Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

and his Son !fefus [hrift. 2. The Apof11es all jointly by Peter, John 6. 69. .And we beli<ved, and are~ Jim that thou art that Chrijl, the Son of the Living God. ~ Lafily, Tlie whole Church, Ephef. 4-13. So that we may boldly afiert; Alfertion 2. That our Chrijl, for the S"bjla11cc of hi! Pcrjo11, is the Son ofGod; fo (tiled, not in refpetl: only of God's taking Man's Nature, but as exijling as ji 1 ch afore he todk, Man's Nature. Ai1d this is one of the great Foundations of the Gofpel, and univerfally .1cknowledged by Believers in the firft Times. This general Afiertion will require many Particulars to explain it. 1. That he that thus exifted, (as bath been proved) through all Ages, and from Eternity, was this Son of God, and fo ftiled afore ever he affumed Man's Nature. 2. How and in what manner this Title is given to him. For the Firft ; That he that thus exifted through all Ages, was the Son of God, and fo fii. led afore ever he alfumed Man's Nature. For the Evidence of this, I fhall run the fame Race I did in the former Af– fertion ; when I proved his Exifl:ence, I went through all Ages, even up to Everlafl:ing. And [o I fhall do in this,ftep by ftep, demonfl:rating,that it was the Son of God, that as fuch is faid in all Ages to have exifl:ed. r. He of whom John the Baptifl: affirmed, that he exifl:ed afore him, (as was fhewn) his Perfon by him is fiiled, The only Begotten Son of God; John 1. I), r8. John bare Witnefs of him, and cried, ftying, This was he of whom I .f}akf, He thut cometh after me, is preferred before nJe, for he was before me. No Man bath feen God at any time, the oJJ/y begotten Son, whicb is in tbe Bofom of the Fa– ther, he hath declared him. Compared with verf. 30, 34· This is he of whom I foid, After me cometh a Man, which is preferred before me; for he was before me. And I .ftw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God. 2. He, as the Son, was over the Church, as his own Houfe, in Mofls'• Time; To him, as the Son, was Mofos a Servant in his Hou[e ; fo then he mufi exifl: as the Son. Thus you read exprefiy, Heb. 3· 5, 6. Mofes verily was foithfol in all his Houfe as a Servant, but Chrijl as a Son over hi1 own Houfe, even then. Even he that then faid, in Numb. 12. 7· Mofes i1 faithjit! in all my Hottfe ; he was this Son, lays 'PaHI, and therefore exifl:ed as fuch, for it was he fpake thofe words in Numb. 12. 7· 3· Again, 'twas proved in the firft Alfertion, That our Chri(\: was a Perfon that exifl:ed at the Creation. Now he that then exi(\:ed, and fo afore Man's Nature was made, and four thoufand Years afore this Man was made, is then ca:•:ed the Son. Of him, as the Son, it-isfaid, Heb. 1. 1. His Son, b_y whom he made the Worlds. 4· It was fhewn, that he was a Perfon exifting, throughout all Generations from the Creation. And this was the Son: ]oh.5.17. My Father work,eth hitherto, and I work,; that is, Hitherto my Father bath wrought from the Creation, both on Sabbath-Days an? every other Day. It was fpoken to juftify the Healing on the Sabbath, And it was not his own working only virtually or inflrumentally, For his word is op.oiws, in likf manner, verf.19. And he that then is faid to work, mufl: be acknowledged in the higheft manner to exift: And it is the Son that did this, verf 19. Then anfwered Jefu:, and faid 11nto them, Verily, verily I fay flnto ; ou, The Son can do nothing of himfelf, b11t what he feeth the Fathtr do: For what tbi11gs foever he doth, theft alfo doth the Son likfwifi. And as in the words, verJI7. it is manifefl, My Father worfv, a>Jd I that am his Son. 5· He who was without beginning of Days, and end of Life, of whom Me!chifedeck, was the Type and Shadow, (as was fbewn out of Heb. 7· 3·) he is exprelly termed the Son of God in that place. For thus the words concerning Melrbifedtcft run; H<tvin.~ neither begimting of Dap, nor end of Life, b11t was wtde lil~t 1111to the Son of God. Who therefore as Son of God, bath this in a real and fl1bfl:antial manner true of him. And therefore the Son is not only, in refpetl: of this Man Jefus his being united unto God. But, 6. In Rom. I. ver( 2, 3, 4· l'au/ [ays, That the Gofpel was promifed by God before by the Prophets concerning his Son, whofe Perfon he thus defcribes, K Who

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