Now that he went away with the same body from them into heaven, consider that it is said, 'And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven' (Luke 24:50,51). This is the meaning of those words therefore; Jesus Christ is come into the flesh, that is, Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh that he took of the Virgin, hath brought us who were enthralled to the law, the devil, and sin, to liberty; and that by his obedience and death. 'Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, [saith the scripture] he, [Christ] also himself likewise took part of the same'; wherefore? 'That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage' (Heb 2:14,15). For he 'was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification' (Rom 4:25). For he, even that man, through the power of the eternal Spirit, did offer up himself without spot to God, and thereby, or by that offering, 'obtained eternal redemption for us' (Heb 9:12,14). And therefore I say again and again, look to yourselves, that you receive no Christ except God's Christ: For he is like to be deceived that will believe every thing that calls itself a Christ. 'For many, [saith he] shall come in my name,—and shall deceive many' (Matt 24:5).
Now having spoken thus much touching the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, I shall, according to the assistance of the Lord Jesus, proceed, and shall speak something of his godhead, birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession; together with his most glorious and personal appearing the second time, which will be to raise the dead, and bring every work to judgment (Eccl 12:14).
And FIRST I shall shew you that he (Christ) is very God, co-eternal, and also co-equal with his Father. SECOND, That by this Son of Mary (which is equal with his Father) the world was made. THIRD, That he in the fulness of time, was made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were (or are) under the law; that is, was born of a woman: and in our nature (for he made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men) and in our stead he did fulfil the law in point of justification (Rom 10:4) and was crucified for our transgressions (1 Cor 1:23-25). FOURTH, That very body of the Son of Mary which was crucified, did rise again from the dead, after he had been buried in Joseph's sepulchre; that he in that very body ascended up into heaven; and in that very body shall come again to these ends, 1. To judge the quick and the dead. 2. To receive his saints to himself. 3. To pass eternal condemnation on his enemies. These things in brief I shall touch upon, according to the wisdom given me.
FIRST, And therefore that Christ is very God, I shall first prove by plain texts of scripture. Second, From the testimony of God, angels, and men, witnessed by the scriptures. Third, By several arguments drawn from scripture, which will prove the same clearly.
First, Then to prove it by the scriptures; tho' indeed the whole book of God's holy scripture, testify these things plainly to be most true, yet there be some places more pregnant and pertinent to the thing than others; and therefore I shall mention some of them: as that in Proverbs 8:22, &c. and there you shall find him spoken of under the name of wisdom, the same name that is given him in 1 Corinthians 1:24. I say in that place of the Proverbs above mentioned, you shall find these expressions from his own mouth. 'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.' Also in John 1:1, 2 you have these words spoken of Christ, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.' As also in Hebrews 1:2 the Apostle being about to prove the Son of Mary to be very God, saith; He 'hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son'; which Son is the Son of Mary, as in Matthew 3, 'But [saith the Apostle (Heb 1:8)] unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.' Again, in John 17:5 you have the words of the Son of Mary for it, saying, 'And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' Again, he himself saith, before Abraham was, I am: And again, I and my Father are one. And in Philippians 2:5 the Apostle saith, 'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.' Also Revelation 2:8 Christ himself saith, I am 'the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.' And thus have I quoted some few scriptures to prove that the Son of Mary is the true God.
Second, I shall give you the testimony of God himself touching the truth of this, viz. That Christ, the Son of the Virgin, is the true God:
1. And first see Zechariah 12:7 and there you shall find these words, 'Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.' In this place the Lord doth call that Man his fellow, which he doth not do to any mere creature. Again, in Matthew 3:17 he calls him his beloved Son, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And in the aforesaid place of the Hebrews (ch 1) the Apostle advancing the Lord Jesus, brings in this question. 'To which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son?' (v 5). 'But unto the Son he saith' (v 8) 'Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever': And thus far of the testimony that God himself hath given of the Son of Mary, Jesus Christ.
2. The angels do shew that he is God: (1.) In that they do obey him. (2.) In that they worship him.
(1.) That they obey him, is clear, if we compare Revelation 21:9 with 22:6. In the first of these places we find, that there came one of the angels of the seven vials, which had the seven last plagues, and talked with John. He came not of himself; for in that 22nd chapter, verse 6 he saith, 'The Lord—sent his angel to shew unto his servants, the things which must shortly be done.' Now in the 16th verse you may see who this Lord God is: He saith there, 'I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify—these things in the churches [compare Rev 1:1]. I am the root and [as well as] the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.' I say this obedience of the angels doth testify that Jesus, which is the Son of Mary, is the true and very God; for they do obey God only.
(2.) The angels do shew that the Son of Mary, is the true God, in that they do not only obey him, but worship him also; yea, they are commanded so to do (Heb 1:6) where it is written, 'When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he [i.e. God,] saith, And let all the angels of God worship him,' viz. the Son of Mary. Now the angels themselves command that we worship none but God (Rev 22:8,9). When John fell down to worship the angel, the angel said, 'See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant,—worship God.' Now if the angels should command to worship God, and they themselves should worship him that by nature is no god, they should overthrow themselves, in commanding one thing, and doing another, and so lose their own habitations, and be shut up in chains of darkness, to be punished with everlasting destruction from God himself at the great day. And thus much concerning the testimony of angels touching Jesus the son of Mary, the Son of God, yea, very and true God (Isa 9:6).