it but as from another's hearsay. And hence also, whilst Christ 
speaks of his communication to us by his Spirit, by virtue of our interest 
in him, he doth withal insert the mention of that his own interest in and 
union with his Father, as the supreme original union, so to shew the 
descent of ours, ver. 15, 'All things the Father hath are mine: therefore 
said I, that he shall take of mine, and shew it unto you ;' that is, thus it 
comes to pass, that you have all manifested to you from me, in that I 
have all things that my Father hath, and so the Spirit reveals from us 
both. But still to shew that their union is entire of Father, Son, and 
Spirit, apart and incommunicable, kept up among themselves, he tells 
us that their communication, conference, and consultations are thus in 
private held among themselves, apart from us ; that they hold a private, 
secret council, which we are never immediately admitted into. What the 
Father hath the Son hath, and the Spirit heareth both ; and as none 
knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man within him, so none knows 
what is in God but the Spirit, who searcheth the deep things of God, and 
revealeth them, 1 Cor. ii. 11, 12 ; and the Son, who, as in John i. 14, is 
in the bosom of the Father. These three drive an intercourse and intelli- 
gence in secret, into the bosom of which we never enter ; but the Spirit 
reveals, and Christ declares, as is said in those places. And thus, but at 
second-hand, we have the mind of God and Christ, ' For who hath known 
the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him ? But we have the mind 
of Christ,' 1 Cor. ii. 16. And but how little (as in Job) do we know 
thereof ! 

6. Take and compare the communications of mutual love, breathings 
forth of affection, mutual delights, and mutual pleasures in each other, 
which follows union. 

They are represented to us in. the very same gradation as union here, 
Prov. viii. 30, ' I was,' says Wisdom, the Son of God, ' daily his delight ; ' 
his Son in whom he hath alone considered an entire, complete delight, an 
immediate delight in him ; and I was always also rejoicing afore him, and so 
in him again, so that there was a communication of mutual love, or inter- 
changeable breathings forth, or casts of love each to other. Mutual love 
is the consequent of union ; and the Father being united to the Son, with 
a supreme union (transcendent in comparison of that of ours), loves the 
Son with a transcendent, primary love, who therefore is called ' the Son 
of his love,' libg rr\g dya^g, Col i. 13, as he that engrosseth the whole of 

vol. rv. a a 



370 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

it all to himself; likewise, 'This is my well-beloved Son,' Mat. iii. 17. 
As the Son hath life in himself, so the Father loves the Son for himself, 
with a natural love, as that is wherewith he loveth himself. But his love 
to us is secondary and collateral, which shews our union is at second- 
hand, but as we are in Christ, and Christ in us. And from thence the 
care of the Father is derived to us, because Christ is in us, and we are 
united to him ; this you have John xvii. 26, ' And I have declared unto 
them thy name, and will declare it ; that the love wherewith thou hast 
loved me may be in them, and I in them.' An original, primary union 
hath a love answerable, a derivative union but a love proportionable. 
Our union is immediate unto, and with. Christ Jesus ; so as he and we 
are the immediate termini, or correlates united. And thereby it is we 
become united to God, namely, through him. And therefore God's love 
is said to be to us in him, ' Who shall separate from the love of God in 
Christ Jesus ? ' Rom. viii. 39. These were their proper, natural, inconu- 
municable delights each in other, as their union is, and was, afore the 
world was ; ' I in my Father, and my Father in me,' John xiv. 10, as 
dwelling in one another, so rejoicing in one another always ; and these 
continue proper to themselves, and will do for ever, and cannot be com- 
municated to us otherwise than by way of similitude and likeness. But 
then they intended to make creatures, and so to have their made artificial 
accessory delights, as I may so speak. The Father shewed the Son a 
platform of a world below, in which men should dwell, which Christ calls 
his Father's ' habitable earth,' and therein the sons of men, his elect, given 
to him to be one for ever with him. Now, as he was God's delight, and 
God his immediately and naturally, so these were made for Christ's delight. 
He therefore subjoins, ' rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and 
my delights were with the sons of men,' Prov. viii. 31. Observe the sub- 
ordination still, as ' he is in the Father, and the Father in him,' so he was 
in his Father's delights, and he in his ; and then, as we say of men, ' we 
in Christ, and Christ in us.' And the union is more direct and immediate 
between us and him ; so we were primitively his delights, even as afore you 
heard ' Christ was God's, and we Christ's.' The chain of interest, and of 
delight also, have the same parallel subordinate links. 

7. Come we last to glory, and the communication of blessedness (as we 
began with that particular of eternal life), there is therein found the like 
subordination and descent, Rev. iii. 21, Christ hath with his Father a 
throne, in those words, ' As I am on his throne ; ' to which throne we 
never ascend (mark that). But there is another, which he calleth his 
throne, and which considered as man, he admits us to a share in our pro- 
portion : ' To him that overcometh, I will grant to sit on my throne.' 
There is still a differing rank and order, thrones higher and lower, even as 
of the unions also ; and xaS&i, or ' As I with my Father, so they with me,' 
you see, hath run along through all ; for some parallel likeness will be 
found in all these unions that are thus subordinate, though of so differing 
a kind, that they have their infinite distance and disproportion proper to 
them, which must bo taken in and considered if we will know the nature 
and condition of each. 

Uses. Christ here, John xiv. 20, tells his apostles, for their comfort, that 
there was a day coming in which they should have a clear, and full, and 
intuitive knowledge of this their union, and its descent to them from the 
Father ; and the parallel of it with his own union with the Father, ' In 
that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in 



Chap. IV. J and his son jesus chkist. 371 

you.' This being a matter of so great moment for all Christians to know, 
and to discern is their own selves and hearts, and accordingly reserved as 
the proper work of the Holy Ghost, when he should come as a comforter, 
that though this union itself is wrought when we are regenerated by him, yet 
the sense, the knowledge of it, is reserved to the last, after Christ's resur- 
rection and ascension ; yea, and as others would interpret it, until after 
our resurrection and the day of judgment. The uses of which knowledge 
are : 

1. For our comfort; for this knowledge Christ here intends is, that 
which the Spirit as a comforter, ver. 16, was to bring; and it conduceth 
much to our comfort to know and meditate our genealogy and alliance that 
we have and derive (by reason of our union with Christ) from the Father, 
and how it holds of him, that although our union be of a lower degree and 
kind, yet it is the offspring of the highest and noblest union, even of that 
between God and Christ ; a second person first, and then of the man with 
the second person. 

By which also we shall perceive the sureness, the stability of oar union 
with and standing in Christ, when we understand how it is founded ; that 
it is so riveted into, and indented with, that supreme union of the Father 
and the Son, that as that of theirs is indissoluble, and cannot be broken, 
so nor shall this of ours. 

It is counted a matter of great moment unto noble families, if but for 
honour's sake, to know their descent from houses more ancient ?nd sove- 
reign (as of the king of Egypt, the prophet speaks that he was ' descended 
of ancient kings ') ; that they have sprung from such and such marriages, 
and conjunctions of sovereign princes ; although they be in alliance very far 
removed from them. So is this here to us ; the saints they are ' a chosen 
generation, a royal priesthood,' as Peter speaks, 1 Pet. ii. 9, the royalLst 
family heaven or earth affords ; and that in respect of the descent thereof, 
which is here heralded, ' My Father in me, and I in you ; ' and Eph. iii. 
14, 15, ' I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom 
the whole family in heaven and earth is named.' 

2. As for our comfort, so for our satisfaction to our knowledge in this 
great mystery. As in lower matters, when we see the rise, the dependence, 
and derivation of things, running along in the channel of, and from their 
causes, it uses to be a great contentment to us. Then here much more to 
see how our union hath the union among the three persons for its founda- 
tion, and pattern, and original ; and to hear the story how union is let 
down to the man Christ Jesus first, and in him conveyed to us ; to know 
and behold the union of three persons in one divine nature, Father, Son, 
Holy Ghost, one God blessed for ever, producing, in imitation of them, an 
union of the two natures of God and man in the person of Christ Jesus ; 
to whom be all glory for ever ; and then, that occasioning a third union, 
yea, the next that could be, though more removed ; an union of persons 
(though not personal), yea, of multitudes of persons united unto one Christ 
Jesus ; to make up one body, yea, one man, as Eph. ii. 15 hath it, ' Hav- 
ing abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments con- 
tained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so 
making peace,' to the end we may be one spouse unto Christ as our head 
and husband ; and then to see the derived influence the first hath upon the 
man Jesus, and both upon this union of ours ; ' As I five by the Father, 
so you by me,' John vi. 57. As also the parallel and correspondency that 
is held between the one and the other, that same xa^wg v/j~ng, inculcated 



372 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

by Christ, John xvii., again and again, ' As we are one, let them also be 
one.' As also, to close, how the one illustrates the other. 

And, 3, this is chiefly necessary for our knowledge in the doctrine of it, 
until we come to have experience of it ; to the end to fix, determine, and 
state the true bounds and condition of our union with God through Christ ; 
the right proportion of ours in their distance from God and Christ, of which 
there have been too many mistakes in these times : some soaring too high 
to identities and sameness with God, at least with Christ (whom they think 
they may be better bold withal) ; some falling too low, to unions only by 
grace and assistance, and presence to assist, or in outward relations to 
Christ. For when we shall come but to see and acknowledge the preroga- 
tives and privileges of those unions above us, that are between God and 
Christ (incommunicable to us) descending downwards towards us in a sub- 
ordination, we may the rightlier judge what is left us to be our lot and 
share, that we are but mere creatures still, notwithstanding our union with 
God and Christ. 



CHAPTER V. 

Of giving glory to God. — That it is a duty incumbent vpon ns, proved by 
numerous instances in Scripture. — Tliat ive are to glorify God, not only nor 
chiefly for the benefit he bestows on vs, but for the glory of his name, and 
the excellence and blessedness of his nature. — Some reasons given, that grace 
in us may be raised to this high strain. 

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. — 1 Peter v. 11. 

Ere I raise that observation I wholly intend out of these words, I shall 
first desire you to consult with me the multitude of parallel passages unto 
this which we find up and down in the epistles, which do arise to a great 
bulk. 

I shall not barely refer you to the chapters and verses, and so pass them 
over, but to the end to lay the more ample foundation to that doctrine I 
intend, and withal to make the deeper impressions of it upon your hearts, 
I will single forth those passages out of the epistles. 

I fear the high and glorious elevation that filled the apostles' spirits in 
these doxologies, as they came from their hearts, have not their due weight 
upon us Christians, for the imitation of them or aspiring thereunto : their 
commonness in so many epistles, at the close of them, causeth but a common 
formal regard of them in us ; even such as their salutations of ' Grace and 
peace ' (being made but as to those men they wrote to) use to have with us, 
as if we were not concerned in them. 

But we are to consider that the reason we meet with them frequently in 
most of the epistles was, that their hearts being full of the glory of God, 
their pens and mouths were enlarged accordingly ; and the virtue and example 
of them lasting to all ages, they thereby do excite all that shall read their 
epistles afresh to join with themselves therein to give glory to God, as 
they did, it being expressly said, Eph. iii. 21, ' Unto him be glory in the 
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' 
And in almost every such a doxology, ' for ever and ever ' is added ; and in 
Jude, • Now and for ever.' This premised, I begin to enumerate the 
several instances. 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 373 

1. In tho cpistlo to the Romans, how often, hy digression, doth he still 
veil to God in tho midst of his discourses, with an Amen set to his Messing 
of him, as wo also should occasionally in our speeches do the like. In 
Rom. i., discoursing of the heathens ' changing tho glory of the incorruptible 
God,' vcr. 23, and ver. 25, ' changing the truth' (or the true divine nature) 
1 into the similitude of the creature, and worshipping and serving tho 
creature moro than the Creator,' he, with an indignation at the relating of 
that dishonour done to the great God, comes in with this, ' Who is blessed 
for ever. Amen.' Which is a solemn glory given to God, in transitu, by 
the way passant, as we say. The form of Amen, that is in the close, speaks 
how his heart did give, and rejoiced to give, all blessedness to him, as 
rejoicing that he is so blessed a God. You find the like, chap, ix., speak- 
ing of Christ asserting of his divine nature, ver. 5, ' Who is over all, God 
blessed for ever. Amen.' In like manner, at the end of his discourse 
about election and reprobation, in chap, xi., which he had finished with the 
end of that chapter, he breaks forth from ver. 33 to the end, ' the depth 
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable 
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out ! For who hath known 
the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counsellor ? or who hath first 
given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again ? For of him, 
and through him, and to him, are all things : to whom be glory for ever. 
Amen.' And lastly, in the conclusion of the epistle, chap. xvi. 25, 27, 

1 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and 
the preaching of Jesus Christ (according to the revelation of the mystery, 
which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, 
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of 
the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith), 
to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.' 

2. That to the Galatians hath it at the beginning, Gal. i. 5, having last 
spoken of God the Father, he stops to give glory to him ere he goes any 
further, ' to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.' 

3. In that to the Ephesians, his heart was full, and he begins with it as 
soon as he began to speak, chap. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ,' &c. But he takes occasion with more solemnity 
to intermix it, chap. iii. 20, 21, ' Now unto him that is able to do exceed- 
ingly abundant above all that we ask or think, according to the power that 
worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout 
all ages, world without end. Amen.' 

4. In that to the Philippians, chap. iv. 20, ' Now unto God and our 
Father, be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

5. In the first epistle unto Timothy, upon occasion of narrating his own 
conversion, chap. i. ver. 17, ' Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invi- 
sible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.' 
Then at the end of chap. vi. ver. 15, 16, ' who is the blessed and only 
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; who only hath immortality, 
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath 
seen, nor can see : to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.' 

6. In that to the Hebrews, chap. xiii. 20, 21, ' the God of peace,' &c, 
' to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.' 

7. Peter, in his first epistle, was so full with it that he begins with it, as 
Paul had done, chap. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us 
again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.' 



371 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

And chap. iv. 11, 'that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus 
Christ : to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' And 
then, thirdly, at the close again, chap. v. 11, ' the God of all grace,' &c, 
1 to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' In the second 
epistle, chap. iii. 18, he doth the same to Christ the Son, ' Grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To whom be 
glory both now and for ever. Amen.' 

8. Jude, ver. 25, ' To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and 
majesty, dominion and power, now and ever. Amen.' 

9. And John's passing it by in his epistles makes amends for it in his 
Revelations, which abound therewith. First, himself annexeth it to his own 
salvation, wishing grace and peace from God the Father, the Spirit, and 
from Jesus Christ, &c, chap. i. ver. 5, 6, ' And from Jesus Christ, who is 
the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of 
the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our 
sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and 
his Father ; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' 
Then throughout the whole book his ears are rilled with it, with voices from 
all hands. 1; The saints and redeemed of men in their several congrega- 
tions (their officers being their leaders and speakers for them, and in their 
names), chap. iv. 8, ' And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, 
holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.' Again, 
2, in chap. v. there is the same laudation performed unto Christ : (1.) By 
the saints of the sons of men : ver. 9, 10, ' And they sung a new song, 
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof : 
for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every 
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our 
God kings and priests : and we shall reign on the earth.' (2.) Then by 
an innumerable company of angels : ver. 11, 12, ' And I beheld, and I heard 
the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the 
elders : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and 
thousands of thousands ; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb 
that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and 
honour, and glory, and blessing.' (3.) By all creatures, unto both God 
the Father and the Son: ver. 13, ' And every creature which is in heaven, 
and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all 
that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, honour, glory, and power, be 
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and 
ever.' (4.) Unto which the saints on earth do give their amen: ver. 14, 
' And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell 
down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.' And what they 
do here at first, is to shew what they did perform upon all occasions of 
praise, as they are given throughout this book. For they are here brought 
in as the settled chorus, such as in interludes used to be. 

And accordingly you find them at it again, chap. vii. (1.) An innume- 
rable multitude of saints, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
hands, and ' they cried,' ver. 10, ' with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to 
our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.' Then, 
(2.) all the angels, ver. 11, first say ' Amen ' unto what the church of men 
had spoken ; for though they have no interest in that salvation of us men, 
yet for the glory that thence ariseth unto God, and out of their love to us 
it is they say, ' Amen.' And it speaks but their own very hearts. And 
then, (3.) themselves add, de novo, a new praise of their own, ver. 12, 



Chap. V. ■ and ms son jesus ciirist. 375 

' Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and 
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.' And 
again, chap. xi. 17, and xvi. 17, when the kingdoms of the world shall 
become Christ's. And lastly, chap, xix., after the ruin of Rome : ver. 1, 
■ And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, 
saying, Hallcluia ; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the 
Lord our God.' Then of the beasts and elders : ver. 4, ' And the four and 
twenty elders, and the four beasts, fell down and worshipped God that sat 
on the throne, saying, Amen ; Hallcluia.' And then you have the voice of 
a greater multitude : ver. 6, ' And I heard as it were the voice of a great 
multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thun- 
derings, saying, Halleluia : for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.' 

That only point which I advance from all these, is, 

That as it is a duty, so that the grace in us may, in this life, be wound 
up to a living glory to God, in an abstracted way, from all the glory which 
is in himself, and which in himself he possesseth, or for what ariseth to him 
from his works of grace or providence, and revelations of himself, and for 
the review of praise, which all others in all ages have, or shall give him, 
even for whatever doth in any way accrue to his praise, as well for what he 
doth in, and to, and for our own souls, but also in, or towards all or any 
other of his saints or creatures. 

Unto this ample extent do many of these passages extend, as upon a bare 
review of the passages themselves doth evidently appear. For the materials 
in most of these doxologies (although occasioned by the remembrance of 
benefits bestowed, and those also, as in common to others -with ourselves) 
are pure glory, praise, and honour given unto God simply, and not thanks 
only returned as for benefits, nor chiefly for them ; for that is mentioned 
but in a few of them. But the objects for which the glory is given, rise 
unto what is in God himself, as ' dominion, majesty, power ; the King im- 
mortal, invisible ; only wise God ; King of kings ; the blessed and only 
Potentate ; Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light 
which no man can see : to whom be honour and power from everlasting.' 
These are all abstracted from benefits, and on these I shall in the applica- 
tion particularly insist, as also that in the Revelations, chap i. 4, ' John to 
the seven churches which are in Asia ; Grace be unto you, and peace, from 
him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seven 
Spirits which are before his throne ;' that is, unto Jehovah, as he is ever- 
lasting, and hath fulness of being in himself. 

In a word, this comprehends all the ' glory due unto his name ;' which 
expression you find in two psalms : Ps. xxix. 1,2,' Give unto the Lord, 
ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord 
the glory due unto his name ; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.' 
Ps. xcvi. 7, 8, ' Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the 
Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ; 
bring an offering and come into his courts.' In the Hebrew, it is ' the 
honour of his name,' that honour which from you his whole name is 
worthy of. And unto such a frame of spirit, I would provoke you all. 
1. To aspire to the obtainment of it. 2. To comfort you if you have attained 
it. And 3. To exhort you to seek that it may not flag in your spirits, but 
be fixed in you. 

This high and holy frame and temper was certainly in the apostles' 
hearts when they indited these doxologies, and thereby excited others to 
the like. 



376 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

And my grounds (besides what hath been said, and which carries its own 
evidence with it) are, 

1. ' Hallowed be thy name' is the top petition in that gospel prayer 
Christ hath taught us, and the height and top of desires, and of aspire- 
ments to hallow it, are therefore in some measure in some of the souls of 
them that are taught to pray so. And that petition is of an higher key 
than ' Thy kingdom come,' that follows ; and yet in that we pray that his 
manifestative glory may be set up above all, in all his works, and over all 
his works, and in his giving his church all benefits, and in his confounding 
his enemies, &c. But, ' Hallowed be thy name,' is far above all this, and 
therefore therein the soul in the highest place desires that itself and all 
others may give glory to God for all that is ' due to his name' any way, 
and principally for what his name is. His glory and his blessedness is in 
himself, and they are to glorify God on this behalf. Now, therefore, some 
strains of this are attainable in this world ; for we are taught to pray it, 
and so are to have some dispositions of hearts suitable that accompany those 
prayers. 

2. Certainly Old Testament grace rose not up higher than now New Testa- 
ment grace will be found in some Christians to have done, and to do ; nor 
did any of their spirits aspire higher, in any of their givings of glory to God, 
than the apostles in these of theirs. The prophecy of gospel times, Zech. 
xii. 8, is, ' In that day he that is feeble among you shall be as David,' &c. 
Therefore David's grace was, at least to the highest, acted in them, as it was 
in the primitive Christians many of them. 

Now if you consult David's Psalms, in which we have his spirit and his 
heart expressed, the Holy Ghost being witness thereof, in that through him 
and his grace he penned them, we find he was raised to this elevation in 
multitudes of passages in his psalms ; in which he doth abstractly consider 
God in his greatness, power ; and wisdom, &c. And then his works in all 
the world, and towards his creatures ; then his revelations to his church, 
his gracious dealings with all his saints, and his glory that ariseth from all 
these, and upon these accounts gives glory, praise, &c, to him, and pro- 
vokes all others to do so. That his heart was filled with a suitable frame 
of spirit, triumphantly, and from his whole soul to do this, appears in the 
very passages abundantly. There do occur so many records of this, as I 
know not well where to begin, or which to insist on most. I shall single 
forth but one for all the rest, which is the 145th Psalm, of which I shall 
give a brief delineation. 

There is this one psalm of his which beareth this title, ' David's praise,' 
or the ' praise of David,' so in the original, and although there are multitudes 
of other high strains this way in other psalms, yet the Holy Ghost styled 
this ' David's praise,' namely, of God. Now you will find the whole of 
that psalm to be a praising or giving glory unto God, either simply abstractly, 
for what is in his nature, or what he is in his works to all creatures, espe- 
cially to his saints ; and you shall not find one word in it about any benefit 
proper to himself in that whole psalm. That in the 1st verse that he styleth 
this God his Ood was from hence : the exercise of so high a strain of grace 
carries so clear an evidence of this with it, that that God whom any one 
should extol so much (as his heart was enlarged to in that psalm) must 
certainly be his God that so extolled him. But yet besides, that ' as he 
is God' is the principal of the two ; you have his heart elsewhere expressed 
for that; as in Ps. xliii. 4, ' J will praise thee, Cod, my God.' (J oil 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 377 

in the chief place, and my God in the second. This is more abundantly 
seen in this psalm, and in many other psalms. 

It is observable, that David entitling this psalm, ' The praise of David,' 
that in the original no psalm else beareth such a title. It is appropriated 
to it, because this wholly consists of mere praise ; he was elevated therein to 
a frame of spirit merely made up of pure praise of God, without any touch 
of what was particular to himself. So as it was not thanks, but altogether 
praise, and wholly praise. To run over this psalm briefly. 

Himself, as precentor or leader of the whole choir, begins verses 1, 2, 'I 
will extol thee, my God, King ; and I will bless thy name for ever and 
ever. Every day will I bless thee ; and I will praise thy name for ever and 
ever.' 

And then in verse the 3d declares what it was which above all he had 
in his eye, as provoking him to this praise : even the great and infinite ex- 
cellency of God in himself. ' Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised ; 
and his greatness is unsearchable.' This summarily comprehends all that 
is in God, which David intuitively viewed at his entrance to the whole. 
After this of his greatness in himself, he proceeds upon what God is in his 
works, and in that argument he utters, 

1. His own joy first, for this, that they all should with one mouth praise 
him throughout all times. Thus, ver. 4, ' One generation shall praise thy 
works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.' And so that God 
will be sure to be praised to the world's end, and had been praised afore he 
was born, this joyed his soul exceedingly. 

2. As that throughout all times, so that in all times, all and eveiy of his 
works do praise him. First, men, verses 6, 7, ' And men shall speak of 
the might of thy terrible acts ; they shall abundantly utter the memory of 
thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.' And secondly, 
all of his other works besides, verse 10, ' All thy works shall praise thee, 
Lord.' But thirdly, with a greater emphasis and exultation for this, 
that ' the saints they bless him,' so in the same verse. 

But that which I would desire you in a special manner to observe withal, 
that whilst he brings in all those (which added unto his joy) thus praising 
God, he himself thought within himself, whilst he was bringing in this 
general contribution of their praise, that I will not be left out at so glorious 
an exercise, but I will bear my part ; so as he abruptly puts in with them, 
and rudely (as it were) interrupts them, intermingling his own in the midst 
still of theirs. Thus in ver. 4, after he had said, ' one generation to an- 
other,' &c, in ver. 5, himself breaks in, ' I will speak of the glorious hon- 
our of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.' "Which is as if he had 
said, I will crowd in mine, and bear my part, and he doth it whilst theirs 
was but begun. And then in the next verse, ver. 6, whilst he brings them 
in again chanting out the same in these words : ' And they,' namely, one 
generation to another, this referring to ver. 4, ' they shall speak of the 
might of thy terrible acts.' Himself as one that could not hold (no, not 
till their praise had been half spoken out), puts in again, ' I will declare 
thy greatness.' Then ver. 7, when he had brought them all in again, 
' They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy goodness, and shall sing of 
thy righteousness ; ' himself again (as if striving to out-sing them), riseth 
up to the highest and loudest note and matter of praise, ver. 8, 9, ' The 
Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy.' 
This was proper to him as a saint to utter, and so together with them 



878 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, TBOOK I. 

fall a magnifying that God which was the cause of all, namely, his mercy ; 
and, as a source of that, for which all his works do praise him, ' The Lord 
is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.' 

"Which having said, he then commits and leaves this matter wholly unto 
them, even to all his works, especially unto his saints, to speak what they 
could or would further say. 1. To his saints; for his mercies to them 
are above what to all his other works, ver. 10, ' All thy works shall praise 
thee, Lord ; and thy saints shall bless thee ; ' and so leaves it to them 
to speak out the rest, for he alone was not sufficient: ver. 11, 12, ' They 
shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power ; to make 
known to the sous of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his 
kingdom.' 

The rest, unto the 21st verse, is a setting forth that kingdom (in some 
branches of it) which they so much celebrate ; and you may take it either 
to be his own, or their celebration of it, or rather, of both jointly. It 
begins, ver. 13, ' Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion 
endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, 
and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon 
thee ; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy 
hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous 
in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all that 
call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire 
of them that fear him : he will also hear their cry, and will save them. 
The Lord preserveth all them that love him : but all the wicked will be 
destroyed.' Which containing the principal parts of his dominion, I divide 
and consider thus : 

First, The everlastingness of it, for which it is so much celebrated : ver. 
13, ' Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth 
throughout all generations.' 

In which words is especially aimed at that glorious kingdom he shall for 
ever exercise in heaven, with all his saints magnifying him gloriously, of 
which, as it is often said, ' there is no end.' And although in this lies the 
height of his dominion, yet, 

Secondly, He takes in the exercise of it, as it is in this world, throughout 
the many generations thereof, from first to last. And the parts thereof are, 

1. His dispensations towards his saints in their miseries, which is shewn 
especially in raising and recovering them from falls, and exercised for them, 
and on their behalf, as they are oppressed : ver. 14, ' The Lord upholdeth 
all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down,' ' A most glorious 
work. But withal, 

2. Also, that wbich is extended to all creatures that, having a sensitive 
life, are to be maintained by food, as fishes, fowls, beasts. God takes it 
upon him to be the father of this great family of the world, and to take care 
of all the several kinds of them that need, and accordingly provides and 
gives forth variety of several sorts of food proper to each. As (1.) to give 
each their several meat and diet ; and (2.) fails them not ; (3.) in the 
1 due season,' wherein they need it; and moreover, (4.) his own immediate 
hand is said to give it them ; and they, (5.) as expecting it from him, are 
said to come about him, as fowls use to do about those that use to feed 
them. Yea, and (6.) he not only feeds, but ' satisfies their desires.' All 
these you have distinct, ver. 15, 16, ' The eyes of all wait upon thee, and 
thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and 
satisfiest the desires of every living thing.' 



CUAP. V.] AND D1S SON JS8VS CHRIST. 379 

3. That special part of his providence and kingdom exercised over and 
towards the eminent of his creatures, viz., the sons of men in common, 
wherein he sets forth the manifold administrations and dealings with all of 
them, hoth good and had. First, in common to both : vcr. 17, ' The Lord 
is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works ; ' that is, in all the 
variety of trials, chastisements, judgments upon both wicked men and good 
men ; and it is not in some or a few of his ways, but in all that fall out to 
either ; and therefore let us adore him in all. 

4. But especially to the righteous, his choicest ones. And that peculiar 
care and love to them he again returns to set forth: ver. 18, 19, 20, ' The 
Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in 
truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him : he will also hear 
their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that love 
him.' 

These are mighty sayings, that we should have him to cry unto, and he 
to be nigh and quick of hearing, and his eyes to run to and fro over us ; 
that God in the issue one way or other should fulfil these sayings unto all 
his saints, even to every one, especially those latter ; to hear and consider 
all their prayers, fulfil all their desires, and after, and above all that, he 
will make sure work of it, infallibly to save'them at last, and preserve them 
to the end effectually. Of all things he will be sure to bring them to salva- 
tion. What can be more ? 

All and every of these, through want of not searching them out, even the 
saints themselves observe not, and therefore God loseth of his praise ; yet 
we should believe them to be exactly true, and at the latter day we shall 
have an account of the fulfilling of them ; but it is with us as Job acknow- 
ledgeth, Job ix. 10, 11, ' God doth great things past finding out, yea, and 
wonders without number. Lo, he goeth by, and I see him not : he passeth 
on also, but I perceive him not.' 

You find at the close of this, that part of his kingdom added, • But all 
the wicked will be destroyed,' namely, in hell; for of other dispensations to 
them in this life he had spoken, ver. 17, and this is a matter of as great 
praise as any other, but only that towards the saints, and which next thereto 
does bring in the greatest and justest revenues of glory to him. And yet 
even in doing this he shews himself ' righteous and holy,' as he had said 
afore, ver. 17. 

These things done and gone through, look as he had begun with himself, 
so he ends, ver. 21, ' My mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord,' namely, 
for all these things, and yet not a word in all these things that was proper 
to himself, but of common concern to others. And then having said, he, as 
a leader of the choir, provokes ' all flesh ' to do the same. ' And let all 
flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever ; ' that is, every creature (as 
sometimes flesh is used) to be sure, of all the sons of men. 

Truly he might worthily entitle this psalm, ' David's praise,' nameby, of 
God, whom elsewhere he gives the attribute of the ' praised God ' unto ; as 
in Ps. xviii. 3, ' I will call upon the praised God.' So in the original there. 
Ainsworth observeth the same word here, ver. 3. The meaning in that 
place is (to make it the highest encouragement to beget confidence in 
one that prays), is this, that God never denied prayer, and that is the thing 
for which he comes to be so famed and renowned a God, and that makes 
him to be the ' praised God ; ' that is it the saints do praise him for, as 
that coherence shews. And it is as if David had said, ' I will call upon 
him,' and I shall be sure to speed ; for he is renowned for this, and bears 



380 • THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEB, [BOOK. I. 

the title of the ' praised God,' for that still he continually hears them that 
call upon him. And we may he sure that God will not lose his praise, and 
therefore will hear every one that calls upon him ; according to that in 
Ps. xxii. 3-5, ' But thou art holy, thou that inhabitest the praises of 
Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee : they trusted, and thou didst deliver 
them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered : they trusted in thee, 
and were not confounded.' And this makes it no wonder that David else- 
where further styles him 'The God of my praise;' thus Ps. cix. ver. 1. 
Whereupon give me leave, in order to expound it the better, to expostulate 
a little. What, David, were there no saints but thyself that gave praise to 
God ? Why dost thou then seem to appropriate and engross God unto 
thyself, as the God of thy praise, as if none praised him else but thee ? It 
is because his soul had devoted all the praise he was able to bestow on any, 
unto the Lord alone ; as whom he had set himself to praise, and praise 
alone. As of a beloved son we use to say, ' the son of my love.' And 
fm'ther, it is as if he had said, If I had all the ability of the spirits of men 
and angels wherewith to celebrate him, I would bestow them all on him, he 
is the God for my praise. And as he was his, so he should be ours. 

Yea, further, hence it is that he is entitled, ' The praise of all saints,' 
Ps. cxlviii. 14. It is one of his titles, whereby (as God) he is set out. 
Give me leave to understand that passage of God himself, which others 
have diverted from him ; for the Psalmist afore had said, ' He also exalte th 
the horn of his people.' And therefore he it is of whom it follows, ' the 
praise of all his saints.' 

My brethren, you that have grace understand in some measure what 
metal the grace in your hearts is made of ; and unto what that divine metal 
or nature in you may be sublimated by the more than chemical operation 
of the Spirit unto. 

There are these reasons why your grace may be intended or raised up 
unto this strain. 

Reason 1. The divine nature in us, as in Peter it is styled, is the perfect 
imitation or image of God's own nature ; and all true holiness doth consist 
in its being such. It is, as they observe of a loadstone, that, cut round, 
is the perfect imitation of the earth, though in a lesser volume, a terrella 
(as they call it), so as all the lines, the poles, the variation of the compass, 
&c, may be exactly drawn upon it, and found out, and discerned by the 
motions of a needle put upon it, which will shew all these exactly, as I 
myself have seen. And thus sympathetical, in the make of it, is grace, the 
divine nature in us, unto what is in God, or his divine nature. 

However, this I may truly affirm, that grace is framed, either to be the 
resemblance of, or applies itself unto, all that is in God. 

It is true, divines do rightly make this distinction in the divine attri- 
butes. 

1. Of some that are communicable in this respect, that the likeness of 
them may be stamped on us, as goodness, wisdom, holiness, &c. And of 
them the case is clear, that therein consisteth an image of God's divine 
nature. 

But, 2. Some that are incommunicable, as sovereignty, eternity, absolute 
dominion, majesty, &c, likewise his glory, which is not to be given to 
another. Now observe, that those attributes wherein our graces are not 
capable to imitate him, that yet we have grace to apply ourselves to them, 
some way or other, so as to give the glory due unto them. As to his sove- 
reignty, and absolute dominion, and majesty, grace in us can and may be 



Chap. V. and his son jesus christ. • 381 

brought down (shall I say), or wound up rather, to submit to it, to fall 
down to tho dust aforo it; not simply in a reverence or adoration of it, but 
in an absolute resignation of itself unto it; as in David we see, 2 Sam. 
xv. 2G, ' But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee ; behold, here am I, 
let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.' Yea, unto a casting all away 
unto tho glory of it. And truly, as such acts of submission are a throwing 
away (shall I say), or rather a giving up one's self, and all our own concern- 
ments, both unto and for what purely is in God, so there is a giving glory 
to him, by way of exalting him, for what is purely in himself. 

"Reason 2. The tendency of grace in us is to have but one common inte- 
rest between God and our souls, to make his interest wholly ours, and ours 
to be altogether his. We are imperfect in it iudeed, but, so far as we have 
grace, we have but one interest common to God and us. It is that which 
grace would be at ; but corruption keeps us down. Christ expresseth his 
being one with his Father, as in his nature and essence, so as he and his 
Father, having both but one will, and so one interest ; John vi. 38, x. 29, 
80, and v. 30 : ' For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, 
but the will of him that sent me.' ' My Father which gave them me is 
greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
hands. I and my Father are one.' ' I can of mine own self do nothing ; 
as I hear, I judge ; and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own 
will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.' 

Now as Christ's interest and God's are but one, so by our union with 
Christ (and so with God through him), Christ's interest and ours is but 
one. Therefore, 1 Cor. vi. 17, ' He that is joined to the Lord is one 
spirit,' namely, with Christ, of one and the same disposition, ends, and 
aims ; for in all these respects, and much higher than I can express, it is 
to be ' one spirit ' with Christ. Man and wife, that are but ' one flesh,' 
yet we all see and know, where love between them is, that there is one com- 
mon interest of both ; and it is such and so near a conjunction, through 
God's ordination, as it is, as if they were one, both as unto what concerns 
the good of each other, as Eph. v. 28, ' He that loveth his wife loveth him- 
self ; ' and also in what concerns the common good of the family, of the 
children, &c, and they mutually rejoice in all those alike. Oh, but Christ 
our husband and we are one spirit. Even the saints among themselves, so 
far as gracious, are said to be ' of one heart and of one soul,' &c. Acts 
iv. 32, ' And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of 
one soul : neither said any of them that ought of the things he possessed 
was his own ; but they had all things common.' And they were to rejoice 
and suffer in one another's happiness and misery ; 1 Cor. xii. 26, ' And 
whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member 
be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.' For 'as,' ver. 12, 'the 
body is one, and hath many members ; and all the members of that one 
body, being many, are one body ; so also is Christ.' Thus is Christ in his 
body among themselves ; how much more is it thus between Christ the 
head and each member ? I may well say, ' Even so is Christ ' of the one 
part and the other, much more Christ and they are but one, and have but 
one interest in common ; for Christ is the foundation of that among saints. 
Now what doth the virtue of such an oneness of interest tend unto, but that 
we should rejoice in all the good, happiness, and blessedness that is in God, 
or that Christ enjoys ? And that this is the power of true love, and of our 
being one spirit with Christ, that speech evidently shews, John xiv. 28, 
' Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. 



882 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK I. 

If ye loved me ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto my Father : for 
my Father is greater than I.' And who therefore is so able to make me 
happy ? And therefore that you are so cast down, and that the joy for my 
happiness and advancement swallows not up your sorrow, is, because you 
love yourselves inordinately. But still the power of grace lies therein, you 
may see, and the foundation of all is oneness of interest. Look therefore, 
as Christ's interest was one with his Father's, to seek his glory, and to de- 
light in it, John vii. 18, 'He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own 
glory : but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and 
no unrighteousness is in him :' so it is of grace in a Christian, when wound 
up to what the height of it tendeth unto. And therefore, as God delighteth 
in his own glory for itself, so may a gracious heart be brought to do. It 
is in his grace whereby to do it : and as God's blessedness lies in his enjoying 
himself and his own glory, so the height of ours should be to apprehend 
that he is so glorious in himself, and accordingly to rejoice in it. 

Reason 3. You will allow that grace may be wound up in some spirits to 
as high strains for God and his glory (take the sorts or kinds of the one 
and the other), as sin and self-love are in some sort of sinners against God 
and his glory. I do not say in the same degree (because such as I shall 
instance in are wholly wicked and full of all evil, as the devils are, and no 
man's grace is full for the measure of it), but for the kind ; and there is no 
kind of wickedness, but is in the genius and disposition of it equalled by 
the grace in some saints that love God. Now, self-love in them that sin 
against the Holy Ghost, and in the devil, doth rise up directly and imme- 
diately so high, as to oppose and fly in the face of all the glory that is in 
God, or that in any way he enjoys, grudging at it, hating it, blaspheming 
it immediately, as it is in itself, as it is in us, and in him ; this is the 
devil's sin, and also of some men put into the devil's state and condition. 

Now then, I say, and argue from this, that the same contrary disposition 
may be, and is driven forth in grace, ever to love the glory of God imme- 
diately as it is his, and because it is his, and to rejoice therein, more than in 
its own blessedness ; and to have an amplitude of heart this way, so as to 
delight in all the glory God hath, or any sort of way accrues to him. Yea, and 
I add this, that there is reason it should rather fall out on grace's part, that 
grace in a saint should, rather of the two, be supported, to be elevated 
unto this high pitch, rather than the wickedness in men or devils unto the 
contrary ; in that grace is a principle capable of loving God for himself, 
as the chiefest good, but no creature can hate God simply and absolutely 
for himself, because he is himself the chiefest good, as the schoolmen argue 
it, but yet they are found to do it only because God is an enemy unto self- 
love in them, and so in revenge they are provoked to oppose God, and to 
fly in his very face, they being acted by a spirit to do despite to the Spirit 
of grace (which is the very spirit of that sin against the Holy Ghost). But 
the creature having the image of God's own holiness stamped upon it, it may 
love God for himself, and true love to God is not founded upon self-love 
merely in the creature ; and, if it were, it were not the image of God. And 
if it be a principle of grace to love God as God, then it must needs be 
capable to rise up to this, to glorify him as such. I further add, that as 
that forementioned desperate frame of spirit befalls some men in this life, 
as well as devils, so this high and holy frame of heart (though more imper- 
fectly for degree) is raised up but in some gracious saints' hearts in tbis 
life ; and yet as all evil men's wickedness is not wound up to this height 
of renown in sinning, but only in a few, so nor is the grace of all saints 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 3H3 

intended or elevated to this other extraordinary pitch. Which stating of 
it thus may conduce to clear the thing in hand, and to the comfort of such 
souls as want the energy or working sense thereof. 

Reason 4. It is certain that grace elevated works thus in the saints' 
hearts in heaven ; that is, to glorify God for himself, and their own happi- 
ness they consider not ; for it is but a result or consequent of their joying 
in the amplitude of God's glory which they are wholly swallowed up into ; 
for God becomes ' all in all' in them and to them, 1 Cor. xv. 28. Now, 
as some communications of the joys that are in heaven are vouchsafed unto 
some saints in this life, some immediate drops (not to say dews only) are 
let fall into their souls, of the same kind that are in heaven in a fulness ; 
therefore also, by a parallel reason, some lesser participations of the 
intenseness of that grace that is in those blessed souls made perfect ; for 
some have the earnest of the Spirit, and of that inheritance, and an ear- 
nest consists of the same kind with the whole that is yet behind. 



CHAPTER VI. 

A more punctual explication ivJiat it is to (five glory to God in himself or 
works, set out by a comparative ivith all the other icays of glorifying God, 
which it far exceeds. 

Our next inquiry shall be, What this grace and duty I so commend unto 
you are ? I put them together, for the one may be known and discerned 
by the other ; and that where in Scripture we find the duty spoken of, w r e 
may thereby understand what the grace, that is, the root thereof in the 
heart, is and ought to be ; as also what is the duty when the grace is 
spoken of, or the increase of it specified. To find out the true elevation of 
both, I shall proceed by comparative steps, whereby it will appear how far 
this exceeds other ways of giving glory to God. 

In general, we may consider that to give glory to God is a matter of a 
large extent, comprehending many ways of doing it. As, 

1. We are to glorify God in every thing and action, 1 Pet. iv. 11, that 
in every thing God may be glorified.' And this is done by the holy ends 

we have in communications, either put forth immediately, or though 
mediately, yet ultimately aiming at God's glory in them, 1 Cor. x. 31, 
' Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do it all to the 
glory of God.' And the apostle Peter adds, over and above such a way 
of glorifying God, ' to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. 
Amen.' 

2. We give glory to God in such good works as directly in themselves 
do tend to the glory of God. Mat. v. 16, ' Let your light so shine before 
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is 
in heaven ;' which Peter seconds, 1 Pet. ii. 12, ' Having your conversation 
honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil- 
doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God 
in the day of visitation:' which is as if he had said, Though at present 
wicked men will not acknowledge any goodness in you saints, but, on the 
contrary, speak evil of you, yet little do you think how every holy action 
lays up matter against the day of judgment, in the consciences of the 
wickedest men, by which God will be glorified at that day in their acknow- 
ledgments, when Christ shall have set his gloss upon these actions, and in 



384 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK I. 

the mean time, afore that day, these holy works do give an occasion unto 
holy men to glorify God in your behalf, which these works do by a ' redound- 
ing to the glory of God' (as the phrase is, 2 Cor. iv. 15). Yet so to praise 
God, as I exhort you to do, is higher. The angels, although their charac- 
ter is, that they do God's commandments, and that they be the highest 
instance of it, as in the Lord's prayer, ' Thy will be done, as in heaven,' 
&c. ; yet they are called upon, by David, farther to ' bless God,' as a mat- 
ter beyond their doing his will otherwise, Ps. ciii. 20, ' Bless the Lord, ye 
his angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening 
unto the voice of his word.' Nulla angelis prcestantior est eccercitatio in qua 
se occupent ; Calvin on the words. There is no higber way of glorifying 
God than this, for them to be exercised in. It is beyond their doing all 
other commandments. Likewise in Ps. 1. 23. Although ordering our con- 
versation aright is so acceptable to God, as he will shew his salvation to 
them that do it, yet the height and top of glorifying God is set upon the 
head of praising God as the crown ; ' Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me : 
and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation 
of God.' 

3. In performing duties of worship, public or private, and being conver- 
sant in ordinances ; this is a further degree of glorifying God, than in holy 
actions, in ordering our conversations, &c. Ps. lxxxvi. 9, ' All nations 
whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, Lord, and 
shall glorify thy name.' Yet this way of giving glory to God excels being 
conversant in ordinances, although having communion with God therein. 
1 Peter iv. 10, 11, ' As every man hath received the gift, even so minister 
the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God : if any man minister, 
let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may 
be glorified through Jesus Christ ; to whom be praise and dominion for 
ever and ever. Amen.' Which is spoken of the ministration of ordinances. 
As to ' speak in the church,' or to contribute to the saints, is a way of 
glorifying God in the way of ordinances and worship, yet still this duty of 
giving glory to God exceeds it, and therefore is over and beyond (super- 
added and exhorted to, after the other), as distinct from them ; ' to whom 
be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' 

4. It is more than to praise God for benefits vouchsafed and received to 
ourselves ; which yet is an high way of glorifying God. We generally say, 
that thanksgiving is a nobler and more divinely generous duty than prayer, 
for self-love puts us upon that, praying for benefits ; but thanks is a more 
free, defecate, and pure act, and yet is out of a sense of God's goodness 
unto one's self; ' Bless the Lord, my soul ; and forget not all' (that is, 
not any) ' of his benefits. Who forgive th all thine iniquities, and healeth 
all thy diseases, Ps. ciii. 2, 3. And Ps. lxxxvi. 12, 13, < I will praise thee, 
Lord my God, with all my heart ; and I will glorify thy name for ever- 
more. For great is thy mercy towards me ; and thou hast delivered my 
soul from the lowest hell.' Yet we see there is a deep touch of self-love in 
this both praise and glorifying of God ; ' for great is thy mercy to me.' 
Well, but this way of glorifying God is yet more high and generous, being 
for what is abstractly considered from all benefits ; that is, simply con- 
sidering what glory and excellencies are in God himself, or in his glory unto 
others of his creatures. It is to give glory to God, for what he is or doth 
any way to his church, or to all others in the world, and not only for what 
he is to us, &c. Look back upon the places cited, and you will find the 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 385 

most of them speak this abstractedness. In the Revelation you find both 
the church and men to give glory and honour, distinct from thanks ; Rov. 
iv. 9, ' And when those beasts gave glory, and honour, and thanks to him 
that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever ;' upon this account, 
ver. 11, ' that thou art worthy, Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and 
power ; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and 
were created.' Likewise the angels run upon the same strain, Rev. vii. 12, 
' Saying, Amen : blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and 
honour, and power, and might, be unto our Lord for ever and over. Amen.' 

5. It is more than to glorify God for his love to us, for the assurance 
and hope he will glorify us ; Rom. v. 1, ' By faith we have peace with God,' 
and a standing in grace, and the favour of God ; so ver. 2, ' And not only 
go, but we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but 
we glory in tribulations ;' so strong, real, lively, powerful, are those hopes 
of glory in us, as to rise to this ; thus ver. 3. But then, ver. 11, he riseth 
yet higher : ' Not only so, but we also joy in God,' and make himself the 
top of our rejoicing, far beyond our being glorified by him, and our hopes 
thereof. Why ? For in our being glorified by him, we are passives ; loved, 
rather than love ; glorified, rather than give glory. But in the exercise of 
this grace and duty the soul is active, and casts glory upon God's acts, and 
upon him, reverberates all the glory that shines upon them back again 
upon him, and that for what is in himself, as a God in himself so glorious, 
dwelling in light inaccessible, immortal, only wise, &c. Yet this must be 
added, that withal the soul considers, that this God, that is thus great and 
excellent, is also his God. He rejoices to put that in all, though still the 
top of his praise, and his solace therein doth rise and reach far higher. 
Therefore you find praising God, and my God, so often in the psalm joined, 
and in the prophet Isaiah, chap. xxv. 1, 2, although his praise is for his 
glorious counsels and judgments in the world, which wholly concerned the 
glory of God, and not himself, yet he puts in, ' I will exalt thee, my 
God ; ' that is, he reflected upon this withal, that God, who was so great 
a God, was his God, in that high and near relation. 

Use. Let us next view the high privileges and divine dispositions of such 
a soul, when raised up unto this blessed frame. I so state the terms of 
what is now to follow, in calling them his privileges, as well as the divine 
out-goings or dispositions of such an heart. But I shall not handle these 
two apart, or accurately sever them, but, as one and the same, speak pro- 
miscuously of them. 

It is the high privilege of such a soul to have all it doth, or can compre- 
hend, to be in God himself, to give glory to him for ; and in doing so, 
therewithal themselves to glory and rejoice also therein, as that he is such 
and so great a God, so blessed, so glorious in himself; and although the} 7 
cannot see his glory, and live in this life, yet all those descriptions of him, 
where by he hath made himself so wonderfully known, they have these afore 
them, as far as in this life they may or do comprehend them : Eph. iii. 18, 
19, there is a being made ' able to comprehend, and to be filled with all the 
fulness of God,' prayed for by the apostle. And it is evidently spoken of 
what the saints may attain in this life ; for it is whilst ' Christ dwells in 
then- hearts by faith.' And that place shews, that beyond the apprehension 
of the love of God in Christ, and of Christ's love, there is a being ' filled 
with the fulness of God ' himself, in such a proportion and sense as this 
life is capable of; yet so as such a thing there is to be attained, as shall 
justly bear the title of this. And because they he writes to (as generally 

vol. rv. b b 



386 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

Christians do) find this to be too high (as indeed it is, if they reflect upon 
their ordinary walking and common experiments it is) ; therefore he con- 
cludes his prayer with this, ' Now unto him that is able to do exceeding 
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that 
worketh in us,' &c. For indeed the experience of such a frame of spirit, 
is an height above what we are able to ask or think, and yet is attainable 
by the power that now worketh in us, as it follows. And because the 
genuine product, end, and tendency of such an elevation of heart is to wish 
and to give all glory to God, therefore it is he so solemnly adds, ver. 21, 
' Unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, 
world with end. Amen.' For any one's being filled with all the fulness 
of God, doth constrain the spirit in whom it is, to give and wish this glory 
to him. As likewise he that is raised up to that frame of spirit, thus to 
give glory for what is in God himself, that soul hath all the fulness in God 
afore him, to give glory to him for. 

Now to incite us all to the seeking this high disposition of spirit, I shall, 
for your encouragement, spread before you many instances of saints, who 
have had hearts to glorify God for all the fulness which is in himself. 
Moses, you know, desired to ' see the glory of God,' Exod. xxxiii. 18, and, 
says God, ver. 19, ' I will make all my goodness pass before thee ; and I 
will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.' And God caused his 
glory to pass before him, ver. 22. And accordingly, chap, xxxiv. 5, 6, 7, 
God proclaims his name and divine nature, in those attributes of merciful, 
strong, true, and just. Upon which Moses, being filled with this glory, 
adored God ; ver. 8, Moses ' made haste, and bowed his head towards the 
earth.' He made a return of worship unto all this glory he had seen and 
heard ; though likewise he put up_ a prayer with all, ver. 9. But he adores 
him purely, for that glory which God had manifested to him, to be in him- 
self, and in his nature. 

We find many psalms made to glorify God alone by his works. But in 
some other psalms besides, over and above, and before they come to cele- 
brate God for his works, the psalmist began first to celebrate him for what 
is in his nature, what is in himself. Ps. civ. 1, 'Bless the Lord, my 
soul. Lord my God, thou art very great ; thou art clothed with honour 
and majesty: who coverest thyself with light as with a garment.' And 
then he sets him out by his works in the rest of the psalm, in so glorious a 
manner, as in no Scripture more. Likewise Ps. cxlv. 1, 2, 3, 'I will extol 
thee ; I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee. 
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised ; and his greatness is un- 
searchable.' Ver. 5, ' I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty.' 
And ver. 8, he sets out the graciousness of his nature, ' The Lord is 
gracious, and full of compassion ; slow to anger, and of great mercy.' 
The rest of the psalm is taken up with the praising him for his works, 
and a setting forth the glory of his kingdom. Calvin did observe this also 
upon Psalm exxxvi. 1-3, ' give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good : 
for his mercy endureth for ever. give thanks to the God of gods : 
give thanks to the Lord of lords : for his mercy endures for ever.' He 
sets out first (saith he) the height of his deity and sovereign kingdom ; 
and then the following part of that song sets out his works, ' To him who 
alone doth great wonders,' ver. 4.* Likewise, Psalm cxlvii., a psalm of 
praise, so it begins, ver. 1, 'Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing 

* Priusquam ad celebrationem operum Dei veniat, summam ejus Deitatera sum- 
mumque imperium commendat. — Calvin, in loc. 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 387 

praises to our God.' At the 5th verse ho sets out what God is in himself, 
by three things, as the principles of all his works. First, By his greatness 
and immensity, ' Great is our Lord.' Secondly, His power, ' and of great 
power.' Thirdly, His wisdom, 'his understanding is infinite.' Elsewhere 
it is said, ' In wisdom hast thou made them all,' namely, his works, Ps. 
civ. 24. But here his wisdom is that which is in himself, for which he 
celebrates him, though he had never made any work. 

This soul, thus wound up, can sit down in God, and with God, and bless 
him, and rejoice in all the blessedness that is in him, and for that it is Ma, 
that he is so blessed, and that in such an infinite God there is such infinite 
blessedness, and can say Amen to it, when he hath gone over it in all his 
thoughts of it. As Paul, Rom. i. 25, upon occasion of a dishonour done 
to God, by worshipping his unworthy creatures more than the Creator, he 
in indignation of spirit adds, ' who is blessed for ever,' and puts ' amen ' 
to it. He speaks of what he is in his divine nature, in himself, which in 
ver. 20 he calls ' his eternal power and Godhead ; ' in ver. 23, ' the glory 
of the incorruptible God ;' and in ver. 25, ' the truth of God,' that is, the 
true being of God. Now, God considered as such, it is that for which he 
pronounces him blessed, ' who is blessed for ever ; ' and I say ' amen ' to 
it (says he), that is, I congratulate it to him ; for what is amen but ' so be 
it,' or, Oh, let it be so ? And if one amen be not enough, you shall have 
it doubly set to our blessing of him, ' Blessed be the Lord God, and blessed 
be his glorious name for ever ; and let the whole earth be filled with his 
glory. Amen and amen,' Ps. lxxii. 18, 19. 

And whom do you think he speaks of ? Of Christ, and God in Christ. 
1 Men shall be blessed in him ; all nations shall call him blessed,' ver. 17. 
Wherein Christ in the whole psalm, under the type of Solomon, is set out. 
But you find the same amen set to the blessedness that is in Christ in the 
New Testament, where Paul, speaking of Christ, ' who is over all, God 
blessed for ever. Amen,' Rom. ix. 5. He says amen to the fulness of 
the blessedness of the Godhead that is in him ; yea, unto the man Jesus, 
taken up into the participation of that blessedness, through his personal 
union with the Son of God ; from which it is, that all that glory which he 
wears in heaven is his by inheritance or natural right, as Heb. i. tells us. 

Now, in Psalm xlv. he sets him out in the excellency of his person as 
such ; ' Thou art fairer than the children of men ; grace is poured into thy 
lips : therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.' And because God had 
thus blessed him, the psalmist goes on to bless him too, and to wish well 
to him with all this his honour. So far is he from envying of it, though 
it might have been the lot of any other man, or of a man's self, to have 
been taken up into that union, and kept from the fall. But he wishes it 
all to him over and over again, and is glad that God hath such a Son, and 
himself such a head ; and as Christ passes along by him in his glory, he 
cries out, ' Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, most mighty, with thy glory, 
and thy majesty; and in thy majesty ride prosperously.' These are words 
of one applauding, and blessing, and wishing all happiness and prosperity 
to him, with all his honour : ' ride prosperously,' or, as the Hebrew hath 
it, ' prosper thou, ride thou.' The old translation had it, ' Gook luck have 
thou with thy honour ;' yea, and as subjects use to say to the king (though 
often in flattery), as he passes by, Vivat rex, Vive le roi, Let the kin;/ lice 
for ever, as in Daniel. And as they of Augustus, when themselves were 
dying, they would sacrifice for his life, and say, ' Let Augustus live, though 
I die ; ' so (would you think it) that the very like phrase should be in the 



388 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

psalms, and the meaning of those words, Ps. xviii. 4G, ' The Lord lives,' 
as we translate it, ' and blessed be my Rock,' should be an optative, ' Let 
the Lord live ; ' as we use to say to our kings, Vivat rex, so, Let God live, 
and be blessed, and live for ever. 

Take we likewise the matter of those two doxologies of Paul, 1 Tim. vi. 
15, ' Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord 
of lords ; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light no man can 
approach to ; whom no man hath seen, nor can see : to him be honour 
and power everlasting. Amen.' The other, 1 Tim. i. 17, ' Now, unto 
the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and 
glory for ever and ever. Amen.' This latter he did break out into upon 
occasion of the story of his own conversion. But though that so great a 
mercy to himself was the occasion, yet his spirit soars far higher, beyond 
all of what God had done for him, to consider, purely and abstractly, 
what a glorious God he was in himself. Let us but open the particulars 
of it. 

First, He gives glory to him for that blessedness which was in him, 
' Who is the blessed,' says he, ' and only Potentate.' What is blessedness 
but a confluence and fulness of all good to an infinite, complete within 
himself, so as God need not go forth of himself for anything ? as Acts 
xvii. 25, ' He needs not anything, seeing he gives life to all, and all things.' 
Like as if a great man should have in his house, and in the compass of his 
grounds round about it, all kind of things of all sorts, within his own de- 
mesnes, that he need not go forth for anything. 

Secondly, He is the ' only Potentate,' sovereign over all. He hath not 
only all happiness within himself, and fulness, but he hath sovereign and 
absolute power over all things. Now, when these two things shall meet, 
all inward fulness, and such an absolute power besides, he is blessed 
indeed that hath it. You shall find up and down in the psalms, the 
psalmist to bless him above all for a kingdom of his, Psalm cxlv. and other 
psalms, where you find it celebrated. 

Now, that kingdom is, (1.) seated in himself, and then exercised towards 
his creatures ; you will find the psalmist praise him for both. First, Seated 
in himself, in Ps. xciii., which begins, in the first verse, with a celebration 
of his kingdom : ' The Lord reigns ; he is clothed with majesty,' &c. He 
ascends higher there, to the exercise of it, in governing the world. At 
ver. 2, ' Thy throne is established of old ; thou art King from everlasting;' 
and for this they praise him. His kingdom began from everlasting ; he 
reigned within himself, and in his own purposes, and contrivements, and 
orderings of all things. He disposes of all from ' then,' as the word of old 
translated is in the Hebrew. And then it was that he did clothe himself 
with majesty, and did gird himself with strength, as a man uses to do 
before he begins to do any great matter; thus, ver. 1, for this his saints 
do praise him. 

Then (2.) as it is exercised. First, As it is seated in heaven, Ps. lxxxix. 
5-7, ' The heavens shall praise thy wonders, Lord ; thy faithfulness 
also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be 
compared unto the Lord ? Who among the sons of the mighty can be 
likened unto the Lord ? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of 
the saints ; and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.' 
He speaks this of the glory which he hath, and shews forth in heaven afore 
all angels and saints whom he hath round about him. He had said, in the 
4th verse, of Christ, the spiritual David, ' Thy seed will I establish for ever, 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 389 

and build up thy throne to all generations.' And of that kingdom he treats 
from ver. 21 of that psalm to ver. 38. 

Now, for this kingdom of his, the heavens are said to praise his wonders, 
which is spoken of the angels, who are often called the heavens, from their 
place ; as in Job it is said, ' The heavens are not clean in his sight.' And 
these knowing the wonders of that covenant of grace, they, even they, are 
said to praise ; ' The heavens shall praise thy wonders, Lord.' In the 
Hebrew it is, ' thy wonder,' or ' thy miracle,' in the singular number, 
which, in Eph. iii. 10, the angels are said to adore ; and in Luke i. to 
1 sing glory to the Highest ; ' for his grace to man is that miracle. Now, 
the material heavens do not praise the mercy of God, or the grace of God, 
or the covenant of grace, or the throne of grace that is established in the 
heavens. They understand nothing of Christ ; no, they do not so much as 
materially give occasion to man to praise God for these ; and therefore this 
is meant of the angels ; and most interpreters understand the next words 
of them : ' Thy faithfulness in the congregation of the saints,' angels, and 
the holy ones made perfect, for there the great congregation is. For even 
in the heavens, who can be compared to the Lord, where all his angels thus 
do praise him ? ' Who among the sons of the mighty,' of all the powers 
of the earth, ' can be likened to the Lord ? ' for he is the ' King of kings, 
and he is the Lord of lords ; ' a God above all gods, even angels themselves, 
as elsewhere the psalmist hath it. And he says not only, ' There is none 
like thee ; ' but, ' Who is like unto thee ? ' his excellency so exceeds. 
And in the 7th verse, he is there presented with all his saints and angels 
round about him, as one that is greatly to be feared, or that is terrible in 
himself, by reason of his greatness, in this his council and assembly of his 
saints, and to be had in reverence of all that are about him. For saints 
and angels, they are of his council in heaven (as might be shewn), and en- 
compass the manifestation of his glory there round about. 

This kingdom of his is set out and magnified by those psalms. First, 
By his throne ; ' justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne,' 
ver. 14. Then ' mercy and truth, they shall go before thy face.' He com- 
pares them to harbingers that he sends out before him ; Ps. lvii. 3, ' He 
shall send from heaven, and save me ; God shall send forth his mercy and 
truth,' that come down with commissions from him, as from the great King, 
when his saints stand in need thereof ; and these make strange work in the 
world. He need not send down angels ; he need send but mercy and truth 
down, which elsewhere it is said he prepares in the heavens, Ps. lxi. 7. 
He prepares commissions for them, and sends them down with them for 
execution. It is likewise said, that majesty is before him ; Ps. xcvi. 6, 
' Honour and majesty are before him ; sing unto the Lord therefore (ver. 
2—4), bless his name ; declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders 
among all people. For the Lord is great, greatly to be praised : he is to be 
feared above all gods,' angels, and kings on earth ; ' honour and majesty 
are before him.' And then his faithfulness is said to be round about him, 
encompassing his throne, Ps. lxxxix. 8. For whatever he doth, he is mind- 
ful of his faithfulness and covenant, before and behind, and on each side ; 
he can look no way, but that is in his eye. And though he employ angels, 
and send them down into the world, and they stand round about him ; yet 
he hath better harbingers than these, mercy, and truth, and faithfulness, 
that wait round about him. And for this kingdom of his, as thus set out, 
do the saints bless him ; Ps. cxlv. 10, ' All thy works praise thee, 
Lord ; thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak the glory of thy 



390 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, (BOOK I. 

kingdom, and talk of thy power ; to make known to the sons of men his 
mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom 
is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all 
generations.' 

Tlii idly, The apostle celebrates him, and gives glory to him, that he is 
' invisible ;' you have it in both places, 1 Tim. i. 17, and 1 Tim. vi. 16/ 
and that purely puts it from God's being praised for what he is in benefits 
to a man's self, or from what he is to any creature ; for we praise him for 
what we do not see, for what we do not nor cannot see, and so cannot enjoy 
(for so far as we cannot see, we cannot come to enjoy) ; and therefore 
purely for this, for what he is in himself and to himself, in the knowledge 
and enjoyment of himself. He blesseth him that he is so great a God, 
that the fulness of his glory can never be known by his creatures ; so ex- 
cellent, that still there is an infiniteness we cannot know in him. Had it 
been out of self-love (this giving glory to him), it would have blessed him 
for what is seen and enjoyed. We see in this life but his back-parts ; yet 
by what we see of them, we glorify him for what we see not ; and ' how 
little do we know of him ! ' as you have it in Job xxvi. 14. 

Fourthly, That he is ' only wise,' his understanding infinite (as we heard 
out of the Psalms) and infinitely shewn in all his works. ' In wisdom hast 
thou made the heavens,' Ps. cxxxvi. 5. Yea, ' In wisdom hast thou made 
them all,' Ps. civ. 24. But above all for his wisdom, that hidden wisdom 
manifested in the gospel in the salvation of men ; ' To God only wise,' 
who hath revealed the mystery which was kept secret since the world be- 
gan, * To God only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen,' 
Rom. xvi. 27. Of blessing him for his decrees, I shall speak afterwards. 
In his ordinary works, his thoughts are very deep ; Ps. xcii. 5, ' Lord, 
how great are thy works ! and thy thoughts are very deep.' But, ' the 
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! ' cries the 
apostle out, when he speaks of his contrivements of mercy in the gospel, 
Rom. xi. 33. 

Fifthly, He gives glory to him for that he is eternal ; that he had all this 
blessedness, wisdom, &c, from everlasting. Such a soul can bless him 
then for that he hath been so blessed a God from everlasting, and enjoyed 
this happiness ; and then, to be sure, we enjoyed nothing from him, for he 
was alone. You have the same in Ps. xli. 13, ' Blessed be the Lord God 
of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting ; ' and there is an amen for either 
of them, ' amen and amen ; ' an amen for what he hath been from everlast- 
ing, and amen for what he shall be to everlasting. And it is here in the 
apostle's words likewise, that he is eternal, in the 1st chapter, as for time 
past. And ' only having immortality,' in the Gth chapter. You have the 
same, Rev. iv. 8, ' The four beasts rest not day nor night, saying, Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,' They 
praise him for his holiness and for his power ; they praise him for all he 
hath been, from what he was and hath been for time past, is for the pre- 
sent, and is to come. One would think, what hath a poor creature to do 
to bless him for what he was from everlasting, all which is past ? Yet 
they herein would shew their good will ; I will cast in my shot and congra- 
tulation, saith the soul. 

Sixthly, For that he only is, and hath alone all those blessednesses and 
perfections. This is three times in those two doxologies of the apostle, 
whilst he calls him ' the blessed and only Potentate,' and that hath ' only 
immortality,' and that is ' only wise ; ' 'to him be honour.' Ps. lxxxvi. 9, 10, 



Chap. VI. J and his son jesus cueist. 891 

• All nations shall come ami glorify thy name ; for thou art great, and dost 
wondrous things: thou art God alone.' Ps. lxxii. 18, 'Blessed be tho 
Lord God of Israel, who only docs wondrous things.' Oh, says that soul, 
let him have it, and ho alone, and none share with him. 

This largo and ample field hath this soul afore him to expatiate in. I 
might extend the amplitudo of this soul. That he hath all in God's works : 
all in his decrees ; all in his word, to give glory to God for. First, all his 
works, past, present, and to come. We have this oft in the psalms ; Ps. 
lxvi. 2, ' Sing forth the honour of his name : make his praiso glorious.' 
Praise was too low a word ; ' Make his praiso glorious. Say unto God, 
How terrible,' or how reverend, ' art thou in thy works ! All the earth 
shall worship thee, and sing in thy name. Come and sec the works of 
God ! ' &c. Ps. xcii. 1, 4, ' It is a good thing to sing praise to thy name, 

most High : for thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works ; I 
will triumph in the works of thy hands.' It rejoiced his heart to see what 
a glory shined forth in all he had done ; ' Lord, how great are thy 
works ! and thy thoughts are very deep.' And this he doth with delight ; 
Ps. lxxvii. 12, ' I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. ' 

He hath also all God's decrees and counsels afore him to rejoice in and 
to praise him for ; his counsels that contrived all about his works, both of 
judgments and mercies : Isa. xxv. 1, ' Lord, thou art my God; I will 
exalt thee, I will praise thy name : for thou hast done wonderful things ; 
and thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.' As likewise that in 
Ps. xcii. 5, ' Lord, how great are thy works ! thy thoughts,' that is, thy 
counsels, ' they are very deep.' 

For his decrees of election especially, yea, and reprobation also. When 
the apostle had discoursed both these doctrines out, and justified God 
therein, Rom. ix. and xi. chapters, shewing how God had once chosen the 
Jews, but then cast them off; then, taken the Gentiles, whom before he 
had suffered to walk in their own ways, who in time past have not believed ; 
and then at last, how he will have mercy, both upon the one and the other, 
and the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, as well as of the Jews ; but 
God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon 
all. For this counsel of his he cries out, ' Oh the depth of the riches both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! ' namely, in these his ways of 
choosing the one and refusing the other. ' How unsearchable are his 
judgments, and his ways past finding out ; for of him, and through him, 
and to him are all things ; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.' Repro- 
bation itself, and the issues of it, upon the consideration of the hardness 
and obstinacy that is in man's heart, and the wickedness of men against 
God, causeth such a soul to take part with God, and to rejoice in the glory 
that accrues to him hereby ; his spirit will be stirred at the thoughts of all 
the obstinate sinners in the world, that they should remain such against so 
great a God. In the 104th Psalm, where he sets out God in himself, and 
in his works, as much as in any other psalm, after all his praises of him 
throughout, and uttering his own frame of heart thereupon, at ver. 83, 34, 

1 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live : I will sing praise to my God 
while I have a being. My meditation of him shall be sweet ; I will be glad 
in the Lord.' With indignation he adds (his spirit being raised up unto 
the exalting of God, and singing of his glory), ' Let the sinners be consumed 
out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more,' who should thus dare to 
lift up their heads, and horns, and souls against this God, so great, so good, 
so gracious : however, I have reason to bless the Lord (says he) whom 



392 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, LOOK I. 

thou hast chosen, ' Bless thou the Lord, my soul, and all ye saints, 
praise } T e the Lord.' In Ps. cxlv., that psalm of praise, where he shews 
him to he good to all his works, and his mercy to be over all his works, 
&c, and what a gracious God and full of compassion he is ; — what is the 
conclusion of his spirit from all this ? ' The Lord will preserve all them 
that love him : but ah the wicked will he destroy.' This he was glad of; 
this soul can sit down at the day of judgment, and think of the glory that 
shall then come in to God from the condemnation of wicked men. As that 
poor woman, who having a most wicked son, whom she dearly loved, once 
upon occasion of a high wickedness of his said, Well, I shall one day rejoice 
that thou shalt be damned, and take part with the glory of God therein. 
And the conviction of so high a strain of grace to be in her soul, of love to 
God (while he knew how well she loved him), was the means of breaking 
that man's heart, and converting him to God. 

He hath also all in God's word afore him, to glorify God for every word 
and passage of it: Ps. lvi. 4, 'In God will I praise his word,' says he. 
And again he hath it, ver. 10, 'In God will I praise his word ; ' for all his 
promises, for all his threatenings, and execution of threatenings, though upon 
himself, according to his word. ' Good is the word of the Lord,' when it 
was against him and his family, and the whole nation, said good Hezekiah, 
2 Kings xx. 19. Above all, he loves God's salvation that is therein. 'Let 
all such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified,' 
Ps. xl. 16. One would think that this should be self-love alone makes us 
love salvation. Ay, but they love it, because it is his, ' that love thy 
salvation ; ' as in Psalm xxi. 1, ' The king shall joy in thy strength, Lord; 
and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.' It is the character of a 
holy saint to love salvation itself; not as his own only, but as God's, as 
God's that saves him. 

Again, this soul can rejoice in all that is in God himself, and heartily 
rejoice ; and Oh what an infinite privilege, and how blessed a frame ot 
heart is it, for the poor creature to be wound up so high, as not only to 
rejoice in hope of glory, ' but we rejoice in God,' Rom. v. 11, to re- 
joice therein, more than in its own happiness. And therefore you have it 
so often, when praising God is mentioned, that there is rejoicing also ; it 
does accompany it, Ps. civ. 33, 34, ' I will sing unto the Lord as long as 
I live ; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. My medita- 
tion of him shall be sweet ; I will be glad in the Lord.' In Ps. xliii. 4, 
' I will go unto God, my exceeding joy ; yea, upon the harp will I praise 
thee, God my God.' In the Hebrew it is, ' the top of my joy,' ' the joy 
of my joy.' You find them also, when they are in this praising frame, to 
make their boast in God. Ps. xxxiv. 1, 2, ' I will bless the Lord at all 
times : his praise shall be continually in my mouth. My soul shall make 
her boast of the Lord.' Likewise in Ps. lxviii. 3, there they are also 
joined, ' Let the righteous be glad : let them rejoice before God ; yea, let 
him exceedingly rejoice.' Then follows, ' Sing unto God, sing praise to 
his name : extol him that rides upon the heavens by his name JAH, and 
rejoice before him.' And, ver. 33, ' To him who rideth upon the heaven 
of heavens, which were of old.' 

This soul, as those will rejoice in God, so exult in giving those praises 
to God. Ps. xcii. 1, ' It is a good thing to sing praises unto thy name, 
Most High ; ' and he founds it upon this, ' For thou, Lord, hast made me 
glad through thy works.' It is 'a good thing,' that is, it is a sweet and 
pleasant thing, even praise itself is. Ps. exxxv. 3, ' Praise ye the Lord ; 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 393 

for the Lord is good : sing praiso to his name ; for it is pleasant,' Ps. 
cxlvii. 1, ' Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praise to God; for it 
is pleasant ; and praise is comely.' 

David speaks it as the joy of his soul, that he should yet live to praiso 
him ; and he yet shall praise him more and more, Ps. xliii. 4, 5. He ex- 
prcsseth it as his greatest ambition and delight of soul, that ho should live 
yet to praise him. 

He does this with his whole heart. Ps. ix. 1, 2, ' I will praiso thee, 
Lord, with my whole heart ; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I 
will be glad and rejoico in thee : I will sing praise to thy name, thou most 
High.' And therefore in praising of him, you find, they say, ' Amen and 
amen,' as in Ps. xli. 13, and Ps. Ixxii. 19, which shews all heartiness. 

That soul can go over all ages past, and be affected with the praises that 
have been given to God by the saints and angels in all ages. To read the 
psalms, wherein David and the psalmists praise him. To read in the Re- 
velation how the angels, the four and twenty elders, and the four beasts, 
and all creatures praise him. He can begin and sit down with the angels, 
those bright morning stars, that began so early to praise God for the 
creation of the'world. Job xxxviii. 7, • Then the morning stars sang to- 
gether, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' And he can shout with 
them that they then did so. He can^then sit down in the ark with Noah, 
and glorify God with him, for that ' the Lord sat at the flood,' Ps. xxix. 10. 
So most interpreters render it, and interpret it, that he sat as a judge, 
taking vengeance on the old world, and ungodly, after so much longsufl'er- 
ing : and sat on the throne of mercy, preserving Noah, that righteous one, 
and thus the Chaldee paraphrase on it. And that which follows confirms 
it ; ' Yea, the Lord sat king for ever.' He did that great act once, and 
ever since he hath held being king, and will do so to everlasting. This 
man can join with Miriam and Moses at the Red Sea, Ex. xv., and sing the 
song of Moses and of the Lamb, as they do, Rev. xv. He can bear a part 
with Hannah, and all those psalmodists in their elogiums and high exalta- 
tions of God; even as the psalmist, we find, did join with Moses in cele- 
brating his praise for his wonders then done in Egypt, and in the Red Sea. 
His heart falls in with those angels' song, when they proclaimed the birth 
of our Redeemer ; ' Glory to God on high, peace on eai*th, good will towards 
men.' Yea, as one well says, Aures habet ad audiendam ccelorum pradica- 
tionem.* He hath ears to hear the heavens declaring the glory of God, and 
his soul can make music on it ; for thus we read, Rev. v., when ' every 
creature,' ver. 13, ' that is in the heavens, and in the earth, &c, said, 
Blessing, honour, power, and glory be unto him that sits upon the throne, 
and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever,' that ' the four beasts said, Amen. 
And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that lives for 
ever and ever ; ' they fell in with them. And as a further ground for this 
latter branch, we find the angels hearing the saints of mankind giving praise 
to God, and saying, ' Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and 
to the Lamb.' We find that all the angels that stood round about the 
throne, that they ' fell down before the throne on then- faces, and worshipped 
God, saying, Amen.' They join with the song that the saints of men sung 
unto God, though they were not concerned in it ; not in salvation, for they 
fell not, yet they say, ' Amen ;' and then they add of their own, ' Blessing, 
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and 
might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.' And where there is 
* Musculus on Ps. lxxxix. 5. 



394 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK I. 

such a frame of spirit raised in the heart of a man filled with the glory of 
God, as the angels fall in with our song, we can fall in with theirs, and 
with that of all the creatures. 



CHAPTER VII. 

The glory of God which appears in his kingdom and universal dominion, whereby 
he )itles over all; as it is described in Ps. lxxxix., from ver. 6 to ver. 15. 

Here begins a magnificent description of God as King, and his kingdom ; 
for so expressly in the conclusion of this description he is styled, ver. 18, 
' Our King.' And the intent of this I have elsewhere shewn to have this 
end and purpose, of setting out what a king Christ his Son should be, and 
what a kingdom and throne his Father would estate him unto, for the grand 
promise of this psalm, so often solemnly made and repeated, being of a 
throne, under the type and shadow of David, and of Christ's being his seed, 
unto Christ his Son. It begins, 

Ver. 6. ' For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord ? "Who 
among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord ?' 

He first sets out the incomparable glory and excellency of his person to 
be such as that he is a King above all kings, whether in heaven (for there 
are thrones, which notes kingly dignity as well as dominions among the 
angels, Col. i. 16), or whether on earth, and that he is worthily, for his 
personal excellencies, the ' only Potentate,' 1 Tim. vi. 15 ; and his exalta- 
tion of him as such is carried so high above them, as he will not deign so 
much as a comparison with them ; but that he surpasseth all, or the least 
comparison to be made with him, 1. So far above the angels that who in 
the heavens can be compared to him ? The heathen philosophers and 
wisest of them admired, worshipped the angels (as some pseudo- Christians, 
induced by their doctrines, afterward did the like, as Col. ii. shews). Then, 
2dly, on earth he brings in the sons of the mighty, by which I understand 
the great heroes and worthies of the sons of men, the potent mighty ones, 
as kings, and those that descend from them, whom men cry up as bene- 
factors (Luke xxii. 25), whilst living, and when dead, the heathens did 
rank them among the gods, and worship them also.* 

And then the Jews themselves had the persons of their heroes, as Moses, 
David, Solomon, &c, in too high an admiration (whose renown was also 
spread over the whole earth), and did too much boast of them, as the glory 
of their nation, and had relied too much upon David's house, that it would 

* I rather understand, with Piscator and others, by ' sons of the mighty ' to be 
meant the great ones of the earth, than of the angels, as others would, because of the 
like correspondent distinction held in the verse afore, of the heavens, and saints on 
earth, continued also in this. As also, because this style, sons of the mighty, or 
of the gods, is nowhere given to the angels, although they are styled the sons of 
God, as in Job, because they are such by creation (for which respect even Adam is 
also called the 'son of God,' Luke iii. 38). Who though, because they excel in 
strength (as the psalmist of them) are therefore styled the ' mighty ones,' Ps, lxxviii. 
25, yet nowhere sons of the gods, or mighty, which is a phra.se peculiar to men, 
connotating propagation from such men as are gods and mighty ones in the earth ; 
thus, Ps. xxix. 1, ' Give unto the Lord, ye sons of the mighty,' &c. That is, you 
nobles, great ones, and potentates of the earth, descended from them that were such ; 
whereas the angels' nature knows not propagation, for which they should be thus 
styled. 



Chap. VII.] and his son jksus curist. 39.j 

be answerable in future ages unto so happy beginnings of David and Solo- 
mon, which the prophet here (living in ltehoboam's time) began to see to 
fall short. Thereupon says the prophet, whether among angels or spirits 
of holy souls in the heavens, or the sons of the mighty on earth, the best 
and greatest that ever were, there is not one, no, nor all of them put to- 
gether, that hath the least shadow of worth, to be so much as named, by 
way of comparison, when God is spoken of: for so the manage of the 
words import. He says not, ' there is no god like unto the Lord ' (as yet 
elsewhere we have it), but ' who can be compared and likened ?' &c, God 
is so much and so infinitely beyond them all. I said, there is not the least 
shadow for them to enter into the lists of this comparison. And the Dutch 
have translated those words, ' Who can be compared ?' thus, ' Who can be 
shadowed with him ?' that is, they are not worthy to be accounted shadows 
unto such a comparison with him. 

The intent of which is to set forth how great a king in his own person he 
is that is our King, as God (as he is in himself considered) is understood 
to be ; as also to magnify that infinite grace and condescension of a God 
so great, to be the gracious founder of so wonderful mercies, and of such a 
covenant of grace to the sons of men ; for that is the argument he drives 
on all along. 

This for the first, how great a God and King he is in his own person 
simply considered. 

2. Ver. 7. From his extolment of him in his person so far above all 
kings, &c, he proceeds to his kingdom. And in the seventh verse he 
begins that with a delineation of his court ; and how he hath erected a 
palace, and so presents him as surrounded with courtiers, and attendants 
' round about him.' ' God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the 
saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.' This 
is exactly done in similitude to the mode and manner of kings on earth, 
and correspondent unto the scheme or description here. You find (if you 
compare it) that of God's throne set forth in the 5th and 7th chapters of 
the Revelation, where the Lamb had his commission given him, to be God's 
King, or God's Viceroy, where you see how his angels and saints ' stand 
round about him.' The like posture of this assembly you read in the Old 
Testament, 1 Kings xxii. 19, and more fully and expressly of whom it con- 
sists in the New, Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24, ' But ye are come unto mount Sion, 
and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an in- 
numerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the 
first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and 
to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the 
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things 
than that of Abel.' And that as from thence he administers the grand 
affairs of his kingdom the Scriptures do abundantly testify. 

And by setting out this solemnity of his court in heaven, he declares how 
great a king he is, and how greatly dreadful he is unto those glorious spirits 
that are nearest to him. However he is disregarded by men on earth, yet 
in heaven he is greatly feared and in reverence of them that know him best, 
that stand round about him, beholding his face, being also ready pressed 
to execute his will when it is signified by the least nutiis, or cast, and dis- 
covery of his countenance. 

And yet, though he useth these angels as ' ministering spirits, sent forth 
to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,' Heb. i. 14, yet the 
psalmist further presents him as potent of himself alone, to execute and do 



396 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

all whatever, which for these heirs of his covenant he hath a mind to do, 
and withal a faithfulness joined therewith to move him thereunto, as ver. 8 
hath it, ' But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, God, is for ever and 
ever ; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom;' who yet 
is pleased to employ that glorious company of angels that are round about 
him, in the outward administration and affairs belonging to this kingdom, 
whilst himself by his Spirit works and doth all as to the inward effects in 
his children's spirits. But this external kingdom (visible to those that are 
with him in heaven) he manageth as kings, at and from their courts, use 
to do : which course and way, as for other reasons he chose to do, because 
his Son whom he would give it unto, being to be a Son of man, and a 
visible king, he provided for him, to shew his sublimity, the state and 
grandeur of a visible king : ' Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right 
hand of God, angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto 
him,' 1 Pet. hi. 22. 'And hath put all things in subjection under his feet,' 
Heb. ii. 

From hence, therefore, the psalmist descends to set out God's absolute 
dominion (as the only potentate) which he hath over all things that are in 
these lower parts of his dominion, which are his footstool ; as, namely, 
over these visible heavens, the suburbs of those higher, and over the earth, 
ver. 9, ' Thou rulest the raging of the sea : when the waves thereof arise, 
thou stillest them. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : as for 
the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. The north and 
the south thou hast created them : Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy 
name.' And in this latter passage he quarters forth the world, the north 
and the south ; and Tabor and Hermon, which two stood east and west, to 
shew that his power reacheth to every nook and corner of the world. And 
for a manifest invincible evidence of his power in these lower parts of domi- 
mion (this world), he gives instance of one sort of sovereign acts, which suf- 
ficiently argue his power over all things else whatsoever here below. And 
those acts too, such as were done in performance of, and to make good his 
covenant promised to Abraham (for the mercies of his covenant are the 
thing he prosecutes) ; they are his wonders wrought in Egypt, and at the 
Red Sea, rescuing his people from thence by an outstretched arm : ver. 
9, 10, ' Thou rulest the raging of the sea : when the waves thereof rise, 
thou stillest them. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is 
slain : thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.' 

The psalmist still goes on to set forth the glory of this King and king- 
dom by allusions answerable to what the pomp and state of kings doth 
lie.* And indeed the highest glories of the Most High (as he is a King) 
are yet to follow, which lie in this, that his own internal essential attri- 
butes, and personal excellencies, are all-sufficient to constitute him a King, 
and then to support his greatness, and to hold forth and express a majesty 
and splendour, such as alone doth render him dreadful, and to be revered 
of all that are about him, so as he needeth not anything outward, no addi- 
tional glory or ensign of majesty ; but himself and his own divine perfec- 

* Propheta ad regni insignia vel pompas alludens, elicit judicium et justitiam esse 
fulturam solii ejus : clementiam et veritatem esse apparitores : acsi diceret, Loco pur- 
purse, vel diadematis, vel sceptri, his insignibus ornari Deum, quod Justus sit, ct saquTia 
mundi judex, misericors pater, lidelis suorum protector. Nam cpria terrenis i (.'gibus 
non suppetit intrinseca dignitas, aliunde earn mutuant. Deus autem, qui sc uno 
contentus, nullis adminiculis indiget, splendorem imaginis sua? in justitia, bonitate, 
et veritate sua nobis proponit. — Calvin, in loc. 



Chap. VII. ! and his son jesus christ. 397 

tions are instead and beyond all such foreign ornaments. That whereas 
earthly kings (their persons being mortal, &c, as other men) do therefore 
need accessory circumstances of state and grandeur, robes of purple, crowns 
of gold, enriched with most precious stones, with which Solomon was clothed 
in all royalty, sceptres also, and maces of honour, and swords to be carried 
afore them, also thrones and canopies of state, &c, and all to dazzle the 
eyes, and beget a reverence and dread in them that are about them, or in 
others of their subjects. But our great God and King hath no need of any 
of these things, no outward thing to greaten or assist him. Now the attri- 
butes he mentions are four, or of four ranks. 

First, in ver. 14, you read that 'justice and judgment' (that is, righteous- 
ness and righteous administrations) are the establishment (as in the mar- 
gin) of his throne.* He needs not, as Solomon, an artificial throne, lions, 
&c, as Solomon's throne had, and needeth not his subjects' hearts, his 
own justice is sufficient to found and support his throne. 

Secondly, Whereas kings have mace-bearers, and nobles to bear the 
sword, to go afore them, also messengers of state that stand ready to go 
forth to execute any design ; so, God, as in the same 14th verse, ' Mercy 
and truth are before thy face,' either to carry the ensigns (which indeed 
themselves are sufficiently) or as ready to go abroad, tanquam apparitores, 
to effect whatever he w T ould have done in the behalf of his people. Thus 
elsewhere, when David was to be delivered, as in Ps. lvii. 3, ' God shall 
send from heaven,' says he (as from his court and palace). And whom will 
he send '? It follows, ' God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.' 1 
Creatures might fail, but if mercy itself and truth be entrusted to despatch 
his decreed purposes, these will be sure to do it thoroughly and to pur- 
pose, as we say, for the good of his chosen, and the making good of his 
covenant. 

Thirdly, These came down armed with all the power that is in God, ' the 
Lord of Hosts,' to assist them, and so can never fall short of ability for the 
performance : ver. 13 ' Thou hast a mighty arm, strong is thy hand, and 
high is thy right hand.' 

Fourthly, His faithfulness, that is, a constancy to his own resolutions, 
intentions, purposes, and promises of mercy, that in ver. 8 is said to be 
' round about him.' In allusion still unto a king on his throne, in the fore- 
going ver. 7, the angels were said to be round about him ; as also the 
Revelations. But here his own very faithfulness is further said to be round 
about him. A tergo, a f write, a dextra, a sinistra ;\ afore, behind, and 
every way, faithfulness environs him round : no decree, no execution can 
pass from him, but it must pass through his faithfulness. And it is for all 
sureness to us, and our full security, that he is said to have placed it round 
about him as his guard, that so his faithfulness might watch and observe 
whatever passeth as in our behalf, that nothing should be done, or fall out, 
but in very faithfulness to his promises made to his. His fidelity hath an 
eye upon him in every thing, and he hath an eye unto it continually ; for 
let him turn his eyes which way he pleaseth, it is before him. Thus in 
like manner you find ' a rainbow round about his throne,' Rev. iv. 3. The 
rainbow was mercy's remembrancer not to destroy the world, and it was 
typical therein of the covenant of grace, Isa. liv. 8, 9, ' With everlasting 
kindness will I have mercy on thee ; for this is as the waters of Noah to 
me,' &c. And this rainbow being thus continually round about him, he can 
look no way but he is put in mind of mercy in the midst of the most ireful 

* The like you have (speaking of his kingdom), Ps. xcvii. 2. t Calvin. 



398 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

dispensations, as in the same place of Isaiah you have it. And therefore 
he also said, he will ' ever be mindful of his covenant,' Ps. cxi. 5, and so 
of these mercies of his covenant. 

Now all this which is said of God's kingdom is all true of Christ ; his 
own perfections innate in him (being God's Son) have an alike sufficiency 
in him ; his own glory and power, that flow from that union, have ability, 
majesty, &c. sufficient. The apostles say of him, ' We saw his glory, as 
of the only begotten Son of God,' proper to him, and innate in him, as 
such. And the angels they cry aloud, Rev. v. 12, ' Worthy is the Lamb 
that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and 
honour, and glory, and blessing.' 

Use 1. We should therefore praise and glorify God, that he is the King, 
the great King, blessedness in himself. You have them both joined why 
we should praise him, Ps. xcv. 3, ' For the Lord is a great God, and a 
great King, above all gods.' You have them joined in the Lord's prayer, 
' Hallowed be thy name,' as he is God ; and ' Thy kingdom come,' as he 
is King. In Jer. x. 6, 7, here, as he is God, ' Lord, thou art great ; and 
thy name is great in might ;' and here as he is King; and though there be 
forty other reasons given why he should be King of all the world, here is 
one, ' Who would not fear thee, King of nations ? for to thee doth it 
appertain : forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in 
all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.' Aristotle says, A super- 
excellency in a man was it that made him a king ; as if he had said, 
Lord, if thou lay down thy place, there is no wise man in the world can 
order and rule it as thou dost, to thee it appertains. And, ver. 10, he 
tells you plainly, he is both ' the true God and the living God, and an ever- 
lasting King.' You see he blesses him, for that he is blessed in him- 
self. Now, what is blessedness ? A confluence of all bappiness and glory 
that he hath, and that wholly in himself, he needs nothing ; for this he 
gives glory to him. So Paul doth, Rom. i., when he had told them how the 
Gentiles dishonour God, and abuse him, ' changing the glory of the uncor- 
ruptible God into,' &c. Ver. 25, his spirit breaks out, ' Who is blessed 
for ever ;' and what does he add ? Amen. What is omen ? So be it ; 
let him be blessed, let him enjoy it. Amen is a wish, so it may be. The 
like you have, Rom. ix. 5, speaking of Cbrist, ' Who is over all, God 
blessed for ever. Amen.' 

Use 2. As a King, we are to bless and praise him. Truly you will say 
to me, that his being a King relates to what he is to the creature, not unto 
what he is in himself. I yield it ; it refers unto what relation it hath to the 
creature : yet let me say, that to be tbe King of all is proper, it is essen- 
tial to him. To me that Scripture argues thus much, Ps. xciii. 1, ' The 
Lord reigns ; he is clothed with majesty ; the Lord is clothed with strength, 
wherewith he hath girded himself.' Ver. 2, ' Thy throne is established of 
old ; thou art from everlasting.' 

* From then' (as the word is) ' thou art from everlasting.' His throne 
was established from then, from of old; and it is as old as himself. It is 
not only when he says, ' Thou art from everlasting,' that God is everlasting, 
but it relates to his throne. The same you have in Prov. viii. 22, ' The 
Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.' 
The Lord was King before the world was. We use to say of a man of a 
great and high spirit, he hath a kingdom in himself. To be sure God had. 
Why ? He had frames and models of worlds, and could have made millions 
of worlds ; and what not ? He disposeth of all that he hath made ; Isa. 



CUAP. VII.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 399 

xliv. G, 7, • Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the 
Lord of hosts ; I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is 
no god. And who is like me, that shall call, and sh;ill declare it, and Bi I 
it in order before me, since I appointed the ancient people ? and the things 
that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.' A king is not 
a king only in proclamations and executions, but in councils, in ordering 
things in his court. He was thus a King from everlasting. Antiquity of 
kings doth ennoble ; as it is said, Isa. xix. 11, ' How say ye' to Pharaoh, 
' I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings ?' 

This is a subject of a world of praise ; as also in the Revelations, that 
God is a King of kings, is a matter of great exultation to God. Look 
Ps. cxlv., which is a ' Psalm of praise, the title is so ; it begins thus, ' I 
will extol thee, my God, King ; and I will bless thy name for ever and 
ever.' Ver. 10, 11, 12, 13, ' All thy works shall praise thee, Lord ; and 
thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom ; 
and talk of thy power ; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, 
and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting 
kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.' And 
therefore you find in the psalms, the psalmist bids them proclaim it : ' The 
Lord is King, and reigns in the world,' as the best news they ever heard, 
or that ever could be told them ; as in Ps. xcvi. 10, ' Say among the hea- 
then, The Lord reigneth ; ' make proclamation of it, that the Lord reigns ; 
1 the world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved.' Ver. 11, 
' Let the heavens rejoice,' that the Lord reigns, ' and let the earth be 
glad : let the field be joyful, and all that is therein ; then shall all the trees 
of the wood rejoice. Let the sea roar;' you fishes that have no tongues, 
you are mute, yet speak and roar out now, that God reigns ; as Christ 
says, that the very stones would speak : ' Let the floods clap their hands ; 
let the hills be joyful together,' Ps. xcviii. 8. Or, as elsewhere, ' let them 
skip and dance,' that God is King, that he is the King of kings, that he 
reigns. But especially let his church do it, Ps. xcvii. The church espe- 
cially hath a share in this, ' thy judgments are made manifest ; ' as Rev. xv., 
• Thou art King, and King of saints ; ' 'let the heavens declare his righteous- 
ness, and all the people see his glory,' ver. 6 ; ' worship him, all ye gods,' 
ver. 7, gods or angels, and this because he is so high and great a King. 
And you poor souls that are here below, and under oppression, sowing 
tears, before this kingdom breaks out (says he), there is light sown for you : 
ver. 11, ' Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 
Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous ; and give thanks to the remembrance of 
his holiness,' ver. 12. This is because he is King. 

I will now explain to you the frame of such a soul, as is wound up to 
God, to give glory to God for what was in himself ; and will describe the 
many dispositions that soid hath. 

First, Such a soul sees so much of the glory of God, as it is at a loss 
what praise to give him. It knows not how to praise and glorify him 
enough. As it is said of his benefits, which is a lower praise given to him, 
Ps. cxvi. 12, ' "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards 
me ? ' Thus also Paul, 1 Thess. hi. 9, ' What thanks can we render to 
God again for you ? ' But if the glory of God come in, it is above all your 
blessing and praise. Neh. ix. 5, ' Blessed be thy glorious name, which 
is exalted above all blessing and praise.' That a soul is at such a loss you 
may see it in the psalms. 

i. See the variety of expression the psalmist goes about to utter it by; 



400 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, , r BoOK I. 

sometimes he calls it praise, and then glorifying ; Ps. lxxxvi. 12, ' I will 
praise thee, Lord my God, with all my heart ; and I will glorify thy name 
for evermore.' And sometimes singing. But he says it over, and over, and 
over, and over ; Ps. xlvii. 6, 7, 8, ' Sing praises to God, sing praises ; sing 
praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth ; 
sing you praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen ; God 
sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.' He doubles it, and doubles it, to 
shew the vehemency of his soul ; he could not sing loud enough, Sing, sing, 
sing, sing, four times in one verse. And sometimes, ' a new song ; ' Ps. 
xxxiii. 3, ' Sing unto him a new song.' I have praised him formerly, and 
sung to him, but all my old songs are not good enough. 
" Sometimes he expresses it by ' shouting for joy ; ' Ps. xxxii. 11, ' Be glad 
in the Lord, ye righteous : and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in 
heart.' Ps. xxxiii. 3, ' Play skilfully with a loud noise.' And extol him ; 
Ps. xxx. 1, ' I will extol thee, Lord.' And magnify him ; Ps. xxxiv. 3, 
' magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.' Some- 
times, ' I will greatly praise the Lord ; ' and because praise is too low a 
word, says he, ' let us make his praise glorious ; ' Ps. lxvi. 2, ' Sing forth 
the honour of his name ; make his praise glorious.' Let us give him no 
other than glorious praise. 

As he useth this variety of expression, which shews he knew not what to 
do or say, so he doth not know what to speak of God whilst he praises him, 
what words to use ; and therefore he carries it off in so great a superlative ; 
Ps. lxxvii. 13, « Who is so great a God as our God ? ' ' Who shall not fear 
thee, Lord, thou King of nations ? ' Rev. xv. 4. And he hath it out of 
Jer. x. 6, ' There is none like unto thee, Lord : thou art great, and thy 
name is great in might.' Ver. 7, ' Who would not fear thee, King of 
nations ?' In Ps. cvi. 2, he puts all the creatures into a stand at it, ' Who 
can utter the mighty acts of the Lord ? Who can shew forth all his praise ?' 
Alas ! ver. 3, ' Blessed be they that keep judgment,' that can be holy. 
Who can shew forth all his praise ? Praise him we cannot. 

And sometimes he useth this language, ' Be exalted above the heavens ; 
and let thy glory be above all the earth,' Ps. lvii. 11. And the God that 
rides on the heavens : Ps. Ixviii. 4, 33, ' Sing unto God, sing praises to his 
name ; extol him that rideth upon the heavens, by his name JAH, and 
rejoice before him.' ' To him which rideth upon the heavens of heavens, 
which were of old.' Praise him under that notion. Insomuch as in deed 
and in truth we find these strains in the psalmist, that he knew not how to 
set him out with words enough ; he leaves it to his own self, for himself to 
do it, for the creatures cannot do it. Ps. xxi. 13. Glorify thyself in thy 
own strength, in thine own excellency, for the creature cannot do it. Such 
a soul as David was, is enlarged to talk high of God ; Ps. lxxxvi. 12, ' I 
will praise thee, Lord my God, with all my heart ; I will glorify thy 
name for evermore.' Alas ! poor creature, how canst thou praise him for 
evermore ? A soul fired with desires to praise God, it burns after both 
more perfect things and more lasting than it is able to perform. ' To will 
is present with it,' &c. See but the Teachings and roamings of such a soul, 
how it swells in desires to glorify God ! 

First, That soul in such a frame does extend itself to praise God in all 
times. 

1. In all seasons, that is, when any occasion shall be given ; Ps. xxxiv. 1, 
' I will bless the Lord at all times,' that is (as I take it), at all seasons. 

2. His heart goes further : ' His praise shall be continually in my mouth,' 



ClIAP. VII.J AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 401 

he would be doing it continually; Ps. Ixxxiv. 4, ' They will be still praising 
thee,' at all seasons of the day, morning, evening, and night ; Pi. xcii. 2, 
* To shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness 
every night;' Ps. cxlv. 1, 2, ' I will extol thee, my God, King; and I 
will bless thy name for ever and ever : every day will I bless thee ; and I 
will praise thy name for ever and ever.' In other psalms, ' I will bless 
thee while I live,' Ps. lxiii. 4. Ps. civ. 33, ' I will sing unto the Lord as 
long as I live : I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.' But 
this is but for this life : but ' I will praise the Lord for ever and ever,' says 
David, Ps. civ. 2. ' I will make thy name to be remembered in all gene- 
rations : therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever,' Ps. xlv. 17. 
Such a soul is so enlarged, as, if it were possible for him to do it, he would 
contract all the praises due to God in all ages into an instant, and give him 
all at once, such are the enlarged rooms and desires of his spirit. that 
I could contract (thinks that soul) all the glory that is due to God, and 
that I can give to God to eternity, that I could give it him in one moment ! 
Ps. cvi. 48, ' Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to ever- 
lasting : and let all the people,' in the world, ' say, Amen. Praise ye the 
Lord.' Thus this poor soul doth reach, and the reason is, because he is 
so great a God for ever, and therefore he would praise him as for ever. 
Thus in Eph. iii. 21, where Paul gives glory to God, ' To him be glory in 
the church through Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.' 
So Jude also, ' To him be glory now and ever. Amen,' verse 25. 

3. This soul will rejoice that God hath been celebrated by others, in all 
ages ; Ps. cii. 12, ' But thou, Lord, shalt endure for ever, and thy re- 
membrance unto all generations.' That he hath lived in their praises, 
Ps. xxii. 3, ' thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.' More expressly, 
Ps. cxxxv. 13, ' Thy name, Lord, endureth for ever ; and thy memorial, 
Lord, throughout all generations.' This soul could sit down with angels, 
and take in all their praises, and rejoice that God hath been so celebrated 
and praised in all times. 

4. This soul would extend itself, not only to all times, but to all persons, 
and things, and works of God, to praise him. Oft in the psalms he rejoices 
in God, and calls upon all nations to do it. Ps. xcvi. 1, ' Sing unto the 
Lord all the earth ;' verse 7, ' Give glory to the Lord, ye kindreds of the 
earth, give unto the Lord glory and strength;' verses 11, 12, 'Let the 
heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, let the sea roar,' &c. Alas ! I 
cannot do it, my heart is too narrow ! Ps. lxxii. 18, 19, ' Blessed be the 
Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doth wondrous things, and blessed 
be his glorious name for ever ; and let the whole earth be filled with his 
glory. Amen, and Amen.' Nothing will content him else ; if he could, he 
would fire all creatures to do it ; ' Let the people praise thee, God, let 
all the people praise thee.' So in Ps. c, ' Make a joyful noise unto the 
Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness ; and come before his pre- 
sence with singing.' Ps. cxviii. 1, ' give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is 
good : because his mercy endureth for ever.' He is King everywhere ; 
that they would praise him in all his dominions ! Ps. ciii. 22, ' Bless the 
Lord all his works, in all places of his dominion,' in every nook and corner 
of the world ; verse 20, ' Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, that excel in 
strength, and do his commandments.' Begin you to bless God ! What 
had he to do to call upon angels ? It is as ii* he had said, Alas ! poor 
creature, I have not strength ; you angels that excel in strength, do you 
bless the Lord ; it is better than to do his will, it is your greatest excel- 

VOL. IV. c C 



402 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK I. 

lency. And ver. 21, ' Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts ; ye ministers that 
do his pleasure.' And at last, ' Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places 
of his dominion : and bless the Lord, my soul !' and what a poor little 
thing am I to bless him, so he concludes. And again, Ps. cxiii. 1, 2, 3, 
' Praise ye the Lord. Praise, ye servants of the Lord, praise the name 
of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and 
for evermore. From the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same, 
the Lord's name is to be praised.' He is so full, that himself would (if he 
knew how) wish himself in the midst of a whole congregation of the upright ; 
Ps. cxi. 1, 'Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole 
heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.' Would I 
had a voice to reach the multitude of all nations ! Ps. cviii. 3, ' I will 
praise thee, Lord, among the people : and I will sing praises unto thee 
among the nations.' Nay, before all the kings of the earth, and all angels, 
all gods ; he wisheth such an auditory. Ps. cxxxviii. 1, ' I will praise thee 
with my whole heart ; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.' Our 
Saviour Christ praised him thus in the midst of the church universal. 
Ps. lxxxvi. 1,2,' Bow down thine ear, Lord, hear me ; for I am poor 
and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy ;' the word is, I am thy ser- 
vant, or saint, or accepted. How does he praise God ? most mightily ! 
ver. 8, ' Among the gods there is none like thee, neither are there any works 
like to thy works. Here is a poor man in his need talks thus ; and thou 
that art so great a God, help me in a little- case. In Ps. lxxxix. is an emi- 
nent instance, ver. 52, ' Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and 
Amen.' Says Calvin, there are those that say this verse is foisted in. 
Why ? Because the man was in a great deal of misery in the verses before. 
' Bemember, Lord, the reproach of thy servant ; how I do bear in my bosom 
the reproach of all the mighty people ; wherewith thine enemies have re- 
proached me, Lord ; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of 
thine anointed.' How doth he praise God in this psalm !t and it is there 
made the fruit of his death. ' I will declare thy name unto my brethren : 
in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. You that fear the Lord, 
praise him : all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him ; and fear him, all ye the 
seed of Israel.' You know who said it. what glory does Christ bring to 
God ; ver. 25, ' My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.' The 
matter of his praise is fetched out of God, he fully knew him. And Paul 
wishes, Eph. iii. 21, ' Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, 
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' In the whole church 
universal. 

5. Again, this soul, let it be in the lowest frame that can be, in the 
greatest misery, worst condition, if this frame comes upon it, he will still 
praise God. I have known such as have been in the bottom of hell, and 
there praised God. In Ps. lxxxvi., David praised God when he had been in 
a very pitiful condition, verses 1, 2, 3. Nowhere such praises, as from the 
5th to the 15th verse of this psalm. And, as Calvin well said, might not 
this man as well bless God at last, as he did at first ? ' I will sing of the 
mercies of the Lord for ever ; with my mouth will I make known thy faith- 
fulness to all generations,' &c. When a soul is at the lowest, if the Spirit 
of praise come in upon that soul, he will cry out to God aloud in praising 
him. There is another eminent instance in Ps. xxii. Our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ hung upon the cross ; there he hung, and all the pharisees, the 
bulls came about him ; and says he, ' I cried to thee.' What doth he com- 
* Qu. ' like ' ?— Ed. t That is, Ps. xxii.— Ed. 



Chap. VII. J and his son jusus ciiiust. 403 

fort himself with ? Verse 3, ' But thou art holy, thou that iuhabitcst the 
praises of Israel.' Tho praises given to God are so delightful to God the 
Father, that they are called au habitation to him; and the breadth of 
them, says Christ, this is that which supports me, ' Thou art holy, and in- 
habitest the praises of Israel ;' verse G, ' I am a worm and no man, a re- 
proach of men, and despised of the people ;' but no matter, so thou art 
praised. When tho world was overwhelmed with a deluge of misery, yet 
says the prophet, ' Wherefore glorify you the Lord in the tires,' Is. xxiv. 15. 
In the midst of all the fires round about their ears, they glorified God ; some 
read it ' in the valley,' in the lowest condition they could be in. This soul 
yet rejoices that it shall live to praise him. My brethren, let us pray for 
such a heart as this, that the saints of the Old Testament may not shame 
us that are Christians of the New. 



404 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK. II. 



BOOK II. 

Of the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity. — What his person is, 
considered in himself. — He is the eternal Son of the Father, one God in 
essence with him. — The Son, the second person took the man Jeans into per- 
sonal union with himself; and so Christ is God -man joined into one person. 

And One Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. — 

1 Cor. VIII. G. 



CHAPTER I. 

How greatly it imports us to have a true knowledge of the person of Christ. — 
What his person is. — Tliat he existed from all eternity with God as a per- 
son ; and was not merely a manifestation of the Deity in time, and then only 
existent when he first appeared in the world. 

There are two things imported to us in those words of 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' And 
one Lord Jesus Christ ; ' 

I. His person, ' Jesus Christ.' 

II. His office and relation to us, and unto all the creation, ' One Lord, 
by whom are all things.' 

I. I begin first with the setting forth the substance of his person ; what 
it is, and of what made up is he, this Christ, the Lord, of whom all things 
are. And this is the more necessary (though it be largely handled by 
others), in relation unto those strange and monstrous opinions, which, as 
touching the person of Christ, this age hath produced. Satan being let 
loose, hath preached over his old sermons and notions, read over anew, and 
refined his old lectures, which he had read to those great heresiarchs in the 
primitive times ; who joining philosophical notions about \6yo$, the Word 
(as philosophers had spoken of him), with what the Jewish Cabala had also 
said concerning him, made up another Christ than whom the apostles 
preached. And truly the bottom-cause of men's embracing errors about 
this, hath been the seducement of that specious and alluring principle unto 
man's nature, of being one with God himself, in the highest manner that 
man's vain heart could find ambition within itself to aspire unto. Mistakes 
of union have caused men to shape out such a Christ, as might serve to 
their attaining that high and incommunicable union with God, which they 
have fancied to themselves the creature shall attain ; and hence look, as we 
formerly observed, that to the end they might make way for this, the most 
hellish blasphemy that ever was uttered, that the creatures were and should 
become all one with God himself, partakers of the divine nature ; they 
therefore throw down the three persons in the nature of God, as alone pos- 
sessing that privilege, as those that stood in their way to this preferment. 



Chap. I.] and his son jesus christ. 405 

Which done, they think each of their persons may be God, as well as they 
have been voiced to be. So, out of the same principle, they in like manner 
serve our Lord Jesus Christ's person ; for there must bo no preferment in 
heaven left, which they must not bo capable of, and raised up unto. They 
must be Christ too, and ascend to the height of his throne. 

Yet there being three persons in that divine nature, the man Christ 
Jesus was capable of being one person with one of these ; the personality, 
or to be one in person, might be communicated unto a creature, although 
to be one with God in nature could not, and that is the highest union with 
God the creature is capable of. And had there not been three persons in 
the nature of God, this high union with God had not been neither. And 
then this union with one of these persons is the foundation of all our unions, 
and by virtue of it it is that God descends to communicate himself to other 
creatures (the we in the text), even by uniting himself personally to one 
creature, the man Christ Jesus, and so setting him up the Lord and Christ, 
and choosing us in him ; and he in that his person undertaking for, and 
bearing, and representing our persons, thereby we become one with him, 
and through him with God, in our measure, and in a subordination to 
him, according to that, John xiv. 20, ' At that day ye shall know that I am 
in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.' 

Now in order to clear this distinction of union with God on Christ's part, 
from that of ours through Christ. As I have shewed, God was an infinite, 
pure being, distinct from the creature, and standing out from those dregs of 
the creatures into which the fancies of men would drench him, and mingle 
him with their mud ; so we must now extricate the person of Christ also 
from the like entanglements, and vindicate the transcendency of his union 
with God, and distance of his person from ours. And then all unions left 
below him are left free for us to attain, and shall be obtained by us. And 
for the discovery hereof, I am first in pursuit of this, What the person of 
Christ is ; what he consists of. 

The great weight and moment of the true and right knowledge of the 
person of Christ, will be evident by a consideration of these two texts of 
Scripture compared together : Mat. xxii. 42, ' Jesus said unto them, What 
think ye of Christ ? Whose Son is he ?' compared with Mat. xvi. 13-18, 
' When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his dis- 
ciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am ? And they 
said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist ; some, Elias ; and others, 
Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye 
that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the 
Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed 
art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, 
but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou 
art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church ; and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it.' 

It is acknowledged by all that profess Christian religion, that Christ is 
the foundation ; yea, and that ' other foundation can no man lay than that 
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,' 1 Cor. iii. 11. But let all know that 
it is as much a foundation, and as absolutely necessary ' to know and be- 
lieve him that is true ' (as John's word is, 1 John v. 20), the true Christ, 
that is, the true person, who and what he is, and not ' another Jesus ;' 
that is, not to mistake his person. Which mistake, or error persona, is 
either, 1, When men know not, or do not acknowledge, the individual per- 
son, who he is. Or 2, understand not, but mistake what that person is, 



406 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

and what his person consists of; both which are alike necessary to be 
understood aright by us. The necessity first you may see by Christ's 
speech to the Pharisees, John viii. 24, ' If you believe not that I am he,' 
that is, this my individual person to be the he, that is, the Messiah, ' ye 
shall die in your sins.' 

And the necessity of the latter those two his questions, one put to the 
Pharisees, Mat. xxii., and the other to his disciples, Mat. xvi., do also 
argue. 

1. To the Pharisees ; ' What think you of Christ? whose son is he ?' 
Mat. xxii. Here he doth not ask them whether they would acknowledge 
himself to be the Christ, but what manner of person the true Christ should 
be ? And the dint and aim of his question is concerning his person, 
1 Whose son is he ?' which is the true substance of the person of the Mes- 
siah ; thereby to discover to them, and convince them that they erred as 
well in this, what the Christ they looked for should be, as in their not 
taking himself that was afore them to be that person ; and fatally in both. 

2. He catechiseth his disciples, Mat. xvi. 13, ' Whom do men say I am ? 
Whom do ye say I am ?' ver. 15. Which, ver. 16, Peter, in the name of 
the rest, gives answer to, and withal resolves that question which he put 
unto the Pharisees, ' Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.' In which 
he speaks home to both particulars. 

(1.) That he, individually present with them, was the Christ, ' Thou art,' 
&c. 

And (2.) What that Christ was, for the substance of his person, ' Son of 
the living God.' 

And Christ, in his return to this, definitively pronounceth, that the faith 
of both these was the rock which he meant to build his church of the New 
Testament upon. So then, what the person of Christ is, is of the founda- 
tion (being the rock), as well as that, that Jesus was the Christ. 

And let me add, that this being the rock the whole church of the New 
Testament hath been built upon, you therefore may safely join issues in 
your faith with what hath been the faith and doctrine of the whole church 
in all ages, as touching this particular, what his person for the substance of 
it is. In this, I say, of all points else, that promise issues which is made 
to the whole church, answering to this declaration of Christ, Eph. iv. 13, 
that they should ' all come into the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the 
Son of God.' They should all, that were in all ages saved, agree in the 
knowledge of this, in whatever other things they might be found to differ. 
This is the ' Rock of ages.' 

And therefore in this point be wary what you entertain anew, or how you 
vary from the catholic faith of former ages, or in what shall any way make 
his person difier from that person which all the saints have understood him 
to be. 

I shall not go about setly to confute the errors that are abi'oad ; only 
positively set forth that person which the glass of the gospel holds forth. 
And I hope, in the end and conclusion, to give forth that challenge which 
Paul in the like case doth, in that 2 Cor. xi. 4, If he that cometh can shew 
you a better, or greater, or more spiritual Christ (I do not say, shall set 
out our Christ better, but shew you a better Christ), then you shall do well 
to bear with that man, yea, and receive him and his Christ also. 

Again, in the setting forth his person, my scope is not herein to set forth 
the excellency and glory of his person, but the substance of his person. 
And in doing this I shall proceed by degrees, as our apostle John also did, 



Chap. I. ] and his son jesus ciikist. 407 

when ho did set himself to describe him. He doth it by piece-meal, John 
i. 1, 'In the beginning was the Word,' that is his first step ; 'and that 
Word was with God,' that is a second ; ' and the Word in the beginning 
was with God,' that is a third ; ' and the Word was God,' that is a fourth. 
He might have shut them all up in this sentence, ' The Word was God, 
with God, in the beginning.' But he puts it into so many several positive 
assertions ; yea, and begins at the lowest, namely, his having existed, 
' Tho Word was,' and that ' in the beginning.' And then after that tells us 
what he is, a person distinct from God ; he was ' with God,' and yet ' was 
God.' 

I shall proceed in the like method, and set him forth in so many several 
assertions ; whereof each, or most of them, are directed as opposite to some 
error or other about his person which are now abroad in the world. And 
I will begin, as John did, at his existence ; that is, his having been, when 
and how long. And John's first affirmation about him is terminated merely 
upon his existence : ' He was,' says he ; adding withal the circumstance of 
the time of his existence, ' In the beginning.' 

1. Of his existence. When? And how long ? Then of his person ; who, 
&c. And of his existence first, because the true understanding thereof 
will conduce to the knowledge of his person, who he is. 

(1.) He is a person who did actually exist before he came into the world 
and was made flesh ; and that had continued to exist all along the time of 
this world, both in the beginning of it, and before the world was, yea, from 
eternity. 

It is strange that the Socinians should so impudently, in the light of this 
gospel and the Scriptures, say that Christ began but then to exist actually, 
when he was first conceived by the Holy Ghost in the virgin's womb ; and 
that before he had existed but in promise, as the day of judgment doth now. 
As also such who hold Christ to be but the manifestation of God in man's 
flesh. God indeed, say they, was afore ; but Christ, as Christ, being but 
the manifestation of the Godhead in man's nature, existed not until that 
manifestation of God in man's flesh. For the existence of that which is 
only and barely a manifestation, lies only in being the manifestation of 
something that existed afore, but itself not till then. And this is even as 
if a man should say and affirm that what all other men call the sun is all 
one with what we term day, and nothing else ; which you know begins but 
in the morning, and ceaseth at night, and is but the shine and manifesta- 
tion of the sun, when it riseth and appears above our hemisphere, or this 
part of the world. But look, as the sun is a body of light, that exists afore 
it is day with us ; and the appearances of it is that which maketh day, yea, 
is day : so Christ the Sun of righteousness is not the bare manifestation of 
God, but a person that existed with God, yea, and was God, afore that 
manifestation of God made by him in this world. And he is not only the 
bringing in or manifestation of life and immortality which was in God ; but 
himself was that eternal Life which was with the Father, as distinct from 
him, and was manifested to us, 1 John i. 2, so as life and immortality are 
made manifest by his appearing, as of a person that brings it, and manifests 
it with the manifestation of himself, 2 Tim. i. 10. And who also is said 
to ' manifest himself unto us,' as well as the Father, John xiv. 21. 

To confirm this our main assertion, let us trace his existence punctually 
through all times. The Psalmist says of him, Ps. cii. 24, ' Thy years are 
throughout all generations.' Which psalm the apostle quote th of him, 
Heb. i. 10. Let us go from point to point, and see how in particulars the 



408 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEE, [BOOK II. 

Scriptures accord with it. The first joint of time we will begin that chrono- 
logy of his existence withal is that instant afore he was to come into the 
world. 

First, We find him to have existed just afore he came into the world, 
the instance of his conception, Heb. x. 5, in these words, ' Wherefore when 
he comes into the world, says he, A body hast thou prepared me.' Ver. 7, 
' Lo, I come to do thy will, God.' Here is a person distinct from God 
the Father, a me, an I, distinct also from that human nature he was to 
assume, which he terms a ' body prepared.' A person he is that speaks to 
God, as one knowing and understanding what he was about to do ; yea, 
and how it was written of him that he should do, 'In the volume of thy 
book it is written of me,' ver. 7. Therefore besides and afore that human 
nature, there was a divine person that existed, that was not of this world, 
but that came into it, ' when he coineth into the world, he says,' &c, to 
become a part of it, and be manifested in it. 

Secondly, We find him to have existed afore John the Baptist, thi ugh 
John was conceived and born some months afore him. I note these several 
joints of time because the Scripture notes them, and hath set a special mark 
upon them : John i. 15, ' John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This 
was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me ; 
for he was before me.' This priority of existence is that which John doth 
specially give witness unto. And it is priority in existence, for he allegeth 
it as a reason why he was preferred afore him ; ' for he was before me.' 
And therefore these latter words do not note out a priority in dignity, for 
that were to prove idem per idem. And this reason holds strong ; for he is 
such a person as existed afore he was made man or flesh, afore as man he 
was bom ; and so must be more than a man or creature. And then again, 
he doth not say, ' He is before me ;' but speaks in the time past, ' He was 
before me.' And yet, ver. 30, he expresseth it thus, ' There cometh a 
man ' (the same John speaking of Christ) ' which is preferred before me ; 
for he was before me.' Still he runs upon this priority. And yet as a 
man he was not afore John ; for John was the elder as man. Therefore as 
some other person, namely, ' the Son of God ' (as he had entitled him, ver. 
14), or as 'the Word ' (as he had styled him, ver. 1 and so on). 

Thirdly, We find him existing when all the prophets wrote and spake, 
1 Pet. i. 11. The Spirit of Christ is said to have been in all the prophets, 
even as Paul, who came after Christ, also speaks, ' You seek a proof of 
Christ speaking in me,' 2 Cor. xiii. 3. And therefore he himself, whose 
Spirit it was, or whom he sent, must needs exist as a person sending him. 
And particularly of the prophet Isaiah it is said, when he saw his glory, 
Isa. vi. 1, which, John xii. 41, is applied to Christ, and ver. 5, says Isaiah, 
' I am undone, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,' which 
was Christ. 

Fourthly, We find him existing in Moses's time, both because it was he 
that was tempted in the wilderness, ' Neither let us tempt Christ, as some 
of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents,' 1 Cor. x. 9 ; and it 
was Christ that was the person said to be tempted by them, as well as now 
by us, as the word %al, ' as they also,' evidently shews. And it points to 
that angel that was sent with them, Exod. xxiii. 20, 21, in whom the name 
of Gou was, and who as God had the power of pardoning sins: ver. 21, 
' Beware of him, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgres- 
sions ; for my name is in him.' And him that Moses calls Jehovah or 
God, Stephen calls an angel. And there is none to whom are given the 



Chap. I.J and his son jesus ciirist. 409 

name of an angel, and of God, but to Christ. And Stephen says, Acts 
vii. 35, that ' Moses was a ruler and deliverer in the hand of the angel 
which appeared to him in the bush.' And in Heb. xii. 20 there is a com- 
parison made between Moses and Christ ; and Christ is there said to be he 
'whose voice then shook the earth,' ver. 20; and, ver. 25, he is termed 
the - speaker from heaven,' alluding to that place, Exod. xx. 22, God said, 
' You have seen I have talked with you from heaven.' So then Christ 
then existed, and also is God. Yea, further, it is he of whom it is there 
also said, that ' his voice then shook the earth.' Even as he who now 
under the gospel speaks from heaven, and whose voice shakes both earth 
and heaven under the gospel. The same Jesus therefore then existed in 
his power that now. 

Fifth hi, We find him existing in and afore Abraham's time: 'Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am,' John viii. 58. The 
Jews had undervalued him unto Abraham, ' Art thou greater than our 
father Abraham ? ' ver. 53. And whereas he had said thereupon that 
1 Abraham rejoiced to see his day,' ver. 50, which Abraham had done by 
faith ; they will needs cavil, and put this upon him, that he had meant 
he had seen Abraham, and had lived in his time : ' Thou art not fifty 
years old, and hast thou seen Abraham ? ' ver. 57. Christ doth not 
answer as he might, that this was a mere cavil as to what his former 
words did intend or hold forth ; but instead thereof, with a deep assevera- 
tion, affirms what they thought he had absurdly said of himself, namely, 
that he had not only lived in Abraham's time, but long afore. And so 
then* cavil and mistake drew forth from Christ this great truth, as errors 
use to bring forth truth ; and he utters it with the greatest solemnity and 
asseveration, ' Verily, verily,' as being a wonder to utter ; yea, and speaks 
not in ordinary language, as that ' afore Abraham was I was,' but - 1 am,' 
in a correspondency to what God speaks of himself, ' Before the day was, 

I am,' Isa. xliii. 13. We translate it ' I am he,' but word for word it is 

I I am,' signifying thereby that permanent, uninterrupted being of his, 
which is proper to God, as Ps. xc. 2, ' Before the mountains were brought 
forth, thou art.' And Christ's answer in this place was opposite to their 
demand ; they speak of real existence, and in the same sense and respect 
doth Christ answer them. 

Sixthly, We find him existing in the days of Noah, that preacher of 
righteousness, 1 Pet. hi. 19. He says of Christ, that he was ' put to 
death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit.' He evidently distin- 
guisheth of two natures, his divine and human, even as Rom. i. 3, 4 and 
elsewhere (as I shall shew) ; and then declares how by that divine nature, 
which he terms ' Spirit,' in which he was existent in Noah's times, he 
went and preached to those of the old world, whose souls are now in 
prison in hell. Those words, ' in Spirit,' are not put to signify the subject 
of vivification ; for such neither his soul nor Godhead could be said to be, 
for that is not quickened which was not dead ; but for the principal and 
cause of his vivification, which his soul was not, but his Godhead was. 
And besides, by his Spirit is not meant his soul, for that then must be 
supposed to have preached to souls in hell (where these are affirmed to 
be). Now, there is no preaching where there is no capacity of faith. 
But his meaning is, that those persons that lived in Noah's time, and 
were preached unto, their souls or spirits were now, when this was 
written, spirits in prison, that is, in hell. And therefore he also adds 
this word ' sometimes : ' ' who were sometimes disobedient in Noah's day?.' 



410 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK II. 

These words give us to understand that this preaching was performed by 
Noah ministerially, yet by Christ in Noah ; who according to his divine 
person was extant, and went with him, as with Moses, and the church in 
the wilderness, and preached unto them. 

Seventh!}), He was extant at the beginning of the world, ' In the beginning 
was the Word.' In -which words, there being no predicate or attribute 
affirmed of this Word, the sentence or affirmation is terminated or ended 
merely with his existence ; ' he was,' and he was then, ' in the beginning.' 
He mentions not his parents, or time of his birth, but simply that he was. 
He mentions not any king's reign, or such note or worldly time, but simply 
' in the beginning.' And he says not that he was made in the beginning, 
but that ' he was in the beginning.' And it is in the beginning absolutely, 
without any limitation. And therefore Moses's beginning, Gen. i. 1, is 
meant, as also the words after shew, 'All was made by him that was 
made ; ' and, ver. 10, the world he came into was made by him. And as 
from the beginning is usually taken from the first times or infancy of the 
world : ' And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that 
he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female ? ' 
Mat. xix. 4. So Mark xiii. 19. Christ expounds it in the beginning of 
the creation which God created, ' For in those days shall be affliction, such 
as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created, unto this 
time, neither shall be.' So then, when God began to create, then was our 
Christ. And this here is set in opposition (John i. 14) unto the time of 
his being made flesh, lest that should have been thought his beginning. 
And unto this accords that of Heb. i. 10, where, speaking of Christ, out of 
Ps. cii., ' Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the 
earth ; ' so as to be sure he existed then. But further, in Ps. cii. 24, it 
runs thus, ' Thy years are throughout all generations.' We have run, you 
see, through all generations since the creation, and have found his years 
throughout them all. And yet lest that should be taken only of the gene- 
rations of this world, he adds (as Bivet expounds it), ' Before thou laidst 
the foundation of the earth.' 

Eighthly, So then we are come to this, that he hath been before the 
creation, yea, from everlasting. Which, 

First, Is made forth, in that it is said, He was in the beginning (meaning 
of the creation), and therefore from everlasting. The consequence of which 
appears, 

Both because there was but that one beginning of producing things by 
God, and so what was then must needs be before ; yea, from everlasting, 
as having had no beginning. The angels were not afore that beginning 
mentioned by Moses. For it is said, Exod. xx. 11, ' God made heaven 
and earth, and all that in them is,' whereof the angels are part. And, 
Mark xiii. 19, it is termed the 'beginning of the creation which God 
created ; ' and so of the creation of anything whatever that God made. So 
then Christ must needs have had no beginning afore, as well as that he 
existed then. 

And, in Scripture phrase, ' in,' or ' from the beginning,' is used to express 
eternity : ' From the beginning, when the day was, I am,' Isa. xliii. 13. 
So they read it ; that is, from eternity. 

But if that will not carry it, you have it more express, ' The Lord pos- 
sessed me afore his works of old,' Prov. viii. 22 ; it is spoken of Christ. 
Now, to be sure, by that phrase of being afore his works, even God's 
eternity is expressed thereby : ' Before the mountains were brought forth, 



Chap. I.] and his bon jxsus ohbist. 411 

or ever thou hadst formed the earth mid the world, even from everlasting 
to everlasting, thou art God,' Ps. xc. 2. 

But, Ninthly, If you would have his eternity yet more express, see Heb. 
vii. 3, where mentioning Melchisedec, Christ's type, he renders him to 
have been his type in this — ' Without father, without mother, without descent, 
having neither Beginning of days, nor end of life ; but, made like unto the 
Son of God, abideth a priest continually.' Where his meaning is to declare 
that, look what Melchisedec was typice, or umbraliter, in a shadow, that our 
Christ was really and substantially. It is the manner and custom of all 
historians, yea, and of Moses in that sacred story of his, if they bring in 
any person more eminent, and as perfonning any more excellent exploit, to 
relate his parents, his descent, whom he came of, and what became of him. 
And this Moses had been careful and diligent to relate of all the patriarchs, 
telling us whose sons they were, rehearsing their genealogy, how many 
years they lived, and how then they died. Which is especially observable 
in that short catalogue, Gen. v. In the close it is added of every one, 
1 and he died,' when he relates little else. But this Melchisedec was a man 
greater in dignity, in office, than any of the patriarchs (for whom would 
yourselves pitch on as the greatest of all that Moses wrote of, but Abraham, 
the father of all the faithful ?). ' Now' (says the apostle, ver. 4), ' consider 
how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the 
tenth of the spoils,' yea (as ver. 5), greater than allj the tribes ; and so the 
whole nation of the Jews, and people of God that followed. For whereas 
all the other tribes paid tithes to Levi (says the apostle here), Levi and 
all the tribes paid tithes to him in Abraham's loins. Yea, and ver. 6, 
• This man blessed him,' namely Abraham, ' who had the promises for him- 
self and all his seed. And without all contradiction, the lesser is blessed 
of the greater,' ver. 7. Now when Moses had in his story brought upon 
the stage a man thus heightened and sublimated, which would for ever set 
all curious thoughts on longing to know who and what this man was, what 
his original was, what his end, who his parents, &c, he causeth him, as 
it were, on a sudden to vanish, contrary to his wont concerning other 
persons, as if he had been a man dropped out of the clouds, telling (as we 
say) neither whence he came, nor whither he would go. Paul, that observed 
this, tells us plainly, that it was consultb, or on purpose done. 

There was a mystery in it, which was to signify the eternity of Christ's 
priesthood and person ; and whereas neither Melchisedec nor any creature 
was or could exist from everlasting, and so in the reality could not have 
wherewith to shadow out Christ's existence from everlasting, therefore it 
is signified by silence, or omission, there being nothing in the story that 
hints his original or beginning ; and so it was, as if he had had no begin- 
ning : and it being setly and on purpose done, it had intentionally this 
secret mystery in it. There was nothing in Christ, but some type or other 
was ordained some way or other to shadow it. And when the matter was 
such as could not in the kind or reality be personated, it was done by that 
which might most nearly shadow it. As the sacrifice of his body was by 
the burnt-offerings of beasts, but for the sacrifice of his reasonable soul 
under the wrath of God, there was not any thing in the sacrificing of a 
beast, of like kind, which could shadow it out, yet God appointed that which 
was as near in resemblance as might be ; and that was the pouring forth of 
the blood, in which was the soul of life, signifying the pouring forth of his 
soul as an offering for sin, as Isaiah speaks, Isa. liii. 10, 12. Now so here, 
there being nothing in respect of any real existence from eternity that any 



412 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

man was capable of, therefore an historical eternity is given him, by way 
of silence concerning his birth, &c. So as he was (as the text there hath 
it) ' made like to the Son of God ;' that is, rendered, in respect of what 
useth to be the course and manner of story, like to him in this respect. As 
in law things that appear not are in value as if they were not,* so here. 
Now in that it is said, ' He was made like to the Son of God,' it imports 
him to have herein been the shadow, the picture of Christ, who is the body 
and substance. God having his Son, and all he was and should be, in his 
eye, did all along the Old Testament draw his picture in the examples of 
all eminences in any person that was extraordinary and transcendent ; 
Christ being really the abstract of them all. Some pieces, or limbs, one 
patriarch affording, others another ; and this of eternity was Melchisedec's 
lot to hold forth, and that in the manner specified. Now that he shadowed 
out the eternity of Christ's person and priesthood for time to come, all 
acknowledge, Socinus himself. Therefore also in the eternity of his person 
for time past, for that is as well put in, ' without beginning of days,' as 
' without end of life.' And so these other attributes, ' without father,' as 
a man, 'without mother,' as God. And 'who can tell his generation?' 
saith Isaiah, chap. liii. 8. All which not only import what he was in 
respect of his priesthood, but of his person ; for the things he takes for 
him are such as are common to all men's persons, as they are men. As 
when he says he was without father or mother, insomuch that whereas 
Adam was without father or mother, yet we read of the beginning of his 
days, it is recorded, and his end of life, but not so of Melchisedec ; and 
so represented in all things differing from all the men that ever were or 
shall be. And further, if that had been his only type, it had not been 
material to shew the eternity of his priesthood, to say he was without father. 
For if Moses had set down his father's name, and withal had shewn that 
his father was not a priest, it had been all one as to that point. So as 
these are spoken chiefly in respect of his person, the subject of this priest- 
hood ; yea, and if his priesthood were from everlasting, his person must 
exist from everlasting ; for these two are joined. Heb. v. 6, ' Thou art my 
Son, this day have I begotten thee ;' and, ' Thou art a priest for ever, 
after the order of Melchisedec' If therefore it signifies the everlastingness 
of the priesthood, a jmrte ante, or from time past, that that hath been for 
ever (and it must so signify, if that other opposite, without end of days, 
signifies the eternity of his priesthood for time to come), then withal it must 
import the eternity of his person, and himself to have been without begin- 
ning of days. 

Lastly, Add to this that in Micah v. 2, ' But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, 
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall 
he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have 
been from of old, from everlasting ;' where he evidently speaks of two births 
Christ had, under the metaphor of going forth : one as man at Bethlehem 
in the fulness of time, the other as Son of God from everlasting. Which 
latter is added on purpose, upon occasion of the prophecy of that other, to 
prevent that thought, that he had not existed afore he was bom or conceived 
at Bethlehem ; and his birth is expressed by that phrase of ' going ' or ' com- 
ing forth,' in both respects. His birth as man, Mat. ii. 6, is so expressed, 
' Out of thee shall come forth,' which, ver. 4, is interpreted to be born. 

And, 2. As Son of God, his goings forth (that is, his birth) are from 
everlasting. And it is termed ' goings forth,' in the plural ; because it is 
* Non entia el non apparentia sequiparantur in jure. 



Chap. I.] and his son jesus christ. 413 

actus continuus, and hath been every moment continued from everlasting. 
As the sun begets light and beams every moment, so God doth his Son. 

So then we have two everlastings attributed to Christ's person ; one to 
come, Heb. i. 10, and another past, here in Micah v. 2. And so as of God 
himself it is said, Ps. xc. 2, ' From everlasting to everlasting thou art God,' 
so also of Christ. 

And to confirm this existence of his yet more ; if you ask where he was 
all that while ? John resolves you, together with this his assertion, that he 
irns : and tells you with whom he was. At the creation, or in the beginning, 
he was 'with God,' when none but God and he were alone, and no creature 
with them ; ' in the bosom of the Father,' John i. 18. And in Prov. viii. 
30, ' Then I was by him as one brought up with him.' And accordingly, 
John xvii. 8, Christ says, ' I came forth from thee,' speaking to his Father; 
and ver. 18, ' Thou didst send me into the world ; ' and John xvi. 28, ' I 
am come forth from the Father, and am come into the world.' 

Now ask the manifestarians, that is, these that say, Christ, as Christ, 
is only a manifestation of God ; How was it when it is said, that he was 
' with God ' in the beginning of the creation, when there was no creature ? 
when, according to them, his sole being (as Christ) is barely a manifesta- 
tion. I ask them to whom he was then a manifestation ? Not to God, 
for, according to them, he is the manifestation of God in us ; and to him 
he needed not be the manifestation of himself in their sense, but to us 
only. Now then we were not, nor any creature to whom he should be 
manifested. 

Use 1. Let believers comfort themselves with this existence of their head 
and redeemer Christ ; 1 John ii. 14, he reckons it up a privilege to raise up 
their hearts withal, ' Ye have known him that is from the beginning,' 
namely, Christ, of whom, 1 John i. 1, 2, he says, 'That which was from 
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of 
life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and 
shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was mani- 
fested unto us)'. This was the great privilege John and the apostles 
boasted of; as it follows, ver. 3, 'That which we have seen and heard 
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.' When 
therefore he saith, ' We have known him that is from the beginning,' it 
carries a great privilege, and confirmation, and establishment of them in 
their faith, and also an exhortation with it. 

(1.) A confirmation of them in their faith, and to see and rejoice in their 
privilege ; and is as if he had said, there cannot be any Christ proposed to 
them that is more ancient, and therefore he is the best, the sole or only 
Christ. As the gospel coming after could not make void the law, so no 
manifestation can put down or excel that which is made of God himself in 
Christ, for it is he that was from the beginning. 

And (2.) it hath an exhortation in it ; that therefore they should always, 
and to the end, that is, for ever, cleave to him. It is he that was from the 
beginning. There can be no other Jesus ; ' The same to-day, yesterday, 
and for ever,' as Heb. xiii. 

Use 2. Embrace him as thy chiefest trer.sure ; for he is being and 
existence itself. ' The world passeth away, and the glory of it : but the 
word of God endures for ever.' If the truth of this written word, then 
much more this substantial Word, the person of Christ, in whom all other 
truths are ' Yea and amen.' He is, I say, existence itself, ' by whom all 



414 THE KNOWLEDGE OP GOD TIIE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

things consist,' Col. i. 17, and ' exist,' Hob. i. 13. And in the text, 
• through whom are all things, and we by him.' And it is faith in us that 
gives a subsistence to him in our souls, we thereby close with him ; Prov. 
viii. 21, Wisdom, that is, Christ exhorting us to embrace him, holds forth 
this promise, ' I cause those that love me to inherit substance.' All other 
things are shadows. And how doth he confirm this to them, that he is 
able to give them substance ? but by this, that he existed before the world 
was ; which is the subject of his discourse for ten whole verses together 
next following, beginning thus : ver. 22, ' The Lord possessed me in the 
beginning of his way, before his works of old : I was set up from everlast- 
ing, ere ever the earth was,' &c. Then only I was ; but God himself 
accounted me as a treasure to himself. ' The Lord possessed me,' ver. 22. 
And therefore I may well be yours. If God esteemed me such to himself, 
you may well do so to yourselves. When the apostle says, ' He that was 
rich, for your sakes became poor,' 2 Cor. viii. 9, it implies him to have 
been infinitely rich afore he came into the world, where it was he was made 
poor, and from his birth born to nothing. And to conclude, as he only is 
existence, so that being you have in him is alone true being. ' Of him ye 
are in Christ Jesus.' 

Use 3. You see how it came to pass, that we who existed not afore the 
world had yet then the promise given, 1 Tim. ii. : ' Grace given us in 
Christ afore the world,' 1 Tim. i. 9 ; and ' chosen in him afore the world 
was,' Eph. i. 4 ; even because that, Christ was a person who then existed, 
and took all the deeds of gift ordained us from God for us. Isa. vi. 9, he 
is styled ' The everlasting Father,' which he had not been if he had not 
existed ; for of all else, to be a father, implies existence at the time when 
he is said to be a father ; for it notes antiquity and priority. As Adam is 
said to be a father in time, so Christ from everlasting ; and as Adam must 
be supposed to exist, when he was a father, so must Christ be supposed 
also. And therefore if an everlasting Father, then he existed in that ever- 
lasting. 



CHAPTER II. 

Who this person ivas that existed from eternity. — The two titles which are 
given to him, as existing before the world was : 1. That he is ' the Word; 
2. ' The Son of God.' — His first title, ' the Word,' imports two things: his 
being eternally begotten of the Father, as the image of his essential glory; 
and that he is given to us by God as his word, whereby he manifests himself. 

You have seen that Christ was a person who existed throughout all 
generations, and from everlasting, before he took flesh. The next inquiry 
is, who he was that had always so existed ; thus as yet I, proceeding by 
degrees, do limit it ; for as concerning what he is upon the assuming human 
nature, that is to follow afterward. 

There are two eminent titles given to Christ, existing before the world, 
and both of them in the first chapter of John: 6 Xoyog, ' the Word,' John 
i. 1, ' In the beginning was the Word,' &c. 2. The ' Son of God,' ver. 14. 
Of whom as such John Baptist thrice aflirmeth he was afore him, ver. 15, 
18, 30, 34. And parallel to this in the Book of Proverbs he is styled ; 1. 
Wisdom, Prov. viii., from ver. 22 to 33. Then, 2. The Son of God. 
' What is his name, and his Son's name, canst thou tell ?' Prov. xxx. 4. 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus christ. 415 

I will not hoar much dispute as concerning the first, whether that title of 
Xoyoj, the Word, bo the title of his person simply considered in himself; 
or whether withal, in respect unto his being ordained the manifestation and 
revelation of. God to us ; yet something must bo said. There are two 
opinions about it. 

First, Some say it imports the divine substance of his person, simply 
considered, and so merely notes out that relation ho hath to his Father, as 
begotten of him ; in respect of which he should be termed the Word. That 
look, what the inward thought, conceptw, conceit or apprehension of the 
mind, is to the mind, being the first-born thereof, and remains within the 
mind itself, and is the image of the mind to itself, though never uttered to 
any other : such, say they, and in such a respect, is the person of Christ 
termed the Word, unto God his Father. Now it is clear, that both in 
the Jewish and Greek language, that which we in English call Word, and 
which we apply only unto speech, doth with them betoken the inward 
thought of the mind. Aristotle distinguished between Xoyoc, s'^w and }.6yo; 
svdu, the external of the mouth and the internal of the mind. Thus also, 
Job xxxii. 18, ' I am full of matter ;' so we translate it. And he speaks of 
his mind or spirit; so it follows, ' My spirit within me is full of matter.' 
Now in the Hebrew it is, ' full of words.' Thus, Dixit in corde, ' The fool 
hath said in his heart,' is put to express the inward thoughts of bad men, 
Ps. xiv. 1 ; as also of good men, Ps. xxxvi. 1 ; for words spoken are but 
thoughts appearing. So that, according to this, the whole object of God's 
inward thoughts and wisdom is here termed the Word, which comprehen- 
sively is Christ. And this notion or ground, why he is termed \6yog, the 
fathers and schoolmen have more generally and greedily entertained, as 
that which was most lively and really expressive of the eternal generation 
of the person of the Son of God. That as the mind, when it would under- 
stand itself, begets within itself an idea or likeness of itself, in which it 
views and understands itself; like as the eye, when it would see and view 
a thing without itself, takes in an image of the thing ; so the mind doth, 
when it knows itself or any other thing. And that thus God, in the know- 
ing of himself, doth beget within himself the image of himself, as, Heb. i. 2, 
Christ is also called. And it is observable that his eternal generation, as 
the Son, should be expressed by the same phrase (and so they should so 
fitly agree) that the production of the thoughts or image in the mind is 
expressed by. The phrase used to express the generation of him as God's 
Son is, that he came forth from the Father, John viii. 42 ; xvi. 28 ; 
xvii. 8. And the same word is used to express the begetting of the thoughts 
and purposes by the mind, and in the mind, Mat. xv. 18. 

But this import of it many of our reformed divines * have been and are 
shy of, as too curious ; and yet, as I have observed, the same authors are 
in other following passages glad to make use of the similitude thereof again 
and again, to express the generation of the Son of God thereby, as most 
apposite and subservient thereunto ; and so might have been glad that the 
Scriptures speak so near thereto. 

There have been two things, among many others, that have made them 
shy to own this, as the Scriptures' intention in this phrase. 

1. That the conceptus, or images in the mind, are accidents, and 
less than the mind itself, as also vanishing and transient, and not of the 
same substance with it, and equal to it, which is dangerous to hold forth 
of Christ. 

* Zauchy, Professorea Leidense3, and others. 



416 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK II. 

But that is easily answered : (1.) That a full similitude, from things 
earthly, holding in all things like, could not be found of this mystery. 
And, (2.) Themselves say of the persons in the divine nature, that they 
being but various modes or manner of subsistings of that one divine 
nature, the Godhead ; that though those several modes in a creature 
would be but accidents, yet in the Godhead they are persons : so why 
not in the case in hand ? That image which in the mind of man is 
but an accident, this in God, and of God himself, is a person equal to 
God. Especially, seeing otherwise, he should not know himself perfectly 
as he is in himself. 

2. The second is, that to say Christ is the Word of the Father, as the 
thoughts or reason, or counsel is the word of the mind, vergeth and 
inclines too much into the notion of Plato, and other heathen philoso- 
phers, who, acknowledging God the maker of this world, conceived of this 
Word of God in God to be no other thing in God than the idea or platform 
of all that which God meant to make. And so, as an artificer having the 
model of a ship or frame of building in his head, that model, or frame, or 
pattern of what he means to make is one thing, and his own being or nature 
as a man is another ; and, indeed, thus did these wise folks, philosophising 
of God's making the world, distinguish between God and this Word in God 
thus : that by God they conceived one person only that enjoyed that divine 
nature to himself, only he having all the creation in him, the pattern of 
all these, or idea of them, according unto which he made them, they 
termed this the Word, or Xoyog, in God's mind ; so making the whole of 
the being or subsistence of that Word in God to be wholly distinct from 
the nature of God as God, and to be only that in God which was the ori- 
ginal and sampler of his creation, and so to be but the head of the creation, 
that is, the top and chief and original of it, and a mere respect thereto. 
This was Plato's Xoyog, or Word ; and I fear is all that others, bringing 
but up old philosophy for new divinity, do intend, by that which they so 
usually cry up and term the ' eternal Word.' 

But that the philosophers meant by the notion of 7.oyog, or the Word, 
no more but the model of the creation, needed not have deterred Chris- 
tians from the owning of this phrase ' the Word,' to intend the image of 
what was, and is, in God, and that as a distinct person that had the true 
nature of the Godhead, and as that which was not in God merely, or only 
the pattern of his creation. 

(1.) If indeed the whole of the image of God's mind, or object of God's 
thoughts and knowledge, had been but the image of the creatures, in which 
God only foresaw what he would or could create, then indeed John's 6 Xoyog, 
or the Word, had been, nor could have been no other than this sampler of 
God's creation ; but the chief object of God's knowledge is himself in the 
first place, and thereby it is he knows all things else he can produce, and 
that at second hand, by first knowing of himself. And indeed if the idea 
or sampler of his creation alone were all the image or object of his know- 
ledge he had in himself of himself, then he should only have but an im- 
perfect knowledge of himself, and such as we have at the lowest of him. 
For to know God but in the creatures, is but that which was in Adam by 
the law of creation ; and we profess to look for a higher, to see God face 
to face, and in himself, which is our perfection. And therefore surely 
God's perfection is to see himself in himself much more. Neither indeed 
can God know himself perfectly, but by such an image of himself as is as 
perfect as himself. We creatures indeed know nothing perfectly, because 



Chap. II. J and nis son* .tesus tutust. 417 

our understandings penetrate not into the tilings themselves, and so we 
know them only by such images as Cull short of the substance of the things 
themselves. Bat God's knowledge is perfect, especially that which he hath 
of himself must be equal to himself. So then, if the import of this phrase, 
- the Word,' relates at all unto God's inward thoughts and apprehensions, 
and the object of them, it must more especially cany in it Christ, he bein<» 
the immediate image of God himself. 

3. It is certain, that Christ himself (who himself knew best what himself 
was) doth speak of himself as of a person unto whom his Father doth shew, 
or make known, the pattern and model of all his works he means to do ; 
and therefore the substance or being of his person consisteth not in his 
being the idea or model of the creation that is in God's mind, but he is 
the person to whom God makes known those platforms of all. Thus John 
v. 19, 20, ' Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say 
unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father 
do : for what things soever he doth, these also doth the Son likewise. For 
the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doth : 
and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.' 

(1.) These words suppose the idea of what he means to work, to be in 
common between the Father and the Sen, and in the Father first; as in 
him the being or essence of God is first, and so communicated or shewn 
unto the Son (as indeed all the platform or form of God's works is common 
to all three persons, in that they are alike God). And therefore it were 
absurd to say, that the Son himself is nothing else but that platform itself 
of what God means to work. 

(2.) These words suppose a person whom God loves, and a person of 
understanding and knowledge, such as to whom the idea of all God means 
to effect is shewn. Now- as it were absurd for a carpenter to say to that 
form in his mind, I will shew thee all I am about to do, so here there would 
be the same absurdity. 

And (3.) In ver. 17, Christ says he is one that works, and hath a power- 
ful hand to effect all that is done, as well as the Father ; and therefore is 
himself a person distinct from this idea of all things, and not the bare image 
of them. And lest it should be understood of him as Son of man only, he 
puts in that word ' hitherto.' • My Father works hitherto, and I work.' 
That word takes in all God hath ever done since the creation. For that 
hitherto must relate to some time afore, either eternity, or a beginning ; and 
we know that that beginning of God's working was the beginning of the 
creation ; and (from that time hitherto, says Christ) I work. And be it 
what it will that the Father hath done at any time, the Son hath done the 
same ; for verse 19, ■ Whatever things the Father doth, these also doth 
the Son likewise.' 

4. These two expressions, (1.) That he is • one begotten of the Father,' 
elsewhere used ; and (2.) this here, That he is one to whom ' the Father 
sheweth all he doth ;' do imply two differing things ; even as for a Father 
first to beget his Son, his substantial image, and then to teach and instruct 
him in his trade, and shew him what he is to do. 

Yet I may add this, that God the Father, communicating the form of all 
things to his Son, so vieweth his own thoughts and purposes thereabout, as 
they shine forth in his Son ; as a man doth his own thoughts in his friend's 
mind or judgment. Hence Christ the Word, may in a more eminent manner 
be styled the idea of all things, in comparison with the other persons. Yet 
so as this is, because he is the image of God himself ; and so, because ho 

vol. rv. d d 



418 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOP THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

of all persons in the Trinity bears the title or character of being the ima^c 
of God. Hence he doth in like manner, together with the image of God's 
being, bear the platform of all things else that arc in God ; as in whose breast 
God the Father views over his own thoughts and designs, and in whom they 
are presented to him. 

5. Lastly, Whereas it may be said, that the philosophers having used that 
phrase afore John, in this or the like sense, that therefore John taking up 
out of choice the same title, and giving it to Christ, that therefore he should 
use it in their sense and intention. Answer is, 

(1.) That John originally used this word from the Old Testament itself. 
For the Jews expressed their Messiah, or Christ to come, under this notion, 
' the Word,' and ' the Word of God,' as appears by the Chaldee paraphrasts 
(who are at least as ancient as Christ) often, when God the Son is men- 
tioned and spoken of, they translate it ' the Word.' So Hosea i. 7, 'I will 
save them by the Lord their God ;' they render it, ' I will redeem them by 
the Word of the Lord their God.' So Ps. ex. 1, ' The Lord said to my 
Lord ;' the paraphrasts expound it, ' The Lord said to the Word.' And so 
Isa. xlv. 17, ' Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salva- 
tion ;' they read it, ' by the Word of the Lord,' namely Christ. And this 
phrase not the Jews only, but the Scriptures themselves, do use, as 2 Sam. 
vii. 21, ' For thy Word's sake,' says David, that is, for thy Christ's sake. 
For 1 Chron. xvii. 19, it is rendered, ' For thy servant's sake ;' and is all 
one with that, Dan. ix., ' For the Lord's sake.' Philo (a Jew never turned 
Christian, and not long after Christ's time) in his writings calls him o Xoyog, 
as before did Plato and those heathens who stole their knowledge from the 
Jews, and vended it as their own. 

Yet, (2.) That the occasion why John, when he wrote his Gospel, used 
that title of ' the Word,' which no other evangelist did, was that which was 
mentioned, namely, that the Gnostics of those times he wrote in, profess- 
ing Christianity, formed up such a Christ, according to what the heathen 
philosophers had set him forth by ; he therefore gives him the same title 
(the Old Testament having given it him) ; but in full and direct opposition 
to them, and what they said of him, he at first dash affirms, both that his 
Xoyog, or Christ, w r as God, and also equal with God, and a person distinct 
from God, in those other words, ' He was with God ;' the contrary to which 
was their doctrine of him. 

Thus much for the first opinion, why he is called X&yog, ' the Word.' 

The second opinion, why Christ should be termed Xoyog, ' the Word,' is 
that it imports what God had afore all worlds ordained Christ to be, and 
Christ himself undertook to be, even ' his Word,' whereby to utter or mani- 
fest himself to us. And indeed, although the person whom John calls Xoyog 
did actually then exist, yet it cannot be denied but that this title of Xoyog, 
the Word, doth withal connotate or import what Christ undertook to bo, and 
God designed him to be, namely, the revelation of God unto us. Which 
is made forth, 1. Because the inward thoughts themselves are usually termed 
the word, but in relation to their being uttered ; and therefore in such a 
respect may also this be supposed given to him, seeing he is the manifester 
of God unto us, Et interprea voluntatis divirue, the interpreter of God's 
mind unto us, Heb. i. 1. And, 2. In that Christ is said to be the ' Wisdom 
of God,' namely, manifestative, and as he is made wisdom unto us, by 
whom we know God in the form of Jesus Christ. Thus 1 Cor. i. 24, 
' But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power 
of God, and the wisdom of God,' compared with verse 30, ' But of him 



Chap. III.] and ms son jesus christ. 419 

aro ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous- 
ness, and sanctification, and redemption.' And in this sense it is that 
Solomon calls him Wisdom, which is all ono with this of John, '/.iyog, the 
Word, which the English or Latin reach not. And it were easy to parallel 
John here, and Solomon there, in Prov. viii., which I have elsewhere done. 

So then, Christ as he is the power of God in the creation ; God said, 
and it was created, Gen. i. ; and as he is the power and the wisdom of 
God to us in redemption, in whom and by whom we know God, in this 
respect it is ho is termed the Word : and so, although John and Solomon 
allirm the person that was thus ordained to be thus to us was then existing, 
yet the title given him imports what he was to be when the world began, 
and after the world began, unto the world and to the saints. And thus 
John himself, in his first epistle, chap. i. ver. 1, 2, explains himself, 
• That which was from the beginning,' says he, ' and which our (the 
apostles') hands have handled of the Word of life,' namely, Christ. ' This 
life was manifested, and we shew to you that eternal life, which was with 
the Father, and was manifested to us.' 

So then Christ the Word, in order to manifestation to us, is termed the 
Word of life. And as he is termed the Word in both these respects men- 
tioned, so also that other title John gives him, of eternal Life, is in like 
manner given in respect unto what he was ordained from the beginning to 
be to us, 1 John v. 11, ' And this is the record, that God hath given unto 
us eternal life ; and this life is in his Son ;' as well as what he is in his 
person, even the fountain of, or life itself, in himself. So, ver. 20 of that 
chapter, he speaks of him, ' This is the true God, and eternal life.' 

To conclude this. When God exhibited him first unto the world by a 
voice from heaven, ' This is my beloved Son,' he adds, ' hear him.' And 
it is as if he had said, As he is my Son, so he is my Word and interpreter 
unto you, ' the speaker from heaven ;' as, Heb. xii. 25, he is called. And 
see these two titles of his Son and of the Word met in that one proclama- 
tion made of him by his Father. 

Which of these two accounts given, why he is termed 7.6yoc, or the Word, 
is most to be received, I will not dispute ; because indeed I take in both. 
In doing which there is no more inconveniency to be found than in inter- 
preting other styles and attributes of his in a double sense, and taking in 
both ; as in that of being styled ' The image of the invisible God,' Col. i., 
which Parens and other divines (whom he to that purpose cites) in his 
Opusada, upon Col. i. 15. 

I now come to that other title, more frequent in the Scriptures. 



CHAPTER III. 

That he was the Son of God, ivho existed throughout all ages, and from eter- 
nity. This proved by all those instances of Scriptures wherein his eternal 
existence is asserted, and wherein the title of Son of God is also ascribed to 
him. 

This most eminent title of ' Son of God ' doth simply express what and 
who the second person is in himself, and in relation to his Father, and so 
singly speaks the substance of his person ; and, it is certain, was that 
more general and renowned title the first primitive times knew him by. 
Under which Christ himself and all the apostles unanimously represented 



420 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

him unto the church, which all believers then professed to believe in, and 
concerning which that promise is made and uttered unto all the saints in 
succeeding ages, Eph. iv. 13, ' That all should come to the unity of the faith, 
and knowledge of the Son of God.' The other of Xoyog, ' tbe Word,' was 
(if used by any other apostle than John, yet but covertly) by John sparingly 
mentioned after all the apostles were dead, and but thrice by him. And 
though it was a known title to heathens and Jews, yet received but upon 
occasion of heresies, which took the advantage of the use of that title among 
philosophers, to deform the person of our Jesus. 

And further, he was acknowledged and declared to be that Son of God by 
all sorts of witnesses, either in heaven, or earth, or hell. 

1. By those witnesses in heaven. 

(1.) The Father, Mat. hi. 17, ' And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ;' and chap. xvii. 5. 

(2.) The Son himself, in every chapter of John, and Luke x. 22. 

(3.) By the Holy Ghost, who (besides that his testimony is included in 
all the scriptures that speak him the Son of God, because he wrote them 
all) personally appears in the likeness of a dove, to join with the Father's 
witness of him. ' This is my beloved Son,' Mat. hi. 16, 17, ' And, lo, the 
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending 
like a dove, and lighting upon him : and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, 
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And so the Baptist 
doth interpret that signal place, John i. 32, 33, 34, ' And John bare record, 
saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode 
upon him. And I knew him not : but he that sent me to baptize with 
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit de- 
scending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the 
Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.' 

(4.) The same was witnessed by the angels. 

[l.J The good, Luke i. 35, ' And the angel answered and said unto her, 
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall 
overshadow thee : therefore also that holy thing, which shall be born of 
thee, shall be called the Son of God.' 

[2.] The bad, Mat. iv. 3, 6, and chap. viii. 29, ' And, behold, they cried 
out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? art 
thou come hither to torment us before the time ?' Mark iii. 11, and chap, 
v. 7 ; Luke iv. 3, and chap. iv. 31. 

2. On earth. (1.) Wicked men, as the centurion, Mat. xxvii. 54, ' Of 
a truth, this was the Son of God.' 

(2.) The apostles all jointly by Peter, John vi. 69, ' And we believe, and 
are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' 

(3.) Lastly, the whole church, Eph. iv. 13. So that we may boldly 
assert ; 

Assertion 2. That our Christ, for the substance of his person, is the Son 
of God ; so styled, not in respect only of God's taking man's nature, but 
as existing as such afore he took man's nature. And this is one of tbe 
great foundations of the gospel, and universally acknowledged by believers 
in the first times. This general assertion will require many particulars to 
explain it. 

1. That he that thus existed (as hath been proved) through all ages, and 
from eternity, was this Son of God, and so styled afore ever he assumed 
man's nature. 

2. How and in what manner this title is given to him. 



Chap. III.] and his son jesus ciikist. 421 

1. For the first ; 

That ho that thus existed through all ages was tho Son of God, and so 
styled afore over he assumed man's nature. 

For tho evidence of this I shall run tho same race I did in tho former 
assertion ; when I proved his existence, I went through all ages, even up 
to everlasting. And so I shall do in this, step by step, demonstrating that 
it was the Son of God that as such is said in all ages to have existed. 

(1.) He of whom John tho Baptist affirmed that ho existed afore him 
(as was shewn), his person by him is styled • The only-begotten Son of 
God ;' John i. 15, 18, ' John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This 
was ho of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, 
for he was before me.' 'No man hath seen God at any time ; the only 
begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him ;' 
compared with ver. 30, 34, ' This is he of whom I said, After me cometh 
a man which is preferred before me ; for he was before me. And I saw, 
and bare record, that this is the Son of God.' 

(2.) He, as the Son, was over the church, as his own house, in Moses's 
time. To him, as the Son, was Moses a servant in his house ; so then he 
must exist as the Son. Thus jon read expressly, Heb. hi. 5, 6, ' Moses 
verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, but Christ as a Son over 
his own house,' even then. Even he that then said, in Num. xii. 7, ' Moses 
is faithful in all my house ;' he was this Son, says Paul, and therefore 
existed as such ; for it was he spake those words in Num. xii. 7. 

(3.) Again, it was proved in the first assertion that our Christ was a 
person that existed at the creation. Now he that then existed, and so afore 
man's nature was made, and four thousand years afore this man was made, 
is then called the Son. Of him, as the Son, it is said, Heb. i. 1, ' His Son, 
by whom he made the worlds.' 

(4.) It was shewn that he was a person existing throughout all genera- 
tions from the creation. And this was the Son : John v. 17, ' My Father 
worketh hitherto, and I work ;' that is, hitherto my Father hath wrought 
from the creation, both on Sabbath days and every other day. It was 
spoken to justify the healing on the Sabbath. And it was not his own 
working only virtually or instrumentally ; for his word is 6/Miug, ' in hke 
manner,' ver. 19. And he that then is said to work must be acknowledged 
in the highest manner to exist. And it is the Son that did this : ver. 19, 
' Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, 
The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do : for 
what things soever he doth, these also doth the Son likewise.' And as in 
the words, ver. 17, it is manifest, ' My Father works, and I ' that am his Son. 

(5.) He who was without beginning of days, and end of life, of whom 
Melchisedec was the type and shadow (as was shewn out of Heb. vii. 3), 
he is expressly termed the ' Son of God' in that place. For thus the 
words concerning Melchisedec run : ' Having neither beginning of days, 
nor end of life, but was made like unto the Son of God ;' who therefore, 
as Son of God, hath this in a real and substantial manner true of him. And 
therefore the Son is not only in respect of this man Jesus his being united 
unto God, but, 

(6.) In Rom. i. verses 2, 3, 4, Paul says, that the gospel was promised 
by God before by the prophets concerning his Son, whose person he thus 
describes, ' Who was made of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh,' or 
human nature, ' and declared to bo the Son of God according to the Spirit 
of holiness,' or a divine nature, (as shall after be shewn). Now that Spirit, 



422 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, BOOK II. 

or divine nature, in which, as Son of God, he existed, and was now declared, 
is called the ' eternal Spirit,' Heb. ix. 14, ' by whom also he offered up 
himself,' as there. 

(7.) Seeing this place hath mentioned how the prophets speak of him as 
God's Son, let us see how they spake thus afore of him as the Son ; 
whereby will be decided, whether or no they styled him not such, over and 
above the consideration of that human nature ; in regard to which only, 
say some, it> and its being united to God, and God manifested therein, it 
is, say they, that he is called the Son of God ; and not as a distinct 
person from the Father, who in himself is the Son of God, and who took 
the human nature into the same sonship of his person which he had with- 
out it. 

[l.J Ps. ii. 7, ' Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee.' God's 
Hodie, or to-day, is the style of eternity. Verbs and adverbs of the present 
time do best express eternity. ' Before Abraham was, I am,' John viii. 58. 
' And I am hath seat thee,' Exod iii. 14. So, ' To-day have I begotten thee.' 
To-day with God is no to-morrow, nor yesterday. As God was always God, 
so always a Father ; and so he is a Son always unto God. Neither had he 
been God's Son by generation, by begetting, if only he had been his Son, 
as man, by union. So he had been the Son of the Holy Ghost, and he his 
Father, rather than God (whom the Scriptures only term his Father), be- 
cause this man was by the Holy Ghost conceived, formed, and united unto 
God. And the Spirit was not the cause of his being a Son, for this very 
Spirit is termed the Spirit of this Son : Ptom. viii. 9, ' But ye are not in 
the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. 
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.' Gal. iv. 6, 
' And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into 
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' And sent by him, John xvi, 15, ' All 
things that the Father hath are mine ; therefore said I, that he shall take 
of mine, and shall shew it unto you.' And although this Scripture of Ps. ii. 
is applied to the resurrection of Christ, Acts xiii. 32, 33, yet it is evident, 
by Paul's quotation of it, Heb. i. 5, and his denying unto all the angels, 
that so transcendent a generation intended in that second psalm by the 
psalmist. 

Neither by the resurrection was he first made the Son of God (as man), 
for he is termed so all along in the evangelists before. But it was then 
declared, as Paul's phrase is, Rom. i. 3, ' Declared the Son of God with 
power, by the resurrection from the dead.' For thereby it was shewn that 
he had life in himself, and was that eternal Life that had been from the be- 
ginning, 1 John i. 1 ; whom therefore it was impossible death should hold, 
Acts ii. 24. And unto this sense it is, that those words of the psalmist 
are applied by Peter to the resurrection, Acts xiii. 32, 33. God, by Christ's 
being raised up, had confirmed the truth of that promise made, to give his 
Son for us, whom he had from eternity begotten, and did by his resurrec- 
tion declare him to be such. ' We declare unto you glad tidings, how that 
the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same 
unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again ; as it is also 
written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten 
thee ;' thus, or thereby proving him to be the Son of God, whom God 
had from everlasting begotten, who was promised to be given to us. Yea, 
his incarnation and conception as man (which was the first foundation of 
his being man), was but the beginning of the manifestation of the Son of 
God : John i. 14, ' The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we 



Chap. III.] and his son jesus ciirist. 423 

behold his glory, as of tho only begotten of the Father.' And therefore this 
was not the constituting him a Son. So likewise it is termed, 1 Tim. iii. 16, 
1 God was manifest in tho llosh.' Likewise 1 John iii. 8, ' The Son of 
God was manifested.' Now manifestation is of what was extant aforo ; but 
production is tho bringing forth of a thing from a not being to a being. 

[2.] Agur speaks of a person distinct from God, then existing, whom he 
calls God's Son ; Prov. xxx. 4, • What is his name, and what is his Son's 
name, if thou canst tell ?' He demands of the one, as well as of the other, 
known to the Jews, whoso name or being was ineffable. 

[8. J Isaiah, in chap. ix. G, ' To us a child is born, a Son is given,' which 
is applied to Christ, Mat. iv. 15, ' a child ;' that title only is given to one 
that is of mankind, and in that respect he is said to be born. But that 
title of a Son is in a further relation given him. For else that first title of 
child had been enough. And in that he adds thereto, as a further thing, 
and distinct from child, that is, 'A Son is given,' this argues his existence 
as a Son afore, for that is given which first is. And then, the angel coming 
to Mary, a virgin, points her to the prophecy of Isaiah : ' Behold, thou,' 
a virgin, ' shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son ;' which you have 
Isa. vii. 14, ' Behold, a virgin,' &c. Now Isaiah had prophesied two things : 

First, That a virgin should bring forth : Isa. vii. 14, ' Therefore the Lord 
himself shall give you a sign ; Behold, a virgin shall conceivo and bear a 
Son, and shall call his name Immanuel.' 

Second, That he that was so brought forth should be the Son of God : 
Isa. ix. 6, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given ; and the 
government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called, 
Wonderful, Counseller, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince 
of peace.' 

Mary doubts of the first, and the angel resolves her in that, in the first 
part of his speech, ver. 35, ' Then the angel answered and said, The Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee.' 

And then, from this wonderful conception of hers, the angel doth infer, 
that he that should be thus conceived and brought forth by a virgin, should 
undoubtedly be the Son of God, which the same Isaiah had spoken of in his 
9th chapter, 'To us a Son is given.' And so it follows in the latter part 
of the verse, in Luke, ' Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born 
of thee, shall be called the Son of God.' This particle, therefore, refers 
not to his conception, as a cause of this effect, as if that therefore, because 
conceived by the Holy Ghost, he should be thereby constituted the Son of 
God. But it is an inference or demonstration, that therefore she might be 
assured he was that Son of God that Isaiah had spoken of, that should be 
so born of her. Yea, and that child should be called the Son of God ; that 
is, owned, reckoned, and acknowledged, to be the Son of God, by personal 
union with him, as he is and hath been by the believing world to this day ; 
and called, that is, really made the Son of God by that union. Or, it was 
he that was to be declared the Son of God, who was afore Dens absconditus, 
God that was hidden, as Isa. xlv. 15. And so Matthew also interprets the 
prophecy : Mat. i. 22, 23, ' Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled 
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall 
be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name 
Immanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us.' So then this Son in 
Isaiah is the Son of God, by the angel's interpretation ; God united to man's 
nature, and so dwelling amongst us. And the angels they had known him, 
and conversed with him all along afore during the Old Testament, and 



424 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD TIIE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

appeared together with him unto Abraham, and others, and so were meet 
witnesses of him, what and who he was, when he came into the world. 

[4.J And to this head may be referred that in the story of the fiery fur- 
nace : ' The form of the fourth,' appearing with the three children, says 
Nebuchadnezzar, ' is like the Son of God,' Dan. hi. 25. Thus far we may 
more than probably conclude, that this appearance was of the person of 
Christ himself, the Son of God, who had formerly appeared to the fathers 
in the shape of man ; and so with these three children, to comfort them, 
and strike dread into the tyrant. And so he was then extant as the Son 
of God ; yea, and possibly this prince, though an heathen, might have re- 
ceived some glimmering notion of God's Son. And he now seeing one 
appearing in so great and so superlatively differing a glory from the rest ; 
and such a glory as struck him, though so great a king, as outshone his, 
and had overcome him ; he concluded that it must represent God's Son, 
who by inheritance was Lord of all ; of God, I say, ' whose kingdom,' as 
after he confesseth, ' is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion from 
generation to generation,' chap. iv. 3. And the scope of that prophecy is 
to discover that there was a kingdom to come after the four monarchies 
ended, which appertained to the Son of God. And God having been pleased 
to vouchsafe to this king the knowledge of that kingdom itself, as in the 
former chapter, chap. ii. ver. 34, 44, 45 ; so here in this, which was the 
next occurrence, he gives him the knowledge of his Son (in this appear- 
ance), to whom this kingdom appertained, expressly calling himself the 
' Son of God,' whom Daniel, in his vision, chap, vii., terms the ' Son of 
man : ' who, as then existing as Son of God, appeared in a differing glory 
with these three children, comforting of them, countenancing, owning them, 
and being then present with them in their afflictions, as, Isa. lxiii., it is 
also said, he was with the church in the wilderness. 

To conclude this. If he existed afore the world was, when he was not 
man, and during all the times of these prophets, afore he took man's nature, 
it must be supposed that such a person so existing must have some emi- 
nent known title given him, between God and him, the import of which 
should be to speak his relation unto him. And if so, then surely it must 
be this, which is thus afore given him by those prophets, and as uttered by 
God, ' Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee,' Ps. ii. 7. ' And 
what is his name ? ' speaking of the Father ; ' and what is his Son's name ? ' 
So then he was called the Son, Prov. xxx. 4. 

He is not termed a Son, as if only made such when he was conceived 
or made man ; but, on the contrary, being and existing the Son, he is said 
to be ' sent' and ' made of a woman: ' Gal. iv. 4, ' But when the fulness of 
the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under 
the law.' 

And unto this purpose it is further observable, that Christ, in his dis- 
courses to his disciples, affirms himself not only to be one sent into the 
world by his Father (which sufficiently imports his existence afore), but 
further, to notify to us his eternal generation, and proceeding from him as 
a Son, and as such existent afore. He therefore distinguisheth and sever- 
eth these two things (as appears in several speeches of his) ; ' I came 
from the Father,' so first; and tben, 'Audi came into the world;' or 
thus, ' And he hath sent me.' This is not only oft repeated, but this very 
order observed as oft as repeated : John vii. 29, ' I know him : for I am 
from him, and he hath sent me.' 



Chap. IV.] and iiis son jesus curist. 425 



CHAPTER IV. 

What kind of Son he is to God, or in ichat sense he is (he Son of God. — lie 
in thr proper Son of God in a special peculiar manner, such as no other 
■person can be saiil to be. — He is styled the only begotten Sun of God, which 
can be affirmed of no creature. — This imparts that his eternal generation is 
the foundation of his sonship. — He is called the Son of the living God; 
that lie is begotten of him in his own likeness ; and is of the same nature and 
substance icith him. — That he is God by an identity ; of one and the same 
essence of the Godhead, and not by union only, or ojjice. 

To demonstrate in what sense Christ has this title of Son of God, I shall 
herein also proceed by degrees. 

1. It is given him by way of singularity, in comparison of all others 
that have the title of sons ; this all acknowledge. 

As God the first person, by way of singularity, ordinarily is called the 
Father, ' one God, the Father ;' so frequently in the same way of singula- 
rity is Christ termed the Son, in relation unto this God as the Father. And 
it hath been observed by some, that whereas viog QzoZ, that is to say, A 
son of God, is common to others, that is, to us with him ; yet 6 uiog roD 
&io\J, The Son of God, is never given to any but to him. 

2. God the Father himself, by way of a special appropriation, sets him 
forth and exhibits him as his Son, with difference from all others. He said 
it himself from heaven, ' This is my beloved Son,' Luke ix. 35. This 
person, this is the very He, he of all others individually, and alone he and 
none other ; and then he adds, let aU else ' hear him.' Thus when he pre- 
sents him to the world, ' hear him,' acknowledge and receive him, as he 
who hath power to make you sons to me ; John i. 12, ' But as many as 
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to 
them that believe on his name.' 

But this general is far short of what the Scriptures speak concerning 
what, or wherein his sonship consists. Even the Jews seem to conceive 
and apprehend that he who should be the Christ, should have the title of 
the Son of God given him by way of eminency above all others, yet all that 
while conceiving of him, as to the substance of his person, that it was but 
only a man that should transcendently have God's presence with him, and 
that God should appear in him in a more glorious manner than in all men 
else. And not the Jews only, but the Gentiles, were struck with a sense 
of some one special person's being the Son of God, as in this sense under- 
stood. 

Thus far, and in such respect, Pilate had apprehensions that Christ pos- 
sibly might be the Son of God. For when the Jews had told him that one 
Jesus made himself (or took upon him to be) the Son of God, John xix. 7, 
' When Pilate heard that saying,' saith the text, ' he was the more afraid.' 
It cannot be imagined that Pilate's divinity reached to convince him to be 
the substantial Son of God, but he thought he might (for all that he knew) 
be some eminently divine man from God, such as their poets spake of, and 
attributed to Augustus Caesar, may nam Jovis incrementum, which struck fear 
into him. 

I am doubtful, I confess, whether to refer to Nebuchadnezzar's speech, in 
Dan. iii. 25, who when he saw one appear in a differing manner with those 
three children in the fiery furnace, he cries out, ' The form of the fourth 



426 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK II. 

is like the Son of God ; ' and surely it was an appearance in such a glory, as 
was far beyond what creatures, even angels, appear in, that made him speak 
thus. But that which makes me doubtful is, that he had not any notion 
of this Son of God to come, unless, as I afore challenged it, for Christ's 
existence as God's Son under the Old Testament, he perceiving his glory 
such, and so superlatively different, acknowledgeth him to be the Son of 
that God whose kingdom was to be an everlasting kingdom, Dan. iv. 3. 

But it is yet more observable to prove the present assertion, that when- 
ever Christ spake of the Father afore his disciples, or others, he never said 
1 Our Father,' which yet he taught us to say, even when we pray in private, 
to the end that we should come to God as such a Father to us, as he is also 
to all others of his elect. And so the Jews were taught and instructed to 
say, ' We have one Father, even God,' John viii. 41. But his own usual 
style was ' my Father,' and therefore so a Father to him as to no other, 
nor to all or any of the sons of God. And this appropriation was so much 
his wont that the Jews observed it, and took him at it, and wei*e offended, 
John v. 17. Whereas he had said, ' My Father worketh hitherto, and I 
work,' the Jews ' sought the more to kill him, because he had said God 
was his Father,' which is but slenderly so translated : for in the original it is, 
because he had called God his own Father, that is, so and in such a manner 
his as not others' ; and so the Jews themselves understood him, whilst the 
words were yet fresh in his mouth. Yea, and he speaks not this amongst 
a wicked company of Jews, who were the children of the devil, ver. 44, as 
any other ordinary son or child of God alone among a company of wicked 
ones might by way of separation so use it ; but further, Christ doth the 
very same when he had an occasion to speak to and of his disciples, and of 
himself (who were the chiefest saints then alive of the sons of men, and 
representing the rest for ever to come), how God was Father both to him 
and them, yet he carefully makes this separation, ' My Father and your 
Father,' John xx. 27. You see he mentions their relation apart, yea, as 
separate and aloof off from his own. He putteth the sonship or relation of 
all them into one common relation, ' your Father,' and sets against it, and 
severs from it, as at a distance, his own, ' my Father.' And that, to shew 
their relation of sons to God, is not of the same rank or descent that his is. 

There is moreover, an us all, Rom. viii. 32, ' He that spared not his own 
Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely 
give us all things ?' namely, us, the saints. ' God gave him up for us all,' 
says he, and these all, we find, had been afore termed the sons of God, in 
the 16th verse of that chapter, ' The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God ; ' and so declared ' heirs of all 
things,' because joint heirs with Christ, ver. 17. And again, ver. 29, he 
had called them the brethren of Christ, and him the ' firstborn among many 
brethren.' 

And yet, after all this, by way of difference from these, he entitles Christ, 
' God's own Son ;' ' If God spared not his own Son,' ver. 32. To have 
said his Son, by way of singularity, when mention is made of many other 
brethren, had been enough to have signified his eminency unto them, 
especially to say the first-born, as ver. 29, he hath done. But he adds 
hereto over and above all, his own Son ; as thereby signifying the different 
kind or sort of sonship and fatherhood that was betwixt God and him. 
This is therefore an eminent distinction of two sorts of sons which God 
had : his own Son, proper, genuine, true Son, and others that were not 
his own, but either by marriage or adoption. As strangers and aliens, in 



Chap. IV. j and his son jesus christ. 427 

their original descent, use to be to a father that afterwards takes them for 
his adopted sons ; and it is evident that this is his meaning. For ver. 15, 
the apostle h;ul given this other part of distinction of sonship of this his us 
all. ■ We havo received,' sa3 r s he, ' the Spirit of adoption, by which we,' 
that are Jews, ' cry, Abba,' and we, that are Gentiles, • Father;' ' And if 
children, then heirs,' ver. 17. Now God in this speaks as plainly to men 
in their own language as is possible to express it. Come to a man that hath 
both sons by marriage, and also a son out of his own loins, and you hear 
him call them all sons. But particularly ask him what son is this ? ' My 
own son,' says he. And are these so '? No ; they are my daughter's 
husbands, and so my sons-in-law, or my wife's sons, or whom I have taken 
to be my sons by will. Well, and what doth a man mean when he says, 
This is my own son, especially when with a distinction from others that are 
adopted ? All men understand a son that is of his substance, naturally be- 
gotten of him, of his flesh and blood. Then in its infinite proportion it 
ought so to be understood here. 

A second expression, to be added to this, is, that of his being styled ' The 
only begotten Son of God' so often, John i. 14, 18 ; iii. 16 ; 1 John iv. 9, 
and therefore so begotten as not others. Quasi prater euui mil Ins : as if 
besides him no other were begotten. And if any would quarrel, that 
others are said to be begotten of God, 1 John v. 18, yet to be sure, when 
God says this of him, ' Thou art my begotten Son,' he means it of such a 
begetting as hath not been communicated to any creature of the old creation, 
which that place is express for, • To which of all the angels hath he said, 
Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee ? ' Heb. i. 5. So instanc- 
ing in his highest sons, of the sort of mere creatures, that are nearest to him ; 
in excluding them he excludes all the rest. 

In which speech we may observe two things. 

1. That a generation, or begetting him, is the foundation of his son- 
ship, as it is of all true and natural sons else among men. For so he 
joins them, ' Thou art my Son ; I have begotten thee,' as the ground of 
that his sonship. If it were but a metaphorical or sirnilitudinary genera- 
tion, as when he says of the ice and the snow, Job xxxviii. 28, 29, 

' Hath the rain a father ? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew ? 
Out of whose womb came the ice ? and the hoary frost of heaven, who 
hath gendered it ? ' then his sonship were no other. But doth God 
speak poetically here (as there he doth), when of the generation of his Son ? 
Then indeed he were but metaphorically a Son, and God a metaphorical 
Father to him. Whereas he is the 'true Son of God,' as John calls him, 
I John v. 20, and therefore as truly begotten. 

2. Then that his generation is such a begetting, and he such a Son in 
that respect as is denied of the angels, or of men, is evident. Thou, and 
thou alone, art my Son ; I have begotten thee, and thee alone. So that 
otherwise, let the Scripture speak what it will of men's being born of God, 
begotten of God, it is with an infinite distance of sense from this. Theirs 
is but by his operation, not generation, by renascentia, a new birth of God's 
image on them, which are but divine qualities in the soul, not by a gene- 
ration that is proper to a substantial person. 

Then, thirdly, add to these two expressions of ' one Son,' and of ' only 
begotten,' that other, Mat. xvi. 16 ; as also John vi. 69 ; where, both by 
Peter's and all the apostles their confession, he is professed to be the ' Son 
of the living God.' And in both those confessions, the conglomeration, or 
gathering together so many articles in the Greek set afore every word, are as so 



428 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

many stars that call us to behold this eminency of his sonship and genera- 
tion. For they putting an emphasis on every word in that small sentence, 
* Thou art that Christ ; that Son of that God, that living God ; ' the like 
indigitation is never used but for some special intent, according to the 
nature of the matter spoken of. And that which makes it the more observ- 
able is, that John (who wrote long after the other evangelists, and avoideth to 
mention what other evangelists had recorded, and so mentions this confes- 
sion of theirs as uttered at another time, and upon a differing occasion from 
that which Matthew relates) should yet, in his rehearsal of this confession, 
not only punctually keep to the same words, but hath as carefully added 
the same articles afore every word as Matthew had done. 

Yea, further, whereas it is observed by some (as was said), that the article 
6 uiog, the Son, is given to none but to this Son ; lo, here it is also put to 
every word besides, when his sonship is solemnly proclaimed. And so the 
meaning will be this, ' That Son of the only true God, that living God.' 
Which emphasis, the God, and which attribute, the living God, are purposely 
annexed to set out the greatness of this so great a Son. And to shew that 
if we do suppose the great and true God to have a Son, and but one Son, 
and him begotten by him, as he is the living God (as put this and those 
former things mentioned of him together, and it appears), then what 
manner of a Son must this be ? and what manner of generation, but such 
as living fathers have proportionably of their sons ? A generation such as 
is proper to things living when they beget their kind. Generation, pro- 
perly taken, says Aquinas,* and experience shews it, is of things that are 
living, out of a living principle, and is improperly applied to production. 
And further, it is then said to be generation properly in them, when they 
beget in their own likeness, and that likeness consisting in their own kind, 
nature, and substance. 

And thus living things properly are said to beget ; as in nature you all 
see, a lion begets a lion, a man a man. Prqprium est viventiwn generate 
simile in substantia. And those two attributes are given to Christ, holding 
forth his generation, viz., ' the Word,' and ' the Son.' ' The Word' shews 
he is begotten by God, who is an intellectual being ; ' the Son ' shews that 
he is begotten as a living essence or being. 

Now then, putting all these three together: 1. God's own Son; 2. Only 
begotten ; 3. That one only begotten Son of the true and living God ; these 
twisted and interwoven mutually, are a threefold cord that cannot be broken. 
Let us therefore see what arguments and evidences these will afford to con- 
vince us what manner of a Son this is. 

By a further adding all these succeeding considerations together to them, 
and setting these by them. 

Assertion 3. That this only begotten and natural Son of God is God ; 
and not God only by union, after he was put forth by God out of himself, 
but by an identity, or oneness of one and the same essence of the God- 
head. 

* Pars, 1 Quest. 27, Art 2. Generatio sumitur. 1. Commimiter ad omnia ge- 
nerabilia et corruptibilia. Et sic generatio nihil aliud est quam mutatio a non esse 
ad esse. 2. Proprie in viventibus ; sic generatio est origo alicujus viventis a prin- 
cipio vivente conjuncto. Nee tamen oinne lmjusmodi dicitur generatio, sed qund 
habet rationem similitudinis. Undo caj illus non habet rationem geniti. Ncc suf- 
ficit quaecunque Bimilitudo. Vermes qui generantur in animalibus non habent ra- 
tionem geniti. Sed requiritur ut procedat, secundum rationem similitudinis, in 
natura ejusdem speciei, sicut homo procedit ab homine. 



ClIAP. IV.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 429 

This third is naturally connected with the foregoing assertion, viz., that 
ho is the natural Son of the living God. Thus, 

1. The Scriptures connect and join these two together ; in that often, 
when and where they mention his sonship to God, they annex withal (be- 
cause tho one necessarily importeth the other), his being God also, as may 
be observed both out of the Old Testament and the New. 

(1.) The Old Testament, Isa. ix. 6, ' Unto us a child is born,' which speaks 
him to be man ; ' and unto us a Son is given,' that speaks him to have 
been God, and as such, extant afore he as man was born ; for what is 
given hath a being when he is given, and afore he is given ; who took man's 
nature to himself as Son; and here, by Son, he means this Son of God, our 
Christ. Luke i. 31, 35 : The angel there hath manifestly an eye upon this 
prophecy of Isaiah here; ver. 32, ' Thou shalt conceive a Son, and he shall 
be called the Son of the Most High : and God shall give unto him the 
throne of his father David : and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for 
ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end ; ' thus the angel there. 
And how speaks Isaiah ? ' To us a son is given : and the government shall 
be upon his shoulders. Of the increase of his government and peace there 
shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, from 
henceforth, even for ever.' The angel citeth not the place, but evidently 
reciteth the very words of that prophecy, the very same, thus. So then, 
Christ being meant by the Son, that which I allege Isaiah for is this, that 
his being Son and his being God are joined ; and so it follows in Isa. 
ix. 6, ' To us a son is given ; and his name shall be called the mighty God.' 

(2.) In Heb. i. 8, you have the same by Paul's interpretation out of the 
Psalms : ' To the Son he says, Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever.' 
Compare we now the words of Isaiah with that of the angel, and this of 
Paul out of the Psalms together ; they are one and the same, to shew he 
is God's Son. Thus for the Old Testament and New both. 

Again, in the New, Heb. iii. 3, ' This man,' says the translation (you 
may as well say, ' This person ;' man is not in the original), ' was counted 
worthy of more honour than Moses : inasmuch as he that built the house 
hath more honour than the house.' And ver. 4 it follows, ' Every house 
is builded by some man, but he that built all these things' (that is, the 
church in all ages, and things about it, under both Old and New Testa- 
ment) ' is God.' He that had instructed Moses and the church under the 
Old Testament, and now that of the New, ' is God,' speaking it of Christ 
as God. So then Christ is God, who is the builder of this house. Now, 
read on and you will find his being Son not far off; for in ver. 6, ' Christ 
as a Son over his own house.' Now, compare Mat. xvi. 16, ' Thou art 
the Son of the living God,' says Peter. And what says Christ upon it ? 
Ver. 18, ' Upon this rock I will build my church,' as being the Son of tho 
living God. And he that was able to build it was God, says our apostle in 
that Heb. iii. 4. Therefore he is such a Son as is also God, and both are 
joined together. 

Again, those two parallel places in the epistle to the Romans, the one 
chap. i. ver. 3, 4, ' Concerning his Son Jesus Christ, which was made of 
the seed of David, according to the flesh ; and declared to be the Son of 
God with power.' Compare this with chap. ix. 5, ' Of whom concerning 
the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.' 
Son of God in the one, is God blessed for ever in the other. 

Further, these two run as temis equivalent in other places of Scripture, 
where in like manner they be compared ; 1 Tim. iii. 18, it is said of Christ, 



430 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

' God was manifest in the flesh ;' and in 1 John iii. 18, you have it thus, 
' The Son of God was manifested.' 

Likewise, Acts xx. 28, it is said, God purchased the church with his own 
blood. Now, compare Rev. i. 5, speaking of our Christ, ' He hath washed 
us with his own blood, and made us priests unto God his Father.' So then 
it was the Son, whose blood was personally his own, who was distinct from 
his Father, and yet God, that purchased this church. 

Again, 1 John v. 28, ' And we know that the Son of God is come ; and 
we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true 
God, and eternal life ;' the true Son of God: and the true God. The very 
devil himself doth in effect acknowledge it, Mat. iv. 3, ' If thou be that Son 
of God, command these stones to be made bread,' which was in effect as to 
have said, If thou be that great Son of God that is to come into the world, 
then thou art God, and hast sovereign power to create or change the being 
of the creatures. Let us therefore see it by the effects, ' command these stones 
to be made bread.' 

Last of all, that known place, John x. 30, alleged to prove Christ's 
Godhead, joins these two together, Son of God and God, and the one is 
inferred from the other. When at the 30th verse Christ had said, ' I and 
my Father are one ; ' that is, I who profess myself to be that one and only 
Son of God, who is my Father ; as in such a special relation, I am such a 
Son to him as am withal one with him. 

So then, 1. Christ intended that his being God's Son was all one, and 
to be one with God. 

Again, 2. So the Jews understood him to intend thereby that he was 
God. Their quarrel with him is that, ver. 33, ' Thou makest thyself God;' 
and yet, lo, he had only affirmed, ' I, the Son, and my Father are one.' So 
then to be his Son in the sense the Jews understood him to take on him 
that title, was all one as to be God. 

And, 3. In that very sense he so defended himself to be the Son of God, 
that is, such a Son as was God ; for having, ver. 34-36, made his defence, 
alleging this proof, that if the eminent men and magistrates of the Old 
Testament were termed gods by office, and sons of God by adoption, who 
were but shadows of him in both those titles, then he, who was promised 
to be sent into the world as the substance, must be God by nature, and 
not office ; and the Son of God, not by adoption only, but naturally, and 
therefore equal and one with God. I say, he having defended himself by this 
argument, his conclusion is, ver. 36, ' Say ye then of him whom the Father 
hath sealed, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest ; because I said, 
I am the Son of God ?' Now, what was it that they had said ? or, what 
blasphemy was it which they had laid to his charge ? It was this, ver. 33, 
' for thy blasphemy; because thou, being a man,' as to our apparent sight 
and view, ' makest thyself God.' And Christ, you see, in his making his 
conclusion point-blank to their accusation, instead of saying, ' Why say you 
I blaspheme in saying I am God ? ' which yet was the thing which they 
had said of him, he speaks thus, ' Because I said, I was the Son of God,' 
' believe not me, believe the works, that you mi y know and believe that the 
Father is in me, and I in him ; ' that is, that he and I are one in nature, 
as he had affirmed, ver. 30. For indeed, in his having affirmed he was 
such a Son to God as was one with his Father, which was his saying, 
ver. 30, he had affirmed he was such a Son to God as was God, one that did 
the same works the Father did, ver. 35 ; which, if I do, says he, then be- 
lieve it, for it is the natural inference from it. 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus ciirist. 431 

Thus, you see, the Scriptures join his being both Son and God together. 

II. The samo is in roason, that if ho be the natural Son of God, and only 
begotten of the living God, the true and perfect Son of God, as the Scrip- 
tures, when they speak of his being Son, do declare him (as hath been 
clearly testified), that then necessarily, in point of rational inference, he 
must be God essentially. If God hath a true Son, that Son can be no 
other than true God ; it holds no proportion else to the phrase it pretends 
to. It holds true in all things else. It is not to be thought, says Ber- 
nard,* that God should have a Son of another kind from himself; but it is 
necessary to acknowledge him to be of equal height and dignity, since even 
the sons of princes are themselves princes too, Dens rum nisi Drum, gignit. 
If God begets a Son he must be God, the living, true God. God cannot 
beget less than himself, which is clearly the concession of those last words 
in John, speaking of Christ, ' God hath given us an understanding to 
know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son 
Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life,' 1 John v. 20. The 
scope of which is this, that he being the true Son of the true God, the 
living God, himself is, in himself, the true God also, and eternal life, 
having the fountain of all life in himself. 

I shall but open and pursue one vein, or current, or course of Scriptures, 
which cany on this great point, that our Christ is God ; not as appearing 
only in the form of God, as some of late, or by office only, but God by 
nature ; the right God, the true God, the great God, the only God, the 
living God. Which attributes of God, when found to be given to him, 
argue him so to be God by essence, the same God the Father is, as put us 
past distinguishing upon it. 

1. He is God by nature. It is the distinction which Paul useth, and 
whereby he sets out the true God in distinction from all other that are 
called gods, truly or falsely. ' When you knew not God, ye did service 
unto them which by nature are no gods.' Why doth he not in plain terms 
say, ' When ye worshipped idols ? ' The apostle supposeth the best of it ; 
for some of those whom they worshipped had been gods by office, that is, 
kings and rulers, as Jupiter and others were ; or of use (as gods), bene- 
factors to mankind, for which they worshipped them. He needed not else 
have put in that distinction, that they were not gods by nature. From 
which is gathered to our purpose in hand, 

(1.) That none are to be worshipped but he that is God by nature, for 
he shews their sin to have been that they worshipped such as God that 
were not gods by nature. So then, if Christ were not God by nature, he 
were no more to be worshipped by us, though never so great a benefactor 
to us, which yet is his due. And to strengthen this argument, the com- 
mand of worshipping so falls out that those who are gods by office of the 
highest rank, the angels, are commanded to give worship to him. That 
saying, Heb. i., ' Let all the angels of God worship him,' in the psalmist's 
words (whom the apostle quotes) it is, ' Worship him, all ye gods,' Ps. 
xcvii. 7. So then he is manifestly God by nature, and thereby distin- 
guished from all of them ; and worship is exacted from all of them as his 
due upon that account. 

And this is the true and genuine drift and result of that passage of 
Christ's, John x. 30-39. ' I and my Father are one. Then the Jews 

* Non est fas Dei Filium degenerem suspicari ; seel aequalem fateri necesse est 
altitndine, et dignitate : nam et filii principum principea, &c. — Bern, de Ador., 
Ser. I. 



432 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATIIEE, [BOOK II. 

took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good 
works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works 
do ye stone me ? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we 
stone thee not ; but for blasphemy ; and because that thou, being a man, 
makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, 
I said, Ye are gods ? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God 
came, and the Scripture cannot be broken ; say ye of him, whom the Father 
hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemes!. ; because I 
said, I am the Son of God ? If I do not the works of my Father, believe 
me not. But if I do, though ye believe me not, believe the works ; that ye 
may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. There- 
fore they sought again to take him : but he escaped out of their hands.' 
That scripture, of all others, hath seemed to have the greatest objection in 
it, but one (which I shall anon also again more touch), that Christ is called 
God only by office and union with God, as the great and eminent men in 
the Old Testament were called. And the objection lies thus, that the Jews 
having challenged him to have made himself God, he defends his speech 
by this saying out of the Old Testament, ' I have said, Ye are gods :' as if 
himself were but such a God as they, only more eminent. 
But Christ's scope is manifestly the clean contrary. For, 

1. The Jews did plainly understand him to intend that he was God, and 
truly God, ver. 33. So the Jews, saith Augustine," understood his speech 
thus to be meant ; but the Arians will not. And the blasphemy which the 
Jews challenged him of was not that he made himself as one of those gods, 
but that he made himself God, one with the Father, and so by nature to 
be God as well as he. And his answer, if it had been intended in that 
other speech, had noway come home to their objection ; for that was not 
the thing they quarrelled him for, that he said he was a god by office and 
deputation, as those whom the psalmist did speak of only were. 

2. Christ here quoteth that saying, ' I have said, Ye are gods,' as a pro- 
phecy (so I term it, for types were prophecies of Christ, and what he should 
be, as much as any other), of himself : which those words, ver. 35, ' And 
the Scripture cannot be broken,' manifestly import. Now, how was this 
prophecy, but in this respect, that God his terming magistrates, and those 
eminent men in the Old Testament, in Jewry, or elsewhere, gods, was to 
fore-signify thereby his own Son, who was the substance of those shadows, 
what his person was, that he had promised to send into the world ; for in 
saying, ' The Scripture cannot be broken,' his intent is to say, the Scrip- 
ture is, and must be found true, and fulfilled or made good. 

Now then, in this lies the force and edge of Christ's argument to prove 
himself God in that sense they had understood him. The Jews looked at 
and acknowledged all those great and eminent men whom the Scriptures 
termed gods, to be but forerunning shadows and types of him that is tho 
Messiah. So that, look what titles and excellencies are given and attri- 
buted unto them, must in an eminent, and distinct, and substantial way be 
found true in his person, or the Scripture will be broken, and not be found 
consistent. If therefore they were called gods by commission and deputa- 
tion, as having the word of God come to them, which put that title and 
office upon them ; and it was said of them ' Ye are gods,' as Ps. lxxxii. 6 ; 
your Messiah must be God of another sort and rank than they were of, 
and not only merely by commission, or as to whom the word of God came, 

* Ecce Judsei intellexerant qxiod non intelligunt Ariani. — Augustin, Tract. 48. in 
Joan. 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus christ. 433 

to make him God ; but bo must be truly and by nature and essence such. 
"Were be to be God no otherwise than they were, the Scripture had not 
been fulfilled. 

And this argument is so strong, as nothing can be supposed stronger to 
us Christians, who know that all types of Christ were indeed but shadows, 
in all their excellencies attributed to them, of Christ as the substance. 
What is said of ceremonies is true of persons that were types of him, 
Col. ii. 18, ' which are a shadow of things to come ; but the body,' or sub- 
stance signified by that shadow, ' is Christ.' Now, then, if they were 
termed gods, and sons of the Most High, it must be understood that therein 
they were but shadows, and he must have in his person that which holds 
true of the substance, the essence or real being thereof. And so, according 
to Christ's way of arguing, if they are gods by office and union, he must be 
God by essence and nature, as that distinction of the apostle, Gal. iv. 8, 
holds forth. And otherwise, he had himself been but a dark shadow, an 
officiary god, as they ; no otherwise Son of the Most High than as they also 
were, Heb. x. 1. The apostle speaks thus of all types and shadows under the 
Old Testament. The law had but a shadow of good things to come, and 
not so much as the image of the things themselves. From all which I 
gather that as in nature, so here, the shadow is lower than an image, and 
both alterius generis from the substance or reality, as in the case of Melchi^ 
sedec is apparent, who in a mere shadow is said to have had no beginning 
nor end of days ; not that really he had not, but because in a shadowy 
intent it is not mentioned in the book of Scripture, he being as a shadow 
conformed to the Son of God. Now, in comparison of Christ, all other 
eminences in any person, though more real, are yet esteemed to be but 
shadows in as true a manner as he (Melchisedec) was. And so this great- 
est excellency of all creatures to be styled gods, must, in comparison of 
him, be content with a shadowy title, whereof he bore the substance. He, 
in the conclusion of this argument, instead of saying he was God, which 
yet his argument and their accusation did drive to, concludes he was the 
Son of God : ver. 36, ' Say ye of him, thou blasphemest, because I said I 
am the Son of God ?' The blasphemy in their sense was, ver. 33, that he 
' made himself God,' as an inference out of that saying, ' I and my Father 
are one.' He defends it, and takes it on him by this, that he had said 
indeed that he was the Son of God (of whom all those gods and sons of 
the Most High the psalmist speaks of, were but shadows), and there- 
fore truly God, as they intended it. It is not comparatio similium, ut 
volunt adversarii, that is, that I am God in the same and like manner that 
they are ; but it is comparatio minoris et majoris, if they that are but 
shadows are called gods, then, if that Scripture be not broken, I must be 
God substantially. So then, by Christ's manner of concluding, it was all one 
for him to say he was God, and the Son of God, both in his sense, in theirs, 
and in the psalmist's foresignifying of him. He again paraphraseth and 
explains all these by this phrase, ' The Father is in me, and I in him.' 
So then, the conclusion, the sum I draw out of all is, that for Christ to be 
the Son of God, it is all one as for him to be God substantially, and in 
that respect one with God. And that being thus God, and one with God 
the Father, is (in its difference from God) best thus expressed, that his 
Father is in him, and he in his Father. Neither could Christ himself that 
experimented it, express his being God, and Son of God, more clearly unto 
us, than to say, I am in my Father, who is God, and he as God is in me, 
and so both are one : that is, one God substantially, or by nature, in dis- 
vol. iv. e e 



434 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

tinction from gods by office, though we are two in person that subsist in 
this nature. Nor did John know better how to express*it in chap. i. ver. 1, 
both his oneness with God, and his distinction from God, than in saying, 
that he ' was God, and was with God.' God, not as those in the psalmist, 
to whom the word of the Lord came, and were gods merely by God's saying 
so of them ; but he, ' the Word,' 6 Xoyog, itself (as John calls him) of whom 
they that declared the word were the types and shadows ; and the only 
begotten of the Father, ver. 18, who was not made a god and a son, 
because sent into the world, and sanctified, but was therefore sent and sanc- 
tified to that office of Messiah, because he was by nature and substantially 
the Son of God, and God equal with the Father both in power and nature, 
ver. 29, 30 ; and in works, ver. 37, 38, ' If I do not the works of my 
Father, believe me not : but if I do, though you believe not me, believe 
the works : that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I 
in him.' 

2. He is styled 'the living God.' Those words, 'Take heed there be 
not an evil heart in departing from the living God,' Heb. iii. 12, are mani- 
festly meant of Christ ; for his begun exhortation, ver. 7, was to hear his 
voice, and he it was that was tempted in the, wilderness, 1 Cor. xviii. 7. 
And how that whole 95th Psalm was meant of Christ, I have elsewhere 
shewn ; yea, it was he that gave the law, and pronounced those words, 
' I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt ; thou 
shalt have no other gods before my face ;' for, Heb. xii. 26, it is expressly 
said of him, ' whose voice then shook the earth,' namely, when the law was 
given, and those words uttered by him. 

3. He is styled ' the true God.' So 1 John v. 20, ' And we know that 
the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may 
know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son 
Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.' And to testify 
this, he is styled by that incommunicable name of God, Jehovah, Jer. 
xxiii. 6, Jehovah justitia nostra, ' the Lord our righteousness.' ' In his 
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely ; and this is his 
name wherewith he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.' So 
also Isa. xl. vers. 3, 10, 12, ' Prepare the way for Jehovah.' These all 
the evangelists apply to John and Christ, Mat. iii. 3, Mark i. 4, John 
i. 23. And if John be the vox clamantis, Christ must be acknowledged 
the Jehovah, whose way was prepared afore him. And when he comes in 
the flesh, Isa. xl. ver. 9, he says unto the cities of Judah, ' Behold your 
God ; ' and, ver. 10, ' Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, 
and his arm shall rule for him : behold, his reward is with him, and his 
work before him;' which is expressly applied to Christ, Rev. xxii. 12, 
speaking of his second coming. Ver. 11, 'He that is unjust, let him be 
unjust still : and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that is 
righteous, let him be righteous still : and he that is holy, let him be holy 
still. And, behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to give to 
every man according as his work shall be.' Which is expressly true of 
Christ. Read Mat. xvi. 27. It is God of whom it is said, Isa. xl. 13, as 
the Septuagint hath it, Tig fyvu vovv xvgiov ; ' Who hath known the mind of 
the Lord?' which, 1 Cor. ii. 10, the apostle applies to Christ, by adding, 
' But we have the mind of Christ.' So then Christ is that Jehovah, Jer. 
xxiii. 6. 

Now, men may vainly dispute it that this name of Jehovah is given unto 
mere creatures ; but God himself hath decided it, and expressly declared, 



Chap. IV. J and his son jf.sus christ. 485 

that it is given unto none but the true God : ' That men may know that 
thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art tho most high over all the earth,' 
Pb. lxxxiii. 18. And Isa. xlii. 8, 'lam the Lord, that is my name ; and 
my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.' 
New, this honour is given to Christ, and therefore he must be God, and 
the true God. 

4. He is also ' the great God.' Not only, Isa. ix. 6, ' tho mighty God,' 
but, Tit. ii. 12, 13, rov /xsydXov 0soS xal aurrjeog fjfiuv, ' that great God 
and Saviour of us,' speaking both of one and tho same person, Christ. 
And it is here the putting the article before great God, and none before 
Saviour, imports ; and so distinguisheth him from God by the like phrase 
generally, Eph. i. 3, 6 Qsbg %a\ iraTqg, God, and the Father of Christ ; but 
more similar yet. This here, Gal. i. 4, rov Qzou x,a} varphg r t fj,uiv, ' accord- 
ing to the will of God and our Father.' So Christ, ' God and our Saviour,' 
in Peter, is ' Christ the great God and Saviour ' in Titus. And this is at 
once proclaimed as the general faith of all believers and apostles, ' like faith 
with us,' 2 Pet. i. 1. And what is the object of it ? h dizaioavvrj, « on the 
righteousness.' I have wondered they should translate it ' through the 
righteousness,' when Christ's righteousness is everywhere made the object 
of faith, as justifying, on which we believe. Yea, as that which, out of 
necesshy to salvation, faith relies on ; and that righteousness, as of a 
Saviour that is God, which were of no value to us sinners else ; let them 
else take a Saviour and righteousness that will, for he nor it would do no 
man any good. This was the general expectation, as Paul to Titus, the 
general fundamental faith of all Christians then, as in Peter ; and so the 
prophet's style and the apostle's style agrees. Isaiah, in his 40th, 43d, 
and 45th chapters, styles him ' The God and Saviour, and there is none 
besides him ; ' and the apostles in like manner, ' The great God and 
Saviour.' 

5. If you yet doubt, lo ! to put all out of question, he is styled ' the only 
true God.' The other, and the greatest objection that ever was or can be 
made against this Godhead of Christ is, that it is -said there is but one 
God only. Yea, and the Father is so styled and called, ' And this is life 
eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent,' John xvii. 3. And I find in some men's late writ- 
ings here at home them distinguishing thus : that take the Godhead simply 
in its unity, and so considered, it is only the Father, quoting all those 
places, there is none besides. And the Son they make to be either God, 
as united to man, and so in that respect becoming the Son, or the manifes- 
tation of God in flesh ; or, at best, but that in God which contained the 
mass and spirit of the whole creation as it was in God from everlasting, 
and so distinct from the nature of God, as purely in himself. But the 
objection hath been the occasion to me of the greatest satisfaction in this 
point, that the same style is given as completely unto Jesus Christ as to 
the Father in those other places. And so the words are not to be under- 
stood exclusively to Christ in this sense, to know thee as Father to be the 
only true God ; the Father, that only is the true God ; the words are not 
so, but inclusively rather thus, ' And him whom thou hast sent to be the 
only true God also.' Only Christ having an office, in respect of which he 
is called Christ, he is therefore named apart from the Father, yet so as 
both are that only true God, in distinction from all gods so called, that arc 
not gods by nature. And the ground of my satisfaction is this, that in a 
multitude of places where God is called the only God, and none besides 



436 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

him, yet those places are expressly meant of and applied to our Christ : 
' Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of 
hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God,' 
Isa. xliv. 6. Here, you see, is the attribute we seek for, the only God, &c. 
And this is as evidently spoken of Christ. For, 

First, Here are two titles given him, which are proper to Christ. 

1. 'King of Israel;' see John i. 49, 'Thou art the Son of God, thou 
art the King of Israel.' And for that of ' his Redeemer,' I need not 
trouble you with any quotations that it is proper to him. And yet he to 
whom this title is given is God, and the only God, ' Yea, beside me there 
is no God.' And if you yet doubt, and ask me, But are you sure that it 
is spoken of him ? Lo, Rev. i. twice : ver. 8, ' I am Alpha and Omega, 
the beginning and the end ;' and again, ver. 17, ' I am the First and the 
Last.' And then you have them all three, ' I am Alpha and Omega, the 
beginning and the end, the first and the last,' Rev. xxii. 13. The next in 
Isaiah is chap. xlv. 5, ' I am the Lord, and there is none else ; there is 
no God besides me ;' and ver. 21, 22, he bids us look on him. And sure, 
without any more ado, we that live under the New Testament, should 
know him upon first sight. . For to whom is it to whom all the ends of the 
earth do look, but he who was proclaimed the desire of all nations, who 
were not converted to God until Christ came ? But he it is of whom Isaiah 
says, ' There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over 
the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust,' Rom. xv. 12. ' Look, and 
trust on him, and be saved, who is a Saviour, and there is none besides,' 
says the Old Testament. ' Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be 
saved,' is the general style of the apostles' preaching : a Saviour, and 
1 besides him there is no other.' And thus they set him forth also, Acts 
iv. 11. There is no God, no Saviour besides him, and justification in him 
discovers him none other : ' By him all that believe are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses,' Acts 
xiii. 39. ' And in this Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified,' 
says Isaiah ; ' Surely,' shall one say, in the Lord I have righteousness and 
strength,' Isa. xlv. 24, 25. And if you were all put to speak, in whom 
would you say you had righteousness and strength ? Hear Paul for all 
the rest, in one epistle : ' To be found in him, not having my own right- 
eousness,' Philip, iii. 9. And for the other, hear him again in the same 
epistle, ' I can do all things through Christ, that strengtheneth me,' 
Philip, iv. 13. Do not all the jury of saints, with one mouth, say the 
same '? And what is he in whom we have this righteousness ? Doth not 
Isaiah's fellow-prophet tell us, Jer. xxiii. 6, ' And his name,' for essence, 
' is Jehovah ; ' for office, ' our righteousness.' Thus, I say, Saviour and 
God still are joined. The righteousness of this Saviour as God is that by 
which, through looking on him by faith, all, both Jew and Gentiles, are 
saved. And bring all this to that of Peter, even now quoted, describing 
true believers, ' All that have obtained like faith with us,' apostles, ' on the 
righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' And yet he of whom 
all this is said, takes this style upon himself to be the only God, and none 
besides him. And if any have the heart or face to deny these characters 
loosely scattered up and down, enough to convert a Jew to own him for 
the Messiah prophesied of, much more a Christian to acknowledge him the 
only true God, whom Isaiah spoke of, if any, I say, can deny it as meant 
personally of Christ, let them consult Paul, who expressly applies this very 
scriptnre unto our Jesus : ' Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. Praise the 



Ch.U'. IV.] and His sox JBSUS CHRIST. 487 

Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people,' Rom. xv. 10, 11. 
Where is that written but in this place of Isaiah, ver. 23, • I have sworn 
by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall 
not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.' 
And again it is quoted, Philip, ii., ' that to him every knee shall bow.' 

And let me yet bring the current and stream of other arguments usually 
alleged, to prove that Christ is God, into the channel of the last-cited scrip- 
tures. You have heard it argued that Christ is therefore God, because he 
creates and is worshipped, and forgives sins ; and the Scriptures are 
express, that God alone creates, is worshipped, and forgives sins. 

1. For creation, these places are express : Isa. xliv. 24, ' Thus saith the 
Lord thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the 
Lord that maketh all things ; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone ; that 
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.' And Jer. x. 10-12, ' But the Lord 
is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King : at his wrath 
the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his 
indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made 
the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from 
under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath 
established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by 
his discretion.' Now it is not only elsewhere said, that Christ created all, 
John i. 1, 2; Heb. i., and therefore is God; but further, in these very 
places where he is called that only God, even in these places quoted, he is 
said to be that God who alone created ; thus Isa. xliii. 7, 11, 23 ; xliv. 6, 
24 ; xlv. 5, 22-24. 

2. Again, so of God alone it is made the prerogative to be worshipped, 
Rev. xxii. 9 ; Mat iv. 10 ; out of Deut. vi. 5, 6, where also he is called one 
God. And of Christ it is also elsewhere said, he is to be worshipped. But 
further, you have both these in these very places also, wherein, as he is 
styled that God that is one, and none besides him, he is brought in swear- 
ing by himself, that eveiy knee shall bow to him, which is applied to him. 

3. So to forgive sins is proper to God alone, Mark ii. 7. And we find 
Christ to forgive sins ; and therefore he is argued to be God. But further, 
you have both in these very places quoted ; as he is called that only true 
God, so he is said to be that God that blots out transgressions for and by 
himself; thus Isa. xliii. 25, ' I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy trans- 
gressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.' So then 
the argument is every way strong, and indeed all arguments centre in one ; 
and we find all in this one and the same compass of Scripture. 

1. That God is but one God. 

2. That God alone creates, is to be worshipped, and forgives sins. 

3. That his glory he will not give unto another. 

4. That Christ is that one God, who is God alone. And,, 

5. These places are intei'preted of him, and applied to him by the apostles. 
So as indeed this one argument, from these places of Isaiah thus framed, 
hath all in it, which are scatteredly used by others out of several places. 
To conclude, to hear God speak, and saying, as Deut. xxxii. 39, he doth, 
' See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me : I kill, and 
I make alive ; I wound, and I heal ; neither is there any that can deliver 
out of my hand.' And to hear John from God to say, ' The Word was 
God, and the Word was with God ; ' and to hear the prophets say, that 
Christ is that God who is God alone, and none else besides him ; and to 
hear throughout the Scriptures one that is God, talking to, of, and with 



43R THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

another that is God, and yet all but one God ; to hear the Father to be 
called the only true God, the Son likewise, and so the Spirit : let all the 
wits of men and angels reconcile it otherwise than thus if they can, that 
God's nature or essence is one, but affords three persons, who are each that 
one God : three that are one. 



CHAPTER V. 

That the second person of the Trinity assumed human nature into personal 
union with himself, and so is God-man in one person for ever. 

I come to the great mystery of our religion, which so loud a voice proclaims 
to be such, by the apostle, 1 Tim. hi, 16, 'And, without controversy, great is 
the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in the flesh.' God had mani- 
fested himself in the Old Testament in his works ; as in Rom. i. 19, ' That 
which may be known of God is manifest in them ;' and, ver. 20, ' For the invi- 
sible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being under- 
stood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.' 
But God manifest in the flesh is an higher kind of manifestation, for there 
he is present. We may say of it, Here God is a visible God in his person. 
In the Old Testament this was prophesied of, among other famous oracles 
foregoing, Isa. vii. 14, ' A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and/ shall 
call his name Immanuel ; that is, God with us.' And again, chap. ix. 6, 
' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,' which notes his being 
God the Son ; who had been begotten long before by God the Father, 
and now given ; ' unto us a child is born,' and born of ' a virgin,' there 
is his human nature ; ' and his name shall be called Wonderful,' for his 
person is a wonderful person, ' the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, 
the Prince of Peace,' compounded of God and man in one person, which 
set all the world aghast at the knowledge of it. ' He did wondrously ;'* 
that is, he shewed himself to be God, for he ascended into heaven in a 
flame, and therein shewed himself more than a man or angel. As his per- 
son was wonderful, so his actions : wonderful in his person, as God united 
to man ; and wonderful as man, in his making immediately by the Holy 
Ghost ; such a man as never was. Says David, of his own body, Ps. 
cxxxix. 14, ' Thou tellest all my members ; I am fearfully and wonderfully 
made, . . . curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.' The phrases 
do speak some curious piece of workmanship to be undertaken in hand by 
some special artist ; and to hide his workmanship from the vulgar (which 
argues the nobleness of it) he goes into a dark place, and there he works it 
unbeheld of any, and then he brings it forth to open view, It was an 
instance Dr Preston used to give, that in the generation of a child, between 
father and mother, the father knows not what is doing, nor the mother 
knows not what is doing ; but God stands by, like a secret limner, and 
actuates the formation of every member according to the idea thereof writ- 
ten in his book. But in the formation of Christ's body and soul, the 
Holy Ghost discovered his workmanship in the dark place of the virgin's 
womb, called ' the lower parts of the earth.' And to stop the flo wings of 
sin and corruption, which by the parents is done, himself performed the 
part of the formative virtue which is in the seed of men ; whence it was 
that the divine nature, when he came into the world, said, ' A body hast 
* The reference is to Judges xiii. 19. — Ed. ■ 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus ciiiust. 439 

thou prepared me; ' the word in the original is Katartlzcin* that is, arti- 
culated, made and set in their due place and order. 

I shall only add one place further, to set forth the wonders of the mys- 
stery ; Jer. xxxi. 22, ' The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth ; a 
woman shall compass a man.' It is a prophecy of the conception of Christ 
at Nazareth, f one of the cities of Galilee, the place whero the angel Drought 
news first to the virgin, and where she conceived him. Of which, if I have 
time, more afterwards. This was a new thing indeed, a new thing created 
in the world, the like unto which, as also the crucifying of his Son, he 
never did afore, nor never will do again. And the blessed virgin hath a 
touch upon it, ' The Lord hath done great things for me, and holy is his 
name.' The word in the original is [MiyaXtTa, and is the samo word the 
apostles used in Acts ii. 11, ' The wonderful works of God.' 

Aud thus heaven and earth met and kissed one another, namely, God 
and man. And this union is the middle union (as I call it), as in respect 
to the two other, the union of the three persons in one Godhead, and our 
union with God ; so in respect to the thing itself. For his person being a 
middle person between the two persons, the Father and the Holy Ghost : 
he, the Son, as a middle person, by his union with the essence of God, 
takes hold of God on the one part ; and further, by "his union with the 
nature of man, takes hold of man on the other part, and so takes hold of 
both at once ; all which was suitable to his office, as being mediator, which 
the apostle says is ' of two that are at enmity,' Gal. iii. 20 ; and this you 
have, 1 Tim. ii. 5, ' For there is one God, and one mediator between God 
and man, the man Christ Jesus.' 

And as the person was thus wonderful, ' God manifested in the flesh,' 
so the signs and wonders that accompanied and followed his person, after 
his being gone to heaven, and the coming of the Holy Ghost, as Paul, an 
eye-witness, testifies, Heb. ii. 4, ' God also bearing witness, both with 
signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, 
according to his own will.' As also the apostle Peter, 1 Pet. i. 11, ' The 
Spirit of Christ testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory 
that should follow.' The times the apostles lived in were a glorious season. 
The apostle Paul hath in brief summed up the characters of them, and 
annexed them to his ' God manifested in the flesh,' as the wonderful effects 
thereof; as they follow in 1 Tim. iii. 16, where it follows, 'justified in the 
Spirit,' by reason of the frailty and meanness of his flesh wherein he 
appeared ; ' He was set at nought by Herod and his men of war,' Luke 
xxiii. 11 ; mocked and scourged by Pilate and the Jews, and for his pre- 
tension to be the Son of God, cast out of the world under the public infamy 
of being the greatest impostor, the most detestable villain and deceiver that 
ever was in the world, the rulers not sparing him when he hung miserably 
upon the cross. He was esteemed} of God, Isa. liii., when he was cru- 
cified, overwhelmed with all these prejudices. But presently, as he comes 
to heaven, his Father owned him, set him at his right hand, and made his 
enemies his footstool ; and he was justified from that great reproach cast 
upon him, for making himself God. In respect unto these things it is 
said, ' He was justified in the Spirit,' that is, in his Godhead, being owned 
as God. "Was not this a wonder, a mighty wonder ! ' Seen of angels.' And 
by their seeing him to be the Son (which none of them were), as soon as 

* That is, ' KaragriZiiv.' — Ed. 

t As Dr Jackson hath learnedly proved in his Sermon called ' Bethlehem and 
Nazareth.' % Qu. ' Smitten ?' — Er>. 



4<i0 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

he comes to heaven, they all fall down and worship him : ' When he bring- 
eth his first begotten into the world, he saith, Let all the angels of God 
worship him,' when he came first to heaven. And the bad angels, they 
believed and trembled, though men did not ; and they besought him not 
to torment them before the time, the day of judgment. It follows, ' preached 
unto the Gent les, and believed on in tbe world.' The Gentiles that had 
continued idolaters two thousand years, worshipping devils, by whom they 
were led ; and the apostles, but by preaching the gospel (which was but 
whispered, and yet runs through all the world, it ran like wildfire upon dried 
trees) ; they ' turned the world upside down,' Acts xvii. 6. ' Taken up 
into glory,' and owned there in the highest manner by God. Whereas, 
John xvi. 10, the contrary speech there used insinuates that he died, as 
cast out by God for the most unrighteous person that ever lived in the 
world. Christ foretells, that by the Spirit's coming with the word, he 
should convince the world that he was a righteous man, and had satisfied 
for sin ; ' Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no 
more.' And what is the reason of all this ? But because this man being 
taken up into glory, there is no eye of men or angels that shall see him in 
this glory, but must fall down and acknowledge, That man there is God, 
the Son of God ; and so John tells us himself. And the other apostles 
that saw a glimpse of his glory, do confess, ' We saw his glory, as of the 
only begotten Son of God,' John i. 14. And if the clothes he wore, which 
were but the outward appendixes of his person, did yet shine so bright as 
no fuller on earth could white them, how much more his human nature 
itself, in which the fulness of the gospel* personally dwells, shall transcend- 
ently shine much more, as being a part of himself, as he is able to make 
us to do, Phil. iii. 21, ' Who shall change our vile body, that it may be 
fashioned like unto his glorious body ; ' much more shall he change soul and 
body into the image of himself. 

But I shall comprise all that I intend to discourse of this subject, in this 
one assertion. 

That this person, the eternal Son of God, who was and is God, took unto 
himself, into an unity of person with himself, the man Jesus, or that the 
person of Christ is God and man, joined into one person. 

To demonstrate the assertion ; the punctum of which lies in this, that in 
our Christ, God and man are become one person. 

1. What is said of his conception or incarnation, in that forecited place, 
Luke i. 39, ' That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the 
Son of God;' which is explained by that in Gal. iv. 4, ' God sent forth his 
Son ' (his Son that was sent, and God, existed afore) ; and it was he, the 
Son, that so existed, that is, the person, and he now said to be made of 
a woman, the virgin. Observe, it is spoken of and attributed to this Son, 
that he was now ' made of a woman,' ' made man,' who was begotten of 
God afore, and now sent into, yea, made flesh ; and that this Son and 
that man made of a woman are yet but one Son still, not two sons, and 
therefore also one person ; for if they had been two persons, they had been 
two sons — the Son of God the one, and that holy thing born of the woman 
another ; whereas being now joined unto one person, there is but one Son 
to God, as he is there denominated. 

2d Evidence. Go we from his conception to the constant course and 
tenor of his speech about himself. That this man (when grown up) should 
continually talk of himself, and attribute such things to himself that were 
* Qu. 'Godhead ' ?— Ed. 



Chap. V.J and his son jesus christ. 441 

proper, and belonged only to that person, the Word, the only begotten Son 
of God, as we have proved and described him, existed before the world, 
that was the Son of God in heaven, and very God ; that this man, this 
sorry man to see to, should talk at that rate as he doth, and still say /, not 
xve, whilst he so speaks of himself, all the wits in the world cannot solve 
this riddle (if the several speeches be collected, and narrowly observed, in 
the gospel of John, and elsewhere), but by this which I use to solve all, 
he was taken into one person with him that was the Son of God. 

For instance, besides many others, John v. 17, ' My Father hitherto 
worketh, and I work ; ' which the Jews understood that he made himself 
equal with God, ver. 18. But how a man should be God, this they under- 
stood not. And he goes on to justify it, and assume it ; extending that 
speech of his (namely, that ' My Father worketh hitherto, and I work') 
unto all things past, as well as present or to come, even unto all that ever 
God did ; ver. 19, ' What things soever the Father doth, these also doth 
the Son likewise.' If he created the world, so did I ; if he hath governed 
all the affairs of it, so have I ; my hands have wielded the sceptre with 
him ; and God did never anything without my advice and counsel ; shew- 
ing me whatever he doth, ver. 20. Thus for time past. And so for time 
to come ; ' As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so 
the Son quickeneth whom he will,' ver. 21 ; God's will and intention being 
that all men shall one day ' honour the Son, as they honour the Father,' 
ver. 23. And yet he that talked all this was a man, that came into the 
world (as a man) but thirty years afore, yea, and he professeth of him- 
self, chap. viii. ver. 57, 58, that he was before Abraham ; ' Before Abraham 
was, I am,' that is, my person. And yet they judged him not above fifty. 
All which I allege not, as formerly, to prove that Christ was God, or Son 
of God ; but now that the man Jesus (who it is that uttered all this), that 
he was one person with that Son of God, who is God. For when he speaks 
it, he still maketh but one I of the Son of God and himself, and speaks 
the same things that are proper and peculiar to that Son of God who had 
afore existed. The man (I say) speaks them of himself, utters them in his 
own name, without any limitation or caution for being mistaken. He, this 
man, doth thereby distinguish himself from all his fellow-creatures. These 
things were so stupendously strange, that they made the carnal Jew wild, 
and mad, and in a rage, and to cry out upon him that he blasphemed, and 
ever and anon to take up stones to stone him withal ; and although they 
had believed that he was the Messiah whom they expected, yet such 
things as these they never could have imagined should have agreed to the 
person of Christ, whom they expected. They judged he took upon him 
infinitely beyond the elevation and proportion of the Messiah himself. 
And therefore, John x. 24, they having only at first asked him somewhat 
seriously, ' Tell us plainly if thou be the Christ ; ' and he as plainly tells 
them so that he was ; yet frames his answer up in such description of him- 
self, as the Christ, that he was one with God, as that thereupon the next 
word he hears from them is, ' Thou blasphemest,' ver. 33. 

Yea, and in the 6th chapter, those that were his disciples, that is, such 
as were a-coming on to believe on him, were for such strange riddles as 
these, utterly put off, as John vi. 61 ; and yet there, or unto them, such 
was his zeal to assert this his personal union between the Son of God, and 
that man Jesus, whose mouth was the utterer of it, that he speaks yet 
more strangely, ' Doth this offend you ? What if you see the Son of man 
ascend where he was before ? ' And there is no other foundation or 



442 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

ground for such a speech as that ; no other respect could bear it, but this 
his personal union, as the reason of it. Why, ' we know his mother and 
brethren,' say they. And where then could this man be before ? Nay, to 
increase the wonder yet more, he had said to Nicodemus, John hi. 13, 
'And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from 
heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven ; ' that is, who is now in 
heaven at this present ; whenas yet they saw him as a man, circumscribed 
with local bounds on earth, even as any other man is, within the verge of a 
poor seamless coat. And these things he so speaks of himself, in distinc- 
tion from the whole creation of God, as proper and peculiar to him, laying 
them therein in a rank infinitely below himself ; yea, also as one equal to 
God his Father, and as such, distinct from him ; and yet it is a Son of 
man that utters it, although, consider him as mere man, it could not be 
he should have so spoken ; the things said will not bear such words. And 
it is among other demonstrations of this truth, and also one of the main 
ends of God's ordaining this personal union, to declare, to the end that 
men might ' hear with their ears, and see with their eyes' (as John), the 
original distinction of the Father and his Son, as distinct persons in the 
deity ; which was that which was, and had been, among the persons from 
eternity, afore Christ took our nature, in that it was confidently held forth 
by a man, who being become one person with the Son, could and durst say, 
and appeal to his works to justify it, which were so stupendously miraculous, 
that his Father (afore whom and to his face he speaks it all) must be 
acknowledged to have concurred with him, and so thereby testified that he 
spake truth in this ; whilst yet this man utters it in the name of a person 
that was not mere man, but also God, Son of God. For this man doth, 
before and after, upon this doctrine of his, work his miracles, such as no 
mere man ever did ; and God suffered him so to talk, did bear it, and let 
him go on, and assist him therein, or else he could not have done them. 
As John x. 37, 38, ' If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not ; 
but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works ; that ye may 
know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.' And when he 
had done all these things, to ascend up to heaven, and sit down at God's 
right hand, this, I say, is at once a confirmation of these two, the greatest 
truths : 

1. The distinction of the persons of the Father, and the Son, though one 
God. As also, 

2. That this sorry man that speaks it was one in person with the Son of 
God. 

And if there had been no other end of this incarnation of personal union 
than to declare and manifest the first of these, it had been worth it ; 
which by so great an evidence could never have been manifested. 

And then, if this man were not one in person with the Son of God, who 
was God, let us all call him in question, and arraign him at the latter day, 
instead of his arraigning us, for laying low to himself all the saints, and the 
whole creation of God, whenas himself as man was but a part of it ; yea, 
for usurping upon the prerogatives of God himself ; and let his own words 
jud^e him. I say, let us cry out upon him as a deceiver, if this man had 
not that divine person, God's Son, in him, and therewith a divine nature, 
besides that of a bare man, which divinity lay hid and concealed in him, as 
a prince under a disguise ; and that person and divinity so united to him 
as to make one person with him, this man that spake thus. 

3. Thirdly, We find these two natures of God and man spoken of in 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 443 

him, as making up one / or one he; when himself speaks of himself, or his 
apostles of him. 

I begin with Mat. xvi., where he catcchiseth his disciples in this funda- 
mental of religion ; for, ver. 17, 18, he professeth to found his church upon 
the profession of it. (1.) The question asked is evidently what his person 
was, and of what made up ? This, his second question, ver. 15, ' Whom 
do ye say that I am ?' doth directly point to, for their punctual answer : 
what or who is my person ? And, (2.) concerning that you may observe 
that he bounds it not, he terminates it not, upon his being a man. The 
main question is not, whether he was a man or no ? or the Christ, the Son 
of man ? as if that were all. But my question reacheth farther, ' Whom 
do ye say that I, who am the son of man, am ?' over and beyond my being 
a son of man, I am something besides. And yet ' Son of man ' imported 
the Messiah ; as Cameron upon John v. 27, ' And hath given him authority 
to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.' Out of Dan. 
vii. 13, ' I beheld one like the Son of man ;' which is the periphrasis of 
the Christ. 

(3.) Peter, in his answer for them all, affirms not barely that he, the 
Son of man, was the Christ ; which was but a name of office (as if you 
should say of a man, he is the king, or he is the chancellor ; noting out an 
official person, or to denominate his office only) ; but he further adds, ' Thou 
art the Son of the living God.' 

(4.) Observe, that he in his answer joins these two together, to make up 
the I, the person of this Christ, ' the Son of man, and the Son of the living 
God ;' and as substantially the Son of the living God as he was substan- 
tially the Son of man. Yea, and manifestly shewing that the main of his 
person (for the subsistence or personality of it), to consist in this, his being 
the Son of the living God, more than in his being the Son of man. The 
like you have joined in Christ's question to the Pharisees, ' What think 
you of Christ?' 'David's son,' say they; ' David's Lord,' says he: and 
both making up one Messiah, or the Christ. So then, the person of Christ 
was Son of man, and Son of God, Mat. xvi. And Son of David, and Son 
of one greater than David ; for which he calls him Lord, and both in one 
person, Mat. xxii. Let us now bring other scriptures to these. 1. You 
have the same prophesied of him at his conception, by the angel, Luke i., 
' The Son of David his father,' ver. 32 ; ' The Son of God,' ver. 35 ; and 
both the same he. Let us still pursue this notion through the Scriptures, 
and from hence go unto Rom. i. 1-4, ' Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, 
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (which he had 
promised afore by his prophets in the holy Scriptures), concerning his Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to 
the flesh, and declared to he the Son of God with power, according to the 
spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.' In which words you 
have, 

1. As in the former, the person of Christ ; that is, who and what he was 
in his person, made the eminent and primary subject of the gospel : ' The 
gospel ' (says he) ' concerning his Son Jesus Christ.' And that set forth as 
the prophets in the holy Scriptures, or writings of the Old Testament had 
set him forth to us ; so as we shall have occasion from hence to call in the 
testimony of some prophets unto the confirmation of this also. I say, the 
person of Christ is the primary subject of it ; for the next following words 
insist on the description thereof. And so, whereas Paul was to set forth in 
his ensuing discourse, how that Christ's righteousness is that righteousness 



441 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

which God hath ordained for sinners, ver. 16, 17, 'I am not ashamed of 
the gospel of Christ : for therein is revealed the righteousness of God from 
faith to faith : as it is written, The just shall live by faith ; ' it was suitable 
for him in this so methodical and systematical an epistle, in tho first place 
to set out who and what the person of Christ is. Which, 

2. He performs in the next words, and that under the same terms, or 
equivalent, as in the two former Christ himself had dene. (1.) To be the 
Son of David, made of the seed of David, ver. 3 ; and, (2.) To be the Son 
of God, ver. 3, ' his Son ' in the same verse ; and so, in ver. 4, both making 
up this one person, ' Jesus Christ our Lord.' 

Yea, and 3. He further and more clearly proceeds tc shew how there 
were two distinct natures met in that one person : the nature of a man, 
according unto which he was the Son of David ; the nature of God, or the 
Godhead, according unto which, or in respect of which, he was the Son of 
God : ' Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,' ver. 3, 
' and declared to be (also) the Son of God with power, according to the spirit 
of holiness.' And as the opposition proves this, so it is very observable 
how exactly the apostle speaks in so great a mystery.* 1. The opposition 
clears it ; for zara cajxa, ' According to the flesh,' is opposed to xard 
srmu/Mt, ' According to the Spirit of holiness.' Now when he says he was 
' of the seed of David according to the flesh,' he (as all acknowledge) means 
that according to, or in respect of his human nature, termed the flesh, or as 
man, so here, was made of the seed of David ; oppositely, according to 
his Godhead, termed the spirit of holiness ; as he was in respect thereof 
the natural Son of God : so he was manifested with power so to be by the 
resurrection from the dead. Now that Spirit, as in Christ, is taken for the 
Godhead or divine nature dwelling in him, is evident by multitude of scrip- 
tures : ' The flesh profits nothing, the Spirit quickenetk ;' and ' By the 
eternal Spirit he offered up himself,' Heb. vii. And this Godhead in him 
is called the ' Spirit of holiness ;' by way of the ordinary title given the 
third person, who is called the ' Holy Spirit :' this here, the Spirit of holi- 
ness itself, which sanctified that human nature, as the altar and temple did 
the sacrifice. 

Again, observe the apostle's exactness of speech : as Son of David he is 
said to have been made, for begotten of man he was not, yet made of a 
woman, David's daughter, of the same matter that all men are formed of. 
But as Son of God he says not of him that he was made ; but he here sup- 
poseth him already, before he was made man, to have been the Son of God, 
ver. 3 ; and therefore says onry he was declared, namely, to us, or mani- 
festly evidenced to have been the Son of God, according to a divine nature 
in him, in which he existed before. And for proof of it he holds forth the 
greatest evidence, the power shewn by him in his resurrection from the 
dead ; in that Christ did aforehand profess and declare that he would raise 
himself up by his own power, John x. 18. 

4. The fourth thing I observe is, that these two natures remain in them- 
selves distinct in him, and yet both make up one person. (1.) Two natures 
distinct. The apostle doth professedly distinguish, as any schoolman useth 
to do ; ' According to the flesh,' says he, and ' according to the Spirit.' 
Yea, he denies concerning him that he is Son of God according to the flesh ; 
according to which nature he is considered only as the Son of David : but 
Son of God only in respect of his divine nature. And, (2.) he speaks of 
him as one person, that hath both these, and consisted of both ; or else 

* See Beza. 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus chiust. 445 

this distinction needed not have been used — if he had been either nothing 
but a man, or if the same person had not been both God and man. As 
when you distinguish of a man, that quoad animam, according to his soul, 
he is ' the offspring of God,' Acts xvii. ; for God is the Father of spirits, 
Heb. xii. : but quoad corpus, according to his body, he is begotten by man, 
who are the fathers of our bodies. To say a man is mortal quoad corpus, 
but immortal quoad animam : such a distinction were needless, if a man had 
not both a body and a soul ; or if that body and soul made not up one 
manner of person ; or if the soul were one person, as an angel is, and the 
body another. 

Now the person of Christ is still everywhere spoken of but as one : ' one 
Lord,' 1 Cor. vi. And yet of this the apostle Paul is found to distinguish, 
that he is Son of God, according to the Spirit ; Son of David, according to 
the flesh. And you have it again used by Peter, Acts ii. 30, ' David know- 
ing that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, God would raise up 
Christ.' That addition, ' according to the flesh,' needed not, if Christ had 
not consisted of another nature besides. Which being distinct, the oneness, 
the unity of this Christ, to whom both are alike attributed, must be found 
in the personality, that he that hath both these is one person. 

Now from hence, go unto Rom. ix. 5, where you have the same distinc- 
tion again used, as in manifest opposition to his divine nature ; ' Whose 
are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came; who is 
over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.' According to the flesh, he was of 
David, and the rest of the fathers ; but besides, he had another nature, 
which made him ' Lord over all, God blessed for ever.' Which clearly 
interprets Rom. i. 3, Son of God, according to the Spirit of holiness : that 
as he was God's Son, so he was God. Or as Rom. i., Son of God, according 
to his Godhead ; even as Son of David according to the flesh ; yet both 
making but one Atho,* or person, one Christ. 

Now, 4. Because Paul, in that Rom. i. 2, averred the prophets for this 
composition of his person, Son of David, according to the flesh ; Son of 
God, according to, or in respect of his Godhead : let us see if we find like 
and similar places to these in the prophets ; not to name all that prove him 
to be God and man, but such as are punctually correspondent to these. 
Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. 1. Son of David, ver. 5, ' Behold the days come that I will 
raise unto David a righteous branch ;' that is, out of his loins, a branch out 
of that stock or root. Who, 2, Shall be God, and Son of God (as Rom. 
ix. 5, Rom. i. 3) ; ver. 6, ' And this is his name whereby he shall be called, 
Jehovah our righteousness.' Jehovah, from the name of his essence, for 
it is the incommunicable name of God ; and our righteousness, as being 
mediator, and noting forth his office. And yet ' Jehovah our righteousness,' 
rather than the ' Man our righteousness ;' for his being our righteousness, 
depends more upon his being Jehovah, than his being a branch of David ; 
although upon both, as they are conjoined in one person. 

From thence let us go to Micah v. 2, where we shall find that as Christ 
hath two natures met in him, Son of David, Son of God, so two nativities 
spoken of, and yet the person but one. 1. ' The ruler shall come forth of 
Bethlehem.' He was born there as man ; and you know it was the city of 
David, whither Mary, as being of the seed of David, came to be taxed. So 
then, still Son of David, according to the flesh, and born as such in the 
four thousandth year of the world ; but then, as Son of God, ' His goings 
forth have been from of old,' the days of eternity. 

* That is, I suppose, the Hebrew JVIN-— Ed. 



41G THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

Unto this head I allege as the concluding proof to them foregone, that 
strange riddle in Heb. vii. 3, applying unto Christ, set forth from his type 
Melchisedec, ' Without father, without mother, without descent, having 
neither beginning of days nor end of life ; but, made like unto the Son of 
God, abideth a priest continually.' Which being spoken of one and the 
same person, Christ, can no otherwise be unfolded than by a differing 
respect had to the two natures God and man, and accordingly of two nati- 
vities. That he was God, and in that respect had a Father, the evangelist 
John doth in a special manner inculcate ; that he had a mother, the story 
of his birth, by the other three, doth inform us ; that he was born of a 
virgin, without a father, those three evangelists do tell us. And yet that 
Paul here should tell us, he was without a mother, doth necessarily import 
another kind of generation of his, wherein there was no mother concurred, 
and so another divine nature met in this one person ; in respect of which 
he was as substantially begotten of him without a mother, as that as man 
he had been conceived of the substance of his mother, even Son of the 
living God. 

There are other sorts of proofs of this great truth. 

As first, the communication and attribution of the same rights, privileges, 
attributes, actions, passions, infirmities. 

1. All the rights of the Son of God by inheritance, given to the man 
Jesus, as that ' called Son of God ;' not as the angels, Heb. i. Luke i. 32, 
' He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ; and the 
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David,' to rule the 
nations ; raise whom he will ; have possession of all power in heaven and 
earth ; to forgive sins as man, Mat. is. 6. 

2. The attributes proper to God are given to this man : as to have been 
in heaven before the world was ; John iii. 13, and John xvii., ' Glorify me 
with that glory I had with thee afore the world was.' ' Before Abraham 
was, I am.' Whereby what is not true of that nature alone in itself con- 
sidered, is yet attributed to that nature of a man now. The natural pro- 
perties of man's nature in him were never altered, for finite could never 
become infinite ; therefore it must necessarily be spoken in a personal 
respect, as being made one person with him that is God ; qui, not qua, that 
is, spoken of him who is man, not of him as man. As when what is proper 
only to the soul is attributed to the whole man ; as if when Paul's soul was 
rapt up into the third heaven, and his body remaining on earth, that of 
his body it should have been said, it is now in heaven, because the soul it 
was united to was there. Like to which is, that Christ should call his body 
in the grave, God's Holy One ; ' his Holy One saw no corruption ;' which 
is spoken of the whole person, though it was his body only was capable of 
corruption. Or that of John, ' We saw and handled the Word of life,' 1 
John i. 1, ' and the Word which was from the beginning ;' and yet speaks 
there of their handling his very body, ' Feel, if a spirit have flesh and 
bones,' and putting their fingers into it, so to verify his having been come 
in the flesh. On the other hand, e contra, that all the infirmities of the 
human nature should be attributed to God, that God should be said to be 
pierced and crucified ; 2 Cor. xii. 10, ' Therefore I take pleasure in infir- 
mities, in* reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for 
Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I strong ;' compared with ver. 
8, ' I besought the Lord ;' which is applied to Christ, John xix. 37, ' And 
again,' another scripture saith, ' they shall look on him whom they have 
pierced.' And God to lay down his life, 1 John iii. 16, ' Hereby perceive 



Chap. V. and his son jesus christ. 447 

we the love of God, because he laid down his life for ns ; and we ought to 
lay down our lives for the brethren.' These contradictions all the wits 
in the world cannot reconcile, but by acknowledging two natures in one 
person. 

3. That the obedience, yea, bloodshed of the man should be called the 
blood of God, the life of God ; 1 John iii. 16, there it is called the life of 
God ; and Acts xx. 26, the ' blood of God,' yea, God's own blood ; and 
his active obedience the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
2 Peter i. 1. And these things were spoken, not because God was the 
efficient of these in him ; for so the Spirit is of our prayers, Rom. viii ; 
yet, they are never termed the Spirit's prayers, or requests, though made 
by him in us, and for us, but our prayers. But all that obedience of 
Christ is called God's ; which difference can never be solved, but that the 
man Jesus was one person with God. Not so we. Yea, if that man had 
sinned (if you could suppose it, as to bring an argument from it to illustrate 
this), you may, by the same law, or reason, that his righteousness is now 
called the obedience of God, or, the life of God, infer that it must have 
been termed the sin of God. For what the man did in weakness, is attri- 
buted to God. But we are not in this personal manner united to the Spirit, 
that our weaknesses should be attributed to him. We sin, yet it were blas- 
phemy to say that our sins are his ; and all because he is not one person 
with us, though his person is united to our persons. 

Neither when that bloodshed is called the blood of God, yea, his own 
blood ; this is not spoken in respect to his being possessor and owner of it, 
as God is of all the creatures. Ps. 1., ' The beasts on a thousand hills are 
mine.' John i., ' He came,' tig ra Idia, ' to his own.' And so the blood 
of bulls and goats were God's, when sacrificed. But this is not only said 
to be his blood, but his own blood, and his own life. These are phrases 
never spoken of possession, or of an owner by dominion or external right. 
We call indeed other things, as goods, a man's own, but never call it a 
man's own blood, unless it be naturally or personally his own. We say 
not of a slave's body, this is the body of his master, his own body, because 
the phrase, a man's own body, in propriety of speech, is used another way 
for the body of a man's self, as of a person. Or if he give a slave's life or 
body for a ransom, we never say, nor can say in propriety of speech, 
that the master gave his own body, his own blood, as a ransom. The 
phrase so properly notes out personal propriety, that is, of a person, unto 
what is a part of one's person, and that the blood is that person's whose 
own it is called. Yea, though a father give a child to death, who yet is 
his flesh and blood, yet we hardly say he gave his own blood ; and yet if 
that might be said, because the same blood is naturally the father's, yet of 
God the Father it could not be said, because Christ's blood, as a man, did 
not flow out of his Father's blood ; for God begets not him as a man, nor 
hath he flesh and blood to communicate. So that it necessarily notes out 
that one that was God, a person, taking up that man into one person with 
himself, that man's blood is therefore called God's own blood, because the 
man's, who is one person with him. 

Neither, 3, it is said to be God's own blood, because shed by God's own 
will and appointment ; for so the blood of every man that is killed by God's 
will should be so called, and so the blood of bulls was God's own blood in 
that respect. 

Use. We must labour to have our minds and faith well established in the 
true knowledge of the person of Christ, since it is a truth of so great mo- 



448 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [73oOK II. 

rnent unto us, and the mischiefs of erring about it will be destructive to 
our souls. 

And the weight or importance that our faith be set and kept right in this 
point appears in that errors and mistakes herein, as they have been frequent, 
so fatal in all ages, and to all sorts of men that have had the knowledge or 
hearsay of our Christ. 

1. To the Jews ' Christ was a stumblingblock,' 1 Cor. i. 23, both in 
what his person should be, as appears John x. 33 and other places, as also 
that his righteousness alone, through faith, should be the righteousness of 
a sinner, is in like manner said to be a stumblingblock, Rom. ix. 33. Their 
heads were mightily then taken up and busied who that man Jesus should 
be ; and how many various opinions did the devils buzz into their minds 
to divert them from that which was the truth, and alone was to save them ! 
Some said he was John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremias, or one 
of the prophets. And thus it is now at this day. The Jews, according to 
the principles and fancies of that age, had those forementioned several 
opinions of him, and perhaps many more. And in this age, according to 
other principles which Satan possesseth men's brains withal, several opinions 
are raised up, what this Christ should be, whilst all are zealous to profess 
him. 

Then, again, Christ himself foretold it, as a forerunning sign of the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, that the Jews having rejected him, the true Christ, 
they should be given up to many false Christs, <pano>u,$va. Now, those 
days, and the occurrences thereof, afore Jerusalem's destruction, are made 
types of the like to fall out (even in this particular point) in the days pre- 
ceding the end of the world (whereof Jerusalem's destruction was itself a 
type in Christ's intention in that chapter). And accordingly these days 
now. Although Jesus at Jerusalem is more generally acknowledged by 
almost all that profess Christianity, yet in assigning what and wherein his 
being Christ consists, herein men have and sball run into as many several 
sorts of Christs as the Jews had done ; one saying, Here is Christ, another, 
There is Christ ; one that this is Christ, another this. 

And such buddings and sproutings forth of such errors began in those 
first times, whilst Paul and other apostles were on earth, amongst those 
that pretended to Christian profession, witness those more than hints in 
several epistles, which Paul plainly styleth the ' preaching of another 
Christ ' than what himself and the other apostles had preached. What 
else meaneth that passage, ' For I am jealous over you with a godly 
jealousy : for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present 
you as a chaste virgin unto Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the 
serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be cor- 
rupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh 
preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive an- 
other Spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have 
not accepted, ye might well bear with him,' 2 Cor. xi. 2-4. That in these 
passages he glanceth at some false teachers that had come in among them, 
as those words, ' if he that cometh to you preach,' &c, ver. 4, evidently 
imply, that at least such were then abroad in the world, and have been in 
other churches, and were ready to come to theirs, which Paul was afraid 
of. But more plain and directly, ' For such are false apostles, deceitful 
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no 
marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore 
it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 449 

righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works,' ver. 13-15. 
And these expressions do import that the doctrines which these had vented 
concerning Christ were framed and raised up to so high an appearance of 
spiritualness, as were not only apt to take with believers, and deceive them, 
as ver. 3, which made Paul so jealous over them, ver. 2 ; but further, they 
seemed so angelical and seraphic, that in these, if ever in any (his depths, 
as they are called), Satan had shewed his depths, and had played the coun- 
terfeit of an angel of light, and transformed himself thereunto in his inven- 
tions of them ; and when yet, as Paul plainly tells them, that it was but 
a counterfeit Christ, ' another Jesus than he had preached,' ' another 
Spirit,' and ' another gospel.' So as the Christ which these false apostles 
had dressed up, had so high an appearance of Christ's spirit and gospel, as 
seemed to vie with that true Jesus, &c, which the apostles taught, foi 
glory and spiritual excellencies. And this also, that new form of an oath, 
which the apostle useth upon that coherence, ver. 10, a new one framed to 
this occasion, 'As the truth of Christ is in me,' &c, says he, which h6 
speaks to import that in those other teachers there was a false Christ, and 
not the true. 

And to affect the Corinthians the more, and arm them with wariness 
against, and shew them the danger of entertaining any new doctrines about 
Christ's person, he presenteth and enforceth the moment hereof, under the 
similitude of marriage, ' I am jealous over you with godly jealousy ' (the 
subject which jealousy is increased about, is fear of what may rise to the 
breach of the marriage-knot), lest you should entertain the embraces of an- 
other ; and so it follows, ' for I have espoused you to one husband, and I 
would present you a chaste virgin to him,' that is, to Christ, to whom as 
yet you are but espoused. And it is as if he had said, There is but one 
spiritual husband, and there can be but one, your only husband, Christ. 
It is not as in the case of other marriages, if you have not such a man you 
may have another as good, yea, perhaps a better. But if you mistake here 
in obtaining this one, only one for your husband, you are undone. There 
can be no greater errors committed in marriage than error persona, a mis- 
take of the person you are to marry ; and when thinking you marry such 
a man, you marry another. Yea, and if after marriage to one husband 
you should be deceived, as many women (as stories and experience shew) 
have been, when their husbands have been long absent and out of sight, 
others, that have had some resemblance of the true husband, or some privy 
mark of him, have put themselves upon their wives, and they entertained 
then' embraces. How fatal a thing is this ! < But I fear,' says he, ' lest 
by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your 
minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,' ver. 3. 
The devil hath a special malice at the person of Christ, of all other truths 
concerning him ; and to put this high abuse upon him, specially goes about 
to deceive his spouse in his person, to misrepresent him and deform him ; 
yea, and if possibly he can effect it, put this trick upon him, and great im- 
posture on her, that she should take another Jesus for him, the devil's 
Jesus instead of God's. And to effect this, of all other, he will use his 
utmost subtilty. And having been himself an angel of light, he will trans- 
form himself in pretended manifestations, and incomes, and ravishments of 
spirit, that shall accompany the entertainment and embraces of his Christ. 
He will use all means (' if by any means,' says Paul) to second, credit, and 
help forward this new match. 

And one great occasion of their aptness to be deceived is the simplicity 

VOL. IV. f f 



150 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK II. 

that is in the person of our Christ, not only in his human nature, a car- 
penter's son, a crucified man, a Christ in flesh, but that when besides for 
his divine nature, they think they have heard and known already well 
enough what God's nature is, by what is said of him in the Old Testament, 
and so in the Father, and to know but the same over again in Christ ; this 
is no great addition to their knowledge. And that no other thing can be 
affirmed of him but that he is God, and that to think that he should 
have but the same simple uncompounded nature that God hath, and not be 
distinct from God therein. They think they are but as wise as they were 
in this, and so are apt to listen after such representations of a Christ, as 
shew him to be some divine Spirit that comes out of God, differing from 
God, which they fancy will afford matter of some new and manifold wisdom, 
besides that knowledge they have of God by other means. And thus the 
simplicity of his person (as they esteem this) is apt to cause them to listen 
after some other story of him. Whereas the glories and wisdom which 
ariseth from that union of God and man in one person is such, as tran- 
scends all other imaginations, though never so raised, which either angels, 
men, or devils have or could for ever invent concerning him. 

And the deceits and trains that Satan lays herein, he compares to those 
wherewith the serpent deceived Eve, ' Lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve,' 
&c. He put it into their heads that there was a higher knowledge they 
might attain than in that keeping to God's law, they had already, or could 
attain thereby : and further, that themselves should be gods ; so seducing 
them from God. And thus here there is not only a promise of a higher 
and more spiritual knowledge than that simple story of Christ God-man 
affords ; but that themselves should be Christs. And they frame such a 
story of Christ as should serve to persuade this, and their capacity of this 
advance. For a Christ in flesh, which this man Jesus is, say they, you 
shall have a Christ in spirit. For a Christ without you, that is, God sub- 
stantially, you shall have, every one of you, a Christ within you ; yea, and 
if need be, they will not stick to affirm, yourselves shall be God substan- 
tially ; and not be united only to God and Christ, but so united, as to 
exist in the form of God, and to be one and the same with God. Such or 
the like workings of this mystery of iniquity, deforming and perverting 
of the true Christ into another, you find in Paul's time amongst the 
Corinthians, or of which from false teachers then gone abroad, they were 
in danger of. 

Something answerable, or like to this, the Church at Colossus also were 
in danger of. Those philosophical teachers which, chap. ii. 8, he gives 
them warning of, ' Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and 
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and 
not after Christ.' Their doctrines perverted not only the purity of the 
worship of the gospel, but were intended to the misrepresenting the person 
of Christ, as appears by many characters ; both, 1. In that in the very next 
words, ' For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' He gives 
them a perfect definition or description of the person of Christ, as in him- 
self considered, and in his fulness to us, ver. 10, ' And ye are complete in 
him, which is the head of all principality and power.' And this in a direct 
opposition (as the coherence shews) unto their philosophical Christ, which 
they for wisdom and excellency would needs compare with the apostle's 
Christ. And, 2. In opposition to their counterfeit Christ, it is, that he 
also sets out his Christ in all the personal excellencies and fulness, the like 
nowhere in all his epistles, chap. i. ver. 15-18. And then also of his gos- 



Chap. V.] and ms son jesus ciiiust. 451 

pel, which is the revelation of him, ver. 23, 2G, 27 to the end ; and as it 
is the mystery of God the Father, and of Christ, chap. ii. 2, ' In whom are 
hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' Exhorting, that as they had 
received Christ, so they would walk in him, ver. G, as in matter of order, 
so for faith ; for unto both those that exhortation is directed, as appears by 
tho coherence with ver. 5, but especially in their faith about the person of 
Christ, with which he therefore begins, ver. 7, ' Stablished in the faith, as 
ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving,' being thankful 
to God he had revealed such a Christ, his Christ to them ; for they could 
not have a better or another. And then follow those words, ' Beware lest 
any man spoil you through philosophy, after the tradition of men, rudi- 
ments of the world, and not after Christ.' Some of the teachers of those 
times, finding in philosophers (then in credit) in Plato, Orpheus, Hesiod, 
Pythagoras, and in the Jewish traditions, many divine things about Xoyog, 
the Word, and of emanations, and genealogies, and descents from God, as 
Irenoeus shews, of him from God, and of the creatures from him, they dressed 
up a Christ and a divinity with those philosophical clothes, and colours, 
and paint, which, the apostle says, was not ' after Christ,' as you say a false 
picture of a man is not after the man, being not taken from him, nor 
resembling his person, but another clean. They were descriptions of him, 
not taken from the life or truth that was in him. Whom, therefore, Paul 
sets out in the substance of him, ' In him dwells all the fulness of the God- 
head bodily,' or (you shall give me leave to translate it) 'personally.' And 
so it was another Christ. And therefore, chap, iii. ver. 19, these are said 
not to hold the head, that is, him, ver. 10, he had styled ' the head of all prin- 
cipalities and powers ;' and, chap. i. 18, ' the head of the body of his 
church,' they having clean perverted him to another Christ. And as it was 
then, so it is now. Men have gone about to bring Paul's, the Scripture- 
Christ, to Plato's ; and as such would obtrude him on the saints. 

Thus it was in Paul's time ; but John lived longer, after all the apostles, 
and saw these seeds and buddings then sown come to a greater ripeness, 
and open and more gross discovery, from blade to ear ; and writing that 
first epistle to the Christian Jews in a more special manner, he seeing what 
Christ had foretold should fall out about the time of Jerusalem's destruc- 
tion, both afore and after it, to be fulfilled, doth therefore, chap. ii. 
ver. 18, give this warning : ' My brethren, it is the last hour' (because tho 
last period of time afore that fatal overthrow of that nation), ' for even now 
there are many antichrists' (as our Lord had foretold), ' whereby we know 
that it is the last horn-,' we seeing it thus fulfilled. And, ver. 22, ' Who 
is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is, 6 Xg/<rro?,' the Christ, the sole 
and only Christ ? And he is an antichrist that denies the Father and the 
Son, the distinction of these two, and the personalities. ' And whosoever 
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.' And, 1 John iv. 1, 
' Many false prophets are gone out into the world.' And what was the 
great false point of odds which they endeavoured to sow and diffuse ? ver. 3, 
' They confessed not that Jesus Christ was come in the flesh,' and that 
Christ was God ; and therefore the catholic faith of all true believers, in 
opposition to those errors about his person, he gives us ; chap v, 20, ' And 
we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, 
that we may know him that is true ; and we are in him that is true, even 
in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.' They 
had other doctrines about their Christs whom they held forth, which were 
a full denial of all this. You have the like in his second epistle, ver. 7, 9. 



452 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK II. 

And to obviate those errors about tbe person of Christ was it that he wrote 
those epistles, and his gospel of John, after all the other evangelists and 
epistles written, exhorting them to hold fast to that Christ whom they 
had heard and known from the beginning, as himself and the holy apostles 
had set him forth, chap. i. ver. 1-3, ' That which was from the begin- 
ning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we 
have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life ; (for 
the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew 
unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested 
unto us) ; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.' And 
ver. 24 of chap, ii., ' Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard 
from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall 
remain in you, ye shall also continue in the Son, and in the Father.' The 
like Epistle ii. ver. 9, declaring those that fell into such errors, and con- 
tinued in them, to be such apostates as never had truth of grace : chap. ii. 
ver. 19, ' They went out from us, but they were not of us ; for if they had 
been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us : but they went 
out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us ;' and 
hints how some of them so sinned therein, as that withal they sinned the 
sin unto death, never to be recovered, chap v. ver. 16, 17 (though not all ; 
those words ver. 16 do imply), ' If any man see his brother sin a sin which 
is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin 
not unto death. There is a sin unto death : I do not say that he shall 
pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin : and there is a sin not unto death.' 
And of all he judgeth them such, as, without repentance, the saints should 
have no communion with, Epist. ii. ver. 9, 10, 11, ' Whosoever trans- 
gresseth, and abideth not in the docfrine of Christ, hath not God. He 
that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the 
Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him 
not into your house, neither bid him God- speed : for he that biddeth him 
God- speed is partaker of his evil deeds.' Of this consequence is true faith 
in this doctrine. 

Now, as it was then, so it is now ; those times, and the occurrences 
which then fell out (foretold by Christ) among Jews and Christians afore 
Jerusalem's destruction, being types of what should now fall out in the last 
days afore the end of the world ; and we have yet but the buddings of 
what perhaps will grow up to greater ripeness and spreadings, as then they 
also did. 

Multitudes of those that are orthodox in their opinions, or speculative 
judgments about the person of Christ, yet perish, because they know not, 
apprehend not, this true Christ, as he is in himself really and spiritually. 
They know not • the truth as it is in Jesus,' as Eph. iv. 20, 21, the apostle 
speaks. And this hath and doth fall out amongst all that live in the church. 
But others begin to err about the very notion of his person, coining other 
Christs, by diminishing from or adding unto the person of him, as they 
would represent him to us. And this is as easy as it is dangerous, even as 
it was an easy thing to make another gospel, and to entertain it, as in the 
Galatians' example appears, Gal. i. 6, 'I marvel that ye are so soon removed 
from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel.' 
And in that forementioned 2 Cor. xi. 15, the apostle speaks the like of 
preaching another Christ, considering men's aptness to err herein ; it is no 
great thing (says he), though great in respect of the moment of it, yet easy 
and soon done. And that is the apostle's scope in that speech. And again, 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 453 

as some churches then embraced another gospel (as the Galatians), so upon 
other churches the devil endeavoured to obtrude another Christ. 

And he is soon (in the doctrine about him) made another Christ, either 
by taking away from him, or adding to him. 

1. By taking away from him, as if you take away his Godhead, this 
alters the person quite, as taking away the reasonable soul from the body 
of a man, takes instantly away the man, and leaves a brute beast in his 
room. It turns him into the carcass of a Christ ; let him be set forth in 
words never so gorgeously or gloriously, the substance of his person is stolen 
away. Or else, 

2. By adding to him ; for if the joining works to Christ's righteousness, 
in matter of justification, made another gospel, as the epistle to the Gala- 
tians shews, then surely adding the persons of all the saints to the indi- 
vidual one Lord, one husband, Christ, and that they all should be Christ as 
well as he, equal with him, their union with Gcd the same that he is, this 
is to un- Christ him. 



454 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK. III. 



BOOK III. 

Of the glories and royalties that belong unto Jesus Christ, considered as God- 
man in one person (besides iv hat accrued to him from his performance of the 
ivork of our redemption), and which were appointed for him, by his Father, 
from all eternity. — The apparent manifestation of the divine attributes in the 
person of Jesus Christ God-man. — The designation of him in God's first 
decrees, as the end for whom all the creatures were made. — The part that he 
bore as God-man in the creation, as by him all things were created. — The 
appointment of him by God to be one Lord over all, under him one God ; 
and to be in a more special respect the head of the elect, on whom they were 
to hold the tenure of all the blessings bestowed on them above the dues of 
creation. 

One Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. — 
1 Cor. VIII. 6. 



CHAPTER I. 

A preface giving a short scheme or draft of the ensuing discourse. — An 
exposition o/Col. \.,from verses 15 to 19 ; all that is spoken there of Christ 
must be ascribed to him as God-man. 

We have had the person of our Lord set out unto us, what and who he is. 

This text, in more general words, leads us next unto the consideration of 
the glory and royalties of this great person, who, as God-man in one person, 
is sovereign Lord over all; and also, who hath 1. An universal influence 
and efficacy into all things : ' Through whom are all things.' 2. Specially 
into the salvation of the elect : ' And we by him.' Neither doth the text 
attribute these to him, as he is singly that second person, the Son of God ; 
but as he is constituted Lord by his Father. And therefore necessarily as 
considered the Son of God, personally united to that man Jesus, as hath 
been set out. And of him thus considered, I desire, may be understood 
all that follows, as that which is the proper subject thereof. 

It hath been no small diminution of Jesus Christ (as he is God-man), 
that men's minds having been intent upon him as a redeemer from sin and 
wrath (they being sinners, the consideration and burden of that hath lain 
nearest them, and pressed upon their spirits), and that having once given 
them ease, they have in a manner only given him the glory thereof; 
whereas there is in other respects as great a revenue of glory from many 
other contributions due to him, even from whatever God himself can bo 
supposed to challenge glory from. 

The subject of these following sections is, the glory of his person, and 



Chap. I.] and his son jesus christ. 455 

the relation thereof, simply considered and abstracted from the work of 
redeeming us men from sins and wrath. 

Ere I come to the particulars, I shall in this first chapter, which is an 
introduction to the rest, do two things. 

First, Give the sum and schemo of the particulars, that thus shew forth 
the glory of his person. 

Secondly, Single out one eminent and comprehensive scripture, viz., 
Col. i. 15, which gives a general bottom unto all the heads of that scheme 
or draft. 

First, The series of the heads themselves. 

The first head is, 

The native personal glories which attend and are due to that human 
nature united personally to the Son of God, besides those that arise to him 
as a Redeemer. 

Which are of two sorts. 

First, Inherent in him, consisting of such attributes as accompany the 
union of that human nature to God's Son, and do make up an image of the 
Godhead in him ; besides his being the essential image of God as second 
person ; such as is to be found in no mere creature. 

The second are incommunicable royalties, adherent or appertaining to 
him, and yet no less due to him than the other. As, 

1. That he as man, or rather as God-man, should have in the decrees 
and purposes of the Most High, the just honour to be the eldest or first- 
bom therein, in priority of order, before all other men or angels, that were 
to be mere creatures. 

2. In those decrees to be made the end or final cause of all other things, 
and this also as his due, that all other things that were to be created should 
be so disposed of, and contrived in God's eternal counsel, as might tend to 
his glory, even as well as to the Father's. 

Unto these two I add that which is the result of both, especially of the 
first. 

3. That by this designed union of the Son of God to our nature, and in 
the person of the Son so united, and that simply and abstractly considered ; 
God hath, and doth make the highest manifestation and communication of 
himself, such as by no created ways or means could ever have been attained 
(which is the result of his being the image of the invisible God). And this 
manifestation (we now speak of) is, both that which is made unto the elect 
in him, and by him, and for his sake ; as also that one which is transcend- 
ently made in and unto that human nature himself, who is one of us, 
4 flesh of our flesh,' &c. So as by this personal union with the man Jesus, 
God hath attained his chiefest, highest, and most substantial ends, which 
by all or any means else could not have been so attained. 

The second head proceeds on such glories as are relative unto the works 
and counsels of God, touching the things that were to be made and brought 
forth into being by him, and the dependence they all have upon his being 
God-man ; wherein is shewn how that his Son's being made, and under- 
taking to be made, man, he withal became, 1. ' The beginning of the creation 
of God ;' the upholder of the whole creation in his Father's purposes ; yea, 
and virtually was the creator and maker thereof, as so considered. 2. The 
upholder and governor of them, when thus created. And, 3. All other of 
his works (besides redemption) are committed to him. 

A third head (which I shall treat of in another discourse, viz., of Christ 
the Mediator) is more special, namely, his glorious efficaciousness, to the 



4uG THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEB, [BOOK. III. 

accomplisliment of the blessedness and salvation of God's elect, both men 
and angels, out of the common lump and mass of the whole creation ; which 
contain-s in it, 

1. His being an head of union to angels and men, but more especially of 
us, elect men unto God, to raise them up as creatures unto a supernatural 
union with God, above their law of creation. 

2. Unto us men, yet more especially in his being a redeemer, over and 
above his being an head unto us, to deliver us from sin and the curse, by 
his (himself) being made both for us. 

The coronis, or top-stone set upon this pillar and column of glory, which 
is thus erected, and is a building unto our Lord Christ, is comprehensively 
contained in Eph. i. 10, ' That in the dispensation of the fulness of time, 
he might gather together all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and 
which are on earth, even in him.' And it is the whole and full birth, the 
all of God's everlasting purposes and decrees, and so the whole of what- 
soever shall be accomplished, touching the person of Christ, the salvation 
of the elect, both angels and men, and the restitution of all the whole crea- 
tion by Christ. As, 

1. That God's utmost design was to unite a select company of his 
creatures to him, to be one with himself. 

2. That to that end, he in his decrees contrived it so that the person of 
Christ should consist and be made up of all things, all sorts of things in 
heaven and earth ; and so made a meet medium of such an union. 

3. That he hath made up that body or company of his elect that were to 
be thus united to hiinself by Christ, in a correspondent anti-posture to that 
of his person, made up out of all things in heaven and earth ; and consisting 
(take the whole lump of them amongst them) of all sorts of things that are 
to be found in either, both among angels and men ; even a special all things, 
out of all the general all things. 

4. That he hath made his Son an head of union, which is common both 
to angels and men ; and over and above, a redeemer or mediator of redemp- 
tion of us men ; ' so gathering them all into one ' a second time in him. 

5. That the whole creation (but those in hell, which are exempted out of 
that catalogue) have by an overflow, a participation (take them in their 
capacity) of this great union, and are restored to a glorious liberty therewith. 
Even so be it, blessed and thrice glorious Lord Jesus ; to whom be glory 
for ever. Amen. 

I now at length must quit the conduct of this scripture, which I have 
hitherto, all along, taken for my guide and bottom, namely, 1 Cor. viii. 6. 
And it having thus happily led me to that general, which hath these parti- 
culars in the womb thereof, I shall take my leave of it, and betake myself 
unto another scripture, as adequate to this, and which is its next design 
and model, setting forth the heads forementioned almost in the same order 
and method I have proposed them in. This scripture I shall in this section 
first suit, in the whole of it, to the particulars of this draft. 

Col. i. ver. 15-19, ' Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born 
of every creature : for by him were all things created that are in heaven, 
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or 
dominions, or principalities, or powers ; all things were created by him and 
for him : and he is before all things, and by him all things consist : and he 
is the head of the body, the church ; who is the beginning, the first-born 
from the dead ; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence : for it 
pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.' 



Chap. 1.1 and his son jesus chiust. 457 

The apostle, from the 15th verse to the 23d, sets forth Jesus Christ in 
all those rich and glorious excellencies revealed in the gospel ; and his 
scope and intention designed therein (as likewise in the whole epistle) is, as 
appears by the second chapter, to divert and take off the Colossians' minds 
from going after Jewish rites, which he calls ' rudiments of the world,' &c, 
Col. ii. 8, and which some would have introduced into their worship ; and 
likewise, from vain and fruitless speculations, brought into their faith and 
doctrine, but grounded on philosophy, carnal reason, traditions of men, 
&c, ver. 8, which, having • a show of wisdom ' in them, did so carry away 
their minds, as (to use his own words in the 18th verse) they were well 
nigh spoiled or robbed (as were our forefathers, by the like subtilties of the 
schoolmen, and the ostentation of pompous rites and ceremonies) of these 
rich and never to be exhausted treasures of all wisdom and knowledge, 
which lay hid in Christ (ver. 3), but unregarded by them, by reason of the 
other. 

The apostle therefore, knowing that the super-eminent excellencies of 
Christ, if once discovered, would withdraw their thoughts from gazing after 
such vain (though gaudy) speculations of science, falsely so called, and how 
in him they were complete (as himself speaks, Col. ii. 10), and therefore 
needed not to go out of him, nor to be beholden to any other knowledge 
for direction in matters of faith and order, seeing that in him were hid all 
treasures of knowledge and wisdom ; he therefore brings in this King of 
glory among them, clothed in all his royalties ; that look, as when the king 
comes in state into the presence chamber, though the eyes of the bystanders 
were before never so intent in beholding the curious pictures and rich 
hangings about the room ; yet when the king comes in, they all turn their 
eyes on him, diverting them from other objects : so likewise would it be 
with these Colossians, when they should once see Christ appear in his glory ; 
in which the apostle purposely sets him forth in these verses, the like 
whereof he nowhere doth in all his epistles. 

So then you see already this scripture, in the scope of it, to be pertinent 
to what we are about to demonstrate. It agrees with my design in this, 
that it sets forth Christ's excellencies in all their fulness. Let us next see 
how it will correspond with the particulars. 

The words (adding the 19th and 20th verses to them) do methodically 
set out those eminent particular heads which I have proposed. 

First, The personal excellencies, which, as was said in that draft, are of 
two sorts. 

1. Native and inherent in his person, considered as God-man, in these 
words, that ' he is the image of the invisible God.' Which, as he mentions 
first, so it is the chief. The meaning is, that whereas the attributes and 
excellencies that are in the Godhead are incomprehensible, or (to use the 
apostle's word) invisible by any creature ; that of all those perfections in 
the Godhead Christ is the complete image, in a transcendent way above 
what angels and men are ; and so, as they are in him, they are incom- 
municable unto any mere creature ; ' he is the image of the invisible God,' 
to that end to make them visible to us. So, ver. 15, ' Who is the image 
of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.' 

2. There are made, extrinsical royalties, incommunicable to any mere 
creature, and infinitely transcending all their privileges, whereof the text 
instanceth in two : (1.) That he is the 'first-begotten of every creature,' 
ver. 13; and, ver. 17, that 'he is before all things.' (2.) The end or 
final cause, for whom and whose glory they were all made ; for this, ' all 



458 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

things were created for him,' ver. 16. That as he is the first- begotten of 
every creature, that is, the eldest, before all the rest, and by inheritance 
their Lord and lung, and the sole heir of heaven and earth ; and so a 
King over them, with such a pre-emincncy of title and prerogative as all 
other kings do want ; for they are neither the makers of their subjects, nor 
are their subjects made for them. But he is such a King, as is,tbe maker 
of all these his subjects, yea, their upholder, ' by whom all consist ; ' and 
therefore by a just right their final cause and end, ' all things were created 
by him, and for him.' 

2. Head. The universal influence he hath into all God's words. 1. As 
creator of them. 2. As upholder: ver. 1G, 17, ' For by him were all things 
created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, 
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all 
things were created by him, and for him : and he is before all things, and 
by him all things consist.' 

And these glories and excellencies of his, that all were created by him 
and for him, are amplified and illustrated by the apostle's particular speci- 
fying the prime, the chief, the upper rank, of both worlds, heaven and 
earth. In heaven are thrones and dominions, that is, angels and arch- 
angels, the nobles of that higher house ; then in earth, principalities and 
powers, kings and rulers, whom you so much adore. All these were made 
in him, by him, and for him ; and in him they all consist. 

The third head. That he is the head of his church, that precious body, 
of an elect and chosen generation, by God, out of all the rest ; 1 Pet. ii. 5, 
' Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, 
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.' Ver. 9, 
' But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a 
peculiar people ; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath 
called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.' And the first-fruits 
of the creation, James i. 18. And thus ver. 18 of Col. i., 'He is the head 
of the body, the church ;' and that in two respects : 1. Of their union to 
God, which was God's primitive design towards them, intended in those 
words, ' who is the beginning,' that is, the first foundation of their union 
with God ; and hereon the first corner-stone of their happiness was laid. 
And, 2, of their restauration from out of sin and death, to bring them into 
that first designed happiness, which is the great intendment of that union ; 
aud this in those word's, ' the first-born from the dead,' which is added, 
because at and upon the resurrection of him, and of his members, of the 
sons of men, who were dead, and fallen into sin, &c, then begins the 
demonstration of what as an head he was ordained to be to all his church, 
in the glory that shall follow. Then appears and reigns for ever that rela- 
tion of his being a head of union, in its full and originally intended splen- 
dour ; and that glory, by virtue thereof, which was originally and primarily 
ordained by God, then takes place, and the full efficacy thereof not till then. 
When Christ arose, then said God of him, ' This day have I begotten thee.' 
Acts xiii. 33, ' God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that 
he hath raised up Jesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm, 
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' Now, and not till now, 
thou appearest and lookest like that Son of mine, whom I rejoiced in from 
everlasting ; and now first thou hast recovered tbat primitive glory thou 
hadst in degree and repute with me, as God-man, afore the world was, and 
which, as the first-born of every creature, thou wert arrayed with ; a glory 
only due to him that was the only and substantially begotten Son of God. 



Chap. I.J and his son jesus christ. 459 

The like to this holds good of his elect members of mankind, when fully 
recovered, and restored from death and the grave, by him first as a Re- 
deemer, now risen again, which death is the last part of their humiliation 
and debasement for sin. 

And yet, as if the apostle, having enumerated these (though the chief) 
of Jesus Christ's prerogatives, yet because not all particulars, but had 
given these few of all the rest for instance' sake, therefore he sums up all 
whatever in these two totals or generals. 

1. That in all he might have the pre-eminence, or the primacy. The 
meaning thereof is, that God ordered him to be such a one as might not 
only have all manner of privileges, that any in this or the other world do 
or may be supposed to excel in ; but also with a pre-eminence, a primacy 
in all, above what any one hath in anything whereof he may boast. 

And, 2, that it pleased the Father 'that in him should all fulness dwell,' 
ver, 19. Here is again another all, and a fulness added to that all; an 
all for parts, & fulness for degrees, a transcendency in all, above all. 

All these mentioned are over and besides that great and eminent work 
and service, of reconciling us men as sinners to God. Which is 

The fourth head. That over and besides these pre-eminences, he is the 
reconciler and redeemer, by the blood of his cross : ver. 20, ' And, having 
made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things 
unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in 
heaven.' So as that pre-eminence of things which is in the close of the 
18th verse, as also that fulness, ver. 19, is distinct from the work of re- 
demption and reconciliation, which appears not only because in all this 
glorious description of him, from ver. 15 the apostle mentions not the 
work of redemption or reconciliation, as making up any of this fulness, 
which in the 19th verse he intends ; but further, he makes that a surplusage, 
or rather another fulness, over and above this of reconciliation, here re- 
hearsed. So the coherence carries it. ' For it pleased the Father, that 
all fulness should dwell in him, and by him to reconcile,' &c, ver. 20, as 
being a work besides and superadded unto all his other fulness ordained to 
be in him. 

As a premise to all that follows, I have one thing to clear, which is 
necessary to found my way for the handling the foresaid particulars, 
namely, 

That all this fulness, and the particulars thereof mentioned in this text, 
are attributed to Christ as God-man, either as actually united, or to be 
united, in one person, and not only or simply considered as God or second 
person. 

For the better entertaining of this assertion, and the taking off prejudices, 
it is meet that the reader should know how that holy and greatest light of 
the reformed churches, Calvin, in his comment upon this scripture, inter- 
preting the very first passage, which leads on all the rest, namely, that ' he 
is the image of the invisible God,' speaks thus in his comment thereon. 
1 He shews hereby,' says he, ' that it is he alone by whom God, that is 
otherwise invisible, is manifested to us, according to that, No man hath 
seen God at any time ; the only begotten, that is in the bosom of the 
Father, he hath manifested him to us. I know,' says he, ' how the ancients 
are wont to expound this ; who, because they had a controversy with the 
Arians (who held Christ a mere creature), do urge this place for Christ's 
being of the same essence or nature with the Father,' namely, simply as 
second person and God. ' But in the mean time, they omitted what was 



400 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

the chief thing in the words, namely, how the Father hath exhibited, or 
exposed himself, as in Christ, to be known by us.' And again, says he, 
' The name (or title) of image is not spoken of the essence, but hath a 
relation unto us. So as therefore Christ is the image of God, because he 
makes, as it were, God visible unto us. And yet withal,' so he adds, ' for 
this it is also inferred, that Christ is of the same essence with the Father,' 
namely, as second person. ' For he could not truly (or to the life) repre- 
sent God to us,' namely, as God-man, ' unless he were the essential Word 
of God, it being not compatible to any creature to represent God as here 
is intended.' 

A wretched papist, to cast odium upon Calvin, wrote a treatise against 
him, to prove him, out of his own writings, unsound in that great article 
of our faith, the Trinity, and about the Godhead of the person of Christ ; 
entitling his book, ' Calvin Judaizing,' or turned Jew, and heaping up 
about thirty-eight scriptures, which, as he says, Calvin perverted to such a 
meaning. He allegeth his comment on this, in the last place, against him. 
Whereof Pareus, in his Opuscula, printed 1595, undertook the defence, 
and saith, both interpretations, according to Calvin's own expressions, will 
stand together, which I refer the reader to. Now, observe Calvin's sense, 
how they may stand together, namely, that Christ (here), as God-man, is 
chiefly or directly styled the image of the invisible God in the apostle's 
scope ; yet so as withal it argues, and from this inferred, must strongly, 
yea, it must necessarily be supposed as the foundation of the other, that 
he* is so the image of God transcendently above all creatures (as here), must 
necessarily also be the essential image of God. And this I would in this 
place preadvise the reader once for all (though perhaps I shall be enforced 
necessarily to inculcate it) to be the genuine drift of all those other inter- 
pretations of the like attributed to Christ ; which, in the ensuing discourses, 
in opening of this place, and of John i. 1, 2, &c, I shall pursue. And I 
desire the candid reader so to understand me. 

In the mean time, for the rest of the particulars here said of Chris 1 ,, that 
in what sense this of Christ's being the image of God, is interpreted by 
Calvin, I shall with like freeness assert of them all, that they are spoken of 
him as God-man. This being but the first of this jury, and the rest enume- 
rated, therefore answers to, and are of the same sort and suit. And if this 
be so interpreted, then let us see if all the rest will not give up themselves 
thereto. How this will be made good of all the particulars that follow, I 
shall shew when I come to insist on each apart. I shall now collect gene- 
ral reasons for the carrying on this analogy and proportion of interpretation 
through the whole, out of those two totals or summary propositions, where- 
with he shuts up all the particulars enumerated (namely) ; ' that in all 
things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father, that in 
him should all fulness dwell.' This general demonstration I give, by laying 
these two things together, out of them two. 

1. That all and every one of these particulars before rehearsed, are those, 
or some of those glories, which as so many several pieces do make up this 
his pre-eminence in all things, and which, put together with the rest, are 
parts of that fulness which is said to dwell in him. 

And, 2. That the apostle makes all tbis fulness (whereof these are the 

parts) to reside in Christ, by an act of God's good pleasure. And so by a 

design, decree, or purpose of God, by an act of his will ; for he says, ' It 

pleased the Father that all this fulness,' spoken of, ' should dwell in him,' 

* Qu. 'he who'?— Ed. 



Chap. I.] and ms son jesus christ. 4G1 

hoozr^s ; it was ex beneplacito, from the good pleasure of God. Thus Eph. 
i. 9 (where the same word is used), the apostle calls it the mystery of his 
will, j&wrd rqv sudoy.iav, after or according to his good pleasure, which he had 
purposed in himself. 

Now therefore, hence I infer of all these parts and pieces, that they must 
be understood of him as God-man. However, that other sense of theirs, 
attributed to him as second person, must also come in as that which is 
necessarily the substratum and foundation thereof, and so originally and 
primarily true of him as such, at least the most of them. Yet so, as 
directly and primaria intentions, they are intended of the Son of God made 
man. For if they had been spoken of him singly, as second person, this 
would not have been said of them, that they are part of that fulness which 
it pleased the Father, by an act of his will, and according to the purpose 
of his good pleasure, should dwell in him, for so they are natural to Christ, 
and not at all subjected to God's will. 

For example, If these two speeches in ver. 15, 'he is the image of the 
invisible God,' and ' the first born of every creature,' should have been 
meant, the first of those his essential attributes of his Godhead, whereby 
Christ is God of God, and so the image of his Father ; this is not a fulness 
that dwells in him according to God's good pleasure, or from God's will, 
for then Christ should not be God ; and that other speech, if it should be 
taken as meant of that eternal generation of him, as second person, from 
everlasting ; then this general that follows, that it pleased the Father, that 
all this fulness, and these pre-eminences (whereof these prerogatives here 
mentioned and this particular is a part) should dwell in him, would not 
have been so expressed. For Christ's eternal generation was an act of 
God's nature, not of God's will, or by a decree of his pleasure. He indeed 
begets us of his own will (as James speaks, i. 18), but not so his Son as 
second person ; for him he begets naturally. 

So also that speech, ver. 17, ' He is before all things,' if meant of his 
subsistence as second person, by that eternal generation of his, it could not 
then be made an act of God's good will, being it was natural and clue unto 
him. But now, take all these spoken of Christ, as ordained to be God- 
man, to have all these fulnesses meet in a human nature, ordained to be 
assumed into union with the second person. So indeed, all this might in- 
deed be the object of God's decree, and an act of his good pleasure, in this 
respect, that it was in God's good pleasure whether to have decreed him or 
anything else, or no. And in truth it was the highest act of grace and 
God's good pleasure that ever was bestowed on any creature, to ordain that 
man at all unto that union. 

Yet still, let all this be so understood, that though these things be meant 
directly of Christ as God-man, as the Son of God dwelling in a human na- 
ture, yet so, as they are by inference as great and strong convictions as 
any other, that this person that is united to our nature, is in his person 
originally the essential image ; and therefore, so the image of God (as Cal- 
vin observes this place holds him forth) as no creature is. That so he is 
the Creator, end of all things, or else he never had raised up that human 
nature he assumed, unto those royalties. 

Thus much to shew how this scripture is a ground for all those heads 
and particulars, whereof I gave you the draft. 

I next make entrance upon the heads themselves, to enlarge upon them. 



462 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

CHAPTER II. 

The personal native glories and royalties which belong to the Son of God, as 
dwelling in our nature. — How the divine attributes are inherent, and shine 
forth in that man Jesus, so united to the Son of God. — In what sense he is 
the image of the invisible God. — How he is the wisdom and the "power of 
God. — His human nature does not p>ossess those perfections in that high 
degree, as theg are attributes in the divine nature, and so infinite; but he 
hath them in a nearer resemblance than any mere creature is capable of. 
— In what respects he also has independency and sovereignty. — It is upon 
the union of the human nature with the So)i of God, that it is invested with 
his high privilege. 

The words of the text explained in the former chapter, which sets out the 
personal native glories, and excellencies, and royalties appertaining to the 
Son of God, as dwelling in our nature, and which especially shew how the 
divine attributes shine forth in the man Jesus Christ so united to the Son 
of God, and which I shall in particular apply to that purpose, are in the 
15th, 16th, 17th verses of Col. i., ' Who is the image of the invisible God, 
the first-born of every creature. All things were created by him, and for 
him : and he is before all things.' 

The first particular is founded on those words, ' the image of the invi- 
sible God ;' which the apostle sets first, as the greatest excellency, and the 
foundation, and the key of interpretation to all the rest that follow. 

The resolution of which words is into this assertion, that in that man 
Jesus Christ, by virtue of his union with the Godhead, there is inherent a 
fulness of all divine perfections, which make up an image of the attributes 
of the Godhead, in so transcendent a way of excellency and eminency, as 
is incompatible and incommunicable to any mere creature remaining such. 

I. For the interpretation of the apostle's intent in those words, there is 
a double image of God in Christ ; the one essential, as he is second person ; 
the other manifestative, as the glory of God shines in the face or person of 
Jesus Christ, as man ; thus Grotius on the words, and Parens in his vindi- 
cation of Calvin, who reckons up many witnesses, as Ambrose, Martyr, 
Melancthon, Ursin, &c, for it (of which by and by). And the same dis- 
tinction, to the same purpose, is acknowledged to be comprehended in his 
being called o Xoyog, the Word (as in the first chapter of John's gospel), 
connotating both the essential Word of God, or image to God himself, and 
also the manifestative Word, as representing him to us, as made man. 

If the question be, Which of these two is principally and more directly 
intended in these words ? I answer, the latter, and that for two reasons. 

1. Because he is not simply termed ' the image of God,' but with this 
addition, ' of the invisible God ;' which does necessarily imply, his being 
such an image, as relates unto us, that is, that he is such an image as makes 
the Godhead, which is in itself invisible or incomprehensible, to be manifest 
and visible. For that is the end of an image, namely, to hold forth a thing, 
to make it apparent to the view, which otherwise is not seen. 

Then, 2. The Godhead and person of Christ, considered simply as second 
person, is in himself as invisible as the Godhead, or person of the Father. 
The meaning thereof is this, that in Christ, as man, united to the second 
person, there is a resultance, an edition of the Godhead, in all the perfec- 
tions of it ; which I may call so many divine attributes of Christ, as God- 
man, (even as we usually call the other the divine attributes of God) wbich 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus christ. 4Gb 

do make up an image of the Godhead ; which in Heb. i. 3, is called, not 
only the image of God, but (with a difference from all creatures) the ' express 
image,' or engraven image, that is, such as no creatures are. The image of 
God's attributes in angels and men, are but such as the light of tapers in 
respect of the sun, of which that is but a dull and faint resemblance. But 
Christ is the shine, the ' brightness of his Father's glory.' Even as the 
beams of the sun are to the body of the sun, as lumen est imago lucis, so 
is Christ God's image. And this similitude the apostle there useth, and 
applies it to him as he was man, namely, as he was appointed heir of all. 
Which phrase, as he is merely second person, might not be used of him, 
for so he is hares natus, not constitittus, not ' appointed' heir, but ' begot- 
ten.' Now as the rays or beams of the sun are but the emissions and 
effects of the sun itself, and so far inferior to the substantial glorious body 
of it, so this image, or shine of the Godhead's glory in the manhood of 
Christ, is but the reluctance,* the effect, and so inferior to that essential 
glory, which as second person he partakes of in common with his Father. 
Thus Beza, Cameron, and others, have understood it. 

II. For the thing itself, and to explain what this image of the divine 
attributes in Christ as God-man is. It is not that bare communication of 
properties, so as only that which is said of the Godhead is predicated of 
the manhood ; or that the manhood instrumentally useth the attributes of 
the Godhead, and so is omniscient with the omnisciency of the divine nature, 
and omnipotent with his omnipotency (as the Lutherans fondly do dream). 
But it is such a system, or fulness of perfections really inherent and apper- 
taining unto the manhood, by virtue of that its union with the divine 
nature, as although infinitely coming short of the attributes that are essential 
to the Godhead, yet is the completest image of them, and such as no mere 
creature is capable of, and so is as truly incommunicable unto a creature, 
(whether it be man or angel) as those attributes of the Godhead are to this 
humanity of Christ itself, though so united. This in general may be made 
out of that parenthesis in John i. 14 (' And we beheld his glory, the glory 
as the only begotten Son of God'). By glory, the evangelist means espe- 
cially those glorious perfections, that dwell in his person, as holiness, 
wisdom, &c, for it follows, ' full of grace and truth ;' though withal including 
those signs of his power, as sparkles of his divinity, that dwelt in that flesh, 
and also referring to that glory they saw in him at his transfiguration. The 
essential glory of his Godhead it could not be, for they ' openly saw it ' 
(as the word signifies), and therefore it is not meant of the glory of the 
Godhead itself, which is here said to be invisible ; and there it is also said 
of it too, that that is such ' which no man hath seen,' verse 18. Now the 
glory of these his perfections shining in that human nature was such as 
was peculiar to him, and transcendently above what could be in any mere 
creature, and such as carried its own evidence and testimonial with it, that 
they were such perfections as were proper and peculiar to the only begotten 
of God ; therefore it is added, ' the glory as of the only begotten of God,' 
that is, such as could be in none but him that was God, and the natural 
Son of God. That as the shine of the sun carries its own evidence with it, 
and it is the glory as of the sun when it appears, so transcendently, that 
the likeness of it cannot be made by all the fire and lights in the world, if 
put together, such was this glory here spoken of. 

* This word is apparently not the usual word reluctance, from reluctor to strive or 
struggle against ; hut rather one derived from reluceo, to shine again or be reflected. 
—Ed. 



464 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

To give two or three instances of some of these perfections peculiarly 
and incomniunicably dwelling in the human nature of Christ, as, 

1. Wisdom. 2. Power. 3. Independency and Sovereignty. 

The reason why I instance in these, is, because I find them all put to- 
gether by Christ himself. 

1. There is a trisdom in Christ's human nature, which is so high an 
imitation of the attribute of wisdom in God, as no creature, nor all creatures 
could reach to, or have attained ; and therefore they, though they be called 
wise, yet not wisdom, as Christ, God-man, is called, 1 Cor. i. 24, ' But 
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of 
God, and the wisdom of God.' And the reason why so transcendent a 
wisdom is in him as man, which is proper to him, and of which all creatures 
must fall short, is given Col. ii. 3, ' For in Christ are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge ;' not objectively only, as in the knowledge of 
whom (if we could attain to it) we might find all treasures, but subjectively 
also, as whose knowledge in himself inherent contains in it all treasures of 
wisdom. For Christ could not be objectively all wisdom unto us, if he had 
not first all wisdom subjectively in himself. And therefore it is, verse 9, 
• For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' Now the 
reason of all this fulness of wisdom in Christ is there given, that the fulness 
of the Godhead dwells bodily (or personally) in him, which is alone proper 
to him ; and therefore also surely these treasures of wisdom are also 
meant of inherent knowledge residing in his human nature, as the God- 
head doth. 

Now the treasures of wisdom in Christ's human nature are not of that 
extent and richness that the wisdom that dwells in God himself is of, for 
to make Christ omniscient as God is, were to make his human nature God. 
Nor is it, as the Lutherans express it, that his human nature is omniscient 
with the omnisciency of the divine nature ; but yet, in such a transcendent 
fulness, as is omniscientia similitudinaria, a simihtudinary omnisciency com- 
paratively to what is in the creatures (as Zanchy from the schoolmen calls 
it), and so is an image (and that in a transcendent way) of God's omnisciency. 
Not that his human nature knows all that God knows ; for God, per dmplicem 
intelUrjentiam, by the ideas of all he can make, knows all that his power can 
do ; and so his knowledge extends itself, not only to all that is made or to 
be done, but to all that he can make or do, which is an infinity. But yet 
there is a sirnilitudinary omnisciencj' in Christ's human nature, in that it, 
now glorified, knows all that God hath done, or means to do ; and so it is 
of as large extent, for the objects of it, as that knowledge in God himself 
is in that respect. "Which knowledge in God, the schoolmen call scientia 
visionis ; and the Scripture, ' God's foreknowledge.' All that God's will 
hath decreed to be done (even all his counsels) Christ's human nature 
knows, and had, by virtue of its union with the divine, a right to know, 
both things past, present, and to come. And so it is in a sense a kind of 
omnisciency; and is a ' glory as of the only begotten Son of God,' incom- 
municable unto any other. 

2. The same holds in his power. The power of the human nature is 
not equal with God's, as that he can do all that God can do ; for God can 
make infinite many things which yet he never made, nor will ever make ; 
yet there is a sirnilitudinary omnipotency in Christ's human nature, both 
in that he can do whatsoever he will (his will pitching on the same design 
with God's in every thing), and in that all that God will ever pitch upon to 
be done, he is an instrument of. All was done, either in the virtue of him 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus christ. 4G5 

before ho took our nature, or hath been since his being glorified. His fiat, 
his I will (as himself speaks, John xvii. 24), must be set to everything ere 
it be done. For ' all power is committed to him, both in heaven and 
earth,' Matt, xxviii. 18. All the business of the world runs through his 
hands and head. And therefore he is called ' the power of God' (in the 
forecitcd place, 1 Cor. i. 24), and 'the arm of the Lord,' Isa. liii. 1. And 
this is a kind of omnipotoncy, that all that God means to do he should be 
the instrument of. 4>oth these instances we find together in one scripture 
delivered, and unto the very same sense and purpose I have driven con- 
cerning them, John v. 18. The Jews had quarrelled with Christ (he having 
said, ver. 17, ' My Father worketh hitherto, and I work'), both for calling 
God his Father, in so peculiar a manner from other men, and also for that 
in that speech he should join himself so in commission with God in all his 
works of providence, to say, Eyo et Pater mem, ' I and my Father;' so 
making himself equal with God, whenas he was a man, that is, to have an 
equal and joint hand in all together with God. Hereupon Christ justifies 
this speech of his, and shews how, although he were a man, yet such a man 
as being one in person with the Son of God, this was true of him, without 
any dishonour at all unto God. First, he acknowledgeth indeed that this 
pre-eminence his Father hath, that he is the first mover in all : ' The Son 
can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do ; ' yet so, as 
' whatever the Father doth, the Son doth also. For the Father loves the 
Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doth.' Here we have, 

(1.) That whatever God doth, or means to do, the Son hath a hand 
in it. 

(2,) That the Son knows all that is done by his Father. Therefore it is 
both said, ' What he sees the Father do,' and that ' the Father sheweth him 
all things that himself doth,' John v. 19, 20. Here is both the omnisciency 
we speak of, and the omnipotency, in the terms we stated it, as respecting 
all God's works, ad extra, even all that ever is to be done. 

And this (3.) in an incommunicable way to any mere creature ; for so 
the Jews that made the objection understood it ; that he (as they thought) 
being but a mere man, as others, should join himself with God in all his 
works, and so make himself in a sort equal to God. And this also is in- 
ferred from that which follows ; that all this is given the Son of man, ' that 
he might be honoured, even as the Father is honoured,' John v. 23. And 
so with such an honour as no mere creature is capable of. 

And this (4.), in a similitudinary way, as the ofio/ug, likewise, or in like 
manner (ver. 19), also imports. 

And (5.) all this Christ speaks of himself as Son of man, though it be 
true of him too (and that in a more transcendent sense) as he is God, a 
second person. And it is one of the greatest keys to John's gospel, that 
multitudes of such speeches are spoken of him, both first and originally, 
as he is God, and second person, and then as God-man, or as he is Christ, 
that is, the Son of God dwelling in man ; for Christ speaks pertinently to 
the thing that stumbled them. They thought much, that he being (in view) 
but a man, should arrogate this to himself, to have a hand in all God's 
works. Now this he answers and justifies himself in. 

And further, that he speaks these things of himself as man, as well as 
simply as second person, appears in the other instance which he gives to 
confirm this, that ' the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son,' 
ver. 22. And if in judgment he hath this joint or equal hand (as they call 
it), thence he argues it, he might also have it in other works. Now this 

vol. rv. g g 



4G6 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

being spoken in a way of difference from his Father, that his ' Father 
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son;' this must 
needs be meant of him as God-man, for the meaning hereof is, that the 
Father judgeth not audibly, visibly, and iu view, as judges used to do. He 
takes not on him the person of a judge, to act that part ; but thus, or so 
hath committed all unto his Son, and therefore as a man. And this also 
the very committing or resigning the judgment unto him implies, it is a 
making of it over to him, and a giving him commission to do it, which 
must not be said of Christ as God. And, ver. 23, it is added, ' He that 
honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that sent him.' Now 
Christ only as God-man was sent. 

But to put all out of doubt, that he speaks of himself in this discourse, 
as he is Son of man united to God, he himself, in the closure of all, 
doth expressly so explain it, that so he might be understood to speak fully 
contradictory to their exception. Thus, ver. 27, ' The Father hath given 
the Son authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of wan.' 
First, he sets out this prerogative with an emphasis, as the particle also 
doth imply, as being the highest dignity and power of all other, to have 
judgment solely committed to him, to execute it so visibly as God, and in 
God's stead, and in that respect more than what he had said in that speech 
they so excepted against, ' I and my Father work hitherto.' I, namely, 
virtually and hiddenly, do co-operate and work together with him. And 
then, secondly, to explain how it is committed to him, he adds, ' because 
he is the Son of man' (so it follows), the particle Sri, because, being, as some 
interpreters carry it, put for -/.a^on, prout, as such, namely, as he is the Son 
of man ; that even as such, all judgment was committed unto him, and all 
these former things true of him. And so that word art not only renders the 
cause of it, but explains how, and under what nature, all judgment was to 
him committed. But however, if it imports the reason of it, it much more 
includes that as he was the Son of man, this judgment was committed to him 
(which to prove is the thing I aim at). 

3. I shall now give another instance of a third attribute in Christ, which 
is also such an image of what is God as is incommunicable unto any mere 
creature ; and that is independency ami sovereignty; which I therefore add, 
because I find it mentioned by Christ with these in this place. This sove- 
reign independency is one of the chiefest flowers in that crown of his glory 
(as in kings also it is, whereby they differ from subjects), that none have 
potestatem vita et necis, power of life and death over them. The creatures 
have a life wholly dependent, as subsisting by the power of God ; Heb. i. 3, 
' Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his per- 
son, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had 1 >y 
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.' 
And that so as at pleasure God might annihilate them, and yet in so doing 
rob them of nothing which they can lay a just claim unto as their own. So 
that the tenure of their being is ad voluntatem Domini, at the will of the 
Lord of heaven and earth. But it is not thus with Christ's human nature, 
now it is assumed into union with the second person ; but, it being together 
with that union invested with the royal prerogatives of the person, with 
whom it is one, it hath independentiam similitudinariam, an independency 
like unto God's, such as is communicable to no creature : therefore, says 
Christ, ver. 2G, ' As the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given the 
Son to have life in himself.' I have learned, from divers interpreters of 
the Gospel of John, and from much comparing the speeches of Christ to- 



Chap. II.] and his son jesus christ. 4G7 

gather, to interpret that, and multitudes of other the like, as well of him as 
God-man, as of him also as second poison ; and this and other could not 
he true of him as God-man, unless first as he is second person. And that 
which evidenceth more particularly this speech to be understood of him as 
God-man, is. that it is said to be given him. For this we arc sure of, that 
the manhood obtained tins prerogative by a free act of grace and gift. God 
had a freedom to ordain, or never to ordain, that nature or any other unto 
so high a dignify. Therefore, 1 Pet. i. 20, ' Who verily was fore-ordained 
before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for 
you.' Christ is said to be fore-ordained, as well as the elect; and the 
grace shewn in his election was greater than in all ours, by how much the 
privileges he was ordained unto were greater. But when once this nature 
is united to the second person, and become the man God's fellow ; then he 
is instantly invested with this indeposable prerogative, to have life in him- 
self, and not to hold it by gift, though so at first obtained. And so he hath 
an independency, similitudinary to that of his Father's, as those words in 
John v. 2G, ' As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the 
Son to have life in himself,' do shew. He can now say that which no crea- 
ture can say ; and that which wore blasphemy in their mouths is now not 
so in his, for he holds not his life ad voluntatem Domini ; but as the second 
person hath a natural right to his subsistence, so now hath this man, being 
made one person with him ; and so by virtue of that union hath the 
personal prerogatives of the Son of God made his, yet so as still this inde- 
pendency of the human nature riseth not to that absoluteness and infinite- 
ness that is in God himself, as was in the like manner said of the former ; 
for this manhood subsists not by the power of itself, but by the power of 
the Godhead dwelling therein. But God subsists merely, simply, and ab- 
solutely of himself. Yet there is this similitude in it unto that which is in 
God, that this man can say, This power which I subsist by is my own, by 
virtue of his relation unto the second person. I being the Son of God, and 
one in person with him, what is his is mine, not originally cr essentially, 
but by gift. Yet so as there I have now an independent right to be and 
to subsist in that second person for ever, and can never be deposed. In- 
deed it was a free act of grace in God at first. But in doing of it God did 
a wonder in the world, of all the greatest. For he sets up an independent 
creature, a creature backed with such a right to his being, that now himself 
cannot pull him down, nor dissolve that union again, And what a glorious 
image of God's independency is this ! 

I might shew the like also in holiness ; that there is that transcendency 
of holiness also in him the man, that is not in all the creatures put together ; 
and so in that respect also he is ' the image of the invisible God. ; If it 
could be supposed that any mere creature could have as much habitual 
holiness as the human nature hath (which were too bold a supposition), yet 
notwithstanding, there is a holiness over and above that habitual grace in 
him, there is a relative holiness that casts the shine, the superlative glory 
on that habitual ; and the stamp thereof that is upon this holiness is 
better than all the coin. It is the holiuess of a man united to God, and 
who is God, and this makes it acceptable. There is a relative holiness 
that follows from the hypostatical union, that gives all the worth to what 
he did, and to all the grace that is in himself; and this no creature is 
capable of. And this was that that made him able to satisfy. And this is 
the holiness that God takes the great contentment in, and could never 
have been satisfied out of it; and by reason of this, his righteousness 



4G8 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

may be imputed to sinners, which the righteousness of a mere creature 
could not be ; it is the holiness of God, as his blood is said to be the blood 
of God. 

I might shew the like in all other attributes ; and it is a noble subject to 
spend pains upon, to set forth and cut out every limb of this vast image 
of all God's attributes that are in Christ, merely upon his personal union. 
I have limned out only these two or three parts of it, ut ex pede, that by the 
like proportion we might infer the vastness of all the rest. 



CHAPTER III. 

The honour and royalties that appertain unto Christ, God-man, as ordained 
such in God's first decrees, to be the fin al cause or end of the whole creation 
and works of God. — In what sense lie is the first-born of every creature. — 
The reasons why it is not to be understood in respect of his eternal generation 
as Son of God. — It is spoken of him in consideration of a dignity or birth- 
right which the man Jesus Christ, united with the second person in the 
Trinity, has above all other creatures. — He is also the first-born, in that he 
was first in order intended in the eternal purposes of God. — He is the final 
cause or end for which all things were created. — And upon the presupposi- 
tion of his being decreed to be God-man, it belonged to him as his due to be 
the universal end for whom all things should be made. — This was a high 
prerogative, of which no mere creature could be capable. 

I am now, in the next place, to describe, in a second branch of this head, 
certain other royalties or prerogatives, incommunicable also to any creature, 
which belong to Christ, God-man, whereof some are mentioned in the text; 
as that ' he is the first-born of every creature,' ver. 15, and that he is 
' before all things,' ver. 17, and that ' all things are for him,' ver. 16. 
Which eminently imply two things. 1. That he was the first and prime 
birth in God's decree ; and, 2, also holds the honour of being the end or 
final cause of all. These I put together, because they more properly belong 
to this head ; and the latter serves to explain and illustrate the former. 
And still let it be taken along, that they are meant of him, not simply con- 
sidered as second person, but as God-man. 

1. To begin with the first. ' The first-born of every creature.' 

For the explanation of the import of it, I will, 

(1.) Shew negatively what is not only to be understood. 

And (2.) then positively open the full extent of it, and shew that what 
1 have declared is intended thereby. 

(1.) It is not spoken of him simply as second person only, as some inter- 
preters have understood ; so as that his eternal generation, as Son of God, 
should be only intended. Concerning which assertion let me first make 
this apology, that whereas this and the like scriptures are alleged by our 
divines to prove that Christ is God, as second person, this interpretation 
that I am about to give doth not overthrow it, but establish it. For these 
things could not have been said of him, had he not been God. ibid there 
are other scriptures that do more plainly and directly establish that, fully 
enough ; but yet so here I take it, that eternal generation is not meant 
directly or immediately, though by consequence it is argued, and most 
strongly. And there are these two reasons for this. 

[1.] Because, in Scripture phrase, he is not in respect to that his eternal 



Chap. III. J and nis son jesus christ. 400 

generation, c&ileiprimogenittts, the ' first- begotten,' but unigenitus, the 'only- 
begotten.' But this here is another phrase ; it is the ' first-begotten.' 

[2] If that had been directly intended, he would not have called him 
the first-begotten, in comparison unto creatures ; but here he saith the 
' first-born of every creature,' every creature having had a birth, in the 
apostle's intention, as well as he. He is said in Job, to be the ' father of 
the snow, and of the ice,' Job xxxviii. 28, 29. But here, first, to make 
Christ, simply as second person considered, and his eternal generation, as 
the only-begotten Son, to be meant here ; and then to compare and range 
him, in respect of that generation, with the birth of all creatures else, and 
that he is the first-begotten of every creature in that sense ; this had not 
been suitable. For as between him, as so considered, and them, there is 
no comparison can be made, so nor between his generation and theirs. 
His title and heraldry would have been emblazoned from the order he 
bears with those of his own rank, the other persons, Father and Holy 
Ghost ; among whom, to have been called the second of those glorious per- 
sons, is worthy of him as such. But to say, ' the first-born of every crea- 
ture,' and mean his eternal generation, of which the prophet says, ' Who 
hath known it ? ' Prov. xxx. 4, the very comparison of this high birth of 
his, with the metaphorical generation (so I must call it, when attributed to 
the most of creatures inanimate, &c.) of every ordinary creature, this had 
dishonoured him too much. I must say of this, what the apostle of Mel- 
chisedec's generation, Heb. vii. G, ' His descent ' (or pedigree) ' is not 
counted among them,' nor theirs to be named with his. 

That that name, which Agur in the Proverbs, chap. xxx. 4, so adores, as 
not to be known by us, and equals it, and compares it with God's only, 
' What is his name ? : (speaking of God) ' and what his Son's name ? if 
thou canst tell,' shculd be set in the Alpha, the first name in the alphabet, 
and catalogue ot creatures ; no, it is altioris ordinis, of another, and an 
higher rank and kind than so. This hath caused me to think, that ' the 
fiist-begotten of every creature,' it is spoken of him, as he is admitted into 
the catalogue or society of the creatures, as his fellows (as I may so speak), 
into their number, or as he is become one of them. Or take him as he is 
the Son of God, ordained to human nature, and then to have his name stand 
highest in the tables, amongst all the rest of the creatures, and to be called 
the first-begotten of them, it is no way a disparagement to him, for he is 
become as one of them, even a creature among them, a man, and so of the 
same kind or rank with other creatures. Again, that which yet heightens 
and further presents the incongruity of it, is, that it is not said here that he 
was the first-born of many brethren, but of every creature. To have said 
it in respect of those his many brethren, they being only sons though 
adopted, and he the natural, had held a better equipage ; * but it is far 
lower, even of every creature. And when he is said to be the first-born of 
many brethren, as in Rom. viii. 29, ' For whom he did foreknow, he also 
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be 
the first-born among many brethren ; ' it is spoken of him in respect of 
predestination, not of his eternal generation, as you may see there. And 
so much for the negative, in what sense it is not directly to be understood. 

(2.) Therefore, to shew positively in what respect this primacy and pri- 
mogeniture, and this in comparison with every creature, is attributed to 
him. 

[1.] It is spoken of him in respect of a dignity and a birthright, that 
* That is, ' equipoise.' — Ed. 



470 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

this God-man hath at that instant ; he is admitted amongst the creatures 
(as by being ordained to human nature he was admitted) ; that though he 
thereby became of their rank, yet he must be the chief, and have the birth- 
right. In Ps. lxxxix, 27. you shall find the birthright (and that as spoken 
of Christ) is put for dignity and excellency, ' Also I will make him my first- 
born ;' and what is meant by first-born, is explained in the next words. 
' higher than the kings of the earth.' It noteth out therefore an excellency 
and a dignity, a height, and a being Prince of the kings of the earth, as 
Rev. i. 5. So a prince of all the creatures. 

[2.] But still there must needs be more in it, for in the Scripture the 
dignity, the birthright, was directly founded upon being the first-born. So 
Christ is not only said to be the first-born, because he was made higher 
than they all, but because he was born first, and therefore higher and greater 
than all. 2 Chron. xxi. 8, ' He gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he 
was first born,' the first brought forth, the opening of the womb. So that 
now the dignity that Christ hath, it is because he is the first-born, some 
way or other, of every creature. Therefore, as it was said, it cannot be 
meant of his eternal generation, as second person. And if there were no 
more, I might add this against it, that it were infinitely incongruous (to 
speak lifter the manner of men) to say that the creatures lay in the same 
womb, or came out of the same loins, that the Son of God, as second per- 
son, lay in and came out of. Therefore, there must be some other womb 
in which Christ and the creatures all lay, and in respect thereunto he is the 
first-begotten ; and that womb is the eternal decrees and purposes of God, 
which is the common womb, both of Jesus Christ, as he is God-man, and 
of all creatures else. For that he was God-man by predestination is clear: 
1 Pet. i. 20, ' Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the 
world;' and being so, he was in this, as in all other respects, to have a pri- 
macy and pre-eminence, and so to be in a true and just sense the first-be- 
gotten ifl that womb. And thus Rom. viii. 29, a primogeniture, or a being 
the first-born, is attributed to him in respect of predestination. For the 
apostl 3, in comparing the rank or order wherein we were placed in respect 
of him, says, that we were ' predestinated to be conformed to his image,' 
therefore he was in some respect predestinated; ' that,' as it follows, ' he 
might be the first-born among many brethren;' and so he, as the eldest, 
came *6rth first. That as in all births, according to the order of nature, 
the head comes forth before the body, so did Christ, ' the head of the body, 
the church,' as, ver. 18, he is called. And therefore, Eph. i. 4, we are said 
to be elected ' in Christ.' Now then, there is this further addition, which 
heightens the reason of it, that if he be the first-born of the first-born of the 
creatures (for so the saints are called, Heb. xii. 23, ' To the general assem- 
bly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God 
the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect '), then he must 
necessarily be the first-born of all other creatures ; who were all ordained 
both for them and him. 

And this may be one true sense of that which follows, ver. 17, that he is 
crio cccvrw!/, ' before all things,' namely, in respect of the order of God's 
intention. God, though viewing and ordaining all his works ad extra, at 
once, yet therein chiefly aimed at Christ, as, under himself, the end and per- 
fection of all. Which also hath been understood by many to be the true 
meaning of that uttered by Christ himself (in the Proverbs) under the name 
of Wisdom, Prov, viii. 22, ' The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his 
Tvay, before his works of old.' It is a place much and often cited, as also 



Chap. III.] and his son jesus cheist. 471 

this text, by thorn that havo been of this opinion, which have not been a few 
in several ages. 

And, First, God's ways arc his works ad extra, wherein ho purposed to 
go forth and manifest himself towards creatures. Now in the beginning of 

these ways, and the first thoughts of them, did God possess Christ God- 
man in his foreknowledge, as the richest treasure of all his glory to be 
manifested in his creation, without which he would not havo proceeded to 
any other work, or have walked forth in any creature-way, hut rested in 
that Messed society of the Three without them. And it is not said, ' In the 
beginning of his way,' but it is also further added, that he possessed him 
' before his works of old.' Which is the same that is here said, ' He is 
before all things ; ' as also in saying, ' the first-begotten of every creature.' 
And for further illustration's sake it is added, ver. 33, ' I was set up from 
everlasting, ere ever the earth was.' The phrase, ' I was set up,' will less 
permit us to understand it of that eternal generation of his, as he is second 
person, than in those other expressions that have been here insisted on, 
for that was an act of God's will ; but that other, by a natural act of a mys- 
terious generation. 

I am now approaching to that second royalty mentioned in this branch, 
Christ's being also the final cause or end for whom all things were made. 
And this is such a respect'as the creatures were not capable of one towards 
another. Which point is conjunct with this of his priority in God's decrees, 
and indeed is the greatest confirmation and proof of it. 

All acknowledge a priority, though not of one act of God's decrees before 
another in a successive order, as in respect of the decrees themselves (such 
as in our purposes and thoughts there is through our imperfection), yet in 
respect of the objects of God's decrees compared together among them- 
selves. So one thing decreed by God is ordered by his will to have a 
reference unto, or dependence upon another thing, though at the same time 
decreed. And so in that respect there comes to be attributed, even to the 
acts of God's will, as terminated upon such objects, that he intended one 
thing first and chiefly, and another subordinately unto it. And accordingly 
the Scripture speaks of God's decrees, condescending therein to the con- 
ceptions of men. And though in men there are successive acts in their 
purposes and resolutions, because men are not wise enough, in the same 
instant in which they set up an end, to see and take in all the means that 
shall conduce to the attaining of it ; or if they were, yet they are not able 
by the same act to judge which is the best and most convenient ; yet God, 
through the perfection of his knowledge, can do this, and so make but one 
act of all, both one and the other. Yet still, what is in man imperfectly, 
is to be looked at as an image of God's proceedings herein, in a transcend- 
ent way of perfection. And so we may truly attribute the same thing unto 
God's will in his decrees, as to the substance of them, in that perfect way 
of his, that we do unto man in his that is imperfect. And hence God is 
said to work by counsel, Eph. i. 11, 'In whom also we have obtained an 
inheritance, being predestinated according to the purposes of him who 
worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.' It is in assimilation 
or likeness unto what is in man ; because, as an act of knowledge and deli- 
beration is said to be first in us, ere an act of will or determination what 
to do ; so in God himself, an act of knowledge, or of the full cognizance of 
what is to be done, is (after the manner of men) supposed to be before an 
act of his will. And answerably in his will, the intention of the end is said 
to be before the intention of the means. And this priority of the end afore 



472 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

the moans is taken for granted to have been in God's decrees ; for if God 
Lad not thus proceeded, by ordaining the means unto the end, he could not 
by us have been conceived to work with that perfection of wisdom which 
must be in him ; for wisdom always considers first an end, then fit means 
tending to that end. 

Yet still this is but what is common to all other things that, are ordained 
to be as ends by God, unto which other things are subordinated ; and in 
this scale there is a kind of priority allowed one creature to have had in 
God's decrees, in respect of others its fellow-creatures. As the sun was 
intended for the enlightening of the world, and the generation and conser- 
vation of all things therein, by its heat and influence, and yet both it and 
the world were intended for man, and man and all the world for the elect, 
as the apostle says, 1 Cor. iii. 23, ' All things are yours, and you are 
Christ's, and Christ is God's.' Now all the creatures fall infinitely short 
of that royalty which I hence attribute to Christ, God-man, when I affirm 
him to have been the final cause or end of all things. And look how far 
his prerogative herein is found to exceed that which may be supposed might 
have been any of theirs ; by so much is thereby confirmed, according to the 
ground even now laid, a priority as transcendent that he verily holdeth in 
God's decrees. 

Now he holdeth a pre-eminence in this infinitely above all creatures, and 
therefore even in this his being the end of all also. 

And this pre-eminence is held forth in these particulars. 

1. In that he was set up as a universal end of the whole creation of 
God ; ' For whom all things,' says the text, ' were created,' ver. 1G. And 
this is not to be predicated either of angels or men. God vouchsafed 
neither of them that honour, as to be the general and universal end of all 
things. This priority is a similitudinary prerogative of what God alone is, 
as one God, so that his Christ should be one Lord, 1 Cor. viii. 6, over all 
things, and but one. And herein is Christ so the image of God, as no 
creature is ; as in respect of dominion over this visible world, man is said 
to be ' the image of God ' (Gen. i. 27, 28), as his type. 

2. And further, this universality of endship (as I may call it), he holds 
with a peculiar transcendency, which no creature is capable of; for it 
ariseth from his distance and absolute sovereignty (which if he be ordained 
to subsist in a human nature, that nature must be raised unto) which 
he hath over all the creatures. This person decreed to subsist in 
man's nature, was considered by God in his decrees to be of that worth 
and distance above the creatures, that their very being and existing 
was to become absolutely and simply his propriety. He was to be 
absolute Lord of their being, even as God is. But thus were not man, or 
any of the sons of men, to the being of angels, nor angels of men, though as 
superior in rank the one may serve the other ; but yet thus men and angels 
are subordinate to Christ as their end. This we have in Heb. ii., where, 
by this argument, the apostle proveth that that man spoken of by David, 
Ps. viii., could be none but the man Christ Jesus, nor any mere creature; 
because he was (as set forth by David) advanced to a higher prerogative 
than the angels, in that ' God hath put all things in subjection under him,' 
yea, ' under his feet ' (as the phrase there is) ; so as ' he hath left nothing 
that is not put under him,' ver. 8. He therefore is not only the universal 
end of all things (if such we could suppose any one mere creature might 
have been constituted by God), but he is the absolute sovereign end: so 
as they are under his feet, as vassals, whose whole being is from him, and 



Chap. III.] and his son jesus christ. 473 

at his dispose ; of which prerogative no mere creature is capable. And 
even in this prerogative sense ho is the universal end of all. For God hath 
exempted nothing from subjection to him (as the apostle there saith). Elect 
angels are not thus the end of elect men, nor elect men of elect angels. 
1 He hath not put into subjection to the angels the world to come,' says the 
same apostle in the same place, ver. 5. Christ has an absolute and entire 
lordship. And therefore he must needs be first in intention, and so before 
all things ; as of no other thing or creature it can be said. 

3. Add to this, that suppose him at all decreed to be God-man, and 
united to a creature, it was withal his due to be ordained by God the end 
of all things decreed together with him. And this is and was an incom- 
municable royalty to any mere creature, nor must be said, nor could have 
been true of any of them, but proper to him alone. And this makes a 
third priority or precedency in the endship, as also in God's decrees. 

As touching this third and last head, I shall do two things further. 

1. I must explain and declare the ground of it. And, 

2. Shew the glory of this priority, above what any creature hath been 
capable of. 

1. For the explanation of it. 

(1.) It is true that the second person, his subsisting in a human nature, 
or his being God-man, dependeth wholly upon the ordination of God, and 
that in respect of his being second person singly considered, or in respect 
of that human nature that was united to him. It cannot be said to have 
been a natural due to the second person to be made man ; and much less 
was it a due to that nature of man assumed to be made one person with the 
Son of God. 

(2.) It is also as true, that though God would have thus decreed his Son 
to be God-man, yet it was not necessary that God should make any 
creatures at all, and so not necessa^ that he should have ordained to make 
any other fellow-creatures with him besides himself. And so it was not 
necessary in this sense that they should have been for him as their end. 
But God might for ever have rested in the communicating himself unto 
that man, God's fellow only (and it had been a sufficient motive to him, 
and a fulness of satisfaction had thereby arisen unto him alone therein, to 
see, and behold, and enjoy the image of his own perfections in a creature 
united to his Son). And therein he had shewn his own greatness, and 
superiority above this his Christ in this ; that himself was the supreme end 
of him, but he actually the end of nothing else that was ordained to be made 
for him. 

But (3.) that which I further affirm is this, that supposing God would 
decree him to be God-man, and to subsist in a human nature, and likewise 
withal would ordain multitudes of other things, angels and men together, 
as de facto Gcd did, that then it becomes the necessary due of this Christ, 
and that as God-man, so decreed, to be set up by God in those his decrees, 
as the end of all those things. Yea, and further, that God should so mould 
and cast the whole frame of his designs, concerning his creation intended, 
as that all should tend to him as their end, as well as to God's own glory. 
So that whereas God, in that which is called his simple foreknowledge or 
counsel (whereby he had the view of Christ, and of all things else he did 
decree, afore him, before that his will did determine them to be), must needs 
foresee, that if he predestinated this second person to be a man, and one 
person with him at all, and other things together with him (and it is hard 
to think that he should scape his first view, of all things else), that then 



474 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

this did become that man's due, and the necessary consequent of that 
union with God's Son, that he should be so far respected and preserved by 
God, in his decrees, as to have the place of a supreme end of all and every 
thing ; and accordingly that God should cast his decrees for Christ's glory 
as well as for his own ; which indeed is his own, even to honour the Son 
as the Father is honoured, John v. 23. Hence as we read, Heb. i. 2, that 
Christ is said to be ' appointed the heir of all things.' So at the 4th verse 
we also read, ' That he was made so much better than the angels, as he 
hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.' In the 
first speech the apostle calls him the 'appointed heir,' because that man 
should be assumed to that personal union and sonship, upon which this 
inheritance befell him, this was by a free decree and ordination of God. 
But yet withal the 4th verse tells us, that yet ' he obtained it by inherit- 
ance.' And if he were appointed heir, this was due to the very appoint- 
ment ; and by such a right as no creature, no, not the angels, are capable 
of; and yet still it is founded, take him as God-man, that he is 'made 
Lord and Christ,' as Peter in the Acts speaks, Acts ii. 8G, ' Therefore let 
all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same 
Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.' Yet so as if he 
be appointed God's Son, as man, at all, this is his due and his natural in- 
heritance. And this other also follows hereupon in God's appointments 
and ordinations, that all things should be so cast and moulded as to be for 
him. For the heir is the end of the inheritance, as well as he is the lord 
of it ; and so must Christ be of all the creatures appointed and co- 
ordained with him ; and for him to be thus both the appointed heir and 
yet the natural heir (as God-man) is no more contradiction than to say of 
him, as man, that he was both God's natural Son, as being one person 
with the natural Son of God, and yet to have been predestinated unto that 
sonship, because he was predestinated to that union upon which this fol- 
lowed. So that he was to be the end of all, this was a free act of God's 
appointment, because his being united to his Son was by a free act of his 
will also. And yet for him to be made the end of all things, was a natural 
necessary consequent of God's decreeing him unto that union. And God 
foresaw that this would and must be the necessary consequent of it, and 
yet freely ordained him to it. And therefore this and all such natural and 
necessary prerogatives that follow upon it, and which could not have been 
withheld or cut off, are yet all of them said to be by appointment. 

And indeed others say the same thing. For when it is affirmed that 
Christ needed not have merited any glory to himself, they ground it upon 
this ; because, by virtue of the hypostatical union, all glory is his natural 
due, and a necessary consequent of it. Which surely is a truth, though it 
may not be made use of to exclude another title unto this his own glory, 
namely, that of purchase. For it is no dishonour to him to have two claims. 

And if it be said, that you must suppose him first to be ordained God- 
man, by a decree, ere this the consequent of it could become his due, and 
therefore, in the act of God's decreeing him, and all things with him (which 
decreeing him and them was done by one single and entire act) this was 
not looked at by God as a natural due to him. 

The answer is, that by that simple foreknowlcge, which is antecedent to 
his decrees, whereby he knows all things that his will determines afore he 
doth determine them, he must needs know this would and must be tho 
consequent of his decreeing Christ to be God-man, if ever he did it ; 
and so he predestinating upon such a knowledge, he intended him so to be, 



Chap. III.] and his son jesus ciirist. 475 

even in that act of decreeing him and all things, and shaped these his de- 
crees accordingly. 

2. Now, for the second thing propounded, namely, the eminency of this 
his priority, as thus stated, that it is such a prerogative as no mere crea- 
ture could ho capable of. Besides what hath been said and observed out 
of Heb. i. 4 and chap. ii. 8, it is certain it cannot be said to be the natural 
due of the best angels or men, that God should make them the end of any- 
thing else decreed, or to be created together with them. It is true that 
God makes one creature subordinate to another as its end, intending it for 
the use of another. Thus 1 Cor. xi. 9, ' The man was not created for the 
woman, but the woman for the man ; ' and so the world for both. Yet so 
as it was not a due that if both man and woman should be created, the 
woman should be for the man. For in heaven, though the sexes remain 
distinct, yet there the woman is no more for the man than the man for the 
woman. And this co-ordination one with another, God might have made 
in all things, and none in subordination to another, especially angels and 
elect men. But that the angels should serve the elect, this is merely from 
an ordination of his will. And he might have made this world, and man 
in it, and yet not have subjected this world unto man ; and many more 
worlds he might have made, which should not at all have subserved man, 
but might some other way have been for his glory, as it will be if this 
world should stand and continue after the day of judgment, as some have 
thought. So that for one creature to be decreed the end of another, was a 
matter of mere arbitrariness and pure liberty unto God. As there is a 
decree that all these things should exist and have a being, so there must 
be a further distinct decree appointing the one to serve the other, upon 
which alone this subordination doth wholly depend. So that not the 
existence of the things only arise from his will, but also the order of them, 
that this should be for this, and this for that ; the one hath no other claim 
or due but God's mere and arbitrary decree. But in God's decreeing 
Christ, and all other things for him, the matter standeth in far different 
terms. For although (as was said) that he should subsist in man's nature, 
that depended merely upon a decree, and was in no respect his due ; but 
that he should be the heir, the Lord, the end of all things, is so the object 
of God's wiU and decree, as withal he may claim it (supposing an intention 
in God, that he will be God-man at all) as a due, and royalty, and prero- 
gative entailed to his being decreed God's Son, by the supremest law T that 
can come between God and his Son, which cannot be made void, or he be 
bereaved of that prerogative. Even as if God himself purposes to make 
any creature, this law naturally falls, upon his decreeing of it, that it 
be ordained for his own glory ; now, say I, for Christ's also. For, by 
the union, that man becomes the natural Son of God, and so this right is 
natural unto him. I will give instance to illustrate this difference between 
Christ and the creatures. Take any mere creature, the angels, and souls 
of men, and as its having a being depended simply upon an arbitrary 
decree of God's, so its having an everlasting being does also. God might 
freely have ordered the contrary, and they could no way have claimed it as 
a due, or a deprivement of their right ; it was no natural due that was the 
consequent of its being. But if God decree his Son to subsist in a human 
nature once, then his being ever as a man, and God for ever to dwell in 
him, is the natural consequent of the former ; for the union is indissoluble, 
he being thereby invested into the prerogatives of God's Son, whereof this 
is one, 'thy years fail not,' whereas the creatures may change and 



47G THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

wax old. So Heb. i. 11, 12, 'They shall perish, but thou remainest; 
and they shall wax old as doth a garment ; and as a vesture shalt thou 
fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy 
years shall not fail.' 

I do not, nor must not affirm, that this is not at all the object of a decree 
of God's. For it is certain that all his works, ad extra (whereof this is 
one), are such. Yea, this is one part and piece of that fulness in the text, 
of which, as of the rest, it is said in the due* of all, Col. i. 19, ' It pleased 
the Father that all fulness should dwell in him.' And again, Ps. ii. 6, 7, 
' I will publish the decree, I have set my lung on my holy hill.' His being 
King was the object of a decree. Yet still I add withal, that it was withal 
his due and inheritance. 

Neither do I intend that it was a decree only, and merely in this respect 
to this first grace, that this man should be united to God's Son, being the 
object of a pure and mere arbitrariness in God to have, or not to have, 
decreed it ; that therefore this other dignity (that is, the natural con- 
sequent of it) is said also to be so decreed, virtually (or as we say, volitum 
in causa), because that that which this wholly depended upon was the 
object of a decree merely free ; but I acknowledge it truly the object of a free 
decree of God's will, as well as the former. For he was willing and well 
pleased in it, and from such a will appointed him the heir, and made him 
Lord and Christ. Yet still say I not in that sense arbitrary, that suppos- 
ing withal (as hath been so often said) him to be united to the Son of God, 
that by a contrary decree this royalty might for ever have been denied him, 
and the contrary determined by God. 

And there is no incongruity in this, or derogation from God, that this 
and other the like privileges should be both his natural due, and yet the 
object of a decree. We say against the papists in a manner of a less alloy, 
that if God could make man at first with an understanding and a will, it 
was, by the law of creation, a necessary and natural due to that man to be 
created holy, and in the image of God, and not in pure naturals, as the 
papists dream ; and yet to give man that holiness at first, was the object of 
a decree over and above his being made man. But this dueness of Christ's 
being the end of all (if at all the Christ), is of a higher nature, though I 
illustrate it by that of a lesser, between the Creator and the creature. 

Also we know, that in Christ himself, the personal glory he hath in heaven, 
he holds by a double tenure, the one as God's natural Son, the other by 
merit ; and yet over and above it is said to be given him by his Father, as 
an act of his will and decrees. It is true, that for the manner or way of 
contrivance, how all should tend and serve to his glory, this must be granted 
to be merely arbitrary, and dependent on the counsels of God's will ; even 
as the ordering how they shall serve to his own glory is. Yet that all 
should be cast for Christ's glory, as for God's (though in a subordination 
unto God's), is a necessary natural law between the Father and the Son. 
And so he holds it, and not simply by arbitremcnt. 

Thus much for the second particular, that his royalty, in being the first 
of God's decrees, and therein to be the end of all things, is held forth in 
these words, ' First-begotten,' &c, ' He is before all things.' 

But concerning his priority in God's decrees, there will be occasion to 
speak more hereafter, in other places of this discourse. 

* Qu. 'view?' — Ed. 



Chap. IV. J and ms son jesus ciirist. 477 



CHAPTER IV. 

That by this designed union of the Son of God to this individual creature the 
man Jesus, and in tJie person of this his Son so considered, God hath and 
dntli make the highest manifestation of his glory, and communication of. 

himself, such as by no created ways or means else could have been attained. 

And this third branch is the natural result of both, especially the first, 
which was, that he was ' the image of the invisible God ;' which is spoken 
in respect of the manifestation of the Godhead to us, in his human nature. 

Herein then, thirdly, lies the divine glory of Christ, that God's highest 
ends of making and ordaining any creature, being the manifestation of him- 
self, and the communication of himself to us ; if it be manifest that by this 
personal union he attaineth these ends more fully than any other way, then 
this design must needs be acknowledged the sovereign and eldest birth, and 
first-born of God's thoughts, and the glory of Christ as God-man answer- 
able hereunto. 

It is true the work of redemption addeth hereunto some pieces, as the 
manifestation of mercy, justice ; and the story thereof giveth us a new and 
complete edition of God's attributes (which I have shewn at large in that 
treatise, The Glory of the Gospel) ; yet if the ends for which this union of 
God-man in the person of Christ alone serves for be considered, it will be 
seen that the ground-work, or the substance of that glory on which those 
other colours of redemption are laid, and do but superadd unto, are found 
in the person itself, simply considered as God-man. Yea, and the most 
glorious of those ends God had in the whtb compass of this design of 
Christ's incarnation, are the immediate result of his personal union to our 
nature, and of us unto him. However, this much is granted on all hands, 
that the glory God hath by this work, and the issue of it alone, exceeds 
infinitely what could have arisen from any, or all of his goings forth in 
making mere creatures ; and this, say I, moved him above all else in his 
purposes to make any creature. 

The eminent ends God had to move him to make all, or any creature, 
were two. 

1. The manifestation of himself, and his glorious perfections to creatures 
reasonable, that they might glorify him. 

2. To shew his love, and communicate his goodness unto those creatures 
reasonable, which he would set himself to love. 

The first respecteth himself, who made all things for himself and his 
glory ; and therefore he resolved to manifest the glory of all his attributes 
unto the full. 

The second respecteth the creatures, to some of which it became him, 
who was goodness itself, to communicate also that goodness to the highest 
and utmost. 

1. Now take this great and most glorious design of assuming some one 
creature reasonable (which by his decree was man, and that man Jesus in 
special), into person with one of the three persons ; which lot, by his decree, 
fell on ' that Son of man.' And take this singly and alone, without the 
superadded project ot redemption, and we shall find that both these great 
ends are thereby more fully accomplished (though this work of redemption 
added makes them more full) than could possibly have been attained by the 
creation of millions of worlds of mere creatures (if this should have been 



478 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

supposed wanting) made to manifest God's glory and his goodness in ; 
although they had all been made in never so several variety, which the wis- 
dom of God could have contrived the models of ; or never so glorious in 
their several varieties. 

For demonstration whereof ; 

First, Would God manifest himself as God, and make known those glories 
locked up in himself, which was the chief end of creating, as Rom. i. 20, 
' The invisible things of him ' (that is, his attributes which cannot otherwise 
be seen or known by us, to which the words of this text agree), ' from the 
creation of the world are clearly seen, even his eternal power and Godhead ? ' 
Here is a way, this is a way, namely, to assume man's nature into personal 
union with his Son, puts down all ways of mere and simple creation that 
can be supposed. More of God's glory shall instantly shine forth in that 
small model, the man Christ Jesus, having the Godhead dwelling in him 
personally, than by God's making millions of worlds never so various, or so 
richly furnished with glories. For still in them, at best, would have ap- 
peared but ru Qeov, l the things of God,' as Rom. i. 20. And the more 
diversified they had been, the more scatteredly and brokenly would those 
things of God have appeared in them, even but as footsteps, vestigia deitatis, 
and at best but as the dark shadow of a man in broken and scattered pieces 
to be picked up here and there, and set together, some resemblance or 
shadow of the Godhead would appear. But in \\\q man Christ Jesus, God 
himself appears personally, ' God manifest in the flesh,' 1 Tim. hi. 16, 
' seen of angels,' and that with so great and super-eminent a glory, that they 
cover their faces and fall down at it. For when the t} y pe of his personal 
glory, as he was to come in the manhood, was presented filling his temple, 
the seraphims are said to cover their faces ; Isa. vi. 1—3, ' In the year that 
king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted 
up, and his train filled the temple. About it stood the seraphims : each 
one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he 
covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, 
and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts : the whole earth is full of 
his glory.' And that that prophecy and vision was spoken of him as God 
manifested in human nature, is evident by Christ's own applying it to him- 
self, as prophetically spoken of him as to come ; John xii. 41, ' These 
things said Isaiah ' (Christ having in the 40th verse cited the very words 
of his prophecy in the 10th verse of that Cth chapter), ' when he saw his 
glory, and spake of him,' and so of those times when he was in the flesh, 
and that glory that followed. And therefore also in Heb. i. 3, when he 
had set him out in that glory the human nature now wears in heaven, being 
' the brightness,' or shine ' of his Father's glory,' his favour being as the 
sun, the glory of Christ, God-man, but the awavyafffia, the shine, the 
lustre of it ; yet such as there follows, ver. 6, ' Let all the angels of God 
worship him.' Thus was he seen of angels (who worshipped him), the 
most curious spectators that ever God made ; and he was seen too of men, 
John i. 14, 'We saw his glory, as of the only begotten Son of God;' 
which appeared so transcendent in glory, as whoever saw it must needs 
acknowledge, ' This man is God, this is he.' Therefore John putteth this 
peculiar character upon it, that it was ' as the glory of the only begotten 
Son of God.' By other works you may know there is a God ; but there is 
that peculiar impress of majesty upon his glory, and that brightness accom- 
panies it, that you must say when you see it, this is no other than God 
himself dwelling in man. It is such a glory as could not have resulted out 



Chap. IV.J and his son jesus ciirist. 479 

of millions of worlds of mere creatures, made on purpose to shew forth 
God's glory. And whereas the Godhead and the glory of it was invisible, 
as the text hath it, and locked up from the eyes of all creatures, 'dwelling 
in light inaccessible,' 1 Tim. vi. 16, God dwelling personally in this man, 
puts forths a peculiar image of the Godhead, and makes the glory of the 
Godhead visible (as to the utmost it could be). God hath on purpose .-.tamped 
his utmost manifestative glory on the face of Christ, that we might see it 
in him ; 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' God gives the light of the knowledge of God in the 
face ' (or as others read it, the person) ' of Jesus Christ.' That as the 
soul looks out in the face, and you see more of a man's disposition in a 
look, a cast of his eye, a wink, a blush there, than in all his body, so of 
the Godhead in Christ Jesus, which is his face. He is ' the brightness of 
his Father's glory,' shining in and through a veil of flesh (whereof the 
shining of Moses's face was but a type and shadow) through the lantern of 
bis humanity (if I may so compare it), so to relieve our eyes in beholding 
the Godhead, which no eye could otherwise have done. There is a sun 
behind that veil, the glory of which immediately shining, would have put 
out our eyes. 

Now observe, how in this design God exceedingly condescended to our 
frailty. We are reasonable creatures clothed with senses, desirous to piy 
and see what we know and hear of, to have something visible, as the dis- 
position of the people of Israel shewed ; and also appears in that speech 
of Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 18, ' Let me see thy glory.' Now hereby God hath 
satisfied this innate curiosity that is in us. Here we may and shall see the 
God that goes afore us (as they desired, Exod. xxxii. 1). Here we may 
say, as the apostle did ; 1 John i. 1-3, ' That which was from the begin- 
ning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we 
have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life (for 
the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew 
unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested 
unto us) ; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that 
ye also may have fellowship with us : and truly our fellowship is with the 
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.' 

I will instance but in the manifestation of one attribute, and that is that 
which is mentioned in Rom. i. 20, as that which is more especially instanced 
in, as seen in the creation, ' his eternal power and Godhead.' The very 
knitting man's nature into one person with the Son of God, was a greater 
work of power than God ever did besides. That God is made flesh, is a 
greater wonder than to have made worlds ; therefore in this conception, 
and work of uniting that nature, it is said, ' The power of God shall over- 
shadow thee,' Luke i. 35. It argues great power, to join diverse elements 
in one body, and then unto that body to unite a soul, and breathe a breath 
of life ; as when God made man, his choicest piece and workmanship, ' a 
living soul.' But he did not only all this in framing Christ's human nature, 
the same that ours is, immediately himself, by the Holy Ghost, but further 
united the Son of God ; and this nature infinitely more disjoined and dis- 
proportioned each to other, than the reasonable soul and our bodies ; which 
he did when he made him ■ a quickening Spirit.' All the works in nature 
are so far short of this, that they afford not a full similitude of it. Yea, all 
God's works, of nature and grace, are altogether bound up in it (as the 
schoolmen well shew), and exceeded by it. Of all other works we may say 
that Deus potuit facere melius el majus, if we take but this work out of the 
order and chain of things, out of the system of this world. But we may 



480 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

safely say that a greater work than this could not have been clone by God 
himself. Which therefore is the amazement of angels. This one instance 
is but for a taste of the rest. 

2. God's second end respects the creatures ; which was to shew his love 
unto, and communicate himself unto his creatures. Now, by this union 
alone (if no other design had been in it), he should have done it more than 
any other way. 

Besides that by this happy marriage and union of both natures, God hath 
given the utmost pledge of his love to his whole creation, a kindness and 
respect is done unto them all ; not only in that he shews he loves his crea- 
tures, so that he will assume one of that rank and sort so near him ; but 
further in this, that that creature so assumed was the epitome, the com- 
pendium of them all. Man, a little world, called ' every creature,' Mark 
xvi. 15. To the making of whom the poets feigned a piece of every creature 
to have been taken. And so, by the advancement of this nature he pre- 
ferreth and advanceth at once the whole creation, and every kind or part 
thereof, for something common to every one is in him. There is an avaxe- 
tpaXaiusig (as I have elsewhere shewn*), a ' gathering together of all things ' 
in earth and heaven ; and not of creatures reasonable only, angels and men, 
under his dominion as a head, but even of all creatures also in his person. 
He is the corner-stone of the whole creation. Yea, and God and all comes 
in to make one, and is ' gathered together in one,' with all things else in 
him, so as God hath thereby knit all creatures to himself. And therefore 
Hugo brings in God, speaking of his making his Son a man, thus, Do not 
think that in this I aim only at the reconciliation of men ; but in him by 
this means the whole creation is become amiable and lovely unto me ; look- 
ing upon it in this model or epitome. 

But more especially his love is shewn hereby to man, the darling of his 
creation. Suppose Christ, God-man, had only been given to men as a 
head and husband (and they had not needed reconciliation by him), this 
had been infinite love ; yea, this gift had excelled, and doth excel all the 
benefits of redemption, if abstractly considered from this other. What 
would Adam have given for such a husband ? Now, ver. 18 of this Col. i., 
he is called, ' the head of this body, his church,' a head more worth than 
all the body. But of this more by and by. 

I come to the second head, the communication of the goodness of the 
Godhead unto creatures reasonable. And for this the union of the Son 
of God with the man Christ Jesus seiwes in the highest way. Good, we 
know, is communicable of itself. Now God is good, and so doth good (as 
the psalmist speaks). He only is good, as Christ says, the chiefest good. 
Now, by this same law, that bonum est sui communicativum, that is, that 
goodness is communicative : by the same also, summum bonum est summi 
communicativum sui, that is, the highest good is communicative of himself 
the highest way. And as to communicate himself to creatures moved him 
to create, so he was resolved to communicate himself to the utmost, or he 
would never create at all ; he would never have put his hand to this work 
else. Now he could not have made a communication of himself the highest 
way but by a personal union of some person with a creature reasonable ; 
for all communication depends upon an union. The creature must be one 
with God ere it communicate of his goodness in a way of blessedness. Now 
therefore by this rule still, the nearer union the nearer communication. 
And by the same proportion, the highest communication cannot be without 
* In his Exposition of Epli. I., Works, vol. II. — Ed. 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus chpjst. 481 

the highest union. Now that highest union alone is personal union of a 
creature with one; who was God. So then, to attain this end, this was 
necessary, for the highest communication would not have been attained 
without it. 

Now by this union you shall see is effected the highest communication ; 
and that, 

Firs*, To that creature, or individual man Jesus, that was assumed. 

And, Secondly, In that nature, to us that are united to him. 

First, To that creature or nature itself: for in him thereby the fulness of 
the Godhead dwells personally, as some well translate that word « bodily ;' 
and so it is the highest union that may be or might have been. Ho was 
united to God, or one that is God ; not as to an object only, or as to a 
perficient only, as we all shall bo in heaven unto God, ' made perfect in 
one,' John xvii. 23, but to tho Son of God, who is God, as terminus essentia;, 
to terminate and give bounds of subsistence and personality to that human 
nature ; so as the human nature and the Son of God are not only ' one 
flesh,' as man and wife, which is the nearest union with us ; nor ' one 
spirit ' only, as we with Christ, but * one person ' (of which I have spoken 
elsewhere). And hence this human nature is made 'God's fellow,' as 
Zechariah calls him, Zech. xiii. 7. The man, God's fellow, is advanced to 
a fellowship in this society of Trinity ; and therefore to him God communi- 
cates himself proportionally, ' without measure,' as Christ in the Gospel of 
John speaks. Which was not due to any mere creature, but it was his due 
when first assumed ; ' No man hath seen God at any time, but the Son,' 
John i. 18. None should have done it without him ; none can see God as 
he doth, nor is capable of it. 

And, Secondly, by means of this union with, and communication unto, 
this one reasonable creature, there is way made for God in, and for his 
sake, to communicate himself unto other creatures, who are made his fellows, 
as he is God's fellow; and this in a higher way than by the mere law of 
creation any creature could have attained. Others of the sons of men united 
to Christ, come to be united to God thereby, more nearly than otherwise, 
or any other way they should have been. For this, let me put in by the 
way, it was not fit, or meet, some say not possible, to have united and 
assumed all, or many men, to his union ; however, not meet. It was a 
dignity too great to be made common. It became not the great God, who 
is one in nature, to communicate this dignity, but unto one. And this 
being supposed, as for us, the Vulgus of those creatures, whom God meant 
to communicate himself unto, there was no way for their behoof like unto 
this, that God should take one of them up to himself, and by their union 
with him, and for his sake, to give forth himself to the rest. First, to 
marry man's nature in some one individual man in this incommunicable 
way, and then to marry us of the same nature unto him ; and so thereby 
making him first partaker of the Godhead in a transcendent way, as his 
natural due ; and then when once he was so united, for his sake, and in 
respect of our relation to him, to admit us to the nearest union, in a super- 
natural, or super-creation way, which mere creatures are capable of, and 
which, but for him, he never should have vouchsafed unto us as mere crea- 
tures by any law or covenant of our creation. And thus through this 
humanity, as through a sacred breast, we do, lactare deitatem (as one of the 
fathers speaks). And although our redemption by Christ, as we are sin- 
ners, is an infinite benefit ; yet his person thus given us, is more worth 
than all those his benefits ; Est aliquid in Christo formosius salvatore. And 

VOL. IV. h h 



482 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

then by our interest in his person, we come to inherit God with him, to be 
heirs and coheirs with Christ, of God, in such a way communicated, as but 
for this his union with God first, we should never have attained. 

I will give but one instance to illustrate this, as I did bring but one for 
the setting forth the former. Power was the attribute I pitched on, as 
manifested in this assumption, in the foregoing head ; and wisdom shall be 
the attribute I single out, to illustrate this other of God's communicating 
himself the highest way. And these two I instance in, because Christ is 
both the ' power of God,' and the ' wisdom of God.' Would God commu- 
nicate and make known unto his creatures reasonable, the depths, the 
' riches ' of his knowledge and wisdom, as the apostle styles them, and com- 
municate the treasures of them to the utmost they are communicable ? Now 
by means of taking up one creature reasonable, a man, into this highest 
union, shall this be effected the highest way that could be supposed. 

First, To that creature so united ; for it is his due to know more at the 
first instant of that his union than all the angels — blow up their understand- 
ings, and fill them to the utmost wideness. For by virtue of that union, he 
is presently ' in his Father's bosom ;' as it is peculiarly said of him, John 
i. 18, ' No man hath seen God at any time : the only begotten Son, which is 
in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' He is made there, by 
his place, God's privy counsellor ; ' the mighty counsellor,' Isa. ix. 6. It 
is his place by inheritance, he hath right to know all God's secrets, he is 
God's eldest Son, his fellow, and therefore it is said, that God ' lays up all 
the treasures of knowledge in him,' Col. ii. 3. Because (as it follows) the 
Godhead dwells bodily in him, and thereby he comes to have the Spirit 
above measure, and that Spirit ' searcheth the deep thiugs of God.' If God 
said of Abraham, ' How shall I hide from Abraham what I mean to do ?' 
Gen. xviii. 17, much less can he keep it secret from Christ. God can hide 
nothing from him which he means to do ; and indeed, to know it is his 
due. He draws nearer to God infinitely than Moses did, or angels ever 
did, or shall. Moses (his type) was taken up into the mount, where God 
appeared, and angels up into heaven ; but Moses was not taken up into this 
mount, the highest place of honour, of personal union, standing upon which, 
this man hath a full prospect into all God's counsels and ways. See how 
Moses is slighted to him even in this. ' The law came by Moses,' says 
John, chap. i. ver. 17, who, when he received it, was spoken to by God as 
never man was. God professeth he revealed himself to ' no prophet, as to 
Moses, face to face,' Num. xii. 8. But what follows in John i. 17 ? ' Grace 
and truth came by Jesus Christ.' And John gives the reason of the dif- 
ference, ' No man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, who 
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him,' ver. 18. Moses saw 
God as never no man saw him. But Moses' sight was no sight in com- 
parison of Christ's. For notwithstanding he had spoken of Moses, ver. 17, 
yet in the next verse he dares to say, ' No man hath seen God at any time,' 
but only this Son, his eldest Son. No servant, no adopted son, ever saw 
God so, or shall do, or could do, but the eldest, who is in God's bosom. 

Secondly, This way of communicating himself to one thus assumed into 
this union, was the best means to communicate his depths of wisdom to 
other creatures made one with him (for still remember it was not fit that 
any more than one should be partaker of this high privilege of personal 
union) ; for this man being himself thus in God's bosom, as hath been 
declared, is able to declare more of God to the rest of his brethren, than 
they otherwise should have ever known. He was first to see God, and then 



Chap. IV.] and his son jesus ciirist. 483 

reveal him to others, as John i. 18, ' He hath revealed him,' says the evan- 
gelist. And he is ahle to speak experimentally, out of sight, the deep things 
of God ; John iii. 11, ' We speak,' says he, ' the things we have heard and 
seen,' not at second hand, but upon personal eye-sight. And whereas 
others, if they would speak of the heavenly things to us, must do it under 
earthly similitudes ; he is able (if we were capable of it) to speak heavenly 
things in their own idiom. So ver. 12, to set forth his knowledge of the 
things he speaks, ' If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not ' 
(and yet Christ had spoken afore of nothing but things heavenly, and they 
onlv are the object of faith), ' how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly 
things ? ' It is as if he had said, I have told you but earthly things in com- 
parison of what I could tell you ; if you were capable of them, I could speak 
heavenly in their own dialect. And the reason follows, ver. 13, ' for no 
man hath ascended into heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even 
the Son of man which is in heaven.' Yea further, he hath the power and 
skill, not by the means of words only that are heavenly (suiting heavenly 
things to heavenly) but to create such inward real images and rays of 
heavenly things, as shall manifest the very things themselves to us, in their 
heavenly splendour, and as the beams of the sun do let in the sight of the 
sun itself into our eyes. 

2. Yea, and further, by means of this personal union of our nature with 
the Son of God, revealing and communicating the knowledge of God unto 
us, it comes to pass that the greatest riches of assurance is added unto that 
knowledge, without which our knowledge of God, and his mind, would not 
be so fully satisfactory, though we could have come to know never so much 
any other way. No way could ever have been thought of, so to ascertain 
our belief, as this. No way conduces to such an infallibility of revelation 
as this doth. If a mere creature revealed God unto us (as Moses did), it 
might be, at least, supposed not to be so certain as when God-man shall 
speak. For though the words of the prophets had a certainty in them, as 
Peter comparing the certainty of the Scripture with that voice he had heard 
from heaven, 2 Pet. i. 19, he calls it ' a more sure word of prophecy ;' so 
may I say of what God-man shall speak. It is infinitely a more certain 
sure word, for it is as ' impossible that he should lie,' as that God himself 
should. Every man may be supposed a liar, but we are sure he cannot. 
And the Son of God being one in person with him, if you hear him speak, 
there is an impossibility of being deceived, for himself is God. Therefore, 
Heb. i. 1, 'In these last days he spake by his Son,' which is also again 
indigitated, chap. ii. ver. 2, 3, ' For if the word spoken by angels was sted- 
fast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of 
reward : how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ; which at the 
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them 
that heard him.' And it is there brought in as a more infallible and unpa- 
ralleled evidence of the truth of the gospel above the law, that that was 
' given but by angels,' but this gospel was ' first spoken by the Lord him- 
self,' who first broke up the treasures of it. And hence, one of his titles is, 
' the faithful witness,' Kev. iii. 14. Yea, the ' Amen.' God's Amen. Or, 
* so it is ; ' as that which seals up all, and puts all out of question. 



484 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 



CHAPTER V. 

The glory ivliich Christ, as God-man, had assigned him before the world ivas, 
in his election by the Father, manifested in an explication of John xvii. 5. 
Whether that expression, ' Glorify me now with the glory which I had icith 
thee before the world was,' be spoken of Christ, as second person in the 
Trinity, as God, or as God-man, appointed in God's eternal decree. — In 
what proper sense this might be said by the man Jesus, ' Glorify now me,' 
dc. — How as God-man he can be said to have had this glory with the 
Father before the world was, when as such he did not then exist. — What 
glory it is that is here intended, it is a glory due to his person, God-man, 
distinct from, and siqwior to what followed, upon his performance of the 
work of our redemption. 

And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, until the glory which 
I had with thee before the world teas. — John XVII. 5. 

To clear and prove what is the scope of these words, I shall propose 
several queries, and the answers made thereunto will lay open the genuine 
mind and sense of the text. 

1st Query is, Under what notion or consideration Christ should be the 
subject of that speech, ' The glory which I had with thee before the world 
was ' ? Whether it be spoken of the second person, simply considered, as 
God (which is a great truth in itself, and which most do understand meant 
in this place), or whether it be spoken of Christ, considered as God-man, 
in God's predestination ; and so to involve the man, or human nature. 
There are, you see, two parts of the whole speech : 1. ' And now glorify 
me.' And touching that, there need be no stick* to apply it to the human 
nature ; for he was a subject capable of being glorified now, as upon his 
ascension he was. But then how may we withal apply the other part, 
' with the glory I had with thee before the world was,' and take him in as 
the subject of that glory ? Yea, and if we do, it must be some way the 
same kind of glory, which the subject of the first part of that speech prays 
to be now glorified withal, with the same glory mentioned in the second 
part, which was before the world, and not with another. So as take which 
you will, whether the divine nature as second person, or the human, still 
the same nature must be the individual subject of the same glory, in either 
of those speeches. We must not think to apply the one part of the speech 
to the man, or the human nature only ; and then the other to the divine 
nature only ; this will breed a distraction, or a division in the sense. 

My answer to this inquiry, and my assertion is, that Christ, considered 
as God-man, is the subject of both ; and that as the man speaks it, so the 
man is involved as spoken of, and the whole person as God- man, ' Glorify 
me now, Father.' Now presently, upon my ascension (says the man) in 
respect of entering into an open actual possession of that glory, which I 
the man had w T ith thee, in the idea of this glory, in thy predestination of 
me, ordained unto me before the world. But of the manner, how he the 
man had it before the world, of this at large, and apart, in my answers to 
the other following queries. In the mean time, 

That it is the glory that belongeth to the man that he prayeth for in 
* That is, ' hesitation." — Ed. 



Chap. Y. and his son jesus curist. 485 

these words, ' And now, Father, glorify me,' and not simply as he is second 
person. This assertion I prove both negatively and affirmatively. 

1. Negatively. It is not the glory of the second person, simply or alone 
considered, and therefore, it is the glory of him as God-man. For, 

(1.) That he might be glorified with that glory due to him, as second 
person simply, was not a thing to be prayed for, for it is naturally and 
essentially his due. 

(2.) As to that glory, he might as well have formed his prayer thus, 
Glorify thou me with the glory I now have with thee, and not in this manner. 
' And now, Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with thee from 
everlasting.' For that divine glory of him, which is essential to him as 
second person, he had it as much now at the time he prayed, as he had it 
from everlasting, and all one. 

(3.) That word, ' Now glorify me,' necessarily implies a suspension of a 
glory due before, and that could not be of his glory, simply as second per- 
son. Also, that now argues a glory to be given in time, in such a manner 
as not afore ; and what is done in time, concerns the human nature, not 
the divine. 

2. Positively. The subject of the glory prayed for is the man. Austin 
was so far convinced of this, that though he were engaged against the Arians 
as much as any in his time, and all the fathers afore him had urged this 
place to prove the divine nature of Christ as second person, his existence 
from eternity, yet betook himself to this, that it was spoken of him as man, 
and so interpreted, ' The glory which I had,' to be meant, which I had by 
predestination, and in that sense ' with thee.' Now, that it is the man, or 
rather the person of God-man in union together, is the subject prayed for, 
is evident. Because, 

(1.) It is the petition of the person who had been, and as he had been 
humbled, who had glorified God on earth, and had finished his work, and 
waited for this glory until now. As therefore the apostle says, ' the same 
that ascended, first descended ; ' so I may say here, the same person who 
was now presently to die, and was crucified the same day, was the same, 
who was the subject, the person prayeth to be thus glorified, when he shall 
have done his work. For, 

(2.) It is a glory suspended until this his work were done. And there- 
fore, ' Now, Father' (says he), ' glorify me,' &c, answers unto that which 
is in Luke xxiv. 26, ' Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and 
to enter into his glory ?' Of which afterwards. 

(3.) He prays for that glory wherein in heaven (when glorified) he should 
appear visibly in his human nature, and which in the 24th verse he prays 
his saints might see and behold ; and which in the same verse had been 
given him out of love before the world was ; which cannot be meant of 
that of the divine nature, as second person simply, for that is as invisible 
as God the Father is ; and was not by gift but by generation communicated 
to him. 

All these things cannot be the voice of him simply as second person. 
Fix upon it therefore, that it is the glory of the man, or rather God-man, 
prayed for. 

2d Query is, In what fair and genuine sense can it be said by the man 
Jesus, * Glorify me with the glory I had with thee before the world was ' ? 

My answer and second assertion is, that it was the glory which the second 
person, being in God's singular predestination of him constituted God-man, 
had in and by the game predestination given him, as the glory of the only 



486 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

begotten Son of God, as his clue in the perfect and exquisite idea thereof, 
then given him, and pre-ordained unto him. 

Unto me this hath appeared as the plainest and fullest interpretation ; and 
that which answers all difficulties, and carries the interpretation through, is, 
that the word ' I had ' relates to the glory which he had in his singular and 
supereminent predestination, which was the sense Austin gave long since. 
And there is that which favours this interpretation in the aspect and corre- 
spondency which the 22d and 24th verses that follow in this prayer hold, 
and do mutually cast upon these words of ver. 5, and these words upon 
them ; serving to expound each other of them. ' The glory thou gavest 
me, I have them ; ' so in ver. 22, and then put to them ver. 24, ' Father, 
I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; 
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me ; for thou lovedst 
me before the foundation of the world.' Where, God's loving him afore 
the foundation of the world, is a phrase all one "with his having predesti- 
nated him out of love (as I shewed afore). And by ' the glory which thou 
gavest me,' ver. 22, is above all other meant, that personal glory of and 
flowing from the personal union, which was by predestination given him as 
God-man ; by virtue of which, first given him, it is and was that he gives 
us a derived or secondary participation of glory out of it ; a portion of 
glory and privilege like to this of his, wholly flowing from it, and conformed 
to it ; yet not the same hypostatical union or personal glory which Christ 
himself hath, which the 24th verse shews. For our glory (as there) ariseth 
to us, but through our beholding that his so supereminent glory ; by which 
he manifestly declares how it is that the glory given him, he gave to them : 
and that their glory was to be differenced from what was personally his own, 
and proper to himself; his scope being to shew the dependency that their 
glory hath on his ; and withal, how that his was first given him, in pre- 
destination, by the Father ; and that then he gave a glory unto them as 
concurring with his Father in that gift. And it is not to shew at all that 
our glory is, for the rank of it, the same with his. No ; for our glory he 
gives us is to arise from our beholding his personal glory, and so is but a 
second-hand derived glory ; God having first, and with a primary and chief 
intendment, estated Christ absolutely, singly, independently, in his personal 
glory, and in his predestination of him, God-man, gave him that original 
as the grand lease of all creature glory. Therefore he is called ' the Lord 
of glory,' 1 Cor. ii. 8. And Christ being endowed therewith, did as freely 
give forth to those whom God had given him (as their several portions) 
under leases. Which glory of ours may yet in this general respect be said 
to be the same, in that it is supernatural, wholly above what by the law of 
creation or the covenant of works, which from Adam we had derived ; and 
which, though never so much advanced, we should have attained unto. 
For this is a glory the second Adam bequeathed us, like unto what himself 
had, which was wholly ■supernatural. So then, bring all these together, 
first the 5th verse, ' The glory I had afore the world,' down to the 22d, 
' The glory thou gavest me, I have given them ; ' ' those whom thou gavest 
me,' says ver. 24; and 'I will, that they behold that my glory;' and 
then, the close of all, in that 24th verse, ' For thou lovedst me afore the 
world was,' as the spring of all ; and this connection of all these will 
amount to this, that, first, in God's predestination of him afore the w r orld, 
it was that he gave him this glory spoken of, ver. 5 ; and, secondly, that 
that glory was first and absolutely given him by the Father, and then 
ours by himself concurring with the Father, who loved us as he loved 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus chiust. 487 

Christ, ver. 22, which two are the sum and substance of what I am to 
prove. 

This thus proved, as meant of predestination, my interpretation of ver. 
5 — ' Glorify me with the glory I had with thee afore the world was ' — 
proceeds : 

1. With tin glory. Thou hadst the idea, the portraiture of me, when I 
was among all those other models and schemes of worlds, and varieties of 
creatures thou hadst in thy view, and which thou couldst have ordained to 
make, whenas yet thou didst not. I in the hue and array of God-man, 
simply as such considered, came up afore thee, and outshined each and all 
of those creatable glories of mere creatures thy power was able to make ; 
and I took thy heart above all those curious pictures or images in the power 
of thy art whatever, and outshined them all, as not worthy to be thought of 
or looked at with me or my glory ; that is, above all and afore all thy will 
and good pleasure did here set the fiat of thy desire, and of thy first desire; 
for being satisfied, in the morning, with the image of thyself in me, thou 
saidst, This I purpose to be my fellow, and my sole delight; which no other 
of mere creatures, or all, could ever have been. 

2. Glorify me now with the glory which in decreeing of me to be God-man, 
thou hadst in thy heart, in thy designs and purposes to bestow ; and didst 
then, and by this decree, actually endow me with, as the natural inherit- 
ance, proprietj 7 , and proper due and concernment to that person thou should 
ordain God-man, and one person with thy Son. This I now beg of thee 
to be now possessed of. 

3. With the very same glory, according to the exact draught of it, that 
was in thy divine understanding, and will, and purposes about me. And 
he therefore says, with the glory now, which I then had ; that is, in the 
model, the idea, exactly answering one the other. There are two parts of 
the petition (as was said), ' Glorify me now,' the first ; ' with the glory I 
had,' that is the second. And these two must prove to be, in a true respect, 
one and the same glory. 

And if any (as many do) will urge, that this latter, ' the glory which I 
had,' can be understood of no other but of Christ's divine nature, or of the 
second person simply considered; then, that other part, ' Glorify me now,' 
will recoil and check them as to that opinion. For it must be truly 
some way the same glory. And though it be true that the divine nature, 
or the second person, he might alone say,-I had a glory with thee afore the 
world was, namely, the essential glory of the Godhead ; yet he might not 
say, Glorify me now with that glory; for that essential glory was neither to 
be prayed for, nor was it ever laid aside or interrupted, as it was enjoyed 
by him with God. No. And again, on the other hand, for the man to 
say, Glorify me now with the glory I had with thee, and mean the essential 
glory of the Godhead, that is as incongruous as the other. So as, take 
both parts of the petition in conjunction together, and as to belong to but 
one subject, either the man alone, or the second person alone, and they 
will never suit, either in a uniform way or sameness of glory. You can no 
more apply them both to the divine nature than you can to the human. 
And yet it is plainly insinuated to be one and the same glory. This will 
never be unriddled (at least not so fairly) any ether way than by this of 
predestination, viz., that look what glory in God's ultimate purposes and 
transactions with his Son, was foreordained and designed him as God-man 
(and as such he was the subject of God's decrees as well as we, as many 
scriptures declare), and so it is exactly one and the same glory ; which is 



488 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

the gloss that Austin long since gave of the words, Clarified me, sicut tunc, 
ita et nunc: sicut tunc pradesHnatione, it a et nunc perfectione : fac in mundo, 
quod apud tc jam fuerat ante mundum ; fac in suo tempore quod ante omnia 
tempora statuisti, &c. Glorify me as then, so now ; as then in predestina- 
tion, so now in the perfect performance of it ; do that in this its due time, 
which thou hadst appointed and decreed afore all times. Now whatever 
God predestinates, persons, or things concerning persons, he hath the idea 
thereof, and of all that appertains thereto, in his divine mind. For, ' known 
unto God are all his works from the beginning ;' and therefore had, yea, 
much more had, of this very glory of God-man, the full and lively por- 
traiture of his understanding and purpose ; yea, we may say, that even that 
glory, this divine person, God-man, hath now in heaven (when it was that 
this his prayer had its accomplishment), is no other glory, either for kind 
or decree, than was in the heart and mind of God, laid up with God for 
him; as in Job the phrase is, 'many such things are with him;' Job 
xxiii. 14, ' For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me ; and 
many such things are with him.' Yea, of all the saints it may be said, 
when they are glorified in heaven, it is but with that same glory and no 
other, for measure and the like, than was in the heart of God decreed 
towards them from everlasting. And so they differ, as the pattern which 
was so long afore formed, and the piece that is framed to it. As when 
king Ahasuerus said, ' Let it be done,' so and so, ' to the man whom the 
king will honour,' Est. vi. 9. Which when Hainan had once performed, 
might be said, that he had been honoured with the same honour in all the 
circumstances of it, which the king in his heart had contrived to be given 
him. And so it is here ; for predestination is but preparatio benejicio- 
rum, a shaping, a forming of all those benefits of grace and glory that 
shall be bestowed in time upon every one that is elect ; and so it was in 
Christ. 

Sd Query. How is the man, or he as God-man, said to have had this 
glory with the Father before the world was, when as such he existed not ? 

Ans. By reason that the second person then existed, and all along from 
everlasting upon his election thereunto, took on him that personage of God- 
man, and bore the title of it with God his Father ; thereby it comes to 
pass, that it may be said by the man Jesus, ' the glory which I had with 
thee ;' which no saint or angel else can say of the glory given them by pre- 
destination. 

For that a mere act of God's ordaining him God-man in his own breast 
and intention, singly and alone considered, should be an adequate full 
ground for Christ to say, that I as man, or as God-man, had a glory with 
thee afore the world was, when I, this man, was not extant, as now I am 
who challenge it, cannot be alone sufficient.- For the elect saints (who 
were predestinated as well as Christ) might then also say, "We had a glory 
with thee afore the world was ; but this they must not, nor can say, for 
the very sound oi it is such, as signifies that the person that had that glory, 
and that says it, should have been then with God, and to have been glori- 
fied by God with that glory he speaks of. 

Now the elect of men, neither of themselves existed then with God, nor 
no part of them, no not their souls. They may say indeed, that by virtue 
of their predestination, grace and glory was given them afore the world was, 

®Necenim habuisset gloriam nisi ipse prius fuisset qui gloriam posset tenere. 
Nemo enim habere aliquid poterit nisii qse arite fuerit qui aliquid tenet.^Terlul. de 
Trin. c. 24. 



Chap. V.j and his son jksiis christ. 489 

as 2 Tim. i. 9, ' Who hath saved us, and culled us with an holy calling, 
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, 
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.' But for them 
to say, the glory which I had with thee afore the world was ; this their pre- 
destination, or God's single mere act of predestinating them, will not war- 
rant them to say. Nor doth the Scripture anywhere so speak of the saints 
their predestination ; no such language is anywhere used of them. Besides 
that, it were to derogate from Christ, who alone is capacitated (for the 
grounds that shall be added) thus to speak. 

Moreover, their election, and the grace given them thereby, hath this 
difference from Christ's election, that they are said to be chosen in Christ, 
Eph. i. 4, and that grace given them from everlasting is said to be given in 
Christ, in 2 Tim. i. 9. But Christ himself was chosen immediately in and 
for himself, which enabled him to say, ' the glory which I had with thee 
afore the world,' which none of them could say; yea, and for him to say 
it, and to have intended no more than what he had of glory in and by 
God's mere act of purpose and predeterminating him unto it, had been to say 
no more than the world itself might say, or might be said of it, that it had. 
a being (namely, in God's purpose) afore its creation and actual existence. 
For whatsoever the world now is, it was in God's naked decree and pur- 
pose, afore itself was, as well as Christ himself. 

Hence, then, there must be some extraordinary special thing found in 
Christ's predestination, which must give ground to this speech, and fill up 
the whole intendment of it. 

And therefore I added, to this second assertion, a second part of it, that 
the second person, the Son, did, at and together, and upon God's act of 
predestinating him to be God-man (and upon him did God's predestination 
fall as well as on the man Jesus), take on him the real title and repute of 
God-man, and sustained and bore the personage of God-man afore his 
Father. And his Father actually gave him the glory of it, as a super- 
added glory to that of his being second person, and his Son simply con- 
sidered. And this having been aforehand done, upon the account of, and 
respect unto, his being to be that man one day ; hence, the man Jesus 
being now existing and united into one person with that Son of God, was 
justly and rightly enabled and capacitated to claim and pray, ' Glorify me 
with the glory I had with thee afore the world was :' the person he was 
now become, having been glorified in that very account, as God-man, by 
his Father from everlasting. 

This condition of the person God-man, upon whom this election fell, 
hath not enough been considered. That whilst such a bare act of election light- 
ing upon us, would not have been such an expression, but been deficient, 
yet in the case of Christ, as hath been now stated, it would : and with 
these additional it is abundantly verified, and holds good. But we must 
consider that there was not only a predestination-act on the Father's part, 
that passed upon Christ to be God-man in common with God predestinating 
us ; but that there accompanied it, at the instant, on the second person's 
part, an acceptance of what God had predestinated him unto, a sustaining 
of that person afore God ever after, and a glory given him all along by his 
Father in their converses, answering that dignity, which utterly varies the 
case from that of our predestination by a single act of God's. And because 
God's predestinating him to be God-man hath singly been considered by 
many, when that interpretation hath been given of the words, that they are 
to be understood of what was in God's first predestinating of Christ ; and 



490 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEB, [BOOK III. 

that, as it is a bare act on God's part, falling short, they therefore have 
wholly rejected that interpretation ; whereas, supply to it what was also 
done at and upon God's predestinating, on Christ's part, and God's glori- 
fying him as such for ever after, and so the solution riseth (in my poor 
conception) to a satisfaction of the difficulties that are otherwise incumbent 
on the words. 

This new supplement of so grand a moment in this argument I shall 
draw forth into sundry particulars, which the reader may please to add 
unto those of predestination already foregone. For that must still stand, 
though these be also taken in unto it, to make the interpretation more full. 

1. The Son of God, second person, was extant and with God, at the 
instant when he was chosen to this glory of being God-man ; there he was, 
the person, which we were not at our election. This I need not insist upon. 
And hence, 

2. The glory of it was immediately given to himself, at the very instant 
of that act of predestinating him to it. It needed not be given him in 
another, or to another for him : he was there to accept it and receive it ; 
whereas the glory we were to have was given us in Christ, when nothing 
of us existed, and so long afore we existed ; and was therefore given us 
in Christ, because he was present by, and could receive it for us (as he 
did) ; and therefore might much more receive any glory or honour which 
the Father, by such an act of election, should ordain him unto, as, de facto, 
he did him to this of God-man. 

But you will urge, that still the man, that was ordained to this glory, 
existed not, but in a bare decree. 

Consider therefore, 3. That the second person that existed, and was 
now chosen to be God-man, had the title of being God-man ; and so the 
glory due to it, upon that election of him to it, really conferred upon him ; 
and so as from thence he was no longer to be considered, merely and ab- 
stractly, as second person alone, but was thereupon afore God and with 
God, and in his repute and esteem, accounted of as God-man. Take a man 
that is elected to an office, whom thereupon you call now elect, besides what 
he is and hath as a man singly considered, he hath now the honour of his 
office, though he be not installed. Thus a man chosen and designed a 
general, hath the honour and title of his designment, long afore he goes into 
the field. Now this much more really was the second person's case, as to 
this new additional glory. 

4. He not only knew what he was ordained to, but solemnly accepted 
it afore his Father, and concurred in assent and consent thereto, and under- 
took to be so as his Father had appointed ; Heb. x. 5, ' A body hast thou 
prepared me.' The second person deferred not, stayed not accepting it 
upon the first act of God's choosing him, until the time should come that 
he was to become God-man, by being made flesh ; but he accepted it in- 
stantly, without any more ado. And so he was absolutely and solemnly 
espoused by his own consent afore his Father, unto that individual nature 
of man, whom his Father had by that act of predestination designed and 
proposed to him to be. And hence the title of it must needs come on him. 
He took on him the title, the honour, and glory, from that very instant of 
eternity. He was thenceforward God-man contracted, although the mar- 
riage was to be after consummated, when the Word took flesh. He had the 
title of God-man elect, though not of God-man united, or made flesh. He 
bore the personage of God-man (mark that word) personam gerebab, the garb, 
the port of it, although as yet the Son of God had not took up into his 



Chap. V.J and his son jesus cerist. 491 

person that man he was contracted unto. I say, he bore the title and repute 
of it, and went under that name with God, the name of God-man, even as 
he did, of everlasting Father, or a Father of us from everlasting, Isa. ix. 0. 
There is the like reason for either ; for he had that title of ' everlasting 
Father,' but because from everlasting he afore God took upon him that 
relation to us as his children, and so to be of the same nature with us ; as 
the apostle argues in Heb. ii. 10, 11, 14, ' For it became him, for whom are 
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, 
to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both 
he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one : for which 
cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Forasmuch then as the 
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part 
of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power 
of death, that is, the devil.' The second person singly considered hath not 
the style of Father, for that is the first person's propriety, only considered 
simply as a person. 

Again, if all the promises God hath made in his word were from everlast- 
ing made, and then extant afore God, as you read, Titus i. 2, they were ; 
■ In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot he, promised before the 
world began ;' then Christ, considered as God-man, to whom, as such, all 
the promises were made, and in whom, as such supposed, they have then* 
truth, foundation, and existence, their ' Yea and Amen ;' he then (I say) 
must much more have borne (being then present with God) that title of God- 
man. And without his being considered as such, and his having accepted 
to be such, those promises had had no existence or reality, nor would it 
have been so, that all our grace and glory was given us in Christ afore the 
world was, as it is said 2 Tim. i. 9, Was not then that title of being Christ 
and God-man then given them ? Without the consideration of which, we 
had not, nor could be considered as legatees, to whom that grace was be- 
queathed. Yes, it was a title familiarly used of him amongst the Three, 
from thenceforward for ever. 

This title was in itself truly a glory, though but an additional, given the 
second person then existing ; and though the man, or the human nature 
was not existent, yet the glory of his being one day man was then existent, 
and the person was existent that was capable of receiving even that glory at 
that present. 

[1.] It was a glory, for the thing in itself was truly a matter of glory, 
though but an additament to him ; and being given by a person of glory, his 
Father, the fountain of glory, it must be truly such. 

[2. J Though but an additional glory, for his native essential glory, as God, 
needed it not, as to his own blessedness or glory ; as we see God doth not 
need that glory we creatures give him, and yet it is a real glory to him, and 
a glorifying of him, that which creatures give him. 

[3.] Though the man existed not, yet the glory existed ; for the second 
person existed to receive it from his Father, who existed together with him ; 
and might, and did, aforehand give it to him, upon his own ordination of 
him to be man, and the second person, his undertaking to become man ; 
and so, was given through that relation contracted for aforehand unto that 
man. So as whoever considers it, will find himself to be utterly in a mis- 
take, if he should thus conceive of it, that Christ only had the glory of his 
being God, and second person, afore and with his Father ; and that God 
began first actually to honour his Son as God-man, only from the time he 
actually took flesh, and became man. For if there be a real glory ariseth 



192 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

to him now he hath assumed man's nature, for which and by reason 
whereof he is by us deservedly to be glorified and adored as God-man ; or 
if that be a glory to him now he is in heaven, that he is God-man, which 
he visibly wears there afore his Father, and all the saints ; then it must be 
acknowledged (having been given him by his Father, in his decree, and 
undertaken by himself), that it was a glory also, as then really extant be- 
tween himself and his Father. At the time after he had assumed our 
nature, and was actually become man, then his Fatber should and did openly 
declare and congratulate him as his Son, in saying from heaven, Mat. iii. 17, 
' And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I 
am well pleased ; ' it is added, that he ' gave him glory and honour,' as i3 
expressed in 2 Peter i. 17, ' For he received from God the Father, honour 
and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, 
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Then why may it 
not also be said, that when in God's everlasting decree, God had said the 
same to him as expressly, Ps. ii. 7, ' I will declare the decree, Thou art 
my Son, this day have I begotten thee ;' why should not this be as well a 
giving glory to him from everlasting, though but upon, and in his decree, 
which was from everlasting ? Upon the making of his decree for that glory, 
this was said, ' Thou art my Son,' &c. And the psalmist professeth but to 
publish the matter of that decree, and to produce the record, and set it 
down by way of prophecy. If then the declaring the same by God himself 
afterward, when he was made flesh, and become man, were an honour given 
him by his Father, then surely, at the making of that decree it was the 
like ; and therefore he had that glory with the Father before the world was. 

That there might be a glory given the Son from everlasting, is clear from 
this, that there was the highest and freest mutual converse held between the 
three persons amongst themselves from everlasting, when no creature was, 
and in that converse they drove and carried on designs of what was to come, 
and gave the glory to one another, of what each of them was, or should be, 
or do, in their several activities, to all eternity. They spake one to the 
other, and one of another, as Heb. x., the Son said to the Father, ' A body 
hast thou prepared me.' And the Father to the Son, ' Thou art my Son ; 
this day have I begotten thee.' And this latter was from everlasting, in 
the decreeing of it, spoken to him ; for the words afore are, ' I will declare 
the decree,' whereof that speech therefore was the matter. Likewise there 
were mutual engagements and promises passed between them, Titus i. 2, 
eternal life was promised afore the world began. And there must be an 
intercourse of persons promising, and that received and accepted the pro- 
mise. And in like manner in their converses they glorified one another ; 
John xv. 16, ' The Spirit shall glorify me,' says Christ. He says it indeed 
of his glorifying Christ to us ; but if he doth it to us, much more among 
themselves. 

And truly the phrase here, ' which I had with thee ' (which now only re- 
mains to be expounded in the fulness of the extent of the meaning it will 
reach unto), is very compliant with this notion ; for ' which I had with 
thee,' imports not only a presence, or being with God in existence. 

As, 1, John i. 1, the Word is said to be God, and with God. 

Or, 2, the intimacy of an alike glory to that of the Father's, enjoyed by 
the Son together with the Father. 

But, 3, it denotes the repute or esteem which Christ had with him : so 
that ' the glory I had with thee' is the honour and valuation I then held 
in thy heart of me. 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus christ. 403 

We use the same phrase in our language, and it is current in all lan- 
guages ; a person who is honoured by another, we use to say of him, he is 
in esteem, repute, or favour ' with him.' And so it is not necessarily hero 
to be wholly confined to signify his essential glory, which he had together 
with his Father, and enjoyed, as if that were only meant ; but will well 
comport with this imputative glory cast on him by election of his being 
God-man. 

And the Scripture speaks parallel unto this in point of grace, that is now 
borne to us by God, or to any elect of God ; and it is all one to say, such 
a one hath grace with God, and to say they have glory and honour with 
God. Now, of the blessed virgin, the angel accosts her with this, Luke 
i. 30, ' Thou hast found favour with God,' or art in great grace with God ; 
that is, in God's estimation and repute. Grace in his heart borne to thee, 
which might have been said of her, even from everlasting ; when it was 
that God did single her forth to be the mother of the Lord, it may be 
said, she had that grace with God then, which otherwise is commonly ex- 
pressed by a finding favour in his eyes. Maldonate takes hold of the word, 
as often importing esteem and renown (though he diverts it to another pur- 
pose). I may say of Christ, God-man, that he was of renown with God, 
and that he was, as God-man, in repute and esteem, such upon his elec- 
tion of him. This may justly be termed a glory, when thus it was in God 
and with God, for God's repute and esteem is glory ; for God is the God 
of glory, the Father of glory, and glory comes only of God ; John v. 44, 
1 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not 
the honour that cometh from God only ? ' His esteem is the valuation of 
glory, ' which is in the sight of God of great price, is really so,' 1 Pet. iii. 4. 
And, thus understood, Christ prays to have that glory which in the person 
of the second he had then with God in his repute and valuation. And if 
you put had unto it, yet still the phrase, 'had with thee,' will not rise up 
to denote that he had it in real possession then with God. A man is said 
to have a thing in a right unto it given him, though not yet enjoyed, as 
Heb. x. 35, we are said to have ' treasure in heaven,' when yet we enjoy 
it not. ' Glorify me with thine own self ' (there is an actual possession 
prayed for), ' with the glory I had with thee,' in thy esteem, account, and 
design. A title of glory and excellency given by a person that is the true 
fountain of glory, what is this but really and truly a glory to the person to 
whom it is given ? 

Ath Query. Our next query is, What kind of glory is it that is properly 
intended in this 5th verse ? 

This is a matter of great moment to be inquired into, as will in the sequel 
appear. For the discovery whereof, 

First, Divines* have observed, though not upon the occasion of these 
words, that there is a double glory of Christ, and that considered as God- 
man. 

1. Personce simpliciter, Of his person simply, considered as God-man (abs- 
tracting from his being a mediator for us). 

2. Officii, Of his office of mediatorship ; which latter was superadded, 
over and above, unto the glory of his person, as God-man, and consists 
purely in what he is in relation unto God his Father ; whereas that glory 
of mediator ariseth from his relation unto us, and for us, and from what 
he did or wrought for us as sinners, infiuenceth us with, in the virtue of 

* See Gomarus, torn. iii. p. 74, 75. 



494 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK III. 

that other personal glory, in being an head to us. And indeed Christ hath 
a threefold glory. 

The first essential, the same with God his Father, he the Son being co- 
equal to him, God of God, and very God. 

The second, belonging to his person, as now constituted God-man, to 
break forth in and upon the man assumed, as being one person with the 
Son, who is God essentially. 

Thirdly, The glory of his mediatorship acquired by himself. The two 
latter are those afore us. 

The first of the latter, the glory of his person, simply considered, is ex- 
pressed in that speech, John i. 14, ' We beheld his glory, as the glory of 
the only begotten of the Father,' which was merely the glory which brake 
forth in his person ; for otherwise the glory of his office, as being mediator, 
as dying and rising again, &c, was the glory of his person. And they saw 
not, nor considered not then, the glory of him, as dying, &c, for they un- 
derstood it not till after he was risen ; as in Luke xxiv. 45, 46, ' Then 
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 
and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, 
and to rise from the dead the third day.' This double glory you may see, 
Heb. i. 3, ' Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image 
of his person,' &c. 

1. The glory of his person simply, as God-man, is in these words, 'Who 
being the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his 
person.' 

2. The glory of his office as mediator, in these words, ' When he had by 
himself,' or by the sacrifice of himself, ' purged away our sins, he sat down 
on the right hand of the Majesty on high.' 

Which latter clause declareth, how he being originally, in his person as 
God-man, ' the brightness of his Father's person,' &c, after his work per- 
formed on earth, to purge sins away, he went to heaven, and took posses- 
sion of a glory answerable to that dignity of his person, which was to ' sit 
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,' and therein to perform 
what was to be executed by him in heaven, in intercession, &c. Which, 
if it be not just the same in substance and order with what is here in these 
four verses prayed for, I leave to be considered, he here praying, that now 
he had finished his work on earth, that now God would glorify him in 
heaven with that glory which was due to his person, who was ' the bright- 
ness of his Father's glory,' and ' sat down at the right hand of the Majesty 
on high,' so taking his place according to the dignity of his person speci- 
fied ; which glory, as he was predestinated unto in his person before the 
world, so he was appointed by election, as the heir, Lord, and end of all 
things. And although his mediatory glory in heaven is involved in his 
sitting at God's right hand, which he doth as a priest to intercede, yet it is 
the possession of that personal glory which he was appointed unto, that is, 
the substantial glory there spoken of, and intended, and which the weight 
is put upon. 

Now, Christ himself, within the compass of these five verses, doth, ac- 
cording to this difference of glories, frame his prayer about himself. For, 
you may observe how he prays twice for his own being glorified ; first, in 
ver. 1, 2, ' Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. As thou 
hast given him power over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to as 
many as thou hast given him.' And here a second time, ver. 5, ' And 
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which 



Chap. V.J and his son jesus christ. 495 

I had with theo before the world was.' Now, besides that ho would not 
have used such a repetition of the same thing in so punctual and concise a 
prayer, within the compass of so few verses, and which is all he prays for, 
as for himself; besides this, the distinction of a twofold glorifying is 
evident from hence, that that glorifying him in ver. 1 relates to the per- 
formance of his office of mediatorship, which he says lay in this, to ' give 
eternal life to as many as God had given him ; ' and the meaning of his 
first 'glorify me, that I may glorify thee,' in ver. 1, is, that in that work 
of suffering, which now he w r as entering into, God would gloriously assist 
him, and enable him to go through with it, according to the commission, 
authority, and power God had given him (for in that sense ' power,' in 
ver. 2, must necessarily be understood), ' Glorify thy Son, that thy Son may 
glorify thee : as thou hast given him power over all flesh,' to this end, ' that 
he might give eternal life,' &c. All this properly relates unto this work and 
office of mediatorship. And that particle, ' As thou hast given him power,' 
imports, that in a proportion requisite unto that work and office, which he 
was empowered and authorised withal, he would give him a measure of 
glorious strength answerable or worthy of that office, and fully enabling him 
to perform it and throughly to execute it ; and then to glorify him as a re- 
ward for that work when he should have finished it, ver. 4, ' I have glorified 
thee on the earth : I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.' 
But the measure of this second ' Glorify me,' in ver. 5, is the glory of God 
himself, and what it became God to glorify such an one with as was his 
Son ; and to be taken up into the glory of God. It was not upon the 
account of what he had done in this world, as in relation unto us and our 
eternal life, but what simply arose from the union and communion which 
he had, and was to have entirely with his Father, singly and alone ; 
' Glorify thou me with thine own self:' and so, which was to arise from 
that oneness with his Father, and which he had had with him afore this 
world ; or, the consideration of any such thing, anything done in it, or 
persons belonging to it ; and which he and his Father had alone ; and such 
as would have been if there were no world, nor had been extant ; and so it 
was without relation unto his work done, or persons in this world whom 
eternal life should be given unto. 

If it be objected that the coherence of ver. 4,5, 'I have glorified thee on 
the earth,' &c, ver. 4; 'And now, Father, glorify thou me,' ver. 5, 
would seem to cany it, that he should ask this second glory, for this, as 
the ground or cause, that he had done such a work of mediation on earth, 

I answer, No ; that is a mistake. But that coherence with this ver. 5 
notes out that now for the time of it, that full time was come he should be 
glorified. That whereas he now had, according to his own or his Father's 
compact, performed all, and ' finished ' the work which God gave him to 
do ; and which also that word ' finished ' respects, namely, the time, the 
due time, to be now come, that therefore now glorify me, with a glory upon 
a far higher account due. It was to shew that until this now of finishing 
this work of redemption, that glory otherwise due was suspended. And it 
is as if he had said, Now give me my native original due upon thy mere 
decree, and constituting me God- man, and not at all depending upon my 
merit or work ; but give me my personal due, which had been suspended 
till now, but which now is due ; when I shall have performed that work 
thou didst command and impose upon me ; which finished, now bestow 
that other upon me. Here was ingenuity to the height, not to ask his 
native due, nor speak a word of it, till he had performed his imposed ser- 



496 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

vice God had set him. And with this doth that of Christ himself, Luke 
xxiv. 20, most fully accord ; ' Ought not Christ to have suffered, and enter 
into his glory ?' His glory, not upon account of sufferings only due to him, 
but his before ever he suffered, which was absolutely and personally his 
upon another account, but which he was not (by God's ordination and his 
own consent) to enter into, but after sufferings first, to enter upon it and 
possess it. 

And the parallel of these two places is observable. 1. That, as there he 
says, ' He ought (first) to suffer ;' so here, ' Now I have finished that work.' 
2. ' To enter into glory,' there ; ' Glorify me with that glory,' here. 3. 
' Into his glory,' there ; ' The glory which I had afore,' and without the 
consideration of this work, here. And that word, ' Enter into his glory,' 
imports, he then took possession, and not afore, as man ; and yet in right 
it was his, and sufferings were but the way to it ; it was not purchased by 
sufferings. This his glory was an intrinsecal glory, not additional. 

Divers interpreters* have perceived that the glory of his person, of God- 
man, or, as they term it, his intrinsecal glory, is the subject of this ' Glorify 
me,' in ver. 5. But they have not withal observed it with difference from 
that other glory prayed for, ver. 2. Only Brugensis had a glimmering of 
it in bis exposition on ver. 1, though he seems to have lost it again after- 
wards. His words are these. ' He deduces two things (says he) why he 
should be glorified : one, that he is the Redeemer of mankind and Saviour 
of men, ver. 2, 3. The other, that he is the eternal Son of God, ver. 
5.'f Thus distinguisheth he, and but in a light touch. 

The differences between these two glories, personal and mediatory, are 
many and great ones. I take notice of the grand one of all, and it is in 
the text. There is a phrase which doth in the highest manner describe 
wherein this personal glory, the very essence of it, doth consist, ' Glorify 
me with thine own self.' This so momentous a clause is diverted, to note 
only the place wherein he would be glorified, ' Glorify me with thyself ' in 
heaven, where thou art, as spoken in opposition unto ' I have glorified thee 
on earth.' Others thus, I seek not worldly glory, but glory with thyself; 
all which do dilate \ the spirit and life of this phrase. But our Cartwright § 
and Gerard do interpret it of God's glorifying him in, and with, and by the 
glory God himself had, and with that glory alone, abstracted from all other 
things whatsoever. Christ praying for that wherein the spirit, the essen- 
tial substance of his glory and blessedness lieth, even in thine own self; 
« Father, glorify me with thine own self.' Not only signifying his desire 
to be glorified conjunctly, both together, he as well as the Father ; that is, 
that as God the Father had hitherto been glorified, so that now himself, 
that had been hitherto debased, might now be glorified also, according as 
in John v. 23, ' That all men might honour the Son, as they honour the 
Father.' But these are short of Christ's desires and aims here, who seeks 
the utmost of glory. 

But it further notes, 1. That glory which the human nature bath in God, 
and from God, and him alone. This both that parallel place confirms, 
John xiii. 32, ' If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in 

* See Toilet on ver. 5. 

f Quamobrem glorificari mereatur, et quod in eo sit gloria dignum, duo exprimit, 
unum quod sit Redemptoi humani generis, et hominum Salvator, ver 2, 3 alteram 
quod sit seternus Dei Filius. t That is, ' dilute.'— Ed. 

I Notat gloriam quam petit summam et singularem, nempe earn quae est Dei. — 
Cartwright. in verba. 



Chap. V.] and his son jesus cheist. 497 

himself, and shall straightway glorify him.' It is one and the same glory 
he prayed for there and here ; and expressed by the same phrase. Only 
then, the time when he prayed that, of his being gloriiied, was further off, 
though straightway ; perhaps within a few months or days. So it was when 
that sermon was made. But here, because the time was approached, and 
the straightway* run out; he therefore here says, ' Xoir glorify me ;' but it 
is one and the same glorifying. And in the 18th chapter it is God's glory, 
' Glorify him in himself;' but here it is, ' Glorify me with thine own self;' 
the former phrase explaining this other. In Rom. xv. 7, it is said that 
Christ received us to the glory of God, that is, to the participation of that 
glory which is to be had in the blessed God alone, whereof himself was 
personally and originally the proprietor and inheritor, and we co-heirs with 
Christ, ' heirs of God,' Rom. viii. 17, he communicating it unto us by his 
right, according as he says after in his prayer, John xvii. 22, ' And the 
glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even 
as we are one.' Who was it first brought up seeing and enjoying God im- 
mediately ? Christ the Son of God, he was the founder of that way of 
blessedness. There are two Psalms made up of Christ, the 16th and the 
22d. The first Peter cites, Acts ii., and so applies it unto him, as not 
meant of David, but of Christ. The other, which is the story of his being 
crucified, beginning, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' &e. 
This latter, after the sad rehearsal of his crucifixion, tells us of the fruit and 
consequence of that his mediation, when performed, as to himself, so to his 
whole seed, from ver. 22 to the end. And this was the ' glory that fol- 
lowed ' (as Peter speaks, 1 Pet. i. 11), the glory of his mediation. But 
that other lGth Psalm runs in another strain, and comforts himself with 
another manner of glory, which should accrue to himself, as ver. 5, ' The 
Lord is my portion and inheritance.' And it is the enjoj-rnent of this God 
alone, after his ascension, he predicates as his highest happiness, ver. 11, 
' Thou wilt shew me the path of Hie : in thy presence is fulness of joy ; at 
thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' And this high enjoyment 
of God he brought up. None had or should have seen God at any time, 
had not he first done it. And this is the single glory of his person, as God- 
man, which he prays for here in these words. 

And look, as in the former verses he had set out wherein our eternal life 
lies, namely, to know God, and him whom he had sent ; so in this verse, 
he describes wherein his own eternal life lies (I call it so, for of him now 
in heaven it is said, ' in that he lives, he lives to God'). And it lies in 
God ; ' Glorify me with thine own self.' But his mediatorial glory, arising 
from his works of mediation, as redemption and intercession, is a glory he 
hath afore God, and in his view, and which God gives him ; but it ariseth 
from his mediatory action, as the salvation of his saints, as 2 Thess. i. 10. 
But this of his person is a glory he hath in God, and with God alone, in 
the enjoyment of all that God is. As if he should have said, Father, let 
the glory which is thine be mine. Make me glorious with the glory thy- 
self hast ; with a glory from thee, and with a glory in thee. Nor is it the 
manifestation of his glory only unto others (as some would have it) he prays 
for, and in that sense to be glorified as his Father was. It is a thing beyond 
it, a glory severed from that of manifestation ; for this is but outward, but 
this is an inward intrinseeal glory of his person, enjoyed in God and with 
God, and such as God had, and which he should to himself enjoy, and 
within himself; a glory in and between God and him, consisting in that 
intimate entire converse with God, and a free enjoyment of all the sweet- 

vol. iv. I i 



498 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

nesses, perfections of the Godhead, upon an account of personal right to 
them, and interest in them as his own, by virtue of his union. And he is 
therefore said to come in his own glory, and his Father's glory, Luke ix. 
26. That though it should shine in him and throughout him, yet inwardly 
much more. 

2. You may observe, he specifies it to be that glory he had with his 
Father when there was no world ; that if you could suppose there were no 
world, no creature extant, saint nor angel, yet let me be glorified (says he) 
with thine own self personally, and then I shall be glorious indeed. For 
that glory I had with thee afore the world was, was without any work of 
mediation done, or creature made. And let me have but that glory, and I 
have enough. And so this is not that which his mediation brought him in, 
or that which consisted therein. 

It is true (says he), I have a glory from all these saints that are about 
me, and ' I am glorified in them,' as 2 Thess. i. 10, you have it, ' and 
they in me ; ' and it is my blood and intercession hath brought them hither. 
Yea, and they are glorified by beholding my glory. But what is all this in 
comparison of this alone, for me to be glorified with thee and in thee alone ? 
This is the height of my desires and prayers ; and this glory is my per- 
sonal due, and hath been suspended to purchase an additional glory by my 
mediation. Yea, but this is the glory I aspire after, and have in mine eye 
above all other ; and let us retire into each other, and enjoy it alone to- 
gether ; and therefore, ' glorify me with thine own self.' Draw the curtains, 
as it were, upon all glories else, whether of mine or from all others I am 
glorified in, that thou and I may singly and separately enjoy each other. 

Other lesser differences there are between this personal and mediatorial 
glory, which might be added. As, 

1. The glory of his person is his birthright as Son of God ; Heb. i. 4, 
' Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance ob- 
tained a more excellent name than they.' The glory that rises from his 
mediation and the works thereof, is but acquired, accessory, and additional, 
won. and won by conquest. He got by his bow, as Jacob speaks, Gen. 
xlviii. 22. 

it' you would ask, which of these two glories belonging to God-man are 
the greatest ? Your own thoughts, I believe, have by this time cast and 
determined, that this of his personal glory doth infinitely exceed that of his 
mediatory glory, or of his office, whether as head to us or redeemer, al- 
though there was none in heaven or in earth that could have sustained these 
but he. For, 

(1.) That is the glory of the very Godhead, dwelling personally in him, 
breaking forth in, and shining through his human nature ; as if the sun 
being encompassed with a case of crystal, how glorious would that crystal 
be ! A glory such as is only worthy to appear in him that is one person 
v ith God. This is the greatest and highest glory, as well as mystery, ' God 
manifested in the flesh, seen of angels, taken up into glory.' For this, 
• let all the angels worship him ' (as Heb. i. 6, when he brings his first- 
begotten into the world the second time) ; merely for the excellency of his 
person and name, which by inheritance he hath obtained above them ; and 
not for redemption of them, which is not there spoken of as of them. 

(2.) It was the excellency and intrinsic glory of his person, from whence 
those divinely-human acts of his mediation did flow, and receive their value 
and virtue therefrom ; his blood, because it is the blood of God-man, and 
so of the rest. 



Chap. V.J and his son jesus christ. 499 

(3.) It is the glory of his person as God-man united : that is, that glory 
which after the work of redemption for us, and the application of it to us 
finished (as after the day of judgment it will be), when he shall have given 
up his dispensatory kingdom to his Father ; then it is he eminently appears 
in his own personal single glory (as I may call it) for ever. I term it his 
single personal glory which he will sit in heaven with. You must know, if 
you hove not known it, that his type, the high priest, went into the holy 
of holies, striped of all his gaudy robes ; you see him pictured merely in 
single plain priest's garments of linen. And it typifies this out, that Christ's 
personal glory is that with which in the holy of holies be shall most eminently, 
and above all others, appear for ever in, and sit down in it. And there he 
sits, shall the saint? say, appearing in the form of God ; and so he is the 
utmost visible image of God to us, and w r as be that furthermore did that 
great office and service to God and love to us, to bring us all wbo are bere 
about him, out of the depth of sin and misery hither to this place with him, 
and purchased all the glory wo shall ever have. And this personal glory 
is that glory, the beholding of wbich the blessedness of the saints doth lie 
in ; it is to behold his person. For as he prays for it here for himself, 
John xvii. 5, ' Glorify me ' in and ' with thine own self,' so he pray3 for 
them whom God hath given him, that they may be where he is (personally 
resident), ' that they might behold my glory ; ' ver. 24, ' Father, I will, that 
they also whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am; that they 
may behold my glory which thou hast given me.' And it is the glory of 
his person is above all there meant ; for as elsewhere, it is ' seeing him as 
he is,' that is the height of our happiness; 1 John hi. 1, 2, ' As he is.' 
Mark it ; that is, what his very person is, beyond and besides all that he 
hath done, or by bis person hath acted or procured. This is the glory the 
apostles so adored, as the highest evidence and efflux of his being the Son 
of God. All the evangelists record the story of his appearance on the 
mount. The apostle John, he cries out in a parenthesis of wonderment, 
John i. 14, ' And we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the 
Father,' though shining in him but in the days of his flesh. And Peter, 
he magnifies and exalts it above all things else he had to say of him, or 
could allege in testimony for his being the Christ, and Son of God ; we saw 
his person in glory ; 2 Pet= i. 16-18, ' We were eye-witnesses of his majesty.' 
' For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto 
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses 
of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, 
when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from 
heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.' And this 
glory his Father then gave him from forth of the super-excelling glory of 
his own, now breaking forth in him and upon him as an aforehand demon- 
stration and specimen of what he was to wear in heaven ; where it is the 
excelling excellency of his glory there spoken of doth appear. And it is 
plain it was his personal glory that Peter hath reference unto ; and he in- 
terprets what is meant by the glory personal, which Christ in his prayer 
says, John xvii. 22, that God gave him ; ' And the glory which thou gavest 
me, I have given them : ' that he might give us the like, namely, by merely 
beholding him, and that his glory, ver. 24. And to conclude it from the 
text, it is this glory, by the course of his prayer, he aspires at as the top 
and highest of his glory. For you may observe that he ascends in those 
his first requests made for himself. He begins to ask a being glorified in 



500 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, ^BoOK III. 

respect of his office ; both for to perform his work, and that after, and for the 
performance of it, to have the reward promised him for it, peculiar and 
proper to it, which was to be known and acknowledged the mediator, and 
that had the power to give eternal life to them that believe. And so, that 
glory was for us, and our salvation, ordained him, as the words shew. 

Well, but he soars up unto a glory that is purely his own, and for him- 
self alone. He flies up to the veiy top-pinnacle, the supreme sublimity of 
the divinest glory, the utmost he could ask, and that for himself; and en- 
forces it from the highest argument, ' the glory which I had with thee afore 
the world was.' And so ends his prayer for himseif ; for he had said the 
utmost. And therefore this is the crown of all. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The exposition of some other passages in John xvii., that God, having first 
predestinated Christ to be God-man, this moved him to elect us, to complete 
his glory. — The first motive was, that as he was to he an head, there might 
not be wanting to him a perfect body to participate with him in the enjoy- 
ment of his blessedness. — How the marriage of Adam in pai-adise teas a 
type of the relation between Christ and the elect his spouse, designed before 
the consideration of the fall. — The second motive was, thai a glory addi- 
tional to Christ's personal glory, might accrue to him as God-man, from 
their being elected. — The third motive was drawn from the interest and part 
which Christ, predestinated God-man, had, together with Jtis Father, in 
electing them; John xvii. 22, ' And the glory which thou gavest me, I have 
given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one.' 1 — The meaning of 
the words explained by answers to some queries. — What that glory is which 
the Father had given to Christ. — What that glory is which Christ there- 
upon assigns as his own gift to us. — When was the time of giving this glory 
to him and to us. — The fourth motive is, wJiat Christ represents to his 
Father, viz., the glory which the accomplishment of this design will bring 
to himself and to his Father, when the union and glory of the saints shall 
thereby be perfected at the last day of the world. 

Having thus opened the fifth verse, which sets out the glory of Christ 
as God-man, given him in his election by the Father ; which was and is the 
proper interest of his person, as he was chosen to be God-man, simply con- 
sidered ; I come next unto those special motives built thereon, made on 
our behalf, and as those which moved God, or which God had an eye unto 
in his choice or election of us ; with a respect unto Christ as first ordained 
for himself. 

Calvin well observes concerning Christ's praying in this chapter, that he 
being entered into the very inwards of heaven, had afore his eyes the secret 
and hidden counsels of God, and prays at the rate thereof, and urgeth his 
Father therewith ; and as I understand it (submitting it), he utters in the 
passages I have selected, the very order of God's counsels about us, and the 
motives drawn from his own and his Son's interest, as it stood in God's 
electing ; first, of Christ, then of us. 

The passages are in ver. 6, ' I have manifested thy name to the men 
thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me. 1 

Verse 10, ' And I am glorified in them.' 

Verse 22, ' And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.' 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 501 

Verse 21, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me may 
be where I am ; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.' 

And my general method in opening each of these, as to this my purpose, 
shall be this. 

First, To explain the words of each of these verses in their order. 

Secondly, To shew wherein the force of the motives drawn from Christ's 
interest in our election, contained in those several passages, doth lie ; 
whereby he moved his Father, that according to his own eternal purposse 
made in Christ concerning us, in his choice of us, he would grant that union 
(which is the end of our election) ordained for us. 

Unto the first I premise, and desire this still to be remembered and carried 
along, that all those passages, and the motives therein contained, do in a 
more especial manner refer unto, and depend on that personal glory of 
Christ, spoken of upon that fifth verse (which hath been opened), first laid 
and supposed as the head and foundation of them all ; as the top-link 
whereon these succeeding passages I have singled out, do, as so many links 
of a golden chain, hang, and in an orderly way depend ; namely, that upon 
the glory of the personal union of Christ, God-man, first ordained by God 
(which therefore in the fifth verse, Christ in praying for himself had forelaid); 
and from which (as first supposed) these principal motives, made on our 
behalf for our union and glory, receive their strength and enforcement, as or- 
dained us in the election of us, with a relation to and for the interest of Christ. 

And perhaps, that in the very opening and explanation of the words of 
each of these passages, there will appear couched, this very point of Christ's 
having been first ordained as God-man. And I shall for the present con- 
tent myself with those ; or at least it will be seen how fairly they comply 
with the notion thereof (and herein I profess a modesty). However, the 
opening the words, each in that plain sense and genuine meaning of them 
(as it presents itself in that dim light I have about them), will serve unto 
the discovery, wherein the force of them, as they are motives, should lie. 

Verse 6, Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. Here in order, next 
unto the personal glory ordained to Christ in God's decrees, is his mention 
of an election of other persons of mankind (Christ instancing in the apostles 
for the rest) to be followers, companions, consorts of his ; that Christ might 
not be alone, nor partaker of his glory wholly and only to himself; when 
the Father gave unto the second person, as he was considered God-man, 
and as he sustained the personage of God-man, and whom he commended 
unto him to be his, and this from everlasting. When one hath a son that 
is marriageable, he thinks of a wife, a companion for him ; and thus the 
Father did for his Son, and chose the persons whom, and gave them him. 

1. Thine; thine by thy election of them for me out of the rest of the 
world. With which that in 2 Tim. ii. 19 corresponds, ' The foundation 
of the Lord,' that is laid in election, ' remains sure ; the Lord knows who 
are his.' They were his by his foreknowledge of them ; Rom. xi. 2, ' his 
people whom he foreknew.' Thine first, without me when considered as 
God-man, though as second 'person he concurred in the choice of them, as 
also the Holy Spirit. Only the Father, being the first person, proposed 
them to the other two, as persons with him simply considered ; and there- 
fore, the Father here in Christ's address bears the honour of it ; ' Thine, 
and thou gavest them me.' 

2. They were, which is spoken in distinction from what is again repeated 
in ver. 9, ' Them whom thou hast given me ; for they are thine.' He 
urgeth there, that at present they are thine ; here, in the time past they 



502 THE KNOWLEDOiE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

were thine. This time past notes out from everlasting ; for then first it 
was that he chose them for his. And in this prayer, ver. 23, ' Thou lovedst 
them, as thou lovedst me.' And among other as or liknesses, the point of 
time when God thus loved them, as he did him, is one (though him in order 
first) ; which he specifies, ver. 24, • Thou lovedst me from the foundation 
of the world ;' and so as me, from everlasting, so them. 

3. And thou gavest them me. This some would limit unto their having 
been called ; and so, this act to have been that in time, when the Father 
gives those to Christ to apprehend and own, and whom he draws to Christ 
by calling. But the great and first giving of them to Christ, is an everlast- 
ing act, as well as choosing of them ; and indeed, a distinct act from elec- 
tion itself (considered as barely election), though at election, and concurrent 
with it. Thus in John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me shall come 
to me.' Coming to Christ there is vocation, and that speech shews that 
there is a foregoing act of giving to Christ by God the Father, which is the 
cause of their coming ; and their coming, posterior to it — ' shall come to 
me.' And if afore calling, I ask, when that act of giving them should first 
commence ? Sure, God that loved both them, to make them his own, and 
him so from everlasting, would not defer giving of them to him until after 
so long a space, as from eternity unto their vocation is ; but, having his 
Son then extant and present with him, and privy to all his intentions, and 
the commending and bestowing them upon him being so great a gift, next 
to that of his own personal glory, he surely did it from the first, and as 
soon as the thing was capable to be done, and this was from everlasting, in 
those transactions between the Father and the Son, there being nothing to 
hinder it then, no more than afterwards. 

And indeed, this their being given to him being twice repeated in this 
ver. 6, First, ' I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou 
gavest me out of the world :' then secondly, again, ' thine they were, and 
thou gavest them me ; ' if we allow the first to import vocation in time, we 
may well put the second unto election afore all time. And this latter to be 
the account given by Christ, and an ascension unto the original cause, why 
they were given him at and by vocation ; ver. 12, ' Thine they were' (long 
afore in thy everlasting love and election of them), ' and thou gavest them 
me ;' and from everlasting also, which he after expresseth, ver. 23, ' Thou 
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me ;' and ' me thou lovedst afore the 
foundation of the world,' ver. 24. Where also their being given to Christ 
is joined with Christ's election. Gavest them me ; for what end and purpose ? 
To be his, in his relation to them, as they were the Father's in his : • They 
are thine ; and mine are thine, and thine are mine.' And his relation to 
them, and theirs to him, we find in Scrijjture to be as members to a head, 
fellow-members, of spouse unto a husband, and brethren to an elder 
brother, of the same nature with them ; of father, and they his children ; 
in and by those relations they are his. 

Gavest them me. If this giving them to be his was from everlasting, the 
question then will come, under what consideration the me comes under, 
' Given them me.' Whether when they were given to him, and as second 
person, simply considered, or as constituted God-man also. I said at first, 
a father seeks and gives a spouse to his son when marriageable. The second 
person, simply considered, is not in -potent id maxima of marriage with us, 
but in a remote capacity; unless you suppose him set up God-man, he bears 
no relation to us. The wife is bone of his bone, who is the husband, which 
signified Christ and his church. 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus ciiiust. 503 

And if it be said, that wo were given unto him, but with this as an after- 
proposal, that he might become man for us, and then to marry us for our 
Bakes only, — that, I say, is not signified at all by being given to him, but 
the contrary rather. For, in that sense it would rather have been said, 
that he was given to them, as both in the Old Testament, and when incar- 
nate, ' To us a Son is born, to us a Son is given,' which we all acknow- 
ledge. And in the New, ' God gave his Son for us.' But when a thing is 
said to bo given as a gift to another (as here wo to Christ), it imports the 
favour shewn to him to whom it is given, and therefore this giving these 
persons (which was the first giving that passed), signifies they were given 
to him for his sake, as a singular gift and favour to him. It remains there- 
fore, that they were given as meet companions, children, spouses unto him, 
already ordained, and set up as God-man, to be an everlasting father, and 
by like reason, an everlasting husband to them, (they are both of the same 
nature in God's decree, and his own undertaking). And being thus quali- 
fied and fitted to own them as such, it was therefore that he took them to 
be his, under these relations, as being now, and by this ordination of God's, 
become a meet husband, father, head, unto them. And to what end were 
they then given him, but that they should be owned by him, and received 
by him, to be his under those relations, as well as they were the Father's in 
his relation ? 

And truly, this is no other than what was prefigured and fore-signified, 
at and by the very first creation of man, when the execution of God's pur- 
poses did first begin ; and therein his everlasting purposes about Christ and 
his church were to be veiled under the type and shadow of the first man 
Adam, both in his formation and marriage, which was, as soon as there was 
any such subject capable to bear the type of Christ and of his church. His 
first formation God himself declared to have been according to his own 
image, which, as I anciently understood it, was according to the original 
pattern of human nature, first set up in Christ's ordination to be man, as, 
in the idea of God's eternal decrees, he was the first born of every creature. 
And then, as for his marriage with Eve his wife, formed out of him, those 
divines that stand for Christ's having been primarily ordained, use to 
allege it for one proof thereof,- that that speech of his, ' Bone of my bone,' 
&c. ; and ' for this cause a man shall cleave to his wife,' Gen. ii. 23, 24, 

* Robertus Bodius, late Professor successively in three universities, setting forth 
the parallels of that mystery of Christ, and of that first marriage of Adam. Sobrie, 
nee extra Scripturse cancellas evagando : Primum, ut Deus non bonum judicavit 
Adamum, quern in generis humani principem, principiunique condiderat, solum per- 
manere, et adjutorii sibi convenientis expertem. Ita etiam noluit Christum Jesum, 
quem vitae et salutis cL^/jr/ov, quern electorum omnium caput et columen, ab 
asterno statuerat, solum permanere et citra ecclesiam, suae illius glorias et beati- 
tatis consortem. Quinimo sicut Adamus ipse, licet in se perfectus, tamen absque 
hac vitae suae socia et compare se quodammodo mancum adhuc sentit et imper- 
fectum ; sic etiam Jesus Christus, etsi gloria, dignitate, majestate, et omnium in 
summa perfectione coronatur ; tanta ecclesiam suam charitate dignatur, ut hanc sibi 
in corpus et complementum adsciscat ; et absque hujus consortio, se quodammodo 
mancum et imperfectum existimet. Ne magis illain suam gloriam et beatitatem 
solus in aeternum obtinere velit et possidere, quam caput aliquod sine corpore et 
rnembris sibi subjectis perpetuo remanere. Thus he, in Eph. c. 5, p. 835, columna 
secunda. And again, p. 833, Sicut non aliunde quam ex ipso Adamo facta est uxor, 
ipsique in adjumentum tradita : ita non aliunde quam ex ipso Christo initium 
sumpsit ecclesia; quippe qui consilio ac destinatione divina primus omnium portus 
est, et fundamentum illud electum ac praatiosum, cui totum ecclesias aedificium super- 
strueretur. Moses hoc fortasse respiciens emphatica ilia ^Edificandi voce utitur, &c. 



504 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

was intended by God (though Adam understood it not, as Caiaphas did not 
his prophecy), of our Christ and his church ; and so of that intended union 
of Christ and his church ; though in execution brought about after the fall, 
yet in intention, first decreed without the consideration had of the fall, it 
being uttered by him in his pure and innocent condition afore he fell. But 
this now I insist not on largely to explain, having done it elsewhere. That 
which I here allege it for is, that look as Adam (his type herein) was first, 
that thus Christ was first, in God's intention, absolutely ordained to be 
God-man. And that therefore, because he should not be alone, God had 
given and predestinated his church to be a spouse to him ; and from ever- 
lasting brought her, and presented her (as who was to be made out of him) 
as a gift, infinitely more valuable than all the world besides, which God had 
made for him. And God put her into Christ's heart and bosom, and then 
Christ took her as given him by his Father to be his, and to cleave to her 
alone for ever, and to communicate his own glory unto her, in her designed 
proportion. And that Adam and his marriage was in this very thing thus 
the type of Christ and his church, in their union and conjunction, the ap- 
plication of the apostle of Adam's speech thereunto manifestly shews, in 
Eph. v. 30, 31, ' For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his 
bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall 
be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.' And how 
Adam was alone and first made, the story in Genesis tells you ; and the 
apostle elsewhere, 1 Cor. xi. 8, ' For the man is not of the woman, but the 
woman of the man.' 

Verse 10. And I am glorified in them. It is from his own interest in us, 
as he is God-man, he pleads ; and his plea is, that besides his single personal 
glory ordained him (ver. 5), and his interest in us then, by the Father's 
having given us to him (ver. 6), there was designed therewith a glory that 
should accrue out of them to him, besides that which was personally his 
due ; God's end in giving them to him being, that Christ might be glorified 
in them, and their union with God effected by him, which union is that he 
centres in, in the conclusion of the 11th verse, ' that they may be one, as 
we are one ;' which in plain words is, that in giving them me, Father, 
thou aimedst at, and didst ordain withal, a glory to me in them, and them 
for my glory. And those words, ' and I am glorified in them,' have in 
then* coherence this import in them, that not thou only, Father, art 
glorified in them, but I also, I as well as thou. I have a joint- stock of 
glory by thy decree running along with thine, in them, and to be had out 
of them, even as thou hast. He had said just afore, ' All mine are thine, 
and thine are mine ;' all things (as I opened it), as well as all persons. All 
things are in common, his as well as his Father's ; and so the persons of 
these were his, in that highest proportion of interest and propriety, as well 
as his Father's ; and a glory to accrue therefore from these, according to 
that proportion, is my due also, as well as the Father's ; and is as if he had 
said, I, Father, have, according to thine own decree, accepted them for 
mine ; now therefore perform that design of thine, which, together with thy 
gift of them, thou ordainedst them unto, and them to me, which was and 
is my glory. Yea, and therein lay the greatness and excellency of the gift 
of them (as to me), that my glory was to be a sovereign end of them, to- 
gether with thine. And this the parallel of the former type will also 
warrant. Of the woman it is said, she is ' the glory of the man,' 1 Cor. 
xi. 7. And to be his glory in this respect among others, that he had so 
noble a creature as the woman on purpose made for him ; even as of us it 



Chap. VI. J and his son jesus christ. 505 

is said, « We arc the glory of Christ,' 2 Cor. viii. 23. But more expressly 
in ver. 9 of chap, xi.,* ' Neither was the man created for the woman, hut 
the woman for the man ;' there is the type. Now that Christ is the man, 
the husband and head of his church, and she the spouse, Eph. v. 23 informs 
us, ' For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of 
the church, and he is the Saviour of the body.' 

It is undeniable, but that Christ's speech, John v. 23 — ' That all men 
should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth 
not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him' — carries this 
with it, that by God's ordinance, the Son hath a joint-stock with his Father, 
in the dispensation of all things ; and so of the glory that shall arise from 
thence. And that it was spoken of him considered as God-man, or of the 
Son of God personally united unto that man Jesus, the coherence of that 
speech in ver. 22 afore, and ver. 27 after, do manifestly shew. For in 
ver. 22, he, declaring what sovereign honour it was which he shared in, he 
says, ' The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son.' And then, in 
ver. 27, he farther explains himself, how it is to be understood of him ; 
• The Father hath given him authority to execute judgment also, became he 
is the Son of man,' and therefore as such considered, is that spoken of him, 
ver. 23. And accordingly the Lamb (which is Christ God-man) hath a 
joint tribute and revenue of glory given him with the Father, Rev. v. 12, 13, 
' Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and 
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every 
creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and 
such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, 
honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and 
unto the Lamb for ever and ever.' 

Yea, I say further, that this glory of his, being a sovereign paramount 
end (though under his Father), becomes a right and just due to him as 
God-man, when constituted so to be ; and that the saints and all creatures 
should, in their several ways and proportions, serve unto his glory as well 
as to the Father's. For, by the same ground that other royalties, which 
are so divine and godlike, become an undeniable due to him, as that, 
because his person is the only begotten Son of God, that therefore he 
should have a divine personal glory, answerable to the fulness of the God- 
head, dwelling bodily or personally in him, as John i. 18 shews, so this ox 
a supreme endship, in like manner with the Father; the latter must be no 
more denied him than the other. 

They object, The glory of Christ, as God-man, is but a creature. I reply, 

1. The very glory of God which is given him by us creatures, and ariseth 
out of all creatures (which we term his manifestative, not essential, glory), 
is but a creature in itself ; and yet, because the terminus, or person it 
belongs or redounds unto, is God, therefore we say of it, that it is the 
glory of God ; in that respect it is so supreme, as it may not be given unto 
another, that is, not to creatures. 

2. Christ's glory, as God-man, is but a creature, yet it redounds to the 
glory of him, that is, God, who is one person with a creature, and thereupon 
shining in that creature. And it is a divine glory, and you are to esteem 
and adore it as the glory of the only begotten Son of God. You may see 
this in a parallel case to it. Take Christ's obedience and sufferings, and 
they are but creatures materially considered ; yet in relation to the person 
that is the subject of them, whose they are (though performed but in the 

* Of 1 Cor.— Ed. 



506 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD TEE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

human nature), and they are said to be the ' blood of God,' and ' righteous- 
ness of God ;' so here, the glory that appertains and belongs to this person 
is a glory belonging unto God, and is not to be levelled with the glory of 
endship. belonging unto any the most glorious creatures, or ah 1 creatures. 

You will again say, this glory of Christ as God-man was given him (as in 
this prayer he acknowledgeth) by an act of voluntary predestination, as 
well as ours, and what is to us voluntarily given, might in the first rearing 
of it up and ordination, be disposed of as arbitrarily, and so for other ends ; 
as, namely, for us and our salvation. 

I answer, 1st, it was a mere arbitrary act in God to ordain his Son to 
be God-man, and he might have chosen whether he would predestinate 
him or not to such a glory. It is true also, it was purely voluntary in 
God, whether he would have ordained any others with him, or any other 
thing besides him ; and if any other persons with him, whether to have 
made him their head, only preserving them from sinning, or withal a re- 
deemer from sin upon the fall. But still, if he would so ordain him, it 
must be an ordination worthy of him that is his Son ; and let that be what- 
soever God pleaseth, yet still, that whatever must be ordained unto his 
glory as well as to the Father's, he must be the sovereign end of all, as well 
as his Father ; this fails to him as his right. Heb. i. 2, it is said, he was 
the ' appointed hen* of all things,' which must be meant of him as God-man ; 
and, for him to be God-man, depended upon appointment ; yet being ap- 
pointed, he is said to have it by inheritance, ver. 4, ' being made so much 
better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent 
name than they ;' and so by a natural right, because he is a Son, for so it 
follows, ver. 5, ' For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art 
my Son, this day have I begotten thee ? ' So as indeed, in the appointing 
him to be God-man, he necessarily constituted him the heir of all things, 
which he should otherwise, or besides him, predestinate. For it was the 
natural right of the person so ordained, and could not be denied him ; nor 
the dory of it in the execution be suspended, but with his own consent, 
and that suspension but for a time. 

And, 2dly, furthermore, God knew what he did, whilst he was predesti- 
nating of him, and foresaw that this right must be the natural concomi- 
tant of his being God-man. And God, in his single knowledge of vision (as 
we call it), had the draught and model of all, in his divine understanding 
and view, ere ever his will did set \mfiat, or purpose, to anything that was 
decreed. And among others of his infinitely vast designs, he had the in- 
tuition of Christ as God-man, as one great One, yea, and of all other so 
eminent, as that, if his will would decree him at all, this high endship (I 
have spoken of) of all things was to be his right, and a necessary concurrent 
and consequent of such his being predestinated. And therefore, certainly, 
the divine counsel of his will did, from the first, cast and contrive all things 
else he did or should decree, in such a manner as to be for his Christ and 
his glory ; as well as God did contrive all should be for his own glory, as 
he is God ; and both with one and the same act from the first. So that, 
let men say what they in their vanity imagine of Christ as God- man, his 
being decreed afore the decree of the fall or after, they must all yet ac- 
knowledge this for a fixed centre and conclusion, that God aforehand, fore- 
seeing him and all things in the ideas of his simple intelligence, did form 
all for him as their supreme end ; then whenever his will decreed him, if 
indeed we could suppose that the idea of Christ, God-man, had been out of 
his eye, and the view of his foreknowledge or simple intelligence, we might 



Chap. VI. ] and his son jesus christ. 507 

then have only supposed many things or all things might have been ordained, 
and Christ not as yet ordained, and Christ himself to have been decreed for 
them, and not them for him at first. But it could not be so here in Christ's 
case. For, seeing God foresaw that whenever he was decreed, it is he must 
be decreed the end of them all, and heir of them all, therefore he was first 
thought of and decreed ; for so the end necessarily is to be. If therefore, 
when he is to be predestinated, he is to be predestinated this end of all 
things, then it must be that he is first predestinated. 

Yea, we say further, that when our all-wise, great, and sovereign God 
did set himself to ordain anything at all, he did contrive and frame his ordi- 
nation about them, such as might tend to Christ's glory and his own ; and 
had the like respect and eye unto the concernments of his Christ, as God- 
man, in his, as he had to his own concernments, as God. 

The third particular motive is drawn from Christ's interest, having been 
first set up as God-man in God's election. John xvii. 22, ' And the glory 
which thou gavest me, I have given them : that they may be one, even as 
we are one.' 

First, For the exposition, then, wherein the force of the plea lies. 

Here he further pleads that they were not only ordained for the glory of 
him, as in ver. 10, but that he himself being ordained God-man in predes- 
tination, he had as God-man joined with the Father as the free donor and 
ordainer of them unto that glory and perfect union, as well as his Father. 
Or, if you will, in our familiar language, our glory was a deed of gift, and his 
hand was to that deed of gift, which was to make over glory unto us, as 
well as his Father's. Our glory was his free deed of gift, as it was the 
Father's. And, therefore, he must needs be deeply interested to claim it 
for us of his Father, and hath from thence an undeniable plea to move him 
to grant it ; and so the story and series of election designs of Christ and us, 
begun at the 5th verse, runs fairly into the 22d verse. In this order, 
1. God the Father, in predestination, gave him that personal glory of being 
God-man, which the second person condescending to take on him, he 
bore it afore his Father as God-man, ' afore the world was,' this ver. 5 ; 
then, 2, his Father did withal give him his elect to be his, ver. 6, &c. ; 
and, 3, did also ordain and subordinate them for Christ's glory, as the end 
of them, as well as his own, ver. 10. And now, 4, in this 22d verse, God 
having given him that high and sovereign glory, singly for himself alone, 
and given it absolutely, without terms and conditions, to him (as the nature 
of a gift, especially of that gift, to such a person, required), he thus set up 
and constituted in this glory of God-man, he was not only the requisite 
means, or medium to convey a glory to us, but he was by the privilege and 
prerogative hereof empowered to convey it by way of gift, and to make a 
deed of gift of the like glory and union to us. And so, as unless in that 
manner he did make it over to us, and set his hand to it, and signed it, as 
a concurrent giver of it with his Father, we had never had it. And I, 
says he, gave unto those my Father had given me, out of love to my 
Father, who had loved both them and me, portions forth, to each of them, 
out of that glory he had given me. And I did give it as freely to them, as 
my Father had freely given mine unto me, to the end that I and they may 
be one, and five for ever together, ver. 24, that so their glory and union 
with me and my Father may be perfected, by their beholding that personal 
glory so peculiarly proper to me, given me by my Father. Every tittle of 
this may be evinced from the aspect and correspondency this 22d verse 
holds with ver. 5, together with the immediate connection of the following 



508 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

23d and 24th verses. And, indeed, these 22d, 23d, and 24th verses do 
continue the sum of all the former put together, as the conclusion of his 
prayer for the whole church, the rest being for the apostles. 

This being the sum, I shall open and prove the particulars therein con- 
tained, either by answers to certain queries, or several plain and simple 
assertions, and both founded upon the words. 

I. Query. First, What is meant here by that glory which the Father had 
given to Christ ? 

Answer. First, negatively. 

1. It is not that essential glory abstractly considered as his second per- 
son, without the supposed union of the manhood, in that manner as hath 
been explained. I will not only urge for this, that it is said to be a gift 
given him ; for his essential glory of the second person abstractly considered 
was by natural generation communicated to him ; but a gift is what is 
merely out of will and goodwill bestowed. But this argument for it would 
be alone sufficient, that he plainly speaks this speech of himself as a 
mediator or head of union to us, as ver. 22, 23 shew. ' And the glory 
which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as 
we are one : I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in 
one ; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved 
them, as thou hast loved me.' Now he, as the second person simply con- 
sidered, is not the means of union of us with the Father, but It is the divine 
nature united to the human nature (as the loadstone set in the steel), which 
has the virtue of drawing us into union with himself and his Father; which 
he therefore prayeth for upon it for us ; having said first, ' the glory which 
thou hast given me,' as that glory which he gave unto us, upon the glory 
given to him. And so he is considered here in this speech as medium 
unionis ; ' Thou in me, and I in them, that they may be made perfect in one.' 

2. It is not meant here of the glory of his mediation, his mediatory glory, 
as we call it ; that also is proper to himself, and incommunicable to us ; 
and of it cannot be said, that the glory God gave him, he hath given us. 
We are not constituted by him redeemers of, or mediators for, or heads of 
union to other saints, as he is to us : then we should be givers of glory one 
to another. And then all saints (and of all saints he speaks here) should 
all be heads and mediators ; and so there should be no body. 

Secondly, affirmatively. It is eminently and singularly meant of the glory 
we have been speaking of; namely, of his being God-man, in one person, 
and the glory that flows from thence, as it is and was designed to shine 
forth in him in heaven, as the immediate consequent of that union. And 
this was a gift indeed, a gift to purpose, greater than all gifts, as all divines 
acknowledge the grace and glory in his personal union to have been. 

I know that many interpreters extend it unto all whatever, that is any 
where or in other respects said to be the glory of Christ ; as that his work- 
ing miracles, which is called his glory, John ii. 11, ' This beginning of 
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory ; and 
his disciples believed on him ;' his giving to him his Spirit, which was to 
him without measure. So in giving grace and holiness, which is called 
glory, 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass 
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, 
even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' And many such like ; by which they 
go about to shew the scope of Christ's petition to be, that he would give 
them the like glory, in these particulars, which his Father had given him ; 
and so indeed, that all the glory the Father had given him, in all the par- 



Chap. Vf.J and his son jesus christ. 509 

ticulars of it, he doth give sprinklings thereof to us. But this extended 
interpretation (though in respect of the things themselves it be a truth), yet 
as applied to this place, produceth from this suggestion, that he should 
speak of that glory which in this life is possessed by us, and given us in 
order unto eternal life ; of which more anon. And, doting upon this to be 
Christ's main and sole scope, that to make the saints one among themselves 
is the intendment of the next words, ' that they may be one in us;' whereas 
it is the high and ultimate union which is perfected betwixt us, and Christ, 
and God, as I have shewn. And whereas in the words after it is tho 
ultimate glory in heaven, and the perfection of us by that union, that is 
intended. And therefore answerably, the glory given Christ here is his 
prime and ultimate glory, which was his personal union with the Son of 
God, that is, the gift that is intended. Gerard, after he had enumerated 
all such particular glories forementioned given to Christ, whereof some he 
admits, yet at last, when he had considered all, and attentively viewed the 
scope of the words, pitcheth upon this, that the glory of the Son of God, 
who is God united to man in one person, and the glory that flows there- 
from, is the glory here intended ; and that as the fountain of our union, and 
so of our utmost glory. And so Brugensis * also doth interpret it ; and he 
tells the genealogy of it thus : The Son of God, the second person, being 
one by essence with the Father, to him he united the man Jesus by personal 
union ; and of him as such I interpret that of the 5th of John, ver. 26, 
' For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have 
life in himself.' And that person, as now become God-man, when united 
to us, we thereby become partakers of his divine nature ; and so to have 
the divine nature to dwell in us first : as he by his union hath the divine 
nature of the Godhead to dwell in him. 

And others do in effect run upon the same interpreting, that the glory 
given him was to be his Son ; and the glory given us by him is to be sons 
unto God with him ; and we believing on his name, he gives us ' power ' 
by charter or grant ' to be the sons of God,' John i. 12. Also our sonship 
is derived by our union or marriage with him, as being the natural Son of 
God ; and his marriage of us is his taking us to be his. And so the glory 
of sonship which we have is by free gift ; for it was free for him to marry, 
and it was to be done by his consent. And it was by the personal union 
that God bestowed on the man Jesus the glory of being his Son ; ' That 
holy thing,' saith he, ' shall be called the Son of God,' Luke i. 35. And 
his being the Son of God is the highest glory of Christ ; and more than all, 
even the foundation of all. Thus, if we consider him as second person 

* Hsec beatissima unio inter Patrem et Filhim, itemque inter divinam et humanam 
naturam in Christo, origo est et fons spirituals illius unitatis quam Christus (hoc 
loco) credentibus precatur : (And we must consider that our union is the thing prayed 
for) quia per Christum, propter Christum, in Christo hunt filii Dei et divinsB 
naturae participes, 2 Pet. i. 4. And again, more largely upon the same place, he sets 
it forth thus : Quia Christus secundum humanam naturam est unum nobiscum, 
secundum divinam naturam unum cum Patre, et quia assumptse naturae humanae 
per unionem personalem datum est esse unum hypostaticum cum Filio Dei, qui cum 
Patre est unum per essentia unitatem ; inde nobis haec felicitas contingit, ut per 
Christum Deo uniti etiam Deo uniri possumus : atque eo respicit Christus quando 
dicit gloriam illam unitatis quam credentibus dedit, se a Patre prius accepisse : ut 
enim Pater dedit Filio per aeternam generationem ut haberet vitam in seipso, Johan. 
v. 26, ita quoque peraeternam illam generationem dedit Filio esse unum per essentia? 
unitatem cum Patre : juxta humanam naturam dedit esse unum personale cum divina 
natura, quam ~koyoc communem habuit cum Patre. 



510 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

simply, he is the Son of God by natural generation : if we consider him as 
man, he is the Son of God by personal union unto the second person. If 
we consider ourselves, it is by adoption, by marriage with him who is the 
natural Son, that we become sons unto God. 

And besides what the Aveight of these things, reipsd, or in the thing 
itself, have in them ; let us but look about us, what glory it is he speaks of 
before and after in this his prayer. "We find it thrice spoken of : first, in 
ver. 5; secondly, in this 22d ver. ; thirdly, in ver. 21. And let us view 
the aspect and correspondency which these three verses have and hold one 
with another ; and let us commensurately expound each of them. 

1. Let any one attentively read the 5th verse, ' And now, Father, 
glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee 
before the world was.' Then this 22d verse, ' And . the glory which 
thou gavest me I have given them : that they ma} 7 be one, even as we are 
one.' Surely the glory wdiich he said, ' I had with thee before the world 
was,' there is the same which, and upon occasion of which, he utters, ' the 
glory which thou gavest me,' here, and refers to it. Now I have shewn, 
that the glory of his person, as lie is God-man, is meant the glory of which 
the second person then existing took upon him, God having predestinated 
him thereunto, and wore it afore his Father. He took on him that person, 
and correspondently the connection of ver. 22 and ver, 5 is filled up thus : 
Thou having given me that glory of the personal union, and predestinated 
me to it as proper and peculiar to my person, I being constituted such by 
thee, do freely concur with thee to give the like union and glory pro suo 
modulo (as Brugensis's word is), to be imparted to them. 

2. Let us then look backward, and compare this 22d verse with ver. 21, 
that follows. There, saith he, ' that they may behold the glory which thou 
hast given me.' This certainly is the same glory that is meant here, ver. 22. 
For he goeth on to prosecute the same argument, speaks ad idem; and 
there shews the way how that glory should be actually communicated to 
them, and they have it in possession ; which glory here in the 22d verse, 
he saith, he had given them by way of right and donation. And the way 
to possess it, according to the intent of his giving, is set out to be by their 
beholding his glory, in ver. 24. Now what glory of his is that ? It is the 
glory of his person, that of God dwelling in human nature, the beams 
whereof break forth there ; and that is his substantial or personal glory, as he 
is God-man. And that is it which his disciples saw, John i. 18, as of the 
person of him who was the only-begotten Son of God; it was the immediate 
breaking forth and emanation of the hypostatical union. And so when he 
wrought miracles, which is called his glory, John ii. 11, ' This beginning of 
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory, and 
his disciples believed on him ; ' his miracles were the immediate demon- 
stration that he was the Son of God, dwelling in the human nature per- 
sonally, as himself argues, throughout that Gospel, against the Jews. 

3. Again, the same glory in the 5th verse and in the 24th verse is 
meant. For of that in the 5th verse he saith, it was ' the glory he had 
before the world was ; ' and in this 24th verse correspondently, .' the glory 
which thou hast given me : for thou lovedst me before the foundation of 
the world.' Which again he adds, as the foundation of the gift of that 
glory which he means, even his love before the world was. So then, it is 
the same glory in all three places ; which is his personal glory, as he is God- 
man, and his union unto that one person, and the immediate consequence 
thereof, and to be manifested in his very person. 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus cheist. 511 

II. Query. What that glory is which is given u& thereupon ? 

Ans. It is the participation of our sonship-union with him, in our degree 
and proportion, which we have from him, and the glory that flows from him 
by reason of this, as it shall in the perfection of it break forth in heaven in us. 
This is the glory which Christ hath given us. We know that our sonship 
and adoption is called glory, Rom. ix. 4, and Bom. viii. 23. Christ's glory, 
being the glory of the only-begotten Son of God, gave us power to be sons. 
John i. 12, ' But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become 
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Compared with 
ver. 18, ' No man hath seen God at anytime; the only-begotten Son, which 
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' ' And if sons, then 
heirs, co-heirs of glory with Christ.' And it is the utmost glory which 
breaks forth in heaven in Christ, from his personal union, and in us, from 
our sonship and union with Christ, that is there meant ; and the reason is, 
because it is that glory wherein, and whereby our union is said to be made 
perfect ; John xvii. 23, ' I in them, and thou in me ; that they may be made 
perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and 
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me ; ' which explains this ver. 22, 
' And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may 
be one, even as we are one.' And therefore, as Gerard observes the words, 
'that they may be perfect in one' is not taken, rzkixujg, as noting the end 
or the effect of that glory given us, as whereby, as the means, we come to be 
perfect in one; but it is taken, sidixug, as explaining wherein that glory 
lay, namely, in a perfection of union ; but we may take it in both. Now our 
relative union with Christ is in this life as perfect as ever, and we are sons 
as much as ever ; and the man Jesus was as perfectly united to the Son of 
God while he was on earth, as he ever shall be, but the perfection of it, 
he saith, is in the other world. And therefore the glory which he intends 
is, as it breaks forth in the full enjoyment and ,'manifestation of it in the 
other world, founded upon his personal union with the Son of God on his 
part, and our glory upon our union with him on our part. And therefore 
it is that our Saviour Christ calls it glory, both on his part and ours, rather 
than sonship. The same may he urged out of John xvii. 24, ' Father, I 
will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am ; that 
they may behold my glory which thou hast given me : for thou lovedst me 
before the foundation of the world.' And our Cartwright thus pitcheth the 
connection and order of ver. 22 with what follows ; that whereas he had in 
the former part of the chapter prayed for sanctification and preservation 
afore for us, as the means to bring us to glory, now, saith he, he frames 
his prayer for our glorification,* which Christ founded upon this gi'ound, 
' The glory thou hast given me I have given them.' And therefore they 
pitch short who interpret this glory of grace as the means to glory here- 
after, or the beholding of the glory of Christ in this life ; 2 Cor. iii. 18, for 
here it is the very glory itself which grace is to bring us to, which God's 
and Christ's heart in their several degrees were so intent upon in the pri- 
mary intention thereof, even the glory of that sonship, both of Christ and 
us that should be in the other world ; and was first given, both to him and 
us as being intent io finis, the intendment of what should be the ultimate 
end of us and Christ. And with that view of it, it is that Christ prays 
here. And let any man give a more suitable, harmonious, congruous, genuine 
interpretation than this. For what is more suitable, or indeed can be, 
than that our glory, both of sonship and possession, should be founded upon 
* Nunc pro glorificatione petitionee instituit. 



512 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

our union -with Christ ; and that Christ should found both our union and 
glory on his personal union with the Son of God, and the glory that thence 
follows, and is due to him ? What more genuine, what more consonant, 
what more suitable can be thought of, to fill up the meaning of these 
words ? 

Obj. This interpretation will strengthen the hands of those that hold the 
saints have the same personal union with the Son of God, the second per- 
son, that the man Jesus hath ; for he saith, ' The glory thou hast given me 
I have given them.' 

Ans. 1. Our Saviour on purpose hath interwoven a difference between 
our union and his, our glory and his, whereby to prevent this very objec- 
tion ; for our union and oneness with God and Christ is declared to be but 
secondary and derivative ; and his not of the same order or rank with ours, 
' I in them, and thou in me,' as it immediately follows. Ours is a collateral 
line, far off removed, of an inferior house ; but Christ's union with the 
Father is in a direct line ; for his divine nature is the same with the Father's, 
by which they are one God ; and his human nature is one by an immediate 
personal union, whereas ours is afar oft' removed. Our union with God is 
but by our union with Christ ; it is a copyhold of this Lord of glory. It is a 
certain rule, that what is derivative of an original, never riseth to be the 
original. It is Christ's glory here, so that it is he who gives us our glory. 
And this is the glory, and top of his glory, that he hath glory so in himself, 
as he is the Lord of it to bestow it. This is far otherwise in our case ; and 
Christ notes it out in that speech of his, ' the Father hath given the Son to 
have life in himself.' That is his prerogative, he hath it independently, he 
hath it in himself; whereas of us (he saith), ' Ye live in me ; ' and that he 
is our life ; we have it not in ourselves. 

2. Of their glory he saith, It is but by a beholding his, and in that manner 
it is conveyed to them ; ver. 24, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou 
hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory 
which thou hast given me ; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the 
world.' And how infinitely distant then must it be accounted from what is 
the glory of his person ? Ours is but by beholding his ; it is but as the 
shine of the sun upon the stars, which though it be called a glory by the 
apostle, ' the stars differ in glory,' 1 Cor. xv. 41, yet it is not that glory 
as it is subjective in the sun, but susceptive in them, that they are such 
bodies as that the light of the sun can be reflected from them, and thereby 
leave and cause a glory to appear in them. 

3. This agrees with the main scope here, which is not to shew it is iden- 
tically the same glory, but that it is derived from his, and he is the 
bestower of it, and he is the Lord of it. I have given it them, saith 
Brugensis, that is, pro illorum modo et modulo, according to their capacity 
and measure. 

III. Query. Unto what time, or date, the giving of this glory should 
be referred ; either concerning that of Christ's, when it was that the 
Father gave this glory to him his Son ; as also the time which Christ 
means when he saith, ' I have given it them.' This in general we are sure 
of, that both are spoken of in the time past. 

Ans. 1. For the Father's giving this glory to his Son, it was from 
everlasting given, as Christ intends it, even that in predestination. For 
this first corresponds with ver. 5, as I have opened ; and, secondly, with 
ver. 24, ' The glory which thou gavest me, for thou lovedst me from the 
foundation of the world.' 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 513 

2. If the question be of the time of Christ's giving us this glory, wo 
must t;iko this along, that giving it hero is not his giving it, only as he is 
the second person simply considered. That act of his, as such, is included 
in his Father's ; but we must interpret it of him, considered as God-man 
also, as hath been opened. For it is a gift to us that flows from that per- 
sonal union of his to us, and is founded upon it, and so supposed it first. 
So the query will proceed anew, whether it is to be understood of him, 
taken as man, after his actual union with the Son of God, made :tt 
his conception, or of him as God-man, the second person considered, 
as bearing that personage, and undertaking it afore God, as hath been 
explained. 

For the first ; If it be meant of him as God-man, after he was united 
actually, &c. Then, 

1. It is certain his consent, as such, was to the glory of every name or 
person of us whom God means to bring to glory. The man Christ knew 
his sheep by name, for he calls them by name, John x. 2, 3, ' But he that 
entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter 
openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice : and he calleth his own sheep by 
name, and leadeth them out.' And it is the man that speaks it, ver. 16. 
He means not only the Jews that were godly, and then converted, whereof 
many he saw, as man, with his bodily eyes, but the sheep that were among 
the Gent/les, scattered in all places, and in all ages ; these in like manner 
he then calls by name, and saith, that he must gather them, as being not 
yet called, nor many of them extant in being. And therefore that book, 
or copy of this deed of gift, which his Father presented him, for him to 
put their names into it, it is called ' The Lamb's book of life.' And we 
see, that even here, before he is crucified, he saith, ' I have given it them,' 
even all whom his Father had given him ; for he prays for the whole flock. 
And yet speaks it now as in time past, I have given it them. It was fit that 
God should shew him, both whom he was to die for, and whose sins he did 
bear. And so his deed of gift was concurrent with his Father's, as to the 
persons and things given. 

2. Understand it of him, as now he is actually man, it is said to be a 
gift of his, and a gift of his such as his Father's gift to him had been, so 
that he was free in it, as his Father also was in his gift : and why ? Because 
that Jesus Christ was ' the Lord of glory,' as he is sometimes called, 
James ii. 1 ; and this is spoken of him even when he was crucified, in that 
1 Cor. ii. 8, ' "Which none of the princes of this world knew : for had they 
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' And therefore 
had power to dispose of it as freely as any lord hath of what he owns. And 
his Father, in setting him up as God-man, as he gave him to have life in 
himself, John v. 26, so a free power in himself to quicken whom he would 
as freely as his Father, as it is in ver. 21 of the same chapter : ' For as the 
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ; even so the Son quicken- 
eth whom he will.' And perhaps, therefore it is he speaks here in the 
next words in the manner, as nowhere else, and in no point else but of 
this ; ' Father, I will that those which thou hast given me be with me 
where I am, to behold my glory ;' for he, out of the freedom and domi- 
nion of his will, did give it them as well as his Father. 

There is a question started by the Jesuits,* Whether Christ, as man, 
was a mere executor of his Father's will ? That slur they would put upon 
our doctrine of God's absolute limited decrees, as in the case of Christ, 
* Vide Lessium de Prsedestinatione Christi. 

vol. rv. k k 



514 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK III. 

whether he were not an arbitrary designer of whatever he doth himself also ? 
which they hold to maintain the dominion of free-will, according to their 
tenet. But though they think they have us in a noose in this point, we 
easily solve it by saying, that though he as man, and as God-man, doth 
not any thing, or act, nor to whom, but those whom his Father's will 
is to^have him to do, yet that therein he concurs with his Father as freely 
as the Father himself; and therefore it is his free gift as well as his 
Father's. To go no further to confirm this answer than that of John v. 21, 
' For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ; even so the 
Son quickeneth whom he will.' And this he speaks of himself, as he is 
the Son of man, as it is expressed, ver. 27, ' And hath given him autho- 
rity to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.' And yet be 
professeth to do nothing of himself without the Father ; ver. 19, ' Then 
answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The 
Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do : for what- 
soever things he doth, these also doth the Son likewise.' He indeed did 
not first name the persons, but his Father named them to him, and gave 
them to him ; yet whom his Father did give to him, he gives this glory to ; 
and it is a free concurrent act with his Father, both to consent to the name 
and the gift, as free as his Father was, out of a special love. Let us there- 
fore honour Christ so far as to say, that his hand, his vote, his suffrage 
went unto and was requisite to all these things as well as his Father's. 
Yea, and therefore, those apostles, of whom, in ver. 6 of this 17th chapter, 
he saith, ' Thou gavest them me out of the world,' are yet said to be chosen 
by him as well as by his Father. The apostles were, by the choice and 
will of God and Christ, Gal. LI,' Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither 
by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from 
the dead.' And though some may say, that, as apostles indeed, in respect 
of their office, they were chosen by Christ, as man, as well as by the 
Father; and so indeed that speech of his in the 16th of John is to 
be understood : yea, but in John xv. 19, Christ is said to have chosen 
them in respect of salvation, ' If you were of the world, the world would 
love his own : but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you 
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' You must know that 
Judas was gone out when Christ spake these words, and his eleven elect 
disciples were left alone with him. Christ had given him his doom and 
sentence, John xv. 6, ' If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a 
branch, and is withered ; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, 
and they are burned.' But I have you now only alone with me, whom I speak 
these things to ; who are to be, and shall be eternally saved, ver. 3, ' Now 
you are clean,' &c. ' You are not of this world ;' ver. 19, ' And I have 
chose you out of the world.' And yet some of these were called savingly 
before he saw them by face ; for some of them were John's disciples, con- 
verted first by him. But, however, Jesus Christ had chosen them first ; 
that is, the man Jesus had done it, and then the end and issue of elec- 
tion, you know, is glory ; and so giving them glory, is here to be under- 
stood, as to the time that I have given is referred to, after the man Jesus 
was united. 

But, secondly, what if we put the query, upon the person of him as God- 
man, whilst he bore that personage before bis Father, in the sense that 
formerly we have spoken of ? What should hinder us to ascend to ever- 
lasting, as the time whereof this is intended — ' you have I chosen ' — here 
was given by him ; as he being second person, did bear and sustain the 



Chap. VI.] and his son jesus christ. 515 

glory of that gift of being God-man all along from his predestination 
thereunto ? And so, as his Father's gift was from everlasting to him, why 
not Christ's concurrence from thence also ? What should stay his hand 
from doing it under that consideration ? What ! should he stay till he 
was of age and capacity to give, and so arrive at the time when he, as 
man, was actually united ? This we may be certain of, that what the man 
did, when actually united, concur to, that the second person did afore from 
everlasting, and did it then in the man's name ; yea, and undertook he 
should concur to it when he was united. The man's actual concurrence 
was but a confirmation of that act which the second person in his name 
afore had done. I shewed you, in opening the Gth verse, upon these 
words, ' those which thou hast given me,' that the gift of his Father to 
him, as it was first from everlasting, so it was not only to him as second 
person, singly considered, but as marriageable, and constituted their hus- 
band ; which can be understood in no other way than that the second 
person bore the personage of God-man before his Father, as in opening 
the 5th verse I have shewed. 

Obj. But you will say, There is this that hindered, still the man existed 
not cwtu ; how then can it be said that he, as God-man, did this act ? 

Ans. Yet he was before God-man really and dejure, God-man contracted; 
as I have shewn in the instance of a new elect to an office, before he enters 
actually upon it, he hath the title and honour accordingly. And if he had 
the glory of it afore his Father, then why might he not as then do such acts 
in the name of his being God-man, as a general doth before he goeth into 
the field '? I would ask this question, before he came into the flesh, he 
appeared to the fathers, and was with the people of God in the wilderness, 
and appeared as captain of the hosts of Israel — were these acts done then 
merely as second person, and in the name of the second person simply as 
such ? You would say, that these acts were done as bearing the personage 
of God-man, in the name of the person that was to come. And therefore 
Christ saith, ' Abraham saw my day,' for he appeared to him, as also to 
Jacob, and, as some think, in the likeness too that he was to take. These 
were acts meet for that season, and virtually the acts of him as God-man. 
And so at the creation, when all things were made by him, as the iron/, 
as John interprets it, chap. i. 1. I would only add this, if he took that 
personage in his acting and appearances to the fathers, and the church, 
then why might he not, bearing that personage afore God his Father, 
act with his Father as such, and concur in all acts with his Father that 
were proper in that season, if I may call it so, from everlasting, and 
therefore concur in choosing of us as such, in giving glory to us, when his 
Father had predestinated him to that of his, and he undertook it '? I would 
say, that all along from everlasting he acted as such in that capacity, to- 
gether with his Father. I would urge but this, in Isa. ix. 6, one of his 
names is 'the everlasting Father,' that is, a Father from everlasting; 
and to whom it is of being so to us that it is spoken, and therefore he must 
be said to have borne that relation of a Father to us from that time. It is 
not his concurring as second person merely with his Father, for that is in- 
cluded in his Father's act, with whom he did concur as such ; and then 
the second person should be called Father in his personal propriety, as he 
is the Son, as well as the first person of the Trinity, to whom yet the style 
of Father among the persons is only proper. No ; in the Trinity, take them 
as mere persons considered, there is but one Father ; therefore that title 
must be given him in God's decrees upon, and come under, some other con- 



516 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

sideration annexed to him, over and above his being second person. And 
what other can that be than this, of his being considered as God-man in 
his undertaking and sustaining it, and as acting accordingly ? Father 
relates to children, and this we find in Heb. ii. 13, where Christ is brought 
in as a proof that he is man of the same nature with us ; that as a Father 
he saith, ' Lo, I and tbe children that thou hast given me.' God the 
Father's relation to us, as a Father, is not so founded, nor is the relation 
in the second person, simply considered, so to be confounded with that of 
the Father's. Paul tells us, in that second of the Hebrews, that Christ is a 
father as he is considered man ; and he argueth it from that relation. And 
Isaiah tells us, Isa. ix. 6, he was this from everlasting, which could not be 
by his having actually assumed the same nature ; and yet Christ's father- 
hood to us is, because he is supposed of the same nature, as Heb. ii. 14 
hath it, ' Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, 
he also himself likewise took part in the same, that through death he might 
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.' Why, then, 
he must be the everlasting Father representatively, and by bearing that 
personage of God-man, and undertaking, afore his Father, that relation, 
and so as considered by his Father as God-man from everlasting ; and for 
him to give us glory as such, and act accordingly with his Father, was but 
to act according to what a personage he was aforehand ; and among other 
things he must act as such, in concurring with his Father to give us glory, 
as hath been said. 

And so the issue of all comes to this, which explains the text, that God 
having in his decree first settled an estate in him, in the glory of that per- 
sonal union proper to him alone ; then his Father gave us to him as so 
constituted, and he agreed, and concurred in his decree and suffrage, as 
such ; and so is said to have given us, in and at the same instant, that 
glory that was ordained by the Father, and by him as God-man. 

4. Motive. He represents to his Father the glory (which had been fore- 
ordained by him in his decrees) that would accrue to himself and his Father 
in the accomplishment of this design, when the union and glory of the 
saints should thereby be perfected, as at the latter day it will, and then 
appear before all the world ; and this to have been the great contrivement 
of God in our election we all know. And it is not only the glory he will 
have in the saints themselves at that day, when they shall appear with 
him in glory, of which the 2 Thess. i. 10 speaks, ' When he shall come to 
be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, be- 
cause our testimony among you was believed, in that day.' But what a 
glory this is will appear before the rest of the world of mankind, who shall 
all be present at that day, and see the issue of God's decrees, unto the 
amazing astonishment of unbelievers. And this I take to be the meaning 
of the latter part of ver. 23, ' that the world may know that thou hast sent 
me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.' The world there I take 
to be the rest of mankind, who shall have no part in that union. And 
the time intended wherein they shall know this, is that at the latter day ; 
for it is when the saints' union is made perfect in one, as in the words 
before. 

Then it is that they shall know, by the saints' union with me, and by 
them thus perfected, which shall be made conspicuous to all the world, 
' that thou hast sent me, and hast loved me ; and hast loved them indeed, 
as thou hast loved me,' when they shall see that I appear in thy glory (as 
at that day I shall), and that therefore I am one with thee, whereas before 



Chap. VTL] and his son jesus christ. 517 

they who would not believe, nor embrace me for their Christ, and come in 
for a share of this union with mo, but refused me, or unworthily fell short 
in seeking me, and would never apprehend that I was such a glorious 
Messiah as then I shall appear to be, but undervalued and despised me ; 
but when they shall see that I also was able to bring about such a union 
of my church and body together with me and thee, and not lose one of 
them thou hast given me, and therewith to have filled them with such a 
glory as they shall appear in, by which it will be as conspicuous and 
visible, that they are one with us ; they will then know, with wonderment, 
that thou indeed hast sent me, of whom they had, the most of them, by 
hearsay at least, heard, for the sound thereof went forth to all the world ; 
and that those whom they hated and despised together with me, whom 
they persecuted, and would have driven out of the world, that those are 
thus so nearly united to mo and thee, as it will appear, ' thou hast loved 
them, as thou hast loved me ;' lovedst me as their head of union to them, 
and for that nearer union which I have with thee, hast loved them as my 
body, and for my sake. All which, when the world hath once seen and 
known, then I shall further fulfil what I pray for in the 24th verse, even 
take them into thy kingdom, where they shall ever be with me, the Lord, 
and behold my glory, and adore thy love, both to me and them : ' Father, 
I will that they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I 
am ; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me : for thou 
lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' And the appearing and 
apprehension of this, to and by the wicked world, will be a new and great, 
though a more secondary glory, which will arise unto his Father by that 
union then perfected, which he prays for to be his own 



CHAPTER VII. 

That God constituted from eternity Jesus Christ God-man, to be one universal 
Lord under himself, over all the creatures he intended to make. 

And one Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Cor. VIII. 6. 

I desire this to be noticed aforehand, as touching this part of the text I 
am now entering upon ; that though all things are said to be of God, both 
his creation, &c, of them, and our union with him to have been first de- 
signed by God, that yet our apostle doth evidently withal here declare, 
that all things, both the creation and government of the world, as also our 
union, yea, even all that ever God did, was ordained by him to depend 
upon Jesus Christ as Lord, as well as upon God the Father as God. 

Hence, at this our beginning to treat of what belongs to Christ's part, 
we must again climb up to the supremest top or pinnacle of eternity, and 
place our thoughts in the first instant thereof ; and as yet suppose that onr 
God being but about to purpose and decree all things, or any thing which 
his will should pitch upon, that none of these things concerning us and the 
creatures had their determination without a supposition of our Christ his 
having been first constituted the Lord, and a dependence of all things upon 
him as Lord, to have been first ordained also. Or thus, 

That God in his decrees and purposes, for the effecting of all these, did 
presuppose and take in his Christ to be the Lord of us and of all things ; 



513 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEB, [BoOK III. 

of whom all did and should depend, as well as upon himself, though under 
himself. 

So as for an entrance to this discourse ahout Christ's interest in all these, 
we will make a stand, or rather go backward again aad make a recognition, 
and set our thoughts down in this supposition, that we consider all these 
concernments of us, and of the whole creation, in the first instant of eter- 
nity, but as yet lying in the mind of God in a simple or pure idea of them, 
or in a bare contemplation and chart or model, in God's mere and simple 
knowledge and intelligence ; they lay as a mass of gold or silver in the ore, 
without their having a decree of his will as yet passed upon them that they 
should be minted. They had not the conclusive decree or fiat of his will, 
what they should be, although he stood ready and propitious to set that 
his seal or imprimatur for tbeir coming forth and publishing into actual 
existence. But having them and all in view or model ready afore bim, he 
was pleased in one and the same instant or moment of eternity, wherein he 
brought forth these, or any other purposes of his to a determination con- 
clusive ; he was pleased (I say) to set up as the first-born of his purpose 
chiefly, or afore all, and to lay for a foundation and corner-stone, a midst 
or middle person between his creatures and himself ; but especially be- 
tween bim and those first-fruits or choice of his creatures he would draw 
up into a high union with himself, to set up his Christ— a person who in 
the language of the text should be a one Lord, who should be a joint com- 
peer with him, or rather God's commissioner and plenipotentiary in all 
his works of wonder ; and that is, one Christ, not considered barely and 
singly as he is second person, one God with the Father, blessed for ever, 
but as God-man, having the office of Lord and Christ put upon him by the 
Father, as one that should be a one Lord under this one God considered 
as he is God, and in that relation and respect lower than God himself ; 
and yet constituted in that supreme sovereignty of lordsbip over them bis 
creatures, that both all his creatures which he should with him decree to 
make, they all, and their very creation and government after their creation, 
should depend on that one Lord. As also, that all of us, whom he should 
decree to be taken up into that special union and communion, should owe 
all thereof to, and have the same dependence on this one Lord, as upon 
God the Father himself. Than which nothing could be found more to 
honour and greaten this one God as God, before the whole creation ; 
thereby being shewed and manifested the infinite distance of God from the 
whole creation, in having so supreme a Lord over them, as this same Lord 
of his designing should be, who yet should be under God himself, and so 
between him and them. 

And there is this general corollary from this founded on the text, that if 
all, things and our union with God depended upon this person as he is 
Lord and Christ, and that these titles import his office, and not simply his 
being second person as Son of God (though that be the substratum and 
foundation of all), that then he must have been first set up and constituted 
God-man, and in God's decrees invested with these offices, and constituted 
and made both Lord and Christ, as by whom all things should be, and we 
by bim, as well as by the Father. Which is one great notion I drive at, 
and I carry with me in mine eye all along to make forth : and do therefore 
upon any just occasion, everywhere draw it out unto notice and observation, 
as a great gospel truth. 

My present task is, to begin with this his title. He is (as hath been 
said) first decreed unto his title of Lord 



Chap. VII.] and nis son jesus chiust. 519 

The following explanation of which will make way for the clearing of that 
great truth last noticed ; as also of many other things concerning Ghrist 
previous to what are to follow. Now as to that, 

1. It is an ancient title of his, and one of his first titles given him in the 
Old Testament, and continued to hjm by them in the New, and of a larger 
extent than that of Saviour. And though distinct from that of one God, 
yet necessarily denoting and supposing (as the foundation of it) that withal 
he is God. 

In the Old Testament, Ps. ex. 1, ' The Lord said unto my Lord ;' and 
though our translation observes no distinction, yet it is in the original, 
1 Jehovah said to my Lord,' Jehovah onto Adonai ; that is, God the Father 
unto Christ or the Messiah, as Christ himself interprets it, Mat. xxii. 42, 43. 
To whom that name Adon or Adonai is made specially peculiar, and had 
been traditionally let down to the Jews. For Enoch had prophesied of 
him under that title afore the flood ; which as a tradition the apostle Jude 
emotes, ver. 14, ' The Lord ' namely, the Christ, ' cometh with ten thou- 
sand of his saints.' To name but one more out of the Old ; Dan. ix. 17, 
' Hear, God Jehovah, for the Lord's sake ; ' where Christ, in distinction 
from God the Father, is called Adonai, ' the Lord.' 

Which title of the Messiah, because thereby he was more eminently known 
by them than by any other, the angels when they bring the news of his 
birth to the Jews, Luke ii. 11, do proclaim him by and under the style of 
it : 'To you is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' They describe 
his person under the notion which he had been more vulgarly known by 
under the Old Testament, than that of Saviour ; ' Christ the Lord.' And 
afterwards the same began to be, by the unanimous vote of all the apostles, 
given him, Acts ii. 14, publishing it in the ears of all Israel, and applying 
it with an appropriation to our Jesus, as that title which answered to the 
general expectation of the Jews concerning their long looked-for Messiah ; 
Acts ii. 36, ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God 
hath made this same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.' 
And is as if he had said, Lo, he is that very person whom you expect, who 
hath been generally and indeterminately known to you under those names 
given him by your fathers all along in fte Old Testament ; whom God hath 
now made, and set up, and declared so to be, by exalting him in heaven, 
and putting all into his hands. And know (saith he) assuredly, that that 
man Jesus is he. It is strange that the Jews should so conspire to forbear, 
everywhere throughout the world, to read or pronounce the name Jehovah, 
the name of God's essence ; and that instead thereof they should substitute, 
and still use the word Adonai or Lord, which, as you have heard, is some- 
times in the Old Testament appropriated to the Son. Yea, and that their 
own Cabalists should confess the mystery of it to be, that that name Adonai, 
or title of Lord (and so the person of him, the Son, that more particu- 
larly bears it), is to be the key to Jehovah, which latter is the name of his 
essence, which is hidden to us (as they speak), to be as a treasury in which 
God Jehovah hath hid all the riches he means to communicate to us. And 
further, this Adonai, or Lord, to be the great ruler and governor under God 
Jehovah, nourishing and sustaining all things. And that without Adonai, 
or this Lord, there is no way or means for any man to come to this God 
Jehovah. Thus Masini hath out of their own records observed ; * which 

* Adsentiuntur nobis, verbis saltern, diviniores Hebraeorum philosophi, quos Caba- 
listas vocant, cum tradunt illud verbum Adonai esse tanquain clavem qua patent 
aditus ad Deum Jebovam ; hoc est, ad Deum veluti in sua essentia latentem. Esse 



520 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEE, [BOOK III. 

is a clear, if not a full explication of the office of our Christ, as he is Adonai, 
or Lord. 

The New Testament speaketh the very same in terminis, God not being 
known to any but to whom Christ reveals him ; ' in whom are hid all the 
treasures of wisdom ;' he ruling and ' supporting all by tbe word of his 
power ;' as to whom God hath communicated the execution of all judgment, 
himself visibly judging none. ' Neither is tbere any name under heaven' 
but this, ' whereby men can be saved,' and approach to God; there being 
one God, and one Lord,' as here, 1 Cor. viii. 6. 

And this title of Lord, in distinction^from Jehovah, or God, as thus under- 
stood and used by the Jews, conduceth somewbat towards an answer to that 
objection of the Socinians, that Christ being usually tbus styled the Lord, 
but the Fatber God, that therefore Cbrist is not God. For not only 
according to the Jews' sense Adonai, or Lord, is all one with Jehovah in 
tbis respect, tbat it is one of the names of him that is God, for they ordi- 
narily, in naming God, put it instead of God, or Jehovah ; yea, and it is 
attributed to none other but him that is God, as they acknowledge. But 
yet so as witbal it is evident also, that in their sense it likewise signifies 
an office of Lord and mediator for us put upon him, and in that respect 
distinguished from Jehovah, yet so as still withal Christ himself is also the 
true Jebovab. And therefore the Old Testament in a very usual way joins 
both together, ' the Lord God ;' and when it speaks in tbat manner, doth 
usually mean Christ, who was then the great dispenser of all things under 
the Old Testament, as well as now under the New. It was he tbat appeared 
to the fathers, who is and was to them both ' Lord and God' also, as well 
as ' Lord and Christ' to us. 

And thus the apostle Thomas, John xx., when once convinced of his 
being tbe Messiah, cries out, ver. 28, ' My Lord and my God !' He spake 
it of Cbrist. For whereas other disciples had called him ' the Lord' (as 
in that cbapter again and again, and frequently elsewhere, as his usual 
title), and had said to Thomas, ver. 25, ' We have seen the Lord,' tbat is, 
him whom we have and do own for the Messiah ; and then the Old Testa- 
ment having still put both titles together of ' Lord and God,' as you heard ; 
hereupon Thomas, his faith being on the sudden struck, and enlightened 
with a fresh and new conviction, he cries out, ' My Lord and my God,' 
thereby acknowledging Christ to be both. And he doth it with application 
to himself, ' My Lord and my God.' And whereas in Eph. iv. 5, 6, when 
it is said, ' There is one Lord, and one God, the Father of all ; ' and in 
this text, 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' To us there is but one God, the Father, and one 
Lord Jesus Christ ;' it is not to be understood, nor doth it follow, that his 
Father's being said to be one God, in distinction from Christ, should exclude 
Christ from being that one God, no more than Christ's being termed that 
one Lord, in the same places, would import that therefore God the Father 
is not Lord. Yea, of Christ, as well as of the Father, it is said, that he 
is the only Lord ; and that with his being God also is inserted, to second 
it and put this matter out of all doubt. Thus Jude 4, the last words of 

tbesaurum in quo ea, quse a Jehova nobis impartiuntur, omnia sunt recondita. Esse 
insuper ceconomum ilium magnum qui res omnes dispensat, nutrit, vegetat per Je- 
hovam. Denique neminem ad Jehovain penetrare posse, nisi per Adonai. Neque 
enim ullam aut viam aut rationem ad ilium perveniendi aliam esse prorsus. 
Haec et his similia scripta extant in eo libro cui titulum illi fecere Portam lucis, et 
in libro quern vocant Nomen explication. — 31asinus in Josuam. See also Ainsworth 
on Exod. vi. 3. 



Chap. VII.] and his son jesus christ. 521 

the verse, ' Denying the only Lord God,' xal rbv fj,6vov dsffvorriv Qibv xal 
■K\jom 7],auv 'irjeouv Xgiarbv, * and Lord of us, Jesus Christ ;' affixing but one 
article at the first unto all these three titles that follow, ' Lord God,' ■ the 
only Lord God,' and ' our Lord ;'* as meaning but one and the same person 
known by all these titles, not two persons, as of God the Father, and of 
Christ both, but one person only, namely, our Christ who is the subject of 
all these titles ; whom he there names our Lord Jesus Christ, all three 
spoken of one and the same Christ ; which that of Peter added to it also 
clears (and all know Jude's epistle to be a counterpart of that second of Peter ; 
and he writing as Jude also, against the very same heretics in those times), 
he there says of them, ' denying the Lord that bought them ;' and it is 
our Christ is the person he speaks of too, as the proper character he sig- 
nifies him by, ' the Lord that bought them,' and paid the price of buying 
them as a Lord. And as he names no other person but Christ only, so 
both Peter and Jude do name the very heresies the heretics of those 
apostles' times run into, naming the very things themselves wherein their 
heresy consisted ; namely, in their denying him to be God, the only trae 
God, which together with that additional character of ' the Lord that 
bought them,' was the very point they denied. 

Add to this, It is well known that those first heretics of the primitive 
times (who pretended to Christianity, and against such they only wrote), 
did not deny ' one God the Father,' or his being ' the only trae God,' but 
that Jesus Christ was the only true God, this they denied ; and therefore 
it is that Jude speaks this of Christ alone. 

And last of all, an angel from heaven, in the close of the whole New 
Testament, speaks the very same, thereby confirming and sealing what all 
the apostles and scriptures had spoken of Christ ; thus in Revelations, the 
very last chapter, ver. 6, ' And the Lord God of the holy prophets,' who 
inspired them, ' sent his angel to shew unto his servants,' &c. Now who 
is it to whom the sending of this angel is attributed ? Ptead ver. 16, 'I 
Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches ;' 
even the same person (Christ) ; the same he it is, that is the ' Lord God of 
the holy prophets,' ver. 6. And this is for certain our Jesus. For ver. 
16, ' I Jesus have sent my angel.' And who in like manner concludes his 
speech, ver. 20, ' He which testifies these things saith, Surely I come 
quickly : Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,' says the church. And 
this is our Lord and our God, as Jude and Peter said in their epistles. 

And by all this, the Socinian objection is sufficiently obviated and gone 
beyond. 

* That the Syriac translation, and the Complutensis Edition read it, et Grascanica 
apud Oecumenium, see Beza, De Quiros, A Lapide in locum. Of the like to 
which, Eph. i. 3, ' The God and Father of Christ ' is understood of one and the same 
person. 



522 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [1jOOK III. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

That the title of Lord, though it imports him that is God, and connotates with 
it his being God; yet. in this Corinthian text (and elsewhere), doth primarily 
note a relation to an office or a dignity put on him by the Father, as con- 
sidered to be God-man, and not simply his being second person, God with 
God only. — The apostle's intent here is, to set him forth in the dependence 
that all things, dc, have of him as such, and not upon him as second per- 
son, simply considered. — It is a title of office which he bears afore God, con- 
sidered as God-man. — The fitness, fulness, and sufficiency of this person, 
Christ, God-man, to discharge this office of one Lord. — For what reasons 
it was necessary that lie should be God-man in one person, to qualify him 
for the employment. 

We do, or may know, that there is a twofold Lordship of the second per- 
son : one natural, absolute, and underived, belonging to him, as he is con- 
sidered singly, second person, God with God, and Lord with the Lord, to 
whom therefore all the royalties of the divine nature do equally and alike in 
common belong, even as to the Father and Holy Ghost ; which Lordship 
is in them all founded on this, which is common to all three persons, 
namely, that they had a joint concurrence in the making of all things, and 
also in governing of them. But then there is another lordship, that is, 
a derived, economical, dispensatory, which is set up by commission from 
God, for effecting all his works of wonder for him, and under him ; and 
this is a lordship proper and peculiar unto Christ, considered as God-man, 
to whom as such the Father hath committed all judgment as the Son of man : 
John v. 22, 27, ' For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all 
judgment unto the Son.' ' And hath given him authority to execute judg- 
ment also, because he is the Son of man.' And of this lordship it is that 
Peter speaks, Acts ii. 36, ' Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that 
God hath made him both Lord and Christ.' So then, there is a made 
lordship of his, who yet, by virtue thereof, makes all things. And this is 
the very same in other equivalent terms, that are elsewhere spoken of him 
by the other apostles ; as by Paul himself, Heb. i. 2, ' Whom he hath 
appointed heir of all things.' Heir there is equivalent to Lord in that Acts 
ii. 36 ; and appointed there unto made in Peter's speech, Acts ii. 36 ; and of 
all things there, unto one Lord, of whom are all things, here in the text. 
•. Hence therefore, his being Lord evidently imports an office or economy 
committed to him, and undertaken by him, even as his being Christ also 
doth. And indeed, we find both those titles of Lord and Christ joined often 
together, and attributed to him as being, in this respect, of like kind or con- 
stitution, that is, as being both made titles of office. And to this sense, as 
we meet them joined, Acts ii. 36, so also we find him to have been publicly 
proclaimed with and under these titles by the angels, as the militia sent 
from heaven at his birth, Luke ii. 11, to proclaim their own new Lord, as 
well as of men : ' To you is bom a saviour, which is Christ the Lord ;' 
where they add a third, Saviour ; all which three titles are also here in the 
text, ' Our Lord Jesus Christ ;' all and each of these three do alike import 
matter of office given to him, and undertaken by him. And in respect to 
this investment with an official lordship, it is, he is styled Lord in distinc- 
tion from God, elsewhere as well as here. In those words, Ps. ex. 1, '■ The 
Lord said to mv Lord, Sit,' &c, though our translation took no notice of 



Chap. VIII.] and his son jesus chiust. 523 

a distinction in the titles given setly to each ; yet in the original it is, 
'Jehovah said, Uadonai,* unto the Lord,' that is, God the Father said to 
the Lord or Christ, as Christ himself interprets it, Mat. xxii. 42, 43. And 
that his heing Lord there importeth this his office of made lordship, and 
not that as second person, Peter evidently shews, in the place fore-cited, 
Acts ii., where he quotes these very words of the psalmist, ver. 34, to prove 
that God had 'made him Lord and Christ;' for that is his inference from 
David's words, ' The Lord said unto my Lord.' And Christ himself, in 
Mat. xxii. 43, 44, 45, 'He saith unto them, How cloth David in spirit call 
him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 
&c. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son ?' In like manner, 
Dan. ix. 17, ' Hear, God ' (Jehovah), ' for the Lord's sake ;' where Christ, 
in distinction from God the Father, is called Adonai and Lord. Yea, and 
this distinguishing title is made appropriate to him, the Lord, hy the angels 
at his birth, ' who is Christ the Lord.' And before his death, by the evan- 
gelists, in their mention of him, Luke xii. 42, ' And the Lord said, Who 
then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over 
his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season ?' Chap, 
xxiv. 34, ' Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.' 
And John iv. 1, 'When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had 
heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John.' And chap. 
vi. 23, ' Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias, nigh unto the place 
where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks.' By Mary 
Magdalene, John xx. 18, Mary Magdalene ' came and told the disciples that 
she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.' By 
the angels, Mat. xxviii. 0, ' He is not here : for he is risen, as he said. 
Come, see the place where the Lord lay.' And in the Acts ordinarily. In 
the same sense is this my Corinthian text to be understood. 

2. This title of Lord, thus distinguished, doth fitly serve as an introduc- 
tory proof from parallel scriptures, that the Lordship of office is also in- 
tended in this title in the text, and not as second person simply considered. 
For these reasons. 

Reason 1. Christ is thereby here distinguished from God ; not only as he 
is the Father, but as he is one God. Now, if Christ were styled the Lord 
only as second person, then he is not so to be distinguished from the 
Father, as the Father is one God ; but as such he is included therein with 
the Father, for he is one God with him, and not to be excluded from that 
title. God forbid ! But it is evident that this title, one Lord, is to shew a 
distinction from the one God ; and therefore it must import, as something 
more in his person, so his office of lordship ; by which, as in relation to 
the dependence of all things upon him, he is termed Lord. And otherwise, 
if his meaning were to express that he is God, as he is second person, 
singly considered, he should say but one and the same thing by two several 
words, viz., that God the Father is God, and that Christ the second person 
is one God also, whilst he thus saith of him that he is the one Lord. And 
indeed then there were no difference at all ; for God the Father is one 
Lord, in that sense of being Lord, And it is common to the persons, and 
so it belongs to the Father as well as to the Son ; and the Son is one God 
as well as the Father. Neither could the Socinian objection be answered, 
unless we interpret this one Lord to be spoken of Christ respectu officii, in 
respect of his office, and not of what he is as second person simply. For 
there is no distinction between one God and one Lord, if his being God 

* vti6 



524 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEE, [BOOK III. 

were simply meant in both ; but there is a manifest distinction between 
God the Father and Christ, in these two titles intended to them. 

Reason 2. He is here set out such an one Lord, though holding an oppo- 
sition unto, yet withal as beareth some semblance, in an opposite way, with 
what the heathens did conceive of their ' lords many ' in their subserviency 
unto their many gods ; and we must suppose some analogy or semblance 
here to hold. Only they affirmed that there were many gods, and that 
there were many lords; 'but to us there is but one God and one Lord.' 
And yet the parallel between both thus far holds, that as these heathens 
supposed that these lords they fancied were such as were appointed by 
their gods to govern the world under their supposed deities, so we must 
think of Christ, this one Lord, as under the great God, in an instrumen- 
tality and subserviency unto this one God. And as a midst betwixt God 
and us, and in a perfect opposition to their many false gods and lords, he 
makes this the glory of the Christian religion, that they held but one great 
and sovereign true God, high above all gods, as the psalmist often expresses 
it, whereas they made many, falsely so called. And that that Jesus Christ 
whom we worship is but one Lord, in defiance of their many lords, whom 
they fancied to be mediators and agents between God and them, and as 
placed in the middle betwixt God and men ; that was their religion. And 
the apostle outvies them. We profess such an ' one Lord,' who is an 
universal Lord ' over all,' and a mediator betwixt men and God also. 

And for the verifying of this notion, as thus stated, I refer the reader 
unto what a more learned hand hath writ, alleging this very scripture to the 
same purpose I now do, for the confirmation of my assertion. 

' This distinction (says he) also, of sovereign gods and demons, I suppose 
our apostle alludes to in 1 Cor. viii. 5, where he saith, Though there be 
many that be called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be ^nol 
toXXoi, gods many ; that is, dii coclestes, sovereign deities, xai xvgioi iroKkoi, 
lords many, that is, duifjbovig eirivdovioi, demons, presidents of earthly things ; 
yet to us Christians, there is but one sovereign God, the Father, of whom 
are all things, and we to him ; that is, to whom, as supreme, we direct all 
our services ; and but iig xvgwg, one Lord Jesus Christ, instead of their 
many mediators and demons, 5/' on r« <7rdvra, %a) yfAslg di' avrov, by whom 
are all thing's which come from the Father to us, and through whom alone 
we find access to him. The allusion, methinks, is passing elegant, and 
such as I think cannot be well understood, without this distinction of 
superior and inferior deities in the theology of the Gentiles, they having a 
plurality in both sorts, and we Christians but one in each, as our apostle 
afhrmeth. There wants but only the name of demons, instead of which 
the apostle puts lords, and that for the honour of Christ, of whom he was 
to infer, £ig xugiog, the name of Christ not to be polluted with the appella- 
tion of an idol ; for his apodosis must have been otherwise Iig ddifiwv. Or 
maybe, he alludes unto the Hebrew name Baalim, which signifies lords. 
And those lords, I told you, were nothing else but demons : for thus would 
Paul speak in the Hebrew tongue ; There are D^ll Ob^2 and DOT 
0\~P1$, many gods and many lords.' — (Mr Medes Apostasy of the Latter 
Times, p. 13, and part of 14.) 

They had heard of one God, of whom are all things, from the wisest of 
their own philosophers, but never of one mediator between that God and 
them : they had stumbled at this in the Christian religion, that they wor- 
shipped a man Jesus raised from the dead, as Acts xvii. 18, 31, when yet 
themselves held that the souls of men dead (though not risen) were medi- 



Chap. VIII.] and ms son jesus christ. 525 

ators for them to their gods, and thus imprecated them to interpose for 
them. The apostle therefore, most wisely and aptly, and most elegantly, 
sets both these religions together in a parallel comparison, and yet in oppo- 
sition of the one to the other ; and so maketh the false notion of their lords 
thus far serviceable as to let in to these heathens' minds, by a similitudinary 
glimpse, that whereby these heathens, at least confusedly, might understand 
and apprehend (if they would but reflect) what manner a Lord or Christ it 
was we Christians believed and adored, and for what use or end. Their 
fancies indeed ran upon many lords, and mediators many, and those dead 
men's souls : but the apostle presents them, instead of theirs, with one great 
mediator, according to the Christian profession ; and him, though a man 
raised from the dead, yet such a Lord as, being more than a man, was not 
a mediator only betwixt that one God and them, ' and we by him ' — but 
was a Lord over, yea, a founder of all things else, together with God, ' one 
Lord, by whom are all things.' And thus he outshoots them infinitely in 
the mainest principles of their religion they doated on, and accounted their 
glory and highest wisdom. 

In the next place, I come to manifest the fitness, fulness, and sufficiency 
of this person, Christ, God-man, or of the Son of God united into one per- 
son with a man, to bear and sustain this office of one Lord, both in relation 
unto all things to be by him, and especially to us the elect. 

Let it be remembered that this discourse of Christ's fitness in this place 
is wholly confined unto that notion in general of his lordship, as in the 
universal extent thereof over all things ; but what is proper to set forth his 
fitness to be the head of angels, and more particularly as an head and 
redeemer for men, the discovery of that fitness is to succeed in its proper 
place,* when redemption comes to be handled, as that fitness of his person 
is suited to that work of redemption. 

If we, the chosen of God, and all things, were able to speak, as they are 
brought in speaking at last, Kev. v. 11, and were permitted to give their 
voices to design forth and choose one (and but one person, as the text 
speaks) to be the universal Lord, they nor we could desire no other, none 
but this person of God-man, thus constituted and made up as he is, and is 
now to be set forth. 

The all- sufficiency that is in this person for this office, the narrative 
thereof proceeds on thus. 

1. Though in respect of the office itself, he that is to have it, is said to 
be ' made,' that is, ' appointed,' as coming under God's will appointing; 
yet in his person, as the foundation of it, it was absolutely necessary he be 
one that is ' not made,' that is, not a mere creature. One that had been 
but a mere subject of God's, according to that tenure of the law of creation 
only, had not had an intrinsecal worth and dignity in his person to fill up 
and cany forth this his office of lordship with port and comely honour 
enough, nor suitably to that place. For he must be so over the creature, 
as that himself might challenge worship and honour from the creature as 
their Lord, as truly and justly as God the Father, in that he was to be one 
whom all things should depend upon, as well as upon the Father ; in whose 
person also a demonstration might be given, how great a God God the 
Father was in his distance from the creature, in that he that was his 
appointed Lord should yet naturally hold so great a sovereignty over all 
his creatures. Whoever had been but a made person, and a made lord 

* See the Sermons on Eph. i. 10, and Christ's fitness for the Work of Kedemp- 
tion, on Heb. ii. 



526 THE KNOWLEDGE OP GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

too, and wholly both, he were too mean stuff to make God's Lord of, that 
is, such a ' one Lord' as this text sets out, and which became God to set 
up. His person must be able to bear and to fill up his Lordship and 
dominion, for else he would but fall into the same rank with those ' many 
lords ' the former verse speaks of ; yea, if you would suppose one so subli- 
mated as to be the spirit of the whole creation, and in whom the several 
species of the whole were, by way of eminency, contained and comprehended, 
and out of whom, as an elixir, they all might be extracted (as some philosophise 
concerning our Christ), yet still, in that he were but only made, his distance 
from mere nothing were but the very same that his inferior fellow-creatures 
have, he could never have been a midst between God and them, because 
in his person he held not a proportionable distance between God and them, 
and thereby he had been as subject, by his original make and constitution, 
to the same mutability and weakness that any other of the creatures were, 
and so would have proved but a mere quick-sand to the upholding* and 
bearing up the weight of all things that were to be founded on him, and 
depend upon him. Look, then, as in the case of man's redemption, like as 
men that had infirmity, were laid aside for the office of the eternal priest- 
hood ; and God sought outgone that was ' perfect for evermore ; ' so, of all 
mere creatures, it must be said, as to this his office of Lordship, they all 
had infirmity. 

If it be said yet, if God would, could he not have made one great enough 
for this ? The answer is, even for this very reason, that still all would 
have been but merely a made greatness ; even therefore, suppose what you 
can or will, it proves too little, and falls short. For, alas ! it were all but 
wholly borrowed ; yea, and of which greatness these very stones were as 
immediately capable without him, by God's sole raising them to such an 
estate, as himself once was thereof. God could have made as good such 
Christs, and Lords of them, as the Baptist says, Mat. iii. 9, sons of Abra- 
ham out of stones. He that is capable of so high an office, must be one 
that is God, which we have even now proved. 

This for the first, that this one Lord, here in the text, is and must be 
God. 

And yet again, 2dly, if he be to be ' made a Lord, and Christ ' (as the 
Scripture speaks also of him), he must, together herewith, be something 
that is made, as well as God, who cannot be made. He is to be (in respect 
of this office) under God, lower than God, between God and all things 
made by God ; otherwise, this great end, which was to greaten God as God, 
by shewing visibly and demonstratively that infinite distance between God 
and all his creatures, had not been attained. For such a person as was 
God only, as well as himself, had been equal unto him. But God, to shew 
his greatness, designed such a one as should be also under him, and jei 
God ; and withal, a sovereign Lord of all his creatures. And we find 
Christ accordingly speaks of himself, ' my Father is greater than I.' So, 
then, some one of the creatures must be taken in, to make up this Lord, 
to be made one person with him that is God, and so this Lord will take his 
place in the midst, between God and all things. 

For, 3dly, this creature (whomever this honour is to fall upon), in God's 
eternal purposes (for we are still in the same sphere of mere possibility), 
must be made into one person with a person that is God ; for else, still he 
is not one Lord. God, you see, would have but one Lord, as God himself 
is but one. The text speaks it both negatively, ' not many lords ; ' and 
* The phrase, Heb. i. 2. 



Chap. VIII.] and his son jesus ciirist. 527 

also affirmatively, ' one Lord.' Two complete persons of them can never 
make one, and these two must be made ono person. A king and queen, 
though one in marriage (the nearest conjunction), never did, nor never can, 
make one king, or ono prince (as Philip and Mary with us did not). And, 
again, if we would suppose that many creatures, and not ono only, had been 
taken up into union with some person that was God, yet still there would 
have been ' lords many.' But God will have such a Lord as is perfectly 
one, who therein shall be the perfect image of his sovereignty and monarchy 
over all things, and therefore will have but one, to whom all things else, 
without exception, are to be subject. 

4thly, Which of the three persons in the Godhead, and what sort of the 
creatures, was fittest to make up, in a way of personal union, this one Lord? 

(1.) As to the person of the Trinity, it must not be the Father ; it was 
no way proper for him, that was the fountain of the persons, and of the 
whole creation, to undertake any office whatever, and so not to become this 
Lord, which is an office under God, as the text expressly affirmeth. Who 
then ? God the Son is next, who in that he is the Son, is, by a proper 
natural right, Lord of all things, for he is the heir unto this his Father, in 
that he is the Son ; and it is the common law, even from God to creatures 
downwards, that ' the heir is lord of all,' Gal. iv. 1. It is fittest then that 
he, the Son, should have this office and title of Lord transferred on him, 
and none so fit to be the appointed heir of all things, Heb. i. 2, who, in his 
person, is naturally next God the Father, ' the begotten heir of all things,' 
who is not made, but begotten, and the' only begotten, namely, of this one 
God the Father. John i. 3, 14, 18, compared, 'All things were made by 
him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' ' And the 
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ; and we beheld his glory, the 
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' ' No 
man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which is in the 
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' And so truly, a person to 
whom of special right this honour, as conferred, doth belong. This title of 
Lord was not to be severed from the natural heir : not so, as that one per- 
son should be the natural Lord by inheritance, and another made Lord and 
Christ by decree and appointment, upon this account also, that still there 
must be but one Lord. And, therefore, he who had a natural right to be 
Lord, as heir of all things, and he who was made so by decree and appoint- 
ment, must meet in one and the same person. 

And as for the pretension of the third person, the Holy Ghost ; so it was 
in God's design, that he that was to be this Lord, was to have such a multi- 
tude of elect to be united to him, as he must be a person who was able to 
give and send the Spirit himself to make that union, and to effect all for 
him, and complete all from him ; John xvi. 15, ' All things the Father 
hath are mine ; therefore I said, that he (the Spirit) shall take of mine, 
and shew it to you.' 

And again, the intendment of erecting this office of lordship being, that 
God might have an outward representative of himself, or a visible adminis- 
tration of all things, and to whom the whole creation should owe their sub- 
sistence and their all ; and accordingly he was to be owned and honoured 
by them, and at the same rate that God is ; hence therefore, for this 
honour, God comelily singled forth and constituted this Son to be that 
person that was next himself, as fathers use to do their sons. God the 
Father ' so loveth the Son, that he sheweth and revealeth all of himself to 
him,' John v. 20, ' and hath committed all judgment to him,' visibly to be 



528 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

administered by him ; and that with this professed purpose and intent, ' that 
all men' (yea, and angels, and the whole creation) ' might honour the Son, 
as they honour the Father,' John v. 20, 23. So then, the Son is he that 
is made this Lord, under our one God the Father. 

We have seen which of the three persons was fitted for this Lordship. 
Now, 

(2.) As to what sort of the creatures (we are still, as was prefaced, in the 
supposition of all things as yet to be decreed, and so considered by God in 
the foresight of his simple intelligence) should be meetest to be taken up in 
this high privilege of one Lordship. 

It so pleased our great and wise God as to single forth the nature of man ; 
not in order only to the work of redemption of us men (that is but one 
bi-anch of this work and office), biit in order to his being 'Lord of all 
things,' he took that nature of man to choose. Yea, it is said, that so 'it 
became him' (namely, God), ' for whom are all things, and by whom are 
all things,' so to do ; in Heb. ii. 10, 14-18 verses, ' For it became him, 
for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons 
unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffer- 
ings.' ' Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, 
he also himself likewise took part of the same ; that through death he 
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; and 
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels ; but he took on him the 
seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like 
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in 
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour 
them that are tempted.' And although God did thus design and determine 
in a more eminent respect to man's salvation (which was the occasion of 
what he there speaks of this, that he took on him, not the nature of angels, 
but the seed of Abraham) ; yet it is withal said, that that great God, ' of 
whom, and for whom are all things ' (wbich is the preface to that more 
eminent part for which Christ was ordained, namely, man's redemption), 
had together in his eye at once all things, and all ends and designs of his 
whatever, as that phrase, ' for whom are all things,' imports ; wbiles he 
speaks of his ordaining him to be a redeemer for man ; and accordingly it 
became him to extend to, or rather grasp in, a respect unto all things in his 
great design ; which this my text, collated and brought unto that, confirms 
and discovers in saying, ' one God, of whom are all things ; and one Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things.' And over and above, that we (those 
elected and redeemed men) should be by him also. 

And how fit it was, that the person of the Redeemer of us men should 
himself be man ; this you all acknowledge. But I farther add, if a lord be 
to set up over all things, that is, the whole creation, what sort or species 
amongst the whole creation so fit- as the nature of man ? True indeed, 
that nature, for its rank, is a little lower than the angels ; but that mattered 
not in this business. For this dignity of Lordship depended not on the 
dignity of the creature that was to be assumed. But the dignity or the 
substantial worthiness and grandeur of the person was to arise from the 
dignity of the Son of God who should assume it. The nature assumed 
contributed nothing of worth, but had that wholly communicated to it ; 
only it brought a fitness and a meetness with it into this union, for this 
office, above all other natures whatsoever. And that was it which God had 



Chap. VIII.] and his son jesus christ. 529 

a regard unto herein (besides his good pleasure) to choose that nature above 
all other, as is plain by that in Heb. ii. And certainly this comely capacity 
doth every way fall fuller upon the nature of man than upon any other ; for 
who of creatures so fit to be made ' Lord of all things,' by that God ' for 
whom are all things, ' but he that is the sum and contract of all sorts of 
creatures that ever God should make. Yea, and perhaps of all sorts of 
creatures possibly to be made, even from the angelical nature upwards, 
than which (they being merely spirits) nothing could be higher of kind up- 
wards, between God and them ; and then downwards to the meanest atom, 
or dust of the earth ; or if you will, to the chaos, out of which all was 
made, — you cannot thrust in a new species or kind between any two of the 
whole order and descent of them. No new middle link between any two links 
of that chain of creatures from top to bottom ; and what we see are made, 
man is the abstract and epitome, and contains all in him. If therefore we 
could suppose that all the creatures had had a tongue, and so a voice in 
the election of their one Lord, they certainly would have pitched upon that 
nature to be their Lord, in which they all had such an interest, and have 
cast it, that all things epitomized should be this constituted Lord. And 
God, who is wise in working and excellent in counsel, considered this, and 
fitted them all with such a Lord as themselves, if to choose, would, for thi3 
respect, have chosen. 

This was so happy a match, and so well thought of, as being that which 
perfectly suited this general administration, as it was no sooner thought of, 
but instantly it was concluded and agreed on by the three in heaven, and 
particularly consented to by the Son himself ; who, as Peter's phrase is, 
• was pre-ordained before the foundation of the world was laid ; ' all things 
else depending on this, God's first resolve about him. No sooner was it 
agreed, but instantly God the Father, and the Godhead in the other two, 
embraced and ' possessed him ' (as the expression is, Prov. viii. 22, • The 
Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old'), 
possessed him as a rich and complete treasury and magazine of all his 
counsels laid up with him ; and also a most able minister and agent for the 
execution of all his works. Christ, who is both ' the wisdom of God, and 
the power of God,' executively ; his universal instrument, ' by whom,' a 
complete subject, ' in whom' to manifest all his glory ; and ver. 30 of the 
same chapter, 'I was as one brought up with him,' as it is translated: it 
is a word so full of significancies to our purpose as nothing could be more 
comprehensive. The word p^tf in the Hebrew signifies,* any one that 
was nutritius, the nurse or nounsher ; as unto whom God had committed 
all his works, as men do their children unto a nurse, to cherish, bring up, 
and govern to all his ends he had designed them for ; yea, as the word 
also signifies, to be his artist, architect, or master builder of them in their 
first creation ; who took the fabric of the whole universe upon him, to con- 
trive and frame the rearing of it with the most exquisite skill, to the most 
beautiful fashion that might bo. For these things and many more doth 
that word signify. So as God presently said wuth himself, I have found a 
servant that shall perform all my pleasure, a chosen shaft, a meetful uni- 
versal engine, adequate to all my purposes and thoughts, a sufficient ground- 
work and foundation for any manifestation of himself he should desire to 
make ; so as I need not to go out of him or leave him out in anything I 
have a mind to do. And all this over and above, or besides, his being my 

* See A'Lapide on the word, which also Mercer doth acknowledge and enlarge 
upon, in Prov. viii. 30. Hsec omnia potest vox Hebrsea significare. 
VOL. rv. L 1 



530 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

delight in his person unto myself, whom alone and simply I delighted in 
for himself alone, which there follows, ' I was his delight,' &c. Thus was 
he appointed Lord of all, as fitted and suited, both to God and his whole 
creation, and the designs thereof, which to be meant of him as God-man, I 
have (I hope) elsewhere made evident. 

And this is no other than that which I afore observed to be generally the 
sense of the Jewish Cabalists, who speak on this wise of the Messiah, that 
he is a treasure in which God or Jehovah hath hid all the riches he means 
to communicate unto us. And further, to be the great steward and gover- 
nor under God Jehovah, nourishing, cherishing, and dispensing all, "With 
which this scripture in the Proverbs agreeth. 



CHAPTER IX. 

That all tilings do depend upon Christ as one Lord, as God-man, as well as 
upon the Father, as one God. — God's eternal purposes concerning the whole 
creation were made in Christ, as God-man. — By him God made the world. 
— The more peculiar dependence, which the elect have on Christ, God-man, 
as their head. — They hold of him the tenure of a spiritual being, above what 
they had by creation, and of all supernatural blessings and benefits. 

By ivhom are all things, and we by him. — 1 Con. VIII. 6. 

We have seen what the import of this high title, ' one Lord,' is, and that 
in this place it denotes an office put upon him as God-man, and the fitness 
of that person alone for this universal office or dignity. 

I am as yet but upon generals, which lead on to many particulars that 
are to follow, and at large to be discoursed and beaten out ; I intending, 
God assisting, to dilate upon all, or the most particulars, wherein Christ, 
considered as God-man, is found subservient unto God his Father, in and 
for the giving being to, and effecting of, all his works ad extra, or which 
are out of himself. But the present purpose on this test is to touch rather 
upon two generals, according as Christ's Lordship is divided. 

First, His relation unto all things, whatever they be, that are distinct from 
the we. All things in nature or providential. 

The second is, What concerns the elect, either in their supernatural being 
and new constitution of them ; in a word, what they are, they are by him, 
the whole of them, and what belongs to them supernaturally. 

I come to the first. For we must remember that this mediation-work 
between God and man is but one part of his Lordship, although the 
greatest for moment and glory ; but it further contains a commission from 
God, to be a Lord over all things ; as Peter speaks, Acts x. 36, as that 
which is another part of it. And again, a Lord not only over all things to 
rule, and govern, and order them for God, and under God, when they shall 
be once made, but with a commission from God, for the making of them, 
by virtue of that his office which was given him long afore the creation 
itself; that although the second person did only personally then subsist, 
yet he bore or sustained the personage of God-man in the very creation 
itself. All these you have full in the text, in that title ' one Lord.' And 
then his Lordship is parted into two administrations and commissions, oue 
towards ; all things,' the other towards ' us.' And that towards all things, 



Chap. IX.] and his son jesus christ. 531 

extending to their very beings, ' by whom are all things ;' even by whom 
all things are what they are, or any way shall ever be, from the first foun- 
dation-stone of being, unto the full perfection of them. 

And these being wrapt up here but in generals, I shall therefore do no 
more, but for the confirmation of this first head, give one general proof 
comprehensive of all things, and which ascends far higher than to prove 
Christ's being only instrumental to the execution of all ; but further, that 
God's eternal purposes concerning all things were made in Christ as the 
forge, or machine, in which they were all formed. And this, if proved, we 
must needs acknowledge the dependence of all things upon this one Lord, 
to be great indeed, when God's very purposes of them shall be found to 
be in him. And therefore still, that himself was purposed first ; and this 
dependence is superior, and metaphysical (as I may so speak), unto his being 
the executor or administrator of them all. For his purposes are the 
supreme cause and original of all things. And therefore in that sole in- 
stance, I shall over and above make good, that all things are ' through him' 
indeed. 

I shall now, in this general part of my discourse, allege but one scripture 
for this head ; and add, for the proof of the creation of all things to have 
been through him, a neighbouring text thereunto, bordering upon it, which 
will be sufficient in this metaphysical part to have performed, as touching 
this head. 

I. God's eternal purposes concerning all things were made in Christ, as 
God-man. 

God's eternal purposes concerning the creatures, or his works that are 
out of or without himself, are immanent acts of God's, remaining in him- 
self. And yet God so honoured this our one Lord, as not to purpose any 
thing which was to be out of himself, ad extra, without the contemplation 
of his being God-man, on whom (as such) all things should depend. In 
Eph. i. 9, it is expressly said, ' Which he purposed in himself;' involving 
therein his very purposes of working ail things whatsoever, as well as his 
purposes of grace to his elect; as appeareth by comparing ver. 11, 'In 
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according 
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own 
will.' And in like manner, chap. iii. 11 of the same epistle, it is said, 
' According to the eternal purpose which he had made (so in the original) 
' in Jesus Christ our Lord.' Which purposes there, as to the object matter 
of them, do in like manner involve, and take in all the various goings forth 
of God, of what kind soever, even the whole system of God's works, wherein 
and whereby ' the manifold wisdom of God' had, beforehand, contrived to 
manifest God by ; for that is the matter immediately afore treated of in the 
verse foregoing, ver. 10, 'To the intent that now, unto the principalities 
and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold 
wisdom of God.' And unto this it is that those words cited out of ver. 11 
do relate : that is, the whole economy and dispensation of God in the works 
of creation, providence, government of this world, and of his church hitherto 
under the Old Testament, being now set together, with the work of redemp- 
tion performed by Jesus Christ, and under the times of the gospel begun to 
be discovered, and thereby being all viewed in one prospect by the angels, 
who before had but by piecemeal been the curious observers of all, and 
each all along observing, and laying still each in their hearts, as they had 
passed and been acted ; but then it came to pass, by the discovery of the 
gospel, that the infinite, various, or manifold wisdom of God in the whole, 



532 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

broke forth in the person of Christ, to their admiration and astonishment ; 
that all had been purposed in him, even all these purposes whatever, of one 
as well as of the other. It is there said, that they were made in Jesus 
Christ, as he is our Lord, verses 10, 11, ' To the intent that now, unto the 
principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church 
the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he 
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.' So as this was it which became the 
matter of the wonderment to them, to see and behold how both their and 
our Lord Christ was made the centre of them all ; and that the works, yea, 
the purposes of them in God's heart, about creation, providence, and all 
sorts of works, wherein the manifold wisdom of God had so appeared, 
all dispensations to the Jews (the church of old), and now the calling of 
the new church, the Gentiles, were founded all in this one God-man Jesus 
Christ. 

For the concluding of this there are three things particularly and emi- 
nently observable to my purpose out of those words, and their coherence. 

The first ; That all those several sorts of purposes are termed but one 
single purpose ; for so in the original it is in the singular number, all being 
but one act in God, and all made in one and the same Jesus Christ, and 
as one single purpose, though comprehending a whole system and lump of 
purposes. 

The second ; The phrase made is used concerning this one big purpose, 
made (which is the phrase) ' in Jesus Christ.' 

Observe, I say, concerning it, that whereas in the former chapter, ver. 9, 
you read, that ' God purposed all in himself;' yet here, that he made the 
same purpose in Christ, even as when it should and did come to the execu- 
tion, it is said, that ' all things are through and by this one Lord, as well 
as of one God. As they are coupled jointly in execution, so in purposes. 
Only as the apostle, in another case, says of him, the purpose of making 
and ordaining Christ himself, in whom all else are, must necessarily be 
excepted. And this notes out that they were made in him, as he was 
made Lord and Christ ; as Peter, Acts ii. 36, ' Therefore let all the 
house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom 
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.' They were verified all in Christ, 
as the French phrase is, of the sanction to their laws. So all God's pur- 
poses, taken up in God's own heart and bosom, are said to be made in 
Christ ; they had their ratification in Christ, God brought them to a firm 
subsistence and ultimate resolvedness in and through his Christ as a Lord. 
For, seeing all things purposed were to be brought into existence by him, 
therefore the honour God gave him in his very decrees was, that the very 
purposes of them are said to be made in him, without whom they would, 
as to the effect and issue of them, have been made in vain, he being pre- 
sent and by, and undertaking to effect them all ; therefore they are from 
the very first purposed in him. So as all God's eternal purposes depended 
on this Lord, 

The third thing I observe is, that to shew this universal dependence 
of all God's purposes on his one Christ, he answerably mentions all his 
titles. 

1. Of Saviour, in that his name of Jesus. 2. Of Christ. 3. Of Lord. 

Which three do comprehend a respect and foundation unto all his pur- 
poses of what sort soever. The words afore mention all three, ' In Jesus 
Christ our Lord,' which issues fully to the point in hand, and falls in with 
the words here to the Corinthians, my text. 



Chap. IX.] and his son jesus christ. 533 

Thus of God's purposes, which were tho matrix, the womb of all thiugs. 

II. Christ is the medium of God's creation, &c. 

But more particularly, let me here add one instance, which may yet 
serve for all other, and I add it here, because it neighboureth so near this 
form, as I could not well leave it out here. And it concerns the execution 
of all things begun by the same Christ, as the former did the purposes of 
all things in Jesus Christ. And so we have proof and instance in both 
kinds, both in God's purposes and in the execution of them, out of the 
same chapter. 

When God should after, as he did, come to effect or put in execution all 
or any of these the purposes of his heart, still this Lord presents himself 
as fit and able to subserve him in the execution thereof, as an universal 
agent or instrument, in the virtue of whom he effected them all, and brought 
them forth to act. 

For instance : 

The first purpose of God that was put into execution, and which was 
indeed the groundwork, the materia substrata, or subject matter of all other 
works that were to follow in execution, was that of creation ; the putting 
of all things into being (as the ultimate or bottom-subject, the matter which 
his decrees were to have to work upon) ; of this it is expressly said, in 
Eph. iii. 9, and indeed is added by the apostle as the eminent instance of 
all the rest, ' Who created all things by Jesus Christ,' not one thing 
excepted, but was created by him. 

And again ; If when God, setting his hand to create, would make more 
worlds than one (as he hath made two, viz., heaven and earth), in the vir- 
tual influence of this Lord, God-man, it was, that these worlds were made, 
Heb. i. 2, ' Whom he hath appointed heir of all things ; by whom also he 
made the worlds.' And herein, likewise again, this Lord is the maker of 
all and every thing in each and both these worlds ; so Col. i. 16, ' visible 
or invisible, whether things in earth or in heaven.' All which is to be 
understood of him as God-man. But of these things afterwards, upon that 
Col. i. 16, &c, more particularly. 

III. The church of the elect have a more special dependence upon the 
one Lord Christ, as God-man, 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' And we by him.' 

I shall lay down only some generals, that shew the tenure that the church 
of the elect hold on the one Lord Christ, as God-man. 

Two things are imported in these words, • And we by him.' 

1. A super-creation being and existence given us in him. 

2. Super-creation blessings, and benefits by him, which appertain to that 
being in him. Which blessings are of two sorts. 

(1.) Of redemption, as sinners, through this one Lord ; as he is Jesus, 
that we hold of his merits. 

(2.) Of blessings abstractly considered from those of redemption ; that 
we hold of him as he is Christ the Lord, through our relation to, and union 
with his person. * 

We have had a general view presented to us, how all things, that is, the 
whole creation, do and did depend upon our Lord Christ, even in God's 
very purposing of them. 

It is therefore meet I should next speak the like generally to this other 
part, the tenure that the saints, the elect of God, have, and do hold oi 
Christ : to the end, that this part of the structure may correspond with 
that which is foregone, which had but in general treated the dependence 
that all things have upon him. 



534 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

And it is this latter is infinitely the more eminent of the two, and yet 
both necessary to shew the completeness of Christ, as God-man ; as in his 
person, so in his subserviency to God, in all his works whatsoever. 

And we by him. 1. The we here are God's church of mankind, selected 
out of all things which he created, and here separated from them, as a 
company standing out apart by themselves, and who were separated and 
appointed by his Father to be a body unto him as a head. Now, if we 
consider them in their first creation state, so they are to be counted among 
the all things, and as such efficiently depending on him as one Lord, the 
creator, &c, of them. But when here he adds, and ' we by him,' this 
imports their being a chosen generation, a peculiar people to God, the 
chosen of God out of all things else ; and his being a peculiar, special 
founder unto them of a super-creation state, and a dependency upon him 
for the whole of it, as he is Jesus Christ the Lord, which they have from 
him de novo, and by a newer kind of title than that of creation — a state, 
and all things belonging to it, wholly supernatural unto that which was by 
creation. 

And here again, like as was said in way of premise to that former first 
head, of the dependency of all things upon Christ, our thoughts and con- 
templations must mount up again to that supreme age, or highest point of 
eternity, the top of that vast sphere and circle that comprehended us and 
all things, considered as yet decreeable by God, and but in decreeing ; and 
considered,* that there lay afore our great God, in his divine understand- 
ing, a platform of far higher and momentous designs than those, and be- 
yond those of the first creation and providence towards all things, together 
with man, after his kind, in common with them, namely, of calling in, and 
bringing a certain first-fruits (as the apostle James's word is, James i. 18, 
' Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a 
kind of first-fruits of his creatures') of that his intended first creation, to 
consecrate them to himself, through a super- creation union and communion 
with himself — a state which was to be utterly superlative in all the things 
belonging to it, comparatively unto that state of and by their first creation, 
and all and everything whatsoever that appertains thereto — a state, in the 
ultimate end and perfection of it, such as in heaven, after the work of 
redemption is finished, the saints and angels shall enjoy to all eternity ; and 
in bringing us to which he carries us through variety of means preparatory, 
or conducing thereunto, and all and each of them supernatural also. He, 
in his infinite grace and wisdom, found his only begotten Son, Christ, 
God-man, to be the person. Yea, and in his person as such, every way 
accomplished, adapted, and furnished to accomplish this design so fully 
and completely, as that whatever be designed by such a gracious decree, 
proceeding out of sovereignty, and such a love that should so far transcend 
that love which by creation he bore to us (a pure super-creation grace, I style 
it), whatever (I say) should enter into the thoughts of such an exceeding 
' riches of grace,' to bestow on them he would so love, this great Lord, his 
Christ, was adequately fitted and enabled to be the founder of. This God- 
man was a person after God's own heart, to the very utmost extent of his 
gracious purposes and counsels ; and in his person empowered to accomplish, 
at the first instant of his undertaking it, whatever God could think of for 
them, or had a mind to give them. 

Now all and the whole of this super- creation state we have by him, are 
reducible unto two principal heads. 

* Qu. 'consider?' That is, ' wc must consider.'— Ed. 



Chap IX.] and his son jesus christ. 535 

First, What we are, or rather that ive are, or arc endowed with a new 
super- croation being. 

Secondly, The endowments which that being is invested withal, or the 
super-creation benefits that appertain and belong to it. 

And both these, and all of these, we are by him ; he is the foundation of 
all we are or have. 

1. He is the founder of a new super-creation being, which is the subject 
of all benefits bestowed ; as God's giving Adam a natural being after his 
image, that was the subject and recipient of all the blessings he enjoyed, 
and a thing distinctly to be considered of. 

We commonly say, when a subject hath been raised up unto a great 
estate, honours, offices, whereunto he hath a legal right given him by his 
prince, in whose power it alone was to invest him therewith, we use in 
like manner of speech unto this here to express it, that what he is he is by^ 
him, and therefore call him his creature ; which is but translatitious, 
when jet he had not his existence, which is the subject, or the person, 
unto whom all these privileges do belong. But this our Christ is not only 
the founder of our right to all those supernatural, super-creation benefits, 
but God hath also founded for us in him a super-creation being and exist- 
ence (and not only that actual existence we have from him), when we are 
made new creatures : a workmanship created in Christ Jesus more truly 
than the child may be said to be formed and fashioned in the mother, and 
the foundation of his being lay in her womb. And it is this new creature, 
superinduced over the natural person, which is the subjectum of the first 
creation, which in Scripture is termed ' the man ; ' Col. iii. 10, ' Put on 
the new man, after the image of him that created him,' namely, Christ, 
the creator of it. That is the man and the him in the apostle's account. 
And observe the language the apostle useth, when he speaks of himself, 
2 Cor. xii., ' I knew a man in Christ,' &c, ver. 2 ; ' Of such a man I will 
glory, but of myself I will not glory,' ver. 5. And yet it was himself he 
spake of. But he reckoned not himself by the creation-roll, but what he 
was in the King's book ; no, nor of the new creature neither would he 
glory, but as it was in Christ, and so it had a being. But further, we had 
a super-creation existence given us in Christ afore the world was, which 
was the foundation of the new creature, and which makes us thus capable 
of all those benefits which were then also and therewith given. And 
super-crea/tion benefits must have a super-creation being, or state of being, 
given them, superior to our first creation being, and the benefits thereof, 
which in God's decrees we were appointed unto, as well as naturally to 
exist, by virtue of which we come to have a title unto those blessings. 

For if our first creation members were ah written in God's book of his 
purposes, so all the members, which are the various graces, the new man 
or creature consists of, they were all written in God's everlasting purposes. 
Yea, and all the blessings that belong to this new creature, are altogether 
therewith given us in Christ, as is express in 2 Tim. i. 9, ' Who hath saved 
us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but 
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus 
before the world began.' The work in God's calling us, is the forming the 
new creature in our hearts ; styled therefore there ' an holy calling,' as 
working holiness. And this foundation-blessing is said to have been given 
us in Christ, according to his purpose of grace in Christ, that was afore the 
world began ; and they could not be said to have been given us in Christ, 
unless we were considered some way or other in Christ then. God did not 



536 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

take up naked purposes of grace and good-will to us, with a firm intent and 
resolution to bestow those blessings on us, though his purposes are as 
mountains of brass, as the prophet speaks, Zech. vi. 1. But he was pleased 
to fix and ratify them in his Christ ; and in like manner us and our per- 
sons he founded then in Christ, and considered in Christ. God had as 
then his Christ present with him, and by him ; and reckoned of us as 
members of him, and elected us as such. And God thought not his bare 
purpose of election of our persons enough to satisfy Christ, who at that 
present undertook for us ; nor to comfort us when we should come actually 
to exist in this world, and to lay hold of his grace ; nor was he contented, 
if I may so speak, with Christ's bare concurrence, as second person, in 
choosing us, as well as the Father himself did, but further to strengthen 
his own heart in those his purposes towards us ; as in the 8th of Pro- 
verbs it is said, our Christ was with him, strengthening and support- 
ing his intended creation to him. He thereby engaged himself unto Christ 
then present for us, yea, and constituted and set up Christ as a represen- 
tative of us, and common person for us. And Christ accepted us, took us 
into himself, and owned us as his, and pieces of himself. And in these 
respects the elect had a being afore God ; such as was far more than what 
was simply given them in God's decrees, or purposes of grace, or good-will, 
or bare choice on God's part. But his choice did find a foundation of their 
existing. For this his Christ was there present with him, actually existent, 
and at his request to bear the person of God-man ; and therein to estate us 
all, at the instant of his choice, as far as he should name them to him, to 
be his body, spouse, members ; and he from that instant also to bear and 
represent their persons afore his Father, and so to give them a represen- 
tative being in himself, which other creatures then had not, but were left 
singly to their own fortunes, stations. And in these respects it is that 
Christ, as God-man, is styled the everlasting Father, Isa. ix. 6. Father of 
us, namely, from everlasting ; bearing us then in his heart, as a mother 
doth her children in her womb. So as by means hereof it came to pass, 
that the elect were not as branches hanging in the sunbeams of God's single 
purpose of grace only, to produce and bring them forth into actual existence 
by its single influence, but such as have withal a soil, a root they were 
planted in, the person of Christ ; he and we being tsbfj/pvroi, as twin-plants, 
planted together in God's heart from the first. Hence that high foundation 
of election, which is called ' the election of grace,' is said to be in Christ. 
He hath chosen us in Christ afore the world began. And though God chose 
the persons, 3-et completed he his choice of them in Christ, and gave us a 
being in him, as in a head, and then gave them this being in Christ ; but 
chose them in Christ, from the first cast of his thoughts to choose them. 
God never considered us as single persons out of Christ (though in this 
respect that he determinately and distinctly foreknew, and pitched upon 
each of our persons), but chose us one in and with his Son, as a head, or 
common person, taking our persons and undertaking for them. He never 
abstractedly considered or viewed us apart from, or without Christ, but as 
one in him, and with him, constituted and made one head and body at once. 
And this aforehand gave them a subsistence of another kind than what by 
creation they were to receive. Insomuch as their state in him is termed a 
being, a new being and existence ; as the subject upon which being first 
constituted, the benefits do fall. ' Of him ye are in Jesus Christ,' says the 
apostle, 1 Cor. i. 30. Lay that as our foundation of Christ his being made 
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption to us ; which are the 



Chap. IX.] and his son jesus christ. 537 

benefits that belong to that being. In him ye arc or have a being, says the 
apostle. And before God Christ had it, from that time wherein we were 
given to God by him. And we began so far to be, as we were considered 
in him, and that was at our everlasting election ; and he to be sure had an 
actual being, and bore an actual representation of us. And this laid a 
corner-stone of a higher being supernatural, even from eternity, than what 
our first creation came unto. 

This super-creation being having been thus settled, I come to the second 
head proposed, viz., 

II. A general consideration of the benefits wholly supercreational. 

These super- creation blessings we hold of Christ, are of two sorts, and 
distinct, 

1. Such as are supernatural, even in respect of our first creation estate, 
unto which for that cause I give the style of super-creation benefits, which 
do far exceed in value the first stock of creation blessings : such as that 
of adoption of sons, heirs of glory, an unchangeable love of God to us, and 
of an immutability of our love, and of perfect holiness in us unto God again. 

2. The second sort of benefits are those that are supernatural in respect 
unto our sinful, corrupt, miserable estate we are fallen into, and delivered 
out of. Such as are pardon of sin, justification, and a restauration of that 
original holiness we lost, and had once in Adam ; together with that high 
superinduction of the image of Christ in his dying and rising ; which involves 
in it the original holiness we had once in Adam, conformable to the holy 
law. These I call purely redemption-blessings, and may wholly be called 
supernatural, as aforesaid. 

And these two sorts of benefits, as they are apparently distinct in them- 
selves, so answerably they have a distinct foundation of Christ. For 

The first sort have their foundation in his very person, through a given 
relation of us to him, and him to us ; and these are abstractly considered 
from redemption, or the benefits belonging thereunto, and purchased thereby. 
So as God giving us unto him, and he accepting us for his body, and to be 
one with us for ever ; even by virtue of this relation there is a wonderful 
sphere and round of blessings, which have a foundation thereby, and might 
have had, if God had so pleased, if men should never have fallen. And 
although man falling, God decreed that other sort of redemption mercies ; 
yet so as these first sort were originally decreed, as being more glorious, 
without the consideration of the fall. And though (as I acknowledge) they 
were upon man's fall purchased all anew, upon the account of redemption ; 
yet the interest of his person, and our very relation to his person (as afore- 
said) was in the original decree of God about us, and continues to be the 
main foundation, with a distinct consideration from those of redemption, of 
our right unto those blessings, although also purchased by redemption, so 
as for us to have a double title to them. 

The second sort of benefits are wholly by virtue of redemption, and flow 
from the merits and influence of the acts thereof, and wholly so arise from 
an acquired interest of his obedience, death, resurrection, &c. And again, 
although the merit that purchased these benefits do wholly arise from the 
worth and dignity of his person ; as namely his death and blood, that it 
was the blood of God ; and the obedience of him that was offered up by 
the eternal Spirit, the Godhead in him, and is therefore called ' the right- 
eousness of God ;' yet these benefits are not founded and conveyed merely 
from our relation to his person, abstractedly considered from his redemp- 
tion ; as if that relation to and union with his person could have produced 



538 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

or procured these redemption blessings, as I style them, without a super- 
additional merit acquired, over and above, and beside that of the interest of 
his person. 



CHAPTER X. 

How all things depend on Christ, God-man; and what influence he hath into 
them; further proved and illustrated by that text in Col. i. 16. — Some 
cautions premised for the understanding it aright. — What is meant by tlwse 
expressions, ' in him ' and e by him ' are all things, 

For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, 
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, 
or powers; all things were created by him, and for him. — Col. I. 16. 

Now is to succeed that other title of glories due to our Lord Christ, con- 
sidered as God-man, namely, in his relation unto the works and counsels 
of God, and the influence he hath in them, the dependence they all have, 
either actually or virtually, upon that personal union of the Son of God 
with our nature ; and this is the second thing in order in the text, or a 
second crown of glory, which our apostle here setteth upon our Lord's head, 
who is yet, moreover, above and besides all this, an head unto his church, 
&c, as ver. 18. 

That these things here are spoken of him as God-man, and net as second 
person only, I shewed in the first chapter of this book, in the latter part 
of it, wherein I opened and sorted the particulars of this text into their due 
method. 

The only difficulty that here occurs (ere we proceed any further) is, that 
seeing the Son of God did not assume that man Jesus into one person with 
himself until four thousand years after the creation ; how can the work of 
the creation be attributed to him, considered as God-man, that ' by him all 
things were created ' ? And so, why should it not still rest upon this 
account, that by him, simply considered as God's Son, and second person, 
all things were made. 

Towards the clearing of this I cast in these ensuing particulars. 

I. That there is a double influence which causes have into effects ; one 
virtual, the other actual. Not to instance in other causes (if any such like 
to this might be found), it will be enough to give a parallel instance in 
Christ himself, whose actions performed by him, when come in the flesh, 
had yet a virtual influence into many things that were done long before, 
either the actual existence of him in the flesh, or the performance of those 
actions ; yea, the virtue whereof reached to the beginning of the world. 
Thus by virtue of his death, Adam, and Eve, arjd Abraham, and all the 
fathers, were saved. Not to prove this by induction, but by the lump ; 
Peter having spoken of all the fathers under the Old Testament, Acts xv., 
in the last words of ver. 10 immediately subjoins and pronounceth this as 
common to the Jews and themselves now in the times of the New Testa- 
ment ; ' We believe that, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we 
shall be saved, even as they,' ver. 11, that is, they and we both alike are 
saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yea. and further, this their 
salvation is attributed to his death ; which though once, as a sacrifice offered 



Chap. X.] and his son jesus cheist. 539 

up in the end of the world, Hob. ix. 26, yet was offered up ' for sins past ;' 
Rom. iii. 25, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith 
in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are 
past, through the forbearance of God.' And that under the Old Testament, 
saith Heb. ix. 15, ' And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testa- 
ment, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that 
were under the first testament, they which are called might receive tho 
promise of the eternal inheritance.' 

And as there is this double influence, so answerably, a double existence 
may be conceived of him. 

A virtual existence, which is affirmed of him in that speech, when he is 
said to have been the same Christ, yesterday as well as to-day, to all be- 
lievers ; Heb. xiii. 8, ' Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for 
ever.' Yea, and his death, in respect of the virtue of it, hath existed from 
the beginning of the world, as that speech, Rev. xv. 8, evidently imports, 
' the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world.' 

Let us first see what the text will speak in favour of this interpretation, 
yea, let us but compare phrase with phrase, as things are spoken of him; in 
this text, he is said to be ' the first-born from the dead ; ' and, 1 Cor. xv. 20, 
1 the first-fruits of them that slept,' in so much as, ver. 23 of that chapter, 
the priority of order in rising again is given to Christ, ' but every man in 
his own order : Christ the first-fruits ; afterwards they that are Christ's.' 
But is it so, that Christ, in respect of an actual priority, was the first of all 
the elect that rise again ; so as none of them afore him, though you know 
Lazarus, and divers others at his death, rose out of their graves ? And 
yet, still he is the first-born, the eldest Son, whom that womb of the earth 
gave up, the first fruits that soil brought forth, which therefore must neces- 
sarily be understood of a virtual existence and priority ; and so, as because 
by virtue of him, all others do and have risen again. Then you may, by 
these and the like parallels, easily conceive how this assertion is to be 
understood, that ' all things were created by him,' as God-man, and as that 
one Lord or Christ ; as also, that there is not a necessity to ascribe all 
such things spoken of him, or to put the account of his being second person 
alone, as abstracted from the consideration of his being Lord, and Christ, 
because said to be done by him afore the human nature existed. 

And so the plain sense of this assertion is this, that the Son of God, per- 
sonally and actually existing as the Son of God with God, afore the world 
or any creature was made, he undertaking and covenanting with God to 
become a man (yea, that man which he hath now taken up into one person 
with himself), as well for this end as for other ends more glorious, God 
did in the virtue and fore-knowledge thereof, and in the assurance of that 
covenant of his, proceed unto the creating all things which he hath made ; 
and without the intuition, or having this in his eye, he would not have made 
any thing which he hath made. 

II. The second particular is, the adding some cautions touching the under- 
standing of this assertion. 

1. It is not to be understood, as if I meant, that God had not sufficient 
power, or absolute sovereignty, to have created, unless the Son of God had 
become man. God was God, blessed for ever, and all-sufficient in himself, 
without this design about Christ ; so as it adds no new power to him, which 
he had not in himself afore. Thus take that power which is in God to 
sanctify us now, when fallen into sin, and which is in the Holy Ghost to 
effect it in us, is one and the same essential power, which is in God as God, 



540 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

out of which he made man at first, and created him in holiness, and no 
other, And Christ's redemption, or dying for us, adds no new degree of 
essential power to God, or the Holy Ghost, whereby to enable him to sanc- 
tify us, as if else he wanted power to do it. No ; and yet we say, as to 
the exerting or putting forth that power, that it depends morally on Christ's 
having died, as without which it would not have been put forth ; as also, 
for that his death purchased the power, and also the mercy that was in God, 
to have it demonstrated, in raising up men dead in sins and trespasses ; 
and so we say it is to be attributed to his death and resurrection virtually, 
which also the Scripture affirms, Philip, iii. 10, ' That I may know him, and 
the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being 
made conformable unto his death.' 

2. As to the point in hand, I assert not neither so high and so great a 
dependence of this creating power upon the personal union, as is of sancti- 
fying us upon Christ's redemption, for by his death he purchased that power. 
But so it is not here, as if that his undertaking to assume man's nature had 
purchased this putting forth God's power to create ; but the dependence 
thereon refers to God's will, and so is ex hypothesi, that he would otherwise 
never have gone about to create, he would never have been pleased with any 
creature, or all creatures, he could have made, without this ; and so in him, 
and from him, as so considered, it was, that God condescended thereunto, 
as the reasons of this point, annexed to the proof of it, will give the ac- 
count of. 

3. When this is attributed to Christ as God-man, it is not exclusively to 
be understood as if, as second person, he did not concur to create as well 
as the Father and the Holy Ghost, because he virtually concurred as God- 
man. No ; for look as in redemption, the Son, as second person, concurs 
as well as the Father and the Spirit, as it is one act in common of the three 
persons, yet so as over and above, Christ, as God-man in one person, doth 
in especial effect it ; so here in creation, he hath, over and above his com- 
mon concurrence as second person, in this, and all works else, a special 
honour attributed to him, as God-man, from his virtual hand in it. 

III. It will much conduce to the right stating of this point, as I assert 
it, to take notice of the aberrations from, and yet dark gropings after this 
truth. 

1. Alius, he would have Christ to have been a great creature in the form 
of God, and as a God by office, and like unto him in all things, existing 
afore the world was, as the medium or means by whom God made all things ; 
and that without the intervention of such an immense and divine creature, 
he would not immediately himself have created any thing.* But then, 
Arius withal denied that this Christ was also God essentially, and of the 
substance of his Father, and so asserted him to be but a mere creature. 

2. Others of late have in like manner thus endeavoured to set out the 
person of Christ to us ; that he was put forth by God out of himself, a 
mere creature, and under the covenant of works ; yet so as in his person 
he was the Spirit, the seminal or prolific virtue of all the creatures that 
could or should be made, being the whole mass of what God had in him to 
afford to make creatures out of, distinct from himself ; as man hath to 
afford what if let out of himself is the foundation or matter of a son, or 
children from him ; and that this great Son of his thus put forth, finding 
himself distinct from God now put forth, and so as a mere creature mutable, 
as under the covenant of works, as all are by the law of creation, and that 

* Sec Rivet in Gen. 



Chap. X.J and his son jesus christ. 541 

so he would die and perish if he remained alone and thus out of God, he 
therefore, by the supernatural guidance and impulse of God, willingly died 
to that creatureship and the state and condition thereof, and giving that up 
to a oneness with God in spirit, he rose and ascended up to a being in the 
form of God, and one with God in Spirit, and in this respect was termed 
' the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world,' and then did create, as 
God, and as being in the form of God, and put forth angels and this world, 
and all things out of himself, and thereby is become the head of the first 
creation*; and by his appearing in flesh in that man at Jerusalem, did, by 
the like example acted by him, teach us men to die unto our being creatures, 
which hath been commonly termed by them, destroying of flesh. &c, and 
then to rise up in spirit unto that being in the form of God, and one in 
spirit with God, even as Christ himself afore the world had done, and 
thereby preserved himself from ruin. And this is the covenant of grace, 
say they ; thus Christ became the head of the new creation, as he was 
author of the first. 

3. That great and excellently learned man, Sir Francis Bacon, in a con- 
fession of faith, which I had in manuscript, under his hand, about forty - 
!<ix years ago, and since printed, 16-41, but without his name, his words are 
these : 

' I believe that God is so holy, pure, and jealous, as it is impossible for 
him to be pleased in any creature, though the work of his own hands ; so 
that neither angel nor man could stand, or can stand one moment in his 
eyes without the beholding of the same in the face of a mediator ; and 
therefore before him with whom all things are present, the Lamb of God was 
slain afore all the world, without which eternal purpose of his it was im- 
possible for him to have descended to any work of creation ; but he should 
have enjoyed the blessed and individual society of three persons in the God- 
head only for ever. But that out of his eternal and infinite goodness and 
love, purposing to become a creature, and communicate with his creatures, 
he ordained in his eternal counsel, that one person of the Godhead should 
be united to one nature, and to one particular of his creatures, that so in 
the person of the mediator the true ladder might be fixed whereby God 
might descend to his creatures, and his creatures ascend unto him.' 

And in his fifth paragraph it follows : — 

' That by virtue of this his eternal counsel, touching a mediator, he de- 
scended at his own good pleasure, and according to the times and seasons, to 
himself known, to become a creature ; who by his eternal Word created all 
things, and by his eternal Spirit doth comfort and preserve them.' 

There are two things in his stating this which I do not readily assent 
unto. 

1. That Christ was considered by God as the Lamb slain ; and from the 
foresight of his death, and the second person undertaking to become the 
Lamb slain, it was that God designed to create, even as through and for 
his death, as afore considered, he ordained to redeem man, considered then 
as fallen. But this needed not as to creation., there being no supposition 
of guilt in that which was nothing, which all things afore their creation 
were ; and besides, though his taking our nature was designed and proved 
to our redemption from sin, yet sufficient alone to move him simply to make 
and create mere creatures was that other reason which he gives, that one 
person of the Godhead should be united to one of his own creatures ; in 
whose person, so united, God's holiness and purity would fully be pleased 
to descend to create other fellow- creatures for him and his glory. Let 



542 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

Christ's blood then stand to reconcile sinners, or those that were in danger 
to sin ; and let his bare undertaking to be united to a creature be a sufficient 
relief against the meanness of mere creatures, and by their defects to set 
forth his glory. The creature alone considered had not been worth the 
making without this design ; Christ's person alone was an abundantly well- 
pleasing medium or mediator of union to the elect, and of stability unto 
the frailty and unworthiness in creatures. 

2. The second thing (which may stumble some) in this assertion is, that 
he says, it was impossible for God without this counsel or decree (namely, 
of Christ's incarnation) to have descended to any work of creation, &c. 
"Which expression, unless understood of an impossibility ex hypothesi, by 
way of supposition (that God would not have been pleased with any or all 
works his power could make, unless this personal union of some creature with 
God had been added and undertaken), would have a danger in it, and a great 
absurdity. Only as of a wise man it is said, he cannot do that which his 
wisdom and will, guided by counsel, thinks no meet for him to do ; so the 
same may be affirmed of God, which also seems, by the tenure of his speech, 
to have been his scope. 

But the state I would put this assertion into, in distinction from this, 
and in perfect opposition to those forementioned errors of others, is, 

That indeed, according to the Scriptures, and the very foundations of our 
religion, God needed not any mere creature to help him to create, but it is 
his own immediate power that doth it, as the book of Job and Genesis tells 
us ; therefore (to obviate that objection) our Christ is truly and by nature 
very God, of the same substance with his Father, begotten by him, and 
equal to him, and that afore the world was ; as also at the creation, he 
existed as God with God his Father, afore any creature was, or any way 
assumed by him. 

His subserviency to God in the creation is set forth in this Col. i. 16, in 
three particles. 

I. 'Ev a-jrw* In him. 

II. A/' avrou, By him. 

III. 'E/c dbrbv, For him. 

I. In him, as the exemplary cause, so some schoolmen of old interpreted 
it ; for it is not in him all the creatures can be said to be as in a head, for 
that is the peculiar and proper privilege of elect men and angels, that are 
homogeneal to him. He is a Lord to every creature, but not a head, 
therefore the exemplary cause is intended. And this was one reason, among 
many others, why God, in his decree about what creature the second person 
should assume, pitched upon man's nature rather than that of angels, be- 
cause man's nature is the compendium of all, and so fitted to be (as in Christ 
it was) exalted the exemplar, the KgajrorvTov, the pattern of the whole crea- 
tion. The poets feigned a piece out of every creature to have been taken 
to make up man, the perfection of them all. In his reasonable soul, which 
is a spirit that can subsist of itself, he agrees with angels ; in his body, and 
the lives thereof, sensitive and vegetative, with beasts and plants, &c. Now 
therefore God set up Christ as the pattern of all perfection (for so that 
human nature, united and quickened by the Godhead, must needs be even 
above the angels themselves, though having a body, and more excellent than 




Chap. X.J and his son jesus ciiiust. 543 

they), and drew in scattered pieces the several perfections met in that 
human nature in the rest of the creation from this pattern. And in man's 
creation (whose nature it was he was to assume) this seems to have been 
considered by God, in that speech then uttered, ' Let us make man accord- 
to our image,' which in Christ as decreed to be God-man, and in which, as 
such, he is styled, ' the image of the invisible God,' as hath been shewn 
(which some, both ancient and modern divines, have interpreted of Christ, 
as to be made man, notwithstanding Austin's objection). Even as that 
speech used when man was created, — ' Man was made a living soul' — is in- 
terpreted by the apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 45, &c, to have an eye to Christ, as 
the type or shadow hath to the body, so likewise that speech uttered before 
concerning his creation, ' Let us make man after our image,' that man re- 
fers to whom God was to be united to, and is as if God had said, whom 
we in our decrees have set up as the pattern and expressest image of the 
invisible Godhead, common to all three persons, to the utmost liveliness 
ordained to be set out, in him who was set out. Therefore the first in in- 
tention, and decree, and therein before this man Adam, and all things, and 
of whom this man Adam is but a shadow. 

H. The second phrase is, hi avrou, ' By him all things were created ;' so 
Eph. iii. 9, where speaking of the mystery of the gospel itself (whereof 
Christ was the great founder, and apparent author in all men's eyes), he 
adds, how the same Christ had also created all things, he having been some 
way the instrument, as he is Christ, God-man, anointed of the creation, as 
well as actually of redemption. And the coming of it in there, so by a mere 
occasional addition, imports as if this Christ indeed had been concealed, 
and came not into the world, but then when the gospel was to be revealed 
and manifested (of which he there speaks as a mystery hid), yet unto 
him, as thus to come into the world, was the world beholden for their 
creation. And this glory of Christ, God concealed until the full revelation 
of him in the great work of redemption, that so all his revenues of glory 
might come in together. Yea, if he were at all to be made a creature, it 
was his due personal privilege to have been first himself made, and him- 
self to have been God's instrument in it, and to have uttered those words 
still which were spoken by God (yet as on purpose relating to him, as 
Cameron well observes), ' Let there be light, ' Let there be sun, moon,' &c. 
Even as it was his due, when he assumed our nature, to have been filled 
with all that personal glory which he hath now in heaven ; but that for 
accomplishment of other ends also it was suspended, namely, that he 
might first become sin and a curse for us ; so, I say, it was his due to 
have existed in his human nature first (supposing such a decree that he 
should assume) ; and then he, as God's Word and instrument, to have 
created all things, as he wrought miracles when he was on the earth. 
But God having a further and more glorious end, suspended that (as he 
did his personal glory due to him, when he came), and contrived his 
coming after the fall, in order to redemption. He yet gives him that glory 
of creation virtually, and that he created all things by him, and by virtue 
of his incarnation ; and in creating (to shew he should have done it as his 
Xoyog, a Word to be made flesh) he accordingly acts his part, as in Gen. i., 
' God said, Let there be light,' and the like, which but for this very mys- 
tery needed not have been. Yea, such seems to have been his subservi- 
ency to God herein, that John contents not himself only to have said, that 
' all things were made by him,' but further adds, ' and without him nothing 
was made that was made,' Unto the interpretation of which place, hereto 



544 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BoOK III. 

annexed,* I refer the reader for a further explication and confirmation of 
this truth. 

And the reason of this is, partly to honour his Son, to make that his act 
of undertaking to assume our nature (whereby the Son should be made 
less than his Father, even in the greatest height of glory that could be put 
upon him ; and yet he did this to manifest the Godbead to the utmost), 
the foundation of the creation, as he did his incarnation in frail flesh, 
together with his sufferings the foundation of our salvation (for upon the 
decrees of God's will we will suppose the connection of these to depend) ; 
but yet partly withal, because it was not meet, nor did it become the 
great God to make any mere creatures, though never so glorious, but 
upon Christ's undertaking first himself to be a creature, and that for two 
reasons. 

First, For if God glorify himself by creation at all, he will glorify him- 
self as God the utmost way that may be, or else he doth not like himself. 
God is curious in the works which his hands mean to make, and will mani- 
fest his Godhead unto the utmost. Now all that could have been held 
forth and manifested of the Godhead, in and to mere creatures, had fallen 
short, had not been to the utmost ; therefore if God satisfy himself, it must 
be by that which is the utmost, or he would have torn all projects of models 
of worlds in pieces, and never have put them in execution ; for still he says 
with himself, I shall do my best and utmost, if there be not an union of 
some creature into one person with us. Nothing else would have satisfied 
his vast desires of being glorified. 

And, secondly, the holiness of mere creatures would not have come up 
to a contentment of his, as the manifestation of tbe Godhead in the creation 
of mere creatures would not have given full contentment to his power and 
wisdom, so no mere created holiness to his holiness. He finds folly in the 
angels, possibility of mutability, an imperfection ; but there is none in God 
incarnate. Now, therefore, if his Son will undertake to be a creature, he 
is so pleased herewith, as he can be content to condescend (as the psalmist's 
word is) to look down upon the making works of a lower nature. Which 
all serve also to illustrate this highest work of all, by their several subordi- 
nation thereunto in their several ranks and orders. 

It is strange that in the text there should be three phrases used concern- 
ing the creation in relation unto Christ. The creatures are said to be 
created in him, and created by him, and created for him. 

In him, as a head, they are not. The creatures cannot be said to be 
created, as the elect are said to be chosen, in him : that is proper to those 
creatures that are homogeneal to him. In him, therefore, may well be 
understood virtually, as in Eph. ii. 10, we are said to be ' his workman- 
ship, created in him to good works :' so the old creation is also in him in 
a virtual respect. That place in Prov. viii. 30, ' I was brought up with 
him' (speaking of Wisdom), I remember Junius translates it actively, Edu- 
cat ; I was he that did foster the creatures, he did foster the purposes of 
God in the creation of the world ; he was Educans, nursing up and foster- 
ing of the old creation in his purpose. In Eph. iii. 9, tbe apostle saith, 
that it was given to him to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, and 
to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the 
beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who (saith he) created all 
things by Jesus Christ. He speaks of the mystery of the gospel. Now 
that Jesus Christ was the founder of the gospel, that was apparently known, 
* See chap, xii., infra. — Ed. 



Chap. XI. J and his son jesus ctirist. 545 

it was in all men's eyes ; but be addcth, by tbe same Jesus Cbrist be 
created all things, tbat is, by Jesus Cbrist as anointed God-man. And to 
me tbe words came in tbus (for it is an addition by tbe way), tbat tbough 
tbe gospel only began to reveal tins Cbrist, and he did not assume man's 
nature till tbe times of tbe gospel, and for evangelical ends and purposes, 
for the redemption of man took frail flesh ; yet, saith he, know this, the 
world was beholden to him for its creation ; and this is one glory of his that 
is not to be laid aside, and the revelation of it, saith he, is by" the gospel. 
He brings it in here with the other, that Christ might have all his revenues 
of glory (which in the 8th verse have been styled his riches) come in together. 



CHAPTER XL 

That Christ as God-man is the Creator of all things, proved by scriptures. — 
The first proof out of the former text reassvmed : 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' By 
whom are all things. 1 Some further explanation how this is attributed to 
him as God-man, in answers to some queries respecting it. 

I allege, in the first place, that preliminary text I took, of 1 Cor. viii. 6. 
Shewing thereout, that the one God had set up Christ as tbe one Lord 
under himself, a Lord unto all his creatures. I then proved that title of 
Lordship there given him was not meant of his natural Lordship, as he is 
God, or singly as second person, but as God- man. For evidence of which 
I must refer the reader thither. 

That particular improvement which I now make of that passage in that 
scripture, ' By him are all things,' is to set it in the front to the rest of 
scriptures that follow, to lead on to the proof of the point in hand founded 
upon this. 

That if this title of one Lord be given him as God-man, and in respect 
of an office he sustains afore God, as was there proved, the inference is 
strong, that then he was as such first and chiefly forelaid in God's designs 
and everlasting purposes as a midst or foundation unto all, as upon whom 
all things in common for creation, and we in special for our supernatural 
estate, had a dependence, and not merely as second person. And it is of 
all things, as well as of the state of the elect. For, 

1. If all things be by him, as the Lord, then he, under God, is a founder 
of them, as the Lord of them. For that which is by another,* must 
needs be acknowledged, as such, to be before that other. Nor is it said 
only that all are for him, as if in that respect only he were their Lord 
(which yet is true) as Adam, his type, was lord of all the risible world, and 
yet the world was not by him. But here he is such a Lord, as by whom 
or through whom all things are. And not only of them when they once 
are, but through whom they are and have then- being. And so he is their 
founder as well as their end. In or is he said simply to be Lord of all, as 
Acts x. 36, and Lord over all, Rom. x. 12 ; but here it is further, ' one 
Lord, by whom all.' 

2. It is indifferently spoken of him, that all things are by him as one 
Lord, as that we (the church) are by him. Now all will and do acknowledge, 
that we, and all that belongs unto our salvation, do and doth depend on him 
as God-man, and as our Lord ; and that that is the intent of that speech 
in that same 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' and we by him.' In that respect, therefore, 

* Qu. ' By which another is ' ? — Ed. 
vol. rv. Mm 



546 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

in their kind and proportion, all things else ; for both are there set toge- 
ther and yoked in one and like parallel expression. 

3. And indeed, 3dly, The dependence of all things on him, merely as 
God and second person, is afore included in that preceding speech ; ' There 
is one God, the Father, of whom are all things.' And Christ, considered 
as second person, is one God with the Father, as our divines upon this 
place do affirm against the Socinian objection. And the Father is set for 
the other two persons, both the Son and Spirit ; as in John xvii. 3, 
' And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and 
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' And here the Son is evidently 
implied in saying, ' One God, the Father,' spoken in relation to Christ as 
the Son ; and because they are both thus included, therefore it is that the 
Spirit is not mentioned at all ; when yet upon him is the same dependence 
that is upon the Father ; yea, and of the Son and Spirit it is that all things 
are, as well as of the Father. 

To conclude : what is that great truth the apostle sets the primitive 
churches a-work to pray about, and that the generality of the then heathen 
world might come to the knowledge of, but this very thing thus stated ? 
' God would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the 
truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the 
man Christ Jesus,' 1 Tim. ii. 4, 5. And doth not this Corinthian text 
speak just in the same parallel language, ' one God, and one Lord ?' So 
then it is not Christ, simply considered as second person, the apostle here 
intends as the one Lord here ; that sense would be too narrow in compari- 
son of this other, that comprehends the whole of our Christ, both as God, 
the substratum of his person, and also man, and the whole of his office in 
the relation he stands thereby unto God, to us, and all the whole creation. 

There is a query or two may be made. 

Query 1. Is not Christ's Lordship rather thus to be understood, That as 
God indeed he hath a natural right over all things, because as God he made 
them ? And the title of God's dominion over all is founded on this, that 
he is the maker of them ; and so, that Christ's official or commissionated 
Lordship over all as man is but only for him to be the end or ruler of 
them, which Ps. viii. 4, compared with Heb. ii. 6, gives him ; ' But one in 
a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of 
him ? or the son of man, that thou visitest him ?' What is man ? Thou 
madest him to have dominion over the work of thy hands, &c, that is, when 
they are once made by him, considered as he is God ; and therefore in that 
respect of his being man, is not to be extended to their creation, or to his 
being author of their very beings themselves. 

I answer ; That if Lord here in the text be meant of that commissionated 
Lordship he hath as God-man, as hath been proved ; that then, asjruly as 
that all things are said to be of one God, as God, in respect of their crea- 
tion, so truly are all things said to be by this one Lord, though in a dis- 
tinction from God. All things is a reaching word, and comprehends the 
very beings of things ; and we see that in as full an extent of latitude it is 
spoken of Christ, that all are by him, as the former is of God, that all are 
of him; only with this note of difference, of him, so of God; but by him, 
so of that one Lord, shewing that God hath that dominion originally, but 
Christ derivatively, as a commissionated Lord, as he by whom God doth 
all things, that yet are of God himself. Now, when it is here said of God, 
' all things are of him,' all readily understand it, that all things have their 
beings of him, and their very creation from him. Therefore also, when it 



ClIAP. XI.] AND niS SON JESUS CITRIST. C47 

is said of Christ, ' all things are hy him,' it is in liko manner imported 
that they till depend on this commissionated Lord for their beings and 
creation also. And the Scriptures fall in with this phrase and manner of 
expression, whilst they frequently say of Christ, ' all things were made hy 
him,' and that ' God hy him did make the worlds ;' whilst they particularly 
express Christ's share of efficiency in their making and creation. This is 
the common language with what is here. 

Ans. 2. The assertion is not that as man, singly considered, this is attri- 
buted unto him, but as God-man. Singly and alone as man he hath no 
such Lordship at all, either over all the creatures to rule them, much less 
to create ; for a mere man was not capable of it (as was said). Nor, on 
the contrary, is it true that as he is God, singly considered, he only can 
create ; but that as God- man he can create also (especially having been 
therewith commissioned thereto as such by God), even as well as forgive 
sins ; which he takes on him as God-man to do. The Jews in a like man- 
ner objected, Mark ii. 7, ' This man speaks blasphemies : who can forgive 
sins but God ?' It is true, none could but he that is God. But it was not 
true that it was not so a property of God, considered singly as God only, 
that a man that was one person with God, or God-man, could not be par- 
taker of it, as his personal privilege, by virtue of that union, or have a 
virtual influence thereunto, as well as God. And to put an end to that 
controversy, Christ gives this real demonstration of it, ver. 9 and 11, 
' Whether is it easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, 
take up thy bed and walk ? But that ye may know the Son of man hath 
power on earth to forgive sins.' Yea, Christ as God-man, doth greater 
works every day than create worlds. He creates ' new creatures,' and 
thereby causeth ' all old things to pass away, and all things to become new.' 
And he will ' create new heavens and a new earth ;' and ' change our vile 
bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according 
to the working of his mighty power, whereby he is able even to subdue all 
things unto himself,' Philip, hi. 21. Which are all spoken of Christ as 
God-man, even him whom visibly we ' look for from heaven,' as it is there 
in the verse afore. 

Ans. 3. Nor are these things attributed to him merely by way of com- 
munication of properties ; whereby what is proper only to the divine nature 
singly as God is attributed to the manhood ; but these all by way of in- 
fluence and virtual efficacy are attributed to him as God-man, as truly as 
the works of redemption, mediation, and forgiveness of sins, all which are 
secundum utramque naturam attributed to Christ, in respect of both his 
human and divine natures, as we affirm against the papists. 

Ans. 4. To affirm this is (as not any of those other afore-mentioned) no 
way derogatory unto God. It is proper indeed to God to create by his own 
sole power originally ; all the essential power is solely his, and the man 
Jesus can add nothing of power thereunto. Yet derivatively the person of 
the Son, as God-man, may be and was empowered thereto, over and above 
what simply, as God and second person, his power was for. As by way 
of difference, it is said, ' all things are by him,' as Lord ; but of God, that 
' all is of him.' 

Ans. 5. Nor is it true that the sole foundation or rise of God's being 
Lord over all is, that he is maker of all things ; and that therefore this is 
peculiar to God as God ; for he was ' Lord over all ' before they were made, 
in that he could make them, &c. His Lordship as God is founded on a 
sovereignty in himself. And accordingly doth learned Cameron speak upon 



548 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

this occasion of Christ himself ; Dominium Mud essentiale, &c, ' This essen- 
tial dominion (namely as God) belongs not only to Christ for the canse or 
ground that he is the Creator of all things, but upon that height and sove- 
reignty of the divine nature ; which is such, and so high and lofty in kiud 
above that of all the creatures, that although the world had not been made 
by him (which yet we cannot so much as feign the supposition of), he had 
yet been the Lord of all things, namely, as God.' 

Query 2. That seeing he existed not as man at the creation, nor until 
four thousand years thence after ; as also by Peter the first date of his being 
made Lord, as God-man, is made upon his ascension into heaven, Acts ii., 
ver. 34, 36 ; how then can his having created all be ascribed unto him as 
God-man, the Lord ? 

Ans. 1. This hinders not his virtual influence (as God-man) into the 
work of creation, no more than his not having existed as man did hinder 
his virtual influence (and that as God-man) into the work of redemption 
all along under the Old Testament, in which Christ is so often styled ' the 
Redeemer.' And further, by the same reason (if this allegation should 
avail) he should not have been made the Christ no more than the Lord 
neither, until he had ascended ; for both are there equally joined, ' Him 
hath God made both Lord and Christ.' But as Christ, and Jesus also, he 
is ' the same yesterday,' in the Old Testament ; ' and to-day,' in the New ; 
as well afore his ascension as after, ' and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8, and there- 
fore as Lord also. 

Ans. 2. The actual execution by the man Jesus (he now actually existing 
as such), was indeed first more openly and publicly entered upon, and 
manifestly declared before angels and men upon his ascension ; but was 
afore secretly executed and performed, in all the works and parts belonging 
to it, by the Son of God, who was the person then existing ; and yet not 
as then by him, as singly considered, as merely second person, but as 
having been appointed and commissionated thereto by the three persons in 
God's decrees, and himself having also undertaken to be man, and there- 
with he sustaining that personage, he performed and issued forth all acts 
afore his Father, sub eo nomine. Observe how the second of the Acts 
speaks, ' Let all the house of Israel know assuredly ' (by this open and 
visible demonstration given) ' that God hath made that same Jesus whom 
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.' 

Ans. 3. Nor doth he say that when he ascended (the visible effects of 
which ' ye now see and hear,' says he, ver. 23, were the evidence for this, 
that God had made him Christ, and Lord ; which effects the apostle refers 
them there unto), that then first God made him the Lord and Christ, or 
that then first he had entered upon that office ; but he produceth it as an 
undeniable testimony, that God hath made him so, &c, and that he was 
the person whom God had made ; but when first made, is not there said. 

Ans. 4. These words hath made do as well, and as effectually speak, and 
involve his having been appointed to it, as now to note out the actual exe- 
cution of it, by the man as actually ascended. Appointed is put to express 
being made, and e contra ; so Heb. iii. 2 treats of Christ, ' He was faithful 
to him that appointed him ;' the Greek is, ' that made him.' And his being 
appointed Lord, will allow us, and send us to an higher date, even to afore 
the creation, yea, even to eternity : Heb. i. 2, ' God hath in these last days 
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by 
whom also he made the worlds.' 

The subject of these elogies is not singly the second person, but the whole 



Chap. XII.] and ms son jesus chkirt. 549 

of Christ as now made man, and by whom ho had now in the last days 
spoken to ns as such. And yet, because ho had said, that in the last days 
this was done, and not till then ; to pre-occupate the very same objection 
we haw been answering, he goes on, ' Whom he hath appointed heir of all 
things,' &o. As if he had said, Although our Christ, as man, actually 
existed not until four thousand years after the creation (at which period it was 
the last days began, or perhaps rather at his ascension), yet he was long aforo 
that appointed the heir, that is, Lord of all things that were so long actually 
extant afore him as man ; yea, he was so appointed long before the very 
creation of them ; and therefore he sets this his being appointed first, and 
aforo that of their creation, ' by whom also he made the worlds.' Yea, and 
because as God-man he was appointed the Lord of them, therefore it was 
also that God commissionated him to make them, as being considered God- 
man, to make his title of Lordship, even as Son of man, proper and direct, 
and adequately full to him. So then God appointed him to all this, and 
the Son of God then existing, and consenting to and taking this office of 
Lord on him, and person of God-man, and Christ acting accordingly in all 
that was done, as the Lord and heir of all, there needeth no more to verify 
this we are upon, namely, that as God-man he made the worlds, and vir- 
tually as man, as well as efficiently both as God and man, in the sense it 
hath been explained in. 



CHAPTEE XII. 

That Christ, as God-man, is the Creator of all things, proved from John i. 1, 
2, 3. — Whether 6 Xoyog, the Word, import not as the second person existing, 
as God with God in the beginning, so withal connotating that person, as 
sustaining before God the personage of God-man, by whom as such all things 
were created. — An interpretation of Prov. \iii. from ver. 22 to 32, with a 
parallel between that scripture and this of John i. 1, 2, 3. — A brief exposi- 
tion of the first chapter of John, continued unto the 14.th verse. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
was God. The same ivas in the beginning with God. All things were 
made by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made. — 
John I. 1, 2, 3. 

In the prosecution of this assertion of Christ (as God-man) his being 
instrumental to all God's purposes, and decrees, and works, as namely, 
the creation, providence, &c, I shall further add what the forepart of this 
chapter, which speaks of the creation by him, under the title of the Word, 
may contribute hereunto. Wherein it will be meet to inquire whether that 
title, the Word, be to be understood of him merely as second person, or 
also as bearing the personage of God-man ? 

In discoursing of the person of our Lord Christ, I fell upon that title of 
his, whereby John here styles him the Word ; and then discoursed how it 
importeth both his being, 

1. The image of God the Father, which he is as second person. 

2. The image, the manifestation of God unto us in a human nature. 
Which two are suitably consistent ; the Word in both those tongues the 

scripture was written in, signifying the inward image, or conceptus of the mind 
framed within itself, and also that which is uttered in speech, which is the 



550 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

truest interpretation or index of the mind, and the most immediate lively 
image and manifest of what the mind conceives within itself to others. 

Many of our modem protestant divines have (as I then observed) alto- 
gether declined the first sense, and betaken themselves to the latter, namely, 
that Christ is called the Word, as in relation to his being manifested in a 
human nature, and therein to manifest the whole of God unto us ; for as 
manifested in our nature, it was only that he was to manifest God to us. 
In the Old Testament, besides those other titles of Shiloh, Messiah, Son of 
God, the Seed of the woman, Adonai, Tlie L6*rd, &c, this of his being the 
Word was known and used among the Jews. Nor otherwise had the Greek 
Septuagint so often used it, when Christ was spoken of, naming him o Xoyog, 
the Word, as it is found they have done. That it is not appropriated to 
him only as Son of God, and second person, is manifest, as in the discourse 
of the person of Christ I have shewn, that in the New Testament he is 
styled so, as Son of God united to that human nature ; and as such is 
evident from Rev. xix. 13, ' And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, 
and his name is called the Word of God.' For it is spoken when he came 
to do execution as God's deputy. 

Now John gives him that title here, long afore he had assumed it, even 
in the beginning, and at the creation, which was tho first appearance or 
manifestation that can be supposed of him, seeing creation was the first of 
works God himself ever did act of himself. What I have commented from 
those other former scriptures, hath put me on a further inquiry, viz., 
whether the title be not given him then, in respect of God's having set him 
up, and himself undertaken, and as then acting the person of God-man (in 
the sense hitherto driven) one day actually to take flesh, but in the mean 
time, under the name of the Word, performing this part. I proceed to it 
by degrees. 

1. It seems fair to me, that if he be thus termed the Word, after the 
assumption of our nature, and as acting in it, why should not his being 
termed the Word, before his incarnation, by John, have relation to his under- 
taking that office or person afore ? Now it is evident that he is termed the 
Word of God in this sense, as subsisting in a human nature, and therein 
executing the decrees and counsels of God, as king of his church and nations ; 
thus expressly, Rev. xix. 11-16, ' And I saw heaven opened, and behold a 
white horse ; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true ; and 
in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as aflame of 
fire, and on his head were many crowns ; and he had a name written, that 
no man knew but he himself : and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in 
blood : and his name is called The Woed of God. And the armies which 
were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white 
and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he 
should smite the nations ; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron : and 
he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God. 
And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, King of 
kings, and Lord of lords.' And we know also, that he acted virtually as 
man, afore he came into the world as mediator, and so as God-man, and 
appeared as a man ; for in such an appearance, he, the angel of the cove- 
nant, conversed with the fathers. For the angels that came into Sodom, 
the inhabitants took for men. Among the Jews also that style of ' the 
Word,' as that of ' Wisdom,' Prov. viii. (which is all one), was the usual 
title taken up among them to express the mediator by. It was the name 
he was called and known by as such. One eminent evidence of this is that 



Chap. XIT.J and his son jesus christ. 551 

of the Chaldee paraphrast, who hath enstyled him the Word, as mediator, 
and thereof as God-man, in the paraphrase and translation of that promise 
made to Abraham, Gen. xxii. 15, 1G, 'By myself have I sworn, in blessing 
I will bless thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' 
The Chaldee turns it, ' By my Word have I sworn.' Now compare with 
it Heb. vi. 17 : the apostle's paraphrase on that oath is this : his words in 
the original import, that God did mtermedutie by oath ; the margin itself 
varies it, interposed. So then, put both together, the effect is this, that 
God, in making the promise to Abraham, swore by that Word of his, his 
Son, that was to be the mediator and interposer, &c, to make that oath 
good through his interposition ; who being one in essence with God, God is 
therefore also said to swear by himself. Or perhaps, rather thus, that the 
Son of God being that person that appeared to the fathers, did swear by 
himself, as to become the Word, and by oath undertook to mediate, and to 
that end to become, as Heb. ii. 16, the seed of Abraham, and to bless that 
nation. But still, out of either sense is collected this, that Christ as me- 
diator is the Word. 

2. Secondly, At other times he is spoken of as mediator (and so God- 
man), under that title. So in that great promise to Abraham, God inter- 
posed by his Word. So to David, ' for his Word's sake' (as Daniel, chap. 
ix. 17, ' for the Lord's sake'). And these were the two great persons in 
the Old Testament to whom, and in whose name, the promises were made. 
And, 

3. Thirdly, I found, that here this title is given him in respect of his 
being 6 Xoyog, and so that to be esteemed the first title of all other, in rela- 
tion unto God's works ad extra ; and that by him as second person, all was 
created : and comparing it with those other Scriptures, I considered 
whether it might not be given him, in relation to his having undertaken to 
be man, as well as merely the Son of God. 

4. Fourthly, I found that title of ' Wisdom' (which is near akin, if not 
all one with this of ' the Word'), to be understood of him as God-man, as 
set up in God's decree, with his own undertaking that personage ; so in 
Prov. viii. And that under that title, he is there spoken of as set up with 
God long before the creation. I compared that Scripture with this, and 
found them parallel in many respects. 

5. I then, fifthly, found Christ applying that title unto himself as Son of 
man, as sending out prophets, which Wisdom is said to do ; and in the 
Proverbs, Wisdom's calling upon her disciples under the name of children, 
Prov. viii. 32, ' Now therefore hearken unto me, ye children : for blessed 
are they that keep my ways.' And Christ referring to it, says, ' Wisdom 
is justified of her children,' Mat. xi. 19 ; and that speech doth verily sup- 
pose him God-man. Also he is found delighting in the sons of men on 
earth, which Ps. xvi. 23, is spoken of Christ as man, ' My righteousness 
extends to the saints on earth, with whom is all my delight ;' which are 
almost the very words in Prov. viii. 31, ' Kejoicing in the habitable part of 
his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' 

6. Sixthly, When I came to the creation, as in Gen. i., from whence this 
title is given him, as by comparing John and Moses appears, I considered, 
whether God, by a word within himself, did speak it as in corcle. Now so 
he had said, ' Let there be light,' and that from everlasting; and therefore 
why may we not suppose it to have been uttered at the beginning of every 
day's work ? And that voice being a creature, whether that clothing with 
words at creation, shewed not that Christ was to be clothed on with a crea- 



552 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

turo, to speak God's mind unto us creatures, and that he had so undertaken, 
as heing that Wisdom who had sustained it in God's purpose, and now ap- 
peared to execute it. 

The interpretation of the words, John i. ver. 1, ' In the beginning was 
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' 

These words do willingly, and without constraint, offer up this one im- 
port of them, that he that was known as the expected Messiah, by the usual 
name of the Word of God, both as the image of God to himself, and as who 
was ordained to be the Wisdom of God, the manifestation of God to us, the 
great interposer and mediator in a human nature, to come one day into the 
world ; his person was existing in the beginning, and was God, and with 
God. Thus for his personal existence, which having affirmed, as to this 
existence of his person, 

Then, ver. 2, he adds, ' The same was in the beginning with God.' 

This being in view but a repetition of the former, and indeed meant of 
the existence of his person, is no other in the sense of it. I inquire there- 
fore, whether this expression, ' The same was in the beginning with God,' 
be not distinct from the former in this, that qua Xoyo;, or as the Word, as 
sustaining that personage (as I have often distinguished it), that eo nomine, 
et persona, he was then with God ? He was this same Word in the begin- 
ning with God ; and not only that he that was the Word, was from the 
beginning with God. He had said afore, ver. 1, that he was in the begin- 
ning, and that he was with God. To what end repeats he this ? Say I, 
to this eminent meaning, which as yet John before had not spoke out, namely, 
that as the Word he had existed in the beginning, and was with God as 
such, and so read it thus : this same Word spoken of was with God in the 
beginning ; or, he was this same Word from the beginning. The existence 
of his person, and his being God, and with God, the first verse holds forth ; 
but his existence also with God tanquam, as the Word or mediator, this the 
second holds forth ; and that as a preface unto that which follows concern- 
ing the creation. 

Ver. 2, ' The same was in the beginning with God.' 1. It imports that 
the second person, besides his personal existence, spoken of, ver. 1, and 
relation of a Son which he stood in towards God, did then between him and 
his Father, sustain, and took on him another relation, or person of the me- 
diator ; and not only undertaking it, but further, even then entering upon 
the office of it, and acting the part of it, sustaining the place and reputa- 
tion of it. 

2. He was so in God's repute or esteem, as we use to say, one is so or 
so with another one, or, he is all in all with him. Such speeches import 
not only a real existence, but also a being such or such in real repute and 
esteem with another. Thus, that second person (who also personally then 
existed, and was with God, and in God, and one with him) was in God's 
real repute and esteem the Word, and sustained that name, and relation, 
' The Word was with God,' that is, he was with God, the Word. God had 
that account or honour for him ; and in their actual converses, God owned 
him as such, and himself took it on him to be such, afore God, and with 
God. In which sense the man Jesus, praying for the possession of that 
glory he hath now in heaven, urgeth that he had it with God afore the world 
was, when yet the man actually existed not, John xvii. 5. It is the same 
phrase there and here. And there it is necessarily to be understood of the 
glory of God-man, which he had in God's decree and designment; and the 
second person then existing and taking the name and thing upon him, God 



ClIAP. XII. J AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 558 

conversed with him under that title, Sec. For it was that glory which, 
during the term of his humiliation, after the man had hcen actually united 
to the person of the Son, was suspended until now the time of his praying. 
And therefore he prays to have it as then bestowed, in the real possession 
of it, according to the model which was in God's heart and design about it 
bot'orc the world was, that so he might bo oxistently and really possessed of it 
in and with God, as he had been ordained to it and bore the repute of it 
with God. This to be the meaning of that bis petition, and of that phrase 
1 with God,' I have at large elsewhere handled upon that text. And when 
I say in repute with God, I understand it thus : it was among the three 
persons, and their converses afore the world was made, as if three men, 
who purpose to erect a company, or to found a college, should in their con- 
trivements, long before they set upon the work, take several relations on 
them, and offices aforehand, which they mean executively to bear, when 
that corporation is erected, or tho adventure begun ; one of them being 
reckoned treasurer or purser, to lay out all ; another, master or governor, &c, 
and according they beforehand esteem and call each other such, in their 
speech of and to each other ; and in the very first founding that college, the 
treasurer lays out the money out of his purse as treasurer, and so manageth 
it afterwards. 

3. The words are to be understood that he did then virtually exist as 
such, as being considered the foundation of those works that follow creation, 
and the like. Thus in the like phrase of speech he is said to be, ' the 
Lamb slain from the beginning of the world,' Rev. xiii. 8, that is, from the 
fall, for so the phrase ' from the beginning' there is taken, the meaning of 
which is, that Christ's death was considered from that time as virtually 
existing as if it had been past, in that upon the consideration of that his 
death, God saved Eve, yea in that respect Christ did exist as mediator, 
during all the days of the Old Testament, ' Jesus Christ the same to-day, 
yesterday, and for ever.' In like manner may Christ be said then in the 
beginning to be the Word, as virtually under that consideration, being the 
foundation of the world, and all God's works therein. So then, it was not 
only an existence in God's decree, as in like manner that glory he is said 
to have had with the Father afore the world was (John xvii.) is not spoken 
simply in decree, for the like speech is nowhere said of any elect man or 
angel, nor is compatible to them, as if they had a glory with God afore the 
world was. No, it was peculiar to Christ ; and the reason of the difference 
is evident, because the person then existing actually (as men and angels did 
not) might well undertake and bear this person apart, as in the Old Testa- 
ment, de facto, he did before he was incarnate. So besides the essential 
glory as second person (which he there speaks not of), he had the honour, 
repute, renown, and glory with God, as the mediator and saviour of his church, 
which now in his prayer the human nature challengeth to be bestowed upon 
him as his ancient investment and endowment ; the second person having 
before the world was, by an agreement and complot with his Father, under- 
taken to assume human nature, and all that while, bearing and sustaining 
and acting that person, his Father did as between themselves repute and 
converse with him as such, and gave him reputatively a glory, a name be- 
tween themselves correspondent to that glory, which now (when God-man 
glorified in heaven) he actually hath bestowed upon him, which is thus ex- 
pressed by him — ' the glory which I had with thee' — which yet had been 
his due actually to have received from the first moment of his assuming 
human nature, but he had laid it down both before God and men, taking 



554 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK III. 

' the form of a servant,' and becoming ' of no reputation' (as it is Phil. ii. 7), 
neither with God, so far as God's outward dispensation held forth, nor with 
men during the time of his humiliation ; during which he had given up 
even that glory, in the respect he had had with God before the world was. 
Hence, therefore, he having finished that work of humiliation for man's sin, 
(which was but part of the work, which as God-man he was to do by the 
way, whilst in the world) he now desires God to give him actually and 
visibly before saints and angels that glory, and cause it to break forth in 
that human nature he had assumed, which reputatively between themselves 
he had given him before the world was, when he had undertaken it, and 
bare that person of God-man, which glory was but his due inheritance, 
whenever he should take our nature. And this I truly take to be the 
genuine sense, and fairest meaning that can be given of these words of Christ, 
John xvii. 5, ' Now, Father, do thou glorify me with thine own self, with 
the glory which I had with thee before the world was ;' namely, that which 
then he had in real repute in relation upon his bearing that person, before 
God, which now he had assumed, and now seeks to have actually and visibly 
bestowed upon that nature which he had, according to his ancient under- 
taking, assumed. 

It is well known unto those who have met with that question, Whether 
Christ, as a Redeemer, was the first intended in God's decrees, or whether 
considered as man simply, in order to other glorious ends, were not the 
primitive great decree ; which hath been agitated both by papist and pro- 
testant writers ; it is well known, I say, that those which are for the latter, 
do insist and urge much that of Proverbs viii. ; where Wisdom, that is, 
Christ, for so Christ expressly takes it on himself, in those words spoken 
of himself by himself, ' Wisdom is justified by her children :' Prov. viii. 
22-31, ' The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his 
works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever 
the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth ; when 
there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were 
settled ; before the hills was I brought forth : while as yet he had not made 
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 
When he prepared the heavens, I was there : when he set a compass upon 
the face of the depth : when he established the clouds above : when he 
strengthened the fountains of the deep : when he gave to the sea his decree, 
that the waters should not pass his commandment : when he appointed the 
foundations of the earth : then I was by him, as one brought up with him : 
and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him ; rejoicing in the 
habitable part of his earth ; and my delights were with the sons of men.' 

These things (say they) cannot be understood of Christ simply as second 
person, or as a Redeemer. 

1. Not as Redeemer, which supposed this world first to be decreed to be 
made, and man to be created, yea, and fallen ; but as God-man, and con- 
sidered as such, as subservient to other ends of God, as well as redemption, 
in the utmost latitude of God's vast purposes, which he made in Christ, be- 
sides those of man's redemption, and the beginning of all his ways, ad extra, 

2. Not as second person singly considered, for he is there made the object 
of God's decrees ; which as God's Son simply considered he did no way 
come under. But only as God-man, 1 Pet. i. 19-21, ' But with the pre- 
cious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot : who 
verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was mani- 
fest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him 



Chap. XII.] and his son jesus cnniST. 555 

up from the dead, and gave him glory ; that your faith and hope might be 
in God.' And yet Wisdom, or Christ as here spoken, is made the object of 
a decree of God's, ' I was set up from everlasting,' and ' the Lord possessed 
me in the beginning of his way ; ' that is, he so designed and decreed me 
afore all bis other ways, and as the foundation of them ; or as the Revela- 
tion hath it, ' The beginning of tho creation of God : ' Rev. iii. 14, ' And 
unto the angel of the church of the Laodiccans write ; These things saith the 
Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.' 

Now compare but this Prov. viii. with this of John i., from the second 
verse. Besides that the titles are in effect and significancy the same in the 
original languages, ' the Word,' and ' Wisdom,' you will find that Solomon 
speaks but the same things of him there that John doth here. He calls 
him by the same name (tbat is, the same in sense and meaning) for ' Wis- 
dom' and 6 Xoyoc, ' the Word,' are all one, and both respect us; that which 
is there in John said of the Word, that ' he was in the beginning,' is, ver. 
22 of the 8th of Proverbs said, ' The Lord possessed me in the beginning 
of his way.' And so it may explain what is meant by ' in the beginning ' here, 
namely, of the creation alluded to there. For the ways of God are his 
goings forth towards the creatures, which are called opera ad extra ; and 
therefore is not meant of his eternal generation ; for so Christ is not the 
beginning of God's ways. That speech is all one with Col. i. 15, where 
he is called ' The first-born of every creature,' being in God's decree of 
creation the first, the corner stone, and beginning of the rest. So as it 
must be meant of Christ as God-man, and not simply as second person. 
Again, that which is here said, ' was with God,' is there said, ' the Lord 
possessed me.' They dwelt together ; he was with God as possessed of 
him. And ver. 30, ' Then was I by him ; ' and from ver. 23 to ver. 30, he 
rehearseth the particular works of creation by parcels ; as here they are in 
this one sum, ' all things were made by him.' And ver. 30, that which is 
translated ' I was brought up with him,' as a nourishing,* or one nourished, 
passively taken, is rendered by Junius actively, educans, as one nourishing ; 
that is, by my power supporting the creatures, and God's decrees about 
them, and his purpose to create. And that which is here said, that he was 
' the life of man,' is there said, ver. 31. ketificans, that is, ' blessing,' or 
' with blessing, making joyful the sons of men ; ' so Junius out of the 
Hebrew reads it ; and Cartwright also, with others. So as the one place 
may interpret the other. 

Nor doth this interpretation weaken or derogate anything frorri alleging 
these texts as strong proofs for the actual existing of the second person, as 
Son of God, begotten by him from everlasting. For look, as the greatness 
of a personage doth argue the greatness of the person in his birth (when 
such or such an office or dignity goes by birth), so here, all this said 
hitherto doth necessarily suppose and argue our Christ to have been God 
(as John affirms), and natural Son of God ; and that he did then also actually 
exist, as bearing and sustaining this dignity and office afore God, of being 
his Word and Wisdom. Insomuch as if this natural greatness of his per- 
son were not as the substratum, first supposed and laid down, all these 
assertions we have insisted on would fall at once to the ground, as having 
no basis or foundation to stand upon ; if there were not a person of original 
worth for such a place and employments. And accordingly, the apostle, 
Heb. i., argues and infers from the one to the other ; and also this 1st of 
John, that he is God. 

* Qu. ' nursling ' ? — Ed. 



556 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

To come then to that which is eminently and summarily intended in his 
being called the Word, in respect of his then sustaining and assuming the 
person of God-man, in relation to all God's works, ways, and counsels, 
whereof John gives instance in the creation, and the like; John i. 3, 4, ' All 
things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was 
made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men ; ' — 

We find, 1 Cor. i. 24, that Christ is said to be ' the power of God, and 
the wisdom of God,' both which are spoken of him not as they are 
essential attributes, in God's nature, for the person of Christ is as a person 
distinct from the attributes which are common to all three ; and so he is 
not styled the attribute of wisdom, but they are thus spoken of Christ mani- 
festatively, and mstrumentally, and executively, and as he is from God, and 
made use of by God towards us, and in things that concern us to be the 
whole scene and manifestation of God's wisdom, and substratum of his 
counsels concerning us, and so also the executive power by whom God effects 
all he doth. And that this is the meaning is evidently interpreted by that 
which follows, ver. 30, ' God hath made him to us wisdom,' &c. And 
although it be a maxim applied to that particular of preaching the gospel 
unto us men, which is the wisdom and power of God to our salvation, }*et 
it is a general maxim brought in to confirm that particular. Such generals 
the apostle often useth to allege upon particular occasions, as in Rom. 
viii. 29, our predestination to be conformed to Christ's image is brought 
upon occasion of afflictions ; so then Christ, in relation to what he is as a 
medium between God and us who are creatures, is both the wisdom of God 
and the power of God. Neither is it said of him simply as second person, 
but as Christ, God-man ; for so only he is made these to us. 

Now these two which as there spoken of Christ, in what he is to us as 
saints (which is the strict scope of the apostle there), serves yet summarily 
and particularly to express what he is as he is termed 6 Xoyog, or the 
Word, by John (as that title relates to the manifestation of God by him, 
and instrumentality of him to us), both that he is the wisdom of God and 
the power of God. 

1. That it expresseth him to be the wisdom of God, and is congenial 
with the proper import of the word 6 Xoyog, ratio, conccptus, the mind or 
counsel of God about the creatures, or to be manifested to the creatures, 
those that are versed in the languages the Old and New Testament were 
written in, will universally acknowledge ; and the correspondency of that title 
of Wisdom, Prov. viii., with this of John, is an abundant confirmation 
of it. 

2. And that the executive power of God as erected and put forth in the 
creatures is therein fitly comprehended also, and thereby intended, that 
observation evidently demonstrates, which Cameron and many others have 
made, by comparing Moses, Gen. i., and this 1st of John together, which 
many things parallel lead to ; that whereas Moses in the creation mentions 
God the Father, and the Spirit, two of the persons, that he veils the Son 
under that so often repeated speech used of the creation, that ' God said, 
Let there be light ; ' ' God said, Let there be a firmament,' which could 
not be without mystery ; and what other than Christ was that Word by 
whom God created all things ? Whom therefore when John speaks, referring 
to Moses's ' In the beginning,' and of the creation of all things, he terms, 
o Xoyog, the Word. God's power was erected and put forth by his Word ; 
Ps. xviii. 4, 5, 'He commanded, and they were created;' as, 'where the 
word of a king is, there is power,' Eccles. viii. 4 ; so God's word and his 



Chap. XII.] and his son jesus christ. 557 

executive power are all one. When therefore Christ is termed the Word 
of God, the meaning is, he is the power of God in being his instrument and 
agent in all he doth or means to do. 

I shall therefore distinctly insist on these two : 

I. How Christ as thus God-man, the Word, is the wisdom of God. 

II. How he is the power of God. 

And then proceed to add an interpretation of the forepart of this chapter, 
unto vcr. 14, which is all of Christ. 

I. He is the Wisdom of God, and that in a double respect. 

1. In respect to the manifestation of God unto us; for Christ considered 
as God-man, and through his assuming human nature, was to be the sum 
of that wisdom or revelation by which the Godhead would make itself known, 
that whereas the persons and nature of the Godhead were invisible, they should 
be uttered or revealed in him as the Xoyog, or the Word of God; and so he, 
by taking on him this person of God-man, became God's Wisdom or best 
image to express his mind by, \6yog, est Tfimtis imago, the image of God's 
mind and thoughts. Now as that Christ should be God-man was the first 
great and most comprehensive thought of God to express himself by ; so 
he assuming or taking upon himself so to be, did accordingly become 7.lyog, 
or the ' image of God ' who was invisible, but in him made visible, as hath been 
explained, Col. i. 15. This I take to be John's meaning, as appears by 
ver. 18 of this first chapter, ' No man hath seen God at any time; the only- 
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' 

2. And, secondly, his being thus constituted the wisdom of God, as 
God-man then with God, imports how all God's counsels, thoughts, and 
purposes which God took up, and from all eternity was contriving of towards 
his elect, they all depended and hung upon this as their foundation, that 
he would become Xo'yo;, the Word, or God-man, to manifest God. Thus, 
in Eph. iii., as to that part of his counsel, the gospel, the whole model of 
it, from first to last, ver. 10, is called 'the manifold wisdom of God;' 
ver. 11 is said to be 'purposed from eternity in Jesus Christ,' because he 
from eternity took on him that person of being the Christ ; and so in him, 
considered as such, did God proceed to frame all his other counsels, the 
whole frame of them depending upon that one engine. Thus God elected 
us and bestowed all things upon us before the world was, even in Jesus 
Christ (Eph. i. 4), as then bearing this person of God-man. And thus 
all the promises which the written word of God contains, were made for us 
unto Christ, as really bearing that person ; and 2 Tim. i. 9, ' They were 
given us in Christ before the world began.' So that Christ then, as sus- 
taining the person of God-man (with promise one day to become man) 
between him and his Father, was the original Word or Wisdom to be 
revealed to us, and so more truly called Xoyog than the word written, by 
how much the original in God's breast deserves the name better than the 
extract or copy. Notable to this purpose is that place, Tit. i. 2, 3, where 
the apostle first says that ' God promised eternal life before the world 
began.' A promise is a word given forth, and is more than a purpose 
with one's self, for it is to another. There was a promise made to Christ, 
as then with him. Now, as merely second person, he is capable of no 
promises, but only as he is God-man. It is the Son of God, as he is 
Jesus Christ, in whom all promises are 'yea and amen.' 2 Cor. i. 19, 20, 
' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, 
even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him 
was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, 



558 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

unto the glory of God by us.' Secondly, the apostle, in that place to 
Titus, adds, that ' God hath in his due time manifested his Word through 
preaching.' By Word is meant that original Word then given before the 
world began, which was founded on Christ, and his undertakings for us ; 
and further, as he did then sustain a person, to whom the promises for us 
were made, as a public person bearing our persons, so was he likewise the 
thing promised, and in both these respects called \6yog, the Word ; and so 
is termed by John, 1 Epist. chap. i. ver. 1, ' the Word of life.' In Titus 
it is termed ' the promise of eternal life ' (for all promises and counsels of 
God were rooted in him, Eph. i. 4) ; and so most properly called 6 Xoyog, 
then but still as God-man considered. Thus he was the Word in respect 
of the elect, even as he was the wisdom of God. 

II. But, secondly, he was the Word also as he was the power of God, 
in a general relation to all the creation. This follows here, John i. 3, 
\ All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made 
that was made.' And therefore, 1 Cor. i. 24, as he is called ' the wisdom 
of God' to be revealed to us, so ' the power;' which, though there specially 
brought in to the preaching of him in the gospel, and the efficacy thereof, 
yet is a general maxim applied and specified to that particular. The power 
of God ; that is, as undertaking to execute, and actually executing, all that 
God ever meant to do, and in this respect as undertaking to be God-man ; 
and, as bearing that part, he is termed ' God's arm,' Isa. liii. 1 and Isa. 
xxvii. 5. Without him God could, or at least would, do nothing, no, not 
first begin to create ; and he was then the Word, as taken for the power of 
God in a double respect. 

1. As his bearing this person was in God's mind that which did uphold 
God's purpose to create, and this before the world was, so Prov. viii. 
30, 31, 'I was by him,' then before the world was, educans, fostering, and 
latificans terram suam (as Tremelius reads it), gladding his earth. His 
bearing the person of God-man, one day to be by him assumed, was it 
that made the creatures exist in God's purpose. God else would never 
have thought of them but for his sake, as God-man ; therefore he is said 
to be ' the first-born of every creature,' for whom and by whom all things 
were made. 

2. Yea, secondly, when God came to make the creatures, he did it by him 
as sustaining this person. The Scripture says, ' God created all things by 
Jesus Christ,' Eph. hi. 9. 

John having thus enstyled him the Word, ver. 1, 2, then goes on to shew 
how fi'om him, as such, it is that all things are : ' All things were created 
by him.' Yea, it is added, ' nothing was made without him that was 
made,' merely to shew the instrumental general dependence God had of 
him in this work. He was his all in all ; as we say of one that is a right 
hand to another, He does nothing without him. Such was Christ to God, 
not that God had not power essential to have created without him. For 
it is by that power that Christ did it, but that this power God's will would 
never have put forth, but for his assuming to be God-man ; even as 
although God hath essential power to sanctify a sinner, and Christ adds 
no such power to God, or his Spirit, which they had not before, but be- 
cause God without Christ would never have put forth that power ; there- 
fore he is said to be the power of God therein. Now, therefore, he is said 
to create as God-man, not only because he undertook or promised to be- 
come a man, and so in virtue of that God put his power forth ; but further, 
God created by him, as sustaining that relation, and bearing that title with 



Chap. XII.] and ms son jesus ciirist. 559 

God (as in the similitude afore-mentioned), one of a society chosen 
treasurer lays the corner-stone of a college out of his own purse. And 
many interpreters and others do observe that the evangelist calls him 
6 Xoyoc in reference to that of Moses, Gen. i. That whereas Moses in the 
creation had made mention not only of God creating, but as by a word — 
' God said, Let there be light ' — God the Father he had been mentioned 
as the Creator in those first words, ' In the beginning God created ;' and 
the Spirit as 'moving upon the waters.' But the second person, the Word, 
is couched, personated, and signified in dixit, tl :it ' God said.' 

The greatest objection against this is from ver. 14. For if his being 
considered 6 Xoyog, the Word, had imported his being God-man, how comes 
it after to be said that he was 'made flesh,' for that argues he had been 
spoken of as second person only afore, the manhood not included ? 

Ans. 1. That word 'made' imports evidently his having now actually 
assumed man's nature ; and so in distinction from his having hitherto but 
sustained that person afore God, in contract with God, which now in the 
fulness of time he, according to his contract, did perform ; and until this 
performance de facto, he had bome the title of the Word, which he sus- 
tained at the creation, and from thence on still until this assumption. But 
now, though he bears it still, yet ever after John speaks of him as Jesus 
and Christ, &c. For now he was actually made man in frail flesh. 

The second answer lies in that other word, 'made flesh,' that is, a frail man, 
taking a tabernacle of flesh, not a glorious body as was his due, as he was 
Xoyog, the Word ; and so it carries this with it, that whereas his due, ac- 
cording to that first designed glory and repute which he had had with God 
before the world was, was to have had a glorified nature, such as now he 
hath in heaven ; instead of this the evangelist expresseth it, that he took 
frail flesh, he took that nature in frailties at the first, and ' dwelt with us 
in a tabernacle' (as the word is), which was to be taken down. And 
though he had had a glory with God answerable to his place of God-man 
as his due, yet he never shewed it (says the evangelist) to us but once, 
and that was when he was transfigured, at which time ' we saw his glory ' 
(saith the apostle), in that nature, such as could be in none, but ' the only 
begotten Son of God.' Which Peter also brings as an evidence of his being 
the Son of God ; as John .likewise here doth, who was also an eye-witness 
of it. The glory of Elias and Moses was not such, for they saw theirs at 
the same time ; but this was so transcendent as they could easily discern 
with difference, this to be the glory of God's only begotten, and so to differ 
from that of theirs, as the glorious lustre of the sun, in comparison of lesser 
stars. And though Christ always manifested not such a glory (and indeed 
but once), yet he always shewed himself ' full of grace and truth,' says he, 
in all his converse with us. Full of truth, namely, in those glorious reve- 
lations of his Father made by him, ver. 18, and full of grace, that is, holi- 
ness, even a holiness transcending Adam's, or any creature's. Neither was 
this fulness a plenitudo rasis, serf fontis, and a fulness to be communicated 
to men : for, lo ! 'we all have received of his fulness, and grace for grace.' 
He presents all the apostles as coming from a dole, with their laps filled 
with grace, so to encourage others to go to Christ. Afterwards, in the 17th 
verse, comparing him with Moses, he opposeth grace and truth to the law 
of Moses. And then by truth there, he means that Christ was not a figure, 
as the law was, but the substance of all types. So Heb. x. 1, where verum 
non opponitur /also, serf figum. And he is there called truth, because he 
made good the covenant and promises, which the law did not. Thus, Rom. 



5G0 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

xv. 8, he was a ' minister of the truth of God, to confirm the promises.' 
And then he is full of grace too, which the law was not, that had neither 
justifying nor sanctifying grace annexed ; but Christ had both. 

And, 3, when the days of his flesh are over (as now in heaven they are), 
then the same John, seeing him in the vision of a glorious conqueror, and 
coming and appearing at last to destroy all the enemies of the church, and 
bringing in the thousand years, then he appears as 6 Xoyog. Again, Rev. 
xix., and according to the glory he had from everlasting in God's designment 
and repute. Rev. xix. 11-13, ' And I saw heaven opened, and behold a 
white horse ; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True ; and in 
righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of 
fire, and on his head were many crowns : and he had a name written, that 
no man knew but he himself : and he was clothed with a vesture dipped 
in blood : and his name is called The Word of God.' 

I shall now proceed, in a brief exposition of the following verses of this 
first chapter of John, unto ver. 14, as they relate unto the Word ; what fol- 
lows in ver. 4, is to be understood in the same coherence and dependence 
with the other, of Christ as God-man. 

Ver. 4, In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The evange- 
list descends from the creation in general, unto the giving of life, both of 
reason and holiness, unto men, at their first creation, whiles they were in 
innocency. 

First, ' In him was life.' He speaks not of that essential life in himself ; 
for that which follows in the next words, where he calls him ' the Life,' is 
so to be understood. But when here he says, 'in him was life,' the mean- 
ing is, he was a fountain of life to us, being first Life in himself. It is one 
attribute of Christ's, as he is God-man, yea, as he is man taken up into that 
union, to have life independently in himself, even as God the Father hath ; 
John v. 26, ' For as the Father hath life in himself ; so hath he given to 
the Son to have life in himself,' and therefore he is called the Life, namely, 
to himself first, and so in him is life for us. 

Secondly, ' The life was the light of men.' 

1. The light; that is, of holiness, or God's image, which is called light, 
in opposition to darkness, which is sin (as ver. 5). The life of grace is 
so called ; and in Scripture, light is often put for life, and darkness for 
death. 

2. Of men ; that is, of men in their primitive estate of innocency. For, 
(1.) He joins it with the creation of all things. (2.) He useth the word 
was, as noting a state past. Now Adam's holiness was from him ; for he 
was made after God's image. When Adam was created, all the persons of 
the Trinity acted their several parts ; and the Son acted the part of God- 
man : and so the Father eyeing him as such, and as him who was in that 
respect the image of the Godhead, he thereupon says, ' Let us make man 
after our image;' Christ's human nature being the vrguroTvmv and exemplar. 
And so he breathed in that breath of life and holiness which he had at his 
first creation. 

Ver. 5, And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended 
it not. When that light of holiness in man was extinct, and man by the 
fall became darkness, that is, full of sin, then all that light moral, or the 
light of conscience in heathens (which is that truth spoken of, Rom. i. 18), 
and the light of the law (which the Jews had), to convince them of their 
darkness, all this light that shined in this darkness was from Christ. It 
ariseth not from any sparks of the old light which was before the fall, and 



Chap. XII.J and his son jesus christ. CGI 

now left in man's nature, but all light being extinct, this is put in by Christ 
as the Word and mediator. And therefore, because he speaks of man's 
present condition, he saith in the present, ' shineth,' and in that respect 
Christ is said, ver. 9, to be ' that light which cnlightcneth every man coming 
into the world.' That phrase, ' coming into the world,' argues that ho 
speaks of what is infused by Christ from their birth. For the Jews call 
man as born into this world, veniens in mundum. And he says, ' everyone,' 
to shew that he excepts no man. So Christ, John xviii. 37, useth the phrase, 
• for this cause was I born, and came into the world.' So that it is all one 
as to be born ; and therefore he speaks of a natural light from our birth, 
which is all from Christ. He pitied man's nature so corrupted, and put 
into it all the light and comfort which men now have. So as, not only all 
the light of holiness, which Adam in innocency at first had, was from him 
considered as God-man ; but all the light since the fall, which the wise hea- 
thens or Jews had, was from him, considered as the Lamb slain. They all 
did light their torches at this sun and fountain of light. Yea, not only all 
natural light in men fallen, but all the light of grace and holiness that hath 
shone in the hearts, lives, and gifts of the best of men sanctified, it was all 
borrowed from hence. To this purpose he instanceth in John the Baptist, 
for all the rest. 

Ver. 6, 7, There was a man sent from God, ivhose name icas John. The 
same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that oilmen through him 
might believe. He was the most known and universally acknowledged holy 
man in those days and times, whom all the Jews esteemed as a ' burning 
and shining light,' John v. 35. Yet it is said of him, that ' he was not 
that Light, but was sent only to bear witness of that Light,' ver. 8. John 
was but a particular light shining in Judea, and in that age only, as a lan- 
tern hung out in some street ; he was but as the morning-star to this sun. 
But Christ was and is an universal light (as he is the sun) in all ages, and 
in all places, and to all saints. Yea, as John was ' not that Light,' so if all 
that grace and light that ever was in all saints were gathered into one, 
yet all would not make that Light who enlightened John and all man- 
kind universally, as the sun doth the stars above, and terrestrial bodies 
below. 

Ver. 9. That was the true Tight, which lighteth every man that cometh into 
the world. And so he is called ' the true Light,' that is, which is naturally, 
and of himself such (dtoro <p£jg, as Plato called him), not shining with a 
borrowed light, as John and all else do, and who in that respect are not 
true lights ; for truth is opposed to what is obtained aliunde, and which is 
not natural. As you call that false hair which is not, and that true hair 
which is, one's own ; so Christ is called the true Son, 1 John v. 20, that 
is, the natural, we being but adopted. And all this is what Christ did ; and 
it was before his incarnation. 

Now, having proceeded thus far in this chapter, as proper to the subject 
I have in hand, I will briefly go over the rest of the verses, from ver. 10 
to ver. 15, wherein he shews his coming into the world himself, as before 
he had shewn how he had done all in the world before he came into it. 
And therein, 

First, He describes the manner of his coming ; as, 

1. How he was in the world as one unknown. Ver. 10, ' He was in the 
world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.' 
Like Ulysses, who came as a beggar disguised to his own house, so obscure 
was Christ's coming into the world. 

vol. iv. n n 



5G2 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER. [BOOK. III. 

2. He icas ; implying that he is now gone out of the world again ; as 
having (as it were) secretly passed through it. 

Secondly, He sets out the entertainment of hiru in this world. And 
herein, 

1. He tells what bad entertainment the most afforded him, with the 
aggravation of this their sin. 

2. The good entertainment that some gave him. To illustrate all which 
he covertly compares the world unto a house, wherein men are the indwell- 
ers, but Christ the owner of it, and all things in it (as ver. 11), and that 
by a double title. 

(1.) Of creation, ver. 10, ' The world was made by him.' 
(2.) Of purchase, insinuated ver. 11, ' He came unto his own, and his 
own received him not.' 

1. Xow when he came into this his house, and ivas in it, or conversed in 
it (as ver. 10), his entertainment was, 

(1.) That some did not so much as know him, ver. 10. 

(2.) Others, though they knew him, yet ' received him not,' as ver. 11. 
They shut him out of doors, not receiving him into their hearts, which the 
evangelist sets down as an aggravation of the sin of unbelief; his scope 
being to persuade to, and work faith, or receiving of Christ into men's 
hearts, by shewing from what a one Christ is and was to us, what an inhu- 
man sin unbelief is, both against the law of creation and bonds of nature, 
and also of grace. It is to refuse him whose own we are, as having made 
the world and us at first, and when we were fallen, bought us and upheld 
us. So as the very benefit of creation, and the propriety that Christ hath 
in us, as a Lord of us, and of all we have, doth oblige us to believe in him, 
and to own him at least — (even the ox knows his owner) — otherwise it 
becomes an aggravation of our sin, as shutting Christ out of his own ; for 
the word receiving, ver. 11 (being put for believing), is all one with owning 
him as a Lord and Saviour ; as a king is said to be received in his own 
dominions, when he is submitted to, and acknowledged, and owned for 
their king. I know some interpret ' the world' to be all mankind ; and 
' his own' (mentioned ver. 11), to be the Jews ; and his being in the world, 
to be in respect of the light he gave of himself to the Gentiles. But for 
this latter, sure by his making the world the Gentiles could not know him, 
though the Godhead they might ; and that natural light which he gave was 
only of the Godhead, not of his person as God-man, nor yet of the mystery 
of the Trinity, there being no footsteps of it in the creation. And I take 
it, his own is meant also and as well of the world, as made and purchased 
by him, as of the Jews, his own countrymen. Therefore he says, ra 'idia, 
as speaking of proper goods, not kinsmen ; his own, that is, his household- 
goods and servants. 

2. Secondly, Then follows the entertainment of him by the good, and 
the privilege which he gave them. Even as great persons, entertained well, 
use to bestow rewards, and as a king usually dubs those knights, or creates 
them earls or barons, who have given him royal entertainments, so did 
Christ to those who received him. By which the evangelist does further 
set out Christ, shewing what he is to his elect, as before he shewed what 
Christ is and was to all the world. The benefit given is adoption to be 
' sons of God,' ver. 12. '" But as many as received him, to them gave he 
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name ;' 
which he endeareth as the highest favour that could be. So 1 John iii. 1, 
' Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we 



Chap. XIII.] and his son jesus christ. 5G3 

should be called the sons of God.' Christ ho was born the Son, vcr. 14, 
but to us it is given ; ' to thein he gave,' &c. And in being sons, we 
become heirs and co-heirs with himself, of the world which he made, and of 
all that is called his. So Rom. viii. 17, ' And if children, then heirs ; heirs 
of God, and joint-heirs with Christ ; if so bo that we suffer with him, that 
we may be also glorified together.' ' He gave them,' s'^oualav, that is, both 
the ' dignity' and the ' power to become the sons of God.' So it is taken 
for power, Col. i. 16, ' principalities and powers :' and it is also put for 
dignity. Thus Rom. xiii. 1, because a magistrate's place of power hath 
honour likewise annexed to it, therefore the word is put for honour. And 
so, because this honour of being sons of God hath power annexed to it, 
even over all. creatures (as they are heirs and co-heirs with Christ, and so 
kings of the world) ; therefore he rightly calls it s^ousia, to import both 
power and dignity, and both contained in that privilege of sonship. Only 
he shews by what means Christ doth convey this to them, which is by their 
■ being born, not of blood ;' ver. 13, ' Which were born, not of blood, nor 
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' ' Say not you 
have Abraham to your father ;' this dignity goes not by greatness of birth, 
' nor of the will of the flesh,' not of a man's own will. ' It is not in him 
that willeth,' ; nor of the will of man,' that is, of other men. Holy men 
cannot beget their children good, or make them such. The meaning is, 
that no friend, no means, could confer this privilege, but only Christ. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

How Christ, God-man, is subservient to God in all the works of his providence. 
— He upholds and supports all things. — He governs the world, and rules all 
affairs in it. — After his government is expired, at the end of the world, he 
will judge all creatures, both angels and men. 

He is before all things, and by him all things consist. — Col. I. 17. 

Thus we have seen the subserviency of Christ, as God-man, to the work 
of creation, and the highest ends thereof, the manifestation and the com- 
munication of the Godhead the highest way. The next thing to be con- 
sidered by us is his serving God in the works of his providence, the 
upholding, governing this world whilst it stands, and his judging it at the 
last ; unto all these ends also doth Christ, God-man, subserve. 

First, For the upholding all things ; that is evident in this text of Col. i. 
17, ' By him do all things consist.' He is the corner-stone that keeps the 
building and all the parts of it together ; Heb. i. 2, 3, it is said, ' He 
upholds all things by the word of his power,' and it is spoken of him not 
simply considered as second person, but as God-man, for so he is heir 
appointed, not as second person, but so heir naturally without a decree, 
and that as such he should uphold all things by the word of his power, is 
proper to him ; and therefore it refers to it, for to the heir it belongs to 
have a care of, and to see to his inheritance, that it fall not into ruin and 
decay. God, as it were, leaves it to him, seeing he hath given it him for 
his inheritance, to keep it up in repair at his own proper costs and charges. 
And thus he upheld it virtually in the state of innocency, for John i. 4, he 
is called that light that then was the life of man, even afore man fell into 
sin and darkness, as well as after ; as ver. 5 (as God made and created the 



50-1 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHEK, [BOOK III. 

world then upon the virtual supposition of his coming into the world, though 
to a further end also), for the world was then upheld by virtue thereof, it 
was the hoop held all together ; God should not have cared else for any 
creature, for to me those imperfect pieces of his workmanship are alone 
not worthy enough of his power and wisdom, if this had not been to come, 
which he had purposed and decreed, as well as the making of the world. 
And since man fell, it is granted by all, that it is by virtue of his redemp- 
tion to come, that the world stood and was kept from falling about Adam's 
ears. Christ took the shattered condition of the world, as David did, and 
upheld the pillars of it, and as a Lord, promised to buy it, and did so, 2 
Peter ii. 1, because he had elect to be brought forth in their successions 
out of it ; and therefore vouchsafed all those mercies which wicked men 
enjoy, and paid God a price for his patience towards them. He had this 
into the bargain of his redemption of his church, God else in justice would 
have destroyed all. 

Secondly, Whilst the world stands he governs it, easeth God of that 
burden, and is his prorex for him. All judgment is committed to the Son : 
John v. 22, ' For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son.' And the government is upon his shoulders : Isa. ix. 
6, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ; and the govern- 
ment shall be upon his shoulders : and his name shall be called Wonderful, 
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.' 
He entered upon the kingdom when man fell, for by virtue of the covenant 
of works given by the Father at the creation, it must have been destroyed ; 
but he undertook it, to order things so, that a greater revenue of glory 
should in the end arise to God, out of the confusions and sins of men in 
the world, and in executions of punishments, and by providences meeting 
with men according to then own ways, than should have arisen to God out 
of the state of innocency in a direct way. And what infinite wisdom, power, 
providence, justice, patience, &c, even all sorts of glorious perfections doth 
he shew forth in this administration, and ordering things, and the affairs of 
this sinful world ! This Lord reigneth though the earth be never so unquiet, 
as the psalmist speaks, Ps. xcix. 1. Rev. v. 2, there is a proclamation 
made, who would take that book out of the hand of him that sat upon the 
throne ; and that book is a commission to execute the things decreed and 
written therein, and the taking of it was an undertaking so to do ; and 
Christ the Lamb having seven horns of power, and seven eyes of providence 
sent oat into all the earth, by which he both views and governs all, he 
undertook it, and is God's King, and the executioner of all God's decrees. 

And then, thirdly, When he hath thus governed the world with a greater 
advantage unto God, then this man Christ Jesus will judge it also at the 
last, and give all men their accounts ; Acts xvii. 31, 'He hath appointed a 
day in the which he will judge the world, by that man whom he hath 
ordained.' The decree or ordaining Christ, God-man, serves for this also. 
The Father, John v. 22, is said to judge no man, that is, visibly, sub persona 
judicis, but hath committed all to this man Christ Jesus, who at present is 
' ready,' says the apostle Peter, ' to judge the quick and the dead,' having 
all the accounts of the world afore him, 1 Peter iv. 5. God would not 
employ a mere creature in this work, it was too great an honour. And 
yet it was meet it should be done visibly and audibly, and to the satisfac- 
tion of all men's consciences, both concerning themselves and others. God 
would have a person in the Trinity, manifest in a creature like unto us, to do 
it, armed with power and authority, because he is God, that every knee 



ClIAP. XIII.] AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 5G5 

shall bow aforo hini, both of things in heaven and earth, and under the 
earth (which to a mere creature had been too much), and yet a man that 
should deal with creatures in judging them in their own way, in B rational 
and audible way convince them, and visibly sentence them, so as they should 
bes able to sec and hear their judge as man, and yet fear and dread him as 
being God. And this is an high and great service, which Christ as man 
shall do for God, for a man in a vocal manner to be able to clear the 
accounts of the world (which, how entangled are they !), and punctually to 
give every man his due in righteousness. A man that shall be able to con- 
vince all God's enemies of all their hard speeches they had spoken against 
him, as Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied, able to give a full and 
satisfactory account of all God's ways and proceedings, which men cavil at, 
to justify God's decrees, which men quarrel with, and think much at, and 
his children, whom men despise and bear down : one able to bring to light 
the secrets of all hearts, so as all men shall judge of every man, 1 Cor. iv. 5, 
• Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both 
will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest 
the counsels of the hearts : and then shall every man have praise of God.' 
One able to search the deep things of God, and bring forth his counsels (for 
the books are then opened, Rev. xx. 12), and lay open the depths of his 
wisdom, in suffering this and that to fall out ; this man to be punished, 
and another, a greater sinner than he, to escape ; this kingdom to be ruined, 
and another, as sinful, to flourish ; and to make that glorious comment 
upon the obscure text of this world's providence, which we understand not; 
and to do this out of the original draft and counsel held in heaven, why 
this or that was done or not done so or so, or not so, and to do this 
openly and vocally as a man ; and when he hath sent all men convinced, 
non-plussed, 'speechless' (as the word is in the parable), confounded, to 
hell, to give up his kingdom, and himself visibly be subject to God his 
Father : it is a mighty service this. 

But yet, lastly, after all this, he is the founder of that other world into 
which he brings his children given him by God, which is his inheritance 
for himself and them ; and their happiness is expressed by this, ' to be 
ever with the Lord.' And, John xvii. 24, Christ in his last prayer says, 
' Father, I will they be where I am, and see my gloiy ; ' and till then that 
personal fulness (of which I spake at first) that is in God-man, Christ 
Jesus, is reserved by God, as a subject of that depth and glory to take up, 
together with his own perfections, the thoughts of men and angels for 
ever. Our happiness will lie in seeing God and Christ as he is ; for unto 
both doth that speech refer, 1 John iii. 2, ' Beloved, now are we the sons 
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that, 
when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is.' 
And if the sight of Christ, God-man, be not the highest means of the 
happiness of the saints (because the Scripture mentions also God his being 
' all in all'), yet I am sure it is a main part of it : Rev. xxi. 23, ' And the 
city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it : for the 
glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.' The glory 
of God and the Lamb are the light of it. And so Stephen saw the glory 
of God, and Christ at God's right hand, Acts vii. 5G. So that when these 
two great volumes, this of his word and that of his world, which now in 
this life are put into our hands, to read the characters of his glory in by 
faith, when both these shall be folded up and clean laid aside, then will 
the person of Christ, God-man, as the glory of the Godhead, shining in 



5CG THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE FATHER, [BOOK III. 

and communicating itself to us, through that human nature the Godhead 
dwells in, be set forth to us, to entertain us for ever with the sight of 
the glory of God in the face of Christ ; and all our present thoughts and 
knowledge we have by faith will become vain, and be made unprofitable, 
and vanish : 1 Cor. xiii. 8, 9, ' Charity never faileth : but whether there 
be prophecies, they shall fail ; whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; 
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, 
and we prophesy in part.' And that face will make a heaven to us when 
redemption shall be forgotten, through the present glory viewed and pos- 
sessed, and sins remembered no more ; but the glory of God, and the per- 
sonal glory of the Lamb, shall be our light and happiness for ever. 

Use 1. Let us admire Christ that thus serves to all, not our ends only, 
to save us, but which is more, to all God's ends and purposes, and to ac- 
complish all the desires of his own heart. What an infinite perfection 
must this needs be ! Nature and art (says the philosopher) make but 
one instrument to serve in a proper and direct way, but for one purpose ; 
but this is a person whom God hath set forth for all ends and purposes 
whatsoever. If you should see an instrument in music serve at once to 
supply the use and afford the music of all instruments ; or a mathematical 
instrument so made as all conclusions in all arts and sciences might be 
demonstrated on it, and it serve for all uses, in arithmetic to cast exact 
accounts, in geometry to measure all quantities, in geography, astronomy, 
to give you the exact proportion of all the earth and stars in heaven, how 
would you wonder and admire at it ! Oh ! wonder then at the person of 
Jesus Christ ! ' Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the 
flesh,' 1 Tim. iii. 16. 

Use 2. If Christ, that is our mediator, is so useful unto God in all his 
other businesses, and serves all his other ends as well as this, this may then 
help our faith, by persuading us that God cannot but be infinitely well 
pleased with the saving of sinners by him, and that believe on him (he 
being as good, if not better, at that than all those purposes forementioned) ; 
for the person, in whom we are graciously accepted, being pleasing to God 
so many ways besides this, must needs move him the rather to accept his 
work in this, and us for it. As for instance, if a king, willing and inclined 
to pardon a traitor, if besides a work of mercy done, it could be demon- 
strated that the means whereby that is to be done would bring in a mighty 
profit to the king, ten thousand talents of silver, as in another case Hainan 
said to Ahasuerus, Esther iii. 8, or, as if when David's heart was of itself 
set to pardon Absalom, only he would do it with honour ; if Joab (the pro- 
jector of his reconciliation) could have propounded a project, not only to 
have fetched Absalom in again, and reconciled him to David upon the king's 
own terms, but so as withal he should have all his other state ends com- 
passed whatever he could desire, as to shew forth his majesty, power, 
greatness, gratify all his subjects, overcome his enemies, hereby have his 
kingdom governed in peace and righteousness, and have his enemies sub- 
dued, overcome, and all his revenues increased ; would not all the world 
say, that surely the propounding this would mightily help forwardthe ob- 
taining Absalom's pardon and reconciliation ? And surely so it is here, 
the work of reconciliation in Christ's hands (who serves God in all these 
and many ways more) must needs prosper (as Isaiah says) and speed. And 
therefore, in the first of John, and in the first of the Hebrews, and in this 
chapter, Col. L, all his usefulness to other ends, all his fulness to other 
purposes, is prefaced and mentioned first, and then purging our sins away 



Chap. XIII.] and his son jesus christ. 567 

by bis blood, and making peace by tbo blood of his cross, are spoken of ; 
all tboso other conducing unto this. And therefore, some schoolmen, upon 
the consideration of these things, givo this censure of it, Tanto aliquis 
modus aptior est ad consequendum attquem finem, quanto per ipsum pkara 
comparantur. 

Use 3. It may invite us to come to him ; as besides the work of recon- 
ciliation, God had the accomplishment of many other ends in him, so may 
we. Besides pardon of sin and peace with God, we may havo all other 
overplus ends acquired and accomplished. The angels who are in favour 
with God already, and stand not in any need that way, what would they 
give to have that near relation to him which we have ? You may come to 
him for pardon first, but when you are come, his person will further take 
you. Fulness much invites, it is the aim of all our desires to have a fulness 
of riches, of honours, of pleasures, a -rXsovs^ia, as the apostle calls it, Eph. 
iv. 19, that is, a having one's fill ; so the word which is translated ' greedi- 
ness' signifies. Now in Christ, and in Christ only, it is to be had, in whom 
is fulness, and all fulness — fulness for parts of all sorts, and all fulness for 
degrees, which is never spent, for it dwells in him, fulness for evermore, 
as the Psalmist speaks ; ' Open thy mouth wide,' stretch thy desires to the 
utmost compass, as Ps. Ixxxi. 10, may Christ say, ' and I will fill it.' The 
mind of man is nothing but emptiness of itself, it is as the stomach is, 
a vacuity and want, sharpened with desire and hunger, — ' empty man,' as 
Job calls him, Job. xi. 12, — unto which God hath fitted all things, as 
suitable to its desires one way or other ; there is no creature but it may 
take some pleasure in. But, alas ! the creatures are empty too, ' vanity,' 
that is, emptiness, as Solomon calls them : ' husks' (as in the parable) 
' without a kernel,' and Adam made them more vain and empty, Rom. 
viii. 20, ' subjected them to vanity ;' and at best they serve but for some 
one particular want and end, and not all ends and purposes. Riches serve 
against poverty, honour against shame, but Christ he serves to all ends and 
purposes. God would have nothing full but Christ, that our souls might 
rest in nothing else, and have him our centre. It pleased him that ' all 
fulness' should dwell in him, and he hath fitted him to our wants ; all we 
want he hath, and all he hath we want. And his fulness is not ordained 
simply to dwell in him, but to be communicated as the sun's fulness of light, 
which though it resides in the body of the sun, and it carries it with it 
whither it goes, and leaves nothing but darkness behind it, yet, where it 
comes it is communicative, it diffuseth all its light, and heat, and influence ; 
and so doth Christ. Therefore, as here all fulness is said to dwell in his 
person, so elsewhere it is said, ' he filleth all in all,' as Eph. i. 23. As 
Adam emptied all, so he fills all, and is never diminished ; his fulness it 
is not plenitudo vasis but /otitis, which is always full ; not as the fulness of 
the sea, which might be emptied, but as the fulness of the sun, or of fire, 
which multiplies itself, and loseth nothing itself neither. 

Use 4. If Christ be thus full, then let those that love him fully delight in 
him, and to that end contemplate all his fulness. How will one that is in 
love with another think over and over again all the perfections in them they 
love to confirm their choice ? So should we. And not only so, but take 
our full delight and contentment in him. And that Christ serves to all ends 
else, besides those of our own, of being saved by him, will, if meditated 
upon, exceedingly increase our joys and delights in him. A wife that had a 
husband eminent in all perfections, which perfections yet she had no great 
skill in, yet the thought of them would make her love him when once he is 



5G8 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD TIIE FATHER, BOOK III. 

hers ; when he is not only a good husband unto her, but also a good com- 
monwealth's man, of eminent place in his country, an excellent soldier, 
horseman, &c, skilled in all learning, &c, these, because they commend and 
endear her husband unto others (though she hath not the benefit of them 
directly) do yet endear him unto her the more that all these are in her 
husband. So this should do Christ to us. 

Use 5. See the love of Christ to us, that having all fulness in him was 
willing to empty himself for us. We were not only empty but bankrupt to 
God, and to redeem us and fill us again he was fain to empty himself. It 
is the apostle's phrase, Phil. ii. 7; the word we translate, ' of no reputation,' 
is in the original, ' he emptied himself,' that is, left nothing of all his 
fulness. So Dan. ix. 26, ' Messiah shall be cut oft", and shah have nothing,' 
so it is in the Hebrew, as well as that which is translated, ' not for him- 
self,' and so varied in the margin of your Bibles. He that had all that 
fulness, and fills all in all, had nothing left, no comfort in God or any 
creature. If you should see the sea ebb into some other world, and see 
not a drop of water left, how would you stand astonished at it ! How 
much more at Christ ! He might say, as Xaomi said, Ruth i. 20, 21, 
4 The Lord hath dealt bitterly with me.' I came from heaven full, but he 
brought me to earth empty, emptied of all. For us to leave and abate 
anything of our fulness, how loth are we ! To leave a full land, a full diet, 
a full table, a full house fully furnished, a foil condition, and lower our sail, 
though for Christ ! Oh, but Christ did ; he left heaven and all the fulness 
of it, and removed to earth, where is nothing but vanity; and he who was 
Lord of heaven and earth, for our sakes became poor, and left himself not 
a foot of land, not a house to hide his head in. By what a small abatement 
is to our spirits, let us think what so infinite a debasement, an emptying, 
was to him. 

Use 6. See his love yet farther, that though he be in himself thus full, 
yet that his love is such as he thinks himself not full or perfect without us, 
but reckons himself defective till he have us knit to him and about him. 
As Christ said to him that had kept all from his youth, ' One thing is 
wanting,' so I "may say of Christ, that still one thing is wanting. "Why, 
what can he want, that hath all fulness ? Even any one of his members ; 
and he would not think himself completely happy without them; for, Eph. 
i. 23, though he be he that filleth all in all, yet the church is his fulness, 
1 which is his body, the fulness of him which filleth all in all.' His glory 
would not content him in heaven if he should want any of our company 
there ; John xvii. 21, he prays therefore, that they may be with him where 
he is, to behold his glory : ' Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast 
given me, be with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory, which 
thou hast given me t for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the 
world.' As Haman said, when he reckoned up all his riches, and honours, 
and glory, his places and favour at court, what good will all these do me, 
says he, so long as Mordecai contemns me ? So Christ in his heart says, If 
I have not all my enemies down, my children about me, his whole tale and 
number, if but a Benjamin or a Joseph were wanting, heaven would be less 
to him. The first Adam, when he had all creatures about him, needed a 
companion of all his delight ; and so kings that have full pleasures, yet love 
to have consortes imperii. So doth Christ, and till then reckons himself 
imperfect ; and therefore, Heb. x. 13, he is said to expect : ' From hence- 
forth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.' Expectation argues 
defect. Now he had been alone in heaven if he had not died; John xii. 24, 



S- 



Chap. XIII. and his son jesus christ. 569 

the corn abides alono if it die not: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a 
corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone : but if it die, 
it bringeth forth much fruit.' 

Use 7. Let us applaud our own happiness in such an husband, and keep 
to him alone, and not doat upon any vanity. Why ? Because, as the 
apostle argues against vain learning, philosophy, &c. Col. ii. 8-10, ' Be- 
ware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the 
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are 
complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.' That 
all fulness being in him, ■ in him ye are complete,' you need no other learn- 
ing, no other wisdom ; for, ver. 3, ' in him are hid all the treasures of wis- 
dom and knowledge,' in comparison of which all the wisdom of the world 
comes to nought. Like a kingdom that hath all commodities, as China, 
or a great man that hath all about him of his own, so have you in Christ, 
you need go out to nothing for any thing. You go to seek for light with a 
candle, when you have the sun in your hand ; whilst having Christ you 
seek to be happy in anything else. You need borrow nothing, nor be be- 
holden to any creature ; your husband hath all fulness. We needed not 
the law to direct us, if we knew his story, and could spell out all the pas- 
sages of his life, by whom the law was transcendently fulfilled in instances 
of a higher kind. If the lives of all the saints, of Paul, Abraham, &c, and 
all the law and Bible were burnt, all might be renewed in his story, if that 
were enough known. They only serve to us to help us to understand him ; 
we needed no other motives than what may be drawn from him and his 
love, if our hearts were holy enough and conformed to him. In a word, if 
Christ serve fully to all God's ends (who hath vaster plots than we) and is 
adequate to them, then much more to all ours, who have but low contrive- 
ments. Let us therefore love him, and serve him, and make b'm our end, 
and think ourselves complete in him. 



END OF VOL. IV. 



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