Cliriftus Sacra Scriptures Nuckusi
*' o R, e fa&djfl
CHRIST
THE
SUM and SUBSTANCE
Of all the
Holy Scriptures,
IN THE
Old and New Teftament.
Written in the German Language, by
AUGUSTUS HERMANNUS FRANCK, D. D.
Now render'd into Englijb,
By an Antient DOCTOR of PHVSICK;
Z O N 2) O N:
Printed by J. D o w N i N o in BarthohmeW'Cloft.
M.DCC.XXXII.
\
THE
PREFACE-
HEN a Book pleafes us, we
are naturally curious about the
Author : we love to know the
Progrefs, by which his Mind came into
fuch a train of Thought : and his Story
often ferves to illuftrate and confirm his
Notions. This has made me inquifi-
tive, concerning the Chara&er of Pro-
filer Franck: and having feen fome Pa-
pers, in which he himfelf had defcribed
the former Part of his Life , I thought
the Subftance of them might furnifh a
proper Preface, for the following Tran-
flation.
AUGUSTUS Herman Franck was
born at Lubeck, on the \ith of March
A. 2). 1 663 . his Father Mr. John Franck y
was a Counfellor at Law , and his Mo-
ther Ann., was Daughter of Mr. 'David
Glottin fenior, Burgomafter of Litbeck.
Mi
20GG820
V
iv fte PREFACE.
MR. John Franck the Father, was
Syndick of the Chapter of the Cathe-
dral Church, and of the feveral States
of the Principality of Ratzenbttrglk at
the Time when Juguftus was born$ but
three Years after, he removed with his
Family to Gotha^ having accepted the
Office of Aulic Councellor to his moft
ferene Highnefs, Erneftus Tius Duke of
Saxe Gotha. He lived but four Years af-
ter this removal, and died when this
his Son was feven Years old. But before
his Death, he had obferved in the
Child, fuch early Indications of Piety,
and particularly a great love of the Ho-
ly Scriptures, that he had ckfigned him
for the Church : and his Mother, conti-
nuing the fame Refolution, had him, to-
gether with fome Children of the neigh-
bourhood, inftructed by a private Tutor.
IT is grievous to x reflect, how early
the Converfation of the World is infec-
tious. Even the little Plays of Chil-
dren left to themfelves, are not harm*
lefs. They wrangle, they cheat, and
opprefs one another : and thofe of them,
who are naturally the moft innocent,
find themfelves not a Match for their
Fellows, till by often fuffering little
Frauds or Violence, they are provoked
to practife them in their turn, to do as
they are done by, and become unjuft,
deceit*
PREFACE. v
deceitful, and mifchievous, as it were in
their own Defence.
THE young Augiiftus experienced
this, as he after acknowledged and la-
mented : but his own little Deviations
proved ferviceable, for preventing in a
great Meafure the like Errors in the
vaft Number of Children, whofe Edu-
cation has been fince committed to his
Care by Divine Providence,- for it was
his Cuftom always to appoint fome fo-
ber Perfon to be prefent at their Play-
Times, to interpofe in their Difputes,
and moderate their growing Paflions
with a gentle but unremitted Difcipline.
H E had, as was faid before, from his
Infancy, difcovered a great Difpofition
to Piety and Devotion ; which as long
as his Father lived, had been cultivat-
ed with Care, and fenced from the
Contagion of bad Examples ; but after
his Father's Death, he was left more to
himfelf and Companions of his own
Age, with whom he contracted evil Ha-
bits, and loft much of that Senfe of God
\vhich had before prevailed in his Heart.
HOWEVER, about the tenth Year of *
his Age, it again revived, and he felt i
(as he fhimfelf defcribes it) a ^Divine \
Attraftion in his Soul, which made him
difrelifli and defpife the common A-
mufements of Childhood. He then re-
A 3 mera-
vi Tie P REFACE.
membred the Words of Chrift, Matt. vi.
6. When t hou pray eft ^ enter into thy Clo/et y
and earneftly dclired his Mother to allow
him fuch a retreat. She granted it, and
every Day after, when his Tutor difmif-
fed him 3 inftead of going to play, he went
to his Clofet, and kneeling down, with
Hand and Heart lifted towards Heaven,
he faid his Prayers with great Ferven-
cy. He ufed often to repeat the fol-
lowing Words, which he had never been
taught, but were the pure Suggeftions
of his own Mind, or rather of the Holy
Spirit that prayed in him : " Dear God !
c it is necefifary that there fliould be
c various Employments among Men,
c which have their different Ends ; yet
: all finally concur to the manifeftation
: of thy Glory. I humbly befeech thee,
: that my Employment may be fuch,
' as may tend folely and immediately
<c to thy Glory."
HE was not a little ailifted in thefe
good Difpofitions by his elder Sifter,
who had feared God from her Infancy,
. and was early removed from this World
to a blefTed Eternity - y flhe had a great
Zeal for the fpiritual Improvement of
her Brother, and for that End, had en-
gaged him, when he was very young, to
read the Holy Scriptures, and John
Arndts Treatife of True Chriftianity,
with
Tie PREFACE, vii
with other pious Books. Her edifying
Converfation, was a daily Leffon to him,
and her good Advice, was fo authoris-
ed and enforced by her good Example,
that it had a great Eflfeft upon him.
HE continued to advance very much
in his Studies, fo that after having been
one Year at the great School at Gotba 9
he was publickly elected for the Uni-
verfity at the Age of thirteen. He has
(ince declared, upon mentioning this his
uncommon Proficiency, that he has found
by a long Experience, that the more
afiiduous he was in Devotion, the great-
er Progrefs he made in his Studies,- and
that when he negleded his Prayers, he
could do nothing well at his Book, al-
tho' he exerted himfelf with the great-
eft Application. It fliould feem, that
his Talents, which were deftinated
to the Service of Religion, could not
improve under any other Influence.
HE was in a very good Difpofltioo,
when he firft went to the publick School
at Gotba : He was frequent and fervent
in Prayer, and particularly, he be-
fought God to grant him the Acquain-
tance of fuch Friends there, as had the
fame Defign with himfelf, to ferve God
faithfully. But fuch Friends are rarely
found in any part of Life, and more
rarely among Boys at School : and he
A 4 being
viii The PREFACE.
being of a friendly, focial Spirit, foon
grew familiar and intimate with fuch as
he met with : whofe bad Examples had
an ill Effed upon him, fo that he in-
fenfibly loft his former Zeal y and got
worldly Tafts and Defires ; fo that his
Learning became a fubject of Vanity,
and his Induftry the tool of Ambition.
'Tis the Misfortune of good-natur'd
ingenuous Spirits, that they are fo ea-
fily wrought upon $ their Modefty and
Complaifance are often Snares to them :
Mr. Franck learnt this by himfelf, and
thence ufed to infift, with great earneft-
nefs, upon the neceffity of arming the
Minds of young Perfons with repeated
Advices of the Corruption of the World.
Religion in Youth is almoft always a
fingularity , and he that will maintain
it, muft dare to be good at the price of
being ridiculous.
ALT HO' Mr. Jfranck was nominated
fo early for the Univerfity, yet he did
not go thither till two Years after, and the
Interval was employed under a private
Tutor in Academical Studies, which for
-44 the eight Years following, he profecut-
ed at the Univerfities of Erfurt, Kej/,
Leip/ick) and JjuneUirg^ with fuch Ap-
plication and Succefs, that he excelled
in almoft every Branch of Science, and
was, of his Age, one of the moft learn-
ed
The PREFACE. ix }
ed Men then living. To the Knowledge
of the learned Languages, he had added
that of the French, Italian, and En-
glifh : but his greateft Application had
Ls
been to the &^m,Tongue, which he
fludied under the ambus" ~Ezdras Ed-
zard, and in which he perfected him-
felf by teaching it to Mr. Weichmans-
haufen, fince Profeflbr of Hebrew at
Wittenberg.
IN the Year 1685. He commenced
Mafter of Arts at Leipfick, and foon
after, he was very inftrumental in fet-
ting up a Society called Collegium Thilo-
jBibUcum. The Intention of this Socie-
ty was, to cultivate the Knowledge of?
the Scriptures in the Original Lan-
guages : for which End, many Mafters
of Arts agreed to meet every Sunday
after Divine Service, from 4 till 6 in
the Afternoon. In thefe Aflemblies was
read a certain Portion of the Old and
the NewTeftament in the Originals, and
then a Conference was held, in which
they propofed feverally, what occurr'd
to them as proper to explain, or illuf-
trate, or apply what had been read. A
great Number of the Scholars attended
thefe Aflemblies as Auditors : and many
of the Profelfors themfelves, honoured
them with their Prefence. This Socie-
ty proved a happy Seminary, which
produced
x The PREFACE.
produced many illuftrious Ornaments of
the Lutheran Church.
ABOUT this time, there happened
an Accident, which feems to have been
the occafion of his firft becoming ac-
quainted with the myftick or fpiritual
Writers. The Do&rines of Molinos had
been juft then cenfur'd by the Inquifition
at Rome, and he condemn'd to a per-
petual Imprifonment. The News-Pa-
pers, after their Manner, gave fome ac-
count of his Tenets : and an extract of
his Writings, made by his Adverfary
Segnerio, was inferted in the A$a Eni-
ditorum Leipfenjium. Upon thefe Ma-
terials, one of the Students, without
having ever feen any of Molinos his
Writings, kept an Act de Qtiictifmo con-
tra Molinofum. The Principles of Mo-
linos had been for fome time a common
Subject of Converfation, and this Dif-
putation raifed the curiofity of the Pub-
lick, fo that there was a general Defire
to read the Author himfelf. A Person
of Note defired Mr. Franck, who un-
derftood the Italian, to make a Latin
Tranflation of his Writings, which he
undertook, with the Approbation and
Pincouragement of feveral of the Pro-
'/eflfors : and after having confulted the
GMfyftic Authors therein referred to, and
taken pains to make Molinos his Senfe
as
tte PREFACE. xi
as plain as pcflible, he published in La-
tin Ms Spiritual Guide and <Daily Com-
munion^ with a fhort Preface, in which
he fully declared his own Intention.
BUT fome time after, the Adverfa-
ries of Mr. Franck took this handle to
afperfe him, as one that had imbibed
the Principles of Molinos, and after-
wards inftilled them into others. To
which charge he made the following
Apology.
Firfty THE reading and tranflating
the Works of Molinos was not the be-
ginning of my Converfion, as I fhall
relate hereafter more at large.
Secondly > I NEVER faid, either in Pub-
lick or in Private, that I could approve
or defend all that Author faies.
Thirdly .> I rather perfwade others to
read the Holy Scripture, and onely fuch
Books as build their Do&rine upon the
fure Foundation of the Word of God.
Tho' I do not deny my Abhorrence for
the abfurdity of thofe, who condemn
this Author without underftanding, or
even reading him : yet charge him with
monftrous Opinions, which moft proba-
bly never came into his Mind. In op-
pofition to fuch rafli Cenfurers, I have
maintained, that many ufeful and edi-
fying Obfervations were contained in his
Book, which I never ftiould, or could
dif-
xii Tie PREFACE.
difapprove, or condemn. Truth is pre-
cious from whatever Hand it comes,
and the Scripture commands us to try
all Things, and hold faft and adhere
to that which is good : Such for In-
ftance, is what he faies of Humility in
his third Book, of which I heartily pro-
fefs my Approbation : Such are the few
Admonitions which he gives to the
Father Confeffors in the fecond Book,
which are generally worthy to be
obferved : Such alfo, is his Do&rine
of Chrift, as the only Way> and the
only T>oor y by, and through whom we
are to come to God, and in whofe
Blood we are to be purified, that .we
may become acceptable in his fight.
Again, the Expreffions which are inter-
fperfed through his Works concerning
fpiritual Temptations are grounded up-
on Experience j whereof a mere animal
and worldly-minded Man is not a ca-
pable Judge : But thofe who have tafted
of that bitter Cup, will often find them
juft and edifying. There are many
other Paffoges, which neither I, nor
any true Believer can difapprove, be-
caufe they are grounded upon Scripture,
and agreeable to the eftablifhed Arti-
cles of our Church. But if any fhould
find in this Author, fomething contrary
to Scripture, let fuch know, that I ne-
ver
the PREFACE. xiii
ver defire to be Partaker of his Error $
yet I fliall not, however, to gain any
Man's favour, condemn what I do not
underftand, or reject what I find war-
ranted by Scripture, altho' it comes from
a Perfon of a different Perfwafion. It f$
certainly very unjuft, to charge him
with the Errors of any Book, who ap-
proves what . is good in it : you may
with as much Reafon call him a Hea-
then, who commends TW/y's Offices : Or
brand him for a Papift, who takes a
good Interpretation of a Scripture Text
from Eftius, Cornelius a Lapide^ or other
Commentator of that Communion : Or
ftigmatizehim for aCalvinift,whoihould
confefs that the Book called SelfDeceit^
had difcovered to him his finful State :
or that Southerns golden Jewel had a-
wakened his Confcience, or that he had
been edified by any of the fo called Re-
formed %ooks. Thofe who are fo for-
ward to cenfure others, have feldom
any Reafon to give but their wicked
Suspicion, which rafti Judgment, the
juft Judge will not leave unpunifhed.
To conclude, I have read and tran-
flated the Books of Molinos^ without
any Intention of making myfelf a Party
in the Difpute : I have approved them
no farther, than they are agreeable to
Scripture $ fo that no Perfon can pretend
that
xiv lie PREFACE.
that he has been offended by any Dif-
courfe of mine upon that Subject : I
appeal to all lovers of Truth, and Men
of Confcience : And as to my own par-
ticular in this Point, my Confcience
applauds me before the righteous Judge
of the World.
I HAVE tranfcribed at length, this
Apology of Profeffor Franck for two
Reafons : Ftrft, Becaufe many feri-
ous Perfons have, and may hereafter
(land in need of the fame Defence againfl
the blind partiality of Sectarian Zeal :
And Secondly, Becaufe his acquaintance
with thofe Spiritual Writings was foon
after followed by his .total Converlion,
which happened about this time : For
hitherto his Studies had been principally
Viirected ad Tompam, as he exprefles it ,
his main Defign had been to get Learn-
ing, Preferment, Riches, and an eafy
Life } and tho' he had frequent Fits of
Serioufnefs and Devotion, fo that he
often began to reform, yet he was ftill
drawn away by the Multitude, and his
Knowledge of Divinity proved only /a
dead and fruitlefs Speculation. I was
(faith he) in my Heart a mere animal
Man, who had a great deal in his Head,
but was ftill a Stranger to that real
Subftance and Truth which is in Cbrift
Jefus.
BUT
Tie PREFACE. xv
BUT at the time abovementioned,
whic.h was in the twenty fourth Year of
his Age, God was pleafed to touch his
Heart more effectually, and make him
fenfible, that a mere fpeculative Know-
ledge ot Divinity as a Science, was by no
means a fufficient Qualification for the
Miniftry : And that he ihould impofe up-
on the World, if he undertook the Office
of Preaching, before he had himfelf prac-
tifed the evangelical Doftrines : And
hereupon, he befought the Lord with
great earneftnefs, to work in him a
total Converfion. The Effeft of this
Prayer, was a greater Senfe of his de-
pravity and worldly mindednefs, and
his utter Incapacity to deliver himfelf
by his own Endeavours. Hence he fell
into great Perplexities and Agonies of
Mind : he felt more and more his own
wretchednefs : and as his Diftrefs en-
creafed, fo did his Defires of Delive-
rance.
A PROVIDENTIAL Accident at the
fame time concurr'd to the fetting him
loofe from the World : For the Patron
of an Exhibition which he received,
advifed him to go from Leipjick^ to
the Univerfity of Luneburg^ to hear the
Divinity Lectures of the famous Super-
intendent Sandhagen : This at once
broke off all Engagements of Company
and
xvi The PREFACE.
and old Acquaintance. At Jjuneburg?
he Boarded in a private Family ; but
fpent the greateft Part of his time in his
Chamber, where he gave himfelf conti-
nually to Prayer and Meditation.
SOME time after his Arrival, he was
defired to Preach at St. Johns Church,
and had a confiderable time allowed
him to prepare his Difcourfe, the Text
he chofe was the 31 Verfe of the 2otb
Chapter of St. John^ Thefe are written,
that ye might believe that Jefus is the
Chrift the Son of God : and that leliev-
ing^ ye might have Life through his
Name. From thefe Words, he pro-
pofed to fliew the Properties of a true
and living Faith, as diftinguifhed from
that which is a mere human Imagina-
tion or Prefumption. As he was medi-
tating upon this Subject, he refle&ed
that he himfelf was deftitute of the
Faith he would defcribe ; this put a
Stop to his Study, and turned all his
Thoughts upon himfelf. He fell into
great agonies of Spirit, and continued
for feveral Days inconfolable, till at
length it pleafed the Lord to lift up
the Light of his Countenance upon him,
and to fill him with that Faith, for
which he was rightly difpofed by a due
Senfe of his Want of it,
Two
The PREFACE. xvii
Two Days after he Preached the
Sermon, which he had promifed, upon
the Text abovementioned : and could
truly apply to himfelf thofe Words of
the A pottle, 2 Cor. iv. 13. Having the
fame Spirit of Faith., according as it is
written, 1 believe 'd, and therefore have I
fpoken : we alfo believe, and therefore
jpcak. " This (faid he) is the time,
c from which I date my real Conver-
c fion ; for ever fince, I have always
found it eafy to deny all Ungodlinefs
and worldly Lufts, and to live fober-
ly, righteoufly, and godly in this pre-
fent World. Ever lince I have kept
: clofe with God, and have accounted
: as nothing all Promotions and Prefer-
: ments in this World, and the Gran-
: deurs, Riches, Eafe, and Pleafures
: thereof. , And whereas 1 had but too
' much idolized Learning, I now per-
: ceive that a Grain of Faith far ex-
: ceeds all humane Sciences ; and that
c all Attainments at the Feet of Ga-
' mallei, are to be valued like *Dung^
' in comparison of the Excellency of the
'' Knowledge of Jefus Chnft our Lord".
Some of that Knowledge, he has endea-
voured to communicate in the follow-
ing Treatife ; wherein the ^Divine Glory
of Jefus Chrift, is vindicated with fuch
and fo many Arguments^ that as no-
a thing
xviii The PREFACE.
thing more need, fo little more can, be
faid upon that Subject. The pious Read-,
er will be particularly pleafed and edi-
fied, by the Author's large Comment
upon the beginning of the Gofpel by St.
John, wherein the Generation of the
WORD is defcribed, and his neceffarily
eternal Exiftence, demonftrated in the
cleareft and ftrongeft Lights ; for it is
fhewed undeniably, that the Word and
Wifdom of God are the fame : from
whence may be drawn as a certain Con-
fequence, that to fuppofe Gcd without
his Word, or Wifdom, is to make him a
dumb Idol, which is equally abfurd and
blafphemous.
B u T to reaffume our account of the
Author. I have obferved in the Lives of
holy Men, that tho' they have all the
Virtues in fome certain Degree, yet
commonly each of them excels in fome
particular Virtue, which conftitutes his
particular Character. The great Virtue of
\ Faitb^feems to have been the diftinguifh-
i ing Characteriftick of ProfefTor Franck,
! as the Reader may have remarked in his
Converiion. This Divine Quality pre-
vailed in him afterwards, to a degree
that feems miraculous, as will appear
by many Inftances, in the Hiftory of
the Orphan-houfe at Qlaiica near Hall
which is a Univerfity in Saxony 9 but
fubjeft
L
PREFACE. xix
fubjed to the King of JPrttffia, by whofe
Appointment, Mr. Franck was here
made ProfefTor of Divinity, and at the
fame time Paftor of the Pariili of Qlau-
ca y which is in the Suburbs.
THIS Eftablifliment of this Hofpital,
as the Faith from whence it fprung,
may be compared to the Grain of Muf-
tard-feed^ mentioned in the Gofpel : Its
Beginning was exceeding fmall and con-
temptible, but its Progrefs was furprifl
ingly great, and fo drew the Attention
of the Publick, that in the Year 1700.
Frederic the Firft, Father of the pre-
fent King of Truffia^ gave a Commiflion
to four Privy Counsellors, that they
fliould examine, and bring him full In-
formation concerning it. They, after
taking an exact Survey of all the Parti-
culars relating thereto, commanded the
Profeflbr Franck^ to give them in Writ-
ing a full Account of that Affair, viz.
by what Means the Hofpital was erect-
ed and maintained j and to what Ufes it
was employed. He did fo, and the
Royal CommifTion being much talked of,
a general Curiofity was raifed j and the
ProfefTor was importuned by many Per-
fons, to publifli the Subftance of what
he had laid before the Commiflioners.
To fatisfy thefe, and at the fame time
to confute many Calumnies and Mifre-
a 2 prefen-
xx Tie PREFACE.
prefentations that had been fpread a-
broad , he printed an Hiftorical Account
of the whole Affair (as it had been laid
before his TruJJian Majefty) by the Title
of Tietas Hatlenfis : the Subftance of
which is as follows.
IN thofe Parts, the Poor have no
Settlement upon Parifhes ; but it is an
ancient Cuftom in the City and Suburbs
of Hall, to appoint a particular Day
every Week, whereon the Poor affemble
at the Doors of fuch charitable Perfons
as are difpofed to relieve them.
A RENDEZVOUS of Beggars is a Spec-
tacle, which in the generality of Behol-
ders, moves fome fuperficial Sentiments
of Pity, with a Mixture of Ridicule
and Contempt. The ProfefTor faw them
with other Eyes : he was intimately
touched with Companion for all their
Wants, but efpecially for their grofs
Ignorance, and want of Religion. Our
common Beggars are, generally fpeak-
ing, the Dregs of Mankind, as well in
their Vices, as their Poverty : and their
Children, almoft fatally engaged in the
fame W retched nefs, are bred only to
make a trafic of their Mifery : they are
heathenifh and brutal, and even loft to
all Senfe of Shame, that laft Defence
of Virtue. Such Diftrefs in Fellow-
Creatures, cannot but touch the, Heart
of
fe PREFACE. xxi
of a good Man, but it is difficult to
know how to fuccour it. Prefent Re-
lief may ferve to protract their wretched
Lives, but the only effectual Service
that can be done them is, if poffible, to re-
claim them from their profligate Courfes.
THIS was what the Profeffor had
very much at Heart, and to make fome
EfTay towards it, one Ihurfday (which
was the Day of their Meeting before his
Door) he called them all into the Houfe,
and having placed the grown Perfons on
one fide, and the Children on the other,
he in a familiar and engaging Manner
asked the latter, viz. the Children,
what they underftood of the Principles
of the Chriftian Religion, as taught in
Luther's Catechifm. The elder Perfons
were not examined, but only attended
to what was faid : and after the Pro-
feffor had fpent about a Quarter of an
Hour in teaching and explaining the
Catechifm, concluding with a fliort
Prayer, he diftributed his Alms as ufual :
and told them, that for the future, both
fpiritual and temporal Provifion was
defigned for them, and fhould be admi-
niftred after this Manner, at their Week-
ly Meetings at his Houfe. This was
about the Beginning of the Year 1694.
BY this practice, the Profeffor grew
more nearly acquainted with the Tern-
a 3 per
xxii The PREFACE.
per and Manners of this fort of People :
and as he was ufed to confider all
Things in their relation to God and ano-
ther World, he was principally felici-
tous about their Inftrudion : But this
he found a very hard Task, and, as he
exprefTes it, he fcarce knew where to
begin the Cultivation of fo barren a
Soil : His chief Hopes were of the
Children, and therefore he refolved to
pay for their Schooling : But befides
this Expence, he had feveral poor Houfe-
keepers to fupport, and his own little
Fund foon fell fliort : So he bought an
Alms-Box, and fent it about every Week
among the Students, and others that were
charitably difpofed : By this Means h-e
collected about the Sum of two Shillings.
IT is necefTary here to inform the
Reader, that in that Part of Germany^
the value of Money is very different
from what it is in JLngland. One Shil-
ling there will go as far as fix here :
and fnch Allowance muft be made in
the Sums hereafter fpecified.
THE Alms- Box above mentioned, was
handed about for fome Weeks j but as
none Were applied to but fuch as were
charitably difpofed, the Collections
proved fo fmall, as not to anfwer the
Trouble ; fo that Method was laid afidc.
What followed upon this, fliall be related
in
Tie P REFACE. xxiii
in the Author's own Words. cc I fixed
: (fays he) a Box in my own Parlour,
with thefe Words written over it,
' John iii. 17. Whofo hath this Worlds
good^ and feet h his "Brother have need.,
and jhutteth up his ^Bowels of Compaf-
fion from him., how dwelleth the Love
of God in him ? And under it, 2 Cor.
ix. 7. Every > Man according as he pur-
pofeth in his Heart, fo Jet him give.,
not grudgingly ', or of necejfity : for God
loveth a chearful Giver. This was
' intended for a tacit Admonition to all
that came in, to open their Hearts to-
wards the Poor. The Box was put
up in the Beginning of the Year 1695.
AND thus I was taken up a great
while, with contriving effe&ual Me-
: thods to provide for" the Poor, and
: each of them hath been blefled in its
Degree. One Day before I fixed
: the aforefaid Box for the Poor in my
; Houfe, I took the Bible, and as it
were by Accident, did light on thefe
Words: 2 Cor. ix. 8. God is able to
make all Grace abound towards you.,
that ye always having all fujjhiency in
all Things^ may abound to every good
Work. This Sentence made a deep
Impreflion on my Mind, caufing me
to think : How is God able to make
this ? Ijhoitld be glad to help the Toor^
a 4 " had
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
xxiv Tie P RE FACE.
: had I wherewithal; whereas now lam
' forced to fend many away empty and
' unrelieved! Some Hours after, I rc-
: ccived a Letter from a Friend, who
heavily complained that he, and all
his Family, were like to perifh with
Want i faying he would borrow no
more, but if any one would for God's
,fake make him an Object of his Cha-
rity, he fhould ever retain a grateful
cc Remembrance of it. This minded
' me afrefh of what I had read a little
\vhile before, and made ftill a deeper
: Impreflion on me, attended with Sighs
' and Afpirations. After fome debates
cc in my Mind, I thought on a Project,
: how to relieve effectually this poor
: Man in his prefent Want, and yet
: in a Chriftian manner, and without
cc giving the Icaft trouble to any Perfon
whatfoever. This then I fpeedily
' put in Execution, and the faid Fami-
ly \vas fo fuccefsful, as to get within
' the compafs of one Year, about (a) an
cc Hundred and Fifty Crowns by this
: Means : And fo their falling into ex-
' treme Poverty was happily prevented.
This proved a fufficient Demcnftra-
tion, how God is able to make us a-
bound to every good Work ; which I
could not forbear here to mention,
cc becaufc
W Thirty Pound Sterling E*gHJk.
The PREFACE. xxv
' becaufc it helps to difcover, as well
: the outward Caufe, which our Un-
' dertaking took its Rife from,' as the
c frame of my Mind, which the Lord
' upheld for carrying on the Work.*
THE Children, whofe teaching the
Profeflfor paid for, were negligent, or
neglected at the School : fome of them
flayed often away, and in general, they
made no Improvement : fo that he
was very defirous to have a School of
his own, where they might be taught
under his Infpection. And while he had
this defign at Heart, a certain Perfon
put into the Box fet up in his Houfe, to
the value of Eighteen Shillings and
Six-pence Engiifh, this was about Eaf 1
ter 1695. When he found this Sum,
he faid in full affurance of Faith :
1 This is now a confiderdble Fund, wor-
' thy to be laid out in fome important
: Undertaking j wherefore I will even
: take this for the Foundation of a Cha-
c rity-SchcoL The fame Day, he laid
out eight Shillings in Books for the
Children to read in : A Room before
his Study Door was fitted up for the
Charity School : and a poor Student
was hired for one Shilling a Week, to
teach tho Children two Hours a Day.
Seven and^wentyBooks were diftribut-
edlTo^trri^ianyCliiTdren, but only four of
* Ptetas Hatletijis, p, xi, . 5, 6. Ed, 1705,
'
xxvi The P REFACE.
thefe returned again to the School : the
reft ran away with their new Books,
and the Profeflfor heard no more of them.
This,inftead of difcouraging him, convin-
ced him fo much the more, of theNecef-
(ity there was of endeavouring to reclaim
fuch young Vagrants. So he bought
more Books, and got more Scholars ;
and that he might not again lofe both
together., he made them leave the Books
at the School.
IN this School, he had put up another
Alms-Box,with th is Infcription over it j For
defraying the Charges of Schooling^ Books,
and other NeceJJaries for poor Children,
-Anno 1 595. And under it, He that
bath pity upon the Toor, lendeth unto the
Lord: and that which he hath given,
Jhall le paid him again.
ABOUT Whitfontide, till which time,
(as the ProfefTor had before computed)
his little Stock lafted ; when it was now
juft fpent, fome Friends, who came to
vifit him, pleafed with this Eflfay of
Charity, contributed fome Crowns to
the Support of it.
AFTER Whit/ontide, fome of the In-
habitants feeing how carefully the poor
Children were taught, defired that they
might fend their Children to the fame
Matter, paying him for his Trouble : fo
he agreed to teach five Hours a Day,
and
The PREFACE. xxvii
and his Salary was encreafed to two
Shillings and fix Pence a Week.
ALMS were now diftributed two or
three times a Week to the Children, that
they might be engaged to come more
conftantly to School, and be kept in bet-
ter Order. And as this little Beginning
came to be known abroad, feveral Per-
fons fent in Money and Cloathing
for the Children, thereby to hire
them, as it were, to receive Inftru&ion.
The ProfefTor already found in part
that Promife verified, that God would
make him abound to every good Work :
fince befides maintaining his School, he
had wherewithal to aifift poor Houfe-
keepers; for he difpofed owhat Provi-
dence fent, as faft as it. came, without
follicitude for Futurity.
BEFORE the end of this Summer, a
Perfon of Quality fent to the ProfefTor
five hundred Crowns, upon Condition,
that fome Part of it ftiould be difpofed
of to poor Students in the Univerfity.
This greatly encouraged him, and he
prefently enquired after the more necef-
fitous among the Students, to twenty
of whom he gave a weekly Allowance.
He looked upon this as a Call of Tro-
vidence^ to make indigent Scholars a
Part of his Care, which he continued
to do, as long as he lived, making an
Efta-
cc
cc
cc
cc
xxviii The PREFACE.
Eftablifhment for them in his Hofpital,
as w r ill be hereafter related.
SOON after, another Perfon of Qua-
lity fent a hundred Crowns for the Poor,
and a Friend gave twenty towards the
School : "So that, as he faith himfelf,
God mightily fupported what was be-
gun, and his Bounty (beamed down
more plentifully, to mew us, that he
was ready to do ftill greater Things,
* v if we could but believe.
THE Number ot* the poor Children,
and thofe of the Inhabitants, encreafed to
fuch a degree, that in the beginning of
the Winter, he was obliged to hire a
fecond Room : and then he feparated
the Children of the Inhabitants from
thofe of the Poor, appointing each a
peculiar Mafter.
BUT as the fpiritual Welfare of the
/ I poor Children, had been the firft and
principal View of the ProfefTor, in the
Care he took of them ; he found that,
after all his Pains, this was little ad-
vanced, becaufe the Good they got at
School., was loft at Home. This made
him refoive to {mgkr"out- fome Chil-
dren, and venture upon their Mainte-
nance, as well as their Education j and
this firft difpofed him to concert Mea-
fures for an Hofpital, before he knew of
any Fund for its Maintenance.
WHEN
The P RE FACE. xxix
WHEN he difcovered his Project to
fome Friends, one of them fettled five
hundred Crowns, the Intereft of which
was appointed for the Maintenance of
one Orphan j four were prcfcntcd to the
Profeffor, for him to make his Choice.
He ventured (as he fpeaks) in the Name
of God> to take them all four. In lefs
than a Fortnight, he received at differ-
ent Times five more, and boarded them
with Perfons that had a good Senfe of
Religion.
THE Divine Providence eminently
concurred with this pious Enterprize :
for foon after, above one thoufand four
hundred Crowns were fent from diffe-
rent Hands. The Profeflbr thus fupplied,
and encouraged outwardly, and led and
fupported inwardly, by fuch fublime
Degrees of Faith, as nothing but expe-
rience like his can give us worthy No-
tions of, bought, fitted up, and fur-
nifhed a Houfe to ferve as an Hofpital,
for the reception of the Orphans under
his Care. Their Number was increafed
to twelve, when they were removed into
this Houfe, from the private Families
where they bad been Boarded.
IN this little Hofpital, every Child
was laid in a Bed by himfelf; they
were well cloathed, and fed and taught :
they were kept in great Order , and a
general
xxx The PREFACE.
general Cleanlinefs, that cheap, inno-
cent, and beft Ornament, made them
a very agreeable Spe&acle. The Pro
feflbr fpared nothing that was necefTary j
for he had fure Confidence in the inex-
hauftible Fund of Providence j and his
only Care was (as he tells us) not to
mifpend one {ingle Farthing $ but pro-
vide for his Poor, as Poor, viz. fiich
Things as were abfolutely requifite for
their Maintenance.
IT was faid before, that five hun-
dred Crowns had been fent to the Pro-
feffor, with a defire, that part of it
fliould be applied to the Support of poor
Students. This he had interpreted as
a Call of Providence, to take them un-
der his Care. He was very fenfible of
what Importance this might prove to
Religion, by the Opportunity it gave
him of regulating their Manners, dired-
ing their Studies, and forming fome a-
mong them, to be worthy Labourers in
the Lord's Vineyard. And therefore,
with their weekly Allowance, he al-
ways gave them good Advice : but ma-
ny, who took his Money, rejeded the
better Part of the Benefa&ion ; fpend-
ing even that Money in bad Company.
To prevent this, he refolved, in the
Name of God, to Board them ; and two
Tables were daily provided for them in
the
Tie P R E FA C E. xxxi
the Hofpital. " I caft myfelf (fays he)
c upon the Providence of the Lord,
: hoping that his Bounty from time
: to time would fupply us with fuch
r Relief, as was fufficient for them."
By thefe Means, he became nearer ac-
quainted with their Temper and Capa-
cities i they were kept more in awe,
and better anfwered the main Defign of
fitting them for the Management of
Schools, or Parochial Cures. By thefe
Means alfo, he came to diftinguifti thofe
who were really in Want, from thofe
who were not : for thefe latter would
not take up with the mean Diet of
the HoTpital.
THIS extraordinary Progrefs in good
Works, did not make the Profeflbr
negleft the Beginning, which had been
relieving common Beggars. He. had
Faith in the Promife, that God' would
make him abound to every good Work :
and accordingly doubled his Care of
them : for now two Days in a Week
were appointed, whereon all that came
were inftru&ed and relieved.
BESIDES this, a Free-School was o-
pened for all Children, whofe Parents
could not, or would not pay for their
Learning : and thefe, with the Orphans
he had adopted, became fo numerous,
as to employ four Schoolmasters, Ano-
ther
xxxii The P REFACE.
ther little Hcufe was added to the for-
mer. That too was foon filled, and
more room was wanting. The Profeffor's
Charity was not yet fatisfied, and his
Faith was equal to his Charity : as he
was confcious that God put thefe good
Deiires into his Heart, fo he truftcd in
God for the fulfilling them.
SUCH were the Circumftances, which
as it were infenfibly engaged the Pro-
feflbr in the Foundation of that famous
Hofpital, which has lince been one of
the moft illuftrious Ornaments, and Sup-
ports, of the Proteftant Religion in Ger-
many : and I have entered into fo mi-
nute a detail of thofe Circumftances,
becaufe, as 1 think, they give us" jufter
Notions of his Character, and better re-
prefent his Temper and Frame of Mind,
than any other kind of Defcription. For
the Sequel of the Story, I muft refer the
Reader to the Account wrote by him-
felf, and publifhed in Englifh by the
Title of Tietas Halknfis. It will be
feen there, how in a fhort time, without
any other Fund than his Faitb in Pro-
videncCj and afftfted only by fuch feem-
ingly accidental Contributions as thofe
abovementioned, he raifed a Building
which coft five thoufand Pounds, and
peopled it with above two hundred
Poor : this was in the Year 1702. four
Years
The P REFA C E. xxxiii
Years after, the State of the Hofpital
was as follows.
TEN Schools, in which 988 Children
were inftru&ed by 72 Mafters. The
Number of Perfons lodg'd and fubfifted
in the Hofpital was 360,- and 84 poor \
Students of the Univerfity had their
Diet there. Eight poor Widows were
maintained, with a Chaplain, and Maid-
Servant : and Provifion alfo was made
for the Relief of cafual Poor.
A s the Number of Children in thefe
Schools has been continually increafing,
ever fince the Year 1702, fo likewife
has the Number of their Mafters and
Teachers. At the Concluiion of the
Year 1731, the Number of the Scholars
and Children in the feveral Schools of
the Orphan-Houfe, amounted to Two
thoufand three hundred ; and the Num-
ber of Students who inftru&ed them, to
One hundred and fixty.
A TABLE
O F T H E
CONTENTS.
HO is tie Sum and Subftance
of tbe wbole Sacred Wri-
tings, Page i
SECT. II. What OUT Duty is in
this Important Affair, *
SECT. III. With what Mind, and witb what In-
tention^ this Knowledge is to be fought, ibid.
SECT. IV. fbat tbis Wifdom is of tbe bigbcjl
Eftimation, j
S E c T. V. In wbat Scbool tbis Wifdom is to be
learnt, 4
SECT. VI. In tbis School, no one perfectly learns
all 'Things, ibid.
SECT. VII. Re that bas learned any fbwg in
tbis Scbool, tbo y it be never fo fmall, ought not
altogether to conceal it, 5
SECT. VIIL Who muft fupply Strengtb for per-
forming tbis Part, 6
SECT. IX. Wbat cugbt to be our Scope in read-
ing tbe Holy Scriptures, ibid.
S E c T. X. fbe Means of attaining to tbis End, 7
b 2 SECT.
xxxvi The CONTENTS.
SECT. XL fhat this is not to be obtained by
Prayers alone, but that Meditation is alfo re-
quijjite, 8
SECT. XII. What Means may be ufed, if Me-
ditation does not fucceed according to our lV~ifo,
9
SECT. XIII. Alfo what to be done, if many Pla-
ces feem difficult and obfcure, 10
SECT. XIV. By what Degrees, an entrance is
made to the reading of the Holy Scriptures, 1 2
SECT. XV. *That great Benefit may be hoped
for, from comparing the fejiimonies cf the
Prophets, with thofe of Chrift and his Apo-
ftles, 13
SECT. XVI fhat fingular Profit may be ex-
pefted from fuch Comparifons, 1 5
SECT. XVII. fhat we ought to give ftritf At-
tention to all the IFords of Chrift and his
Apoftles, 1 6
SECT. XVIII. fbat great Diligence is required
in this Meditation on the Holy Scriptures,
ibid.
SECT. XIX. fhat we ought always to perfevere
in Diligence and Humility, 1 7
SECT. XX. After a diligent and frequent Peru-
fal of the New Teftament, Chrift will be
clearly difcerncd in the Old, 18
SECT. XXI. <fbat the Old Teftament refletfs
Light upon tJ:e New, 19
SECT. XXII. fbat this may be ittuftrated by
Example, 20
SECT. XXIII. fbe Words of St. John are recit-
ed, on which the Meditations are framed, 2 1
The
The CONTENTS, xxxvii
The FIRST MEDITATION.
Of the Divine Simplicity which St. Jokn
ufes in the Beginning of his Gofpel.
SECT. XXIV. fbat thefe are not the fublim*
Words, which St. Paul accounts as alien from
the Divine Wifdom, 23
SECT. XXV. fbat great Simplicity may be ob-
ferved in St. John'j Words, 26
SECT. XXVI. What is to be thought of too ma-
ny learned Men, who often wreft thefe Words
(of St. John) from their natural Simplicity, to
a manifestly wrong Signification, 29
SECT. XXVII. fhat there are known Exam-
ples of Rationalifts, having been effectually
ftruck and convinced by 'this Simplicity of the
Words of St. John, 30
SECT. XX VIII. fhat tie Mind of St. John was
fo humble and honeft, that we may from thence
conclude his Words proceeded from the greatefl
Simplicity, 3 ^
SECT. XXIX. Why this Simplicity of St. John
is a little more largely propofed to Confidera~
tion, 34
SECT. XXX. A Prayer to Chrift, for the frue
Knowledge of the Simplicity and Perfpicuity
of the Holy Scriptures, 35
The
xxxviii The CONTENTS.
In which the Beginning of St. Johns
Gofpel is compared with the Beginning
of the Book of Gene/is.
SECT. XXXI. fhat St. John, in the Beginning
of his Gofpel) doth refer to the Beginning of
Genefis, 3 7
SECT. XXXII. A Prayer to be joined with
this comparing of Mofes and John, 40
The THIRD MEDITATION.
In which the Beginning of St. John's Gof-
pel is compared with other Places of
Scripture, of the Old and New Tefla-
ment.
Si c T. XXXIII. that thefe Words of St. John
may be alfo explained by other Places of the
Old and New tTeftament, 41
SECT. XXXIV. Other Places of Scripture tend-
ing to illuftrate this Matter, 44
SECT. XXXV. What Benefit may be hoped for
from fuch Meditations and Comparisons, 58
SECT. XXXVI. A Prayer for the opening the
Eyes of our Minds in this important Concern,
19
The FOURTH MEDITATION.
Of the fingular Emphafis, and ftrong Sig-
nificancy of the Words and Expreffions
of St. John, in the Beginning of his
Gofpel. SECT.
The C O N T E N T S. xxxix
SECT. XXXVII. fbat many f kings remain
fill hid in the emphatical Exprejfions which
St. John ufes, 60
SECT. XXXVIII. fhat fo great Depths, un-
fathomable plainly to Keafon, lie hid in that one
Word \by&, [or the Word] as ought to en-
creafe our Humiliation, 64
SECT. XXXIX. What 'fhings are further to
be conjldered in thefe empbatical Words of St.
John, 66
SECT. XL. What peculiar Account may be giv-
en of the Words ^T'^A'^V, Titt^.het^ov, and f\&@oy 9
or comprehending and receiving, 71
SECT. XLI. Why in treating here of the Eter-
nal Word, there is mention made of John the
Baptift, 74
SECT. XLII. fhat there is alfo a peculiar Em-
phajls in the Words o *.by@- kffnnvo<nv c# n^uv,
The Word dwelt among us, 78
SECT. XLIII. Why the Evangelift returns afrejh
to fpeak of John the Baptift, and what is to be
underftood by idx.&yi, He cried, 8 1
SECT. XLIV. In what the feftimony of John
the Baptift confifts, 83
SECT. XLV. What is to be obferued concerning
Grace for Grace, and comparing of the Law
and Grace and Truth one with another, S6
SECT. XL VI. How great Senfe is comprifed in
the i8 th Verfe, where there is fo notable men-
tion made of the only begotten Son, who is in
the Bofom of the Father, and hath declared
him, 88
SECT. XLVIL What Prayers the Confederation
on all thefe things Jhould draw from our
Hearts, pi.
The
xi The CONTENTS.
The FIFTH MEDITATION.
Wherein fix Arguments, proving the true
Divinity of -Cbrijl,. which occur in the
Beginning of St. jfobn's Gofpel, are di-
ligently examined.
i
SECT. XL VIII. fhe Firft Argument, 9$
SECT. XLIX. fbe Second Argument, 9$
SECT. L. fhe fhird Argument, 109
SECT. LI. Ike Fourth Argument, 1 20
SECT. LII. <fhe Fifth Argument, 129
SECT. LIII. fbe Sixth Argument, 142
vV.
Now this Argument comprifes fifteen im-
portant Points.
1. tfhat all the Holy Scriptures inculcate
upon Men this Faith in Chrift.
2. I'hat Chrift fends not Men to any other,
but calls them to Himfelf.
3. ^Tkat the Apoftles have re quired the fame
Faith in Chrift our Lord.
4. fbat this whole Faith confifts of fuch
Particulars, as are not to be attributed to any
created Being.
5. <fkat Faith is to be given to Chrift, not
as a Minifter, but as the Lord of our Salvation.
6. fbat we are commanded to live and die to
Chrift, is likewife an Evidence of his Divinity.
7. H r bat is fignified by thofe Exprejfions.
8. tfbat our Duty to renounce all 1 'kings
for Chrift'j Sake, gives fefttmotty alfo of his
Divine Glory.
p. fbat Chrift is to be loved above all
things, is alfo a tfeftimony of his Divinity.
JO.
The CONTENT * xli
10. 'fbe Obligation of putting our Truft it
Chrift, as in God himfelf, is an Indication
likewife of his Divine Glory.
11. fhat we are commanded to give our
Hearts unto Chrift, is another Argument to con-
firm this AJJertion.
12. A farther Confirmation hereof is, that
we are to ferve Chrift in Right eoujnefs, and
Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft.
13. tfhat the Honour of religious Worihip to
Is performed to Chrift, is alfo an Atteftation
cfhis Divine Glory.
i^.Our being baptized in the Name of Chrift,
is alfo a Demonftration of his Divine Glory.
15. Chrift 's fa 'flowing eternal Life, is ano-
ther Proof of his Divine Glory.
J J ""
SECT. LI V. What further ufe may be made of
the fix preceeding Arguments, 173
SECT. LV. What ought to be confdered of by
Perfons who are manifeftly given up to contra*
ry Opinions, and are become Champions for
them, 181
SECT. LVI. What ought to be thought of fuch,
who deny the Godhead of Chrift, and yet migh-
tily pretend to good Moral Dotfrine, and inte-
grity of Life, 191
SECT. L VII. fhat all Morality deftitute of
the Foundation of a living Faith, is unprofitable
and inefficient > what Advice is to be given
to thofe who depart from this Foundation of
true Morality, 1^4
SECT. LVIII. What Prayers and Praifes^ow/J
from tbefe Confiderations be excite din our Minds,
The
xlii The CO-N
.
The SIXTH MEDITATION.
Of the Myftery of the Incarnation.
'..,.' .....
SECT. LIX. tfbat 'tis to fa confident, wb*
Chrift was before lots Incarnation, and who Ht
now is, after be was made Man, 200
'
The SEVENTH MEDITATION.
.
Of the Benefit we enjoy by Jefus Chrift.
S c T. LX. *fhat God "has embraced us in his
Son with an eternal Love, and that from hence
all manner of Good is derived to us* 205
V _, _ *> w^i\ ted
The EIGHTH MEDITATION.
Concerning the truly divine Order wherein
we are made Partakers of all the Bene-
fits that accrue to us by Gbrtfl Jefus.
,<V.J'^ "V, ^ r.< ^Xj;^ ,
S EC T. LXI. /// what Manner and in what Or-
der we are to ufe the Benefits of Salvation, ob-
tained by Chriit for us y 212
.
The NINTH MEDITATION;
, u?.^ M .^
How we may be inftrucled, from the Be-
, ginning of St. John's Go/pel, to know
Chrijl, as the Sum and Subftance of the
other Writings of St. John, aiid of all
the Holy Scriptures,
SECT,
The CONTENTS, xliii
SECT. LXII. tfhat from the Beginning of St.
John'j Gofpel, we may alfo learn after what
Manner, in his other Writings, and throughout
the whole Scripture, Chrift is to be known,
217
SECT. LXIII. What he fides this Inftance, more
at large explained, may farther conduce to the
Knowledge of Chrift, as the Sum and Sub-
ftance of the Holy Scriptures, 225
SECT. LXIV. fbat a diligent Conf deration of
the Names and Appellations of Chrift, affords
alfo great Infruffion. 234
S i c T. LXV. fbat 'tis not fufficient for us to
know all thefe things of Chrift, but that be-
fdes this Knowledge, there is ft'itt more requir-
ed of us, 255
SECT. LXVI. In what things, and efpecially
in what Manner, Chrift Myftical is to be fought,
260
SECT. LXVH. fhe true and fafefl Way of fol-
lowing and pojjejffing Chrift, 261
SECT. LXVin. What Courfe is to be taken,
when Chrift long fought after is not found by
thee, 264,
SECT. LXIX. How all this fo difficult a Work
ought to be recommended to God by Prayers,
271
Cbriftus
o* IK t<s\ ^
I -.jfl'/Mi.
\V^v-
1^
Chriftus Sacra Scripture Nucleus:
O R,
CHRIST the Sum and
Subftance of all the
HOLY SCRIPTURES, &c.
SECT. I.
Who is the Sum and Subftance of the
whole Sacred Writings.
Chrift is the Sum and
Subftance of all the Holy Scrip-
tures, all do indeed confefs ;
but there are few who under-
ftand the Meaning of thefe
Words ; fewer labour much to rind out
this Subftance, and know in what manner
to make their Inquiry ; the feweji of all,
are thofe who advance fo far in it, as tru-
B Jy
2 Chrift the Sum and Subjtance
ly to eat of this Kernel, or $ubftance y and
ufe it for the Nourifliment and Support
of their inward Man.
SECT. II.
t
What our Duty is in this important
Affair.
SINCE therefqre This is of all others
our greateft Concern, 'tis fit the Reader
of the Holy Scriptures mould in the firft
Place be admonimed, not to flick in the
x I Rind of their external Hiflory, Letter,
and Words j but that he ought to feek
Chrift himfelf, as the Kernel (or Subftance)
c4 of the Holy Scriptures, and to feek Him in
I fuch a manner that he may certainly find
Him, and fatisfy his Soul with Him.
SECT. III.
With 'what Mind, and with what In-
tention^ this Knowledge is to be fought.
THIS is (nnDn onnai mntaa HBN)
'Truth in the inward Parts, and Wifdom
in the hidden Part *, which is not acquir-
ed by loading the Memory only with the
various Interpretations and Opinions of
learned Men, nor the moft acute Refearches
of
Pfalm li. 6.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 3
of a natural Understanding : Nor does it
conlift in bare Knowledge ; but is rather
firft founded in the moil ardent Defire,
and faithful follicitude of refcuing one's
Soul from Destruction. It creates a
Change of the Heart into the divine Na-
ture and -j- Temper ; and declares its high
and heavenly Dignity by its divine Light,
Operation, and real Virtue and Efficacy;
great Peace, continual Joy, purity of
Heart, fweet Union with God, Commu-
nion in and with God, and the fpiritual
and heavenly Exercife of Love, (whereby
whatfoever Good redounds to the Soul
from God, diffufes itfelf to all others with-
out Diftinction) by all thefe, I fay, it de-
clares its high and divine Dignity.
SECT. IV.
That this Wifdom is of the higheft
Eftimation.
THIS Wifdom far furpaffeth all hu-
man Wifdom ; as Life is preferable to
Death, Light to Darknefs, Subftance to a
Shadow. For in this Wifdom alone is
Truth, Light, and Life. The moft cele-
brated Arts of all learned Men, compar'd
with This, are Smoak. Hence the Scrip-
B 2 ture
f John i. 12, 13. 2 Cor, iii. 18. 2 Pet. i. 4.
4 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
ture faith, * Let not the wife Man glory in
bis Wifdom.
SECT. V.
In 'what School this Wifdom is to be
learned.
THIS Wifdom is learnt in the School
of the Holyji&zti. Unlefs God himfelf
perform me Office of a Teacher , not even
the firft Foundation of it can be laid. For
Chrift fays, -f No Man can come to me,
except the Father which hathfent me draw
him : And again, it is written in the Pro-
phets, And they /hall be all taught of God.
Every Man therefore that hath heard y and
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
SECT. VI.
In this School no one perfe&ly learns
all Things.
I N this School, no Mortal perfectly and
fufficiently learns all Things: But 'tis a
Thing very pleafing to Goo 1 , when we re-
cite to one another what we have learned,
as diligent and attentive Scholars. Since
he is fo merciful as to vouchfafe his Ble-
fing to this Exercife, and to edify and
ftrengthen
* Jer. ix. 23. I Cor, i. 3 1 . f John vi. 44, 4.5.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 5
ftrengthen one Perfon by another, tho' it
be not lawful for any Man to call himfelf
Mafter : * for One is our Mafter.
SECT. VII.
He that has learned any thing in this
School^ tho it be never Jo fmall y
ought not altogether to conceal it.
A S to my felf, I reckon I am but a
Novice, and one of the leaft Difciples in
this School ; and that I have tafted but
fome little Drop of this vaft Ocean of
Wifdom, which is in Jefus Chrift, and
have greater Caufe than -j- yob, to fay ;
How little a Portion ("pT f at2>) have we
heard of him : Yet, with Simplicity of
Mind, I adventure to rehearfe my Leflbn,
and impart to others according to my
Knowledge, as far as it can be done, in
few Words, in what manner they ought . ,
to feek, find, and tafte Chrift, as the Ker- ]
nel (or Sum and Subftance) of the Holy/ 1
Scriptures; and to nourim, fatiate, and
fuftain their Soul with him, unto Eter-
nal Life.
B 3 SECT.
* Matt, xxiii. 10. f Job xxvi. 14.
l\
6 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
SECT. VIII.
Who muft fupply Strength for per-
forming this Part.
MAY God, through his infinite Grace
and Mercy, blefs my Endeavours, and by
them bring many into the Way, by which
they may have Life, and that they may have
it more abundantly * .
SECT. IX.
What ought to be our Scope in read-
ing the Holy Scriptures.
WHOSOEVER therefore thou art
that defireft to come to the true Know-
ledge of Chrift, who is the Sum and Sub-
ftance of the Holy Scriptures, and to be
made a Partaker of him, let it be recom-
mended to you above all Things, to con-
fiderfor v^a&Jiea/hiijou do read the Holy
Scriptures ; or what End you propoje to your
felf in defigning to peruje the whole f acred
Writings ; what it is you feek or look for
by it j for every thing is to be referred to
its true and full Scope .or Intentipfij o-
therwite the true afidlull Fruit thereof
cannot be expected. In reading the Ho-
ty
* Jobn x. 10.
of all the Holy Scriptures. j
ly Scriptures, the whole Intention of the
Mind muft be levelled at this, and no .
other Scope whatever, That (i) we may *Vfy
come to Chrift, and (2) by Chrift, to eter- , ? - 1 \
nal Salvation *. * |f *
SECT. X.
7%e Means of attaining to this End.
THAT you may well and happily
attain this End, by Means agreeable to
the Divine Ordinance, and approved of
God, you muft not fet about it, trufting
in your own Strength, Wifdom, and Un-
derftanding ; or imagine, that by diligent
Reading, Meditation and Enquiry, you
will be able to fearch it out ; or that then
you have coinpaffed your End, when you
have acquired fome external Knowledge
of Chriji, his Perfon, his Natures, Offices,
States, and all the Degrees of his Exina-
nition and Exaltation. But you muft
humble your felf before God, like a little
Child) and begin all yo;ir reading of the!
Holy Scriptures, with a fubmifiive Ac-
knowledgment of your own Infufficiency,
and with lerious and moft ardent Prayers
and Sighs to God ; nor ought you ever to
delift from fuch continual Humiliation of
your felf, though having made fome Pro-
B 4 grefs
* 2 Tim.'m, 15. Apis's.. 43. Jc/.xxx. 31.
8 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
grefs therein,you may find great Knowledge
in the Holy Scriptures. But if you became
' and remained truly humble, and innocent,
like a very little Child hanging at his Mo-
ther's Breads, furely the pure Milk of the
Gofpel would, without Hindrance, flow
into you, and would replenish your Heart,
more than it might your Memory. Con-
cerning this Wifdom of Babes, See Matt.
' xi. v. 25, 26, 27.
SECT. XI.
That this is not to be obtained by Pray-
ers alone^ but that Meditation is al-
fo requifae.
NEVERTHELESS the Things now
fpoken, are not to be fo underftood, as if
you were not to read the Holy Scriptures^
nor to meditate on what you read. Medi-
tation is of admirable Ufe, being tinged, as
? it were, with Prayer, and exercifed by the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. By Degrees
you will learn, howfoever difficult it may
ieem at firit ; I. To attend to the genuine
jjfl Scope of any entire Text. 2. To weigh
rightly the Antecedents and the Confe-
; quents. 3. To coniider diftinctly the Cir-
) cumftances, viz. Who? What? Where?
; By what Affiftance ? Why ? How ? When ?
4. To compare one Sentence with ano-
ther,
of all the Holy Scriptures'. 9
ther, the Old, with the New Teftamenf,
Mo/es with the Prophets and the Pfalms,
6cc. to explain fome Things by others, the
difficult Texts by the more eafy ones. 5.
To receive the Words of the Men of God,
in a Divine Senfe, with which they were
imbued, (which they have declared more
clearly and fully in fome Places than in
others) not according to their external
Sound, nor in a carnal Senfe, as the World
is accuftomed to do. 6. To collect one
Truth out of another. And 7. To con-
template with Pleafure, the fweet Har-
mony and Connexion of Divine truths ;
as there is a Handle given in what follows
to fuch falutary Meditations.
SECT. XII.
What Means may he ufed> if Medi-
tation does not fucceed according
to our Wijh.
NOR ought you to be too anxious
when you begin your Meditations on the
Holy Scriptures ; for if you join ardent
Prayers and a holy Defire of knowing
Chrift, to your reading of them, the mat-
ter will thereupon grow better, you will
unawares be conducted by God himfelf in-
to the moft pleafant and fweet Meditation
of his eternal Truth, and he will by little
and
I o Chrift the Sum and Subftance
and little, difcover to you the inexhaufted
Profundities and Treafures of Wifdom and
Knowledge, that are hid in Chrift Jefus *.
And for this purpofe, a Treatife publifhed
by me, and called, A Jhort ana clear In-
Jiruftion for the better Reading the Holy
Scriptures ivithEdifaationy maybe of Ser-
vice to you. And alfo my Introduction to
the Reading the Holy Scriptures, publifhed
in the German Tongue -\-.
SECT. XIII.
Alfo what to be done^ if many Places
feem difficult and obf cure.
NOR are you to wonder, if at firft
in reading the Holy Scriptures, many
things feem to you obfcure, and lefs in-
telligible, and that it is neceflary for you
to read the fame Chapters agr.in and a-
gain, before you find any trfrnglthat can,
in your own Opinion, affift you in the
Knowledge of Chrift. Labour not anxi-
oufly to underftand things that are too
difficult for you, but willingly let them
pafs, until you have your Senies more ex-
crcifed in the Divine Myfteries. In the
mean
* Co!. H. 3. fin this Introduftion, there fs fuccinftly
fhcwn the Scope of the Books of the New Teftament, and
lately publifhed in Latia, with the Scope of the Books of
the Old Teftament.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 1
mean time you will always difcover fome-
thing that may lead you forwards to the
Knowledge of Chrift. The few Things
which you find to be eafy, you may pru-
dently turn to your own Benefit, and may \
ufe them to the eftabliming and ftreng- *'
thening your felf in the Love of Chriji :
Thus difficult Places will, by degrees,, be-
come obvious to you. If any Fruit (as
fays the Reverend Dr. Spener on this Sub-
ject, in his Book of the Doctrine of Faith,
p. 495. .) hang higher than you can reach,
you muft be content to feed on that which
is lower. Perhaps God alfo keeps fecret
in your Heart, this or that PafTage, which
at prefent you do not perceive or under-
Hand, but v/ill afterwards be made intelligi-
ble to you, if, like Mary, * you diligently
ponder it in your Heart ; while you faith-
fully obey all the profitable Counfel that '
is given you, the Divine Light will quickly
mine forth unto you, and Chriji , as the Sum
of the Holy Scripture,wi\\ difperfe the thick
Cloud that is on your Mind, and will illu-
ftrate all its Chapters, Verfes, and Words,
that you may difcover T^hat in them,
which you could not before by any means
be perfwaded of.
SECT.
* John xiii. 7.
1 2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
SECT. XIV.
By what Degrees an Entrance, is
made to the Reading of the Holy
Scriptures.
BUT that you may have the fafeft
and fureft Inftru&ion, how you are to
proceed by Degrees, and fo the fitted and
beft Help may be adminiftred to your
Weaknefs, and to your Senfes, as yet but
little exercifed in the Word of God-, it is
meet, if you defire to feek rightly, and to
find Chrift in the Holy Scriptures, that
you begin with fuch Things as are moft
clear and eafy in this Point. Now the
y_ew ^Teftament, in what it teaches con-
\ cerning Chrift the Saviour of the World,
is much more explicit than the old, nay,
h without Controverfy, it is the true Key
of the Old Teftament^ while, I. fie is
therein made prefcnt to us, who is pro-
mifed in the Old tfeftament^ and there pre-
figured by Types and Shadows ; and 2.
Whilft the Evange lifts and Apoftles do
hardly any thing elfe, but fas B. Lu-
ther fpeaks,) compel and fend us to the
Old Teftamenf in Search of Chrift. Here
then it is fuppofed, that the whole Bible ^
or all the Writins of the Old and New
eamenjn.we been once at leafl read over,
and
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 3
and the Courfe of Things, defcribed in
both Teftaments, fummarily underftood
by this Perufal j but afterwards, when
the more folid, and more proper Know-
ledge of Divine Truth comes to be dif-
cuft by a nicer and fuller Enquiry, from,
the Foundation now laid, the n^ftft^roji...
venient Method for underftanding the Do-
ctrine, is chiefly, and in the firft Place, to
beguTVith the Writings of the New tfe-
jiament, to meditat&M$ooshem with the
greatelTlnduJEiy, and to render them fa-X
miliar to you.
SECT. XV.
reat Benefit maybe hoped for
from comparing the Teftimonies of
the Prophets, with thofe ofChriA
and his Apoftles.
I N the reading of the New Covenant,
this ought to be always the chief, nay,
the only Defire of your Soul, that you
may come to the faving and lively Know-
ledge of Jefus Chrift. But that you may ar-
rive at this, it is not only necefTary,that you
have your IVJind andjlearj^pioufly and de-
voutly fixt ontlieTerfon,Wor^s"anctWofSs7
as alfo on the Paffion of Chrift, but that
you diligently examine alfo the Words al-
ledged
14 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
ledged in the New T'eftament out of the
Old, as Teftimonies concerning Chrift ;
that you turn to them in the Book of the
Old T'ejlament j frequently read over the
antecedent and following Texts in Mojes,
tEe Prophets, and the Pjalms, where the
cited Teftimonies are adduced, and moft
humbly pray to God, and earneftly be-
feech him, that he would open your Un-
derftanding to perceive and know, how
Chrift and his Apoftles did interpret the
Old Tejiament. Which Pains if you (hall
not grudge to take, ffince to a Mind de-
firous of the true Knowledge of Chrift,
it is rather true Pleafure and Joy, than
Labour^ you will unawares tread in the
fafeft and moft certain Way of coming
to true Wifdom. For you will procure
Cbrift himfelf and his Apojiles, to be your
feachers and Inftrudtors, and by them
you will, like a Child, be brought into
Difcipline, you will be inftruded, you will
be, as it were, led by the Hand to know
rightly, how you ought to feek and find
Chrift, as the Sum and Subftance of all
the Scriptures, for the quieting and faving
of your Soul.
SECT.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 5
SECT. XVL
That fingular Profit maybe expected
from fuch Comparifons.
J J ^(\ V:
WHEN you have, for fome time,
frequented this School of Chrift and of
his Apoftles, and being introduced by thefe
Matters into the Old Teflament, that is,
Mofes, the Prophets, and the Pfalms, and
ihall have well learnt, like a diligent and
attentive Scholar, what Places are chiefly
alledged by them, for the Inftruction and
Conviction of Men, concerning. 4^*^fJ3L.
of the MefRah, his Office,,, AIKJ. Benefits,
.^Jid^'******!*"^. ^ri^.^.T^rJSF* ',iT>. ..--*..-,..- --* ^j,
that JeTus is he of whom Mofis and the
Prvphets have written, to wit, the Son of"
God, and the tjwjjtfGMJWE, of the V/orldj
then you ought to mark thofe Places for
, or in them to lay a Foun-
n- :
datioh'o a ure and faving Knowledge of
Chrift. Which Foundation being rightly I \
laid in the School of Chrift and his dpo-
Jiles, you will, in a {hort time, better
apprehend alL^^n^^^ujrjfa^A For you
wiIppeToEiv^j'Tri ~their*yery Vmrds, and
ufual Ways of fpeaking, that they every
where have Refpect to the Old tfeftament,
and do, as it were, fearch into its inmoft
Vitals, through the Conduct of the Spirit
of Wifdom, fa that even one little Word
fas Luther fpeaksj mall look through all
the OldTeJtament. SECT.
1 6 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
SECT. XVII.
*fhat we ought to give ftriEl Atten-
tion to all the Words of Chrift
and his Apoftles.
WHEREFORE it is not only moft
neceflary to lay very carefully the above-
mentioned Foundation, from the Places
quoted out of the Old Teftament, by
Cbrift and his Apoftles, but you muft ac-
cuftom your felf to attend to, and confider
every Word which they have fpoken, and
examine diligently whence it is taken, and
what particular Emphafis it hath; nay,
you muft continually accuftom your felf,
by the Help of the Scriptures of the New
feftamenf, to converfe with Chrift and his
Apoftles , as your beft Friends, and by me-
ditating on their Words and Difcourfes,
to enter upon every Day, as it were a fa-
miliar Conference with them.
SECT. XVIII.
*That great Diligence is required in
this Meditation on the Holy Scrip-
tures.
AFTER this manner David hath
treated the Words of the Laiv, as is to
be
of all the Holy Scripture^ 1 7
be feen in the i I9th Pfalm. Hence he
could fay, * Mine Eyes prevent the Night-
ivatches y that I might meditate on thy Word.
How much more does it behove us care-
fully to ponder the Words of the New
Covenant, which declare unto us fo great
Salvation ? and if God fo blefled the Me-
ditation of David, can we think he will
deny us his Grace ? Oh, that the Things
we have fpoken of, were performed with
a Mind, humble, docile, and defirous of
divine Grace, with the Blefling of God
always earneftly implor'd ! we mould then
be good Proficients ; digging thus, we
mould penetrate deep, lay a firm Foun-
dation, and acquire true Wifdom.
SECT. XIX.
That we ought always to perfevere
in Diligence and Humility.
FO R he that ivatcbeth for Wifdom, I
(o iyiv9vi<w t whom the Study of Wifdom I
hardly fuffers to fleep, but takes away his I
Reft) fljall quickly be without Care -f-. But \
he that is contumacious and refractory, V
and behaves not himfelf in this School,
with Lowlinefs and Humility, but quickly
loaths the heavenly Manna of the Words
C of
* Pfalm cxlx. 148. f Wittom\\. 6.
1 8 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
of Chrift ^ the Apo/lles, and Evangelifts ;
that refufes to examine all Things with a
calm Spirit, nor cares to proceed gradu-
ally, but prefently aflumes a haughty Spi-
rit, as thofe learned Men, who are wife
according to the Flefh, are wont to do,
fuch an one will never arrive to any firm-
nefs and certainty, nor be made a Parta-
ker of Cbrijl^ the very Subjtance of the
Holy Scriptures, to the Delight of his
Soul.
I T behoves you therefore to obferve
well the Counfel that has been given you,
if indeed you ferioufly delire to feek and
fo to find Chrift in the Scriptures, that not
by unprofitable Science, but by the lively
Efficacy of a full and fruitful Knowledge,
you may experience him as a true Prefer-
ver and Saviour of your Soil.
SECT. XX.
After a diligent and frequent Peru-
fal of the New Teftament, Chrift
will be clearly difcerned in the Old,
WHEN you have thus rightly learnt
to know the Key of the Old Teftament,
and are taught by Chrift and his Apoftles^
how you ought toufe this Key to Advan-
tage i then, and not before, you will pro-
ceed in proper Order, to the Reading, Me-
di-
of all the Holy Scriptures 19
ditation, and more accurate Consideration
of the Old Teftament ; you take As it
were a Key v/ith you, as often as you go
to the Old Teftament j you devoutly ^
compare the Old with the New, the
Shadow with the Subftance, the Type
with the Antitype, Prophecies with thei
Completion. Thus you will underftan
for what Reafon St. Auguftin faid, *
Old T'eftament has no true Relifh, if Chrift
be not under ft ood in it. On the contrary}
you will be fenfible there is much Joy,
Comfort and Delight to be found in the
Writings of the Old Teftament, (efpecially
in reading thofe Places which were before
wearifome, and almoft irkfome to you)
when you perceive Cbrift fo fweetly de-
painted there.
SECT.
"That the Old Teftament refle&s Light
upon the Ne-w.
THE more you are exercifed in me-
ditating on the New, fo much the eafier
and quicker will be your Progrefs in the
Old Teftament. And as before you were
introduced into the Senfe of the Old
ftament, by Means of the New, fo
C 2
* In his ninth Tract on St. jbn-
2O Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
Afofes, the Prophets, and the Pjalms, will,
in their Turn, affift_youm^ acquiring fo
much a Tnore~Tolid and accurate ~Un-
derftanding of the New Teftament. The
perpetual Harmony and Agreement alfo
between the New and the Old Tcjlament,
will caufe in you a (TAwpopopUr) great Ful-
nefs of Faith, or will certainly very much
confirm and encreafe the Faith you have.
SECT. XXII.
"That this may be illuftrated by Ex-
ample.
SINCE all Things are better con-
ceived and underftood by Example, than
by bare Inftrudtion, we will apply the Be-
\ ginning of St. John's Gofpel, for the 11-
? luftration of what we have faid. For it
cannot be denied, but that this particular
Scripture is to be reckoned among the moft
admirable, and therefore is wont to be laid
as a Foundation in all the Doctrine con-
cerning Jefus Chrifl. Add to this, that
it remits us very much to the Old Tefta-
ment, and for the moft part is efleemed
hard to be underftood. Indeed it is not
my Intention at this Time, to lay before
'you the univerfal Scope of the Spirit in
this Place, the Breadth, Length, Heighth
and Depth of it, fince this is neither in
any
of all the Holy Scriptures. 21
any Man's Power to perform, (becaufe all
the Riches of Divine Wifdotn and Know-
ledge are hid in it) nor does the View of
this plain Inftru&ion require a Dedu&ion
of the Myfleries contained in it, which
yet might be made through the AfMance
of Divine Grace.
I N the mean time, fmce my Deiign is
to render the Reader's Meditations on the
Holy Scriptures more eafy, and efpecially
his Enquiries concerning Chrift himfelf in
them, it will be neceffary to form divers
Meditations from this Subject, viz. the Be-
ginning of the Gofpel of St. yohn, which
will be nine.
SECT. XXIII.
'The Words of St. John are recited^
on which the Meditations are
framed.
HIS Words are thefe, ver. i. In the
Beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The fame was in the Beginning with
God. 3. All things were made by him,
and without him was not any thing made,
that was made. 4. In him was Life, and
the Life was the Light of Men. 5. And
the Light Jhineth in Darknefs, and the
Barknefs comprehended it not. 6. There
C 3 was
2 2 Chrift the Sttm and Subftance
was a Man fent from God, whofe Name
was John. 7. The fame came for a Wit-
nefs, to bear Witnefs of the Light, that all
Men through him might believe. 9. He
was the true Light which light net h every
Man that cometh into the World. 10. He
was in the World, and the World was made
by him, and the World knew him not.
ii. He came unto his own, and his own
received hint not. 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, 13. Which were
born, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the
Flejh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made Flejh, and
dwelt among vs (and we beheld his Glory,
the Glory as of the only Begotten of the Fa-
ther) full of Grace and frutb. 15. John
bart Wititefs of him , and cried, faying, T?his
was he of whom I fpake, He that cometh
after me, was before me (or was preferred
before me] for he was before me. 16. And
of his Fuln^fs have we all received, and
Grace for Grace. 17. For the Law was
given by Mofes, but Grace and 'Truth came
by Jefus ChrijL 18. No Man hath fe en
God at any time, the only begotten Son,
which is in the Bofom of the Father, he hath
declared him.
Con-
of all the Holy Scripture** 2 3
Concerning thefe Words, now fol-
lows the firft Meditation.
O F the Divine Simplicity which St.
John ufes in the Beginning of his Gof-
pel.
SECT, XXIV.
'That thefe are not tkefublime Words
which St. Paul accounts as alien
from the Divine Wifdom.
WHAT St. Paul writes, i Cor. ii. I,
2, 4, 5. holds not good of him alone, but
is the true Propriety of all the Apoftles
of the Lamb. J, Brethren, fays he, when
I came to you, came not with Excellency of
Speech, or of Wifdom y declaring unto you
the T'eftimony of God. For I determined
not to know any thing among you y fai>e Jefus
Chrift, and him crucified. And my Speech
and my Preaching was not with enticing
Words of Mans Wifdom y but in Demon-
flration of the Spirit, and of Power. 'That
your Faith foould not Jiand in theWifdom
of Men y but in the Power of God. If any
one therefore think otherwife concerning
this Beginning of St. John's Gofptl, he
knows not the Mind of St. John> who,
C 4 lying
24 Cirift the Sum and Sub fiance
lying in the Bofom of Jefas, perfectly
learned the true Wifdom, and pureft Sim-
plicity % of Children. But that he may
feem to ufe a fublime kind of Speech, is
to be attributed partly to the Sublimity of
the Things which he declares, and to the
Efficacy and Illumination of the Holy Spi-
rit, whereof he had been made Partaker ;
partly to the Perverfenefs of the (fv^uii)
natural Man, unable to judge truly of fpi-
ritual Things. The natural Man, when
he hears of Simplicity, looks upon it as
no better than Ignorance and Foolifhnefs ;
whereas indeed the divine Simplicity in-
finitely furpafTes the greateft Wifdom of
Men. In this Simplicity, the fpiritual
Man confiders only the Matter itfelf, and
is no way follicitous about the Loftinefs
of Words, and the artificial Ornaments
of Speech, which the eloquent of the
World are wont to demand. He feeks
a certain and firm Foundation of Wifdom,
in which he may find true Reft for his
Soul ; which Foundation when he has ob-
tained, and refts fecurely upon it, the moil:
iimple and common Words, whereby a
thing is fo exprefs'd, as to be beft under-
ftood by all, are to him the moft grateful
and agreeable. Thus ought we to think
of the Beginning of St. John's Gofpel.
Here you have not the exalted Words
of Man's Wifdom, nor a pompous and
* A i
ela-.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 25
elaborate Stile, but the greateft and clear-
ell Simplicity, which derogates not at all
from the Majefly and Sublimenefs of the
things themfelves, ; nay, the more fu-'
blime the things are which he propofes, .
the more fimple were the Words which I /
he chofe to exprefs them by. For St. 1 1 /
John was a Teacher of the univerfai
Church, who ought fo to order his Mi-
niftry for the Intereft of the Gofpel, that
fimple and ignorant Men, as well as the
acute and intelligent, might enjoy the
Benefit of it. And indeed it is the juft
Appointment of God, that to this very
Day the Learned and the Wife mould ad-
mire the Wifdom of thofe, who were
with Jefus, being ignorant and unlearned
Men; as heretofore the Rulers and El-
ders, and Scribes, and Annas the High
Prieft, and Caiphas, and as many as were
of the Kindred of the High Prieft, fee-
ing the Boldnefs of Peter and John, and
perceiving that they were unlearned and
ignorant Men, marvelled at them*. Thus
thofe Things are underftood to be true
which are written : / will dejiroy the
WiJ'dom of the Wife, and will bring to no-
thing the Under/landing of the Prudent.
Where is the Wife ? Where is the Scribe ?
Where is the Difputer of this World ?
Hatb
* Atts iv. 5,9, 13.
2 6 Cbrtft the Sum and Subjlance
Hath not God made foolijh the Wifdom of
this World*?
SECT. XXV.
That great Simplicity maybe obfervcd
in St. John',? Words.
I F we confider the very Words of St.
John, what I pray do we find in them of
the Sublimed Nay, does he utter a fingle
Word, wherein there is not the greateft
Simplicity ? He fpeaks of Chrift the Son
of God, he calls him the Word, attefts he
was in the Beginning, and that he was
with God, his moft beloved Father, be-
fore the World was made. And fince he
fa attributes Eternity to him, as a Di-
vine Property, and neverthelefs affirms of
him that he was with God ; from whence
perhaps k might be collected, that this
would clafh with the Unity of God, he
prefently obviates this finifter Interpreta-
tion of his Words, by fubjoining, that this
Word was God himfelf, and of the fame
ErTence with him from the Beginning.
Nay, his manner of Speech was fo very
pure and genuine, that he repeats what
the Wife of this World may not think
needful to be repeated : The fame, viz.
(this Word) faith he, was in the Begin-
ning
* i Cor. i. i 9, 20. Ifaiab-xxa.. 14. ch. xxxiii. 13.
of all th&Holy Scriptures. 27
ning with God. However, this Repetition
is not unneceffary. For St.yabn* through-
ly underftood how great Majefty lay hid
in this eternal and incomprehenfibte Union
of the Effence and Will of the Father and
the SQH ; and ftnce, by the illumination of
the Hafy Spirit, he had before his Eyes the
Gfary which the<w had with d&Fotber be-
fore the World was. He thus exprefTes the
fame thing in the moft pkin and natural
Words : This Word was in the Beginning
with Gsd* There cannot poffibly be mo-re
vulgar, plain, and fimple Words than thefe
are > but the things contained and involved
in them cannot be confidered with Admi-
ration, but by a meek and calm Spirit,
which theHolyGhoft bath vouchfafed to it-
luminatej but by reafon of their Profound-
nefs, can never be (throughly) underftood
by any mortal Man. Now let any one
alfo conlider the other Words of St. John,
provided he bring with him an honeft Mind,
he cannot well judge otherwife of them,
but that they are all pkin and perfpicuous;
for the underftanding of which, no one
ftands in need of the Arts of the learned
Men of this World, but 'tis neceflaiy only
that a Man fhould receive thefe Things fo
clearly and plainly laid before his Eyes,
with Faith and a iincere Mind, that he
feek
Job.
2 8 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
feek for Joy and Comfort from them, and
lovingly and thankfully in Spirit and Truth
join himfelf with the moft kind and moft
loving Son of God, as with eternal Life,
and the true Light, who did therefore u-
nite himfelf with Humanity, that he might
bring Men into the everlafting and moft
bleffed Fellowmip of an incorruptible Life,
and of his glorious Light, that they might
receive from his Fulnefs, Grace for Grace.
A Concern, which, to the Grief of all good
People, the learned Men of the World do
exceedingly neglecl, when they ftrain all
the Strength only of their natural Wit,
fyet effecl: nothing by it) to' attain to the
true Senfe of St. Johns Words. It is a
iingular Mercy of God, if they do not
fwerve even from the external Truth, fo
evident before their Eyes, but maintain
from thence the Eternal Divinity, and the
true Humanity of Cr//?/cogether with
the Benefits obtained for us by hu Incar-
nation. For where they aft thus, they do
not at leaft deprive others of the only
Foundation of their Safety: but they
themfelves will reap no Benefit therefrom,
but will one Day find, by fad Experience,
that their Darknejs did not comprehend
the Light, becaufe they would not obey
him, 'who 'would have called them out of
Darknefs into his marvellous Light *. /
am
* i Pet. ii. 9.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 29
am that Light of the World, fays the eter-
nal Word of God ; He that followeth me,
Jhall not walk in Darknefs, but jhall
have the Light of Life*. Wherefore,
to the attaining this Light of Life, dili-
gent Search, acute Difputation, literal
Science, and external Erudition, avail
nothing ; but 'tis neceffary that you fol-
low the Light of the World ( Jefus Chrift)
with Simplicity of Mind.
SECT. XXVI. v
What is to be thought of too many
learned Men, who often wreft thefe
Words (of St. John,/ from their
natural Simplicity ', to a manifeftly
Signification.
I T is meet we fhould tremble for Fear,
and ftand amazed, when we behold the
moft grievous Judgments of God, viz.
How he confounds the Underftanding of
the Learned of this World, whilft many
Perfons, not indeed at all deftitute of a
good natural Sagacity and Underftanding,
are fo offended at the great Simplicity of the
Holy Scriptures, that they have found out
divers ways of inverting the Senfe of clear
Words, and ufe their utmoft Endeavours
to
* John viii. 12.
30 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
to deny their plain Meaning, draw them to
a foreign Senfe, or accommodate them to
the Tall of their corrupt Reafon, altho'
the Words themfelves be fo manifeftly
perfpicuous, as even to glare in their Eyes.
The Example of thofe Men, who look up-
on thefe Words of St. John as divinely
injpir'dy and neverthelefs impugn the efer-
Divinity and Majefty of our Lord Je-
fus Chrift, ought to render us cautious and
circumfpedt, that we do not pervert the
Holy Writings to our own Deftrudtion ;
on the contrary, that we ftrive with the
greater Earneftnefs to receive the plain
Truths of God with plain and honeft
Hearts, and earneftly pray to him for
the true Senfe thereof, that in his Light
we may fee Light.
SECT. XXVII.
T^hat there are kmwn Examples of
Rationalifts having been effeElually
Jlruck and convinced by this Sim-
plicity of the fiords of Si. John.
SOMETIMES the great Simplicity
of Words breaks through all the Bars and
Obftacles of corrupt Reafon, and earthly
Wifdom, fo that it takes away from Men
all Contradictions, or at leaft holds it as
it
of all the Holy Scriptures. 31
it were down, by a fuperior Force. Thus
Theophilus Spizelius, in his Scrutiny of A-
tbeifm, has recorded of a certain * Man
fallen into Atheifm, or at leaft an idle Neg-
lect and Contempt of a Deity j that upon
reading only the former Words of St.
John's Gofpel, which he light upon by
Chance, or rather by the merciful Gui-
dance of God's Providence, reflected with
great Compunction on the miferable and
dan-
* This was Francifcus Juniys, a moft noted Divine a-
mong the Reformed, who (in his Life, premifed before hi*
Theological Works printed at Geneva, 1705, in fol. /. 10.)
relates at large, that when he was a young Man, he fell un-
der a moft grievous Calamity, viz- Atheifm, by the Boldnefs
of others, and his own Imprudence, and was fo far gone in
it, that his Mind was become hardened and infallible. But
how he got out of it, he tells us p. 1 1 . in thefe Words : I
happened to open that Book called the tfew Teftamcnt, which
was freely offered to the World from God : The Thing that
immediately prefented itfelf to my View, whilft I was bufied
about another Matter, was that moft auguft Chapter of St.
John t-he Evangelift and Apoftle : In the Beginning was the
Word, &c. I read part of the Chapter, and, during the
Time, was fo inwardly agitated and affecled, as prefently to
perceive, that the Divinity of the Argument, and the Ma-
jcfty and Authority of the Writing, did far excel all the
lofty Strains of human Eloquence ; my Body trembled, my
Mind was aftonimed, and all that Day I was fo difquieted,
that I hardly knew what I was. O Lard my God, Thou didft
remember me, according to thy infinite Mercy, and didft
receive the lofl Sheep inty thy Flock. From that time, when
it had thus pleafed God, by the Influence of his Holy Spirit,
to fl* ike fo powerfully upon me, I began to read and treat other
Subjects with greater Coldnefs and Indifference, but to think
oftner, and to be more earneftly converfant about pious Mat-
ters. Compare herewith the Hift&ry of Atheifm, written by
Mr* Jenkin Thomas Phi/ipps, cap. xi. $.2. where theie
Words of Junius are alfo alledged.
3 2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
dangerous Condition of his Soul, and
turned himfelf truly to the eternal and
living God. Glory be to the infinite
(*/A*^p<rrit) or Love of God our Saviour,
who leaves not himfelf utiattefted, even
to thofe who feem moft alienated from
him.
AND I may add, that this Relation of
Junius is alfo copioully recited, in an ex-
cellent and ufeful Book of the late pious
and learned Dr. Jo/iab Woodward, called
Fair Warnings to a carelejs World^ very
worthy to be read by all that have any
Curiolity to know the Sentiments of great
Men, relating to Things of the greateft
Importance.
SECT. XXVIII.
That the Mind of St. John was fo
humble and honeft^ that we may
from thence conclude his Words
proceeded from the greateft Sim-
plicity.
B U T if any would know the great Hu-
mility, the fweet Simplicity, and Child-
like undifguifed Sincerity, in the Words
of St. John, it is neceffary that he implore
and receive God's Grace and Mercy, that
he may look into the fubmifiive, humble
and
of all the Holy Scriptures. 3 3
and gentle Mind of the Difciple of our
Lor d, and from thence judge of his whole
Difcourfe. Surely the Breaft of this Dif*{
ciple was fo replenifhed with the un-
feigned Love of the Son of God, that his <
Spirit feemed intent on nothing elfe, than
how he (hould moffc deeply imprint on
hir Mind, the Glory, the Majefty, and the
Fulnefs of Divine Grace and Truth, that
was in the only begotten Son from his Fa-
ther ; and by the Benefit of this moft
blefled Knowledge, mould be more and
more united to him. Therefore as this
moft ardent Love, which St. John had
for him, who had loved him from the Be*
ginning unto the End * , led him into a
more profund Contemplation of his G/o-
ry, and caufed him to forget, as it were,
every thing elfe, for the dear Love he bore
to him alone ; fo he had nothing nearer,
nothing dearer to him, than how he mould
declare his Glory unto all Mankind. How
therefore could this moft flagrant Love
of his towards our Saviour^ permit him
to ufe any fublime Words (above our Ca-
pacity) or render the Thing itfelf diffi-
cult and obfcure ? But this Love rather
fuggeiled to him the Ufe of the plaineft,
and moft intelligible Words, that fo every
one might underftand him j and unlels
Men would peevifhly refift the Operation
D of
x. i,
34 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
of the Holy Spirit, they might obtain the
fame moft precious Faith , for the Deli-
verance of their Souls from the Kingdom
of Darknefs, and the Tranflation of them
into the Kingdom of the Son of Go d*
SECT. XXIX.
Why this Simplicity of St. John is
a little more largely propofed to
Confederation.
B U T we have therefore entred upon
this Meditation concerning the Simplicity
of St. Johns Words, becaufe Things are
almoft come to that pafs, that learned
as well as unlearned Men, do as it
were ftartle at them, and take them for
fublime Words, which are hard to be un-
derflood, and clouded with fuch Obfcurity
and Darknefs, that only the moft excel-
lent and moft fubtle Wits ftiould be ex-
crcifed in the Interpretation of them. Cer-
tainly this Error carries with it no frnall
Detriment, and therefore nothing is more
requifite, than that we mould recommend
to humble Minds the great Simplicity of
the Divine Word, ftho' there is fuch a
Veil over the Eyes of the Learned, that
they will not acknowledge it.J Ho ! * cries
Wif-
* Ifaiablv. I, 2, 3.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 35
Wifdom, every one that thirfteth, come ye
to the Waters, and he that hath no Money,
come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy Wine
and Milk 'without Money , and without Price.
Wherefore doyefpend Money for that which
is not Bread ? and your Labour for that
which fatisfieth not ? Hearken diligently
unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and
let your Soul delight itfelf in Fatnefs. In-
cline your Ear, and come unto me, hear and
your Soul Jhall live, and I will make an
everlafting Covenant with you, even the fur e
Mercies of David.
SECT. XXX.
A Prayer to Chrift for the true
Knowledge of the Simplicity and
Perfpicuity of the Holy Scrip-
tures.
O Lord, open Thou our Eyes, that we
may difcern the moft pure Simplicity of
thy Word, leaft, whilft vainly boafting of
its Clearnefs, we may, in reality, find it
cloudy and obfcure. Grant that we may
rightly attend to thy Word, as to a Light
mining in a dark Place, (where not thy
Word, but the Place is dark) yea, do Thou
Thyfelf mine in our Hearts, mine in them
as the true Day, arife in us like the Mor-
D 2 ning
36 Chrift the Sum and Subjlance
ning Star, that we may, in thy Light, fee
the ferene Light of thy Words, which are
Spirit and Life. Do Thou incline our
Ears to hear, and take away the Veil from
our Hearts, that we may, like Thine own
little Sheep, hearThy Voice, and the Voice
of Thy Servants^ and may follow Thee.
Deftroy all the Arts of Men, which per-
vert Thy Word, and hinder us from com-
ing to a clearer Knowledge of Thee. But
reftore the Simplicity of Thy old faith-
ful Servants, who did with great Humi-
lity of Mind acknowledge the Wifdom
of God, hidden in a Myftery j and did
therein ,with fo flrong and firm a Faith,
receive Thee as the Lord of Glory r , that
they efteemed it matter of great Joy, when
they had an Opportunity of glorifying
Thee by their Death. Grant, O fweeteft
Saviour, that we alfo may be fo taught
of God, to come unto Thee, (which is
the one only and true Knowledge) that
we may rightly and favingly underftand
Thy Word.
The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 3 7
The Second Meditation.
I N which the Ikginning of St. Johns
Goipel is compared with the Beginning
of the Book of Gene/is,
SECT. XXXI.
'That St. John, in the Beginning of
his Gofpel, doth refer to the Be-
ginning of Generis.
PRAY what can be more evident
than that St. John, in the Beginning of
his Gofpel, had his whole Mind intent
upon the Beginning of the firft Book of
Mofes? Mofes, in defcribing Eternity,
when nothing was yet made, and Time
was not begun, faid, In the Beginning.
St. John, in like manner, lays hold of this
Word, and begins his Gofpei with it ;
as if he would fay, what then was in the
Beginning, of which Mofes fpeaks ? In the
Beginning, fays he, was the Word. For
when there was nothing as yet made, to
whom, or with whom God could fpeak,
it is immediately faid : And God faid ;
wherefore as Mofes places the word, faid y
next to God, (as a word which is in the
Mind, is nearer! to the Manj fo St. John
D 3 like-
3 8 Chrift the Sum and Subjtance
likewife fays, the Word was with God,
ver. i. But lince Man (fuch is the Blind-
nefs of his Mind) knows nothing but of
the human and imperfect word, and
therefore eafily forms fuch an Idea to
himfelf cbncerning the Word of God, as
he does, concerning the word of a Man ;
therefore St. John interprets the Words
of Mojes y faying, that Word was God, that
is, you muft not think either that this
Word was not God, or that there muft
needs be two Gods ; for that Word was
of the fame E fience with God, and fo
was itfelf in the Beginning, and from all
Eternity, by an indiiToluble EfTence, with
God. Moreover, as Mofes alfo teftifies
through that whole Chapter, that all
Things were created by the * dicere, or
Word of God, fo John alfo fpeaks, in like
manner : AH Things -were made by him,
and without him was not any thing made
-that was wade. And as Mofes faid, An d
the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of
the Waters y fo the Spirit in St. John te-
ftifies, that this enlivening and fertilifing
Motion or Incubation of the Divine Spi-
rit, or all Life and univerfal Origin of
Life, is in the Word ; as Mofes alfb affirms,
that all created living Things were pro-
duced by the it die ere, or Word of God.
When Mofes fpeaks of the Light, which
was
of all the Holy Scriptures. 3 9
was made by God's faying, And* that God
faw this Light was good -, St. John certifies
that the true Light, and the Origin of all
Light, is no other but that effential Word
of God, with whom, if that created Light
be compared, it will be only a Shadow,
an outward Figure and Reprefentation.
When Mojes fays, the Earth 'was without
Form and void, and Darknefs was upon the
Face of the Deep : but that God created the
Light, and divided theLightfrom the Dark-
nejs; calling the Light Day, andtheDarknefs
Night : St. John writes thus, The Light Jhi-
neth in Darknefs, but the Darknefs compre-
hended it not, even as the Night does not
comprehend the Day. And becaufe St.
Johns Concern was fo much about the
new Creation, whole Image and Figure
the firft Creation was, he had before his
Eyes the jth verfe of the id chap, of Gen.
where it is faid, The Lord God breathed
into Man's Nojirils the Breath of Life, and
Man became a living Soul. Therefore
faith St. John, In the Word was Life, and
the Life was the Light of Men. That was
the true Light which lighteth every Man
that cometh into the World. From thefe
few Things it may be feen, That the fame
Word of God, which fpake by Mofes, does
likewiie interpret Mofes by St. John. But
D 4 by
* Let there be Light.
40 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
by this (hort comparing of Mofes and St.
John, the whole is far from being un-
folded ; but thefe Collations comprife a
great deal more ; for the Words are plain,
and agree fo exactly, that every one is
able to fee and underftand they do fo 5
but the Myfteries lying hid in them, are
profound, nor can they be throughly ex-
haufted,
SECT. XXXII.
A Prayer to be joined with this com-
paring of Mofes and John.
GRANT to us, O Lord Jefus, moft
mercifully that fame Spirit of Thine,
which equally fpake and ufed the fame
Language in the Old and New Tefta-
ment ; may it be with us, and abide with
us for ever, that by this divine Aid, we
may attain the true Senfe of thy Word,
Amen.
The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 41
The Third Meditation.
- i
I N which the Beginning of St. Johns
Gofpel is compared with other Places of
Scripture, of the Old and New Tefta-
ment.
r '.' ' ' ' I **
SECT. xxxm.
V/fl g
That thefe Words of St. John may
be alfo explained by other Places
of the Old and New Teftament.
THESE Words of St. John may firft
and chiefly be compared with Prov. viii.
where the Wifdom of God fpeaks thus,
ver. 22, &c. " The Lord poffeiTed me in!
" the Beginning of his Way, before his
" Works of old. I was fet up from
" everlafting, 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 fettled, before the Hills, was I
" brought forth. While as yet he had
" not made the Earth, nor the Fields,
" nor the higheft Part of the Duft of
" the World. When he prepared the
" Heavens, I was there j when he fet a
" Com-
42 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
" Compafs upon the Face of the Deep -
" When he gave to the Sea his Decree,
<c that the Waters mould not pafs 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, re*
" joicing always before him. Rejoicing
" in the habitable Part of his Earth, and
" my Delights were with the Sons of
" Men. Now therefore hearken unto
" me, O ye Children, for blefled are they
tc that keep my Ways. Hear Inftrudtion,
" and be wife, and refufe it not. Blef-
" fed is the Man that heareth me, watch-
" ing daily at my Gates, waiting at the
" Polls of my Doors. For whofo findeth
" me, findeth Life, and (hall obtain Fa-
u vour of the Lord". Thefe Words,
B. John Arndius (with many others) has
compared with the Words of St. John,
after this manner, as St. John fays : In
the Beginning was the Word : fo the Wif-
dom of God fays : The Lord poffeffed me in
the Beginning of his Way. / was fet up
from evjtrlafting, from the Beginning, or
ever the Earth was. 2. As St. John fays :
And this Word was with God : fo the
Wifdom of God fays in this Place : The
Lord pojfeffed me in the Beginning of
bis Way> before any Time began, when
there were no Depths, I was brought forth,
when
of all tie Holy Scriptures. 43
when there 'were no Fountains abounding
with Water, before the Mountains were
fettled, 'when he eftablijhed the Clouds a-
bove. 3. As St. John fays, All things
<were made by him: fo fays the Wifdom
of God : When he laid the Foundations of
the Earth, . then I was the Framer thereof
with him. 4. As St. John fays : In him
was Life : fo here Wifdom fays : He
that findeth me, .findtth Life. 5. As St.
John fays : T^he Word was made Flejh, and
dwelt among us : fo here fays the Wifdom
of God : / rejoiced in the habitable Part
of the Earthy and my Delights were witb
the Sons of Men. 6. Again, As St. John fays:
And we beheld his Glory, the Glory, I fay,
as of the only Bego-tten of the Father : fo
here fays the Wifdom of God : He that
Jindeth me, ft all obtain Favour of the Lord.
7. He whom Solomon calls, the eternal
Wifdom, St. John calls the. eternal Word
of the Father ; for the Word, by which
all Things were made, is the eternal Wif-
dom of God, and eternal Wifdom is the
Word : and both fpeak with one Mouth
and Spirit, and moft fweetly and mutu-
ally confer together, as Pfalm Ixxxv. te-
ftifies, that Kindnefs and Faith are met
together, that is, 'Truth and Mercy. For
Truth here meets with Mercy, viz. the
Truth of the Promifes of the Old Tefta-
ment, meets with Mercy, or that Mercy,
which
44 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
which God has manifefled to us by the
Incarnation of his Son ; both do, as it
were, mutually meet in Chrift ; therefore
St. John declares, that Chrift is full of
Grace and Truth.
_
SECT. XXXIV.
Other Places of Scripture tending to
illujlrate this Matter.
BESIDES this remarkable Place it-
felf, every one of St. John's Words might
be eafily compared with peculiar Places
of the Holy Scriptures, and illuftrated
from them. Like as St. John faith : In
the Beginning [was the Word] fo Micah
faith, .chap. v. ver. 2. ivhofe goings forth
have been from of old [from the Begin-
ning] from everlafting. Ifaiah thus in-
troduces him, chap. xliv. ver. 6. Thus
faith the Lor 'd, the King of IJraeI } and
his Redeemer, the Lord of Ho/ts, I am the
jirft, and I am the loft, and bejides me
there is no God-, which Words may alfo
be compared with Ifaiah xli. 4. chap,
xlviii. 12. Rev. i. 17. chap. xxii. 13. and
Pfalm cii. ver. 24, 25, 26. 27, 28. Thus
it is fpoken of him ; 1 faid, O my God,
take me not away in the midft of my Days :
thy Tears are throughout all Generations.
Of old haft thou laid the Foundation of
the
of all the Holy Scripture*. 45
the Earth : and the Heavens are the Work
of thy Hands. hey Jhall perijh, but thou
(halt endure: yea, all of them Jhall 'wax
old like a Garment -, as a Vefture jhalt thou
change them, and they Jhall be changed. But
thou art the/ante, and thy Tears Jhall have
no End. 'The Children of thy Servants
Jhall continue, and their Seed Jhall be ejla-
blijhed before thee. With which Words
may likewife be compared Heb. i. 1 1, 12.
In which Place, not only the Eternity of
the Son of God, but alfo the Omnipotence,
afcribed to him from the Creation of
Heaven and Earth, are both confirmed
and clearly explain'd j which Things St.
John alfo fays : All things 'were made by
him, and 'without him was not any thing
made that ivas made. And further, He
was in the World, and the World was
made by him-, which St. Paul very em-
phatically and fully thus exprefles : Who.
is the Image of the tnvifible God, the Firft-
born of every Creature. For by him were
all things created that are in Heaven, and
that are in Earth, vifible and inviftble^
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
conjift *. When the Son of God is by St.
John
* Col i. 15, 16, 17.
46 Cbrift the Sum and Sub/lance
John called the Word, it is confonant to
Pjalm xxxiii. 6. By the Word of the Lord
were the Heavens made -, and all the Hoft
of them by the Breath of bis Mouth. With
which Place may alfo be compared i
John i. i. v. 7. Apoc. i. 2. chap. xix. 13.
Heb. iv. 12, 13. In the Epift. to the Heb.
chap. i. 3. he is ftiled, The exprefs Image
of his Per/on, ($< (fronto**) in the fame
Senfe wherein the Word of God is here
taken. But he is alib therefore called the
Word of God, becaufe all Revelation is
made in and by the Son. Hereto belong
the Words of Hofea, chap. xii. 10. fay-
in which Chrifl, the Angel, with whom
Jacob aded as a Prince, who is the Lord
God of Hojls, the Lord is his Memorial,
ver. 5. faith, / have Jpoken by the Pro-
phets, and 1 have multiplied Fijions, and
ujed Similitudes.
When he is called by St. John, chap,
i. 1 8. o r, which is [in the Bofom of the
Father 5] that 'was, ver. i, 2, 9, 10. and
that cometh, ver. 9. (which is to be refer-
red to the antecedent Word Light.) All
thefe Things are comprehended in Apoc.
i. ver. 4, 8. where it is faid : Who is, and
who was, and who is to come. When St.
John fays : In him was Life, and the
Life was the Light of Men , in like man-
ner,
of all the Holy Scriptures. 47
ncr, Pfalm xxxvi. 9. Life and Light are
joined together ; with tbee is the Foun-
tain of Life, in thy Light Jhall we fee
Light. Who is that Fountain or Origin
of Life ? And wherefore is this Origin
of Life faid to be with God ? Is it not
the Word, which is with God, and which
is the Life, fo indeed, as that Life is the
Light of Men ? therefore David faid, In
thy Light ive fee Light. Thus likewife
in other Places he joins together Light
and Life, and from thence fetches mofl
effectual and greateft Comfort. The *
Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom
Jhall I fear ? The Lord is the Strength of
my Life, of whom Jhall I be afraid? Our
Saviour himfelf joins them both toge-
ther : -J- / am the Light of the World ;
he that followeth me, Jhall not walk in
Darknejs, but Jhall have the Light of
Life. Moreover our Saviour is faid to
be the Life and the Light J . And that
we may understand, what the faithful
Children of God in the Jewijh Church
have obferved, that the Prophets prophe-
iied of a certain, fingular, and eminent
Light, which was more than a barely il-
luminated Man, (tho' fuch an illuminated
Man alfo is ufually called Light, becaufe
the Divine Light is in him, and others ftill
im-
* Afl s xiii. 47. Luke i. 79. Pfalm xxvii. i. f John
Viii. 12, \Jo1jn xiv. 6, Luke ii. 32. jj'vink xlix. 6.
48 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
immerfed in the Darknefs of Sinners, are
enlightened by Means of that Light) St.
John {tiles him not merely Light, but
with a peculiar Emphafis, the Light of
Men, that is, with which no other Light
can be compared, and which difFufes its
Splendor over all Mankind j nay, he here
makes mention of that very Man, who
he knew was called by Chrift himfelf, a
burning and a jhining Light *. For altho'
John the Baptift was in no wife a falfe,
but altogether a true Light, forafmuch as
being internally kindled by a divine Fire,
he gave forth a Luftre truly divine 5 yet
in this Place, he utterly fas it were,)
rejects John the Baptift, and fays, He
ivas not that Light, but was fent, that
he might bear Witnefs of that Light as if
he mould fay, altho' John was the greateft
of thofe that are born of Women, and was
fo great a Minifter of God, that from
thence all Men took Occafion to efteem
him for the Mejjiah or Chrijl ; yet there
is no Account at all to be made of that
Light, when compared with Chrift, iince
in this Place the Enquiry is of the Ori-
gin of all Light, effential Light, eternal
Light, the Light of Life, from which
John the Baptift received both his Light
and Life. The Faithful are alfo called
by Chrift himfelf and his Apoftles, the
Light
* Jobn v. 35.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 49
Light of the World * ; Light in the Lord-\- ;
Tea, jhining as Lights in the World J.
Like Lights in the Firmament of Heaven,
which God created the fourth Day, to
give Light upon the Earth ||. But the
Holy Scriptures call Chrift the Sun, as
Malachi ** on this Subject prophelies j
Unto you that fear my Name^Jhall the Sun
of Righteoufnej's arife, 'with Healing in his
Wings. Therefore, to this Sun is afcrib-
ed all Illumination ; as St. Paul -J-f- thus
fummarily comprehends the Prophecies of
the Prophets concerning this great Light :
Wherefore he faith, Awake thou that Jleep-
eft, and arife from the Dead, and Chrift
Jhall give thee Light. To this Light, he
afcribes his own, and the Illumination of
others ; which alfo overfpread the Face
of Mofes JJ with a typical Brightnefs :
to which alfo are to be referred, what Job
fays, Ch. iv. 18. He gave Light to his An-
gels -, (hath Jhined in their Hearts, 2 Cor.
iv. 6.) otherwife, they are liable to be
darkned, like the Moon, when it borrows
not its Light from the Sun. Moreover,
John teftifies of Chrift, that He came un-
to his own. If we compare This with
the Old Teftament, we {hall eafily fee
what is to be underftood by his own -, T
E ic/
* Matt. v. if. f Epbif. v. 8. $ Phil. ii. 15.
yien. i. 15. ** Mai. iv. 2. ff Bpbef. v. 14.
Exod. xxxiv. 30. 2 Cor. iii. 7.
50 Chrift tki Sum and Sub ft ante
fl*. For the Lord fays by Mvfet, * /
'Will fet my tabernacle amsmgft you^ (the
Sons of Ifrael) and my Soul jhall net **#-
for yw. Aw I toili todtk anting ywt t
and will be ytoir God, and ye jhdll be my
People. And in another Place -f the Lord
fays, If ye will obey my Vtice indeed, and
ktep my Covenant y thtn ye Jhall be a pe-
culiar 'Tfeafiire unit tfte, att&vt all Pteple
fir all the &artk h mint. And ye fxill
be vntv m* a Kingdom tf Priefts, <ifid An
hely Nation. Ffom this Comparifon, it
manifeflly appears, wha it was that fpake
to the Children of //Jw/at that time ; and
who called them his People, and his Pro-
priety j and Who He is, whofe Voice they
ought to obey $. That is> it appears that
St. John knew by the Holy Spirit, that
this was Ghrift-, the Sen of the blejed God -,
as he who made the whole World, and
fo had Dominion over all People : But
when ihfe World, in its Darknefs, did not,
and would not comprehend him, Dark-
nefe and Ignorance overfpreading the Na-
tions of the Earth j that he felecled one
People out of all the reft, the Children of*
jyh^/,tc)be his own peculiar People) to the
End that Light fhotild fo fhlneand glittef
among them, that other People alfo might
to this Light, and be made Parta-
kers
i , 1 2.
Exud. xxiii, 21, z
of all the Holy Scriptures. 5 1
kers of the Splendor of it. That there-
fore Mofes and the Prophets bore witnefs
of him, as of the true Light. Yea, that
for this Reafon, he at length came him-
felf to this his peculiar People, that He
might no longer fpeak to them by his
Prophets, but offer his own Voice to
be heard by Them, and try whether they
would acknowledge him for that Per-
fon, whom their Fathers expected mould
come -, and fo by obeying his Voice truly,
and not in Appearance only, (the fame
which Mofes had inculcated upoti Them *)
They might become his People, his P*-
culium, and proper Sheep ; to wit, the
true Ifrael of God. When, f- moreover,
J'Obn testifies of the Son of God 3 that 'tis
many as received him, to them g&ve be
Power to become the Svns of God. The
Old Teftament, in like manner, affirms
this : For it is faid in Ifaiab, J One jbail
fay, I am the Lord's-, &nd another jball
call himfelf by the Name if Jacob : And
another Jhall Jubj'cribe with bis Hand, un-
to the Lord, and jirname himfelf by the
Name of Ifrael. And in the JI Pfalms,
Frwn the Womb of the Morning, thou hajt
the Dew of thy Toutb : By which Wori,
this holy Offspring, this People of Mel-
Mfedeei, bodi ia relation to their Mul-
E 2 titude,
* Deut. xviii. 15. f John x. 4, 14, 8^*7, z8. i Pet<
ii. 9- Gal. vi.a 6- $ Jfa. xliv. 5- U ff*l* fix. $.
5 2 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
titude, and to their Divine Original (even
as Manna) is * defcribed. To which Jfaiah
agrees, faying, -f- Shall I bring to the
Birth, and not caufe to bring forth, faith
the Lord ? Shall I cauj'e to bring forth,
and Jhut the Womb ? faith thy God:
Which Words afford Light alfo to the
Divine Birth, fpoken of John \. 14.
where that Evangelift attefts of the Word,
that it dwelt among us -, or, that by
his taking of Flefh, He did as it were
pitch a Tabernacle among us for himfelf.
The fame was denoted in the Old Tefta-
ment, when it was thus faid of the Ta-
bernacle ; J Then a Cloud covered the Tent
of the Congregation, and the Glory of the
Lord filled the Tabernacle. And Mofes
'was not able to enter into the Tent of the
Congregation , becaufe the Cloud abode there-
on^ and the Glory of the Lord filled the
Tabernacle. And when the Cloud was ta-
ken up from over the Tabernacle, the Chil-
dren of Ifrael went onward in all their
yourneys : But if the Cloud were not taken
up, then they journey' d not till the Day
that it was taken up. For the Cloud of
the Lord was upon the Tabernacle by Day,
and Fire was on it by Night, in the fight
of all the Houfe of Ifrael, throughout all
their Journeys. The || Children of Ifrael
were
* Exod. xvi. 13, 14. f Ifa. Ixri. 9.
Exod. xl. 3438. I) Numb, ii. 225.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 53
were to pitch their Tents towards the
Baft, the South, the Weft, and the North :
But all thefe Tents of the Children of
Ifrael were placed over againft the Tent
of the Congregation. But the Levites,
Numb. viii. 6, &c. had their Tents round
about the Tabernacle of Teftimony, and
the Lord inhabited the Tent of the Con-
gregation in the midft of them, that he
might fanctify them. The Words of Ba-
rucb * agree alfo with the Words of John;
Afterward he \Wifdom} did foew himfelf
upon Eartb y and converjed with Men :
With which Words compare the whole
xxiv tb Chapter of Ecclef. When John
fays, We beheld his Glory ; this puts us
well in mind of Mojes's Prayer to the
Lord, Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19. I bejeech'Thee,
fhew me thy Glory. To whom the Lord
anfwers, / will make (310 *>3) all my
Goodnefs pafs before Thee -, and I will
proclaim the Name of the Lord before
Thee. And Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6. this Word
of the Lord was fulfilled j for the Lord
defcended in a Cloud, and ilood with him
there, and proclaimed the Name of the
Lord. And the Lord (whom the Lord
himfelf had called All his Gcodnefs, which
he had promifed he would make to pafs
before Mofes, chap, xxxiii. 19.) pajfed by
before him> and proclaimed^ fbe Lord, the
E 3 Lord
* Chap. iii. 37.
54 Chrift the Sum and Subftanu
Lord God, merciful and gracious, hng-
fuffering, and abundant in Goodnefs and
c ?ruth. To this Proclamation of the
Lord, Mofes boldly appealed, Numb. xiv.
when the People had grievoufty offended
God. And now, fays he, ver. 17,18. /&?-
feech tbee, let the Fewer tf my Lord bff
great, according as thou haft fpoken j fay-
ing, *fbe Lord is hng-fuffering, and of great
Mercy, forgiving Iniquity and Tranjgref-
Jion, and by no means clearing the Guilty,
vifiting the Iniquity of the fathers upon
the Children, unto the third and fourth
Generation. Pardon, I befeech tbee (he
adds, ver. 10. becaufe he had acknowledg-
ed Mercy and Forgivenefs of Sins in the
Lord, as he had been taught by the Lord
himfelf, who was manifefted to him) the
Iniquity of thisPeople, according to the great-
nefs of thy Mercy, and as thou haft forgiven
this People from Egypt, even until now. The
Lord alfo heard thefe Prayers made to him,
in the Name of the Lord, (that is, Chrifi)
faying 5 / have pardon d according to thy
Word, ver. 20. David, who endeavour 'd
to know from M&fes the Lord and Chrift,
who, according to the Promife of God,
fhould * be one Time born a Man, of his
Seed ; did not pretermit this Teftimony,
deliver'd by God concerning his Son : and
rightly confider'd, that it was not fo much
Mofes,
* 2 Sam. vii. i Cbrcn. xxviii.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 55
Mo[es y as the Lord, who there fpake:
<fbe Lord, fays he, * made kn&wn his Ways
t9 Mofes, bis Aft* to the Children of fr
rael. 'The Lord is merciful and gracious,
jlvw to Anger \ and plenteous in Mercy ^.
But as Mofes, when the Lord made his
Gfary, that is Chrift, to pafs before his
Face, did chiefly acknowledge his Grace
and Truth, or his Faithfulnefs ; fo John
alfo teftifies, that himfelf, and the other
Difciples and Believers, had fe,en the G/0-
ry of the Word Incarnate, as it were the
Glory of the only begotten Son *f the Fa-
tber, full of Grace and fnttb. And thus
alfo David, by the Holy Spirit, perceived
the Manifeftation of the Son of God in
the Flefh j wherefore he thus begins the
lxxxix tb Pfalm : I will Jing of the Mercies
of the Lord for tvtr ; 'with my Mouth 'will
I make known thy. Faitbfulnefs to all Gf-
ntratiwi. Far I have Jaid, Mercy Jba/l
be built up for ever : thy Faith fulnel's
* / * J J
jhalt thou eftablijh in the very Heavens.
But that it may be underftood, that the
Pfalmift fpeaks of no other but the Mef-
Jiah, who was promifed to him by the
Lord-, he prefently fubjoins a Divine An-
fwer : / have made a Covenant with my
Choj'en ; / have fworn unto David my Ser-
vant. *Thy Seed will I eftablifo for ever,
E 4 and
* Pfalm ciii. 7, 8. \ Pfalm Ixxxvi. 5. Pfalm cxlv. 8.
5 6 Chrtft the Sum and Subftance
and build up thy Throne to all Generations.
Selah. And ver. 24. he reiterates the Men-
tion of Truth and Grace ; by which Words,
the Glory of the Mejjiah is briefly com-
prehended. But my Faithfulnefs and my
Mercy jhall be with him, and in my Name
jhall his Horn be exalted. In the cxvii th
Pfalm, David praifes Chrift, as the Con-
folation of all Nations, from the fame
Foundation of the Revelation made unto
MoJ'es : O praife the Lord, all ye Nations,
praij'e him all ye People-, for his merciful
Kindnefs is great towards us, and the Truth
of the Lord endureth for ever. Concern-
ing this Grace and Truth, David in ma-
ny other Places, and with him alfo the
Prophets, fang. But when John fays,
The Law was given by Mofes, but Grace
and Truth came by Jefus Chrift j he there-
by remits us to Deut. xviii. where Mofes
brings to the Remembrance of the Peo-
ple of Ifrael, what they defired of the
Lord their God in Horeb, in the Day of
the Congregation, faying, Let me not hear
again the Voice of the Lord my God j nei~
ther let me fee this great Fire any more,
that I die not. And he remits us to what
the Lord anfwer'd to Mofes : They have
well fpoken that which they have fpoken.
I will raife them up a Prophet from among
their Brethren, like unto thee ; and will
put my Words in his Mouth, and he
of all the Holy Scriptures. 5 7
ffeak unto them all that I jhall command
him. Thefe Words John explains to us,
whilft he oppofes, and teftifies of Moj'cs
and Chrift together; Mofes, as indeed a
great Prophet of God, delivering the Law
to the Children of IJrael-, but fuch a Law,
as was an intolerable Yoke unto Men in-
tangled in Sin, and which, when it alfo
threatned a Curfe to the Violators of it,
was to them a dreadful Voice ; therefore
God promiied them another Prophet, in
whom he would dilcovtr and make known
his Love, Grace, Favour, and his eternal
Faithfulnefs and Truth unto Men ; that
Men might be led to the Knowledge of
his ineffable Love, and by the Benefit of
this Knowledge, might be brought to the
true Love of God and their Neighbour,
which is the fulfilling of the Law. John
calls Chrift, the only begotten Son, who is
in the Bofom of the Father ; by this Ap-
pellation, he has a refpect to Him, whom
Solomon the King brings in fpeaking thus :
Then * I was by Him, as one brought up
with Him : and I was daily his Delight,
rejoicing always before Him : as the Words
properly found in the Hebrew ; and as I
obferved before, when I compared them
with the Words of John.
SECT.
* Prw. viii. 30.
y
5 8 Chr iji the Sum a
SECT. XXXV.
What Benefit may be hoped for from
fuch Meditations and Comparisons.
ALL we have hitherto offer'd, in conv
paring the Words of St. John with other
Places of Holy Writ, may be looked up-
on as a weak and faint Inftru&ion, fuch
as every one ihouid make the firft Sub->
je& of his Meditations on St.Johx's Words,
For if the Reader will perfifr. in the Way
now chalk'd out to him, he will eafily
find himfelf to be led from one Scripture
to another ; and the Confideration of Di-
vine Truths fo perfectly agreeing together,
will yield the more Pleafure and Delight,
Certainty^ Efficacy, and Conviction, the
longer he {hall pcrfevete in fuch Medita-
tion. Ncverthelefs, even in thefe Exerci-
ies, Pivine Grace is the great Thing to
be relied on, which for this End is fur-
niih'd from above, and therefore always to
be fought for to Almighty God.
SECT.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 59
SECT. XXXVI.
A Prayzr for the opening the Eyes
of our Minds in this important
Concern.
" O LORD, grant that the Treafures
" of Wifdom and Knowledge, which are
** hid in Cbrtft Jefu*, may be laid open
" unto us j and ahho 1 our Understanding
"in this Life be weak and imperfect, yet
" do Thou, as an indulgent Father, vouch-
" fafe to ftrengthenand confirm our Faith,
" by the Manifeilation of thy Truth, more
" and more. But efpecially we befeech
" Thee moft effectually to convince our
" Minds, that all thy Servants, whom
" Thou haft appointed ,to be the common
Teachers of the Wor|d, do bear Tefti-
ct mony with one Mouth and one Spirit,
" concerning Jefus Chrift, and his great
" Majefty, Grace, and Truth towards us.
" We are named by his Name, and yet,
" O fad ConJideration 1 that we know fo
< little of his Glory. For if this were
" more clearly underftood by us, we mould
" certainly with greater Confidence, and
" more joyful Minds, receive from his
c fulnefs Grace for Grace, Grant, there-
1 fore, to us, a pure and ardent Love of
" thy Word, and baniih from our Minds
all
60 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
<c all Contempt of It, that by the written
" Wordy which was fpoken by the Pro-
" phets, and infpired by the Holy Ghoft,
" we may be brought to the lively Know-
" ledge, and faithful embracing of the
" Eternal and Subflantial Word. Do
" Thou, O Lord, incline our Hearts, that,
" through the Counfel of Wifdom, we
" may heedfully attend to the moft fure
" and found Words of thy Prophets, as
/ " to a Light Jhini?ig in a dark Place, until
I " the Day dawn, and the Day-ftar arife
" in our Hearts !
The FOURTH MEDITATION.
Of the fingular Emphafis, and ftrong
Signihcancy of the Words and
Expreffions of St. John^ in the
Beginning of his Gofpel.
SECT. XXXVII.
That many 7%ings remain ftill hid in
the emphatical Exprejfions which
St. John ufes.
THIS Meditation will confift only of
fome of the Words, and Expreffions of St.
John, and thereby an Occafion will be
given
of all the Holy Scriptures. 61
given to the pious Reader, of coniidering
with greater Exaclnefs and Devotion, as
well the Words we now touch upon, as
all his other Expreffions. In the Begin-
ning 'was the Word, V, fays John, erat,
feu exiftebat, 'was, or did exift ; not *fan t
'was made, as it is faid ver. 14. The Word
'was made Flejh, tyrm -, but was truly in
the Beginning, before all Time, and when
nothing was but Eternity. Moreover, in
this he differ'd from all created Things,
that as foon as the Beginning of any Thing
could be faid to be, he then exifted -, and
therefore was not made, but was without
Beginning. This Word V, erat, ivas, St.
John repeats thrice in the firft Verfe, and
again ver. 2. then twice ver. 4. again ver.-
9. and again ver. 10. and 15. and every
where the great Emphafis of this Word
is to be confider'd. The Word, in Greek
o AOJ/Q-, is of various Significations, even
in profane Authors j for it not only lig-
nifies a Word fpoken with the Mouth, but
likewife a Word ready to be uttered j nay,
that yet refts in the Mind, altho' not vo-
cally deliver'd. A right and jufh Conclu-
fion alfo is denominated AO^- j nor does
it lefs denote the Faculty itielf of Reafon
and Underftanding. It fignifies alfo a
Reckoning, an Account of Receipts and
Payments : more efpecially the Caufe of
every Thing, on which, as on its Foun-
dation,
62 Gbrifi the Sum and Sub ft once
dation, every Thing refts, is expreffed by
this Word. But Plato has us'd it in a
more fublime Senfe than the other Pagans,
for which Reafon he is believed to have
heard of Mofes> or rather, to have read
Mofeis Writings, or at leaft to have bor-
rowed fome of his Notions from che Wif-
doni of the antient Ek&rews. But one
having well confider'd the great and di-
vine Emphaiis of this Word, truly declar-
ed, ^his learmd Pkto was ignorant oft
qi-tk<JfgbteJ Ariftotle did not fa j <eb*
qumt Cicero has not expreffed. But, on
the contrary, St. John* who, withoutdoubt^
in the Beginning of this his Gofpel, won*
derfully -accoi'ds with the Wifdom of his
Anceftors, may rightly be faid to have
mirt UAderftanding than all hit teachers *\
The Wofd A^@- iudeed is ofGrtek Deri-
vation, but it has fefpeft to the genuine
common Language of the Sons and Ser-
vants of Ood 5 that is, to die -Language of
the H&ly Spirit '; in whaie 'School alone,
its fublime and divine Senfe is to be learnt*
and will hereafter be underftood, in its
extenfive Sigmfictciooi, in the Jerufakm
that is above* All our w-e&k Difcourfes
here concerning it, hardly touch ks Sha-
dow, We have beard befoffij, diat John.
ufod the Word {taxn) dixit. He /aid, ia
vof Mqjet* We -aauft confei*,,
dia-t
* Pfalm cxix. 99.
of all tkt fl$fy Scriptures* 63
that by following the Common Rules,
which learned Men ufe for interpreting
the Holy Scriptures, we could not have
attained the fublitne and hidden Significa-
tion of even that one Word ; which ta
Reafon, deftitute of divine Light, might
feem to be of very little moment So
great is the Difference between thefe
Things, when a Man inftruded in human
and philofophical Learning^ comes to in*
terpret the Holy Scriptures, and when
God opens a Man's Eyes, and the Spirit
t>f 'Truth, according to the PfOmife of
Ctorift) leads him tao all ?>*& Bat if
jfobn, in this one Word beholds Gbr$^ the
eternal and fubflantial Word of God; if
he fees the *n in the Bofom of the Fa-
tter, that eternal Wifdom, a&d etfemiat
Image of tht living God, the Origin and'.
Principle of all created Things the Source
of Life and Light, the Fountain fromi
whence all Prophecies were derived j if he
tbere beholds the ineffable Union of that
Effenev and Z^^ in which the Fatter and
the S&K haveexifted from ail Eterfiktj
if thro' this one Word he looks into the \ \
Eternal Generation of the Son from th*
Father ; How great Depths muft ihet
need be in all the reft of the Holy Writ*
ings ? How clear muft the Mirrors be,
which reprefent to us the eternal wonder-
ful Thing* of God ? How imf>erfe&, how-
foreign,
64 Chriji the Sum and Subftance
foreign, how remote from the hidden
Wifdom of God, muft needs be all our
reading and fearching of the Sacred Scrip-
tures, without the Guidance of the Holy
Spirit ? O Lord, open Thou our Eyes,
that we may behold wondrous Things out
of thy Word.
SECT. XXXVIIL
'fbat fo great Depths, unfathomable
plainly to Reafon y He hid in that
one Word *$>-, [or the Word]
. as ought to increafe our Humi-
liation.
W E, indeed, with good Reafon, blufh
to produce our incongruous Thoughts
concerning fo profound Myfteries> when
we underitand fo little of the Purport but
of a fingle Word j yet it will be pleafing
to God, if the Knowledge which a Man
hath in thefe Matters, be communicated
with an honeft Mind, and faithfully ap-
plied to the Edification of himfelf and
others. This we certainly know, that the
Language of the Holy Spirit ought never
to be carpt at and cenfur'd by human
Reafon. Perhaps a Man not illuminated,
would have wilh'd St. John had us'd fome
other Word, which were plainer to him,
and eafier to be underftood : But John,
through
of all the Holy Scriptures. 65
through the Inftinct of the Holy Spirit,
utterly refufes to ufe any other Word in
this Place, which he therefore does thrice
in one and the fame Verfe ; nor does he
change it for another Word, after the
manner of the Orators of this Age : and
when afterwards, in the 14 th Verfe, he
would exprefs the Incarnation of the Son
of God> he again induilrioufly brings forth
this his firft and moft dear Word, to mew
that it was his Care and his Delight to ufe
it ; nor would he fubftitute any other in
its Place, tho' other Words were not
wanting to him. Moreover, in the pre-
ceeding Third Meditation we have heard,
that He did immediately, in the Beginning
of his Firft Epiftle, and again chap. v./.
refer his Readers to this very Word. And
what is chiefly to be obfervM, St. 'John
would be known and diftinguifhed from
others, by this very Thing, as by a fin-
gular Character, that he teftifies every
where, and proclaims the Word of God *.
The find: Meaning of the Word *oy-,
may ftill be better underftood from his
whole Difcourfe. If we hear the German
Word (280?t, Word) we underftand no-
thing by it, but what comes forth of the
Mouth; but the Greek Word, as it is
taken from the Hebrew los'l does like-
wife fignify the Word pronouncing^ or the
F attual
66 Ckrift the Sum and Suiftaace
aftual and a&fae Word: And thus by
this Word is denoted, not only the eter-
nal Generation of the Son from the Fa-
ther > but alfo the Life that is in him,
the Almighty Pvwer which gave a Being
to all Things, and the Splendor of his
eternal and eflential Light ; as John more
particularly declares in what follows;
" O Lord) grant that we may know what
" Benefits we have in Cbrift ; for this
" will render us truly Pious, and make
"us joyful before Thee !
SECT. XXXIX.
What Tubings are further to be con-
Jiderd in thefe emphatical Words
of St. John.
AN D the Word 'was God.] Thefe
Words are tranfpos'd in the Greek Text,
[*} fah & o AO^-, And God was the Word]
as is wont to be done on purpofe, that
fbme Word may be placed in the Begin-
ning of a Sentence, which we efpecially>
and before all, defire to exprefs. Whence
alio, in pronouncing a Word of this fort,
we are wont to raife our Voice, that who-
foever hears, may eafily underftand our
Intention chiefly is to have That Word
rightly apprehended. But if the Words
were placed in their natural Order in
which
of all the Holy Scriptures.
which St. John would doub clefs have put'
them, if that had not been his chief De-
fign i they would have been thus render'd
in the Latin, Illud Verbum erat Deu$:
which Verfion alfo the Greek Article be-
fore the Word Aoy- 3 but not before 0J,
requires : For here his principal Aim was,
to aflert true Divinity to this Eternal
Word. fa
All Things were made by Htm.] John
has a peculiar Empbafis (or Meaning) iri
the Word *y!m* -, ['were made}. For in this
fame third Verfe he repeats it again, as alfo
ver. 6, 10, 14, 17. Every one may ob-
ferve, that John has a particular regard
for this Word ; and that therefore, as of-
ten as we find it ufed by him, we mould
endeavour by all means to difcoyer the
true Senfe and Import of it. He fays in-
deed firft ; All Things 'were made by the
Word> and without Him IK as not any Taking
made that was made. The Word tyvvn is
in the Greek Bible, where nl is read iji
the Hebrew $ which the Latin renders
fiebat faSlum eft, [was made] and it often
occurs in the Hiilory of the Creation. So
deeply does John fearch into Mofes, and
effectually teaches, That where the Word
na> dixit [He jaid] is ufed, 'tis to &e
obferv'd that A^-, the very fubftantial
Word of God, Chnft ought to be acknow-j
ledged by it j and where
F i
68 Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
eft [was made] is ufed, there is to be un-
derilood, the Work of the Omnipotence
of Chrift ; for all Things were made by
the Word of God, and therefore the Word
ought to be acknowledged as the Author
and Original of all Things. In the 6 th
Verfe he fays, iyive-n *v9pT-, [there was a
Man] and whilft he here plainly ufes
the fame Word which he did before,
when he had faid all Things were made
by Him, by this he indicates, that John
the Baptift was alfo made by Him. In
like manner we ought to apply the Mean-
ing of the fame Word in other Places of
Scripture, Abfque eo faftum eft nihil,
quod faftum eft y \Without Him was not
any Thing made that was made.] In the
Greek it has this Emphafa ; without Him
*ctf if } was not any Thing [or the leaft Thing]
made^ that was made. By which Expref-
lion St. John, doubtlefs with regard to
the profound Abyfs of Divine Wifdom,
but now mention'd, looks back to the
firft Creation ; where God being about to
produce fomething, is alledg'd dixiffe> to
have faid. Hence, when every Day's
Work was finifh'd, it is written, and God
faid ; and it was fo j or, thus it was made :
That fo John, by this way of fpeaking,
might mofl earneftly fet before our Eyes,
and confirm the Majefty of the Word,
For let it be faid, either dixit [He faid\
or
of all the Holy Scriptures. 69
or fuit [if was], or faftum eft [it was
made], Chrift is there always, as we now
afferted, and indeed as is (hewn by the
70* SJtf w: Chrift) I fay, is to be acknow-
ledg'd without any Exception j all Things
and every Thing muft acknowledge that
one Word for their Creator : that fo it
might be rightly faid, as it is in Pf. xxxiii.
9. fVl "1258 Nin Ipfo dicente eft quicquid
ejl y ipfo prcecipiente, exiftit. For hefpake,
and it 'was done ; he commanded, and it
Jlood faft. St. Paul * teaches us more
largely, how we ought to know the
Meaning, and expound the hidden Senfe
of thole Particles, A % /. In ipfo vita
erat, & vita erat lux ilia hominum ; [In
Him was Life, and the Life was the Light
of Men.] In the Greek, ** w-d { nV, ^
fan w 7ff ray wSfUTiur. ^fohn does not
in the firft Polition of the word fl prefix
the Article ri [the] but in the fecond Place
he adds the Article, to make the Sentence
more emphatical. And the Light Jhineth
in Darknefs. Et lux ifta in tenebris lucet*
"John fays, ydm [fhineth] not C(p*r [did
Jhine] : For it is to be obferv'd, that in his
whole Difcourfe, he fitly diftinguimeth
the Times, or knows when he ought to
fpeak in the paft, and when in the prefent
Tenfe : Which if we carefully attend to,
we fhall much better underftand not only
F 3 this,
* Co/, i. 15, 1 6, 17.
Chfift the Sum and Subftance
this, but many other Places, which other-
wife, perhaps, we mould overlook, as
meeting nothing in them, in our Opinion,
worthy our Remark, In this Place, John
would fpeak thus : " This Light is the
" Eternal Light, and mines without any
" Intermiffion, nor does it any way per-
" mit its Splendor to be obstructed by
" Darknefs, otherwife the Darknefs might
<c become more prevalent than the Light
" itfelf." Concerning this Subject, Da-
vid fpeaks ; * If I fay, Surely the Dark-
nefs Jhall cover me : even the Night Jhall
be light about me. Tea, the Darknefs hid-
eth not from 'Thee, but the Night Jhineth
as the Day : the Darknefs and the Light
are both alike to 'Thee. And St. James the
Apoftle thus j -f- Do not err, my beloved
Brethren : Every good Gift, and every per-
feft Gift, is from above, and comet h down
from the Father of Lights, with whom is
no Variablenefs, neither Shadow of turning.
He therefore faying that the Light fiineth,
fpeaks in the prefent Tenfe j that the
eternal Splendor of that Light, which no
Darknefs can hinder, may be underflood,
and diftinguifh'd from all created Light.
SECT.
Ffalm cxxxix. n, 12.- f James i. 16, t/.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 7 1
SECT. XL.
What peculiar Account may be given
of the Words ) wiK*^ TM^A^ and
hc&ov, or comprehending and re-
ceiving.
AN D the Darknefs comprehended it
wot, ver. 5.] This is fignificantly expref-
fed in the Greek, $ <TXT/ 'ArTO* wrka-
3i'. And the Darknefs difcover'd it not.
" He that is in Darknefs, and walketh in
" Darknefs, and knows not whither he
" goes, becaufe Darknefs hath blinded his
" Eyes," thinks indeed, that he compre-
hends fomething -, but it is^-a falfe Light
which he comprehends, not W ?v that
true Light : Nor does he find true Life
in the Light which he feems to himfelf
to comprehend. Therefore St. Paul writes
concerning the Gentiles *, As having the
Underjtanding darkned, being alienated from
the Life of God, thro' the Ignorance that
is in them, becaufe of the Blindnefs of their
Heart. For wherever the Divine Light
is wanting, there alfo the Divine Life fails.
Therefore concerning fuch, St. Paul tefti-
fies-f-; that they pleafe tbemfehes in a vo-
luntary Humility, and worjhipping of An-
F 4 gets,
* Epb. iv. 1 8. f Col. ii. 18.
7 2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
gehy intruding into thofe Things which they
have notfeen ; vainly pufft up by their fejh-
ly Mind. And indeed, they are fo far
from comprehending the true Light, that
they do not know or perceive their own
Blindnefs and Darknefs, as may be feen in
John ix. 39,40,41. They comprehended it
not : in Greek, wn^Afrw, [dij'cern'd or dif-
coverd]. Of this St. Paul fpeaks, Phil.
iii. 12, 13. Befides, this Word wfrj3r,
[comprehended] ver. 5. there are two other
Words, ver. 1 1, 12. each of which has its
proper Emphajis in the Greek, which we
can't fufficiently perceive in the German,
or the Latin Ver lion : Thefe are the two
Words, imfaetpw, v. ii. and '&A$W, v. 12.
which fignify received. The Word ^-
*.*ng&vHv fignifies, to receive in fuch a man-
ner, as Citizens do their Lord and King
into his Kingdom and City, who taking
an Oath of Allegiance to him, joyfully
wim him a long Life, and all manner
of Profperity ; or elle, when it is fpo-
ken of Chrift, it denotes the receiving of
Him, with fmging the true Hofanna in
that Spirit, with which the Prophets m-
ter'd it. As the Prophets alfo put into
the Mouth, and as it were into the
Heart of the Daughter of Zion, how
fhe ought to rejoice and be glad at the
Advent of her King ; and with what Ac-
clamations ihe ought to receive Him.
Thus
of all the Holy Scriptures. 7 3
Thus the whole People of Ifrael ought
to have received Chriji -, and this is that
of which St. John complains, faying, the
Darknefs comprehended not this Light of
Life. Indeed our Saviour vouchlafed to
feparate the Ifraelites from all other Peo-
ple, to be even as his own Pofleflion ; and
altho' they killed his Prophets and Ser-
vants whom he had fent to them, ne-
verthelefs, fo great was his Mercy towards
them, that he came himfelf to them, as
to his own peculiar People : but they who
boafted themfelves to be his People, would
not fo much as acknowledge him; and
inftead of Hofanna, they cried out, Cru-
cify him -, and in fuch fort did they receive
the Lord of Glory ', that they faften'd him
to a Crofs. The Evangelift goes on, ver.
12. But as many as received Him: Here
begins the Separation of Light and Dark-
nefs, as at the Beginning, in the firft Crea-
tion, naturally, fo here, in the new Crea-
tion, fpiritually. *o/ tf IA*^ that is, as
many (altho' they were exceeding few of
this People) as received Him for the great-
eft Gift of Divine Grace, from the Hand
of God y yea, in whomfoever he found
fuch an honeft Mind, as not to reject him
from being fent by the Father, altho'
they received him with great Weaknefs,
and not with that Joy and Chearfulnefs
which the Majejiy of his Perfon, and the
great-
74 Chrift the Sum and Subftame
greatnefs of that Salvation requir'd, which
he brought along with him; yet he ap-
proved of them, where he was receivd
by them without Falfhood and Diffem-
bling : he fpared them, as a Father is
wont to fpare his Children ; he helped
their Infirmity j he did not frown upon
them ; but by doing them good, and ma-
nifefting his Glory , he kindled and ftreng-
then'd their Faith towards him, and fo
gave them this Power that they Jhould be
made the Sons of God. Hereby we mail
obferve the pleafing manner of St. jfobns
ufing thefe three Words, Km f A*08ir, mpiA40iit,
lA<tox ; and from thence learn, that there
is no juvenile fporting, when the Spirit of
God thus makes ufe of certain Words,
but a Thing of the greateft moment ; that
the Men of God fpake not only fpiritual
Things, but uttered them alfo in the very
Words of the Holy Spirit ; and not fo in
their own Words, as if it matter'd not
much, whether we knew their emphatical
Meaning or not.
SECT. XLL
Why in treating here of the Eternal
Word, there is mention made of
John the Raptift.
tfH E RE 'was a Man fent from God,
ivbofe Name u-ai John, ver. 6. In the
Greek
of all the Holy Scriptures.
Greek it is thus : iytytw k8pV-, &c. the
Emphafis of the firfl Word, that it is not
faid JV, but \yfam, was fhewn before.
The following Word, *Y0pV-, has no lefs
an Emphafis. For when he here fpeaks
of the Glory of the Word, and has called
him the Creator and the Light of Men ;
by thofe very Words he declares that John
the Baptift was not Chrift, for whom ma-
ny in his time would have taken himj but
a meer Man, whofe Light therefore Cbrift
no lefs was, than that of other Men. The
fame emphatical Signification is to be found
in the Beginning of St. Paufs Epiflle to the
Galatiam : Paul an Apoflle, not of Men,
neither by Man, but by Jefus Chrift and
God the Father, who raifed him from the
Dead: And ver. 11,12. / certify you,
Brethren, that the Gofpel 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 Jefus
Chrift. Thefe Expreflions no way dero-
gate from the true Humanity of Chrift^
but only effectually demonftrate that he
was not a meer Man ; as St. John, the
Apoftles, and others alfo the greateft Ser-
vants of God, were in this Regard meer
Men. The fame came for a Witnefs, to
bear witnefs of that Light, ver. 7. Here
again we muft take notice of the great
Care of St. John the Evangelift, that he
thus
76 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
thus exprefly makes the whole Office of
John the Baptift, to confift in his bearing
Ueftimony concerning Chrift by which
he would be meant to fay nothing elfe,
but that the fame Office was incumbent
on John, (viz. the principal Parts of it)
which Mofes and all the Prophets, by whom
God had ever fpoken to Men, did dif-
charge, viz. that they mould teftify of
Chrift. Chrift fays concerning all the
Scriptures of the Old Teftament, They
are T^hey 'which teftify of me *. And St.
John the Evangelift, names himfelf to be
a Witnefs of Jefus Chrift -f, as alfo Chrift
himfelf affirms of all his Apoftles, J that
They jhould bear ivitnefs of Him. But
efpecially in this Place it is to be obferv'd,
from this very Teftimony, how great a
Difference there is between the Dignity
and Majefty of Chrift, and the Perfon and
Office of John the Baptift. For whereas
it was now faid ; He came for a Witnefs,
viz. to bear ivitnefs of the Light, it is pre-
fently more clearly explain'd : He was
not that Light, but was fent to bear wit-?
nefs of that Light. The holy Love of
John the Evangelift in thefe Words is
much to be confider'd, as from which it
moft evidently appears, with what pro-
found Reverence he contemplated the
Glory
* Job, v. 39. f Rev, i. 2. J Job- xv. z;.
of all the floly Scriptures. 77
Glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; and how
his Soul was moved, not only to fhew
forth that Glory in the moft effectual and
powerful manner, but alfo to prevent moft
carefully their thinking fo meanly of the
Mejfiah, whom Ifrael then expected, as to
take John the Baptijt, or any other Man,
for Him, whofe Employment he regard-
ed no farther, than that Men mould, by
virtue of their Teftimony, be brought to
believe in the Word of Life, the true
Light of the World, and the Lord of
Glory. For it is altogether to be imputed
to the holy Affection of John the Evan-
gelift, that Verfes 6, 7, 8. are inferted in
the reft of his Difcourfe, the better to re-
move from every one's Mind, any Objec-
tion concerning the Authority of John the
Baptift. For if we confider the Text
aright, there is fuch a Coherence in his
Difcourfe, that the 5 th and 9 th Verfes are
to be connected and join'd together ; fo
the 15 th Verfe is put between the 14 th and
1 6 th by the Evangelift ; which two Verfes,
as to the Matter, entirely agree, and fo is
to be placed in a Parentheiis, as well as
the other three : And lince by reafon here-
of, mention is twice made of the Tefti-
mony of John the Baptift, the Evangelift
begins at length to relate the Matter more
fully, and as Circumftances require. T^/V,
as he fays ver. 19. is the Record of John,
7 8 Chrift the Sum and Subjiance
&c t which I have twice alledg'd in what
went before. But as many as received
Him (ver. 12.) to them gave he Power to
become the Sons of God. Thefe Words ex-
plain the following, ver. 16. And of his,
Fulnefs have all we received^ and Grace
for Grace. For the two Words tMfav and
<Axw, [they received] and [he gave] de-
ferve to be well confider'd together j be-
caufe the Order of thefe Words, thro'
the Divine Wifdorn and Love, is moft de-
lightful. God gives, Faith receives 3 and
if Faith receives, God always gives anew.
And thus there is continual Interchange of
Love and Faith, of giving and receiving,
and this is what is called Grace for Grace.
XLII.
That there is alfo a peculiar Empha-
Jis in the Words t A&^- foftfanw w
>>, The Word dwelt among us.
^ HE Word was made Flejh, and dwelt
among us, (John i. 14.) That this dwel-
ling among us, refers to the c Tabernacle t
or Tent of the Congregation in the Old
Teftament ; or rather, that this Taberna-
cle has, as a Type, refpe& to Chrift, is
nianifeft from the Comparifon above made
of this Text with the Old Teftament.
The Signification alfo of the Greek word
t>f all the Holy Scriptures. 79
r, has the fame Reference, being in
Latin, Tabernaculum pofuit, he pitch'd
his Tabernacle. And 'tis very worthy
our notice, that the Greek word has the
very fame Letters with the Hebrew, pt&Q
or f DK? j That it mould be as it were eafy
even for Children to underftand, that the
Signification of this Word is to be look'd
for in the Type of the Old Covenant.
Altho', moreover, the Words of John in
the German Tranflation are not ill ren-
der'd, <gr WOJMete ttnter ttn& i. e. habi-
tant inter nos t He inhabited among us j
forafmuch as this Confederation, that he
was the true Habitation of the Glory of
God among Men, and efpecially among
his moft beloved Difciples, admirably a-
grees both with the Type of the Old Tef-
tament, and with his humble Converfa-^
tion in the Flefh : yet this ought not at
all to derogate from the Emphajis and pro-
per Signification of the Greek word, by
which it may be truly inferr'd from the
Mind of St. John himfelf, that He does
alfo inhabit in us, and there manifefts his
Glory, Life and Light, with his Grace
and Truth to us. The Apoftle Paul, ia
his Epiftle to the Ephejians *, expounds
the Structure of the Tabernacle and Tem-
ple, mewing they had their Completion
in Chrift. But how does he fpeak of
CbriJP$ -
* Chap, ii, iiu ..? .. .^ * -
80 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
Chrift's dwelling among us ? Is it fo only
that Chrifl dwells among us in the man-
ner, as heretofore the Tabernacle in a
Type ? Does he not rather tell us, that
Cbrift may dwell in our Hearts by Faith *.
Likewife St. John himfelf applies this
dwelling of Chrifl among us to that true
Communion in the Spirit, which we
ought to have with the bleffed Son of
God, faying : -)- That which we have feen
and heard, declare we unto you, that ye
alfo may have Fellowjhip with us -, and tru-
ly our Fellowjhip is with the Father, and
with his Son Jefus Chrift. He dwelt a-
mong us, full of Grace and Truth ; and of
his FulneJ's have all we received, and Grace
for Grace, ver. 14, 16. The Words, ac-
cording to the Greek Text, are fo proper-
ly conjoin'd, and in the Matter itfelf fo
ftrictly linked together, that their Con-
nexion cannot be feparated by the other
intervening Words in thofe two Verfes.
But that St. John interpofes fo many
Words, ought not to feem flrange and in-
congruous to us. Nor is the fame unu-
fual in common Converfation, efpecially
where little regard is had to Art in the
placing of Words, but only that the
Thing itfelf may be exprefs'd with the
fame Concern that lies in the Mind. And
thus in this Place, together with the Con-
fideration
* Epb. iii. 17. f Epiil. I. chap. i. 3,
of all the Holy Scriptures. 8 1
fideration of the Thing propounded, we
ought to attend to the Mind of "John the
Evangelift, who was fo filled with hum-
ble Veneration, a lively Faith, and a moil
flagrant Love to his Lord and Mailer, that
he could not fpeak of him after a meer
hiflorical manner, but always declared that
moil tender and delightful Senfe of Him
with which his own Mind was imbu'd,
that fo he might the more fweetly allure
others who mould read his Gofpel, to the
fame moil blefled Communion with the
only begotten Son of God. How great
an Bmphaps there is in the two Words
Grace and Truth, cannot be explained in
few Words ; fince from the foregoing
Meditation it is plain, that all Things
which were foretold of the new Cove-
nant, are contain'd in thofe two Words.
Therefore we refer the Reader for a ful-
ler Underilanding of them, to a particu-
lar Treatife publim'd by me in the Ger-
man Tongue, called Grace and Truth.
SECT. XLIII.
Why the ILvangeUft returns afrejb to
fpeak of John the Baptift, and
what is to he understood by ***>&}*)
He cried.
JOHN bare witnefs of Him, and cri-
ed, faying : This is He of whom I fpake^
G He
8 2 Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
He that cometh after me, is preferred be*
fore me ; for he was before me, ver. 15.
Every Thing in thefe Words is emphati-
cal. In what went before, viz. ver. 7,
and 8. he had made mention thrice of
the Teftimony of John the Baptift, he
doth it now a fourth time, and adds em-
phatically, ) x>w*j clamavit, [He cried}
that he might exprels not only his own,
but the Love of John alfo towards the
Lor^ and declare that John did not bear
witnefs coldly, but ufed great Earneftnefs,
Zeal, and a wonderful Chearfulnefs and
Freedom of Mind, in giving his Teftimo-
ny > and that he publifh'd it after fuch
manner, that no one might hereafter plead
Ignorance of it j yea, that he fhew'd ef-
fectually that he was appointed to be the
Voice, the Publisher, and the Fore-run-
ner of the Mejfiah ; for that he had lift
up his Voice like a Trumpet, and pro-
claim'd the Meffiah aloud, in the Hearing
of the Jews. But the Evangelift does not
flop here, but adds alfo the Words which
John the Baptift fpake. Whence it is ea-
fily underftood, that the very Words of
John the Baptift were very dear and ac-
ceptable unto the Evangelift. For in
this very Chapter he again repeats thofe
Words, "oer.ij^ and 30. and again explains
them in the very Words of John, Joh. iii.
28, &c. But what Occafion was there for
the
of all the Holy Scriptures. 83
the Evangelijl to alledge thefe Words in
this Place, when he intended afterwards
to relate the whole Matter, and to re-
count more largely both the Words, and
the Occanon of uling them? This was
the Reafon ; becaufe hitherto having wit-
neffed the true Godhead and Incarnation
of the Mefjiah^ both which were briefly
comprehended in the Teftimony of John,
he thought it neceifary to alledge this Tef-
timony of the Baptift for an Argument,
and as it were a fhort Compendium of
thofe Things which he had hitherto fpo-
ken of Chrift : Which was enough for
him to infert in this Place, and fo to finim
his begun Difcourfe, refer v ing ftill to
himfelf a more large Account of the Tef-
timony of John, which was of fo great
moment.
SECT. XLIV.
In 'what the Teflimony of John the
Baptift confijls.
WHEN John fays, ver. 30. This
is he ; hereby he (hews, that he is about
to publim fomewhat very furprizing,
which at firft may feem ftrange and
wonderful ; or in which fuch Things may
be found, as feem not to cohere and to
agree well together. And John frequent-
G 2 ly
84 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
ly us'd the fame Paradoxical Manner in
fpeaking of Chrijt. For he did not then
firft ufe that Expreffion when he faw
Chrift coming towards him, and pointing
at him, faid : Behold the Lamb of God
which taketh away the Sins of the World -,
9%fj is He, 6cc. as you may read, 17.29, 3-
But the fame Words, This is He, who
cometh after me, and who was before me; He
had us'd the Day before, to them who
were fent to him from Jerufalem. Whence
'tis the lefs to be doubted, but that he of-
ten before faid thofe Things to the Peo-
ple, and principally to his Difciples. 1 For
his (John's) Teftimony was then fo pub-
lickly known at Jerufalem, that the Jews
were mov'd thereby to fend Priefts and
Levites to him for farther Information.
But he fpake nothing new to them, and
only profe/fed what he had before very
boldly and freely declar'd to the People,
and to his own Difciples. In which 'tis
fweet to obferve, that the Evangelift, out
of all the Teftimonies given by John the
Baptift concerning Chrijt, choofes this
which was fpoken by the Baptifl, when
with his own Eyes he beheld Chrift, the
Lamb of God : by which, he was parti-
cularly defirous to declare, that, as a
Fore-runner formerly in his Mother's
Womb he leap'd for Joy, when the Lord
came to vifit him in the Womb of his
Virgin
of all the Holy Scriptures. 85
Virgin Mother ; fo now this his Joy was
as it were renewed, and even compleated,
when * he faw Jejus come towards him 3
whereby he was fo inflam'd, that he cried
out with greater Earneftnefs than ever
before, and congratulated Him as the true
Bridegroom, and raifed the Attention of
all his Difciples and of all the People
about Him, that now they mould behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away the
Sin of the World: that then he cried
aloud, that all might hear Him , T^his is
He, viz. o ef^o^-, He that was to come,
nor bejides Him jhall you expett any other :
That thereby he might remove all Doubts
from Mens Minds, and that they mould
all of Themfelves believe -\- that this is He,
of whom Mofes and the Prophets wrote,
and to whom his whole Function belong-
ed. But when the Difcourfe he was wont
to have of the Mejjlah was known, and
publifh'd among his Difciples, and to all
the People, he hereby marked out Chrift
to them, and withal gave Teftimony, firft
of his true Humanity, and the Admin i-
flration of his Office in this his State of
Humiliation, according as he had faid j
this is He, who cometh after me : Then al-
fo of his Eternal Divinity, when he af-
firms of Him who was to come after him,
G 3 that
* John iii. 29. f John i. 7.
86 Cbrift the Sum and Sub fiance
that he 'was before him, and then fubjoins
tbat he was before him. Which Words,
in this Place, do not only denote his Pre-
rogative of Dignity (as what John the
Baptift expreily declares in another man-
ner, when ver. 27. he profeffes himfelf
not worthy to unloofe the Latchet of his
Shoes, and ftill more largely and plainly,
chap. iii. ver. 27 36.) but of Time alfo.
SECT. XLV.
What is to be obferved concerning
Grace for Grace, and comparing
of the LaWj and Grace and Truth,
one with another.
A N D of his Fulnefs have all we re-
ceived, and Grace for Grace, ver. 16.
The Greek Particle > [and] fet before
#*'e<r M %Iur& y [Grace for Grace] has
fomething more emphatical than theTran-
ilator hath exprefs'd in our Mother Lan-
guage (German). The Senfe of the Words
[and of his Fiilnefs have all ive received]
may be explain'd thus, /. e. " Whatfoever
<c Good we- have, it is not from ouffelves,
* c but as he is full of Grace and Truth, fo
" hath he imparted fomewhat to every
u one of us? that out of his infinite Ful-
" nefs, without any Diminution to Him-
felf.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 87
" felf, we all have received fomething,
" and indeed (or, yea and) Grace far
" Grace" We have before ihewn the
Signification of thefe Words, Grace for
Grace. It is faid moreover, (ver. 17.) for
the Law was given by Mofes, but Grace
and 'Truth came by Jefus Chrift. Here, in
the Words eJWw, data eji \was given] and
iyirrn, prceftitafeu fafla eft, [was perform-
ed, or derived] lies a fmgular Emphafis.
The Law was not made, but given by Mo-
fes, as by the Hand of a Mediator * : But
Grace and Truth were not only given by,
but proceeded from 'Jefus Chrift - t lince
by his Suffering and Dying for us, He
hath recover'd the Grace loft by Adam's
Fall, and applies it to our Hearts by his
Spirit, and thereby renews and reflores in
Them the divine Image in Righteoufnefs,
and in Holinefs of Truth. It would be
too much to afcribe to Mofes the Word
c^m, the making of the Law, (for the
Law was not made by him) and it would
be much too little to apply to Chrift the
Word i/0, the giving of the Law. For
this Man was counted worthy of more
Glory than Mofes, inafmuch as he who
hath builded the Houfe, hath more Ho--
nour than the Houfe. For every Houfe
is builded by fome Man, but he that built
all Things is God. (N. B. God was that
G 4 Word.
* Gal. in. 19.
8 8 Chr ift the Sum and Subftance
Word. All 'Things were made by Him.)
And Mofes verily was faithful in all his
Houfe as a Servant, for a Teftimony of thofe
Things which were to be fpoken after ; but
Chrift as a Son over his own Houfe : which
Place in the Hebrews *. greatly illuftrates
St. Johns Words.
S E*C T. XLVI.
How great Senfe is comprifed in the
1 8 th Verfe^ 'where there is fo nota-
ble mention made of the only be-
gotten Son, who is in the Bofom of
the Fat her i and hath declared Him.
only begotten Son. John had
before called Chriji ti>yw y the Word> and
in the 14 th Verfe {Mvsytvv, the only begotten^
now adds the word M, and calls Him the
only begotten Son; which Word he after-
wards frequently ufes in his Gofpel. But
as he had before laid concerning the Word;
The Word was with God : fo he now fub-
joins, who is in the Bofom of the Father.
Thefe laft Words were before compared
with Proverbs viii. from whence may be
underflood, the great Importance of them.
Now it is farther to be obferv'd what
John fays here, V, [who exifts\ who was
from
* Chap. ill. 3,4,5,6.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 89
from Eternity, and is, and {hall be. So
Cbrift faith, * No Man hath afcended up
to Heaven, but He that came down from
Heaven, even the Son of Man, (3 , truly
exifting) which is in Heaven. And again,
Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Before Abra-
ham was (or was born) / am -J-. He does
not fay, I was, or \y>v'*v*v> I was made, but
/ am 5 that he might thereby declare not
only his Exiftence, or his Being before
Abraham, but his eternal and immutable
EfTence alfo. Pfalm cii. 27. exprefles this
by Nin DDK, "Thou art the fame : with
which compare Heb. i. 12. and xiii. 8. It
may be yet farther noted, that in the
Greek it is not faid, b V '*?, but e*f #
*6A7ni> } within the Bofom, comparing the
Particle ? with what he had expreffed
by the Particle ^, with, in the i ft and
2 d Verfes (of John i.) This Expreflion
may be thus interpreted : The Father and
the Son are fo clofely united together, that
this Union has not only been from Eter-
nity, but will alfo endure to Eternity ;
and the Son is always with, and in the
Father, in an indiffoluble Efl'ence of the
Godhead ; fo that even the Incarnation of
the Son cannot deftroy this Union. He
hath declared him to us, ver. 18. ('ExeSr-)
He it is, and no other. For by this mofl
emphatical Word, he would transfer our
Heart,
* Join 'Hi. 13, . j- John viii. 58.
go Cbrift the Sum and Subftancz
Heart, Mind, Soul, and all our Thoughts
upon the Son. 'E^ou'wre, declared : this not
only fignifies, as the German Verfion has
it, (gr^fxxt e fcerfunW<)t, nuntiavit, de-
clar'd ) but as it is render'd in Latin, ex-
pojuit, deprompftt, Jet abroad in view,
brought forth \ He, as a Store-keeper, (viz.
from the Bofom of the Father, from the
moil profound and moft fecret Divinity)
expounded and brought to Light, Things
which otherwife had remained hidden and
obfcure. By this word, declared, he alfo
{hews why Ckrift is called Afy-, (the
Word) viz, not only becaufe he is the
Imege of the Father, as Speech is the
Image of the Mind; nor therefore only,
becaufe from the Beginning God fpake by
Him to the Prophets : but for this Rea-
fon alfo, becaufe 'tis he himfelf who makes
known, and manifefts to us the Mind of
God, and lets, before us, and grafts into
our Hearts that Grace and Truth which
himfelf procured for us. There is a fourth
Reafon why He is called the Word, viz.
becaufe He is our Advocate, and Intercef-
for with the Father *. In the Greek, ver.
1 8. the Word **>, nobis, to us, is want-
ing j it is only faid, 'E<>><OT, he declared :
which million of a Word ufed in other
Places, and often not without Emphafis,
ought not to be thought in vain, or unad-
vifed. SECT.
* i John ii. i. Hek* ix. 24.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 95
SECT. XLVII. T'-
What Prayers the Confederation on
all thefe 'Things jbould draw from
our Hearts.
" O LORD, the Saviour of the whole
<c World, Praife, Honour and Qlory be
" to thy Name, that Thou h^ft laid up
" fo many and fo great Treafures of Wit
" dom and Knowledge in the Wards of
" thy WitnefTes, that They may be as in^
" exhayftab.le Fountain?, whofe profound
<c Senfe no Man can throughly fearch out.
<c That Water, which Thou gaveft them,
tc is made in them a Well of Water,
<c fpringing up into everlafting Life. They
bring ouc of their Treasures Things
* c new and old, as being inftructed by
" Thee, the true Mafter, for the Kingdom
* c of Heaven. Thou art the^ForJ, which
<c fpoke in Them, and which ftill fpeaks
" to u$ by Them at all Times. In hear-
" ing Them we hear Thee. How there*
" fore can even the leaft Word that was
" infpired by Thee into them, want a Di-
" vine Emphaiis ? But if we receive it
" as thy Word, fo that this Word of Life
" be mix'd in our Hearts with Faith,
" Thou art then always He, who with us,
" 'u\us, yea and by us, flill fpeakeft, and
" workeil
<c
ec
9 2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
<c workeft effectually. Thou takefl away
<c the Veil from before our Eyes and
<c Hearts, that we may be able to behold,
<c and know the Glory of the Face ofMofes,
" viz. Thy felf, who art the End and Ful-
** filling of the Law. O Lord, finceThou
c< haft thus given the Words of Wifdom
*' unto thy Servants, that they {hould not
only be thy Witneffes to the End of
the World ; but alfo efpecially for the
fake of Pofterity, and thereby for our
" fake, fhould put in Writing the Words
" which thou deliveredft to Them ; grant
" therefore for thine own fake, that Ho-
" nour to thy own Word> that, like a great
" Sea of Wifdom, it may fpread itfelf
<c thro' the whole World, and that every
<c one may run to this Fountain, with
<e great Defire, with humblenefs of Mind,
" with Joy and Thankfgiving, may draw
" out of it, find in it true Wifdom, and
<c may know Thee, as the Eternal Word
" of God, the Eternal Life, the Eternal
" and true Light, and may for ever be
" enliven'd and enlighten'd by Thee.
" Amen.
The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 93
The FIFTH MEDITATION.
Wherein Six ARGUMENTS, proving
the true Divinity ofChrift, which
occur in the Beginning of St.
Johns Gofpel, are diligently exa-
min'd.
SECT. XLVIII.
The Firfl Argument.
" HE, to whom Eternity is fo afcribed,
" as to have no Beginning, is together with
" the Father, the true and eflential God.
" But fuch an Eternity is afcribed unto
" Chrift : therefore Chrift together with
" the Father is the true and eflential God''
The major Proportion is true beyond all
doubt ; it being againft common Reafon
to attribute to any Being that Eternity
which is without Beginning, and yet not
acknowledge It to be the true God. Where-
fore no Man of Senfe will require a Proof
of this Proportion. But this is to be de-
monftrated, that That Eternity which is
without any Beginning, belongs to Chrift,
and then it follows of itfelf, that Chrijl is
the true and eflential God. But this is af-
firm'd by the Evangelift in plain and
clear Words : For he fays concerning the
fame Cbrift, who walked about among
Men
94 Chrift the Sum and Subftamt
Men on the Earth, being made vifible to
Men in the Flelh, that He is the Word,
viz. which was in the Beginning, or then
exifted, when the Beginning of any Thing
could be faid to be. The Emphafis of
the Words of John (efpecially of the
Word wr> was, fignifying, that that Word
had no Beginning, but did really exift be-
fore the Beginning of Time, beyond which
there is nothing but Eternity) I fay, this
Emphafis, together with the Places of
Scripture wherewith it has been compar'd,
is to be remembred here from the preceed-
Ing Sections. We only add the Words of
St. Auguftine in Epift. LXVI. It is not
Jaid, as in the Beginning, God made Hea~
ven and Earth, Jo in the Beginning he
made the Word j but, in the Beginning was
the Word. In this Place, John was whol-
ly intent, to fet before our Eyes the Glory
of the Son of God from the very Begin-
ning of Genejis, that He might at once
give us a Key, how we ought rightly to
feek and to find Chrift, as the Subftance of
the Writings of Mojes and all the Pro-
phets, from the genuine Foundation of the
fecret Depths of God's Wifdom. Other-
wife fome other Form of fpeaking might
have exprefled the Eternity of the Son of
God, as he ufes in other Places j when for
Example, i ft Epiftle i. 2. he calls Him,
that Eternal Life which was with the Fa-
ther.
of all the. Holy Scriptures. 95
ther, ( as he alfo calls Him I ft Epift. v. 20.
Eternal Life) whereby he explains the
very Words which he ufes in this Place, by
an Expreflion of like Import : for he here
fays, In the Beginning 'was the Word^ and
the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. But in his Epiftle it is : that Eter-
nal Life (which in the preceeding Verfe,
as well as in his Gofpel, he had called the
Word) 'was with the Father. What can
be clearer than that St. John (hews it is
the fame Thing with him, whether he
fays, He 'was in the Beginning^ or elfe
fays, He is eternal j for He is the beft In-
terpreter of his own Words ? Hence it is
unreafonable to object, why does he not
write exprefly, tfhe Word 'was from Eter-
nity ; then the Thing would be plain, and
need no farther Proof. For it muft be
confidered, that St. John's Defign here is
to explain the Words of Mofes, for which
we ought to be thankful : and fince the
Thing has been deliver'd thus by Mojes,
he follows Mofes's Words, and feems to
be delighted with the Expreffion, a$ ap-
pears by his frequent ufmg thereof. And
he is not only ftudious in interpreting
Mo/es, but alfo refers us to the Teftimony
of Mojes concerning Cbrift , wherefore he
does induftrioufly keep to his Words, as
the moft proper for him to ufe in writ-
ing his Gofpely efpecially againft the Er-
rors
96 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
rors of Ebion and Cerinthus. Moreover,
the Eternity of Chrift is by thefe Words
fb plainly fet before our Eyes, that who-
foever will calmly confider them, can
have no Doubt in his Mind concerning
them. But becaufe the Heart of St. John
was full of this Matter, he explains his
own Words largely, as he had explain'd
the Words of Mofes. Why therefore
fhould we not acquiefce in what he fuffi-
ciently fignifies, that the Words, He was
in the Beginning, and He is Eternal., have
the very fame Senfe and Meaning ? Nor
are there wanting in the Holy Scriptures,
other Teftimonies of the like Nature,
which can fully fatisfy thy Defire, or moft
clearly, as thou couldft wifh, fet forth
the Eternity of Chrift, fo as thou mayft
have no longer any room for evading the
Teftimonies for thrift's Eternity, from
which his true and eiTential Divinity muft
be acknowledg'd without any Contradic-
tion. For what can be more evident, than
that Micah the Prophet, foretelling that
Chrift fhould be born at Bethlehem^ de-
clares Him to be the Perfon, whofe rijing
or goings forth (vnXJTlQ exitus) have been
from of old y (from the Beginning) from
everlafting *. Which way of Expreffion
is much more prevalent, than if he had
only faid, that Chrift was from Eternity.
But
* Micab v. 2.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 97
But what elfe does Micah fay, but that
He, who at the Time appointed by God y
{hould be born at Bethlehem, was not then
firft to have his Beginning, but that He
ivas 'without any Beginning ; which can be
attributed to none but the true, the liv-
ing, and eternal God. If any one be not
fatisfied with this clear Teftimony, there
are not wanting in the Scriptures many
others to convince him. But he that will
not give his Affent to the plain Word of
God ; and tho' the ftrongeft Proofs be laid
before him, labours ftill to call them into
queftion, and to put another Senfe into
the Word of God, than that which the
Spirit of God has fupplied us with, and
(as it were) imprinted upon us, (fo that
we have no occafion to interpret It by
our own, but are able to do it by the very
Words of the Spirit of God). How can
he poffibly be convinced ? fince he makes
God a Liar, becaufe he believetb not the
Record that God gave of his Son. And
this is the Record that God hath given to
us, 'Eternal Life> and this Life is in his
Son *.
H SECT.
I John v. 10.
98 Chrlft the Sum and Subftance
SECT. XLIX.
*The Second Argument.
"HE whom the Holy Scripture itfelf
" calls God, and that without any Limi-
" tation, and confequently without any
" Difference (as to Effence and divine
" Property) from Him who made Hea-
" ven and Earth, or from Him whom
" we adore as the true, eternal, and liv-
" ing God, He is the true and living God :
" But Chrift is thus called God in the
" Holy Scripture, therefore He is the
" true, eflential and living God" The
major Proportion wants no Proof. For
if any one mould object, that many in the
fame Holy Scriptures are called Gods y who
are not the only, true, and living God y
and the Creator of Heaven and Earth ;
the Word of God is defcribed after fo fub-
lime a manner, in the major Proportion,
that this Objection deferves no regard here.
" But as to the minor Proportion, that lies
plainly before our Eyes in the very Begin-
ning of St. John's Gofpel : For there the
Difcourfe is manifeftly of no other Per-
fon, but of the Word that was made FleJJ^
or of Jcfus Chrift, concerning whom John
wrote his Gofpel. Here therefore He is
not only by him called the Word which
was
of all the Holy Scriptures. 99
was in the Beginning, and was with God;
but he fays allb in the clearest and plaineft
Words, fuch as every one may underftand,
06^ ny I Afy-, Deus erat illud Verbum,
God was the Word. It was obferved by
us in the former Meditation, that thefe
Words, if they were plac'd in their natu-
ral Order, ought to be render'd, the
Word was God. That this Acceptation
of the Words cannot feem improper to
one that has but fmall Knowledge of the
Greek Tongue, among other Things, ap-
pears from hence, that a certain Perfon,
who tranflated the New Teftament into
the German Tongue, and not a little per-
verts thofe Places which fpeak of Cbrift,
tranilates the Word A&>-, not Verbum^
[the Word~\ but 9Ceb, Jermo, [Speech] and
yet thus exprefles the Greek Words, ac-
cording to their natural Pofition : 2)ie
Stebe War eitt (Sott, i. e. Sermo erat De-
us aliquis y Speech was a (certain) God.
By which indeed the Interpreter confefles,
that the Words ought fo to be taken ac-
cording to their natural Order, that God
may be the Predicate, or that which John
would here fay and affirm concerning the
Word) viz. that He is God ; yet neverthe-
lefs he perverts the Text, when he thus
tranflates it into the German, 2)ie UCefce
Wat dtt (&ott, Sermo erat Deus aliquis,
Speech was a (certain) God : without
H 2, doubt
i oo Chrift the Sum and Subftanu
doubt for this End, that the Readers of
this Verfion might think, that Chrift in-
deed is God, but not the true and eifential
God. But now no Man can offer the leafl
Colour from the Greek Text, to make it
only probable, that it ought to be thus
interpreted j the Speech, or the Word, was
a (certain) God. For when 'tis faid before,
Verbum illud erat apud Deum, the Word
was with God-, and it immediately fol-
lows, Et illud Verbum erat foo< 9 Dens,
and the Word was God ; it being prefently
added, Hoc Verbum in Principio erat apud
Deum, this Word was in the Beginning
with God : it plainly enough appears, that
the word 663?, God, put in the firft and
third Place, ought altogether to be under-
flood of the true and efTential God ; but
in the middle Place, where it is faid, the
Word was God, after the fame manner,
and with the fame Term, and the Name
fiefc is affigned to the Word without any
Limitation, (efpecially when the Na-
ture of the Predicate 0?, God, placed
emphatically before the Subject o tiy- y
the Word, requires no Article before it :)
Certainly we fhould do violence to the
whole Context, if here, where the Word
is called Goo 1 , we mould not underftand
it alfo concerning the true and effential
God : This is an Example, what mifera-
ble Shifts corrupt Reafon finds it necelfary
to
of all the Holy Scriptures. 101
to ufe ; when once departed from the
clear Word of God, it finds the Letter op-
pofite to it, and notwithftanding defires
to defend an erroneous Opinion once form-
ed. Thus in his Tranflation, the firfl Ar-
tifice was to put the word 9Ce&, Speech,
inftead of 2Bo?t, Word ; and when that
would not fuffice, he has another way of
wrefting the Text, to make his Opinion
prevail. Certainly an honeft and upright
Mind, ignorant of thofe Artifices, could
never fall into fuch Imaginations upon
reading St. Johjfs Words. Wherefore we
have fubjoin'd that Inflance for an Ad-
monition, that the Falfhood of thofe
Things, which are wont to be brought a-
gainft the Divine Glory and Majefty of
our Lord Jefus Chrift, may be the better
known and avoided. For to attain the ==
Knowledge of ChriJPs Godhead, there is
no need of far-fetcht Interpretations j the
plain Word of God is before you, which
'tis fit you mould believe, and adhere to
with Simplicity of Mind. But to pervert
plain Words, recourfe muft be had to hu-
man Arts, and a laborious Exercife of Wit.
Concerning the abovemention'd Verfion of
the Text, the Word was God, 'tis to be
noted, that there is nothing new or ftrange
in that Expreffion : For fo have the
Dutch, the Englijh, the French, the Bo-
$emians> tranflated thefe Words in their
H 3 Bibles,
IO2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
Bibles, and Pifcator has fo render'd them
in his German Tranflation. From whence
it may at lead be underftood, that this
Acceptation of the Words appeared to be
the plaineft and moft proper of all to the
beft Interpreters. And that this is the
true Acceptation, may appear from the
Intention of St. John by them, viz. that
the Word was, before the Beginning of
any Thing, or it was from Eternity ; fo
as no Time can be affign'd when he began
to exift. But if you inquire, where then
was the Word, if thus fet beyond Time
and Place, and any Conception that Man
can form of created Beings ? It is an-
fwer'd, He was from Eternity with God.,
and before or in the Prefence of God, as
the moft beloved Son his Delight and Joy
is in the Prefence of his Father *. If you
further afk, Was the Word of another Ef-
fence from God ? was he any way in re-
fpect of his Effence different from Go d ?
It is anfwer'd, No. That fame Word
was God* If you ftill urge, Was there
then no Difference between the Word and
God ? It is anfwer'd, None at all, in re-
gard of Effence, but the Word was in the
Beginning with God, as it was faid in the
firil Verle, and again repeated (in the fe-
cond) that you may oblerve there is no
Difference in the Godhead in point of Ef-
fence ;
* i John i. 2.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 103
fence ; and yet neverthelefs that there is
fuch a Difference, that the Father and the
Word fhould not be confounded^ but that
in regard of E/ence they are One, and in
regard of Perfonality they are Two : which
Diflinction holds alfo as to the Holy Spi-
rit : wherefore St. John might truly fay,
that They are Three ; and that thefe Three
are One. Why therefore, O Man, doft
thou go about to wreft thofe Words, which
the Scriptures make plain and confonant ?
But if any one induced by the leafl Co-
lour of Reafon, fcruples to acquiefce in a
clear Verlion generally received by fuch
Numbers of intelligent People, and is not
fatisfied with what is alledged before con-
cerning it, let him know, that this is no
Derogation at all to the Truth itfelf. Let
the Veriion be retained as it ftands in our
German Bibles, iwt> ott Wat fcaS 2B0tf,
i. e. Gf Deus erat Verbum ; and God was the
Word : Taking it in this manner, pray
what is wanting to a Demonflration of
the true and elfential Godhead of our Sa-
viour ? yohn fays, the Word was with God.
Some may have concluded perhaps from
thefe Words, that becaufe the Word was
with God, it was therefore not God, but
fome other Thing befideGod : John there-
fore anfwers, (Soft; war fetbft t>a SOSo?t,
i. e. ipje Dens erat illud Verbum^ God him-
J'elf was the Word. And when it may be
H 4 retort-
1 04 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
retorted ; Are They then in no refpect
Two ; and is all Difference (even Perfo-
nal) taken from Them ? St. John for
that Reafon repeats what he had faid, and
faith ; oW@- the fame (i. e. ti>y- the Word -,
by which Term at the very Time he ex-
preffes fome Perfonal Difference) was in
the Beginning with God. Which way fo-
ever therefore our Antagonift turns him-
felf,he will not at all advantage his Caufe ;
for the Words of St. John are fo clear, fo
convincing and piercing, that they cannot
pombly be fo far wrefted, but that the
fimple and plain Mind of John, muft
needs be acknowledged by him who will
not choofe to be blind, with his Eyes open.
They moft effectually confute Arius, as
well as Sabellius ; the firft, in his oppugn-
ing the true Divinity of Chrift ; and the
other, in taking away the Diftinction of
Perfons in the Godhead, But when we
fpeak of the Difference of Perfons^ this is
not to be underftood in a grofs manner,
and fuch as is fuitable to created Beings :
for corrupt Reafon ealily links fo low, as
to form to itfelf fuch a Perjonality in
the Mind, that may alfo involve a Diffe-
rence of the Effence. The Words of St.
John diredlly oppofe this grofs and falfe
Conception of the Perfonality, and all
Things are therein delivered in a moft
plain and fimple manner, in which every
* one
of all the Holy Scriptures. 105
one may fafely acquiefce ; nor is there
Reafon why any one fhould be offended
with the word Perfonality,^ fo it be not
hurried by corrupt Reafon into a perverfe
Senfe. Since therefore the Words of John
are fo clear, and attribute the fame Divi-
nity to the Word 9 or the Son, as belongs
to the Father, nothing more can be re-
quired to the former Proof of the mi-
nor Propoiition of the fecond Syllogifm,
than that every one fhould be referred to
the Words of John, without adding a fin-
gle word to them. But it was thought
convenient to produce fome Arguments
for their fake, who will not be content
with plain Words. And if there be any
who will not yet be fatisfied, nor admit
the Things which St. John affirms in ex-
prefs Words, but will ftill require fome
other Demonstration of the true and e-
fential Divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift :
In order to gratify fuch a one farther, we
mall quote the I ft Epiftle of John, chap.
v. ver. 20. in which John interprets him-
felf, faying, We know that the Son of God
is come^ and hath given us an Under/land-
ing, that we may know Him that is true :
and we are in Him that is true, even in
his Son Jefus Chrift. This (T-) is the
true God, and Eternal Life. Of whom
is the Difcourfe here ? Is it not of Jefus
Chrift ? who is that true One, in whom we
are ?
io6 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
are ? Is it not Jefus Chrift ? Here there-
fore this Jefus is faid to be the true God
whereby John declares, how He would have
it be underftood, that in this fame Verfe
he calls Him * *0W, Him that is true y
furely in fuch a Senfe, as that He is the
true God. And who, I pray, is it, that
in the Holy Scriptures is called Eternal
Life ? Is not this the Name that belongs
to the Son of God ? and is every where
given Him. Does not John himfelf, I ft
Epift. L 2. call Him that Eternal Life,
which was with the Father ? Does not he
tell us, Chap. v. n, 12. of the fame Epif-
tle, that Eternal Life is in the Son , that
i>e that bath the Son, hath Life ; and he
that hath not the Son, hath not Life ? And
behold, he not only affirms of this fame
Jefus Chrift, that He is Life Eternal, but
fays, *ver. 20. This is the true God, and
Eternal Life ; and adds, Little Children,
keep your fefaes from Idols : That he
might thereby every way atteft, that the
true and effential Divinity of the Son of
God, ought to be acknowledged by us.
For if John, as is well to be obferv'd, had
fo great a Care of the Churches, as to
admonilh Them to beware of Idols, how
could he prevail upon himfelf to give the
greateft Occafion of all for Idolatry ? But
he would certainly have given it, had he
declared thofe Things of any Created Be-
ing,
of all the Holy Scriptures. 107
ing, which he hasfpoken concerning Chrift,
in his Gofpel, his Epiftles, and Revela-
tion. Moreover, thofe'Things fhould be
well confider'd, which are written, John
xiv. 8,9, 10, ir. Philip faith unto him,
Lord, Jhew us the Father , and it fufficeth
us. Jefas faith unto him, He that hath
feen me, hath feen the Father ; believe me
that I am In the Father, and the Father in
me. Now what elfe in effect does Chrift
fay here, but that He and the Father are
One ? Can it be thought the Inquiry in
this Place was about the Unity of Will
and Affection ? No, by no means. For
how can you find this Senfe in the Words
of Philip^ and how could the Anfwer of
our Lord fuit with the Requeft of Philip ,
if he would thereby have declared nothing
to him more, but that He and the Fa-
ther were fo united by Confent of Will and
Affection, as two Friends are united toge-
ther, or as every Believer is joined with
God, by an Union of Will. Wherefore
this is the obvious Meaning of John's
Words, that the Son is of the fame Divine
and Individual Effence with the Father.
St. Paul alfo calls our Lord Jefus Chrift,
God over All, blejjed for ever *. What
other lofty Names are in many Places of
Scripture attributed to Chrift, agreeing to
the one, true and effejuial God, and that
He
* Rom. ix. 5.
io8 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
He is particularly called Jehovah, that is,
the Effential God, fubfiiUng by Himfelf,
may be feen hereafter in the INDEX of
the Divine Names or 'Titles of Chrift ; in
which, neverthelefs, for Brevity's fake,
there are but few of them enumerated :
whereas it could be eaiily {hewn, that
MofeSj the Prophets and the Pfalms, are
full of clear Teftimonies of the Divinity
of Chrift. May it pleafe God to open the
Hearts of many to attend diligently to this
important Affair. But from what hath
been faid, it is abundantly manifeft, that
the Conclujion above made remains firm,
viz. That Jefus Chrift is the true, the ef-
fential, and living God ; becaufe it appears
clearer than Meridian Light, not only
from the plain Words of John, (which
way foever they are placed and turn'd)
but alfo from the univerfai Teftimony of
all the Holy Writings. Why therefore
doth blind and wretched Reafon take fuch
Pains to depreciate and deny the Lord,
by whom are all things, and we by Him * ?
May we not hence conclude, how fearful
and dangerous it is for any one to go
about to read the Holy Scriptures but as
an humble and meek Difciple, whofe Part
it is, without Contradiction, to believe the
Things which the Scripture delivers us in
clear and perfpicuous Words. But tho'
the
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 09
the two Arguments now alledg'd, are
abundantly fufficient to convince and fa-
tisfy the Mind, concerning the true and
eflential Divinity of Chriji j yet there flill
remain, in the Beginning of this Gofpel,
many more of no lefs Convidion to the
Heart, which now follow.
SECT. L.
'The 'Third Argument.
" H E, by whom all Things were made,
" and without whom nothing was made,
" that was made, is equally with the Fa-
<c ther the only true and Almighty God.
< But Chriji is He, by 'whom all Things
" were made, and without whom nothing
" ivas made that 'was made : Therefore
" Chriji is the only true and Almighty God'*
No Man hath any Reafon to doubt of the
Truth of the major Propofition ; for eve-
ry one can eafily underftand, that He, by
whom all Things (that are out of God,
or may be faid to be created) were crea-
ted, cannot poffibly be any other, than the
true, eflential, and Almighty Go.d. But
perhaps Reafon will feek for a Subterfuge
in the word By, and fay, that He who
Himfelf created All Things, muft indeed
be the only true and Almighty God -, but
that He by whom all Things were created,
muft
no Chrift the Sum and Subftance
muft be faid to have fir ft received Power
and Efficacy from One Higher than Him-
felf, by the Advantage whereof afterwards,
and fo not from his own Power and Ver-
tue, nor from Divine Omnipotence pro-
perly fo called, created all Things : There-
fore that He cannot be called the True and
Almighty God, by whom, as by an Organ
and Inftrument, all Things were made ;
but that the True and Almighty God made
ufe of Him as an Inftrument, and fo crea-
ted all Things by Him. That this Ob-
jection may be the more folidly anfwer'd,
the major Propofition might thus have
been formed, with fo much the greater
Emphafis : " To whom the Creation of
" Heaven and Earth, yea, the Creation of
" all Things that are in Heaven and Earth,
" without Exception of any Thing crea-
" ted, is afcribed, not fo only as effected
" by Him, but as to the Creator Himfelf ;
" and indeed in fuch a way, that it could
" not be affigned to any other after a more
" fublime manner : He is the only True,
" Omnipotent, and EiTential God." Eve-
ry one fees, that This cannot be faid of
an Angel, nor of any Thing elfe, that
may be ufed as an Inftrument ; but 'tis
manifeftly clear, that This is affirmed of
Chrift in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore
as St. John fays, all Things 'were made by
the Word, and without Hdm was not any
'Thing
of all the Holy Scriptures, in
Thing made, that was made ; fo St. Paul
declares thefe Things more at large : * By
Him 'were all Things created, that are in
Heaven, and that are in Earth, vifible
and in r oifible ; 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 conjift.. Note here in
the firft Place, for hence it may through-
ly be understood, that fuch Things as
thefe cannot be fpoken of a meer Inftru-
ment, nor of an Angel, nor of any other
Thing which is not God Himfelf. For
He, by whom not only all Things, but
for whom all vifible Things were created,
nay, who is before all Things, and by
whom, or in whom all Things do confift,
(or are preferv'd in their Being) He, I
fay, can by no means be created, but muft
Himfelf be the effential God : and this is
Chrift himfelf. Note then, that as St.
Paul fays by whom alfo (in the oblique
Cafe) he made the Worlds *j- (ns alavA< 3 fe-
cida, the Ages, whatfoever is in any man-
ner circumfcribed by Time :) So he pre-
fently after affirms of Him, (in the No-
minative Cafe) that He, as the Brightness of
his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his
Perfon, upholdeth all Things by the Word
of his Power -, fo that nothing can fublift,
unlefs
* Col, i. 1 6, 17. f Heb.'i. 2.
H2 Chrift the Sum and Subjlance
unlefs it be fupported by his powerful
Word j which certainly is not the proper
Work of any created Being, but of the
living God alone : For he does not here
fay by whom, but who (the Son, there fpo-
ken of) upholds all Things by the Word of
his Power. And if you ilill delire farther
Proofs, turn your Eyes immediately to
the following Quotations, and obferve,
that the Holy Spirit does not fo tie him-
felf to the Ufe of the Particle by, but at-
tributes unto Chrift the Work of Creation
fimply, in the Nominative Cafe, fpeaking
of the Son thus : 2u Ktfoo, * Thou, Lord,
in the Beginning (or of old) haft laid the
Foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens
are the Work of thy Hands. They Jhall
perift, but thoujhalt endure (but thou re-
maineft) and they all Jhall wax old like a
Garment, and as a Vefture thoujhalt change
them, and they Jhall be changed. But thou
aity the fame, and thy Tears fiall have no
End. Therefore is not He, who laid the
Foundation of the Earth, and whofe
Handy-work the Heavens are, who
mall change the Heavens themfelves,
and who always remains the fame ; the
Eternal, the Living and Almighty God,
with whom is no Variablenefs -j- ? Now it
is evident beyond all Controverfy, that
thefe Things are fpoken of Chrift, for the
Epiftle
* Pfalm cii. 25, &V. f Jwesi* 17.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 113
Epiftle to the Hebrews avers it in exprefs
Words j and it is acknowledg'd by All,
that the cii d Pfalm is to be underftood of
the Mejpah. If any one {hall object, that
thefe Things are fpoken of the New Crea-
tion ; he mould know, that neither the
79 j0r' *p^, in the Beginning, nor this
Change or Tranfmutation of Heaven and
Earth, nor the Things that go before,
can fuit with fuch a Suggeftion. But if
Chriji be He that laid the Foundation of
the Earth, &c . what, I pray, can be more
evident, than that Chriji himfelf is the
true, eflential and Almighty God ? May
we not fay to Him * O Jehovah, thou
art our Father : we are the Clay, and thou
our Potter, and we all are the Work of thy
Hand ? Cannot we perceive that it is
Chriji, of whom it is faid, -j- T'hy Maker
is thy Husband, (the Lord of Hofts is his
Name) and thy Redeemer, the Holy One* of
Ifrael, the God of the whole Earth, JhalaHe
be called ? Behold ! thus the Propheuck
Spirit fpeaks of Chrijt, and inftructs us
how we ought to celebrate and refound
the Glory of the Son of God, with a
Name and Titles worthy of Him. For
who, I befeech you, is the Huibarid of the
Church ? Is not Chrift fo denominated in
the very Inftitution of Matrimony ? Does
I not
* Ifai. Ixiv. 8, : -0 vf Jfai. liv. 5.
U4 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
not St. Paul fay, * This is a great Myfte-
ry : but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the
Church. And / have ejpoufed you to one
Husband, that I may prefent you as a
chafte Virgin to Chrift -f ? It is manifefl
that That Man does not understand the
whole Oeconomy of God in the Old and.
New Teflament, nor has he perceiv'd the
Myftery of Chrift in the Scriptures, who
denies, that Jfaiah doth comfort and
encourage the Church, by reprefenting
Chrift to her as her Husband, who is like-
wife her Maker , and not only as her Huf-
band, but alfo her Redeemer, rlv hNJ which
is the proper Work and Office of Chrift,
and (hadowed in the Law by Types.
Compare alfo here If a. Ixii. 5. but he
calls this Perfon, from the Work of Crea-
tion, the God of the whole Earth ; yea, he
affirms that this their Redeemer, the Ho-
ly One of Ifrael, mould be called the
God of the whole Earth, whofe Name he
had called mn Jehovah, the effential God,
the God of Hojis. And the Holy Scrip-
tures are full of the like Expreffions,
wherein the Mejfiah is fet before us as
Creator j but there is not fo much as one
Text in all the Sacred Writings, in which
Chrift himfelf is faid to be a Tfhing crea-
ted, or that He was made by God. Je-
rome has moft fully vindicated, by rightly
tran-
* Epk. v. 3?. f 2 Cor, xi. 2.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 115
tranflating one Word of the authentick
Hebrew Text, that Place in Prov. viii.22.
which Arius hath very much abufed.
For whereas Arius out of fome Copies
of the Veriion of the LXX Interpreters,
reads it thus ; Kt/et- tnjai f a-^v oJ&V ewn,
i. e. Jehovah creavit me initium viarum
juarum, i. e. The Lord created me. the Be-
ginning of his Ways : Jerome has to this
mod rightly oppofed the Hebrew word
JJp (to which theTranflation ought to have
been entirely agreeable) which Hebrew word
does not at all lignify creavit me, created
me, fed pqffedit me, but poffejfed me j by
which Interpretation he has allb anfwer'd
that Place in Eccluf. xxiv. 9. n^ TO *>@-
** ap#V t*>7J<ri VIA \ Ante feculum a Princi-
pio creavit me, i. e. He created me from
the Beginning before the World j inafmuch
as this was taken from the wrong Verfion
of the Hebrew word juft mention'd. [Note,
the Englijh Tranflation runs thus : Prov.
viii. 22. The Lord poffefled me in the Be-
ginning of his Way, before his Works of 'old '.]
If a Man's Mind be fo enlighten'd by the
Lord, that he comes to underftand the
Prophecies concerning the Mejjiah, or the
Scriptures which Ipeak of Him, he will
then eafiiy know, that the c th Pfalm is
nothing elfe but an Acclamation of
the Prophetick Spirit, which relates to
I 2 the
1 1 6 Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
the MeJJiah -, faying, Make a joyful Noife
unto the Lord, all ye Lands : ferve the
Lord with Gladnefs, and come before his
PreJ'ence with Singing. Know ye that
the Lord he is God, it is He that hath
made us, and not we our felves ; we
are his People, and the Sheep of his Paf-
ture. He will then alfo eafily underftand
that Mofes fang not of any other Perfon :
Pfal. xc. 2, 3. Before the Mountains were
brought forth, or ever thoit hadjl formed
the Eafth and the World : even from ever-
lajling to everlajling thou art God. T^hou
turneft Man to Dejirutfion, and jayejl,
"Return ye Children of Men. Is it not the
Voice of the bleffed Son of God, which
the Dead in their Graves are one Day to
hear, and come forth ? And if there be
any one, to whom thefe efpecially, or any
other the like Places of Scripture may not
feem fo clear and perfpicuous, as to be
convinced immediately from them of the
Omnipotence and Divine Glory of Jejiis
Chrijt ; he ought not from hence to con-
clude, that others may not have a greater
Conviction of Mind from themj but he
ought humbly to pray to God for a better
Underftanding of his Word : foHe will in
due time open his Eyes more and more,
that he may be able to find every where in
Mofes and the Prophets, the clearefl Tef-
timonies
of all the Holy Scriptures, iij
timonies concerning the Omnipotence and
Majejly of Cbrift ; as St. John in the Be-
ginning of his Gofpel, already confidered
by us, furnilhes an Example of this Mat-
ter from the firft Chapter of Gene/is, where
certainly another Perfon, who by his own
Reafon, void of Divine Light, ihould at-
tempt this, will not be able to difcover
from thence the Eternal Divinity and Om-
nipotence of Chrift. In the mean time, it
is the Duty of every one to be contented
with thofe plain and open Teflimonies
which we have produced above, and moft
carefully to beware that he deny not any
Thing to Chrifti which the Holy Spirit
adjudges by clear and evident Words to
belong to Him. Therefore although from
this manifeit Proof of the minor Propo-
fition, the Conclufion {lands firm and un-
controulable, that Chrift) being the Maker
of Heaven and Earth, is the True and
Almighty God j yet ftill this Scruple, which
fome may perhaps have, is to be more
folidly removed. It is afked, but why
does John ufe the Particle JW, by ; or
why does he fay, all Things were made
by Him, and not rather, He made all
Things ? And for what Reafon does the
Scripture alfo elfewhere hi this very Mat-
ter ufe this Particle by ? To which, it is
anfwer'd, that this was not done in any
wife to derogate from the Majejly of
I 3 Cbcifl,
n 8 Chrtft the Sum and Subftance
Chrift, whereto corrupt Reafon moft
fhamefully bends ; forafmuch as without
any Controverfy it is written of Almighty
God y * Of Him, and through Him, (or,
by Him, ctf OUTO, per eum) and to Him, are
all Things ; to whom be Glory for ever.
Amen. In like manner it is written ; -|- 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 : Not to mention now any more Pla-
ces of Scripture. But the Holy Scriptures
do the rather ufe this Particle, that we
may thereby acknowledge the Glory of
Chrift : as alfo the Scope of this Particle
by is manifeft from Col. i. 16 20. This
is moft evidently feen in St. John : For
after he had afligned Eternity to Chrtft,
and had declared Him Equal to the Fa-
ther in his Divinity, as being of the fame
Eflence with Him, he afcribes alfo the
lame Omnipotence to Him, which is due
to the Father, and makes not the Parti-
cle per, by, to derogate more from his
Divine Majefty, than the Particle apud,
with, which he ufes in the i ft and 2 d Ver-
fes of his Gofpel. Nay, when he had al-
ready in exprefs Words affigned to the
Son Eternity, and the true and efTential
Divinity, he knew well, that the Senfe of
the
* Km. xi. 36. f Heb. ii. 10.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 119
the 3 d Verfe could not be underflood of
any other than the divine Omnipotence.
But by reafon of the Myjiery of the Fa-
ther and the Son, * who are of the fame
Effence, but diftincl: in their Perjbnality,
he ufes in this Place the Particle efcj with,
as well as that of JW, by, and makes Chrift
himfelf to be his own Interpreter, -j- fay-
ing to the Jews ; My Father worketh hi-
therto, and I work. But to the Jews,
who eafily perceived from* this Saying,
that he did not call God his Father after
a common way of fpeaking, but that He
made himfelf equal with God -, He faid
moreover, Verily^ verily, I Jay unto you,
the Son can do nothing of him/elf, but what
he feeth the Father do j for what Things
foever he doth, thefe alfo doth the Son like-
wife. By which Words indeed Chrift ho-
noureth his Father, but teaches at the
fame time, ver. 23. that all Menjhould ho-
nour the Son, even as they honour the Fa-
ther. He that honour eth not the Son, (un-
derftand, even as he honoureth the Father)
honour eth not the Father which hath fent
him. Likewife in St. Paul's Epiftles, when
the Particle A<, by, is ufed concerning the
Son, it is fo clearly fignified by other
Words, and fo fublime a Senfe is given to
it, that any one may eafily perceive he
I 4 does
* Cef. ii. 2. f John v. 17,19.
120 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
does nothing elfe, but propofe the Order
of the divine Operations, and declare, that
all Manifeftation of the Father, both in
the Kingdom of Nature and Grace, is
made by the Sen, and in the Son, as the eter-
nal Word of God. And as long as this is not
underilood from the Wor d of God, fo long
alfo it is not underftood as it ought to be,
what Chrift is, and what is obtained by Him.
SECT. LI.
The Fourth Argument.
" THE firft Principle or Caufe
" Original of Life is the true and eflen-
" tial God : The Word, as by which all
" living Things were created, is the firft
" Principle or Caufe Original of Life ;
" therefore the Word is the true and ef-
" fential God." Or, " He by whom all
" created Things do live, and who gives
" Life to all created Things, muft be God:
" The Word gives Life to all Creatures ;
" Therefore the Word muft be God"
By this twofold way of Reafoning, the
Reverend JohnArndius forms his Conclu-
iion from the Words of St. John. No
one could doubt of the major Proportion,
who would but a little confider it. For
indeed a Man's Reafon cannot conceive,
how to be the firft Original or Principle
of
of all the Holy Scriptures. 121
of Life, or to be Him by whom all crea-
ted Beings do live, and who gives Life to
all created Things, can be affigned to any
other than the living God. Whence God
is not only wont to be called in the Holy
Scriptures the living God*, but the Origin
and Fountain of Life is alfo attributed to
him alone, as David fays j J With thee y
(py t o<)< r 9e3y, with God, Joh. i. 2.) is the
Fountain of Life. By which Fountain of
Life, no other indeed but Chrift is in
this Place to be underftood. But if any
one mould not be perfwaded of this, yet
he cannot deny but that the Fountain and
Beginning of Life is to^be afcribed to God
alone, all other Beings, which cannot be
laid to be God, being excluded : With
which Place ought to be compared Jer.
ii. 13. where it is faid, They have forj'aken
me, the Fountain of living Waters ; which
it is manifeft can't be underftood of any
other, but of the living God. As to what
now belongs to the minor Propofition, we
are plainly enough taught in the New
Teftament, where we ought to feek this
Fountain of Life, or Source of living
Waters. For thus Chrift fays to the Wo-
man of Samaria^ John iv. 10. If thou
kneweft the Gift of God, and 'who it is
that
* Dettf. v. 33. Job. vi. 57. i Sam. xvit. 26.
2 Kings xix. 4, 1 6. Pfal. xlii. 3. Job. i. 2.
$ Pfal. xxx vi. 9.
122 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
that faith to thee, Give me to drink, thou
wouldeft have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living Water : and wr. 14.
Whofoever drinketh of the Water that I
Jhall give him, Jhall never thirft 5 but the
Water that I Jhall give him, ft all be in him
a Well of Water fpringing up into everlaft-
ing Life. This is what John faith : In
Him was Life, (Joh. i. 4.) If any one
would fo underftand thefe Words, as if
nothing elfe were meant by them, but
what is wont to be faid of any other liv-
ing Thing, to wit, that there is Life in if,
it is moft evident, this was not the Thing
that John was concern'd about : For what
had he faid worthy the mentioning ? How
would this agree with what he had faid
before ? How with what follows, where
this Life is called the Light of Men, (Joh.
i. 4. latter part) : Wherefore by this Ex-
preffion, [that in Him (i. e. in Chrift) Life
is faid to be] fomething morefublime muft
neceflarily be denoted, to wit, the very
Origin of Life, which cannot be in any
created Thing, but is in Chrift, as the
true and effential God. But if fome would
ftill interpret thefe Things no farther than
that therefore only there is Life in Chrift,
becaufe He hath taught other Men the
Way of Life, every one muft perceive that
fuch an Interpretation is very far from
reaching the Intention of St. John, fmce
neither
of all the Holy Scriptures. 123
neither this fo agrees with the preceeding
and following Words, that it fhould be
taken for their adequate Meaning. And
might not the fame Thing have been faid
in this Senfe of John the Baptift ? But
fince this remarkable Predicate is plainly
in the Text denied to John the Baptijt,
but is given to Chrift, tho' John, by the
Teftimony of Chriji himfelf, was the
greateft that were born of Women ; cer-
tainly 'tis evident, that by this the Text
inftructs us, that Chrift is more than a
meer Man j that the Principle of Life is
to be fought for in Him, and cannot be
looked for in any created Thing. Truly
thefe, and other the like Interpretations,
are fo managed, that it is eafy for every
one that confiders them without prejudi-
cate Opinions to know, that \hz fublime
Declarations which are here made of
Chrift, are by fuch Interpretations extreme-
ly, and as far as can be done by corrupt
Reafon, induftrioufly extenuated. There-
fore let the Matter be confider'd as it
plainly appears in the Text with its Con-
nexion, and it will be eafily and without
Trouble perceiv'd, (i.) That thefe Words,
In him was Life, flow from the antece-
dent Words. Now in the former Words,
the Eternity of the Son, his true and eflen-
tial Divinity, and his Omnipotence, are by
John in plain Words fet before our Eyes,
(of
124 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
(of all which we have already difcourfed)
from Thence therefore now properly fol-
lows what St. 'John here affirms concern-
ing the Word, to wit, that in Him was
Life, as in the Eternal, Effential, and Al-
mighty God, together with the Father.
But efpecially this latter Affertjon, (in
Him was Life) is mofl clofely conjoined
with his Omnipotence, which mews itfelf
in the Creation of all Things. And hence
(2.) it clearly follows, that St. Johns
Meaning was this : As all Things were
made by the Word, and 'without Him was
nothing made that 'was made ; fo neither
was Life made or produced in any created
Thing without the Word of God, in whom
the Fountain and Origin of Life in
fuch a manner is, as out of Him to
transfufe itfelf into Things created, and
thereby to impart Life to them : Which
if we diligently conlider, we mall eafily
perceive (3.) This alfo to lie hid in the
Words of John ; that the Son of God, in
his eternal Generation from the Father,
in which he has his Divine Effence, had
Life alfo from Eternity, as he himfelf
fays j Joh. v. 26. As the Father hath Life
in Himfelf, fo hath he given to the Son to
have Life in Himfelf. Therefore this
Fountain of Life, the Word of God, which
hath imparted Life to his Creatures, is
an eternal Fountain flowing out of the
eternal
of all the Holy Scriptures. 125
eternal Generation from the Father. On
which Subject the Reverend Dr. Spener
hath difcourfed with great Solidity, in his
Sermon concerning the eternal Generation
of the Son of God. Wherefore (4.) this
alfo is contained in the Words of John :
that this Life, which flowed from this
eternal Fountain into Things created, does
alfo preferve the Things that are created;
as for that Reafon St. Paul fays, * by Him
all "Things conjift : and -j- He upholdeth all
Things by the Word of his Power : And
from the fame Foundation, J "Thou hideft
thy Face, they (the Things created) are
troubled j thou takeft away their Breath^
they die, and return to their Duft. Thou
fendeji forth thy Spirit, they are created :
and thou reneweji the Face of the Earth.
Hence alfo the Son of Sirach introduces
this Word of God fpeaking in this man-
ner : || / came out of the Mouth of the moft
High, and covered the Earth as a Cloud.
I dwelt in high Places, and my Throne is
in a cloudy Pillar. I alone compajjed the
Circuit of Heaven, and walkea in the
Bottom of the Deep -, in the Waves of the
Sea, and in all the Earth. The Reverend
John Arndius, in his Evangelical Poftilt,
writes excellently on this Subject : " All
" Things are full of God, and they live,
" are*
* Col. i. 17." f Hfeiuf. ' **
$ Pfal. civ. 29, 30. (I Eccluf. xxiv. 3 9.
ia6 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
<c are, and are moved in God, more than
c in themfelves. For as He hath by his
c Word ordered and created all Things in
their Nature and Effence, fo hath He
<c not withdrawn his Word and Virtue
<c out of them, as a Shoemaker does the
<c Laft out of the Shoe he has made, but
c hath left his Word in all Things, that
<c He may preferve and govern all Things,
' impart to, and fuftain them in their
" Nature and Effence ; that thereby they
" may live, move, and encreafe. We,
<{ and all created Things, are like a Sha-
" dow, that receives its Motion from the
" Body, or the Tree it relates to. The
" Tree being in motion, the Shadow alfo
<c moves; in God we live, and move, and
<{ have our Being, A6ls xvii. 28. Where-
" fore the Word of God, is the Spirit,
" the Virtue and the Hand, in all living
" Things, or it is the very Efficacy of
" Life. Take away the Word, their Life
" is gone, and they muft of Neceflity pe-
" rim, PJ'alm civ. 29, 30. Here there is
" need of a fublime Understanding, to
" know how all Things live in the Word,
" by the Word, and from the Word, as St.
" Paul tells the Romans, Chap. xi. 36. For
** of Him, and through Him, and to Him
" are all Things." And the fame Author,
&b. IV. c. 6. concerning True Chriftia-
p, fays thus : " This Virtue and enlive-
" ning
of all the Holy Scriptures. 127
" fling Power of God, is that Word, by
" which all Things were created. By the
" Word of the Lord> the Heavens 'were crea-
" ted, and all theHoJl of them by the Breath
of his Mouth, Pf. xxxiii. 6. This Word
" which God fpake, did not vanifh away,
" and was not a meer Sound only; but was
" the Life of all created Beings, remain-
<l ing with them, and is that Power which
" preferveth all Things ; according to that
< of St. Paul, Heb. i. 3. The Lord uphold-
<l eth all Things by the Word of his Power.
<c For as the Shadow depends upon the
tc Tree, fo does our Life depend upon
ce Qod" Herein confifts the Founda-
tion of all true Wijdom -, fo that whatfo-
ever obtains the Name of Wifdom,is coun-
terfeit and vain, unlefs it has Chrift for
its Foundation, as the Principle of all
lyife, and by whom all Things confift.
Wherefore St. Paul having laid this Foun-
4a.tion in his Epiitle to the ColoJ/ians, ch. i.
uer. 15, 1 6, 17. admonifhes them thus,
chap. ii. 8. Beware left any Man fpoil you
through Philofophy and vain Deceit, after
the Tradition of Men, after the Rudiments
of the World, and not after Chriji : and
he fubjoins the Caufe ; for in Him dwel-
leth all the Fulnejs of the Godhead bodily :
and yc are complete in Him. Of fo great
moment is it, that in Chrift Life is faid to
have been, to be, and always will be i and
that
128 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
that without Him all Things are dead :
from which Dodlrine, we muft of necef-
fity come to the Knowledge pf his fuper-
natural Glory. But as our natural Life
has its Origin from the eternal Word of
God, and is preferved by It alone, fo (5.)
the fame Word is alfo the Fountain and
Beginning of fpiritual Life: For we are
all by the Fall of Adam liable to Death,
as St. Paul exprefly teaches, both in his
Epiftle to the Ephefians^ chap. ii. and in
that to the Colofjians, chap. ii. Therefore
Chrift is not only the Way, by which we
efcape to Life, nor only the Truth in
which we reach to it, but He is alfo the
Life itfelf ; or Life is fo in Him, as John
fpeaks, that He raifes and revives from fpi-
ritual Death (Ephef. ii. i.) yea, that He not
only beftows Life, but alfo is Life itfelf,
and remains in them who believe in Him.
Hence St. Paul fays ; * / live, yet not /,
but Chrift liveth in me : And, -j- To me to
live is Chrift. But altho' this fpiritual
Life is properly the true Life, and natural
Life, being fubjed: to Corruption, and a
Curfe, cannot be faid to be the true Life;
but rather Man, confidered according to
Nature, as the Son of Wrath, is alienated
from the Life of God : J Yet this fpiri-
tual and in itfelf trueft Life, is hid with
Chrift in God, until Chrift our Life mail
be
* Gal. ii. 20. f Pbilipp. i. 21. $ Epbef. iv. 18.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 129
be made manifeft, and then alfo we being
made manifeft with Him, mall become
glorious*. Wherefore (6.) alfo the Life
of Glory is in Chrift, I fay, of eternal and
infinite Glory, when Chrift mall be glo-
rified in his Saints, and come to be admir-
ed in all them that believe -j 4 . This Life
is in the Son, as John declares. There-
fore from all that has been fa id, the" Ar-
gument of this Sedlion runs the liiore
clearly thus. " He in whom as the eter-
" nal Son of God, and the Creator of all
" Things, is the Beginning of all natural
" and fpiritual Life, yea, the Life of fu-
" ture Glory, and in whom all natural
" and fpiritual Life, as likewife the Life
" of eternal Glory, does confift ; He is
" the true, efTential, and the living God.
" All thefe Things are moft clearly de-
" monftrated concerning Chrift out of the
" Holy Scriptures : Therefore Chrift is the
" true, eflential, and living God.
SECT. LII.
*fhe Fifth Argument.
"HE that is the Light of all Men, iU
" luminating all Men, the true Light, in
" refpecl: of whom all created Light, even
K ;/* " John
* Csl. iii. 3,4. f 2 The/, i. 9, 10,
13-Q
" John the Bpptijl (who ptherwile ivqs a
f f burning 0n4 $ Jhming Light) ought to
C( be reputed as np Light a$ all, or as a
<c Shadow only j and who is the Origin of
<< Light, and the true tight of Life, wtfhr
" out whom all Things remain in Lteatji
" ar.4 Darknefs : ^Jf, tpgether with the
" Father, is the true an,{t efTential God.
c< (thrift is that L?^/^, of whicl^ all t^efe
tc Things are clearly exprefle^ in Holy
" Scriptqrp : Therefore Chriji, together
'" with the Father^ is th^ true a,nd efTen-
" tial Qod" Tfee firft Propofuion l\ke-
wife can't t>e denje4 : For althp' other-wife
the word Light in {he 'floly Scvigt\ires,
is fometimes taken, not only for tljiat
Light, which God created on the firft
Day, and for the Light of the &un a;nd
of the other Stars, as alfo for the natvyal
&ght of the pay, but alfo in. a fpi,ritual
ibigniftcation, for Men divinely enlightr^ed,
efpecially for t^ofe whom Gad makes ufe
of as Inftruments for the Converfion and
Illumination of many otfier ferfons : yet
the Defcription of Li^ht abovemention'd,
is fo framed, that it cannpt pp^ibly fuit
with any Man, or Angel, or with any
other created Being whatibever. Yea, in
thefe two Denominations, of Jbifg and
Light, (if they be defcribed after fyjukUme
a manner, as Life i.s defcribed in the for-
mer Argument, and Light in this) the
whole
ef all the Holy Scriptures. 131
whole Work of Redemption is- founded,
or all Mankind are delivered from Death
and Darknefs, aad tranflated into the
Kingdom of Life and Light. Which grest
Work, no created Being could by any
means, much lefs- by itfelf, porlibly
atchieve; as neither is it affigned to- any
created Thing in all the Holy Scriptures.
Since therefore it moft evidently appears,
that Chrift is that Light which i-llumi*
nates all Men, and from which all other
Light is deriv'd, as from its Fountain,, and
which tranila-tes from the Darknefs of
Death into the Light of eternal Life y and
does all this by itielf j the Conclufion re-
mains nrm^ that Chrift, together with the
Fatfar, is the true and effential God.
Now here St. John witneffes concerning
Cbrift, that He is the Light of Men -> and
he explains himfelf by faying, that this
Light illuminates all Men : (Job. L 9*)
Nay, he does not fimply affirm of Chrift,
that He is the Light of Men, but after lie
had deicribed his Eternity., his true God-
heady and his Omnipotence in the Work of
the Creation, and from this laft Attribute
efpecially, had propounded Him as the
Origin of Life \ he adds, with a wonder-
ful and holy Emphafis, An d the Life was
the Light of Men, (J.oh. L 4.) By which
he teaches, that Chrijl as the Light r was
then prefent in the Beginning, and as foon
K 2 as
132 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
as Men were made, (and fo before the Fall)
he was the Light of Men. And when
this Light (Chriji) feem'd to have difap-
peared after the Fall, yet never thelefs this
Light ftill jhineth (?/?) in the Darknefs,
altho' the Darknefs comprehend it not. This
fublime Predicate by the Word Light,
obtains now a higher and more excel-
lent Signification, than it carries with
it in many Places of the Holy Scriptures.
For Things created are indeed called
Lights ; but where is it faid of Man, or
of any other created Being, that in it is
Life, and that this Life is the Light of
Men, which mined in them before the
Fall, and that after the Fall it remained
always the fame, and of itfelf immuta-
ble ; that it mines, tho' the Darknefs com-
prehend it not : the Light of Men before
the Fall, and a Light illuminating them
again, and refcuing them out of Darknefs
after the Fall ? We may from thence
drawfuch a Conclulion, as St. Paul* does
in arguing the fame way, when he would
make known the Divine Glory of Chriji
from hence, that God in all the Holy
Scripture is never faid to have fpoken
fo to any Angel, as he fpake to Chrijl.
(Pfal. ii. 7.) wherefore this Expreffion
of St. 'John now mention'd, clearly im-
ports, that Cbrift is alfo the Origin of
all
* Htb. i. 3.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 133
all Light. For as it naturally follows
frorn his Power of creating, that in Him
is not only Life, but the Principle of Life 5
fp from the fame Power, it no lets natu-^
rally follows, that He is not only Light,
but alfo the Principle of Light : from
whence alfo 'tis attributed to Him, as the
Origin of Light, that he illuminates all
Men. And tho' it might have been fuf-
ficient for St. John to have teftify'd fo
plainly and clearly of Chrift as the Eter-
nal Light, the Source of all Light, the
vivifying Light, and the illuminating Life;
yet we find, it was his chief Concern, afr
ter he had once called Chrift the Life and
the Light of Men, to defcribe this Light
more fully, that it might be underftood
in fo fublime a Senfe, as cannot be referr'd
to any created Thing. Therefore in the
firft Place he alledges John the Baptift,
who appeared fo great a Light among the
People of the Jews, that there went out
to Him Jerufalem, and all Judea, and all
the Region round about Jordan ; and were
baptized of Him in Jordan, conf effing their
Sins *. Nay, that not only the People
thought highly of Him, fo that even the
Scribes and Pharifees were afraid to fay
that his Baptifm was of Men -f- ; but that
alfo Chrift himfelf called him At/x*-?, a
K 3 Light,
* Matt. iii. 5, 6. f Matt. xxi. 24, 25, 26.
134 Cbrifi the Sum awd Bulftance
Light, and indeed with a great and fmga-
lar Enaphafis, a burning and a ftining
Light, (Job. v. 35.) Moreover, ijt deferves
well to be minded, that a long time after
our Saviour's Rcfurreffiion, the Effufion of
the Holy Ghoft, and the <hnft Publication
of the Go/pel, there were many Perfons,
wiho were taught only the Baprifm of
"John, fo that Apollos himfelf, an eloquent
Man, mighty in the Scriptures, and aljbfer-
i)cnt in the Spirit, 'who f pake and taught
diligently (*e^f, accurate, accurately) the
Things of the Lord, is faid to have known
only die Baptifm o John*: In like man-
ner St. Paul at Ephefus, -f~ found certain
Difciples, who had not fo much as heard,
'whether there ivere any Holy Ghoji, being
baptized unto John'-y Baptifm. Which fin-
guiar CircuniAances, and many others,
may teach us how great, and how excel-
lent a Light John the Baptijl was, and
that his Reputation among the People,
(who would have had Him for their Mef-
fiah, which he altogether declined) did
not expire with his || Life. Whence it
may more eafily be underload, what Mo-
tive occaiion'd the Evangelift fo induftri-
oufly to name John the Baptift, and to
give Him his due Praife ; yet fo to cir-
cumfcribe it, that thereby there mould
be
* Mis xyiij. 24, .25, f Ms vfc.. i, 2, 5.
15 Matt. *i. ' Job. iii.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 135
be 1 no Derogation to the Glory of Cbrift :
For of Him (viz. John the Baptift) thib'
otherwife a great Light, he abfofately de-
nies that He Was that Light, but that he
only bore witriefs of that Light. Fof it had
by no fridarrs been fufficient to have &M
here, that Chrift Was a greater Light than
John : but in this lay the Strefs of the
whole Matter ; who is the Light of Life y
the Origin of Lrght, the true Light of the
World, that Light, without which all other
Perfotfs, and etfen John himfelf, tho' ift
fome refpe&s called Lights, are meer
Dark?2efs -, who, I fay, is this Light, which
delivers from Death and Dafknefsj the
faving, vivifying and eternal Light ?
Wherefore he fimply fays, that John was
not that Light -, which he could not have
&id, unlefs it had been his Intention to
ihew that he fpake in this Place of Light,
in a much more fublime Senfe, than could
be applied to any created Being. Nor
thought he it fufficient to fay, that John
was not that Light, but {hews that the
whole Bufinefs and Office of John, was
only by his Life and Doctrine to bear wit-
nefs of that Light, and to point out as it
Were with his Fingers that Light, by which
every mortal Man muft be illuminated
and enliven'd ; which Power could neither
be expected from him, nor from any other
Creature. Nor does the Evangelift ftop
K 4 here,
136 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
here, but adds, that Chrift is that true
Light) 'which illuminates every Man, (Joh.
i. 9.) But it may be afked, Was John
then not a true, but a falfe Light ? or,
was that Light which God created on the
firft Day not a true Light ? It was with^
out all Doubt : therefore in this Place, the
Word AMZwlv, [true] ver. 9. afcribed unto
Chrift, is to be received in a more fublime
and excellent Senfe ; as He is called the
true Bread, 'which came down from Hea-
ven, and giveth Life to the World, that
whofoever believetb in Him Jhould not die ;
whence alfo He is fa id to be the living
Bread, and to be Meat indeed, and Drink
indeed * 5 as He is alfo called the true
Tine -j- : and fo in many other Examples.
For Chrift is the Truth itfelf J, and in
Him is the Fulnefs of Truth ||. Nay, by
thofe Words which we now chiefly confi-r
der, St. John explains himfelf, why he
calls Chrift the true Light, viz. becaufe
He illuminates every Man ; which cannot
be faid of any other Light, howfoever in
its kind It be not a falfe, but a true Light.
But in all thefe Places, the Evangelifl
makes this Difference between Chrift as
the true Light, and John, or any other
-Light, that Chrift, as the true Light, il-
luminates Men of himfelf, or infufes Light
into
. 32,33> S>S l S5- t.
6. |j John i. 16, 17.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 137
into their Minds, or kindles and excites it
in them, which cannot be affirmed of any
other Light, or of any created Thing.
For that Reafon he had faid before, * In
Him was Life, and the Life was the Light
of Men. Therefore as He hath Life in
himfelf, fo likewife hath He Light in him-
felf', and as He can give Life to whom He
willy fo He can illuminate whom He will :
By which Expreflions there are no Limits
fet to his univerfal Love, but his Glory
is extolled. And as He is faid by himfelf
to have purged our Sins -J-, (which is a
mighty Teftimony of his Divine Glory)
fo He may be faid no lefs truly, and from,
the fame Principle, to illuminate Men by
Himfelf. But concerning thofe who are
meer Men, St. Paul fpeaks plainly other-
wife ; faying, ^God, who hath J aid, thatLight
Jhould JJnne out of Darknefs, is he who hath
Jhined in our Hearts, to give the Light of
the Knowledge of the Glory of God, in the
Face of Jefus Chrift. As in like man-
ner Job faith, || He puts Light in his
Angels. Hence therefore it farther ap-
pears, that Chriji is called Light, by no
way that can agree with Things created,
but that He is the eternal and eflential
Life, and the faving Light -, and fo that
this Appellation, as it is given to Him by
St.
* John v. 21. f Heb. i. 3.
J 2 Cor. iv. 6. || Chap. iv. 18,
138 Chr ift tht Sum and Subftance
St. John, cannot poffibly be afTign'd to
any other, but only to the true, eternal,
and efiential God. But tho' St. John may
feem abundantly to have (hewn ift how
fublime a Senfe he called Cbrift the Light,
and that hereby he diftinguifhes Him from
all created Beings j yet advancing farther,
he makes this Matter flill more evident :
for he fays of Chrift, as the true Light,
enlightning every Man, That this Light
(as the comparing of the whole Context
in Greek, and of other Places, especially
Job. iii. 19. and chap. xii. 46. fo requires)
came into this World, to wit, as the Light
of the World, * to enlighten and fave it,
or refcue it from Death and eternal De-
ftrucftion, -f to which it is fnbje6t. As
afterwards it is faid, He came *< w l<fia,
ad fua, t unto- his own, that is, the Houfe
of Ifrael Therefore, altho* this Dodtr ine
that He came into the World as the Light
of the World, be foexprefTed, as that his Di-
vine Glory ought thence to be ackno wledg'd,
yet becaufe iome may perhaps wreft thefe
Words contrary to the IVImxi of St. John,
and falfly conclude from them, As if when
Chrift came into the World, He himfelf
began Then to exift; he therefore pre-
fently fubjoins, He 'was in the World-, and
by always adhering to the word Light, he
moft
* John viii. 12. f Chap. iii. 17.
$ John i. ii.
efai! ike Holy Scriftwes.
mod: dearly afcms concerning
diat He did f*ot Then 'begia to fee the
JL/g/tf of the World when He came into
it, but that He was the Light of tfee
World before He came into the World $
which cannot be afierted of a meer Man,
or of any created Thing. For John here-
by plainly teaches, that Chrift is the Eter-
nal Light, (even a* He is the . Eternal
Life. * And this Life ('viz. this Eternal
Life) wo. s alfo the Light of Men, and was
in the World $j> by which Words there is
a clear Teftimony given to the true God-
head of Chrift. Moreover, he adds, and
the World was made by Him, (Joh. i. 10.)
And thus again he ufes the word Light,
and calls this Light the Maker of the
World, as he had before faid of the Word y
that all Things were made by Him : And
when he fubjoins, but the World knew
Him not, he manifestly ufes the fame Com-
plaint which the Prophets often made,
that mortal Men would not acknowledge
their Creator and Preferver. Thus, a-
mong others, Ifeith begins his Prophecy 5
ch. i. 2,3. Hear, O Heavens, and give Ear,
O Earth, for the Lord hath Jpoken ; I
have neurijbed and breught up Children,
and they have rebelled againji me ! 'The
OK knowetb his Owner, and the Ajs his
Maker's Crib : but Ifrael doth mt know,
my
* John i. 9, 10.
140 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
my People doth not confider. Pray, who
can turn his Thoughts in any meafure to
the Confideration of thefe Things, and
not prefently perceive how powerful an
Argument of the Divine Glory of Jefus
Chrift is to be found in the Words of St.
John, when he fays ; The World was made
by Him, but the World knew Him not ?
But as John attributes to Chrift, as the
Eternal Light, the Creation of the World,
and confequently Omnipotence j fo Paul
reprefents Chrift, as the Word of God, and
attributes to him Omnifcience, as to the
eflential and eternal Light, glittering and
fhining every where, even in Darknefs,
and fays, that He is a Difcerner of the
Thoughts and Intents of the Heart. Nei-
ther is there any Creature that is not mani-
fejl in bis Sight : but all Things are naked
and open to the Eyes of Him *. Which
Affertion cannot be uied of the written
Word ; and therefore he adds, with whom
(to wit, Chrift, the eternal Word of God)
we have to do. Therefore when Chrift is
faid to be the Light, his Omnifcience is
thereby comprehended, (which alfo his
Difciples acknowledged, and profefled to
be in Him j which Chrift would not have
fuffered them to do, if it had been an
Error in them : fee Job. ii. 24, 25. chap.
vi. 64. and xvi. 30. See alfo a moft clear
Tefti-
* Heb. iv. 12, 13.
of all. the Holy Scriptures. 141
Teftimony of his Omnifeience, in Rev. ii.
1 8, 19. where the Son of God fpeaking,
ver. 23. fays, that He is the Searcher of
the Reins and the Hearts, which in all the
Holy Scriptures is wont to be alledged as
the peculiar and chief Property of God -f^.
This again is a moft evident Teftimony of
his true and efTential Godhead. Where-
fore alfo St. Paul, in the Place now al-
ledged out of his Epiftle to the Hebrews,
diftinguifhes Him from all created Beings,
nay, he puts all Things that are created
before his All-feeing Eye as their Creator,
who throughly infpeds all Things. Who
dares affirm this of any Thing that is
created ? But if any one will here con-
fult the Collation above made of the
Words of St. John, with other Places of
the Old and New Teftament, he will be
fo much the more convinc'd of the truly
Divine Glory of our Lord Jefus Chrijt,
and will thereby the more readily obey
Him, who cries out, and fays j He that
believeth on me, believeth not on me (only)
but on Him that fent me. And he that
feeth me, feeth Him that fent me. I am
come a Light into the World, that ivhofo-
ever believeth on me jhould not abide in
Darknefs *. And I am the Light of the
World : he that followeth me, Jhall not
walk
f Pfal. vii. 9. Pfal. cxxxir. tot. Jer. xi. 20. chap,
xii. 3- * John xii. 44,45, 46.
Chvift the Sum &%d Subjtance
walk in Qarknefe^ bud fiall h<a<v4 the l*ight
of a/* * : which Words carknot be under-
ttood v but of the Origin < Life and Light,
and confequently of tkte tiue and effential
of Jejus Chrift our Lord.
SECT.
The Sixth Argument.
" ft j> of whom St. John^ and with
w him all the Servants .cw G^^, in the
" Old and New Teftameut,. unanimonfly
* teftify, that all Men ougjtt ta b-elieve
" ia Hitn, and that! after fo excellent
" a manner,, as no- other Thing can be
44 believed m without the moft heinous
" Crime of Idolatry; fince the Faith
" required to be in. Him,, comprehends
" all. the Duties^ which ace- to be per-
<; forin'd to the tiving^ God alone : He, I
" fay, is with the Father* the true, the
"' living and eflential G.o(L But in Chrift
" fuch a Faith i& required : Therefore
v C/>r//? is with the Father the true, the
" living, and effential -God? The major
Proportion is without all Doubt and Con-
troverfy ; for God cannot be repugnant to
himfelf : and fince in his Word he names
the Crime of Idolatry among the moil
grievous and deteftable Sins, it cannot rea-
fonably
Kv \
obti viju. 12.
ef all the Holy Scripture. 143
be imagia'd that all his Servants
Witneffes, fent and ijxftructed with
Evidence by himfelf, ihould fee up and
unanimaufly sftabliih the fuperftitious
Wormip of any created Thing, There-
fore in the major Propofition it is only to
be obferv'd* *ha,t tJhe*e is no, Queftion hre,
whether Faith is t.o. be gi\*en to a Man, or
to a created Being ; ov whether 'tis not
fo far lawful to believe in any of Ged's
Meffengers, that one; may receive their
Words as true, and ufe them for Doctrine,
Repropf, Corre&iotv and Comfort., For
every one already kno-w^ th^t this. Faith
is ratter- commanded by God j and there-
for^ 'tis WH to b^ looked on as Idolatry,
if in obeying the Divine Command, we
be.Ueve the true Prophets of God ; and. the
Servants fent by Him : Nay, God will
not; faffer him. t;q go. iwpwuih'd, who re-
fufcs to do this. Therefore in. the, ajajor
Propofition it is moft clearly Uiewn, what
Faith is required, to wit, fuch a Faith
as is not to be given to any created, ThpiiJg,
without the Crime of Idolatry, and which
comprehends all the Duties which are to
be paid to G^d alo.ne. When therefore it
is evident, that fuch a faith in Chrift is
required in the Holy Scriptures, certainly
ir cannot be, that any Man fbpuld con-
clude otherwife, than that, Chriji, being
of the fame ErTence with the Father, is
to
1 44 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
to be honoured and adored with the fame
Worjhty. This is therefore what is now
to be demonftrated ;
tfhat we ought to believe in Chrift ;
This Belief all the Holy Scriptures in-
culcate :
But Chrift^ calls Men to Himfelf, the
Apoftles in like manner exhort them
to have Faith in Him alone ;
But the whole Scripture requires,
'That ive Jhould Jo believe in Chrift ',
As to live and die to Him alone :
That we commit our Souls unto Him ;
That for his fake we renounce all Things;
That we love Him above all Things ;
That We place our Truft in Him^ as in
God himfelf ;
That we devote our whole Heart unto
Him:
That we ferve Him in Righteoufnefs,
Peace, andjoy through the Holy Ghoft :
That we worfhip Him in like manner as
the Father:
That we be baptized into Him, as well
as into the Father :
That by his Power we believe, by his
Operation we be born again, and by
his Gift be illuminated with the Holy
Spirit, and preferved in the true Faith :
That we acknowledge Him to be the
Creator and Reftorer of all Things :
And
of all the Holy Scriptures. 145
And laftly, that we honour Him, as He
who gives Men Life, who appoints
them to die, and who raifes them
from Death by his own Power, either
to give them eternal Life, or to pu-
nifh them with eternal Damnation.
i. That all the Holy Scriptures incul-
cate upon Men this Faith in Chrift.
In the Beginning of St. John's Gofpel,
(ver. 7.) it is faid of John the Baptift 5
He came for a WitneJ's ; that is, to beaf
witnefs of the Light ; that all Men through
him might believe : And ver. 12. John fays,
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*
From hence therefore it appears, wherein
the chief Bufmefs, and Scope of St. John's
whole Office did confift ; to wit> that all
foould believe in Chrift the Son of God :
which was likewife the principal Employ-
ment of Mofes, and of all the Prophets
after him. St. Paul well explains this of
John the Baptift, faying, * John verily
baptized with the Baptifm of Repentance,
faying unto the People, T^hat they Jhould
believe on Him which fiould come after
him, that is, on Chrift jefus. When they
heard this, (or the Words of John, re-
commending them to Chriji) they were
L baptized
* Acli xix. 4, 5.
146 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
baptized in the Name of tie Lord
Likewife the Holy Scriptures teiUfy of
Mofes *, that he had no other Defign, but
to recommend Faith in Chriji, Rom. x.
4. where Cbrift is celebrated as w* T&-,
//jtf End of Mofes, and of the Law. More-
over, all thole Paflages concerning Chrift
HI the Beginning of St. Jobn't Gofpel, re-
fer us (as we have feen above) to the Wri-
tings of Mofes : And that the reft of the
Prophets and Servants of God, made this
alfo their principal Bufmefs, and the very
End of their Office, is fufliciently under-
ftood from our former Collation of the
Words of St. John with other Places of
Holy Scripture. Therefore St. Peter faith,
Atts x. 43. T0 Him (to yefus) give all the
Prophets ivitnefs, that through his Name
whoj'oe<uer beliewth in Him, foall receive
RemiJJion of Sins.
2. That Cbrift fends not Men to any
other, but calls them to Himfelf.
Whereas all the Prophets and Apoftles in
the Old and New Teliament, remit Men
to another, viz. Cbrift ; Cbrift does not
fend them to any other, but calls Men to
himfelf, requiring from them Faith in
himfelf, as may be feen, among others,
from the following Teftimonies : God Jo
loved the World^ that he gave his only begot-
ten Son ; that ivbofoever believetb in Him
JJoould
* 2 Cor, iii. 14. Job. v. 46, 47. Luke xxiv. 27,44,45.
of all tfa H&ty Scftytitres.
Jhouldndt per'ijh, but have tver lofting Life"*.
I dm the Ere ad of Life : be that eo"meth to
me Jhall never hunger ; and he that belie'v-
2th on rile, Jhall never fhirjl -J-. If any
Man thirji, let him come unto me, dii&
drink. &e t'hat believeth on me, as t'h&
Scripture hath faid, out of his Belly Jhall
Jlow Rivers of living Water J. J'efak
faid to the Man born blind^ Doji tho'u be-
lieve on the Son of God ? He anfwered and
fctidi Who is he, Lord, that I might be-
lieve on him? And "jefus faid unto hint,
T'h'O-u haft both J'een him, and it is he that
talketh with thee. And he faid, Lofd, I 1
believe : and he worjhipped Him ||. Jefub u
faith moreover: I am the 'Re fur reft ion and-
V / .
the Life : He that believeth in ine, tho' h'S
We're dead, yet jh'all he live. And whofi-
tver livefh, and believeth in me, flail ne-
ver die **. While ye have Light, believe
in the Light, that ye may be the Childferi
of Light -f-f. And, \% He that believetb
on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that
fent me. And he that feeth m'e, feeth hint
that fent me. I am come a Light into' the
World, that f whofoever believeth on mfjhoit-M
not abide in Darknefs. And, |||| Te be-lievf
in God, believe aljb in me. And,- -\-* lam
L 2 the-
1 Job. iii. 1 6. -j- Chap. vi. 35. ^ Chap. vii. 37,38,
|J Chap. ix. 3538. ** Chap. xi. 25, 26. ff Chap'
xii. 36. 4; Id. ib. 44,45,46. Jill Chap. xiv. i.
tit /"M s '* *
* Chap. xiv. 6.
148 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
the Way, the tfruth, and the Life : No
Man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
* Believe me that I am in the Father, and
the Father in me : or elfe believe me for the
very Works fake. Verily, verily I jay unto
you, he that believeth on me, the Works that
I do, pall he do alfo, and greater Works
than thefe Jhall he do, becauje I go to my
Father. From thefe, and other Places, in
which, as we faid, Cbrift doth not remit
us to any other, but (imply requires that we
fhould believe in Himjelf, there is not only
manifeftlya vaft Difference between Chriji
and all the Servants of God ; but it appears
alfo from thence, that Chriji fpeaks not
after a vulgar manner, concerning the
placing of our Faith in Himfelf, but ex-
prefles it ufually in fuch a way, that every
intelligent Perfon may eafily perceive it is
not lawful for any created Being, how
high foever, to arrogate any fuch Thing
to himfelf -, nor is it likely, if He did
make this Claim, that He fhould obtain
fuch Teftimony from the Heavenly Fa-
ther, as to require us to hearken to Him.
Wherefore the Jews miftaking drift for
a meer Man, often interpreted his Dif-
courfes for Blafphemies, and for that
Caufe endeavoured to flone Him : And
certainly they would have been look'd on
as Blafphemies, had they been fpoken by
bare
* job. xiv. 11,12.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 149
bare Man, or meer created Being. This
is to be well and diligently noted, becaufe
hence it clearly appears, that it will be no
Objection to fay here, that the Jews were
alfo required to believe in Mofes and the.
Prophets * ; yet 'twill not from thence
follow, that thefe were any other than
meer Men. We further recommend to
fuch, as, in the Fear of God, defire to
examine the Holy Scriptures in their Ori-
ginal Language, attentively to confider,
( i .) that St. John the Evangelift no where
ufes this Phrafe, *ftW * w*, credere in
quern, to believe in One, but when the
Difcourfe is of God or Chrift. (2.) That
he is wont to ufe that other Phrafe, *isiv*9
wi, credere cui y to believe One, fometimes
of God and Chrift y and fometimes of
Things created. Wherein 'tis to be ob-
ferved, (3.) That when Chrift commands
Men to believe Him, (fibi) (and does it in
the Dative Cafe -f-) He does not then, any
way deny, that they ought to believe
in Him, but requires only in thofe Places,
that at leaft Faith ought to be given to his
Words, as to the Words of a Prophet :
Both are therefore fuitable to Chrift, that
we believe in Him as God, and that we
believe Him as a Prophet. (4.) 'Tis plain
from the Gofpel of St. John, that the
L 3 Jews
* 2 Cbron. xx. 20. f Job. v. 24, 38, 46. ch. viii.
45, 46.
Ghriflike Sum and Subft&nce
well underftood, * that He muft be
God in whom t;bey were to believe. For
when Cbrift had laid, Tins is the Work of
God, that ye believe on Him 'whom he hath
fent ; the Jews anfwer'd, What Signfiew-
eft thou then, that ^e inay fee an3 believe
thee ? Whereby they fignified, that they
did not fo much as believe Him and
his Words, fo far were they from per-
fwading themselves to believe iy ffim,
BJH Chrifti not regarding this ^Anfwer,
eoaifontly urges in the following Verfes,
35, 40, and 47. .that it was their Duty to
believe in Him. (5.) The Jews, who be-
to believe in thrift, -f but had not yet
.to a firm and full Faith, are re-
for this Reafon only faid to be-
lieve Him, (wp^KxoW (w-4) ver. 3 i. which
libewSj that Faith jn Cbrijl Jefus includes
in it a fjuji Truft and Perfeverance in his
Word. (6.) The Pharifees faid to the Of-
> J Have any of the Rulers, or the
believed on, Hini ? 5y which
declare, that from the Anfwer
tfcie Officers, [never Man fpake like this
Jph- vii. 46.] They did infer that
(i* f. the Officers) acknowledged Je-
fys. for the M^ffiah fent from 6W, and fo
b/ejieved in }i\m, (as is fai4 alfo of fome
of their Jl Idlers. :) Which Honour they
would
* J$- yi- ?9 $
Job. vii. 48. |j Job. xii. 42.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 151
would by no means permit fhould be
given to Jefus. (7.) When it was inquir'd
concerning John the Baptift, why the
Scribes and Pharifees would not receive
Him as a Prophet ; Three of the Evange-
lifts * fpeak not otherwife of this Matter,
but ifi the Dative Cafe, faying ; Quare non
credidiftis ei ? Why did you not believe
Him ? (8.) 'Tis remarkable, that the
Phrafe <wri/i * <fe*, to believe in God, in
the Books of the New Teftament, efpe-
cially in thofe of St. Paul, has a refpect
to the Faith of Abraham, as he was the
Father of all the Faithful ; of whom it is
faid, mn3 fDMTTI credidit in Jehovam %
[vel in Jehova] He believed in the Lord >
(Gen. xv. 6.) (that is, by his Faith he ac-
quiefc'd as it were in Him,) which way
of fpeaking is afterwards often ufed in the
Writings of the Old Teftament. From
thefe and other like Obfervations, 'tis evi-
dent, the Divine Glory in Chrijt was held
as a Fundamental, when St. John, and
other Servants of Gad fay concerning Him,
in the Holy Scriptures, tbat we aught to
believe in Him, or in his Name, as is af-
firm'd of thofe 'who had received Him, and
thereby had obtain d Power H become the
Sons of God -f-. 'Tis to be confider'd alfo
on this whole SubiecT:, that Chrift does not
L 4 remit
* Matt. xxi. 25, 32. Marky\. 31. Luke xx. 5.
f Job. i. 12.
1 5 2 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
remit Men to any other, in whom they
ought to believe, (as the Prophets remitted
them to Chrift) but fimply directed their
Faith in Himfelf, without any Difference
between their believing in Him, or in the
Father. Nay, He not only requires, fas
was above obferv'd,) and as other Prophets
did, that his Words ihould be believed,
and he himfelf receiv'd for a True Pro-
phet 3 but exhibits Himfelf as the Saviour
of the whole World y as the Life, as the Re-
furreftion, nay, as He in whom we ought
not only to believe, but whom we ought
alfo to honour and adore with Divine Wor-
Jhip. Now did ever any of the Prophets,
or Servants of God ac~t thus ? Or, how
could this be done by any created Being,
without the Guilt of Idolatry ? Pray
what mould v/e think, if any Man mould
appear before us, and fay, I am the Refur-
reftion -, I am Life Eternal ; I am the
Truth, &c. ? or if any mortal Man mould
fuffer himfelf to be adored with Divine
Worjhip ? But all thefe Things will ap-
pear ftill more plain, from the following
Confiderations.
3. That the Apoftles have required the
fame Faith in Chrift our Lord.
The Apoftles, with one Mind and with
one Mouth, required this fame Faith in
the Lord Jefus. In the Afts of the Apof-
of all the Holy Scriptures. 153
ties, * The Keeper of the Prifon fald to
Paul and Silas, Sirs, what mujl I do to
be faved? And they j aid, Believe on the
Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou jhalt be fa^ed
and thy Houfe. Nor does this want any
Demonftration; for 'tis manifeft,the whole
Office of the Apojlles wjas to publim the
Name of the Lord Jefus to every Crea-
ture under Heaven, and fo to refer all
Men to Faith in the Lord Jefus -j-. Nay,
they did not reft in this, that they mould
remit Men to Chrift, but powerfully
alfo fhew'd, as was faid above, that all
the Prophets gave Teftimony to this
Jefus : and not only gave Teftimo-
ny, but alfo conftantly affirmed, that
whoever believed on Him, Jhould receive
Remijflon of Sins through his Name J.
And St. Paul faith, We preach not our
f elves, but Chrift Jefus the Lord, and our
felves your Servants for Jefus fake ||. Now
let any Man judge what kind of Faith in
our Lord Jefus the Apoftles require, and
confider whether fuch a Faith can poffibly
be placed in any created Being, without
the Guilt of Idolatry. Wherefore the
Divine Glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is
moft powerfully demonftrated by this, that
all Men, as St. John fpeaks in the Beginning
of his Gofpel, ought to believe in Him ;
nor
* Chap. xvi. 30. f Rom. i. 16.
* Afls x. 43. jj 2 Cor. iv. 5.
I 54 Cbr tft tbe Sum and Subfiance
nor is any thing more required to a full
Conviction of the Mind, that this Argu-
ment is unanswerable j than that thole
Places of the Old and New Teftament,
where Faith in Chrift is required, mould
be diligently fearched out and examin'd.
4. That this whole Faith confifts of
fuch Particulars, as are not to be attribut-
ed to any created Being.
But that all Contradiction may be en-
tirely removed, the Reafon of the Faith
that is required in the Lord Jefus (hall be
now particularly confider'd : We mail ea-
fily underfland, that fuch a Faith cannot
be lodg'd in any created Thing, without
the Sin of Idolatry. For all thofe Argu-
ments, which have been fo clearly pro-
pos'd to us hitherto out of the Beginning
of St. John's. Gofpel, are a Foundation
for this Doctrine ; when he declares that
the Scope of the Teflimony of John the
Baptift was, that all Men mould believe.
But what were they to believe ? The fame
Evangeliil fhewsit, Ch. xx. 31. viz. fbat
yfjus is the Cbrijly the San of Gad, and
that Believing they wigbf have Life through
his Name. I fay, what were they to
believe ? That which y&bn had afcertain'd
in the very Beginning of his Gofpel, to
wit, that the fame Jefas t of whom John
the Baptift whnelTed, the Eternal Word
of
oil the fjoly Scriptures. 15$
of God, by whom all Things, according to
Mofes, i^ere made, is the Life and the
Light of Men. Can you now imagine,
that fuch a Faith can be placed in ajny
created Being ?
5. That Feith is to be given to Chrift,
pot as a Mi^ift er f but as the Lord of our
Salvation.
All the Holy Scriptures demonstrate,
that Faith is to be placed in Chr jft, not as
a Minijler, bye as the Lord of our Salve*
tion, as He, who not only publishes Salva-
tion, but does Himfelf give and confer
it. Therefore John is called his Forg-
runner^ who was n.0t to go before a Man,
of any other of God's Servants, but before
the Lord himfelf * f And left any one
fliould object, that ii> Luke \. 76. the
Words are concerning the Lord, and not
God, let him read the whole xl& Chapter
of Ifaiah, and fee with his Eyes, that this
Lord, whofe. Prgcurfor \FQre~run.ner\ Jehn
was to be, is called, not Qnce, but often,
jfebovab, that is, the efTential and by him-
felf fobfifting God. This is He, of whom
it is faid in Malacki, -f &ML I wi//
fend my Me/enger, and ke Jh#ll frepare
the Way before me. The Holy Scripture
alfq is wont commonly to exprefs the
Word HVV Jehovah, [Lord] in Greek by
the Word Ki/'e*-. But that we may right-
156 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
ly perceive, what the Apojlles of our
Lord underftood, when they called Chrijl
the Lord, St. Paul explains it, * faying,
70 us there is one Lord Jefus Chrift, by
whom are all things, and we by Him :
Now could this be faid of any created
Being ? We have already moft evidently
demonftrated the contrary. Likewife the
Teftimonies we have now alledg'd teach,
that Faith is required in Chrift as in a Sa-
viour, who can indeed refcue us from
Death and Destruction, who can enlighten
us with the Light of Life, tranflate us
into an eternal Communion with God,
nay, can raife all Men whatfoever from
the Dead j wherefore He is called /T;-,
the -f- Author of eternal Sahation. Now
may we not wonder, and ftand amazed,
that any can be fo rafh, as to attribute all
thefe great Things to a Being, that is it-
felf created ?
6. That we are commanded to live and
die to Chrift, is likewife an Evidence of
his Divinity.
Further let us confider, that Faith in
Chrift, according to the Scriptures, com-
prehends in it, that we muft live and die to
Him i. Now can this be perform'd with-
out Idolatry to any created Thing, be-
tween whom, and the Almighty Maker of
Hea*
* i Cor. viii. 6. f Heb. v. 9.
$ 2 Cor. v. 1 5. Rom. xiv. 7, 8, 9. Phil. i. zi . Gal. ii. 20,
ef all the Holy Scriptures. 157
Heaven and Earth, there is fo vaft a Dif-
ference ? To whom mould we live, and
to whom mould we die, but to Him, who
gave us our Life, and who, as our Crea-
tor, has the Right and the Power to de-
prive us of it ?
7. What is fignified by thofe Expref-
fions.
As Faith in Chrifl requires that we
mould live and die to Him, fo the Holy
Scripture explains to us, how this is to
be understood, both by clear Declarations,
and by remarkable Examples. For not
only St. Paul, * in the afore cited Place,
fays ; The Life which I now live in the
Flejh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God $
(which certainly is fpoken after fuch a
manner, as can by no means be reconciled
with that Faith which a Man mall place
in any created Thing, without the Sin of
Idolatry :) but the Example of St. Stephen
alfo teaches, that, as Jefus Chrifl com-
mended his Spirit into the Hands of his
Heavenly Father, fo He, wormipping the
Lord Jefus, faid ; Lord Jefus receive my
Spirit -f . Does not St. Peter fay, J Let
them that fuffer according to the Will of
God, commit the Keeping of their Souls to
Him in 'well-doing, as unto a faithful Crea-
tor : Therefore how can it be thought
lawful
* Gal. ii. 20. | A8i vii. 59.
t i Epift. IT. 19.
r 58 Chrift the Sum <w<f Suftfiante
lawful for a- Man to commend his Soul
to One who is not thg Creator, without
the Sin of Idolatry ? Is not therefore the
Divine Glory of our Lord Jef&s Ghrift,
moft effectually again demonftrated by this
Argument ?
S. That ow Duty to renounce allThkigs
for C^r///'s fake, gives Teftimony alfo of
his Divine Glory.
Moreover, Paitb in Cbfift requires, that
ws fhould renounce all Things, even Life
irfeif, for his fake. Concerning this, fee
dear Testimonies of Scripture * ; not to
mention th^ Apoftles of our Lord, who'
confirm the fame every whete in their
Epiftles, in thc'eleareft adpkineft Words.
But where did ever any Servant of God
require, in the Old or Nw Teflaffient,
fachi Rewunciatioii for his own- fake, and
teach Men that, forfafcin-g Father and M0*
tlter, and their owi^ Liites, they fhould
adto'e to Him' with their whole Heart?
Mofes heretofore ipake of Levi ; -f- Let
thy Thummim and- thy Unm be with thy
Holy One-, whom tbotf- didft -prow at MaJ-
fah y and with lobonf thou Mdft Jirive at
ths Waters of Merifcab. Who J aid unto'
his- Father and to fas Mother, J have mt
fetn him, neither did he acknowledge his
Brethren, nor know his- oWfcChildren : for
they
* Matt. x. 37; 38, 39t Luke xiv. 16, &* chap. xvii. 33.
John xi. 25. f Deut. xxxiii. 8, 9.
ef all the Holy Scriptures. 159
they have obferved thy Word, and kept thy
Covenant. 'They Jhall teach Jacob thy
Judgments , and Ifr&eltby Law. In which
Place Mofes likewife teaches and requires
a forfaking of all Things, and that as a
neceflary Part of a true Levite, out of
whofe Mouth the Law was to be fought :
But he by no means directs fuch a Renun-
ciation for his own fake, which yet Chrift
did for his, and by that very thing con-
firrn'd his Divine Glory and Majefty. And
truly, that no created Thing, how extra-
ordinary and excellent foever, could re-
quire fuch a Renunciation to be made for
his own fake, will flill further appear
from the following Confiderations.
9. That Cbrift is to be loved above all
Things, is alfo a Teftimony of his Divi-
nity.
For from that en tire Renunciation which
Chrift requires for his own fake, it fol-
lows of courfe, that He is to be loved
above all Things, if at the fame time our
Faith in Him be fincere. For He himfelf
exprefly fays, * He that hveth Pother or
Mother more than me, is not worthy of me,
&c. And St. Paul fays, -f If any Man
love not the Lord Jefus Chrift^ let him be
Anathema^ i.e. accurfed and abominable,
and let him be fhut out from Commu-
nion with God j and he adds, Maranatha,
\. e.
* Matt. x. 37. f 1 Cor. xvi. 22.
160 Chrift the Sum and Subjlance
i. e. tfhe Lord cometh ; viz. to Judgment,
to execute Sentence againft him who
loves not the Lord Jejus : and in this
manner, the Love of Chriji is every where
extolled above all Things. Now would
it not be manifeft Idolatry in any one, to
magnify a Creature above all Things ?
Certainly, the firft and great Precept in
the Law is, Thou jhalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy Heart, and 'with all thy
Sou/, and itoith all thy Mind *. Now as
it plainly appears from the Teftimonies
before cited, that we ought to love Chrift
with all our Heart, and with all our Soulj
and with all our Mind j how then can it
be lawful for us to efteem Him a meerly
created Being P The fecond Command-
ment, fays Ckriftt is like unto this ; Thou
jhalt love thy Neighbour as thy J elf . But
now he requires that we mould love Him
(Chrift) more than our Neighbour, yea,
than our felves, and our own Life ; and
fubjoins, he that does not this, is not 'wor-
thy of Him. Wherefore, 'tis neceffary we
mould know from hence, that the Love
of Chriji relates to the firft Table of the
Decalogue, and that the Son of God, Je~
Jus Chriji, is equal to God his Heavenly
Father in Divine Majejiy and Glory.
10. The
* Matt. xxii. 37, 39. Luke x. 27, Detit. vi, 5.
of all the toly Scriptures. 161
10. The Obligation of putting our
rfruft in Chrift, as in God himfelf ; is an
Indication likewife of his Divine Glory.
Faith in Chrift, in like manner, requires
that we {hould place a folid and full I'rujl
in Him. For we do not read in any
Place of Scripture, that the T'ruft to be
repos'd in Him, is to be circumfcrib'd
with any Limitations ; but rather it is ma-
nifeft, both from the Old and New Tef-
tament, that a full and abfolute Truft, as
we faid, ought to be placed in Chrijl, af-
ter the fame manner as in the living God.
Thus it is written in IJ'aiah -, * I have
Jkvorn by my J'elf : the Word is gone out of
my Mouth in Right eoujhefs, and ftall not
return, that unto me every Knee Jhall bow,
every 'Tongue Jhall fkvear. Surely, foall
one jay, in the Lord have I Righteoufnefs
and Strength: even to Him Jhall Men come,
and all that are incenjed againft Him ft all
be afoamed. That Chrift here fpeaks in
IJ'aiah the Prophet, no Man that calls
himfelf a Chriftian mould in the lean:
doubt of, when he conliders that thefe
Words are by St. Paul -j- expounded con-
cerning Chrift j not to infift, that the fame
may be underftood from the Old Tefta-
ment itfelf : fince this is the Name of
Chrijl, by which He mall be called, "The
Lord our Right eoujhefs, Jer. xxiii. 6. Since
. M there-
* Chsp. xlv. 23, 24.
f Row. xiv. 10, u. Phil, ii. 10.
1 6 2 Cbrift the Sum and Su
therefore God in his Word, has fo great
a Regard for his own Glory, and fo often
execrates thofe, who place their "fruft
and Confidence in Man, a'nd make Fkjh
their Arm >; * how could it be, that -all
the Holy Scriptures Ihould conftantly in-
culcate to us, that we ought to place all
our Hope and Confidence in Chrift ; and
that not only in the Necefiities of the
Body, but efpecially in thofe of the Sow/ -(-,
and in fhort, in all Things where none but
the eternal and living God can adminifter
Help to us ? to wit, becaufe Chrift re-
deems and delivers us from Sin, from
Death, the Devil and Hell, Was it law-
ful for the Children of IJra-cl, even in
outward Diftrefo, to confide in Mojes,
yoftua, or any other Deliverer, given to
them for a Type ? Wer-e they not -moil
ftrictly, and alrnoft continually called ofT
from putting their tfritji in Men, and in-
ftruted and requir'd to place their Con-
fidence only in the Lord ? And his was
indeed then, and is at a41 Times moil ne-
ceffary ; becaufe human Nature labouring
under fo great Corruption, is inclin'd t6
nothing more, than fuch kind of Idolatry
towards Men, and repoiing that Affiafnce
in the Creature, which is -due to God alone.
What therefore is more evident, than that
it would be a rnoft grievous Sin -againA
the
* Jer. xvii. 5, 6. Pfalm cxviii. 8, 9.
f i Cor. xv. 19. ?bil.\. 19,21.
of all ike Holy Striptures. 163
the firft Commandment in the Decalogue/
to place our Truft in Chrift, which we
are commanded to do plainly, and with-
out any Limitation, in all our Neceffities
ef Body and Soul, if Chrift were not of
the lame Efferice, Majefty and Glory with
the Father ? Nay, in this the true Effence
of Faith confifts, that it entirely abandons
all Truft: a'nd Confidence in Things crea*-
tedj and relies not on any Thing viiible
or invifibley prefent or futures but flies
for Succour to Him, who is above all
created Beings, and of in-finite Omnifci-
enee, whereby He can truly know and
u-nderftand all our Neceffities j * Omnipo-
tence^ That no Calamity can be fo great,
from which He is not able to deliver us 3
Love,, -j- that He is always ready to affift
us j J and if thefe high and divine Pro-
perties belong not to Chrift^ Faith in Him
is only a nicer Shadow, Fallacy and' De-
h*fion : nay, if thofe Properties were want-
ing in Him, that great, full, and unlimit-
ed Truft, which the Holy Writings claim
for Him, would occalion thereby grofs
Idolatry. For which Reafon, doubdefs,
the Scriptures make mention of thofe di-
vine Properties, when they exhort us to
M 2 Faith
*' As it 1 is writte!n of the Father, Matt. vi. 32. of the
Son ok' God, Rev. ii. 2, 9, 13, 19, 23. chap. iii. i, 8, 15. and
of the Holy Gboft, Rom. viii. 26, 27.
t John x. 29; 30, 2 Cor. i. $ rb- Pbi!'.'iv. t'f-
i Luke- xil. 32, Ram. viil- 3-7-
1 64 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
Faith and T'ruft in Chrift : as St. Paul
does of his Omnipotence,, faying ; Our Con-
V erf at ion is in Heaven, from whence a/Jo
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jejus
Chrift, who Jh all change our vile Body, that
it maybe fajhiori d like unto his glorious Body,
according to the Working whereby He is able
even tofubdue all Things unto himfelf *.
ii. That we are commanded to give
our Hearts unto Chrift, is another Argu-
ment to confirm this Affertion.
Moreover, 'tis moft certain, and with-
out Controverfy, that we ought not to
devote our Heart unto any created Thing.
When therefore the Scripture fays, -j- My
Son, give me thy Heart ; we eaiily under-
ftand God is there meant, becaufe He de-
fires to poflefs the whole Soul, and that
nothing elfe mould deprive Him of it.
But now St. Paul fhews, J that Chrift
dwells in our Hearts by Faith : And 'tis
plain from the whole Context, that by
thefe Words He has refpect to the Taber-
nacle and Temple of the Old Teftament,
and that He woulcl have our Hearts to be
fuch Tabernacles, Temples and Habita-
tions, in which the Glory of the Lord, that
is Chrift, might make his Abode. But
are not our Hearts to be the Temple and
Habitation of God || ? Confider what our
Savi-
* Pbil. iii. 20. f Prov. xxiii. 26. Epb. iii. 17.
|] i Cor. iii. 16. chap. vi. 19. 2 Cor- vi. 16.
of all, the Holy Scriptures. 165
Saviour fays on this ubjet ; If a Man
love me, he will keep my Words, and my
Father will love him ; and we will come
unto him, (i. e. my Father and I) and make
our Abode with him -f-. Is not this a moft
clear Teftimony of the Divine Glory, of
our Lord Jejus Ghrift?
12. A farther Confirmation hereof is,
That we are to ferve Chrift, in Righteouf-
nefs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft.
Nor does Faith in Chrift lefs require
that we mould ferve Him ; and that in.
Righteoufnefs, and Peace, and Joy in the
Holy Ghoft J. But is it lawful to ferve
any created Being, befides God ? Does not
Chrift himfelf fay, || tfhou Jhalt. wo.rflrip
the Lord thy God, and (N. B.) Him only
Jhalt thou j'erve : And, ** No Man can
ferve two Mafters. If you fay you can
ferve two Mailers, provided they are not
repugnant, but fubordinate to one ano-
ther ; that Objection will here be of no
force : for we find it fet down in clear
Words; T'he Kingdom of God is Righte-
oufnefs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy
Ghoft, Rom. xiv. 17. This is no other
Thing, than to ferve Him in Spirit and
in truth ; to furrender up our felves to
Him with our whole Heart, and to diredt
to Him the internal Worihip required in
M 3 the
| John xiv. 23. J Rom. xiv. 17.
Jj Matt. iv. 10. ** Matt. vi. 24.
166 Ckrift the Sum and Subftanee
4/ /
the New Teftament, in the Power of the
Holy Ghoft $ And whq can fufftciently ex-
prefs what it is to ferve One in Righteouf-
nefs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft?
This is alfo appointecj in fuch a manner,
that it cannot, nor ought ever to be attri-
buted to any Thing that is created ; being
tjjat in which the real Dignity of Gad pro-
perly confifts, which He fuffers not to be
taken from him.
13. That the Honour of Religious Wor-
fbip to be performed to Cbriji, is alfo an
Atteftatipn of his Divine Glary.
Faith in drift, requires alfo that we
(hould worjhip Him. Fqr we read, Jo.b.
ix. 35, 38. that Ckrift not only taught the
3V$an who was born Blind, to believe on
Him as the Son of God, but alfo received
the Honour of Adoration from him, af-
ter he h^d faid, Lord, I believe ; which
furely "after his fo humble Behaviour He
would not have admitted, had it not been
due to Him, being of the fame Eflence,
Majesty, and Glory with the Father. An
Angel refus'd to receive this Honour from
St. J-o/m, faying, * $ee thou do it not ;
<w4r.(hip God. Chxife hirnfelf, as was above
*^ -^,
allcdg'd, had told us his Mind -, -$ Thou,
Jhak ivozfaip. the Lord thy God, end Him
only Jhalt thou^ fexve-. And in Ifaiab. $ it
is laid moft emphatically ; I am Jehova,
(the
* Rev, nil 9. f M*t*. iv. 10. $ Ckap. xl'u. 8.
ef&ll the Holy Scriptures. 167
(the Lord) that is my Name : and my
Glory, 'will I not give to another, neither my
Praife to, graven Images *. How could
OiiF O4BMK*, bofh in his State of Humi-
liation, and after bis Exaltation at the
right Hand of God -^, have received the
Honour of Adoration, due to God alone,
which He was fo zealous to vindicate, if
it had nat be-long'd to Him ? Wherefore
this again is a certain Teftimony, that
C&riff is not to be accounted of as a meer
created Being, but as One, who being
of the fame Effence, and of equal Maje-
fty and Glory with the Father, is with
Him to be adored. Whence all the An-
geh of God, J yea, all Things that are
made, whether in the Heavens, or in the
Earth, or under the Earth, and in the
Sea, do adore Him, and give Honour, not
only to Him that fitteth on the Throne,
that is the Father, but alfo to the Lamb y
that is the Son, our Saviour Jefus Chriji \\.
14. Our being baptized in the Name of
Cbrift, is alfo a Demonftration of his Di-
vine Glory.
Nor does it lefs confirm our Doctrine,
that we are baptized, not only in tke Name
of the Father, but alfo of the Son, and of
the Holy Gboft. Nay, in the Scripture
mention is fometimes made of Baptifm
M 4 in
* Compare ffa. xlviii. 11. f jffis- vii. 55, 59.
Heb. i. 6. Pfabn itcvil 7. II Rtv. V. 13-
1 68 Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
in the Name of yefus Cbrift alone * : St.
John gives us a fundamental -f- Reaibn,
why we are baptized in the Name of the
Son and of the Holy Ghoft, as well as of
the Father, to wit, becaufe thefe Three, in
whom we are baptized, are One. From
the fame Foundation alfo, St. Paul com-
prifes thefe Three, who are One, together j
concluding his Il d Epiflle to the Corin-
thians in this manner : J The Grace of our
Lord Jefus Cbrift, and the Love of God,
and the Communion of the Holy Ghojl, be
with you all. Amen. And elfewhere || he
makes mention of the Myftery of God,
and explains it (^ m\rfs x) -re x^ 5 "*) of the
Father and of Chrijl ; to declare thereby
the Unity of the Divine EfTence.
It is further obfervable, that as Chrijl
did inftitute Baptifm, fo he alfo inftituted
the Holy Supper : But is it the Work of a
Creature to inftitute Sacraments, and by
them to engage Men to himfelf, and as it
were bind them to his own Perfon ? Nay,
Chrift is not only He that did inftitute
Baptifm, but He alfo who baptizes with
the Holy Ghojl ** ; or He who beftows
and pours out the Ho-ly Ghojl. But can
this be afcribed to any other than the liv-
ing God ? He it is alfo who not only can
work Faith, but alfo increafe and finifh it j
which
* 4ft f " 38-. ch. x. 48. ch. xi. 5. f i Epift. v. 7.
; zCcf. xiii. 14. f] Col. ii. 2. **'Matt. iii. u.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 169
which is at the fame Time neceflarily
joined with the Baptifm of the Holy
Ghoft, which is performed by Him, and
is manifefted from clear Testimonies of
Scripture *. Now Faith is not a human
Operation, but is the Gift of God -f ;
which therefore if Chrift gives, ftrengthens,
encreafes, and confummates, He mull ne-
ceflarily be, not meerly a created Being,
but the true, eflential, and living God.
He it is of whom it is written ; J Chrift
loved the Church, and gave Himj'elf for it,
that He might fanftify and cleanfe it with
the Wajhing of Water, by the Word : that
He might prefent it to Himfelf a glorious
Church, not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any
fuch Tubing, but that it foould be holy, and
without Blemijh. And, It is his Blood
which can purge your Confcience from dead
Works ||. Of which St. Paul alfo fays,
T^hat ** God hath purchafed his Church
with his own Blood. When St. John, in
the Beginning of his Gofpel, demonftrates
from Mofes, that the firft Creation was
made by Chrift ; he likewife (hews, that
the Figure of the fecond Creation lay hid
in the firft; and that this, no lefs than
that, was made in Jefus, and by Jefus -,
becaufe f-f g it pleafed the Father, that in
Him
* La&xvii. 5. Heb. xii. 2. f Epb. ii. 8
$ Epb. V. 2527. . |j Heb. ix. 14.
** Aflsxx.. 28 if Col. i- 19-
1 70 Chrtft the Sum and Sub/lance
Him Jhould all Fulnefs dwell. And as
John (peaks with great Emphafis concern-
ing the fir ft Creation, that without Him
(* lv) nothing at all 'was made ; fo Gbrift
with no lefs Emphafia, aflerts concerning
our Renovation to the Image of God,
without * me ye can do nothing. If there-
fore we believe that the fecond Creation,
Regeneration, and the Reftoration of all
Things, is a Teftimony of no lefs infinite
Virtue, and of the Omnipotence ef God,
than the firft Creation was, aa certainly it
is : what if I mould fay, that the infinite
Riches of the Glory of Goa^ manifeft
themfelves ft ill more in the fecond Crea-
tion, than in the firft j and it appears
from clear Teftimonies of Scripture, that
both the firft and the fecond Creation are
affigned to Chrift, and that He himfelf is
in both f them the Alpha und Omega ;
Is not this a firm and ftrong Teftimony
of the Divine Glory of our L&rd Jejus.
Ckriji ?
15. Chrift's beftowing Eternal Life, is
another Proof of his Divine Glory.
'Tis no lefs a Teftimony of thrift's
Divinity, that it is He, who gives Eternal
Life to thole who believe on Him : for
thus He fpeaks; -f My Sheep hear my Voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And
I give unto them Eternal Life, and thev
flail
* John xv. 5. f John x. 27, 28.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 171
never perijk, neither fo$l^ any pluck
them wt of my Han4, As it is He alfo,
who by his own Power noc only railed
Himfelf from the dead, as He himfelf de-
clares, * Therefore doth my Father lyve me,
becqufe / lay down my Life, that I might
take it again. No Man taketh itjrom me,
but I fay ft fayw tf myfiff. I have Power
tQ lay it down, and / k#v( Power fa take
it #gaw : but He al& raifes thofe from
the Dead who believe m Him i fer which
there are meft clear Teftirnpnies ef jSaered
Scripture *=f-. And forafmuch as He per*
fqrro$ all thefe Things by his own Power,
35 lie wrought all his Miracles by his owa
Power, He gave befides to them that be-
lieve on Him the Power alfo of working
Miracles, that in his Name they iliould do
the fame Things which He did j as we
have divers Examples hereof in the d&s
of the Apoftles. Yea, he %s, J Verily y *oe*
rily I fay unto, you, He that falirvetb on
me, tfa Wwks that J de, jkall he do alf(>,
and greater Works tha.n ihej? pall he fa
becaufe I go unto my father. And what-,
foever yejbatt ask in. my Newt, (N.B.) that
will I do, tbqt the Father may be glorified
in the Son. If ye Jkall ask any Thing in
my Name (N. B.) / will do it. From all
thefe TeftimoBies therefore, the Divine
Majefty
1 Jobv x. 17, 1 8. See alfo Rom. \. 3,4.
t Jobn\. 21, 28, 29. ch. vi. 40. $ jfobmiiv. 1214,
172 Chriji the Sum and Subjlance
Majefty and Glory of our Saviour, mani-
feftly mines forth j iince the higheft Ope-
rations pofiible, which wholly and plain-
ly depend on the infinite Omnipotence of
God, are fo afcribed to Him, that no
Work whatfoever can be called proper to
the Deity, if fuch Works as the Creation
of all Things, and their Renovation, and
whatfoever relates thereto, can notwith-
ftanding be boldly attributed to a Being
that was itfelf created. But Chriji has
atchieved thofe moft high and divine
Works ; He ftill performs them, and will
continue to do them, as they are Works
of Grace, to thofe that believe in Him >
and as they are Works of Juftice, to thofe
who do not believe. All which Things
therefore when worthily confider'd, any
one will be able to perceive what a ftrong
and invincible Argument of the Godhead
of Chriji may be found herein, that the
whole Sacred Scripture has this for its
End, that all Men may be brought to be-
lieve in ChriJL But let that Man who de-
nies the Eternal Divinity of Chriji JeJ'us,
confider what Faith the Scripture requires,
as it hath been largely propounded, and
he will find how impoflible it is to recon-
cile this Faith with his Hypothefes and
pre-conceiv'd Opinions. But he who ne-
verthelefs contradicts fuch clear, certain,
and irrefragable Arguments, and bufies
himfeU
of all the Holy Scriptures. 173
himfelf in wrefting the clear Word of
God to his own Mind, and interprets it
according to his own corrupt Reafon, let
fuch a one go and learn what that means -,
No one can Jay that Jejus is the Lord (Je-
hovah, Kt/W, by whom are all Things, and
we by Him) * but by the Holy Ghoji )-.
S E C T. LIV.
What farther ufe may be made of
the Six preceeding Arguments.
THE Six Arguments, which we have
hitherto deduced, demonftrate the true and
eflential Divinity of our Lordjefus Chrift y
after fo iimple, unafFedtedj and clear a
manner, that any one, whether he be
learned or unlearned, may be fatisfied with
them : especially fince they do as it were
point out the Way how other Arguments
alfo, to prove the fame Thing, may be
produced out of the whole Scriptures of
the Old and New Teftament, and how
the Prophets and Apoftles do unanimoufly
teftify concerning this Matter. There
might alfo eafily have been brought, from
the Beginning of St. Joh?2's Gofpel, divers
other Arguments, no lefs clear and con-
vincing than thefe ; which, however, we
omit at prefent, it not being our Purpofe
here
* i Cor. viii. 6. f ' Cor. xii. 3.
174 Cbrtft the Sum ahd 8ubftatee
here to treat of them all. Yet we Cannot
but fubjoii* fome Admoflitiotys to what we
have been fpeaking of> that the Mtod of
the Reader may be fo#>e way foFtrfied
againft the vibtertt- Attacks of Falfhood - r
and that he may be #ioft faithfully advif-
ed, left he act precipitately, in a Concern
of fo holy and high a Nature. It is com-
monly the Property o corrupt Reafon,
while not reftrain'd within due Bounds by
a fuprrior Light' and ftrortgef Force, to
fearch u-p and down how it may form
fome little Exception, and find out fome
Shift whereby it defends itfelf, fo long as
that Evafion is not remov'd : And akho'
k can't in any wife confute the (contrary)
Arguments in general , or in particular, ne-
verthfelefs it refufes to befoeve the Truth
fliining fo brightly before it, becaufe ft
thinks it can yet eafily pick out fomething
here and there, which it fhatt be able fpe-
c'iouily to contradict. If any one there<-
fore fhall enter into the fame way of Reav
foning, with refpeft to- the Arguments
above alledged, as for the fake of fome
ftcondary Matters, which may occur iii
them, and feem as yeC doubtful to hirri^
to entertain a Scruple in his Mind againft
the principal Point itfelf 5 we would from
hence admonim him to obferve, that the
Arguments in themfelves, (efpecially con-
fider'd as they arife and flow one from
another)
vf&U tfo Hofy Scriptures. 175
aflbther) are fo ftrong and convincing^
that they very far outweigh all fuch fud-
den Scruples. Hence it follows, that fuch
like Scruples ought not to have more
weight in the Mind, than the convincing
Force of thoie Arguments. But God is
rather to be intreated to free the Mind
from tfe^fe Scruples, and to render, at leaft,
the Convi&ion already admitted more
firm, more penetrating and lively. Nor
verily wouid there be wanting an Oppor-
tunity and Helps, whereby a Man might
get out of his Scruples, if he ferioufly la-
borar'd -after the fingle and certain Know-
ledge fcf the Truth. And here the wretch-
ed attd pervede Cuftom of many Perfons
is to be lamented, who enter upon thefe
controverted Points, (as they are called)
wichout Prayer and humble Invocation
of the great God ; and as it were out of
his Prefence and Regard, who jearches the
Reins and the Heart, i. e. without a holy
Fear and Veneration of fo great and in-
finite a Majefiy : What Wonder therefore
fc/ j j j
is it, if a Man left lo-himfelf, and ruining
into thefe Gontroverfies without a pious
Difpoftrion of Mind, fliould, by the jwffc
Judgment of Gad, not be favingly con-
vinced by the Light of Truth, nor be en-
lightned from above, but rather mare
a&d more blind and deceive himfelf, and
oppofe the I'rufby then feoff at it, and at
kft
176 Chrift the Sum and Subfta me
laft malicioufly flander and revile it ? Nor
is there wont to follow any other than
this lad Effect, when the Reins are let
looie to ReaJ'on to judge of Divine Things;
fince all thofe Things, which are of the
Spirit of God, appear Foolifhnefs to the
natural Man ; fo that he cannot perceive
nor know them : which St. Paul interprets
of him who has received the Spirit of the
World only, and not the Spirit of God *.
Did the Scribes and Pharifees perceive and
know the Things which Chrift fpake to
them, tho' they were truly Dtvtnt t and
moil effectual for Conviction ? Did not
they always contradict and revile Him ?
And altho' being put to Silence, they had
not fo much as a Word to anfwer, was
there any Difpofition left in them to re-
ceive the Truth ? Does not Chrift fay;
If any Man 'will do the Will of God, he
jhall know of the Doffirine, whether it be of
God, or 'whether I fpeak of my felf -f- :
And David fays, With thee is the Foun-
tain of Life : in thy Light we foall fee
Light f . Therefore we moft earneftly
admonim every one, who reads thefe Ar-
guments concerning the Divine Glory of
our Lord Jefus Chrift, deduced from the
firft Chapter of St. John's Gofpel, and llill
doubts of their Divine Truth, before all
Things, to give himfelf up wholly to
God
* i Cor. ii. 14. f John vii. 17. $Pfalm xxxvi. 9.
ef all the Holy Scriptures. 177
God in conftant and fervent Prayer, by
which Means he may be aflured of the
Divine Grace and Illumination, in his fur-
ther Confideration of thofe Arguments*
And let him take good heed, that with a
iincere and honeft Mind, he defire nothing
elfe, but to believe the Word of God, and
to obey it j for fo God will not refufe on
his Part, to communicate the fure Light
of Knowledge to his Mind< Every one
may be fully perfwaded, that thefe things
were not meditated and confign'd to Writ-
ing, without many, and thofe ferious
Prayers to God-, not without Fear and
Veneration of His Majejiy, nor without a
fincere Love of Divine Truth. Wherefore
alfo I have oifer'd and concluded nothing
on this Subject, but what my Mind was
firft moft fully convinced of. Therefore
I do all I can to perfwade my Reader to
poflefs his Mind with a fincere Love of
Truth, and by humble Prayers to feek
the Light of the Knowledge of Himfelf
from the God of Truth : which if he
faithfully performs, the mod holy and
moft bleffed Truth concerning the Divine
and Infinite Glory of our Lord jfefus
Chriji, will moft certainly carry the Vic-
tory. But the Reader ought not only
fincerely to hold on in the Love of God,
and Prayer in his Perufal of thefe Argu-
ments, but he muft alfo be admoaifh'd in
N general,
Chrift the Sum and Su&ftame
general,, to avoid all wrangling and petu-
lant D-ifputation, and Affectation of need-
Icfs Scruples, in this whole Matter. Th
Seraphims beholding the Ghvy of the
JLora, cover their Faces ; and Ijaiak- hav-
ing beheM it, fa-id, * Woe is me, for I am
undone, becaufe I am a Man of unclean 1
Hps y and I dwell in the midft of a People
of wwhan Lips : for mine Eyes ha*ve J'een
the King, -the Lord of Hojts. That the
Divine Glory of Jejus C'farift is here de-
fcribed, and that Ifaiah then law the Gfa-
ry of Chrift, and that he fpake of Him
as his proper Subject, St. Jokn, as we ob-
ferved before, declares in ex prefs-f- Words:
From whence al'fo a firm and invincible
Argument is brought for the true and
eflential Godhead of our Lord Je/tts Chrift.
But ought not this fo far to admonifh us,
as to make us very cautious how we ven-
ture to fpeak of fuch fab-lime Myfieries,
until our Lips are fanflified' by a CWfirfi
prefented to our Mouths from the Altar
of God ; and then we fhould not do it
without Fear and trembling ? From this
fame Foundation, let every Man alfo be
cautious left he utter any Thing concern-
ing fo great a Myftery, and defend that
againft others, which he has not conceived
in his own Mind, after the ful'left Inquiry
ol" his Conference, as a- Truth long rnedr-
tated
* Jfa> vi 2, 5. f Chap. xii. 41.
of all the Hofy Scripture* 179
tated upon, and as it were fevefl times ire-
fined. How dangerous a thing is h to
wander from the Truth in fo facred a
Matter ; to difTemble one's Error, and if
it can be propounded as probable under
fome fair Colour, to difperfe it abroad,
and upon every Occafion to itand up and
main-tain it ? We have certainly to do
with One,, whofe Perfon and Glory is in-
terefted in this whole Affair ; who- we
can't deny is to be the Judge both- of the
Living and of the Dead. Is not then an
Account to be given for every idle Word*?
How much more mall we be judg'd and
condemned for all our hard Speeches which
itie have fpoken againft Him -jr ? Should
noc every one from hence be fuflicien-tly
warned, to avoid all Wrangling and wan-
ton Contentions, in a GauJ'e or fo- high a
Nature, which relates to the Perfon and
Honour of our future Judge y from whom
there is no efcaping ? Nay, the true
Lovers of God mull alfo be admomfh-'d,
when happening to be deceived, either by
their own defultory Reafon, or by others
who are vers'd in Error, they have failed
into fome Doubting concerning this Thing,
that they do not talk imprudently to others
about k j, much lefs endeavour to inftil
i/to them the Notions to which (at pre~
fent) they thus doubtingly incline. For
N 2
* Matt. xii. 36, f Jude 15.
1 80 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
God will bring fuch Men out of their Er^
rors and Doubts into the Way of Truth,
(fo great is his Mercy) if they (hall with
Jeriom Prayers importunately requeft the
Spirit of Truth from Him. But theri all
fuch Difcourfes which they have ufed in
the Hearing of others, will bring upon
their Confciences the deepeft Anxiety and
Remorfe ; and they would mod willingly
part with all they are worth, if that would
avail, to remove the Scruples they had oc-
cafioned in the Mind of any one : But
they will find to their Grief, that they
cannot fo eafily cure the Wounds they
have given to others, tho' they acknow-
ledge the Error they admitted of, and do
themfelves confute the Error which they
acknowledge. For it is eafier by wicked
Difcourfes to corrupt a Man, and to fub-
vert his Faith in Chrijl, than it is to re-
form and refiore him to a found Faith.
A Word once fpoken advances far$ arid
like the Plague runs from one to another,
eats like a Gangrene, and vehemently hurts,
before he who was the Caufe and Author
of it returns to a more found Judgment,
and with true Sobriety of Mind reflects on
the Scandal he has given. A Word flies
about never to be recalled, nor does it pe-
rim in the Air with its Sound, but flies
away like a Bird , nor can it be withheld
or hinder'd, but will, whether you will
or
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 8 1
or no, be catch'd up, and again blabb'd
out by others. Wherefore let every Man
take good heed, learn to fet a Watch over
his Mouth, and be, according to the Ad-
vice of St, James, * fwift to hear, and
flow to fpeak.
SECT. LV,
What ought to be confiderd of by
Perfons who are manifeftly given
up to contrary Opinions^ and are
become Champions for them.
LASTLY, In the Name of our Lord
Jefus Cbrtft, the righteous Judge of the
Quick and Dead, I addrefs my felf to all
thofe who frankly and irreverently impugn
the true and efTential Godhead of Jefus
Chrift, affecting neverthelefs to be called
Chriftians j who account the Writings, as
well of the New Teftament as of the Old,
to be the Rule of Faith. Jefus faid to
Paul before his Converjion ; -|- It is bard
for thee to kick againft the Pricks ; tho'
he did it ignorantly. 'Twill be no lefs,
but much harder for you, whether you
believe it or no, to kick againft the Pricks;
becaufe tho' you allow the Scriptures of
the New Teftament, you neverthelefs fo
boldly and arrogantly contradict the Truth
'.Yi N 3 clearly
* James i. 19. f Afti'm. 15.
Cbrift ibe Bum and Sukflcmce
clearly mining before your Eyes, and
exprefs Teftimonies propofed in fi*ch
rnple and plain Words, that even a
Child may read and underftand them.
O ! that your corrupt, over-curious and
fitting Reajbn, the Parent of your Errors,
were to you a Looking-glafs of the mife-
rable and deplorable Condition in which
you are ? O I how muft you fweat and
toil in feeking for Evafions, to elude the
6rm and ftrong Teftimonies for the Divi-
nity of Jffus Chrift f Your perverfe Rea-
fon had never confented tofuch Words as
the Apojtles us'd, in defcribing the Perfon
of Jefus Cbrift, and in declaring his Glo-
ry. Nay, if you (hall examine your own
Hearts, you will eafily difcover, that in
favour of thfc Idea which you have fram-
ed of Cbrtft, you cou'd earneftly wi(h,
that many Things had not been contain'd
in our Bibles, that are found there ; be-
caufe you can't without a deal of
Pains wreft them to your own Opinion.
To what purpofe therefore do you thus
go on ? Can't you perceive that you are
ieduced by the Serpent's Cunning, from
the clear and divine Simplicity with which
you ought to receive the Word of the
Moft High ? What a Mifery is it, that
with all the fubtil Contrivances and In-
ventions of your Reafon, you can never
arrive at any fettled firmneis of Mind ?
You
vf&li the Holy Scriptures + 1 8 3
Vou often fay indeed, that you inquire af-
ter the Truth ; but for all that, you wiil
irever be able to find it, as long as you
deny Him who is tfrufih itfelf. This is
\rfeat is declar'd in Ecclefi&fies j * / faid,
I *mtt be wife, but it w-as far from mv r
But with all your Reafmings about thefe
Matters, can you indeed find Reft to your
Souls ? Whether you are the Followers
of Socinus^ or, consulting better for your
feives, think fit to efpoufe the Errors of
AriuSy obferving the Teftimonies of Holy
Scripture fuffer'd too great Violence by
the Hypothecs of Socinus ; or whether
refraining your ielves from all human
Names, you defire to be diiUnguiili'd from
others, as Unitarians; or whether, to out-
ward Appearance, you are join'd to any
other Congregation, which yet privily or
openly denies the Divine Glory of jefiis
Chriji j pray examine your felves, whether
in all the Arguings of your wandring Rta-
fon y the Peace of G<o4, which furmounts
all Conception, can poflibly exift ? O !
how it were to be wiih'd, you would leam
eo know that Reafon has no Limits to her
Excurfions, when unreftrain'd by a higher
Power : On which Subject St. Paul thus
fpeaks :, -j- And my Speech find my Preach-
ing was not with enticing Words of Man's
Wifdom> but in dtmonftration of the Sfirit
N 4 and
* Ecdef. vii. 23. f i C-of, ii. 4.
*\
184 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
and of Power. And Chrifl himfclf thus ;
* Murmur not among your fefoes, (becaufe
I faid, I came down from Heaven :) No
Man can come to me, except the Father
which hath fent me, draw him j and I will
raife him up at the lajl Day. It is writ-
ten in the Prophets, And they foall be all
taught of Goa. Every Man therefore that
hath beard, and bath learned of the Father,
cometh unto me. The Senfe of which
Words none of you can comprehend, who
conftitute your dark and blind Reafon the
proper Judge in Things Spiritual, and re-
fufe to lubmit your ielves to God, for the
Knowledge of the Light in his Light. I
know very well what They anfwer to this:
That it's not the way to know the Truth
for a Man to fupprefs his Scruples, and
prefently to rejedt every Thing which may
feem to oppofe this or that Proportion :
that this is rather the way to eftablifh Ig-
norance and palpable Errors in the World.
But to this I anfwer, firft, That it can't
be denied, that all Doubting concerning
jDivine Truth, arifes not at all from the
Image of God, (wherein Man was at firfl
made) but from the Revolt of Adam ;
and fmce ,fuch Doubting is not of God,
it can be nothing but Sin and Iniquity in
his Sight. 'Tis dreadful to fay, but the
Truth is, Men have fo far departed from
their
* John vi. 43-^45.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 185
their Creator, as to call in queftion his very
Exiftence : 'tis alfo dreadful to think they
fhould doubt of His Glory, who, through
his immenfe Love to Mankind, fo depref-
fed and humbled Himfelf, as to become a
Partaker of Flem and Blood. But how
dreadful is it, that after the Son of God
was made Man, Reafon, infected with the
Seed of the Serpent, mould dare to make
a Doubt of his Glory -, which He had emp-
tied himfelf of, out of his ineffable Love
and Humility / Wherefore he is fhame-
fully deceived, who fancies it lawful for
him to doubt of any Thing, without Sin
and without Punimment. Secondly, If
any one therefore has various Doubts in
his Mind, he ought firft of all, for that
very Reafon, to acknowledge the deep De-
pravity and the greatnefs of the Mifery
he labours under j and to let the Confide-
ration thereof fink deep into his Mind.
Thirdly, He then muft pray to God to deli-
ver him from this Mifery, and, out of the
Abundance of his Grace and Mercy, caufe
his Heart to he ejlablifoed -, for the Apoflle
fays, // is a good Thing that the Heart be
ejtablijhed e with Grace, Heb. xiii. 9. For
'tis the Beginning oftrueWifdom, to know
that we cannot be delivered from our Mi-
fery, unlefs God is pleafed to deliver us.
Add to this, fourthly, That a Man muft
not only be defirous of knowing the Truth,
but
1 86 Chrtft the Sum and Suiftance
but of performing it, or endeavouring fo
to imploy it, that God may thereby be
honoured and glorified according to his
Will. If this Love of the Truth be real-
ly engrafted in the Mind, then, fifthly,
The Scriptures of the Old and New Tel-
tament may be as it were a Touchftone,
by which any Scruple that arifes in the
Mind may be tried and examin'd, whether
it agrees with that written Word, or not.
But if a Man's Mind be fo difpos'd, as to
defire to know nothing but the pure Trvtb
of God, and to be therein fruitful to the
lard; and fo applies himfelf to the Scrip-
ture> not as a Matter, but comes to the
reading and Searching of it, as a young
Beginner and Difciple, that he may be
taught thro' the Word by the Prephetictd
and Apofidic&l Spirit \ then indeed he
takes the right way to be deliver'd from
his Scruples *. For thus, Scruples are not
fimply fupprefs'd, or ejected out of the
Mind, nor is the Man detain'd in Error,
or turn'd as it were into an Animal void
of Reafon ; but the Truth is fought after
in a due and juft Order, approved of God.
Thus meditating on the Words of Holy
Scripture, comparing one Scripture with
another, drawing Conclufiom from thence,
and weighing carefully the Force of Ar-
gument^ ought not to be efteem'd an
* HJ. the Orig. German.
^f all the Hofy Scripture** 187
dbufe of Reafm^ but rather thofe are the
very Things which God himfelf requires
to be done by us. And God cannot but
command his Light to arife upon fuch a
Man, thus suaxioufly folicitous about his
miferable State, and humbly feeking after
'Truth in the Fear of God, with ardent
Prayers to Him; St. Peter affirming, II <*
Epift. chap. i. 16-^-19. We have not fol-
lowed cunningly devijed fables, when we
made known unto you the Power and Com-
ing of our Lord Jejus Chrift, but were
Eye-witneffes of bis Majefty. For He rt-
J JU / J v
reived from God the Father, Honour and
Glory, when there came fuch 4 Voice to
Him from the excellent Glory, ^his is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well fleafed.
Jbid this Voice 'which came from Heaven
we heard, 'when ive <were 'with Him in the
holy Mount. We have alfo a more fur e
Word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do well
T
that ye take heed^ as unto a Light that
jhinetb in a dark Place y until the Day
davon^ and the Day-far arife in your
Hearts. And fo the Ufe of Reafon is not
rejected, but 'tis required only, that it be
made ufe of in a proper and holy Order ;
and that we pray with David, Open thou
mine Eyes, that I may behold wondrous
'Things out of thy Law *. But how hor-
ribly, and how dangeroufly corrupt Rea-
fon
* ffdm cxix. 18.
1 8 8 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
fin is wont to entangle itfelf, nay, how apt
it is to pervert the Senfe of the cleareft
Truth, and then to vent all this its De-
pravity for undoubted Truth, a Man then
at lalt rightly perceives, when being illu-
minated by the Light of God, he begins
to be feniible of his former Errors. Hence
the Son of Sirach fays, * (as the German
Tranflation hath it, to which the Englijh
agrees) / Jlretch'd forth my Hands to
the Heaven above, and my Soul was en-
lightned, that I might know my Foolifh-
nefs, When the uneven and abrupt By-
paths of Reafon are by this means clear 'd
up by a more fublime Light, a Man muft
needs wonder and ftand amazed at his own
Blindnefs, that he mould but devife even
any fpecious Contradiction againft the
Truth, delivered in the plaineft Terms,
and give more credit to his own Inter-
pretation, than to the fimple, pure, and
clear Word of God. Then at length he
begins to perceive the Judgment which
is exercis'd from above, on thofe who
do not feek the Truth ferioufly in the
Fear of God; viz. that profejjing them-
fehes to be wife, they became Fools -f- :
and that God will deftroy the Wifdom of r
the Wife, and will bring to nothing the
Under/landing of the Prudent . And if
this hapned to the Heathen, who never
heard
* Chap. li. 19. f Rm. i. 32. '$ I Car. i. 19.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 189
heard any Thing of the Light of the Holy
Spirit, becaufe they were contented with,
or rather abufed the Light of Reafon,
thro' their Ignorance ; pray what will be-
come of them, who have heard again and
again the Divine Teftimonies concerning
the Blindnefs of Man's Heart > to whom
God has yet promifed he will not deny
his Holy Spirit, for the right Underftand-
ing of his Word, if they feek it of Him in
a due manner ; who neverthelefs not only
make their own Reajbn the "Judge and In-
terpreter of God's Word, but are not afraid
even to feoff at whatever is fpoke con-
cerning the Illumination of the Holy Spi->
rit, without which they cannot fay that
Jefus is the Lord> (i Cor. xii. 3.) nor be-
lieve in Him, nor come unto Him. They
pleafe themfelves in this, that they know
how to ufe their Reafon fo rarely well,
fancying they have Light enough for at-
taining the Knowledge of Divine 'Truth.
But indeed herein alfo they are extremely
miftaken, being as far from following the
right Ufe of Reafon, as Heaven is from
the Earth ; tho' nothing may feem more
abfurd to them, than fuch an Imputation.
But 'tis eafy to make an Experiment of
this, by requiring any Perfon, who denies
the Divine Glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift,
to interpret the Beginning of St. John's
Gofpel, from the firft Verfe to the End
of
1 90 Chrijt the Sum and Sukftance
of the eigjbbteeath ; and to maintain from
thence his pre-conceiv'd Notions concern-
ing the Perjsn of Chrijk. There is no
need of interrupting him in his Comments,
for you will find he has Work enough
upon his Hands to aflign any other Senfe
to the Word^ and Phra-fes of St. John,
than what their natural Signification ad-
mits of, and to perfwade any one that the
Word of God, which was made Flejh y was
a rneer Man, or certainly a created Being >
and I am perfwaded that they who hear
him, and fee with their Eyes how greatly
he labour'd te* wreft the Words to his owr
Senfe, will be very much confirin'd in the
true Faith, from the fimple and plain
Teftimony of St Jehn,. concerning the
Divine Glory of Ckrift. Fo* they will
underftand, that He, of all others, fights
mo& absurdly againft the Truth,
woulds be thought fo to ufe his Reafojr y
not rn-ueh to regard a. higher Ugbt.
SECT,
of ali the Hofy &riptures. 191
SECT. LVI.
What ought to be thought o
'who deny the. Godhead of Chrift,
and yet mightily pretend to good
Moral DoElrine and Integrity of
Life.
BUT 'tis- a Thing the more to be la*
mcnted^ that they who deny the Divine
Glory of Him, who is the Way, the ^rutb^
and tke. Life, and without w4iom> no Man
caa come tathe Fafb<?r, ilioutd endeavour
to perfwade themfelves, and others, that
they are endued with- a fingular Knowledge
of Morality. As indeed there are not a
few $> &rangefy blinded, that tho' they
hear of fome Se<ft, who deny the Godhead
of Chrifl, and do not admit of his. Satif-
faction for the Sins of the World^ but look
upon Chriji only as an Example of a Holy
Life, do neverthelefs fall upon the moral
Wr kings of fach Men, with a curious
kind of Greedinefs, imagining they ihall
ftnd fomething in- them fingukr anwi ex-
traofdina-iy. And this is not to be much
wonder'd at ; for even in the Writings of
the Pagans, bUnA Reafon finds fooaething
of this kind- to give itfelf Satisfadiion.
How gre*t a Value- has- focmerly been fet
upon
192 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
upon TW/y's Offices, out of which notwith-
ftanding they who have but tafled a little
of the Trutby which is in Chrift Jefus,
can by no means quench their Thirft-
but on the contrary, they will be quickly
fenfible what a falie, impure Foundation,
and contrary to the Truth of Chrift,
worldly Wifdom is made to rely on in that
Book. Have not fome adviied the join-
ing a Treatife of Seneca with the reading
of the Bible ? How mightily have they
thought their Minds would be compos'd,
if they did but read Seneca's Book of the
Tranquillity of the Mind? When yet this
poor Heathen, from his infufficient Prin-
ciples, could promife no other Peace, but
that which the World gives j and was as
remote from the Peace of God, which
pafleth all Underftanding> as Heaven is
diftant from the Earth. But if mere Hea-
then moral Doctrine is in fo great Efteem,
which yet has not fo much as the Name
of that. Virtue which ought to be the
Foundation of all other Virtues, viz. true
Humility ; much more eafily fure may a
Deceit creep in under the fhelter ofCbrift's
Name, that that mould be believed to be
true Morality, which is exhibited not as
a Heathen, but a Chriftian Inftitution of
Morals. But as the Heathen Moralifts
were fo deftitute of the true Foundation,
that they knew not even its firft Virtue,
of all the Holy Scriptures. 193
viz. Humility ; and therefore all their mo-
ral Doctrine was nothing but Paint and
Colour : So thofe Moralifts among our
felves, who do not acknowledge the Glory
of Chriji, have wandred very far from the
Doctrine of true Morality. For they do
not confefs Him, who is the Life and the
Light of Men ; from whom, as the Source
of Life and Light, a new Life, and a new
Light, muft be given unto Men : where- -
fore Faith is to be look'd on as the Foun-
dation of all Chriftian Morality ; not that
Faith by which a Man externally profeiTes
the Name of Chrift and his Doctrine, but
that Faith by which Men are born anew,
and of God ; by which they receive the
Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Adop-
tion, the Pledge of Eternal Life, and who
pafs from a fpiritual Death, into a new
and fpiritual Life, out of Darknefs into
the admirable Light of God, after fuch a
manner, as with open Face to behold, as
in a Glafs, the Glory of the Lord, and to
be changed into the fame Image from
Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of
the Lord *<
4
O SECT,
* A C&r. iii. 18,
194- Chrifl the Sum and Subftante
-
SECT. LVII.
*fhat all Morality, deflltute of the
Foundation of a living Faith, is
unprofitable and infufficient. What
Advice is to be given to thofe^ 'who
depart from this Foundation of
true Morality.
WHEN this divine Foundation is not
laid in the Soul of Man, all Morality with
which any one exercifes himfelf, is only
external, tho' it pretend to penetrate into
the interior Things of the Soul, that fo
you would be read}p to take it even for
Myjiical Theology. For in fuch Morality
as this, there is no truly Divine Virtue
exifting, no real new Lifers true Commu-
nion of the Soul with God j in mort, there
is not found in this Morality the King-
dom of God, 'which is Right eoufnejs, and
Peace ^ and Joy in the Holy Ghojt. For he
that in tbeje Things ferveth Chrifl^ faith
St. Paul, is acceptable to God, and approv-
ed of Men *. All other moral Doctrine,
compared with the Dodrine of St. Paul y
is of no value, as having laid this Foun-
dation, that it is not He that liveth, but
Chrijl liveth in Him ; and the Life which
H?
* ROM* xiv. 17, 18.
of all the Holy Scriptures.
He now liveth in the Flejh, He lives by the
Faith of the Son of God, who loved Him,
and gave himfelf for Him *. / do not
fruflrate the Grace of God ; for if Rigb-
teoufnefs comes by the Law, then Cbriji is
dead in vain. And thus we may fay ; if
there be a true and fufficient Morality,
that affigns not Chrift as the eternal Life
and eternal Light, for its Foundation, and
by which a Man is not before all Things
lent to believe in the Lord Jefus, as the
Origin of all Life and Light, and the Lord
of Glory, and to embrace Him as his on-
ly Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, SancYification,
and Redemption -, Chrift is in effect no
Chrijl, and died without Caufe or Occa-
iion. For what Occafion had there been
for his Death, if Mankind could, by the
Strength of their own Reafon, become
Righteous and Holy, and Partakers of eter-
nal Life ? If any one alfo {hall boaft of art
external Probity of Life, that Boafting is
of value only among thofe, who never ex-
perienced in themfelves the Foundation of
the new Birth, and the Life which is from
God. For fuch Perfons think it fufficient:
if they find a Man not addicted to outward
Vices, becaufe they have never known the
Efficacy of Faith and Regeneration. But
all thole that do know it, are fenfible what
a vaft Difference there is between thofe
O 2 who
* Gal. ii. 20, 21.
196 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
who may be faid to live pioufly, when
compared with notoriouily wicked Per-
fons, and between thofe who are pious
after fuch a manner, as by true Repen-
tance to be quickned together with Chrift,
raifed up (with Him) and placed in the
Heavens : (Eph. ii. 6. PhiL iii. 20.) We
do not here fay, that in fuch Morality,
which has no true Foundation, there is
nothing true to be found j but this we fay,
that thofe Truths (to wit, fuch as by their
opecioufnefs deceive the Mind) are broken
from their Original, and are no longer
join'd with their firft and clear Fountain.
Nay, we fay farther, that a true Founda-
tion is here very greatly wanting, and that
this Morality is deftitnte of all folid
Ground : For the Words of St. Paul moft
effectually demonftrate, that true Morality
cannot confift without the Knowledge of
the Glory of Chrifl 5 * Without Co?2tro e uerjy i
great is the Myjlery of Godlinejs^ God was
manifefted in the Flejh. Altho' therefore
in Heathen Books, and in others that are
Strangers to this only Foundation, there
are to be found fome external Truths, yet
many Things impure and corrupt are in-
termixt with them ; and whoever relies
only on thofe moral Principles, is never
brought by them to the true Foundation,
but Hops at thofe Puddles and broken
Citterns,
* i Tin. iii. 1 6.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 9 7
Cifterns, from whence the Soul receives
not the Efficacy and Virtue of the Divine
Life, but builds upon another's, and upon
his own fandy Bottom and Foundation ;
fo that he may be liken'd to the foolijh
Man * defcribed by Chrift. Now what
Advice is to be given to thofe who thus
go aftray from Chrift in their Minds ? No
other indeed but this: Believe that the
Lordjefus is CH R IS T, and that He
is the Son of God, (even fo as the ancient
Jews well underftood, that no meer Man,
or any other created Being, could be ftrid:-
ly honour'd with that Title) and that Re-
lieving this, ye fhall have Life, not only
after a natural Death, but even in this
World a true Life, which is from God, a
Life truly moral. O that Eternal Love
would open your Hearts, that you might
attend to this plain Counfel, and that you
would not defpife it, and think your felves
wifer ! O that you would know the Gift
of God, and (N. B.) 'who it is, to whom
you are remitted, you would afk of Him,
and He would give you living Water,
'which jhould be in you a Well of Water
fpringing up into everlajling -)- Life !
O 3 SECT.
* Matt. vii. 26, 27. f John iv. 10, 14.
I 9 8 Chrift the Sum and Subjtance
SECT. LVIII.
What Prayers and Praifes jhould
from thefe Confederations be excit-
ed in our Minds.
"TO Thee, O God, and Father of
" our Lord Jejus Chrift, be Praife and
'* Glory, for the Knowledge of thy Son,
tf together with which thou beftoweft
" Life and Abundance to all who truly
<c receive Him j we lament before Thee,
" with the utmoft Grief of Mind, that
<c this Knowledge is fo greatly darken'd
" by the wicked Lives of thofe, who with
<e their Mouth indeed profefs to acknow-
u ledge the Glory of thy Son, but in
" Work deny it. For they fay indeed
" unto Chrift, My Lord, and my God, but
'* they keep his Words much lefs than
" they would thofe of any Man who has
" Power over them. Grant therefore,
" that they who believe in thy Son, be-
" ing truly affeded with the Teftimony of
" the Holy Spirit concerning Him, may
" be fo deeply rooted with Faith in Him,
" that they may give due Honour to the
" Lord of Glory ; and when they feel in
" themfclves the Efficacy of a true and
" lively Faith, may teftify unto others the
* mighty Virtue and Power of a Faith
" found-
of all the Holy Scriptures. 1 99
" founded in the Name of thy Son. Have
" Mercy on them who are tempted with
" Doubts concerning the Knowledge of
u thy Son ; eftablifh their Hearts in the
" Truth, that they may verily know that
" Jefus Chrift is the fame yejierday, to day,
" and for ever; and that they may not
" be carried about with various and
" flrange Dodrines. And for thofe who
" difown the Glory of thy Son, be pleaf-
" ed, O Lord, to bring them out of their
c Errors, into the Way of Truth, and
" make them fenfible of the Nakednefs,
" Mifery, and diftrefled Condition of their
" Souls, that they may feek to Him, who
" can, and freely will deliver them from
" their Mifery, if they refufe not to re-
" ceive Him in fuch fort, as Thou haft
" exhibited tjiis thy Son to us in the Holy
" Scriptures. Grant that thy Truth may
" prevail more and more j command thy
" Light fo to mine, that Men may rea-
" dily acknowledge the Brightnefs of thy
" Glory, and the exprefs Image of thy
" Perjbn, and may be fo illuminated by
" the Sun of Right eoufnefs, fo enlivened,
" fo warmed in thy Love, and fo reple-
" nifh'd with the Fruits of Righteoufnefs,
" by Him who is our Righteoufnefs j that
1 Darknefs may be compelled to give
' place to Light, Night to clear Day,
" Death to true Life t Errors, Doubts, and
O 4 " Infi-
20O Chrift the Sum and Subftance
f( Infidelity, to manifeft and eternal *fruth.
" Thus will be fulfilled thofe Things
<c which David foretold of the Days of
" the Meffiah : * Ble/ed is the People that
" know the joyful Sound : they Jhall walk,
c< O Lord, in the Light of thy Countenance.
" In thy Name Jhall they rejoice all the
< Day : and in thy Right eoujhefs Jhall they
" be exalted. For thou art the Glory of their
<c Strength, and in thy Favour our Horn
<e Jhall be exalted. For the Lord is our De-
c< fence, and the Holy One of Ifrael is our
<c King.
The SIXTH MEDITATION.
SECT. LIX.
That 'tis to be considered, who Chrift
was before his Incarnation^ and
who He now is, after He was made
Man.
CONSIDER, O my Soul, who He
was, who gave Himfelf to be thy Savi-
our j who He was made, and who He now
is, after He became thy Saviour. Behold,
He ivas, before any Thing was j He then
was
* Pfalm Ixxxix. 1518.
of all the Holy Scriptures, 201
was prefent, when any Thing could be
faid to begin ; for his Appearance (or Go-
ings forth) has been from of old, from the
Beginning, from ever loft ing * : the eternal
Word j the eternal Life ; the eternal Light',
of the fame EfTence as God, and yet with
God; the only begotten Son of the Father,
who is in the Bofom of the Father, from
Eternity, and for ever, without any Change
(or Succeflion) of Time, according to his
Divinity ; the Maker of all Things j the
Original of Life and Light ; the Life and
Light of Men even before the Fall -, min-
ing after in the midft of Darknefs, and
yet the Darknefs neverthelefs comprehend-
ing it not ; a Light, with which any other
Light compared, tho' the moft pure, fe-
rene, and clear, muft be called a Shadow.
A Light, in comparifon of which, the
greateft among thofe that are born of Wo-
men, cannot be faid to be a true Light j a
Light which was in the World, before he
came into the World, yea, by which the ,
World was made ; a Light, which alone
can again illuminate Men, fallen into
Darknefs by the Revolt of Adam. It was
He, who by Right of Creation had the
whole World for his Property ; but took
to him Abraham and his Seed, the People
of Ifrael -f- by choice, by their Delivery
out of J Egypt, by the Covenant He
made
* Afif. r, 2. f Dettt, vii. 6, 7. f Extd. six. 4, 5, 6.
202 Chrtft the Sum and Subftance
made with them, * by Conjunction of
Blood, -f to be his peculiar People -, and
fo fent to them continually Prophets, and
'wife Men, and Scribes, J who were all to
teftify concerning Him, left when He
came unto his Temple, He mould not be
known to them. He it was, who had
Right and Power to reject a People, who
refufe to keep his Covenant ; and of re-
ceiving others who mould believe in his
Name, and of giving them Power to be-
come the Sons of God j not meerly by
fome external Adoption, but rather by a
true and a new Birth from God. Such a
Perfon was thy Saviour, and yet (as I
truft you have learn'd from the preceed-
ing Meditations) there have been therein
but a few Things fpoken concerning his
great and infinite Glory. When now He
was fo great a Perfon, what was He then
made ? Flejh. For the Word, faith St.
John, (whofe divine Glory he moft ftu-
dioufly inculcated) was made Flejh. Why
is it not faid, He 'was made Man ? Becaufe
his profound Humiliation might be better
underftood by the word Flejh : For when
the Scripture defcribes Men according to
their vain and corruptible Condition, it
calls them Flejh ||. And how can our
Mifery be better reprefented, than by con*
. lidering
* Deut. xxvi. 1 8. | Heb. ii. 6. J Matt, xxiii. 34.
fl Gen. vi. 12, 13.. I/a. xl. 6. i Pet. i. 24. Jam. L ib.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 203
fidering our felves as Flejh ? For which
Reafon the Holy Spirit, not only in this,
but in other Places alfo, expreffes the pro-
found Abafement of the Son of God by his
Incarnation, in this manner; * God was
manifeft in the Flejh. And, -j- Forafmuch
as the Children are Partakers of Flejh and
Blood, he alfo himfelf likewife took part of
the fame. Note, I pray, how this is ex-
hibited to Thee in his Birth, as it were
in an Image or outward Figure. For be-
hold, thy Saviour being fuch a one as has
been reprefented, viz. the Brightnefs of bis
Father's Glory, and the exprefs Image of
his Perfon, born in a Stable, a Place ap-
pointed for Beafts, and laid in a Manger,
that by this outward Sign thou mighteft
the better confider his deep Humiliation,
in condefcending to enter into, and to
cloath his great Majejly with our poor
fleflily Tabernacle. O moft wonderful
Humiliation ! Wert not Thou abalhed in
affuming our mean Flem, O Saviour of
the whole World ; and after taking upon
Thee human Nature, wouldefl Thou be
called God manifeft in the Flejh, when af-
ter our deplorable Apoftacy, the miferable
State in which we are, is become a Shame
and Difgrace to our very felves? How
incomprehenfible is this Humility, that
Thou wouldeft pleafe to be fo like unto
us
* i Tim. iii. 16. f Hel. u. 14-
204 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
us in all Things, Sin only excepted !
Confider then, O Soul, what thou poffef-
feft in thy Saviour , who was the eternal
God, and thy Creator, and was made Flejh.
Thou haft a Saviour, who is truly God,
and truly Man, a Perfon of two Natures,
infinitely different in Point of Dignity.
Hence the Prophet Ifaiah, among feveral
other Names, calls him in the firft Place
by that of N*JS Wonderful *. For fo won-
derful a Thing never was known before,
nor can the like to it ever exift again.
He is wonderful in his Glory, wonderful
in his Humility, wonderful in the Union
of the Godhead with the Manhood, won-
derful in his Office, wonderful in his
Words, in his Works, and in his Paffion,
wonderful in all the Things He was con-
verfant about. All who heard of his Birth,
were juftly ftruck with Admiration -f-.
This Admiration of thy Saviour is the
firft Spark of a true Faith : the firft de-
gree in bruifmg under thy Feet the Head
of the wily Serpent, or of carnal Reafon
and Prudence, as a certain pious Doctor
of the Church fpeaks. This holy Admi-
ration, in confidering the Myjiery of the
Incarnation, will lead Thee farther, that
thou mayft learn to know, with humble-
nefs of Mind, and profound Veneration,
what thou enjoyeft thro' thy Redeemer,
who
* If a. ix. 6. f Lukeu. 18.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 205
who chofe Flejh to be his Tabernacle and
Temple, in which He dwelt among Men,
that by the Deft ruction of this frail Tem-
ple, and by the wonderful Reftoration of
it, Humanity might become the eternal
Temple of the Deity ; which will more
plainly appear from the following Medi-
tation.
The SEVENTH MEDITATION.
Of the Benefits we enjoy by Jefus
Chrift.
SECT. LX.
"That God has embraced us in his Son
with an eternal Love, and that
from hence all manner of Good is
derived to us.
DOST Thou poflefs any Good, O my
Soul, which thou haft not from thy Ba-
r jiour> by Him, and in Him ? And can
there any Good be named, which Thou
canft not receive from Him, by Him, and
in Him ? In Him, **v -n *-AP<M* n< 0o7*7-,
all the Fulnefs of the Godhead, of univer-
fai Grace and Truth dwells ; and of his
Fulnef^ fays St. John, we do all receive,
4 #fe/r M ^/19-, and Grace for Grace -,
fo
206 Chr ift the Sum and Subftance
fo as Grace may be, as it were, recom-
penfed with Grace, and fo there may be
no End of Grace, of Love, and of Com-
paflion, to all Eternity. But if you would
know when thefe Mercies to us began,
you are to obferve, that Love and Divine
Grace in Chriji Jefus never had a Begin-
ning : For Grace 'was given us in Chr ift
jfejits before the World began *. You
ought to coniider this Expreflion, he
Word 'was in the Beginning with God,
(Joh. i. 2.) For we read thus in the Pro-
verbs of Solomon -, -f- Then I was by Him
as one brought up with Him, (pDN nourijh-
ed, or according to others, Worker) and
was daily my Delight, rejoicing always
before Him. Rejoicing in the habitable
Part of his Earth, and his Delights were
with the Sons of Men. Don't you per-
ceive what is meant by the Words, the Son
of God was from the Beginning with the
Father ? He was the Delight and Pleafure
of his Father, and as his Father loved
Him, fo He in like manner loved Men,
and they became his Delight. For as He
was the daily Delight of the Father, re-
joicing always before Him, fo He rejoiced
in the habitable Part of the Earth, and his
Delight was with the Sons of Men. And
as the Father fays concerning the Son,
This is my Son, my beloved Son, in whom
. * 2 Tim. i. 9. f Prev. viii. 30,31.
of all the Roly Scriptures. 207
/ am well pleafed ; fo from Eternity, i/<#-
*w, He was well pleafed, not only in
the Son, but alfo thro' the Son, in Men,
if they believed in the Name of this his
only begotten Son. Moreover, this eternal
Love of the Father towards Men in Chrift
Jefus, is fo fingular and wonderful, that
the Son of God himfelf fays of it ; * God
r o loved the World, that he gave his only be-
gotten Son, (that whofoever believeth in.
Him, Jhould not perifo, but have everlajl-
ing Life.) And St. Paul fays, f If God
be for us, 'who can be againft us ? He that
fpared not his own Son, but delivered Him
up for us all, how Jhall he not with Him
a lf frwly give us all Things ? If a Man
gives one Thing for another, he certainly
thereby lets us know, that he has an equal,
if not a greater Regard to that other
Thing, than to that which he gives for it.
For that which is deareft and moft accep-
table to any one, That he ufually retains.
Now God not only gave his Son for us
mortal Creatures, but deliver'd Him alfo
to Death for us, and required He mould
tafte what was due to Men for their Sins.
How amazing is this Love ! If God had
not loved us in his Son, if the Son him-
felf had not purfu'd us with a Love ex-
ceeding all meafure, nay, if the Son had
not been the very Mind of the Father,
which,
* John iii. 16. f Rom. vi, 31, 3*.
208 Chrift the Sum and Subftanct
which, the Father being touch'd by thd
Mifery of Man created by Him, was, to-
gether with Him, moved with Love and
Companion towards the whole lapfed
Race : Truly we could not but fay, that
He (hewed greater Love to us, than to his
only begotten Son. But fince the Manifef-
tation of all Love concenters in the Son,
and all the Love of the Father refts upon
Men thro' the Son, the Son himfelf de-
clares concerning this Thing, that the fame
Love, wherewith the Father loved Him, is
in them 'who believe y becaufe He is in them *.
If therefore the Love with which the Father
loves the Son, is infinite and meafurelefs;
the Love alfo with which the Father loves
us in Chrift, is an immenfe and infinite
Love : otherwife, how could any Man be
fo ram as but dare to think, that God fo
loves us, if we are in his Son, as He loves
his own only begotten Son ? O that thro'
our whole Life, we might fix the Eye of
our Faith on this Love, which from Eter-
nity beheld us, not only in our Fall, and
in that Mifery into which we were plung-
ed by the Fall, but which alfo fet up an
ineffable Salvation, that mould accrue to
us in Chrijt Jefus, who would tranflate us
from Death to Life, from Darknefs, Wrath,
the Curfe, and eternal Deftru&ion, into
eternal Light, eternal Favour, eternal Be-
ne-
* John xvii, 26,
of all ike Holy Scriptures.
nediction, and into eternal Safety, Joy,
and Glory. Yea, God knew us, /accord-
ing to his Omnifcience from all Eternity,
with this fame Love, as his Blefled Ones
deliver'd from all Sin, and from all the
Evils arifing to us from Sin, altogether
immaculate and blamelefs, cloathed with
the Glory and Majefty of his Son, bearing
his Refemblance, and exulting and rejoi-
cing before his Face for ever. This is that
Love, which cloathed the Son with hum-
ble Humanity, and which fo highly ex-
alted Humanity in the Son, that he pro-
mifed to place it on the right Hand of the
Majefty on high j To him that over comet h,
(through Chrift who ftrengthens him) will
I grant to Jit with me in my Throne, even
as I alfo overcame, and am Jet down with
my Father in his Throne *. What more
could be poffibly defired, O my Soul,
which thou may'ft not find in this Love?
That the Son of God mould be thy Crea-
tor, mould be thy Life, thy Light, which
illuminates thee ; that commands his Word
to be revealed to thee by the Prophets and
Apoftles, as a Teflimony of himlelf, the
true Light ; that the Angels themlelves
fhould bring thee glad Tidings, and re-
joice to minifter unto thee j that thou
fhouldft become a true Believer, obtain
Pardon for thy Sins, and be again born of
P God,
as.
2io Chrift the Sum and $
God, and fronp, the Fulnefs ojf his Grace
and Truth, fuck in all Divine Riches :
he l>ath brought forth to thee th$
Knowledge of Goa\ from the Bofom of hi*
heavenly Father, from the inmoft and
moft fecret Divi^ty j tri^t He hath, as
the true Zmmqnuel, led t;hee into Commu-
nion with GocJ j that thou being baptized
in the Name of the Holy Trinity, admit-
ted into an eternal Covenant with God y
fhouldft be anointed with the Holy Spirit,
and illuminated with his Gifts, be fanc-
tified, and by Him preferved in the true
Faith, and be ppwerfully ftrengthned in
all Conflict againft Sin, the World, Death,
tjie Devil, and Hsll 5 that nothing mould
ever be able to withdraw and feparate
thee from the Love of Ham ; nay, that
thou art come unto Mount Sion, and unto
the City of the living Gp4, the heavenly
ycrufa/em, and to an innumerable Company
of Angeh 5 to the general Ajfembly, and
Church of the Firft-born y which are writ-
ten in Heaven, a,nd to God the Judge of
all, and to the Spirits of juft Men, made-
perfect, and to Jefuf the Mediator of the.
Hew Covenant, and to the Blood of Sprink-
ling, that fpeaketh better, things than that
of Abel *. That thou mayft obtain, all,
tjiefe Felicities, here indeed by Faith, and
a comfortable Fore-taile ; hereafter^ by a
moft
* Heb. xii.
of all the Koly Scriptures, ait
moft perfect Intuition, and everlafting
Glory : And when Chrift thy Life fhall
be made manifeft, thou alfo mayft be ma-
tt ifefted with Him in Glory \ I fay, all
thefe Things, and whatfoever elfe can be
entitled to the Name of Salvation and
Bleffednefs, thou entirely oweft to this in- ;
finite Love t which manifefted itfelf to the
World in this, that the Son of God him-
felf became the Saviour of Men, in fuch
a manner, that He was made Man j and
his moft exalted Majefty dwelt in Flem,
as in his Temple, among Mortals ; of
which St. John fays, He dwelt among MJ
and we beheld his Glory i the Glofy as of
the only begotten of the Father^ full of
Grace and 'T'ritth,
2i2 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
\
The EIGHTH MEDITATION.
Concerning the truly Divine Order,
wherein we are made Partakers
of all the Benefits that accrue to
us by Chrift Jefus.
SECT. LXI.
In what manner and in what Order
we are to ufe the Benefits of Sal-
vation, obtained by Chrift for us.
I F thou defireft, O Soul, to partake of
fo great and ineftimable Benefits in Chrift,
thou muft obferve, that the Holy Spirit
himfelf hath mewn thee the Order by
which alone, and by no other Means, thou
mayft attain them. For the Scriptures
teftify, that no Man can be a Partaker of
them, who defpifes the Divine Order, but
will remain deprived of them through his
own Default. For this Caufe it is faid ;
the Darknefs comprehended it not ; (viz. the
Light :) and the World knew Him not j
and his own received Him not. But could
they indeed be fo infatuated, as not to
defire to be delivered out of all their Mi-
fery, and to be removed into a State of
eternal Joy and Glory ? They wifh'd to
be
of all the Holy Scriptures. 213
be altogether exempt from the Punim-
ment of Sin j but they defperately loved
their Sins at the fame Time ; and whofo-
ever endeavoured to reclaim them from
their long continued Habit of Sinning,
was reckon'd by them among their Ene-
mies. Now the Son of God was manifeft-
ed, that he might deftroy the Works of
the Devil; but they loved thefe Works
of the Devil, and would not fuffer that
they fhould be deftroyed in them. Hence
it is, that Chrift fays j * This is the Con-
demnation, that Light is come into the
World) and Men loved Darknefs rather
than Light, becaufe tbeir Deeds were evil.
They mightily defired to be Partakers of
eternal Joy, from the carnal Notion they
had of it, if it could be attain'd without
Repentance and Converfion ; which being
contrary to the Divine Order, they could
no more be Partakers of Chrift, than a
Man can be enlightned, who choofes to "
hide himfelf in a dark Cell, whilft the
Sun diffufes its fweet and pleafant Light
throughout the World. Therefore the
Holy Spirit hath appointed three impor-
tant Means in the Order, by which thou
mayft come to the Knowledge of every
good Thing that is in Chrift Jefus j viz.
i. That you receive Chrift. 2. That you
believe in his Name. 3. That you be born
P 3
* John iii. 19.
214 Chrtft the Sum and Subftance
again of God. That you may receive
Chrtft, it is requifite that you acknow-
ledge the miferable State into which you
were funk by the Fall. Sin is the Root
of all Evil j from this comes the Divine
Wrath and Punifhment, the various Mi-
feries and Calamities of Soul and Body,
Death temporal and eternal All thole
Evils are to be found out and known in.
their Root, that is, in Sin : For other-
wife, thou wouldft defire to be deliver 'd
from the (hameful and horrible Fruits of
Sin t viz. its Pumjhment ; but not from
Sin itfelf. But fuch is the Goodnefs and
Faithfulnefs of God, that He fufficiently
lays before us in his Word this great and
deplorable Mifery of Mankind. Befides,
every Man has in himfelf two ftrong Wit-
nefies, viz. his own Confcience, and daily
Experience^ which bear witnefs far beyond
all Contradiction, concerning both the in-
ternal and external Mifery of Mankind.
Therefore if you muft necefiarily believe
thefe two Witneffes, that thofe Things
are altogether true, which the Records of
Holy Writ pronounce concerning our pre-
fent Mifery, then you ought alfo to cre-
dit their Teftimony concerning the future,
Punifhment; of Sinners. Whoibever is fo
far convinc-'d of his own Mifery, will
find fbmething within him which makes
him wifti to be deliver'd from that Evil,
how
of all the Hoty Scriptures. 215
how ittuth foever his natural Ihclihatioh
to Vice, may continually urge him to
obey Siil farther, and live for ever in the
Lufts thereof. Then cotiles preventing
Grace, ofFer'dby God to Men in Cbrijt,
knocking at the Door of the Heart, and
Inuch defiring to be admitted. If there-
fore you do not refractorily bar its En-
trance, but father endeavour to make a
deeper Search Into the miferable State
therein yoti are plunged, and flackeri hot
$h the Works of Repentance ; there will
flow begin a (harp and fevere Conflict,
ChHft and Belial contending with one ano-
ther, which mall have the Dtaminkth over
you. But if you" refolve to go on with
the Combat, and will not treacherbufly
defer t Chrift, catling you out of Dafkhefs
into his marvellous Light, and when you
plainly find no Help in your felf, will
receive Chrift, as He who can alone refcue
and deliver you from your Mifery in this
Fight, which fometimes is very (harp, arid
painful to unruly FleuS : At length Faith
will fpring up, which is therefore called
Vi&ory -, becaufe there will be much Con-
flicting, before Infidelity can be througji-
ly fubdued, and Faith, like a heavenly
Light, and the Beginning of a Divine Life,
can arife in the Heart. By fuch a Faith*
you receive Chrift as Cbrift y that is, as
Him who appeared for this End, that He
P 4 might
2 1 6 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
might deftroy the Works of the Devil j as
one, for whofe fake not only your Sins are
forgiven, but divine Juftification alfo is
beftowed ; that for the future you may
boldly and full of Confidence call God
your Father. For if you have thus truly
embraced Chrift, you are born again of
God, by this fame Faith given you from
above ; not after a certain imaginary, but
a true and real manner : the Truth of
which you may certainly know, in that
you will find your Mind entirely changed
within you, your carnal Inclinations fub-
dued, and the Dominion of Sin taken
away -, your Ears and Eyes open'd, that
you may now fee, know and perceive, that,
being tranflated from fo great Darknefs
into the Light of God, and from Death
unto Life, you are made a Partaker of the
Divine Nature, and are become a new
Creature in Chrift', the Holy Spirit wit-
neffing at the fame Time with your Spi-r
rit, that you are the Son, and fo the Heir
of God, and a Coheir with Chrift. This
Order was declared by Chrift, when him-
felf preached the Gofpel of the Kingdom
of God\ faying, * The Time is fidfilled y
and the Kingdom of God is at hand : repent
ye, and believe the GoJ'peL
The
* Mark i. 15.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 217
The NINTH MEDITATION.
How we may be inftru&ed, from
the Beginning of St. Johns Gof-
pel, to know Chrift y as the Sum
and Subftance of the other Writ-
ings of St. John> and of all the
Holy Scriptures.
SECT. LXII.
That from the Beginning of St. John's
Gofpel) we may alfo learn after
what manner in his other Writings^
and throughout the whole Scrip-
ture* Chrift is to be known.
IF we (hould now apply the feveral
Meditations here propounded upon the
Beginning of St. John's Gofpel, as a Guide
for our better underftanding his other
Writings, viz. his whole Gofpel Hiftory,
his Epiflles, and Revelation, there would
thence be fuggefled to us a new Medita-
tion, larger than all that have gone before.
But for Brevity's fake, we will take no-
tice only of a few Things to the Purpofe
now mention'd. And in general 'tis to be
noted, that the Words and Expreffions
which
2i 8 Chrifl the Sum and Subftame
which St. John ufes in the Beginning of
his Gofpel, clearly difcover his ufual man-
ner of writing, or the Language of the
Holy Spirit which was in him. Whofo-
ever therefore rightly comprehends the
Senfe of thefe firft Verfes, will much more
eaiily underftand his true Senfe in many
other Places, when compared with thefe ;
as it muft be a great help to the folid In-
terpretation of the Writings of this Apof-
tle, that he every where ufes the fame
Way of fpeaking, and by this means ftamps
his Writings before others, with a cer-
tain peculiar Char aft er> whereby the
Senfe of his Words is lefs liable to Mif-
conftrudtion. But particularly this is,
as k were, his Character-, that he bears
Testimony of the *'*y& y or the Word of
God, which is moft fignifkarHly done in
this Place, to which he himfelf refers,
Rev. i. 2. How much he was concern'd
for this Title, may appear from his I ft E-
piftle i. i. and chap. v. 7. Rev. i. 9. ch. vi.
9. ch. xix. 13. and ch. xx. 4. of all which
Places, the plaineft Interpretation is to be
found in the Beginning of his Gofpel. In
like manner, you may fee throughout his
Gofpel, and his other Writings, the fame
Names by which he here diftinguifhes the
Son of God, given to Him upon all Occa-
iions. In this Place he calls Him the
Life : He does the fame, I ft Epift. i. 2.
ch.
of * all the Hofy Scriptures. 219
ch. iii. 15. ch. v. 11,20. So in his Gof-
pel, ch. xi. 25. and ch. xiv. 6. as this was
his ufual way of fpeaking, and taken in-
deed from the Mouth of our Saviour him-
felf, from which alfo the Beginning of
his Gofpel, and particularly thefe Expref-
iions, to have eternal Life, to give eternal
Life, did proceed. When therefore we
have known from the Beginning of St.
Johns Gofpel, that he calls the Son of
God the Life, not only becaufe he is our
Creator, and therefore gives us our natu-
ral Life ; nor only becaufe after this Life,
Or after Death, he will give eternal Life
unto thofe who have believed on Him, but
alfo becaufe He gives unto Believers the
living Waters^ that is, his Holy Spirit, as
the Origin of a new and divine Life, in
this Time of Grace j in many other Places
alfo, where he ufes the fame kind of Speech,
we mall the more eafily perceive that this
Word, and the Expreffions joined, with rr,
are not to be underftood of the Life after
Death j but that they every where urge
and enforce the ffiiritual Life, (hidden to
the natural Man) in this our Time of
Grace. But this is the more to be re-
garded, becaufe many are of Opinion, (to
our great Grief !) that whatfoever is faid
concerning Eternal Life, belongs only to
a future State : from whence arifes this
great Difadvantage, that they, can't per-
ceive
Chrift the Sum and Subftance
ceive in themfelves the genuine Propriety
of the Kingdom of God, but deny the true
Happinefs of the Sons of God in this Life ;
and thence become fo much the lefs foli-
citous of being truly found in Chrift, the
true Life, and of truly beginning this Life
in the Time of Grace, here indeed by
Faith, but continuing it hereafter by In-
tuition for ever and ever. Moreover,
when St. John here calls the Son of God
the Light, by oppofing Darknefs to this
Light, he retains this very Manner and
Form of Speech, ch. iii. 19, 20. ch. viii.
12. ch. ix. 5. ch. xi. 9, 10. ch. xii. 35, 36,
46. i Epift. ii. 3. When therefore he hath
fo clearly declared his Mind concerning
the true Senfe of this Word, in the Begin-
ning of his Gofpel, by the Help of this
Declaration, we (hall the more eafily at-
tain his true Senfe of it in other Places.
How comfortable therefore is it to ob-
ferve, when he requires us to walk in the
Light, his Meaning is, that we mould
walk in Chrift Jefus, as St. Paul * fpeaks :
He here teftifies alfo that Chrift is full of
Grace and Truth ; both which Words
(Grace and Truth) he alfo makes ufe of in
other Places. Firft, he not only ufes the
Word Truth, but divers ways of Speaking
here and there agreeable to it -, as, -f to do
Truth ;
* c/. ii. 6.
t John iii. 21. i John i. 6.
^tfall the Holy Scriptures. 221
Truth ; * to be of the Truth ; -f- to walk in
the Truth j J in Spirit and in Truth ; and,
|| there is no Truth in him. And of the
Devil he faith ; ** He abode not in the
Truth. Nor does he feldom ufe the Words
true, trufyy whofe proper Signification ap-
pears from the Word AJ0ff, Truth, and
from Forms of Speech of the fame na-
ture. The Senfe therefore of the Holy
Spirit being known, when it fays, that
Chrift, full of Grace and Truth, dwells in
them, we mall be the lefs likely to miftake
it in other Places. But if we confider all
thefe Places together, we mall be the more
fully convinc'd, that the Word Truth is us'd
by St. John in a far more fublime and il-
luftrious Senfe, than ever it was ufed by
Heathen Authors, or by us now in com-
mon Converfation, where it ufes almoft
only to be taken for the Matter of our In-
tellect Contrary to which, 'tis eafy to
fee what an Efteem St. John had for this
Word; lince he was taught from the
Mouth of his Lord and Mafter, that He
himfelf was the Truth. This is an Exam-
ple, that the Beginning of St. John's Gof-
pel may ferve as a Key, whereby to inter-
pret his other Writings. If therefore
any one would apply thefe, or any other
of St. John's Expreffions, for the clearer
Know-
* i John iii. 19. f z John 4. 3 John 3.
J John iv. 24. J| i John i. 8. chap. ii. 4.
** Jobn viii. 44,
222 Chrift the Sum and Subftanct
Knowledge of the other Writings of
New Teftament, or of Mofes and the Pro-
phets, he would thereby be greatly en-
lightned in the true Senfe of the Divine
Word j to which End our preceding Se-
cond and Third Meditations might admi-
nifter fome Affiftance. But to our fore-
going Meditations, enlarged now beyond
what we firft intended, we here put a full
flop ; leaving it to the pious Reader to
think farther on thefe Things, with a due
Reverence to the Divine Word ; and to
take an occafion from thence fo to meditate
on other Places of the Holy Scriptures,
that he may learn to know Chrift, not fu-
perficially, but fubftantially and favingly,
to be the Sum and Subftance of the Holy
Scriptures ; and may thereby underftand
that what T^ertulllan affirms of the Writ-
ings of Mofes, Lib. III. againft Marcion,
may be truly faid of all Scripture; All
things in them, fays he, fpeak of Chrift^
and through Chriji they all Jpeak.
" God grant the Spirit of Grace and
" Wifdom to all thofe who fearch the
* c Scriptures out of Love to their Saviour
" and Redeemer, fo to uic their Teftimony
" concerning Him, that they may come to
** Him, and obtain Life in Him.
SECT;
of all the Holy Scriptures. 223
SECT.
JP'hat bejides this Inftance^ more at
large explained^ may farther con-
duce to the Knowledge of Chrift,
*as the Sum and Subftance of the
iHoly Scriptures.
If H E Specimen hitherto given, and fo
largely expounded, fhould not only in-
ftru cl you how Chrift may be fought for
in all the Holy Scriptures, as the Sum and
Sufy'lance of them 5 but (hould alfo ferve
to teach you, that you ought before all
Things to be certainly inform'd concern-
ing the Excellency of his Perfon, and of
bis Office, from the Foundation of Holy
Writ. But yet, for your farther Inftruc-
tion, 1 fhall add a few Things more con-
cerning the threefold Office of Chrift.
Fir ft therefore, as to what belongs to
the Office of Cbrift y you muft carefully
attend to this, That Jefus Chrift is that
Great Pt 'ophet fent by God into this World,
openly to declare his Counfel and Will to
Men : anet therefore you ought to receive
Him as, your only Mafterand Teacher, to
believe limply, and without any Contra-
djcTion, all that He fays i and to be fo
firmly peri r waded of this, that all his
Words and ,AtiQas may be to you a Rule
and
224 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
and Pattern of Faith and Manners. No
Man hath feen God at any time -, the only
begotten Son, which is in the Bofom of the
Father, He hath declared Him *.
If you lay not this for a Foundation,
and will not bend your Mind to it, that
like an humble and obedient Difciple you
may adhere to this great Teacher, and be-
lieve from your Heart, and pradtife alfo
whatfoever He himfelf fpdke, or com-
manded to be declared to you by thofe of
whom He faid, He that heareth you, hear-
eth me -, and he that defpijeth you, defpifeth
me -J- 5 all the Pains you take in feeking
Chrift in the Scriptures, is in vain. On
the contrary, if you lay this in your Soul
for a firm and immoveable Foundation,
He himfelf, whom you acknowledge to be
your Mafter and Teacher, will take you
into his School, and under his Difcipline
you will foon grow up, and advance for-
ward, and become a good Proficient : For
this Caufe, the Father cried out to us from
Heaven, fbis is my beloved Son in whom I
am well pleafed, Hear ye Him J. Obferve
therefore diligently, what Chrift himfelf
hath faid ; || My Dotfrine is not mine, but
his that fent me. If any Man will do his
Will, he Jhall know of the Doffrine, whe-
ther it be of God, or whether I fpeak of
my
* Join i.'iS. f Luke*. i6.
Matt. xvii. $. || John vii. 16, 17,
ef all the Holy Scriptures. 225
my felf. Here then we are not to obey
either Father or Mother, or any other
Perfon more than Chrift ; but we muft
do whatfoever Things He faith to us, and
prefer his Command before the Authority
of all Men ; tho' we mould fee it necefla-
ry to lofe all we have, and even Life itfelf^
for this Caufe. Thus Cbrift's Prophetick
Office ought not to be to you a bare Spe-
culation, but it mould draw you and your
whole Mind unto Chrift, that you may
deliver your felf entirely into his Hands,
and become his faithful Apprentice and
Scholar, and do or omit nothing, either in-
wardly or outwardly, but what is fuitable
to his Prefcript. For this is He of whom
Mofes prophefied j * the Lord thy God
will raife up unto thee a Prophet from the
midft of thee, of thy Brethren, like unto
me, unto Him ye Jh all hearken.
That you fo receive Chrift as that great
Teacher and Prophet given by God, is
indeed the Foundation j but you are to be
conducted farther than this, viz. to the
Knowledge of Him as the only Mediator
between God and Men -j- ; who not only
inftructs you concerning the Divine Ef-
fence and Will, but who is himfelf the
Author of eternal Salvation to thofe that
obey Him ; wherefore He is alfo named
by God, f a Priejl for ever after the Or-
Q der
* Deut. xviii. 15, f i Tim, ii. J< Heb, vil. 17, 21.
226 CbriJ} the Sum and Subftanct
der ofMelchifedeck. And this is the prin-
cipal Reafon why it fo much concerns you
to learn to know CbriJ} in the Holy Scrip-
tures, becauie you cannot come to God any
other way j and all your Safety and Hap-
pinefs depends upon Him alone, and upon
no other whatfoever. In Him you are to
acknowledge and contemplate the Length
and Breadth, the Depth and Height, of
the great Work of Man's Redemption. Of
Him Mofes, the Prophets, and the Pfalmf,
the Evangelifts and ApojUes, teftify with
one friendly Confent. All the Sacrifices
of the old Covenant do refer as types to
this Lamb of God, who prelented Himfelf
to be ilain and facrificed for the Sins of
the whole World.
In this you find how remarkable a Sig-
nification the Profovangelium (or the Pri-
mitive Gofpel)given unto Man mParadife
had, * and why it was fo often repeated j
our Forefathers built Altars, and facrifi-
cing upon them, proclaimed the Lord
whom they invoked. In this, the genuine
Signification of God's Covenant with Abra-
ham is difclofed to you ; and you will un-
derftand, that from that Covenant you
ought to feek the true Foundation of right-
ly knowing in what the Old and NewTe-
tament properly coniifts. In this, Mount
Moriah, with all thofe Things which were
done
* Gen. iii. 15.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 2 27
done Upon" it, will be rightly underftood
by you. In the Hiitory of Ijhmael and
Ifaac, Efau and Jacob, Jofeph and his
Brethren, you will difcover the Argument
of the Old and New Teftafnent, and fome
Epitome of all Ecclefiaflical Hiftory. So
you will ftill more rejoice, that Jofeph was
at laft made known to his Brethren.
The Egyptian Slavery will reprefent to
you your own miferable Condition j the
leading the Children of Ifrael through the
Red Sea, your Redemption by the Blood
of Chrijl ; the journeying through the
Wildernefs, the Days of your own Pilgri-
mage. Then you will find the true Paf-
chat Lamb, and will perceive in your
Heart the Potts fprinkled with his Blood.
The Tabernacle, the firft aad fecond Tem-
ple, and all their Statutes, Laws, Sanctifi-
cations, and Purifications, will be reveal-
ed to you in the Word that was made
Flejh, and tewum, dwelt, or pitch'd his
Tabernacle among us, and in us. How
greatly did David rejoice, when perceiv-
ing * the fpiritual Meaning of the xiv^
Chapter of Leviticus, he looked upon him
felf as a fpiritual Leper, cleanfed by the
Sacrifice of Chrift, and iprinkled with the
HyiTop of the Gofpel ! Thus you will
know the true Jojkua, leading the People
of God to their Reft. Thus you will learn
Qj> to
* Pfafm li. 8.
228 Chrijt the Sum and Subftance
to underftand, from the true Senfe of the
Spirit, the manifold Conflicts of the Chil-
dren of Ifrael with the Canaanites j and
that Samjbn, and other Deliverers given
them by God, were types of Chrift. In
this alfo you will more deeply confider
David and his Calamities, and the King-
dom of David and Solomon, not only ac-
cording to their external Hiftory, but alfo
according to their myftical Signification in
reference to Chrift ; and you will likewife
read the PJalms of David with greater Be-
nefit. You will confider the Babylo?zifo
Captivity, and the Deliverance from it,
after a long Space of Time, as a Type alfo.
Here you will know, that all the Writers
who came after Mofes t drew from Him,
as from a Fountain j and therefore you'll
have iufficient Reafons to read Him dili-
gently and attentively, before all the other
Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and to
weigh accurately all his Words ; and the
JLpiftle to the Hebrews will be helpful
to you for a right Interpretation of the
Books of Mofes. But in all the Holy Writ-
ings, you will find the Fall of the firft
Man, and his Reftitution by Chrift, fet
.before you in almoft innumerable Types
and Figures. Nay, if you truly believe in
Je/us Chrift, and in Him fhall turn your
felf unto the Lord God, the Veil of Mofes
(hall be taken away from your Heart, and
you
of all the Holy Scriptures. 229
you (hall with open Face, beholding, as in
a Glafs, the Glory of the Lord, be tranf-
formed into the fame Image from Glory to
Glory ', even as by the Spirit of the Lord *.
This Knowledge will lead you ftill far-
ther, and will teach you, that Cbrift is
not only your Prophet and Prieft, but your
King alfo : For He has a Royal Priefthood,
according to the Order of Melchifedeck.
Then you will perceive, with the Fathers
of the Church, what Depths of Knowledge
lie hid in the fhort Defcription of the
Priefthood of Melchifedeck -f . David in
Spirit beheld them J : St. Paul, from the
Power of the Holy Spirit in the New
Teftament, ftill more clearly difclofes
them in his Epiftle to the Hebrews ||. But
the Revelation of our Lord Jefus thrift,
reprefents to us the moft clearly of all,
this Royal Priejlhood, and gives us a Key
to all the Books of the Old and New Tef-
tament ; fo that you may clearly difcern,
as in a Picture, the Kingdom of the Lord y
and of his Anoint ed- y the Manner and Na-
ture of its Government, Statutes, and
Judgments ; the glorious Splendor of this
Kingdom ; the heavenly Council j the fe-
cret Ways of God j the Harmony of the
Kingdom of Grace and Glory ; the Diver-
lity of Inhabitants ; their Suftentation, De-
* 2 Cor. iii. 18. t Gr- xiv. 1820.
$ Pjalm ex. |] Heb. vii.
23 Chrift the Sum and Subjt^nce
fence, and at laft their Glorification.
There you will rightly learn to diftinguifh
between the twofold State of Cbriji, that
of his Exinanitton, and that of his Exal-
tation ; and you, as well in that, as in this,
will find great Confolation. Then you
will not perplex the Words of the Pro-
phets, nor wreft them to your own pre-
eonceiv'd Opinions ; but all being placed
in their proper Order, you will neither
derogate from the Glory of your Saviour,
nor from his Exinanition that went before
it. Then you will be able to diftinguim
the Times rightly, and in that Diftinction
you will plainly fee, how friendly and
fweetly the whole Choir of the Prophets
confpire together. If your Faith be found-
ed in the Knowledge of the Propbetick
Office of Cbrijiy if it be ftrengthned by
the Knowledge of his Prieftly Office, it will
certainly be eftablifhed and perfected by
the Knowledge of this Royal Priejlhood of
Melchifedecky as in which there is com-
prehended the Glory of our Lord Jefus
Cbrijl.
John Arndius, in his Evangelical Poftill,
Sermon IV. on the firft Sunday in Advent,
comprehends the Teftimonies of the Pro-
pbets concerning the Regal Dignity of
Chrift in this manner : " It is altogether
" fit that the King and Lord of Glory,
" whom all the Angels of God adore, at
" whofe
of all the Holy Scriptures. 231
ct whofe Name every Knee bows itfelf, of
" Things in Heaven, and Things on Earth,
" and Things under the Earth, mould
" command his Trumpets, Tabrets, Pre-
" centors and Proclaimers, to precede his
" Advent. David played with his Pfal-
" tery and Harp before Him, danced be-
<( fore Him, as he did before the Ark of
" the Covenant, and before the Mercy-
" feat. Ifaiah and 'Joel were two of his
" mighty Trumpets : Ifaiab fays, Chap.
" xl. 9 1 1 . Say unto the Cities of Ju-
" daby Behold your God. Behold, the Lord
" God will come with a Jlrong Hand (or,
" againft the Strong) and his Arm foall
" rule for him : Moldy his Reward is with
" him, and his Work before him. Hejhall
" feed his Flock like a Shepherd : Hejhall
" gather the Lambs with (or into) his Arm,
" and carry them in his Bofom, and Jh all
" gently lead thofe that are with young,
" And, * Go through, go through the
" Gates ; prepare you the Way of the
" People. Caft up, cajl up the High-
" way : gather out the Stones, lift up a
" Standard jor the People. Behold, the
" Lord hath proclaimed unto the End of the
" World, Say ye to the Daughter of Zion,
** behold thy Salvation comet h ; behold, his
" Reward is with Him, and his Work be-
" fore Him. And they jhall call them, The
Q_4 " holy
* Ij'a. Ixii. ic iz.
332 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
" holy People, 'the Redeemed of the Lord :
" And thou Jhalt be called. Sought out, a
" City not forjaken. Joel has the firft
" Pentecoftal Sermon upon the new Fefti-
" val of the Evangelical Pentecoji. Jere-
11 miah, with his trembling Voice from
<c his continual weeping, was a Trumpe-
" ter of the Lord, and faid, * O the Hope
*' of Ifrael, the Saviour thereof in time of
" Trouble ! And, ,f Heal me, O Lord,
" and I Jhall be healed ; fave me, and I
" Jhall be Caved : for Thou art my Praife.
Cf J This ts his Name whereby he Jhall be
" called, The Lord our Right eoufnefs.
* Ezekiel, with his wonderful Chariot,
" was, as it were, an Equeftrial Leader
<c to the Lord. Daniel's Timbrel de-
c< clares, that the Mefliah' would come
under the Empire of the Romans. Ho-
fe fea was a Woer for the Lord, for he
fays -, I will betroth thee unto me for
ever ; yea, I will betroth thee unto me
" in Right eoufnefs, and in Judgment, and
" in loving Kindnefs, and in Mercies. \\ I
" will even betroth thee unto me in Faith-
< fulnefs, and thou Jhalt know the Lord,
" (or, that thou mayjl know the Lord.)
" Jonas was a Sign and a Type of the
cc MeJJiah in the Belly of the Whale. Mi-
" cab and Haggai were Harbingers, to
" provide
5* Jer. xiv. 8. f Chap. xvii. 14.
$ Jtr. xxiii. 6. |j Hof. ii. 19, 20.
<e
"
of all the Holy Scriptures. 233
provide Lodgings for this King : for the
<c one names Bethlehem, and prepares Him
" Entertainment there ; the other calls
" Him, The Dejire of all Nations. Ze-
" chariah and Malachi were Proclaimers
" of Him : for the firft cries, * Sing and
" rejoice, O Daughter of Zion -, jhout, O
" D aught er of Jerujalem; behold, thy King
* c comet h unto thee : The other cries, "j-.Zfe-
(c hold, I will fend my MeJJ'enger, and he
t{ Jhall prepare the Way before me. Amos,
" Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah t
" were Precentors to the Lord, as their
" Prophecies teftify. Amos fays, J The
" Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his
" Voice from Jerufalem : Obadiah, \\ Upon.
<c Mount Zion Jhall be Deliverance, (or,
" they that efcape -,) and there Jhall be Ho-
c< linej's, (or, it Jhall be holy.) Nahum,
cc *# fffo Lord i s good, a ftrong Hold (or,
<e Strength) in the Day of Trouble, and He
<e knoiveth them that truft in Him. But
ct with an overrunning Flood he will make
<e an utter End of the Place thereof, and
< Darknefs Jhall purfue his Enemies. Ha-
" bakkuk, -f-j- The Vifion is yet for an ap-
? pointed Time, but at the End it Jhall
" fpeak, and not lie. Zephaniah, %% Sing,
" O Daughter of Zion ; Jhout, O Ifrael ;
" be
* Zecb. ii. 10. f Mai. iii. i. ^ Amos i- 2
17.
ii. 3. 43 Z^. fli. 14, 17-
234 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
" be glad, and rejoice with all the Heart,
<c O Daughter of Jerufalem. he Lord
" bath taken away thy Judgments, he hath
<e caft out thine Enemy : fhe King of If-
" rael, even the Lord, is in the midft of
" thee : thou Jhalt not fee Evil any more.
" In that Day it jhall be faid to Jerufa-
" km, Fear thou not ; and to Zion t Let not
" thine Hands bejlack. 'The Lord thy God
" in the midft of thee is Mighty : he will
" fave, he will rejoice over thee with Joy :
" He will reft in his Love, he will joy over
" thee with Singing. And thefe all pre-
<c ceeded His moft welcome Advent, as
" Princes (and great Lords) ufually walk
" before their King.
SECT. LX1V.
TChat a diligent Confederation of the
Names and Appellations c/"Chrift,
affords alfo great InftruEiion.
YOU will make no fmall Progrefs in
the Knowledge of Chrift, if you attend to
the various Names by which He is diftin-
guifhed in the Holy Scriptures > for which
Purpofe you find them here collected to-
gether in fome Order. He is called then,
According to his Divine Nature,
I. Jefus. Luk. ii. 21. ch. 1.31. Matt. i.2i.
Arndius
of all the Holy Scriptures. 235
Arndius faith, The whole Gofpel is com-
prehended in the Name Jefus : For the
Gofpel is not to be meafured and judg'd
of from a multitude of Words, but by
its Value. And as Pearls are found in
the Sea, fo in the vail Sea of the Sacred
Scriptures, tne moft noble Pearl is the
holy Name Jefus.. ... ^^
2. Jefus Chrift, the fame yefterday, to day,
and for ever. Heb. xiii. 8. ch. i. 12.
3. Jebova, the Lord, the Lord of Hofls.
Ifa. liv. 5.
4. The Lord our Righteoufnefs. Jer.xxiii.6.
5. The Lord who fpoke with Abraham,
Gen. xviii. I, 13, 17.
6. God and Man, wreuling with Jacob y
and in whom Jacob faw God with his
Eyes. Gen. xxxii. 25,29,3 1. Hof. xii.5.
7. He that appeared and dwelt in the Bum,
whofe Good-will and Bleffing was to
have come upon the Head of Jofeph.
Exod. iii. 2. Deut. xxxiii. 16.
8. The Prefence of the Lord. Exod.
xxxiii. 14.
9. God. John i. i. 2 Tim. iii. 16.
10. The Great God. Tit. ii. 13.
11. God overall, bleffed for ever. Rom.
ix. 5.
12. God who is in the Heavens. Pf. cxv.g.
13. The true God and Eternal Life. I
John v. 20.
14. He
236 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
14. He that is called, the God of the whole
Earth. Ifa. liv. 5.
15. The mighty God. Ifa. ix. 6.
1 6. The everlafting Father. Ifa. ix. 6.
17. A Man next to God, (EngHJh Tran-
flation, His Fellow.) Zech. xiii. 7. Matt.
xxvi. 31.
1 8. A Worker, or one brought up with
Him. Prov. viii. 30, 31.
19. God's own Son. Rom. viii. 32.
20. God's dear Son, rlos 7** dyw< rim. Col.
i. 13. or the beloved Son, in whom the
Father is well pleafed. Matt. iii. 17.
Jedidiah. 2 Sam. xii. 25.
21. The only begotten Son of God, full of
Grace and Truth. John i. 14.
22. The Son, who is in the Bofom of the
Father. John i. 18.
23. The Son of the moil high and living
God. John ix. 35. Matt.xvi. 16. Mark
v. 7.
24. God's holy Child Jtfus. AcTs iv. 27.
25. The Son. John iii. 35,36. Pfal. ii. 12.
i John ii. 22, 23. Heb. i. 8.
26. The Son of the Father. 2 John 3.
27. The Word of God. Rev. i. 2. ch. xix.
13. The Word of the Lord. Pfalm
xxxiii. 6.
28. The Word. John i. i.
29. The Day-fpring from on High, 'AMT^
eg tM*f. Luke i. 78.
30. The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 237
30. The Brightnefs of his Glory, and the
exprefs Image of his Perfon. Heb. i. 3.
31. The Image of the invifible God. Col.
i. ic.
32. The Ruler, wnofe Goings-forth have
been from of old, from everlafting. Mi-
TT^
cah v. 2.
33. The Beginning of the Creation of
God. Rev. iii. 14.
34. The Firft-born of every Creature.
Col.i. 15.
35. The Firft-begotten, whom all the
Angels of God worfhip. Heb. i. 6.
36. The Angel, in whom is the Name of
the Lord. Exod. xxiii. ? i.
37. The God of Glory. A6ts vii. 2.
38. The Lord of Glory, i Cor. ii. 8.
39. The Lord at the right Hand of God*
Pfalm ex. 5.
40. Our Lord and our God. John xx. 28.
41. The Lord from Heaven, i Cor. xv. 47.
42. The Lord, whom all Angels, and all
Creatures do worfhip. Pfalm xcvii. 7.
Heb. i. 6. Rev. v. 13.
43. God, whofe Throne is for ever and
ever. Pfalm xlv. 7. Heb. L 8, 9.
44. God, who laid the Foundation of the
Earth, and the Heavens are the Work
of his Hands. Pfalm cii. 25. Heb. i.
19, ii. Col. i. 16, 17.
45. Who is, before Abraham was. John
viii, 58.
46. Wif-
238 Chrift the Sum and Subflanee
46. Wifdom, which the Lord poffefled in
the Beginning of his Way. Prov. viii.
2225.
47. The Lord of the Sabbath. Matt. xli.
8. Mark ii. 28.
48. The Lord of David. Pfalm e*. i.
Matt. xxii. 43.
49. The Holy of Holies, the Holy One of
IJraeL Dan. ix. 24. Ifa. IiV. 5. John
xvii. 19. 1 John ii. 20.
50. The Alpha and Omega, the, Firft and
the Laft. Rev. i. n. Ifa. xli. 4. ch..
xliv. 6. ch. xlviii. 12;
5-1. Who is, and who was, and who is to-.
come. . Rev. i. 4.
The Hebrew Divine Names affigned to
Chrift in the Holy Scriptures, have a fm-
gular Emphafis > and give a moft effectual
Teftimony to his Divine Nature and M<r-
The chief of which are as follows:
(
^N The Almighty God. Gen. xvii. i. Ifa.
ix. 6.
rh& or 071*7** God, to be worfhipped,
Pfalm xlv. 6, 7. (Heb. i. 8.) Pf. xlvii. 6.
Pf. Ixviii. 1 8, 19. (Ephef.iv. 8.)
ltlt n^H* The Lord God of Hofts,
Ifa. viii. 13. (i Pet. ii. 8.) Ifa. liv. 5.
The Higheft. Pfalm xlvii. 3.
rrnx IPX nrw or rrn> "it^N He that
(hall
of all the Holy Scriptures. 239
(hall be, who is to come. Exocl. iii. 14.
Rev. i. i-8.
The Glorious God. Pfalm Ixviii. ,5,19.
The effential, fubfifting God. Exod
xvii. 2. Numb.xiv. 22. (i Cor. x. 9.) Ifa.
vi.i. (Joh. xii.4i.)Ifa. viii. 13, 14. (Luke
ii.34. i Pet. ii.8.)Ifa. xlv.2i 2 3. (Rom.
xiv. u.) Jer. xxiii. 6. chap, xxxiii. 16.
The fupreme Being.
God, Self-fufficient, or Omnipotent.
Gen. xvii. i. ch. xxviii. 3. ch. xxxv. 1 1.
Exod. vi. 3.
01* God, the Proteftor of all 'Things.
Gen. xviii. 27, 30. Judg. vi. 15.
The Lord, the Governour, my
Lord. Pfalm ex. i. (Matt. xxii. 44,45.)
The Lord of the whole
Earth. Pfalm xcvii. 5.
The Lord .of Lords. Pfalm
cxxxvi. 3.
^Dy God with us. Ifa. vii. 14. ch.viii.
8, 10. (Matt. i. 23.) This Name is af-
figned to Chrift) in the Hebrrw, with A
fingular Emphafis.
The Angel, JJ#T Ifatft, the Captain
and great Ambaflador, to whom the
Holy Scriptures afcribe Divine Proper-
ties. Exod. xlviii. 16. Hof.xii. 4. Where-
fore He is alfo called,
^D The Angel of the Lord. Gen.
xlviii. 1 6. Exod. iii. 2. (where He is af-
terwards, in Verfes 4, 6, 7, call'd mn>)
Zach. xii. 8. And,
240 Cbrift the Sum and Subjlance
The Angel (or Meflenger)
of the Covenant. Mai. iii. i.
The Names which atteft the true Huma*
nity of Chrift.
1. The Man Cbrift Jefus. i Tim. ii. c.
Heb. ii. 6.
2. The Son of Man. Pfalm viii. 4. Heb*
ii. 6. Matt. xvi. 13. A&svii. 56. Rev.i*
13. ch. xiv. 14.
3. The one Man. Rom. v. 15.
4. The Heavenly Man. i Cor. xv. 49;
5. Fairer than the Children of Men. Pfl
xlv. 2.
6. The Second Man. i Cor. xv: 47.
7. The laft Adam, i Cor. xv. 45*
8. The Seed of the Woman* Gen. iii. 15.
Gal. iv. 4.
g. The Seed of Abraham. Gal. iii. 1 6.
i o. The Seed of I/a a c. Gen. xxvi. 4.
1 1. The Seed of Jacob. Gen. xxviii. 14.
12. A Star out of Jacob. Numb.xxiv.
13. The Lion of the Tribe of jW<z
v - 5-
14. He that {hall grow up as a tender
Plant, and as a Root out of a dry
Ground. Ifa. liii. 2.
15. A Root of Jc/e, which (hall ftand
for an Enfign of the People, to Him
(hall the Gen files feek. Ifa. xi. 10.
1 6. The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 241
i-6. The Root of the Offspring of David*
Rev. xxii. 16.
17. A Rod out of the Root of Jejfc. Ifa.
xi. i.
1 8. The Root of David. Rev. v. 5.
19. The Son of David. Matt. xxii. 42.
20. The Beloved and Well-beloved of
If at ah. Ifa. v. I.
21. The Fruit of the Body of David*
Pfalm cxxxii. u.
22. A Righteous Branch unto David*
Jer. xxiii. 5. ch. xxxiii. 15.
23. The Firft-born Son of Mary. Luke
ii. 7. Matt. i. 25.
24. The blefled Fruit of the Womb of
Mary. Luke i. 42.
25. The Holy Thing which was born of
Mary. Luke i. 35. Dan. ix. 24.
26. A Child born to us, a Son given to us*
Ifa. ix. 6.
27. A Man-Child. Rev. xii. 5.
28. A Child. Ifa. vii. 16.
29. A Man. Gen. iv. I. ch. xxxii. 24,
Judg. xiii, 10, ii. Jer. xxxi. 22. Dan.x*
5. Zechar. i. 8, 10, n. ch. vi. 12. ch*
xiii. 7. Ezek. ix. 2, ii* ch. x. 2,6,7.
ch. xl. 3, 5. ch. xliii. 6. AcT:s ii. 22. eh.
xvii. 31*
30. Our Brother. Heb. ii. Ii, 12.
31. The Firft-born among many Brethren*
Rom. viii. 29.
R 32, Go<?&
242 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
32. God's Servant, the Branch, the Man
whofe Name is the Branch, who (hall
grow up out of his Place. Zech. iii. 8.
ch. vi. 12.
33' 3 e f us f Nazareth. Mark 1.24. ch.x.
47. ch. xiv. 67. and xvi. 6.
34. A Nazarene. Matt. ii. 23.
35. A Corn of Wheat. John xii. 24.
36. A Plant of Renown. Ezek. xxxiv.29.
37. The true Vine. John xv. i.
38. The Olive Tree. Rom. xi. 17,24.
39. The Apple Tree among the Trees of
the Wood. Cant. ii. 3.
}o. Flem. John i. 14. Ephef. v. 30.
I. A Servant. Ifa. Iii. 13.
42. God's Righteous Servant. Ifa. liii. 1 1.
43. A Sign which mall be fpoken againft.
Luke ii. 34.
44. A Reproach and Contempt of Men.
Pfalm xxii. 7.
45. A Worm, and no Man. Pfalm xxii. 6.
46. The Holy One Ton of God, who
was not fuffered to fee Corruption.
Pfalm xvi. 10. Ads ii. 27. Mark i. 24.
47. The Firft-fruits of them that flept.
j Cor. xv. 20.
The Names which teflify the Prophetick
Office of Chrift.
1. TheM^z.f,thatis, the Anointed. Jo. 1.41.
2, The Prophet. John vi. 14.
A 3- The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 243
3. The great Prophet that was to come
into the World. Deut. xviii. 15, 18.
Adts iii. 22. Luke vii. 16.
4. The Angel of the Covenant. Mai. iii, i.
5. The Eled: of God. Ifa. xlii. i.
6. The Apoftle. Heb. iii. i.
7. The Sent from God. John viii. 42.
Matt. xv. 24. Ifa. IxL i, 2.
8. He that was to come, *t%/Jti&.
9. Wifdom. Matt. xi. 19.
10. Wonderful, Counfellor. Ifa. ix. 6.
1 1. He that is Holy and True, and hath
the Key of David. Rev. iii. 7.
12. A Teacher come from God. John iii. 2.
13. Rabbi, Rabboni, (which is to fay, be-
ing interpreted, Majier) John i. 38. ch.
XX. 1 6. Matt, xxiii. 10.
14. Our Comforter. Ifa. li. 12.
15. The One Shepherd. Ezek. xxxiv. 23.
1 6. The Shepherd, making us lie down in
green Paftures. Pfalm xxiii. 1,2. Ezek.
xxxiv. 14.
17. The Shepherd, and Bifhop of our
Souls, i Pet. ii. 25.
1 8. The Chief Shepherd, i Pet. v. 4.
19. The Door of the Sheep-fold. Joh. x. 9.
20. The faithful Witnefs. Rev. i. 5.
21. Faithful and true. Rev. xix. n.
22. The Author and Finimer of our Faith.
Heb. xii. 2.
23. A Minifter of the Circumcifion. Rom.
xv. 8.
R a 24. The
244 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
24. The Servant of God to raife up the
Tribes of Jacob, and to reftore the Pre-
ferved of Ifrael. Ifai. xlix. 6.
25. The Defire of all Nations. Hag. ii. 7.
26. The Way. John xiv. 6.
27. The Truth. John xiv. 6.
28. The Sower. Matt. xiiL 3, 18, 37.
Mark iv. 3, 14. Luke viii. 5.
29. The Day-ftar. 2 Pet. i. 19.
30. Light. John iii. 19.
31. Our Light. Ifa. Ix. i.
32. A great Light. Ifa. ix. 2.
33. A Light to lighten the Gentiles. Luke
. ii. 32. Ifa. xlix. 6.
34. The Light of Men. John i. 4.
35. The true Light, which lighteth every
Man that cometh into the World. John
1.9.
36. The Light of the World. John viii. 12.
37. The Glory of the Lord arifen upon us.
Ifa. Ix. i. Eph. v. 14.
38. The Sun of Righteoufnefs. Mai. iv. 2.
39. The Sun of the People of Ifrael. Ifa.
Ix. 20. Rev. xxi. 23.
40. The Foundation of the Church, i Cor.
iii. ii. Matt. xvi. 18.
41. A Stone laid in Z/0/z for a Foundation,
a tried Stone, a precious Corner-Stone,
a fure Foundation. Ifa. xxviii. 16.
42. A Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Of-
fence, i Pet. ii. 8. Ifa. viii. 14.
43. The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 245
43. The Stone which the Builders refufed,
made the Head of the Corner. Pfalm
cxviii. 22. Matt. xxi. 42. Eph. ii. 20.
44. The Fall and riling again of many in
Ifrael. Luke ii. 34.
45. The Amen^ (pN 'nStf) the God of
Amen, or Truth. Rev. iii. 14. Ifa.lxv. 16.
The Names which declare the Prieftly
Office of Chrift.
1. The High Prieft of our Profeffion.
Heb. iii. i.
2. The High Prieft for ever, after the Or-
der of Melchifedeck. Pfal. ex. 4. Heb.
vi. 20.
3. A merciful and faithful High Prieft in
Things pertaining to God. Heb.ii. 17.
4. The one Mediator between God and
Men. i Tim. ii. 5.
5. The High Prieft, who hath obtain'd a
more excellent Miniftry. Heb. viii. 6.
6. A Surety of a better Teftament. Heb.
vii. 22.
7. A Covenant of the People. Ifa. xlii. 6.
8. The Fore-runner Jefus. Heb. vi. 20. *
9. A Minifter of the Sanctuary, and of the
true Tabernacle. Heb, viii. 2.
jo. An Advocate with the Father, i John"
ii. i.
11. Our Salvation. Gen. xlix. 8. Exod*
xv. 2. i Sam. ii. i. Job xiii. 16. Pfalm
R 3 xxvii.
246 Chr ift the Sum and Subftance
xxvii. i. Pf. xl. 1 6. 1. 23. Ixv. 5. Ixvii.
3. Ixx. 4. Ixxi. 15. xcvi. 2. xcviii. 2, 3.
cxviii. 14. cxix. 81, 123, 166, 174. Ifa.
xii. 2. xlv. 8. xlvi. 13. Hi. 10. Ixi. 10.
Ixii. i, ii. Hab. iii. 18. Luke iii. 6. the
Salvation of God, (7* wrnejiov TO 0g?.)
18. The Rock of our Salvation. 2 Sam.
xxii. 2, 3. Pfalmxviii. 2.
13. The Fountain of Salvation. Ifa. xii. 3.
14. A Fountain opened to preferve from
Sin, and from Uncleannefs. Zech. xiii. i.
15. The Horn of our Salvation. 2 Sam.
xxii. 3. Pf. xviii. 2. Luke i. 69.
1 6. The Rock of our Salvation. Pf. xcv. i.
17. The Salvation of the Daughter of Zion.
Ifa. Ixii. 1 1.
1 8. The Saviour. Pfalm xvii. 7. Ifa. xix.
20. xlv. 15, 21. Zeph. iii. 17. Luke ii.
ii. Acts v. 31. Phil. iii. 20. 2 Pet. i. i.
ii. 20. iii. 2.
19. Our Saviour. Pf. cvi. 21. Ifa. xliii.
3, ii. xlix. 26. IxiiL 8. Ezek. xi. 16.
Luke i. 47. 2 Tim. i. 10. Tit. i. 4. 11.13.
iii. 6.
20. The Saviour of the World, i Jo. iv. 14.
2i. The Saviour of his Body, the Church.
Eph. v. 23.
22. The Captain of Salvation, made per-
fect through Sufferings. Heb. ii. 10.
23. A Deliverer. Matt. i. 21.
24. The Afflifted, whofe Afflidion God
doth not defpife, nor abhor. Pf. xxii. 24.
25. Our
of all the Holy Scriptures. 247
25. Our beft Friend, John xv, 13 15.
26. The Righteous, by his Knowledge juf-
tifying many, and bearing their Iniquity.
Ifa. liii. 1 1.
27. The good Shepherd that giveth his
Life for the Sheep. John x. n.
28. The great Shepherd, brought again
from the Dead, through the Blood of
the cverlafting Covenant. Heb. xiii. 20.
29. The true Redeemer, or near Kinfman,
who redeems his poor Brethren. Levit.
xxv. 2 5, &c. Compare Ruth.iii. 12. iv. i,
&c. Gen. xlviii. 16.
30. He that hath Mercy on us. Ifa.xlix. 10.
3 1. Our Redeemer. Job xix. 25. Ifa.liv.5.
32. Chrift crucified, i Cor. i. 23, 24. ch.
ii. 2. Mark xvi. 6.
33. An Altar. Heb. xiii. 10. Ifa. Ix. 7.
34. An Offering, and a Sacrifice to God,
for a fweet-fmelling Savour. Ephef. v.
2. Gen. viii. 20, 21.
35. The Gift of God. John iv* 10.
36. The Lamb of God which taketh away
the Sins of the World. John i. 29.
37. The Lamb without Spot and Blemifh,
by whofe precious Blood we are redeem-
ed, i Pet. i. 19.
38. The Lamb flam. Rev. v. 12. (In the
Revelation Chrift is called the Lamb
twenty nine times.)
39. The PafToverfacrificedforus. I Cor.v.7.
40. Made a Curfe for us. Gal. iii. 13.
R 4 41. Our
248 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
41. Our Peace. Ephef. ii. 14.
42. The Phyfician, Matt. ix. 12. Exod.xv.
26.
43. The Plague of Death, and Deftru&ion
of the Grave. Hof.xiii. 14.
44. Life/ John i. 14. ch. xi. 25. xiv. 6.
45. Eternal Life, I John i. 2. ch. v. 20.
46. The Tree of Life. Rev. 11.7. ch.xxii.i4.
47. The Bread of Life. John vi. 48.
. 48. The Bread of God which came down
from Heaven, and giveth Life unto the
World. John vi. 33.
*, 49- The fpiritual Rock of which the If-
raelites drank, i Cor. x. 4.
50, The Body, of which the Ceremonies
and Figures of the Old Teftament were
but Shadows. Col. ii. 17.
5 1, The End of the Law. Rom. X. 4.
The Names which declare the Regal
Office of Cbrift.
-
1, The Lord's Chrift. Luke ii. 26. ch,
ix. 20.
2, The Lord's Anointed. Pfalm ii. 2. i
Sam, ii, 10.
3. A King. John xviii. 37.
4. The King's Son. Pfalm Ixxii. i, Matt.
sxii. 2,
j, A great King above all Gods. Pf.xcv.3.
6, The Prince of the Kings of the Earth,
Rev. i. 5.
7; The
of all the Holy Scriptures. 249
7. The Lamb, who is Lord of Lords,
and King of Kings. Rev.xvii. 14. ch.
xix. 1 6.
8. God's Firft-born, higher than the Kings
of the Earth. Pfalm Ixxxix. 27.
9. The King of Righteoufnefs, and King
of Peace. Heb. vii. 2.
10. The King of Glory. Pfalm xxiv. 8.
1 1. The King of IfraeL John i. 49.
12. He that reigns over the Houfe of Ja-
cob for ever. Luke i. 33.
13. He that is born King of the Jews.
Matt. ii. 2.
14. The King fet upon God's holy Hill of
Sion t Pfalm ii. 6.
15. King David. Hof. iii. . Jer. XXX. 9.
1 6. The King of whom David iings. Pf.
xlv. Pf. xlvii. Pf. xciii. Pf. xciv. to Pf.
c. and cxlv.
17. The Horn of David. Pf. cxxxii. 17.
1 8. The King of the Daughter of Zion.
Zech. ix. 9.
19. God and King over all the Earth. Pf.
xlvii. 2, 9.
20. Lord of all. Acts x. 36.
2 1. The Lord of all, rich unto all that call
upon him. Rom. X. 12.
22. A Governour, that (hall rule his Peo-
ple IfraeL Matt. ii. 6. Mic. v. 2.
23. Chrift or Meffiah the Prince. Dan. ix.
25. Ifa. Iv. 4. Matt. ii. 6.
24. The Prince of Life. Ads iii. 15.
25. A
250 Chrifl the Sum and Subftance
25. A Leader and Commander to the Peo-
ple. Ifa. Iv. 4.
26. Captain or Prince of the Hoft of the
Lord. Jofh. v. 14. (who is called Je-
hova the Lord) Jom. vi. 2.
27. One Shepherd, David, who was to be
their King and Prince. Ezek. xxxiv.
23, 24. ch. xxxvii. 24.
28. Lord of the Dead and Living. Rom.
xiv. 9.
29. The Lord ftrong and mighty, the Lord
mighty in Battle. Pfalm xxiv. 8.
30. The Lamb that is worthy to receive
Power, and Riches, and Wifdom, and
Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and
Blemng. Rev. v. 12. *
31. The Bleffed, who comes in the Name
of the Lord. Pf. cxviii. 26. Ixxii. 18.
Matt. xxi. 9.
32. A Sceptre that (hall rife out of Ifrael.
Numb. xxiv. 17.
33. The Head over all Things. Eph. i. 22.
34. The Heir of all Things. Heb. i. 2.
35. The Bridegroom. Matt. xxv. i. Ifa.
lxii.4,5.
36. Arm of the Lord. Ifa. li. 9. liii. i.
37. The Keeper of Ifrael. Pfalm cxxi. 4.
(Gen. xlviii. 16. Exod. xxxiii. 2.)
38. The Confolation of Ifrael. Luke ii. 25.
39. The Glory of the People Ifrael. Ifa;
Ix. 19. Luke ii. 32.
40. The Portion of Jacob. Jer. x. 16.
41. The
of all tie Holy Scriptures. 251
41. The King having Salvation. Zech.ix.p.
42. Mighty to fave. Ifa. Ixiii. i.
43: A Nobleman that went into a far
Country, to receive for himfelf a King-
dom. Luke xix. 12.
44. The Husband, to whom the Church
as a chafte Virgin is efpoufed. 2 Cor.
xi. 2. Pf. xlv. 10,12,15, 1 6. Ifa. liv. j.-
45. A Strength, a Strength to the Nee-
dy. Ifa. xii. 2. xxv. 4. xlix. 5. Jer.
xvi. 19-
46. A ftronger Man. (Lukexi. 22.)
47. TZerulbabel Zech. iv. 6, 7, 9, 10.
Hag. ii. 3, 5, 22, 24.
48. The Hope of Glory. Col. i. 27. i
Tim. i. i.
49. The moft Mighty. Pf. xlv. 3. Ifa.ix.6.
50. Sbilob. Gen. xlix. 10.
51. He that liveth. Rev. i. 18.
52. A Man of War, or the moft warlike.
Exod. xv. 3.
53. He that treadeth the Wine-prefs
alone. Ifa. Ixiii. 2,3.
54. He judgeth among the Gods. Pfalm
Ixxxii. i.
t 55. The Judge of Quick and Dead. A&s
x. 42.
56. The Judge of all the World. Gen.
xviii. 25*
57. A tall Cedar, cropt off from the Top
of young Twigs, and planted in the
Moun-
252 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
Mountain of the Height of Ifrael.
Ezek. x vii. 2 2, 24. Compare Cant. v. 15.
' 58. A great Mountain. Dan. ii. 35.
59. A Stone cut out without Hands. Dan.
ii. 34.
i5o. A Light of the City of the new Je-
rufdlem. Rev. xxi. 23.
<5i. Chrift is all, and in all. Col. iii. 1 1 .
.The Names by which the Bridegroom is
diftinguiflied by the Bride, in the Song
of Solomon, are very delightful : For
He is there called,
<52. The King. Chap. i. 12. iii. 9, ii.'
63. The Beloved, the Well-beloved.
Chap. i. 13,14. ii. 3,8, 9>io> i 5 17.
iv. 16. v. 2,4, 5,6,8,9,10,16. vi. 1,2.
vii. 10,11,13. viii. 5, 14.
64. Whom my Soul loveth. Chap. i. 7.
iii. 1^2,3.
65. A Bundle of Myrrh. Chap. i. 13.
66. A Clufter of Camphire. Chap. i. 14.
67. Fair and pleafant. Chap. i. 16.
68. The Rofe of Sharon. Chap. ii. i.
69. Who feedeth among the Lilies.
Chap. ii. 1 6. vi. 2.
70. Solomon. Chap. iii. 7. viii. 11,12.
71. King Solomon. Chap. iii. 9, n.
72. White and ruddy. Chap. v. 10.
73. The Chiefeft among ten thoufand.
Chap. v. 10. Compare Dan. vii. 10.
74. My Brother. Chap. viii. i.
HI-
of all the Holy Scriptures. 253
HITHERTO we have fomewhat
copioufly enumerated the Names attribut-
ed to our Lord Jefus Chrift, in the Holy
Scriptures j to which any one will be able
to add, at his pieafure, if more occur. I
contend not about the Order in which thefe
Names ought to be ranked. It is enough
that we have the Names themfelves ; the
Order in which they ought to be placed,
ferves only to render our intended Medi-
tation upon them the more eafy : fo that
the more prudent Perfons, will even thus,
in the prefent Recital, find Food and Nou-
rifhment to their Souls : For by what
Name foever Chrift is fpecified in the
Scriptures, this Thing He truly is in efFect.
But in order to our Difcovery of Cbrift in
the Holy Scriptures, a diligent marking
of the Characters whereby his Fore-run-
ners and Types are diftinguifhed, doth alfo
conduce j which the bleffed John Arndius
hath thus fweetly compris'd, in his Evan-
gelical Poftilly in his Firft Sermon on the
Third Sunday in Advent. " All the Fore-
runners and Types of the Mejfiah y faith
he, until St. John, had their proper and
peculiar Characters ; as Abraham for
Circumcifion j Ifaac for his Blefling ;
Jacob for his divine Conflict with an
Angel j JoJ'eph for his Chaftity and his
Glory j MoJ'es for his mining Vifage and
" fecret
<c
(C
254 Cbrift the Sum and Subftance
cc fecret Converfe with God y (as a Man
fpeaketh unto his Friend ;) Aaron for
<c his Priefthood and Sacrifices ; Jojhua
cc for his Victory obtained over the five
" Kings, whilft the Sun flood flill in the
<{ midlt of Heaven ; Gideon for his war-
" like Mind and his mighty Shout, (the
" Sword of the Lord and of Gideon) and
" blowing of the Trumpets ; Samfon for
<e his bodily Strength; Samuel for his
c< wonderful Call, the Lord calling him
three feveral times ; David for his Vic-
tory over Goliah, his Harp, his Afflic-
< tion and Perfecution ; Solomon for his
<c Wifdom and Riches ; Jthojbapbat for
a wonderful Victory without joining
Battle ; Elijah for his going up into
Heaven j Elijha for the double Spirit of
Elijah^ and for his Miracles ; Hezekiah
for his Prayers, through which the Hoft
" of the Affyriam was deftroyed by an
" Angel, and the Sun went back; Jojiah
" for his Piety, beginning to feek the Lord
" at eight Years old ; Ifaiah for his pow-
" erful Speaking ; Jeremiah for his Tears
" and Lamentations ; Ezekiel for his Vi-
" fion of the fpiritual Chariot and Tem-
" pie ; Daniel for his Revelation of
" Things future, and for his Deliverance
" out of the Lion's Den ; Hofea for his
ts Love to the Jews ; Joel for predicting
" the EfFufion of the Holy Ghoft on the
of all the Holy Scriptures. 255
w Day of Pentecoft ; Amos for his Shep-
" herd's Staff; Obadiah for his Sermon
<e againft the proud Jews -, Jonah for the
" Whale ; Micab for his Prophecy con-
" cerning Bethlehem ; Nabum for his Ser-
" mon concerning the Deliverance of the
<e Jews from their Captivity ; Habakkuk
" for his Confolatory Sermon, concerning
" the Righteouihefs of Faith ; the Jufl
<( Jhall live by Faith. Zephaniah for his
<e Prophecy of the Kingdom of Cbrift ;
<e Haggai for his Confolation of all Na-
" tions, which is Chrifl j Zechariah for
<( the Chariots going about to and fro
through the Earth, that is, the Word of
God-, and Malachi, for his Prophecy
concerning the Angel of the Covenant,
" and the Angel who prepares the way of
" the Lord, viz. John the Baptijl, whofe
c< Criterion was, a Voice crying in the Wil-
" dernefs.
SECT. LXV.
'That 'tis not fufficient for us to know
all thefe 'Things 0/*Chrift, but that
bejides this Knowledge^ there isjlill
more required of us.
BUT you are not to be content with
bufying your felf to replenifh your Un-
derftanding
cc
cc
256 Chrijl the Sum and Sub/lance
derftanding with thofe Things, which the
Scriptures teach you concerning Chrijl ;
but you muft rather feek Chrift with the
moft inward Defire of your Mind, and
with the moft paflionate Love. Many
Perfons think they know all thefe Things
well enough, and have ventured to write
whole Books concerning them, who never-
thelefs have not found Chrijt in reality,
nor made any Approaches to Him. The
Pharifees thought they had eternal Life
in the Scriptures, and therefore they ac-
quiefc'd in the Search of them *. This
Pharifaical Opinion ftill obtains too much;
but Chrijl teftifies, that Lije is to be had
not in the Scriptures, but in Himfelf ' : that
the Scriptures teftify of Him, and that
this Teftimony is to be received, and that
we muft come unto him, that we may
have Life, John v. 40. (And you will not
come unto me that ye might have Life)
YOU do well in taking heed to the Scrip-
tures, (which are a moft fur e Word of Pro-
phecy) as unto a Light that Jhinetb in a
dark Place -f- ; but you ought not to ac-
quiefce in this, but to afpire farther, that
the Day may dawn, and the Day-ftar arife
in your Heart. 'Tis a glorious Thing to
find' Chrijl in the Scriptures, but ftill more
glorious to find Him in your Heart -, and
tp know, what is the Riches of the Glory
tf
* John v. 39. f 2 Pet. i. 19.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 257
of this Myftery, which is Cbrift in us, the
Hope of Glory * ; and what it is, to be
Jlrengthned 'with Might by his Spirit in the
inward Man, and to have Chriji dwell in
our Heart by Faith, and to be rooted and
grounded in Love )-. If we perceive Chriji
in us, and our felves in Chriji, then we
find Cbrift truly, and according to the Di-
vine Will ; nor does any one find Chrift
truly in the Scriptures, unlefs he alfo find
Him in his own Heart. Since learned
Men are, for the moft part, contented
with remembring the written Teftimonies
concerning Chrift, or being able to turn
to them in the Scriptures, they don't con-
fider that Chriji ought to be fought and
found in the Scriptures in a more fublime
and excellent manner. But St. Peter in-
ftrudts us how Chriji ought to be fought
for there j J Of which Salvation (of thoje
that believe in Chrift) the Prophets have
inquired, and fearched diligently, who pro-
phefied of the Grace that Jhould come unto
you, Jearching what, or what manner of
Time the Spirit of Chriji, which was in
them, didjignify, when it tejliffd before-
hand the Sufferings of Chrift, and the Glo-
ry that Jhould follow, &c. What is it that
St. Peter would hereby fignify ? even that
we ought carefully to regard the Spirit of
Chrift in the Men and Servants of God in
S the
* Col. i. 27, f Epb. iii. 16,17. $ i Pet. i. 10,1 1.
258 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
the Old Teftament ; for that the Spirit of
Chrift did truly dwell in them, that the
Prophets themfelves knew that this Spirit
was in them ; and not only fo, but that
they like wife knew, that this Spirit did
foretel the Coming of Chrift, or the Re-
deemer and Saviour of all Mankind ; con-
cerning which they were fo far from he-
fitating, that, taking it for an undoubted
Truth, they bent their Minds only to the
Search and Inquiry of thefe three Things:
1. The bringing of Salvation to Men
through Chrift : for they well knew that
his Kingdom was not of this World^ and
that Jie was to deliver us from Darknefs
and eternal Mifery, to which we were
liable by the Fall, and was to tranflate us
into the Light and the Salvation of God.
2. The Time of his Coming ; which not
only the Prophecies chereof from the Be-
ginning, but the very Spirit of Chrift in
them foretels, as * Daniel^ in the firft
Place, labour'd after a more accurate
Knowledge of the appointed 'Time of his
Coming. 3. The Nature of the Time of
the Me/jiah, or what fort of Time that of
the New Teftament was to be : wherein
the Prerogative of that was placed, before
the Time of the Old Teftament. There-
fore, fmce this is the truly fpiritual, myf-
tical, and ancient Way of feeking and
tracing
* Chap. u. 2, 3..
of all the Holy Scriptures. 259
tracing out Chrift, commended by the Ho-
ly Spirit, 'tis requifite that we mould
rightly underftand, and enter upon the
fame Order and Method : But this ought
to be done through the fame Spirit ; that
is, we mufl be made Partakers of the Spi-
rit of Chrift, as St. Paul teftifies, fpeak-
ing of this Spirit j We having the fame
Spirit of Faith *. And, If any Man have
not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of bis~\;
For if Chrift be thus in us, then we un-
derftand the Myjlery which hath been hid
from Ages, but now is made manifeft to his
Saints J. For this Myftery, as St. Paul
here adds, || is %&&{ ** *t"*> Chrift in us t
the Hope of Glory. But if the fame Spirit
which was in them be in us, one Glory
of the Lord is feen in another, and the
fame Image of Chrift is difcerned in all
and every one of us. O bleffed Contem-
plation ! Would to God we might thus,
with a fedate Mind, behold Chrift in all
others, and that we our felves may be
found a clear and lucid Mirror of Him.
82 SECT.
I Rom. viii
Vcr. 27.
* 2 Cor. iv. 13. t Rom. viii. 9.
260 Chrijl the Sum and Subftance
SECT. LXV1.
In what 77jings, and efpecially in what
manner-) Chrift myftical is to be
fought.
IN this Order you will learn to know
Chrijl myftical) that is, Chrift in his Mem-
bers ; and likewife in this Senfe you will
find, what the Epiftle to the Hebrews fays
to be true ; * J e ju* Cbrift the fame yejler-
day, to day, and for ever. Where the
Spirit of Chrift was, there alfo were his
Sufferings ; where his Sufferings were, there
alfo was the Hope of Glory, which was to
follow his Sufferings j as St. Peter teftifies
in the Place juft now cited. Therefore as
Chrijl from the very Beginning was dealt
with or treated in his Members, fo in the
fame Way is He to be inquired after in all
the Holy Scriptures, not only as He is the
Head) and in his proper Perfon, but alfo as
he has animated all his Members by his Spi-
rit, dwelt in themjiffered, and overcome the
World. For if Chrijl ought to be known ac-
cording to hisFulnefs, 'tis neceiTary that He
be known alfo in his Members, as in whom
He alone is T mvi* ^ c* -ma, all Things,
and in all. And without doubt, 'twas
this our Saviour would teach his Difciples
after
* Heb. xlii. 8.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 261
after his Refurredtion, when He faid,
Ought not drift to have Jiiffered theft
Things, and to enter into his Glory ? And
upon the fame Foundation, thofe who per-
fecuted the Lord, were guilty of all the
righteous Blood that was Jhed upon the
Earth, from the Blood of righteous Abel *.
But as every Thing appears more plain
from its Oppojite ; fo in the Scriptures,
when you (hall have learn'd to know Chrijl
myjiical, or Chriji in his Members, you
will eafily perceive a perpetual Oppoiition,
and will difcover the Spirit of Antichrift,
not only in Cain, but alfo in his Succef-
fors without number; how this Oppo-
iition remains conftant and perpetual to
the End : and thus the Truth of the Holy
Scriptures is confirmed by the Hillory of
all Times, as well as by daily Experience.
But this Oppofition is not only obferved
in Perfons, and their contrary Qualities,
but extends itfelf much farther. For
whatfoever is attributed to Chrift, or is
faid of Him on one Side, the fame is af-
figned by the/other Side to the whole An-
tichriftian Congregation, by way of Oppo-
fition ; forafmuch as Satan is in all Things
the Ape, or Imitator of God. . Therefore
if this Oppofition throughout the facred
Scriptures be well obferv'd,Chr.i/l * s here-
by th,e better known in them, and the Ap-
S 3 plication
3$. ^
262 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
plication of the divine falutary Word is
made the more eafy. Thus in the Houfe
of Abraham, we behold Ifaac, a type of
Chrift y and the oppofite to him, IJhmael ;
in the Houfe of IJ'aac, Jacob, and his op-
pofite Efau ; in the Houfe of Jacob, Jo-
feph, and his Oppofites his Brethren, not
as yet humbled. As according to the Gof-
pel of St. Matthew, * Before him jhall be
gathered all Nations, at the laft Day, the
Sheep on his right Hand, and the Goats on
bis left, or, the ofpojite Side : fo in all the
Holy Scriptures the two Parties are always
fet in oppofition to one another ; and
there is a perpetual Strife between them,
to the Day of their final Separation : from
which Oppofition, the Nature and Proper-
ty of the Church Militant of Chrift is un-
derftood, whofe chief Leader and King
is Chrift himielf ; for which Reaibn alfo,
<when he comes to Judgment, he will be glo-
rified in his Saints, and be admired in all
them who believe -j*.
SECT. LXVIL
The true y and fafeft Way of following
and poffejfing Chrift.
now diligently out of the
Scriptures how Chriji as your Saviour
will
; "": tv
* C -xxv. 32. t
of all the Holy Scriptures. 263
will be found by you. He calls thofe to
Him, who labour and are heavy laden y and
promifes, that He will give them Reft, and
that they jhall find Rejl to their Souls *;
as being the true Noah, who Jhall comfort
us concerning our Work, and Toil of our
Hands, becaufe of the Ground which the
Lord hath curfed -(-. Whence you may be
fully perfwaded, that you will moft cer-
tainly find Him, if you acknowledge your
Sins, and your Mifery as a grievous Bur-
den ; and will carry it to Him with a con-
trite Heart, and a true Faith in his moft
gracious Promife, and with a fure Confi-
dence in his Mediatorial Office. For you
will not be deliver'd from this your Load
and Burden, unlefs you refolve to take his
Toke upon you, and to learn of Him : but
not fo (which mull be again obferved) as
to receive Him for a Teacher, to replenim
your Underftanding and Memory, but for
one who requires a Change of the Mind,
in Sincerity and Truth. You muft there-
fore ftudy to do his Will, and that of his
Father, who ferit Him ; for fo you will
truly know of his DoStrine, whether it be
of God, or whether he fpeaks of Himfelf\.
But if his Yoke feems to you to be a heavy
Burden, 'tis a fufficient Sign, that you
have not yet found Him ; for himfelf tef-
tifies, that his Toke is eafy, and his Bur-
S 4 den
* Matt. xi. z8, 29. f Qen. v. 29. Jobnvu. 17.
264 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
den light * j and therefore it will come to
pals, that in bearing his Yoke, you will not
always feel Trouble and Heavinefs, but
will find Reft to your Soul. And St. John
teaches us, -f that his Commandments are not
grievous.
SECT. LXVIII.
What Courfe is to be taken, when
Chrift long fought after^ is not
found by thee.
YOU muft, in fuch Cafe, feek Cbrift
with Prayers and with Tears, until fuch
Time as you find by Experience, that He
is not a Burden, but a Delight to you j for
thus you will, as it were, conftrain Him to
tarry with you J. You will not obtain
this by any natural Qualities, and the
Strength of your own Reafon. It is ne-
ceffary that that Love, wherewith he hath
loved you, and ftill doth love you, {hould
be med abroad in your Heart, by the Ho-
ly Spirit : For, faith He, if a Man love
me, be will keep my Words ||. But his Love
is alfo a Light, which kindles in you a
Light of reciprocal Love, that what He
requires, you will willingly do. The Love
of Chrift will change your Mind, and
will make you a Partaker of the Mind of
* Matt. xi. 30. | i Join v. 3.
Luke xxiv. 29. ji Jobnxw. 23.
of all the Holy Scripturts. 265
Chrift, that you may be conformable to
Him, and that He may be formed in you.
With his Love , He will beftow on you his
Spirit alfo j and this Spirit will leaq, you
into all Truth, and powerfully incline you
unto all Good j fo that for the Time to
come it will be repugnant to your Tem-
per, to fpeak or do any Thing, whereby
you may grieve the Spirit of Chrift.
Therefore difmifs the Spirit of Servitude,
which makes you forbear Evil, and to do
Good, only out of fear of Punijbment j
fo far as you fuffer your felf to be deceiv'd
and enfnar'd by this Spirit, fo far have
you yet been from finding Chrift. For
the Spirit of Chrift is not a flavifh, fervile
Spirit: for he knoweth the Love of his
Father, he delighteth to do his Will, and
his Law is within his Heart *. Defire ear-
neftly of God the Spirit of Adoption, by
which you may cry Abba, Father. By
how much the nearer this Cry of Abba,
Father, mail approach to the filial Way
of Crying, fo much the more will it be
converted, as it were, into your very Na-
ture ; and the ftridter the Union of your
Heart is with that of God, fo as by a per-
petual Conjunction, to become as it were
one Spirit with Him -f , with fo much the
greater Purity have you found Chrift, and
have enjoy 'd Him to your Benefit and
Com-
* Pfalm jj. 8. t * Cor. vi. 17.
266 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
Comfort. But if it fhould happen, that
remaining in a continual Drinefs of Spirit,
you cannot live a Chriftian Life, but un-
der great Anxiety of Mind, Fear and Ter-
ror, defiring indeed to elevate your Soul
to God with a filial Spirit, but perceiving
no Strength at all in your felf for the do-
ing of this, tho' you deteft Sin at the fame
time from the bottom of your Heart:
Let not this manner of God's Procedure
offend you. A Grain of Wheat feems in-
deed to rot, after being caft into the
Ground ; but by that means it takes Root,
fprings up delightfully, and will bring
forth fairer and fweeter Fruit. For you
muft not think, that you will ever be able
fully and thoroughly to find Chrift, and
be a Partaker of Him, without Croffes and
Afflictions. All the Holy Scriptures are a
Riddle to you, while you are ignorant of
the Myflery of the Crojs. This is the Wif-
dom of God in a Myjtery, even the hidden
Wifdom, 'which God ordained before the
World unto our Glory ; which none of the
Princes of this World knew ; for had they
known it y they 'would not have crucified the
Lord of Glory *. This is that which St.
Paul iaith ; We preach Chrift crucified,,
unto the Jews a Stumbling-block^ and unto
the Greeks Foolijhnefs -j- : And which Chrift
fays, Bleffed is he ivhofoever Jhall not be of-
fended
* i Cor. ii. 7, 8. f i Cor. i. 2J.
of, all the Holy Scriptures. 267
fended in me *. Now you do {tumble at
that Stumbling-block, (tho' you may not
be offended, that Cbrijl was nailed to a
Crofs) if you do not deny your felf, and
take up your Crcfs daily, and follow Him -f-.
The Myjlery of the Crofs is to be learned
under the Crofs, otherwife no one under-
ftandeth it. If you were to hear or read
the literal Account of it for fix hundred
Years together, but refufed to bow down
your Neck to this Yoke, you will remain
as ignorant, infenfible, and unlkilful in it,
as you were before. Seek diligently, and
fearch through all the Holy Writings, by
what Means our Fore-fathers attained to
Wifdom, you will not find any who did
ever attain it, without taking up his Crofs,
if it were only a fincere Renunciation of
the World, which is a Crofs bitter enough
to Flefti and Blood, fo that a Man more
willingly undergoes all outward Calami-
ties, than this fort of Crofs. He that in
this World loves the Crofs, and not Plea-
fure, this Man then fully understands the
Mind of Chrift, both with regard to his
inward and outward State, and he him-
felf hath the Spirit and the Mind of Cbrift;
he knows the Poverty of the Life of
Chrift, and he walks with Him in the very
fame Way. To follow Cbrijl in well do-
ing, is a noble Thing ; but to follow Him
in
* Matt., si. 6- t Luke " 2 3'
268 Chrift the Sum and Sub/lance
in Suffering, yea, and that in fuffering rea-
dily, is a much more excellent Thing.
Not only to endure the Crofs and Afflic-
tions, but to love them alfo from the
Heart, is a Wifdom which far excels all
other Wifdom. You defire to find out
the Subftance of the Scripture; but do you
defire to know alfo the Subftance of Wif-
dom, viz. the Love of the Crofs ? If you
are averfe to this, you will perhaps have
fome external Knowledge of the other,
but you will not relifh, nor partake of it
for your Delight and Comfort. Do you
not hear, that you cannot become a Dif-
ciple of Chrift, unlefs you take up your
Crofs daily, and follow Him ? How can
you perfwade your felf that you may be
able to find Chrift in the Scriptures, tho'
you take not the Crofs upon you ? Thro'
this Wifdom, which is learned only by Ex-
perience, Chrift makes you a Friend of
God, and a Prophet *, confers upon you a
Roy a I Priefthood )-, makes you a Partaker
of the Divine Nature J ; whatfoever you
learnt of the Office and Perfon of Jefus
Chrift, before you refolved to take his
Toke upon you, was without Efficacy and
Life in you. Therefore He fays; Take
my Toke upon you, and learn of me \\. Ma-
ny Perfons complain, that the Scriptures
are
* Wifd. vii. 27. f Rev - xx> 6 -
$ 2 Pet. i. 4. |J Matt. xi. 29.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 269
are obfcure, and hard to be underftood by
them ; for which Reafon they do not wil-
lingly read them. But if you inquire into
the Caufe of it, you will find the Love of
the Crofs is wanting. Many become Di-
vines out of Glory , few out of Love to the
Crofs. Where there is much of the Crofs t
there is much Light ; where there is little
of the Crofs, there is much Darknefs, and
much Folly. St. Paul fays, God forbid
that I Jhould glory ,fave in the Crofs of our
Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the World is
crucified unto me y and I unto the World *.
And, / am crucified with Chrift -f-. No
Man can mew you a furer and fafer Way
of finding Chrift effectually in the Scrip-
tures, than this is. And if you would
embrace all other good Doctrines, but
ihould reject this, you would only lay hold
of his Shadow, nay, you would take up
with a falfe Light > which would be more
dangerous to you, than if you had never
heard any thing at all of Him. Where-
fore, if you would certainly find Chrift in
the Scripture, you muft betake your felf
unto his Crofs, and you will have your
Defire : Take it upon you with Confidence j
Fear is a hurtful Delufion of the Fle(h,
and deprives one of the greateft Treafure.
Apply your felf to Prayers y and contem-
plate that infinite and incomprehenfible
Love,
* Gal. vi. 14. t Gal- " 2a
270 Chrift the Sum and Subftance
Love, which mov'd your Saviour to de-
liver Himfelf up for you his Enemy, to
the moft profound Humiliation, and to
the bittereft Sufferings both internal and
external. Should not this excite in you a
Reciprocation of pure Love, that you
Should in like manner abandon and lay
down your Life for the Brethren, as he
loved you, and laid down his Life for you * ?
Believe me, this Mekbiftdech, after your
Conflict, will fuddenly refrefh you with
Bread and Wine, and will confirm to you
a Royal Priefthood, with his moft abun-
dant Benediction. This Benediction will
penetrate you fo deeply, that after a fhort
Fight you will find your felf endued with
a Royal and Prieftly Mind. You will find
that He lives and reigns in you, who over-
came all Things, and that you have an
UncJivn proceeding from the Holy One -f-.
He will give you Power to overcome all
Things-, and to Jit with Him on his Throne,
even as He overcame, and is fate down
with his Father in his Throne . They
like wife who find Chrift in the Scripture,
do not find Him in the fame Proportion,
OF in the fame Meafure. If you find Him
as your Bridegroom, and know that you
are his chofen Bride, then indeed you find
Him after the beft manner. There is
here no fporting with Words; here is Spi~
rit
* 1 John iii. 16. f i John ii. 20. J Rev. iii. 21.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 271
rit and Life, the Bride is placed on bis
right Hand in Gold of Ophir, faith David
by the Spirit * Where, in all the Holy
Scripture, is this faid of any Angel ? My
Dove, my undefiled is but One ; Jhe is the
only one of her Mother , Jhe is the choice one
of her that bear her, fays Chrift the Bride-
groom -)-. This chiefeft Excellence is fi-
tuate in the Crofi> Chrift is the bloody
Husband, as Zipforah called Mofes in a
Type J. 'Tis a great Miftake, to pretend
to call your felf the Spoufe of Cbrift, un-
lefs you defire from your Heart to be in-
wardly and outwardly conformed to Him.
And how can you be conformed to Him,
without Afflictions and the Crofs ? Con-
fider all the Promifes of God throughout
the facred Records ; are not they all wrap-
ped up in the Myftery of the Crofs ? How
therefore can that higheft and mofl noble
Degree of divine Favour, to become the
Bride of Chrift , be attained without the
Crofs? The Brands and Reproaches of
the Bridegroom belong to the Bride. Thefe
are her moil precious Ornaments. The
more ttke one is to the Bridegroom in the
Crofs, the more like will he be to Him
in Glory. In the Way of the Crofs, Chrift
will join, himfelf to you ; He will walk
with you, and will open the Scriptures to
you 5 fo that you will be ready to fay
with
* Pfal. xlv. 9, 10. f Cant. vi. 9. * Bxd. vr- 25-
272 Chrijt the Sum and Subftance
with the Difciples, Did not our Heart
burn within us *. Here you will fing not
only the Song of Mofes y but alfo the Song
of Songs of your Solomon. Here _/#// thy
Stones fje laid 'with fair Colour -s, and thy
Foundations with Sapphires ; thy Windows
Jhall be made of Agates^ and thy Gates
of Carbuncles, and all thy Borders of
pleafant Stones -)-. For the New Jeru-
falem is built in thee, and the Name of
the City of God is written upon thee J.
Wherefore I fay unto you again, if you
defire to find Chrift in the Scriptures, that
you may fatiate your Soul with Him,
that your Soul may delight iff elf with Him
as with Fatnefs ||, love, love I fay, the
Crofs y and renounce the Pleafures of this
World : fo you will Jind Chrift in a bet-
ter and more excellent manner, than can
indeed be promifed to you in Words.
SECT. LXIX.
How all this fo difficult a Work
ought to be recommended to God
by Prayer.
"O ETERNAL and ever-living God
" and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift t
" how
* Luke xxiv. 32. t Ifa. liv. n, 12*
$ Rev. iii. 12. Ij Ifa, IT. 2.
of all the Holy Scriptures. 273
tf how manifold and how immenfe is thy
" Grace, and the Riches of thy Mercy
" and paternal Love to the Children of
" Men ? Thou haft decreed from all
" Eternity to make known thy infinite
<e Love to Mankind in Chrift Jefus :
" Therefore thou madeft Man according
c< to thy own Image and Likenefs j and
<c when Man had loft by his own De-
" fault the Glory he received at his Crea-
" tion, Thou didft fuccour him accord-
" ing to thy eternal Decree, and gaveft
" thy only begotten Son, to be a Mediator
" between Thee and Man, that Man thro*
" Faith in Him might obtain everlafting
Life.
' And for the fake of this thy Son,
" Thou didft draw fo near to Men, as
" to reveal thy paternal Will, to fuccour
" and affift them in thy Son. With this
" Hope, thou didft comfort our firft Pa-
" rents, and the Fathers of the old World,
" as a Mother comforts her Son ; and
" thou madeft a new Covenant with A-
" braham, and didft appoint him to be
" the Father of all that (hould believe :
<c forafmuch as thou didft promife him,
<c that in bis Seed all Nations fiould be
" bleffed. Thou didft likewife -confirm
" this Promife to his Pofterity, ancl madeft
" them to be Fore-runners and Types of
" the Seed of the Woman, which was
T " pro-
274 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
" promiied from the Beginning. Thou
" didft preferve, as the Apple of thine
" Eye, that holy Line, out of which
ct was to arife the Saviour of all the
World -, and Thou didft ftill ftreng-
<c then more and more the Faith of af-
c< ter-Ages, by the Prophecies of their
<c Fore-fathers. Thou didft reftrain thy
<c Promifes to one certain People out of
" all Nations, to one certain Tribe out
" of all Tribes, to one certain Branch
* out of all Branches ; and likewife to a
" certain and appointed Time, to a cer-
<c tain and a chofen Place, and to a cer-
" tain Virgin appointed by thy Holy Spi-
" rit j that thereby all Occafion might
" be taken away from the Enemy and
" Adverfary, of rendring thy moft ex-
" cellent Promifes doubtful or uncertain.
" Moreover, fuch was the good Plea-
" fure (lvfox/a) of thy fatherly Love to-
" wards us, that thou didjl not only at
" fundry 'Times., and in divers Manner s>
" fpeak unto our Fathers by the Prophet^
" but didft likewife command thofe
" Things that were fpoken, to be com-
" mitted to Writing^ that they fhould be
" tranfmitted to our Times, and render
<c thereby thy Love to us more clear and
" illuftrious -, For who could have known
" otherwife the Decree of thy Love to
" Mankind? But now thou haft every
" where
C(
(C
of all the Holy Scriptures. 275
" where defcribed the promifed Saviour
< in fuch lively Colours j thou haft cfta-
blifhed fo perfe(5t an Agreement between
the Teftimonies of thy Servants j and
thou hail given him before Hand, fuch
Signs and Characters in the Word, that
< none mould be able to arrogate to him-
" fell" this Name ; but that thy only begot-
" ten Son might be acknowledged by all,
< who place their T'ruji in thy W\ ord j nor
" mould any one have Cauie to doubt,
" but that he had found Him, of whom
" Mofes in the Law and the Prophets have
" wrote. For they did fee his Glory r , the
" Glory as of the only- begot ten of the Fa-
" ther. He himfelf did manifeft his G/0-
" ry y not in Words only, but in the full-
" nefs of his Grace and c Truth> and in
" Works, which none other had ever
" done before him j fo that the People
" were compelled to fay j when Chrift
< cometh, will He do greater 'Things than
" this Man hath done ? And that they
" now believed in Him, not only for the
" Words of thy Holy Prophets, but be-
< caufe they themfelves heard him, and
<c knew that this was indeed the Chrift,
" the Saviour of the Worlds altho' it
" was indeed necefTary, that the Scripture
" Jbould be fulfilled in Him., that this Stone
" JJjouId be re jetted of the Builder^ and fo
" be made by Thee the Head of the Cor-
T 2 ner.
276 Chrift the Sum and Sub fiance
<c ner. For the illuftrious Go/pel of Peace
** *
<l 'was bidden from thoje that pcrijk\ in
11 whom the God of this World had blinded
tc their Minds ^ viz. in Unbeliever 'j, leaft
tc the Light of the Go/pel of the Glory of
" Chrift) 'who is thy Image, jlould pine
" upon them, 2 Cor. iv. 4.
" AND, O Eternal, and infinite Love,
<c thould not our Bowels burft within us,
" when we continually fee how little the
" immenfe Riches of thy Love are confi-
" der'd, and by how few of us ? For how
" very fmall is the Number of thole who
" worthily reflecl: with themfelves, that
" thou doft, in thy Beloved Son y give thy
" felf to Mankind ? How few are there,
" who ftrive or are folicitous to know
u rightly thy Heart, in which this (QIKAV-
cc df6>77i*j Love to Mankind dwells ? How
cl few do regard thy having given thy
ct Word as a Fountain of Wiidom and
c< Source of Life ? That thou haft pla-
" ced our greatefl Treafure, and all our
". Salvation, in the Holy Scriptures, as it
" were in a {trait Manger, and in their
" fwadling Cloaths ? Ought not the one
" only Word) that thou haft fpoken, who
" art the one moft High Creator of all
" Things, the Omnipotent, moft power-
" ful and tremendous King, who fitteft
" upon thy Throne, God Ruler over all,
" and which Word thou haft declared by
" thy
of all the Holy Scriptures. 277
" thy Holy Spirit; ought it not to be
" dearer to us than many thoufands of
" Gold and Silver? Now thou haft conde-
fcended to fuch an intercourfe with Men,
" by thy exceeding great Love to them in
" thy Son, that thou haft offered them all
" the Treafures of Wifdom and Knowledge
" in Him, whom thou haft given to be their
ct Saviour, and haft referred them to thy
< c Word y which thou haft caufed to be at
" large and abundantly declared to them,
" that by this very Means they may be
" conducted to thy Chrift, whom by feel-
" ing after they might find, and in Him
" might be made Partakers of all thy Glory.
" O LOR Dj great is our Iniquity and
" Sin, whereby we have offended thee, by
*' defpifing thy Word^ even from our In-
" fancy, efpecially that to this very Day,
" we have been fo little mindful of the
" Teftimonies of thy Servants, which are
" fo to be ufed, that we might come to him,
" in whom thou haft promijed us Eternal
" Life. O Lord y it is no fmall Damage
" that we have received through this
" Neglect. For hereby, we have alienat-
" ed our felves from thy moft blefled
" Communion, into which thou wouldeft
" have adopted us, if we had ferioufly en-
" deavoured rightly to find thy Beloved
" SQJJ in the Holy Scriptures, to cleave
" unto him with a full Faith, and to u-
" nite
2y 8 Chr ift the Sum and Subjlance
" nice ourfeives to Thee continually by
<c the fame Faith. But at laft, after hav-
" ing been fo long turning over the Scrip-
te tures, we find it neceflary to learn, what
" is the Scope of them ; and if we knew
" it before, 'tis our greater Shame that
cc we did not feek it fooner j and if we
fought Him, that we did not find Him >
and if we found Him in the Letter of
the Scripture, that we did not convert
it more to our Ufe -, and if we did be-
" nefit a little, that we did not make a
" greater Progrefs, that we did not {train
ct all the Faculties of our Mind, toenflame
" our Love of Chrift, and to root that
" Love more deeply in our Hearts. Hath
" not He promifed, that He will mani-
cc feft himfelf to us, if we Love Him, and
" keep his Word ? Ah Father, it is pure-
" ly our own Fault, that we are not at
" all, or indeed not in its full Degree, made
" Partakers of this glorious Manifestation
" (inVAriffn'S) Art not thou Love itfelf ! and
" wouldeft thou not long ago have come
" unto us, and even have made thy abode
" with us, together with thy beloved Son, in
" the moft full Communion of the Confo-
" lation of thy Holy Spirit \ O Lord, ac-
" cording to the Riches of thy Goodnefs,
" and Forbearance, and Gentlenets, wink at
" the Times of our Ignorance, or rather of
" our Contempt of thy Word, nay, of thySon
" himfelf,
of all the Holy Scriptures. 279
ct himfelf, who was given to us by Thee,
" to be our Wifdom, and Righteoufnefs,
" and Sanctification, and Redemption. We
" are amamed of our Folly, and the great
" ilothfulnefs of our Hearts. But, O thou,
" who makeft us to know this, pardon
" us, and for the future deliver us from
" itj and contrary wife, kindle thou in us
" a Love and Delight in thy Word> open
" our Underftanding, that we may find
i Chrift in the Scriptures, and incline our
< Will to follow him, the Light of the
" World, and to walk constantly in that
" Light.
" GRANT, I pray thee, O eternal Love,
to this prelent weak and imperfect Tef-
<c timony, toward a further Illuftration
" of thy Name by the Knowledge of thy
" Son y thy paternal Benediction, that it
" may bring forth good Fruit in thofe
" who read it, and that that Fruit may
" endure for ever. Grant, O Lord, that
" at length, a due Honour may be given
" unto thy Word, and that by Means of
" it, the Name of thy Son may be glorifi-
" ed throughout the World, that Men may
" every where rejoice at thy amazing
" Love to Mankind, and every one may
" cry loud concerning Thee : Ho^w greatly
" doji thou Love thy People \ And let all
" Mankind know, that thou hall deliver'd
<( all Things into the Hands of thy Son,
" that
2 8o Chrift the Sum and Subftance y &c.
" that all may fit down together at his
" Feet, and learn from his Wor d , fo that
<e it may be faid among the Gentiles, that
c< the Lord reigneth, and that He hath
cc prepared and eftablifhed his Kingdom
" unto the Ends of the Earth, and will
" judge the People righteouily. Amen.
" Grant this, for the Sake or thy great
<e and wonderful Name, which is Holy,
" that the Righteous may rejoice in the,
cc and give Thee Thanks, and celebrate
<{ thy Holinefs, and thy Truth, for ever
" and ever. Amen.
FINIS.
S E RMON
O N T H E
RESURRECTION
O F
OUR LORD;
PREACHED ON
Eafter-Sunday.
Hie bene refurget in corpore, qui primo re-
furrexit in Spiritu. Auguftinus.
LONDON:
Printed by JOSEPH DOWNING, in
Bartholomew-Clofe, near Weft-Smithfield.
MDCCXXXI
Jtf
w* V
H
JOHN xi. 25.
Jefus faid unto her : I am the
RefurreEtion^ and the Life.
T fliould feem a needlefs Work
to do that which is the com-
mon bufmefs of Sermons on
this Day, viz. to prove the
Truth of our Lord'sRefurrec-
tion j and, which is the fure confequence
of it, the Certainty of ours. It appears
fuperfluous to multiply Arguments to
confirm an Article of Faith, into which
we were all initiated in our Baptifm,
which we ftill profefs to believe, which
we affirm daily in repeating the Creeds,
and which, on the Annual Return of this
Seafon, we affemble on purpofe to com-
memorate.
BUT when we confider the Lives of
thole who profefs this Truth, who re-
ceived the Sacramental Tokens of it in
their Baptifm, who repeat it daily in their
Creeds, and meet here Annually for the
folemn Celebration of it, as a fundamental
A 2 Ar-
4 -^SERMON upon^the
Article of their Faith : when, I fay, we
confider the Lives of thefe Profeflbrs,
there feems but too much reafon to fuf-
pect, that notwithftanding all our Pro-
feffions, many among us are not heartily
convinced of ir. For after all the elaborate
Difcourfes upon this Subject, Where is
that indifference for the things of the
World? that Spiritual Joy, that Purity,
that Heavenly-mindednefs, which the Re-
furrection of our Lord mould infpire ?
Where is that Self-denial, that Watchful-
nefs over our own Hearts, and Attention
to the Omniprefence of GOD; j:hat ex-
act Juftice in our Dealing, trr-ic warm
Benevolence towards all Men ; and in a
word, that zealous Preparation againft
the Day of Judgment, which an effectual
AfTurance of our own Refurrection would
certainly oblige us to ? I might ask the
greater part, How they would live, if
they did not believe any Refurrection ?
What alteration would there be in their
Manners ? Would they be more addicted
to Pleafure, more intent upon their tem-
poral Intereft, or lefs careful for the
Good of others, if they had never heard
the Truths of the Gofpel ? yet they lay
claim to the venerable Name of Chrif-
tians, and affemble here to celebrate the
Triumphs of our Lord's Refurrection.
I dare not therefore fay of fuch, that
they
RefurreEtion of our LORD. 5
they do not believe it ; but I fear they
have not duly thought about it : they
are not fufficiently apprized of the won-
drous effects and confequences of this
great Myftery. It is not enough that we
know it by name and by hear-fay. All
faving Knowledge is experimental : and
it is not fufficient that we know the
Hiftory, but we muft alfo feel the Power
of our Lord's Refurreftion : not only that
He is Rifen, but alfo that he is the Re-
furrtklion. As the Sun is Light to him-
felf, and the great fource of Day to all the
Worlds around him ; fo is our Lord, Re-
furrection to himfelf, and the Caufe and
Author of Refurrection in all others.
LEAVING* therefore the Hiftory of
our Lord's Rinng from the Dead, as an
eftablifhed and acknowledged Truth : and
prefuming, I hope not without good
Reafon, upon your conftant and open Pro-
feffion pf it : I {hall at prefent, confider
our Lord as he is the Refurreflion, not
only in himfelf, whereby he raifed his
own moft holy Humanity, but as He
works this great Work in us, being, as
I faid, the immediate Caufe and Author
of our Refurreftion. This is what he
plainly affirms of himfelf in the Text,
I am the Refurreaion and the Life j which
* This SERMON was made 18 Years ago, when
Infidelity was not become Epidemical, as it fince
feems to be. A 3 St.
6 ^SERMON upon the
St. Paul clearly explains, i Cor. xv. Since
by Man came Death, by Man came alfo
the Refurretfion of the Dead : for as in
Adam all die, even fo in Chrijl foall all
be made alive.
THIS Refurredtion to be wrought in
us by Chriftj is twofold j relating to the
two conftituent Parts of Man, the Body,
and the Soul: for to thefe two belong
two diftinct Refurrections, very different
from each other.
THE firfl Refurrection, that of the
Soul I mean, is of a moral and Spiritual
Nature: It is the Rifing of the Soul from
the Death of Sin, unto the Life of Righ-
teoufnefs; States more different, and in-
finitely more important, than thofe of
natural Life and Death : It is peculiar
to the Saints of GOD: It requires our
Concurrence with the operations of Grace,
to which alone it is to be imputed : and
bleffed and holy is he that hath part in this
Jirjl Refurrettiorii Rev. xx. 6.
THE fecond Refurrection, is that of
the Body, after our natural Death. It
does not take Place till the Day of
Judgment : It is common to all Men ;
it is neceffary and inevitable ; and is the
Effect of the Juftice, rather than of the
Grace of Almighty GOD.
OF both thefe Refurredlions, Jtfus
Chrift is the immediate Caufe and Au-
j -
thor :
RefurreElion of our LORD. 7
thor : Of the firft, as he is Saviour of
the World ; and of the fecond, as he
is the Judge of it ; for it is a Preroga-
tive very properly annexed to his Office
of univerfal Judge, that he mould, by
his own Power, fummon all Mankind to
his Tribunal.
THE Power of this fecond Refurrec-
tion from the State of natural Death,
ieems to have been principally intended
in the literal fenfe of the Text, which
was fpoken on the account of Lazarus,
whom our Lord was then about to
raife from the Dead. / know, faid Mar-
tha, that he jhall rife again at the Re-
furretfion of the Laft Day. Jefus faid
unto her, " / am the Refurreftion and the
" Life." I have the Power ofraifingall
Men, and therefore I can raife any of
them, how, or at what time, I think fit.
THIS Refurrection from the natural
Death, is, I think, commonly well enough
underilood in the general. We can all,
by a Faith in the Omnipotence of G o D,
form fufficient Notions of our being
raifed again at the Laft Day with our
Bodies: fo that the whole Man, which
adted in this Life, may be qualified for
the Rewards or Punimments of the
next. There is, I fuppofe, little difficulty
in conceiving this, feeing the Experience
we now have, of the Union of Soul and
'A'V" Body,
i < _*\
8 ^SERMON upon the
Body, may inform us, in a good degree, of
what mall come to pafs at the Refurre&ion
of the Dead, when they fhall be re-united.
BUT the fpiritual Relurre&ion of our
Souls in this Life, is a thing lefs thought
of, and lefs underftood by the generality
of Mankind. This is one of thofe things
of God, whereof the natural or animal Man
is ignorant. It requires a fpiritual difcern-
ment, and'-fdme fpiritual experience for the
right apprehending it. The Holy Scrip-
tures treat of it very frequently, but no
where more largely and clearly than in
the fecond LefTon of the Morning Ser-
vice for this Day, (Rom. vi.) I fhall read
the whole Paflage, only premifing that
the Apoftle here treats of the Death to
Sin, as well as the Spiritual Rejurreftion :
the former being always neceflary to the
latter, and fo connected and imply'd in it,
that they cannot be eafily considered fe-
parately. But hear St. Paul, Know ye
not y that fo many of us as were baptized
into Jefus Cbriji, were baptized into his
Death, i. e. into an Obligation, to be
made conformable to it by dying to Sin ?
'Therefore we are buried with him by Bap-
tifm into Death, that like as Jefus Chrift
was raifed up from the Dead, by the Glory
of the Pat 'her , even-jo we alfo fhould walk
in newnefs of Life. For if we have been
planted together in the likenefs of his Death,
we
Refurre&ion of our LO RD. 9
we foall be alfo in the likenefs of his Re-
furretfion. Knowing this, that our old
Man is crucified with him, that the Body
of Sin might be dejiroyed, that henceforth
we ftould not ferve Sin : for he that is
dead, is free from Sin. Now if we be dead
with Chrift, we believe that we Jhall alfo
live with him. Let not Sin therefore reign
in your mortal Body, that ye Jhould obey it
in the Luji thereof. You obferve here,
that the Death to Sin, is joined with the
fpiritual Refurrection ; as a Circumftance
indifpenfably requifite to, and implied in
it j for no Perfon is capable of a Refur-
reclion till he is once dead. 'Tis necef-
fary therefore that we confider this Death
here mentioned, that we enquire what the
old Life is, and how it is extinguimed ;
before we can underftand any thing of
the fpiritual Refurredion that follows it,
and the new Life to be conferr'd. The
Life to be loft by this Death, is faid to be
that of our old Man, which is a Scriptural
Phrafe, fignifying that nature, temper, or
difpofition of Mind, with which we are
born, as we are the Sons of Adam, and
Heirs of original Corruption, whereby,
as the Scripture allures, and even our
Catechifm inftructs us, we are the Chil-
dren of Wrath. It is this innate depra-
vation, which makes us ignorant of GOD,
blind and ftupid to all fpiritual things,
felfiih,
io -^SERMON upon the
felfifh, covetous, unjuft, deceitful. Hence
arife that Pride and Arrogance, that En-
vy, Malice, and Detraction, which make
Men grievous to themfelves and one an-
other : From hence alfo all other Works
of the Flefh take their Original ; our
Sloth, Intemperance, and all other evil
Lufls, which make us odious in the fight
of GOD, and utterly incapable of thole
pure and heavenly Delights of Piety,
which conflitute the proper Happinefs of
our Nature.
BESIDES thofe grofler Acts of Sin,
which fall under common Obfervation,
there is a depth of Subtilty and Wicked-
nefs, an endlefs train of Vanity and Self-
deceit, which cannot be well defcribed,
nor rightly underftood by any, whofe
Minds are not enlightned by Grace ; for
as it would be a hard matter to make a
blind Man comprehend what Darknefs
is, at leaft, to give him fuch a Notion of
it, as we have, tho' he lives in it conti-
nually : fo it is alike difficult to give un-
converted Sinners a right Notion of what
is here meant by the old Man - 3 becaufe
this, as moft other things, is beft, if not
only known by its contrary. But in ge-
neral we are to know, that whatever
tendency there is in our Nature, to the
commiffion of Sin, it is a part or mem-
ber of the old Man ; 'tis the hereditary
RefurreElion of our LORD. 1 1
Diftemper of our Souls, derived from
Adam, the corrupt Source of our Race.
While we are yet in our natural State,
unreformed by divine Grace ; this lives,
this reigns in our mortal Bodies. Why is
this Man a Drunkard, that malicious, a
third unjuft in his Dealings ? The reafon
is, becaufe the Refurrection of Chrift
has not had its due Effect -, the Mind is
not renewed, and the old Man of Sin is
yet unmortified. That corrupt Nature,
which we received from Adam, is ftill
active and vigorous : the Nature, I fay,
we received from Adam ; which therefore
is called the old Adam., bearing his Name
from whom it is derived : it is alfo called
the old Leaven, becaufe it has infected the
whole race of Mankind j as alfo Flejh,
and the Body of Sin, which are different
terms for the fame thing, even the Princi-
ple of Corruption which is in our Nature.
THIS, as I faid, lives and reigns in
the Hearts of unregenerate Men ; and
would for ever reign there, for ought
that we can do to hinder it, if Jefus Chrift
did not interpofe, and by the virtue of his
Sufferings and Death, communicates to
Believers fuch Powers of Grace, as are
fufficient to deftroy this Root of Evil in
their Souls : I fay, that this corruption
of our Nature is fuch, as we cannot pof-
fibly refift by our own Strength. It is too
hard
12 ^SERMON upon the
hard for our moft ferious Purpofes 5 it
bears down our feeble Refolutions like a
Torrent, and renders all our Oppofition
fruitlefs and ineffectual. In vain does the
Law encounter it with her impotent Dif-
cipline j in vain does (he fet before us her
rigorous Commands and Prohibitions ; in
vain does {he difplay her Rewards and Pu-
nimments. Thefe all ferve only to {hew
us our Guilt and Danger ; but cannot
work our Deliverance. The Rod of Mo-
fes cannot fo expel Nature, but that {he
will ftill recur, me will Hill return upon
us, and take her old Courfes. We are
ftill the fame Men, and all our Struggles
after Virtue, are like the motion of a Door
upon its Hinges y ftill fixt to the fame Place.
BUT behold a greater than Mofes is
come in the Gofpel Difpenfation, even
our Lord Jefus Chrift ; and 'what the Law
could not do y in that it was weak through
the Flejh, i. e. our corrupt Nature, which
is too violent to be controlled by the dead
Letter of written Precepts : what this
Law could not do, that (faith St.Paul)batb
God done for u^ by fending his own Son in
the likenefs offinful Flejh : He has for, and
through him, granted us new Powers and
Abilities, whereby we are enabled to mor-
tify ', /. e. kill and deftroy our corrupt Na-
ture. Our old Man is crucified with him,
({aith the fame Apoftle) that the Body of
Sin
RefurreElion of our LORD. 13
Sin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we
fiould not ferve Sin. But this is ftill in-
fufficient to make us either holy, or hap-
py : it is at beft but a negative Goodnefs :
there is more required of us than a mere
Abftinence from Vice ; for example, it is
not enough that we do not hate our Neigh-
bour, but we muft actually love him with
a fincere Affection. We muft, in a word,
not only ceafe to do evil, but alfo learn to
do well: and as the old Man of Sin is to
be deftroyed, fo the new Man is to be raifed
up in us.
BUT this is a natural confequence of
the former : If we be dead with Chrift, we
believe alfo that we Jhall be raifed up with
htm. If we have been planted together in
the likenefs of his Death, we Jball alfo grow
up in the likenefs of his Refurreffion. This
is the Language of the Holy Ghoft ; and
the beft Interpretation I can give you of
it, is to be deduced from the following
Principle, viz. " That every AcT: or Suf-
" fering of Chrift, as it is meritorious of
" Grace, fo alfo is it expreffive of it : it
" reprefents that very fort, or kind of
" Grace, which it obtains for us." Thus
by his Death He put off all that mortal
corruptible Nature, which he had received
from Adam: He deftroyed that Body,
which was liable to Pain, Sicknefs, Death,
and all other Infirmities, incident to the
fallen
14 -^SERMON upon the
fallen State of Mankind ; and thereby did
He pur chafe for us thofe Graces, which are
effectual for the deft roy ing in each of us
the old Adam, the corrupt Principles of
Sin, derived to us from the Guilt of our
firft Parents. And in like manner, at his
Refurre&ion he refumed a new Nature ;
his Body was raifed incorruptible, impaf-
fible, and glorious, fuch as it now refides
at the right Hand of the Father : and
thereby has he obtained for us alfo a new
Nature, a new Life, fuch a Frame and
Difpofition of Soul, as will effectually pro-
duce all kinds of Virtue, and richly abound
in good Works.
THIS is the great and unfpeakable Ad-
vantage which redounds to us from our
Lord's Refurredtion : But how few are
there, that rightly value it ? It produces
every thing that is truly great and glorious.
It confers a Divine Life. It makes us Par-
takers of the divine Nature, ftrong, by the
Strength, wife, by the Wifdom, holy, by
the Holinefs of GOD. But the Men of the
World relim none of thefe things, they
have no Eyes to difcern the beauty of Ho-
linefs : Almoft all their imaginations and
defires run in direct oppofition to it : they
fear the thoughts of it mould make them
melancholy. All their Concern is about
the animal Life, all their Care is for the
old Man, for his Maintenance and Sup-
port,
RefurreEiion of our LORD. 15
port, and how they may make Provifion
for the Flem, to fulfil the Lufts thereof.
No wonder then that they feel no Joy a-
rife in their Hearts, at the News of our
Lord's Refurre&ion ; or his affuring us,
that he is the Refurrettion, and that he
will raife us, as he did himfelf. They
have no Intereft in it : they are not like to
be Gainers by it : and therefore they fee
no Glories in the Gofpel that relates it.
But St. Paul has taught us, that if the
Gojpel be bid, it is hid to thofe that are loft.
OTHERS again, who pretend to have an
higher Opinion of Virtue, and own, by
their Words at leaft, that it is the moft no-
ble Acquifition our Nature is capable of,
yet think that there is no fuch great Diffi-
culty in attaining it ; that there is no need
of fuch heavenly Machinary (as they may
lightly term the Myfteries of our Redemp-
tion.) Nee Deus inter/it nift dignus vindice
nodus. Good Morality, they fay, will carry
us to Heaven : but they cannot fee much
Ground for believing all the abftrufe Reve-
lations of Chriftianity j nor how we {hall
be made wifer, or happier by fuch Belief.
BUT let thefe Men endeavour to live
up even to their own notions of Morality.
Let them try how they can acquit them-
felves in the Duties of Temperance, Meek-
nefs, Univerfal Benevolence, and a fuitable
Homage to the Supreme Being : and then,
if
1 6 y^ SERMON upon the,
if they do not wilfully deceive themfelves,
they will learn by their own Experience,
that they cannot do thefe things by their
own Strength, and that they need divine
Supports and Affiftances, in the arduous
Task of Virtue. The Gofpel will then
appear to them (provided they be fincere,
and confequently not indifpofed for the
Illumination of G o D'S Holy Spirit) The
Gofpel will then appear to them in its
proper Beauty, and they will find it, ac-
cording to its true Interpretation, Glad
Hidings, mewing them, that Jefus Chrift
is ready to do that for them, which they
cannon do for themfelyes : That by the
Merits and Power of his Death, he will
deftroy their old Man, the Principle of E-
vil, that now tyrannizes in their Souls ; and
by the Power of his Refurrection, work
their fpiritual Refurrection to the new
Life of Righteoufnefs. . Then Jhall be
brought to pafs the Saying that is written^
Death is Jku allowed up in Viftory The Sting
of Death is Sin ; but thanks be to God, which
giveth us the Vittory through our Lord Jefus
Chrijl. Therefore, my beloved Brethren, be
yejiedfaft, tinmoveable, always abounding in
the Work of the Lord,forafmuch as ye know,
that your Labour Jh all not be in i)ain in the
Lord.
FINIS.
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