122 Of the .f.Vtowledg of qod the Father~ ~ bath a full profpett into all God's Counfels and Ways. See how Mofts is ~ llighted to him, even in this. The Law came by Mofes, f.1ys ]ohn, Chap. 1. verf. 17. Who, when he received it, was fpoken to by God as never Man was. God profe!feth he revealed himfelf to no Prophet, a< to Moles, Face to Face, Numb. I2 . 8. But what follows in John I. I7· Grace and Tntth came by Jejtl5 Chrift. And John gives the R.eafon of the difference, No Man bath ften God at any time, the only begotten Son, who is in the Bofom of the_Father, he hath revealed him, verf. I8. .:JI1ofes faw God, as never no Man faw htm. But Mofts fight was no fight in comparifon of Chrifi"s. For notwithfianding he had fpo. ken of Mofes, ver[ 17. Yet in the next Verfe he dares to fay, No MJn hath feen God al any time, but only this Son, his eldefi Son, no Servant. No adop– ted Son ever faw God fo, or fhall do, or could do, but the Eldeft, who is in God's Bofom. Secondly, This way of communicating himfelf to one thus a!fumed into·this Union, was the belt means to communicate his Depths of Wifdom to other Creatures made one with him, ( for fiill remember it was not fit that any more than one fhould be partaker of this high Priviledg of Perfonal Union:) for this Man being himfelf thus in God's Bofom ( as bath been declared) is able to de– clare more of God to the refi of his Brethren, than they otherwife fhould have ever known. He was firft to fee God, and then reveal him to other.~, as Joh. I . 18. He hathrevealed him, faysthe Evangdifi. And he is able to fpeak experi· mentally out of fight, the deep Things of God; John 3· 11. We JPea/z (fays he) the Things we have heard and feen, not at fecond hand, but upon perfonal Eye-fight. And whereas others, if they would fpeak of the Heavenly Things to us, mufi do it under Earthly Similitudes; he is able ( if we were capable of it ) to [peak Heavenly Things in their own Idiom. So, verf I2. to fet forth · his Knowledg of the Things he fpeaks, If 1have told JOlt Earthly Thii1gs, and ye believe not, (and yet Chrifi had fpoken afore of nothing but Things Heavenly, and they only are the ObjeCt of Faith ) How fha/1 ye believe if I tellyou of Hea– venly Things ? It is as if he had faid, I have told you but Earthly Things in com– parifon of what I could tell you, if you were capable of them, I could fpeak Heavenly in their own Dialect. And the Reafon foJlows, verf. I3. For no M"'' hath afeended into Heaven, but he who came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven. Yea further, He bath the Power and Skill, not by the means of words only that are Heavenly, ( fuiting Heavenly Things to Heaven: ly) but to create fuch inward real Images and Rays of Heavenly Things, as fhall manifefi the very Things themfelves to us, in their Heavenly Splendor, and as the Beams of the Sun do let in the fight of the Sun it ftlf into our Eyes. 2. Yea, and further, by means of this perfonal Union of our Nature with the Son of God, revealing and communicating the Knowledg of God unto us, it corn~ to pafs, that the greateft Riches of A!furance is added unto that Know– ledg; without which our Knowledg of God, and his Mind, would not be Co fully fatisfitfrory, though we could have come to know never fo much any other way. No way could ever have been thought of, Co to afcertain our Belief as this. No way conduces to fuch an Infallibility of Revelation, as this cloth. If a meer Creature revealed God unto us, ( as &ofisdid ) it might be ( at leafi) fuppofed not to be fo certain, as when God-Man fhall fpeak. For though the words of the Prophets had a certainty in them, as 'Peter comparing the certainty of the Scripture, with that Voice he hod heard from Heaven; 2 Pet. r. I9. he calls it, A more fimWord of Prophecy: So may I fay of what God· Man {hall fpeak. , It is infinitely a more certain fure Word; for it is as impoj]ible that he Jbould lye, as that God himfilf fhould. Every Man may be fup– pofed aL;ar, but we are fure he cannot. And the Son of God being one in Perfon with him, if you hear him fpeak, there is an impoffibility of being de– ceived, for himfelf is God. Therefore, Heb. 1. I. In theft lafl Dap he JP•".! bJ his Son: Which is alfo again indigitated, Chap. 2. verf 2, 3· For if the Word f}ofl.!n fry Angels was fledfajl, and every Tranjgrejfion and Dijobedience received a jufl Recompenre of Reward : How fhaU we efeape, if we neglet1 fo great Salvation, which at the ji"rft began to be JPo/zen by the Lord, and was co11jirrned 1111to rn by them thllt
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=