Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v2

194 BARTER'S DYeNe THOUGHTS who have conquered so far by the sword, were conquered by the sacred word of truth, and truly understood the mystery of redemp- tion, and the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Obj. But they think us idolaters, for saying that Christ is God, and believing the Trinity. (1.) As to the Trinity it is no contradiction that one fire or sun should have, essentially, a virtue or power to move, light, and heat; nor that one soul should have a power of vegetation, sense, and reason ; nor, as rational, to have a peculiar power or vitality, intellection, and free -will. Why, then, should the Trinity seem incredible ? (2.) We do not believe that the Godhead bath any change, or is made flesh, or the manhood made God, but that the Godhead is incomprehensibly united to the human nature by assumption, so as he is united to no other creature, by and for those peculiar opera- tions on the humanity of Christ, whichmake him our Redeemer. They that well think that God is all in all 'things, more than à soul to all the world, and as near to us as our souls to our bodies, in whom we live, and move, and have odr being, will find that it is more difficult to apprehend how God is further from any soul, than that he is so much onewith Christ ; save that different op- erations of God on his creatures are apparent tous. By all this, we see that every sanctified Christian bath the cer-, tain, witness in himself that Christ is true. He ,is trulya Physi- cian that healeth, and a Savior that saved' all that seriously believe and obey him. The Spirit ofGod in a new, and holy, and heaven- ly nature of spiritual life, and light, and love, is the witness. V.T. The sixth article in my text is, " Received up into glory." That Christ, after forty days' continuance on earth, was taken up into heaven, in the sight of his disciples, is a matter of fact, of which we have all the forementioned infallible proof, which Imust not here again repeat. And, 1. If Christ were not glorified now in heaven, he could not send down his Spirit with his word on earth, nor havegenabled the first witnesses to speak with all tongúes, and heal the sick, and raise the dead, and do all the miracles which theydid. A dead man cannot send down the Holy Spirit in likeness of fiery cloven tongues, nor enable thousands to do such works ; nor could he do what is done on the souls of serious believers in all aged and na- tions to this day. He is sure alive that makes men live; and in heaven, that draws up hearts to heaven. 2. And this is our hope and .joy : heaven and earth are in his power. The suffering and work which he performed for us on earth was short, but his heavenly intercession and reign is everlast- ing. Guilty souls can have no immediate access to God. All is

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