c H R I s T THE w A Y. Book II. CHRIST TI-lE WAY. I am the Way, &c. No Man can come to the Father, but by me, John xiv. 6. JAM the Way, &c. Way is taken properTy or metaphorically. In the latter Senfe divers T hings are fa called : viz. f Law or Word of God, Pfal. cxix. r. DoCtrine of the Gofpel, Afts xix. 9· The Secret Counfd of God, Ram. xi. 33· Converfation of the Godly, Pfal. i. I. Works of God, Job xli. I9· And in this Text (and fame oth~rs) Chri!l: is fa called. Way is a common Word or Phrafe, taken for the chief Means and Medium ·for the Attainment or Accomplifhment of a Thing, and fo is very comprehenfive. A• for Example: The \Nay to gain H onor, is to do fome worthy and honorable ACtion; Honor is the End, the Perfon that feeks it is the SubjeCt, the doing the. worthy ACI:ion is the Way to attain it. Again, If a Man would go to fuch or fuch a City, he muft travel that Road that leads thither; here alfo you have the End, the Subject, and the Means or Way of obtaining the End. So in like Manner, if a Man would come to God, which is Happinefs, his chief End, the Way is Jefus Chrift: No lVIan can come unto the Father, b~t by me. Here Man is the SubjeCl:, God or Happinefs the End, Chri!l: the Way. MET A PH 0 R. I. AWAY to attain to any Thing or Place that we greatly de– fire, and long after, is necdfary, without which our End and Defire can never be accomplifhed. li. A W ay mu!l: be afiigned by the Public Legillators of a King– dom, when it is wanting, and ap– pears abfolutely necelfary. Ill. A Way that is affigned muft be alfo made known, or elfe how lhould Men do to find it, and walk in it I IV. A Way is ufeful upon divers accounts, indeed to all Enterprifes, whether it be for the obtaining of Honor, Riches, Peace, Healch, or L ength of Days. PARALLEL. I. THERE is an abfolute Neceffity of a Chri!l:, for without him, Favor and Reconcilia– tion with God the Father cannot be obtained, Afts iv. I 2. '!'he Jews, who followed after Righte· oufnefs, attained it not, becav.fe they foaght it not by Faith, they ftumbled at that Stumbling-jlone. Rom. ix. 3 t, 32. li. J efus Chrift is affigned or appointed by the great L aw-giver of He~ven and Ear'th, to be the Way to Happinefs, who faw a Savior was want– ing, and fuch an one was necelfary to bring Man to Glory. Ill. J efus Chrift is made known by the Gofpel, in which are plain Diretl:ions how to find the Way. God faw it necelf.1ry w·fend his Servants, to pro– claim and make known Salvation: How jhall they believe on him whom they have not heard? and how jha/1 they bear without a PrMcher? Ram. x. I ·f· IV. J efus Chrift is ufeful and necellary to all Enterprifes, viz. I. To Honor : 'To as many as re– ceived him, to them gave be Power to become the So11s of God, John i. 12. 2. To Riches: Riches and Honor are with me, yea, durable Riches, and Righteoufnefs. 3· To Peace: He is our Peace, who bath made both one, &c. Eph. ii. 14. Inme:·ejhal/havePeace. 4· He is Heahh, Streno-rh, and Leno-th of Days: He that believeth on mejba/1 never die. V. 0 Ways lead f rom one Place V. Chriil:, the fpiritual Way, leads from Sin or City to another. to Grace, out of Satan's Kingdom to his own Kingdom, from Egypt to Canaan. VI. Ways are free for all; none are forbid to travel in fuch and fuch common Ways and Roads. VI. Chrift is a Way free for all Sinners, Mall. J<i. 28, 29. The Partition-Wall is now broken down. Jews and Gentiles, Rich and Poor, Young and Old, Male and Female, may freely walk in thts
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=