and bu Son fefus Chrifl. 61 by firl! knowing ofhimfelf. An? indeed? ifthe Idea or SamJ?ler of his Creation ~ alone were all the Image or Object ofhts Knowledg he had m htmfelf, of him- Chap. ?· fclf; 'then he fhould only have but an imperfeCl: Knowledg of himfelf, and Cuch ~ as we have at the lowdl: of him. For to know God but in the Creatures, is but that which was in Adnm by the Law of Creation : and we profefs to look for an higher, to Cee God Face to Face, and in himfelf; which is our Perfection. And therefore, furely God's Perfection, is to fee himfelf in himfelf much more. Neither indeed can God know hirrifelf perfeCi!y, but by fuch an Image ofhimfelf, as is as perfect as himfelf. We Creatures indeed know nothing perfectly, becaufe our Underllandings penetrate not into the Things themfelves, and fo we know them only by fuch Images as fall fhortofthe Subll:~nce ofthe Things themfelves: But God's Knowledg is perfect, efpectally that whtch he bath of htmfelf mu1l be equal to himfel£ So then, ifthe import ofthis Phrafe'the Word,relatesat all unto God's inward Thoughts or Apprehen!ions, and the ObjeC\: of them; it mu1l more efpecially carry in it Chrifr, his being the immediate Image of God himfelf. 3· Tis certain, that Chri1l himfelf (1Vho himfelfknew bell: what himfelf was) doth fpeak ofhimfdf, as of a Perfon unto whom his Father doth fhew, or make known the Pattern a'nd Model ofall his V'lorks he means to do: and therefore, the Sub1lance or Being ofhis Perfon confi1leth not in his being the Idea or Model ofthe Creation, that is in God's Mind; but he is the Perfon to whom God makes known thofe Platforms ofall. Thus, Joh. 5· 19, 20. Then anfwered]ef~~<, andjaic/m;to tbem, Verily, verily I fay nntayo11, The Son can do nothin15. of himfelf, hut wbat hefeet/; the Father do : for what thmgsfoever be doth, theft alfo doth the Son lif<twife. Forthe Father loveth the Son, and jhewcth him all things that hiVlfelfdoth~· and he will jbew hiJJt greater Works than theft, that ye may marvel. t. Thefe Words fuppofe the Idea of what he means to work, to be in common between the Father and the Son, and in the Father fir[[ ; as in him the Being or Effence of God is fir[[, and fo communicated or !hewn unto tbe Son (as in– deed all the Platform or Form of God's Works is common to all three Per– Cons in that they are alike God.) And therefore it were abfurd to fay, That the Son himfelf is nothing elfe but that Platform it felf of what God means to work. · 2. Thefe Words fuppofea Perfon \vhom God loves, and a Perfon of Under– fianding and Knowledg, fuch as to whom the Idea of all God means to effeCI: is !hewn. Now as it were abfurd for a Carpenter to fay to that Form in his Mind; I will fhew thee all I am about to do : So here there would be the fame abfur– dity. And, 3· ln verf 17. Chri1l lays he is ohc that works, and bath a powerful Hand to effect all th:tt is done as well as the Father: And therefore, is himfelf a Perfon di1linct from this Idea ofall Thing£, and not the bare Image ofthem. And le1lit!houldbe under1loodofhimasSon ofMan only, he puts in that Word hitherto. My Father works [hitberto] and I work, That Word takes iri all God bath ever done !ince the Creation.- For that hitherto mull: relate to Come time a" fure, either Eternity, or a Beginning : and we know that that beginning of God's working, was the beginning ofthe Creation; and (from that time hitherto faith Chri1l) I worl{, And be it what it will that the Father bath done at any time, the Son bath done the fame. For verf.19. Whatever things the Father doth, theft <~/fo doth theSon lik!wife. 4· Thefe two Exprefftons. I. That he is one begotten ofthe Father, elfewbere ufed : And, 2. This here, That he is one to whom the Fatherfoeweth all he doth; do imply two differing things, even as for a Father firfl: to beget his Son, his fub• ll:amial Image, and then to teach and in1lrutt him in his Trade, and lhew him what he is to do. Yet I may add this, That God the Father communicating the Form ofali things to his Son, fo vieweth his own Thoughts and Purpofes thereabout, as they !hine forth in his Son: as a Man doth his own Thoughts in hls Friends Mind or ludgment. Hence Chri1l theWord, may in a more eminent manner be ll:iled the 1deaofall Things, in comparifon with the other Perfons: Yet fo as this is,becaufe h!:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=