I 8o Book IV. JLoo!tfng unto ']Jefus. ~hap._ I. ~ea.). ploymenc in-the works of our particular ralli~gs ~ li;ing by faith, I muft not flry 0~ all 111.t<h 1 6.41• rhefe means~ only remember amongft the reft, r~at one ofChrill :_ watch P.r.d pray, thnt ye enter n•t mto ""!P!atwn ; ~r~ymg agatnlllt~ Is a denpng of It, and a great pan of the victory_;. for It IS ad~fclaimi~g rhe enrenammem of 1t ; It Is a pofiri>e reje<'lioo of the cnme; 1t Is a calhng tn ~ux1hanes from above, to make the victory more cenain 10 us. Hence one fwcerly advlfeth, If temptation [m ~tpon ther, do rho" Jet u·von God. f. he MM foono-r:ercome M thottart, as.foon moved to good, as thou art to evil, he is asq~ic~ 1y invited to puy thee, M thou art to ruk.,him; provided thou doft not finally reft in the Pe– tition, butpafs into aEtion, and end,avour by all means to quench the flame newly kjnd!ed in thy botvels, before it come to devoJJr the marrow that i; in thy bones: indeed a llrong prayer and a lazy, incurious, unobfcrvam walking are contradictions in Religion; and there~ for~ watch, andpray, and fray, and watch. John '·4'· 1Tim.3.16. l Pcc. 1. :.0. SE: C T. V. Of the jirft manifeftations of Chrift. 4-FOr the lirll manifellation of J efus by his feveral wimdfes; now it was time that the Sm1 of righte011{ne(s jl1011ld arife, and thine in the view of the world : and (be– caufe of unbelief which had blinded the world) that fome efpecill witndfes lhould be chofenout, both to anoint our eyes, and ro point to the light, faying, thu u heof 1 rhorn MofesintheLa>vand the Prophets didwrite, Jefi16of Naz.arcththcSon of lofeph: to this pur~ofe we read much of the manifeffations of {efus; God was manifcjfin the jlefh. And Chrlll: vm!y WM fore-ordamcd before the foundatzons of the world, bm w.ts manifeft in )ohfl :.u. f~e{~;:~ftft~fo~:h hJ;n ;~~;.fi~R~y~~~;ett~:~~~~e,h~n~~i~ur.l:~:n~h:u~5 ~t1:~~S~p~~ tells us, that the Life was manifefted; and we have (een it, and bear witnefs, and jhew ' John'· 2. tmto yo11 that ctemallife whi.chwas with the Father, and wasmanifef/"ed unto'"· Tit. :t..U. Ti1. 3 4· And there is reafon for this manifellation. I. Becaufe every manifelhtion was an approbation of his Million and Divinity. 2. Becaufe in the manifellation of Chrill; there was a manifeftation of the Grace of God ; and this was the will of God, that he would nor only act free Grace, but he would have it _known, and publi01ed roall rhe world; tbis is the glory of Grace, and fers it our: And therefore faith the Apoftle, TheGrace of God thatbringeth falvation, hathappeared to all men. At the opening and difcovery of.JefusChrift, thekjndnefs, andpiry, and 107Je of God OJSr SavioJtr towards . man appeared, 3. Becaufe thismanifellat_ion bath fomething in it of rhe removal of fin; . it is the voice of Chrill unto fuch as are m fin, Behold me; the lirfl: flep cowards rhe lfo. 65 ' '· . remiffion of fins, is the beholding of Chrifi; now we cannot behold him that will nor 1John 3 . ,, come into view: and therefore faith the Apollle, ye k:pow that he was manifeftedto tafet away our fins. 4· Becaufe this manifdlation bath fomething in it to the overthrowing of Satan. for .he while that Chrill hid himfelf, Satan blinded the minds of men; but when on~e Chrift the Image of God jhone forth, then Satan, like Lightning fell down from heaven; for this purpo[e the ~on of god was manifrftcd, that he_ mig_ht deJI.roy the ' John 3. S. wor~s of the Devil, 5. Bec_aufe this mamfe~ation rends to our behevmg mChnll, and Johfl>. ;o,3•· by confequence to our falvauon through Chnft: Many Stgnes Chrift dtd m the prefence of his Difciples which are not written; bm rhefe are writtm (f~Hh 1ohn) that_ye might be– lieve that Jeflu is Chrijfthe Son of God, and that beliewng, ye mtght have life throughhis Name. Well, but wherein was this lirll manifeftation of J efus? . I anfwer, in thofe feveral John ~- •i• wimelfes that held him fvrth : Jt is writtw in the Law (faith Chnll) that the teftimo11y of two rr.en is true; bur to manife~ Chrill, were many wnnelfes. As, I. From Hea– Tohn s. 18. ven the Father is witnefs : far fee, fmh Chnll, the Father that font me, beareth wunefs •f )"hn 8. '4· me : and rhe Son is wlmefs ; f0r fo faith Chrill: [ am vue that bear witnefs of my filf, >nd th•11gh I bear record of my [elf,_yet my record is.""'; for I k:pow whence I came. _and Hob.,o. , 9 , whither Igo : and the Holy Ghoft 1s wunefs; fofanh Pa11l: 7 h~ Holy Ghojf alfo zs ~ Mat\h. 3.16, lc,hn 5· 3i· John :. ;. lVitm(s to u;: and ro that purpofe he defcendeJ like a Dove, and l!glu upon lum. · 2. On Earth fohn the Baptill iswimefs : for fo fanh Clmll; ye {ent muo /ohn,. and he bare 11'11nefs ttnto the trmh,-~ be came for a wunefs, to bear twtnefs of the ltght, r.h.~tallm:H throwh Cbrift might believe. No fooner was7ohn confirmed by a flgn from Itmen, tlwr Jefus 6 was the Cluifr but he immediately manifells it to the JC\\'s; and firll to the Prte1l:s ' and
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