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eternity. Herein was that change introduced into the whole first creation, whereby the blessed angels were exalted, Satan and his works ruined, mankind recovered from a dismal apostacy, all things made new, all things in heaven and earth reconciled and gathered into one head, and a revenue of eternal glory raised unto God, incomparably above what the first constitution of all things, in the order of nature, could yield unto him.

In the expression of this mystery the Scripture doth sometimes draw the veil over it, as that which we cannot look into, So in his conception of the virgin with respect unto this union which accompanied it, it was told her that the power of the highest should overshadow her, Luke i. 35. A work it was of the power of the Most High, but hid from the eyes of men in the nature of it; and therefore, that holy thing which had no subsistence of its own, which should be born of her, should be called the Son of God, becoming one person with him. Sometimes it expresseth the greatness of the mystery, and leaves it as an object of our admiration, 1 Tim. iii. 16. Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh.' A mystery it is, and that of those dimensions as no creature can comprehend. Sometimes it putteth things together, as that the distance of the two natures shall illustrate the glory of the one person. John i. 14. The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' But what Word was this? That which was in the beginning, which was with God, which was God, by whom all things were made, and without whom was not any thing made that was made, who was light and life.' This Word was made flesh; not by any change of his own nature or essence; not by a transubstantiation of the divine nature into the human; not by ceasing to be what he was; but by becoming what he was not, in taking our nature to be his own, whereby he dwelt among us. This glorious Word, which is God, and described by his eternity and omnipotency in the works of creation and providence, was made flesh, which expresseth the lowest state and condition of human nature; without controversy great is this mystery of godliness. And in that state wherein he visibly appeared as so made flesh, those who had eyes given

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them from above, saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. The eternal Word being made flesh, and manifested therein, they saw his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father. What heart can conceive, what tongue can express the least part of the glory of his divine wisdom and grace? So also it is proposed unto us, Isa. ix. 6. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.' He is called, in the first place, Wonderful, and that deservedly, Prov. xxx. 4. That the Mighty God. should be a Child born, and the everlasting Father a Son given unto us, may well entitle him unto the name of Wonderful.

Some amongst us say, that if there were no other way for the redemption and salvation of the church, but this only of the incarnation and mediation of the Son of God, that there was no wisdom in the contrivance of it. Vain man indeed would be wise, but is like the wild ass's colt. Was there no wisdom in the contrivance of that which, when it is effected, leaves nothing but admiration unto the utmost of all created wisdom? Who hath known the mind of the Lord in this thing? Or who hath been his counsellor in this work, wherein the mighty God became a Child born to us, a Son given unto us?' Let all vain imaginations cease; there is nothing left unto the sons of men, but either to reject the divine person of Christ, as many do unto their own destruction, or humbly to adore the mystery of infinite wisdom and grace therein. And it will require a condescending charity to judge that those do really believe the incarnation of the Son of God, who live not in the admiration of it as the most adorable effect of divine wisdom.

The glory of the same mystery is elsewhere testified unto, Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. God hath spoken unto us by his Son, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, by himself purged our sins.' That he purged our sins by his death, and the oblation of himself therein unto God, is acknowledged. That this should be done by him, by whom the worlds were made,

who is the essential brightness of the divine glory, and the express image of the person of the Father therein, he upholds, rules, sustains all things by the word of his power, whereby God purchased his church with his own blood, Acts xx. 28. is that wherein he will be admired unto eternity. See Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

Isaiah chap. vi. there is a representation made of him as on a throne, 'filling the temple with the train of his glory.' The Son of God it was, who was so represented, and that as he was to fill the temple of his human nature with divine glory, when the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. And herein the seraphims which administered unto him, had six wings, with two whereof they covered their faces, as not being able to behold, or look into the glorious mystery of his incarnation, verse 2, 3. John xii. 40. chap. ii. 19. Col. ii. 9. But when the same ministering spirits, under the name of cherubims, attended the throne of God, in the administration of his providence, as unto the disposal and government of the world, they had four wings only; and covered not their faces, but steadily beheld the glory of it, Ezek. i. 6. chap. x. 2, 3.

This is the glory of Christian religion, the basis and foundation that bears the whole superstructure, the root whereon it grows. This is its life and soul, that wherein it differs from, and inconceivably excels whatever was in true religion before, or whatever any false religion pretended unto. Religion in its first constitution, in the state of pure, uncorrupted nature, was orderly, beautiful and glorious. Man being made in the image of God, was fit and able to glorify him as God. But whereas whatever perfection God had communicated unto our nature, he had not united it unto himself in a personal union, the fabric of it quickly fell unto the ground: want of this foundation made it obnoxious unto ruin. God manifested herein, that no gracious relation between him and our nature could be stable and permanent, unless our nature was assumed into personal union and subsistence with himself. This is the only rock and assured foundation of the relation of the church unto God, which now can never utterly fail. Our nature is eternally secured in that union, and we ourselves, as we shall see thereby. Col. i.

17, 18. In him all things consist; wherefore, whatever beauty and glory there was in the relation that was between God and man, and the relation of all things unto God by man, in the preservation whereof natural religion did consist, it had no beauty nor glory in comparison of this which doth excel; or the manifestation of God in the flesh, the appearance and subsistence of the divine and human natures in the same single individual person. And whereas God, in that state, 'had given man dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,' Gen. i. 26. It was all but an obscure representation of the exaltation of our nature in Christ, as the Apostle declares, Heb. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

There was a true religion in the world after the fall, both before and after giving of the law; a religion built upon and resolved into divine revelation. And as for the outward glory of it, the administration that it was brought into under the tabernacle and temple, it was beyond what is represented in the institutions of the gospel. Yet is Christian religion, our evangelical profession and the state of the church thereon, far more glorious, beautiful and perfect, than that state of religion was capable of, or could attain. And as this is evident from hence, because God in his wisdom, grace and love to the church, hath removed that state, and introduced this in the room thereof; so the Apostle proves it in all considerable instances, in his epistle to the Hebrews, written unto that purpose. There were two things before in religion: the promise which was the life of it, and the institutions of worship under the law, which were the outward glory and beauty of it. And both these were nothing, or had nothing in them, but only what they before proposed and represented of Christ, God manifested in the flesh. The promise was concerning him; and the institution of worship did only represent him. So the Apostle declares it, Col. ii. 17. Wherefore as all the religion that was in the world after the fall was built on the promise of this work of God in due time to be accomplished, so it is the actual performance of it which is the foundation of Christian religion, and which gives it the pre-eminence above all that went before it. So the Apostle expresseth it, Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. God who at sundry times, and in

divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.'

All false religion pretended always unto things that were mysterious. And the more men could invent, or the devil suggest, that had any appearance of that nature, as sundry things were so introduced horrid and dreadful, the more reverence and esteem were reconciled unto it. But the whole compass of the craft of Satan, and the imagination of men, could never extend itself unto the least resemblance of this mystery. And it is not amiss conjectured, that the Apostle, in his description of it, 1 Tim. iii. 16. did reflect upon, and condemn the vanity of the Eleusynian mysteries, which were of the greatest vogue and reputation among the Gentiles.

Take away the consideration hereof, and we despoil Christian religion of all its glory, debasing it unto what Mahometism pretends unto, and unto what in Judaism was really enjoyed.

The faith of this mystery ennobles the mind wherein it is, rendering it spiritual and heavenly, transforming it into the image of God. Herein consists the excellency of faith, above all other powers and acts of the soul, that it receives, assents unto, and rests in things in their own nature absolutely incomprehensible. It is theyxos of hemopévwv, Heb. xi. 1. The evidence où of things not seen; that which makes evident as by demonstration, those things which are no way objected unto sense, and which reason cannot comprehend. The more sublime and glorious, the more inaccessible unto sense and reason are the things which we believe, the more are we changed into the image of God, in the exercise of faith upon them. Hence we find this most glorious effect of faith, or the transformation of the mind into the likeness of God, no less real, evident and eminent in many, whose rationally comprehensive abilities are weak and contemptible in the eye of that wisdom which is of this world, than in those of the highest natural sagacity, enjoy

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