VER: ia+,tf. Epi/lleto the HEBRÈws. 169 ladedChriftians deny it, but the Angels adore it, the Church profeffeth it, Believer§ find the comfort and benefit of it. TheHeavens indeed declare theglory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his handy work, Pfal. 19. I. And the invifible things of God from the creation of the world, are clearly fern, being underffoodby the things that aremade, even bis eternal powder andGodhead, Rom. t. 20. In particular man himfelf is fearfully and wonderfullymade. Theft works of Gods Power and Providence do greatly manifelt the glory ofhis Wifdom, Omnipotency and Goodnefs ; and are like the light whichwas created the fist} dayat the beginningof all things, as we havefhew- ed. But in this inf}ance of affuming humane nature into Perfonal fu'filfence with him- felf, that fcattered light is gathered into oneSun, giving out molt glorious beams un' to the manifeftationof his Infinite Excellencies far above all other things. And this Cutely was not done, but for thegreateff End; that can be conceived, and fuch is the falvation of limners. But we mutt proceed with our Apoflle; and he gives the Reafon and End of this wonderful Difpenfation. The End is, the Delivery of thechildren fiom the condi- tion beforedefçribed e And fill the means whereby he wrought and brought about this End is propo(ed unto us; by death, he was to do it by death. 7hat by death he might deliver them; that is by his own death. This as it is placed, as one principalEndof his being made partaker of flefh and blood, fo it is alfo the means of the farther end aimed at, namely,the delivery of the children out of the con- dition expreffed. SomeTranflations add, by his own death, which is evidentlyun- derftood, though it be not literally in the Text; the death which he underwent in the nature of man, whereof he was partaker. His Death was the means of delivering them from death. Some dillinguifh between Death in the finii place, which Chrifi uii-. derwent, and that death in the clofe of the Verfe, which the children are laid to be in fear of; for this latter they fay is more extenfive than the former, as comprizing death eternal alto. But there doth not any thing in the Text appear to inti- mate, that theCaptain 'of Salvation by death of one kind, fhotild deliver the children from that of another. Neither will the Apoltles difcourfe well bear fach a fuppofiti- on. For if he might have freed the children by any way' or means, but only by under going that which was dueunto them for fin, whence could arilè that indifpenfible necellity which he pleads for by fo many confiderations of his being'made like unto them, fetingwithout the participationof theirnature which he urgeth, he might have doneany other thing fqr their good and benefit, but only Puffer what was due to them. And if it be laid, that without this participation of their nature he could not dye, which it was neceffary that he Mould dot I delire to know why, if the death which he was toundergo, was not that death which theywere oonoxious unto, for whom he dyed, how could it be any way more beneficial unto them , than any thing elfe which he might have done for them, although he had not dyed. There is no ground then to pretend filch an Amphibologie in the words as that which fome contend for. Nowas we oblerved before, the Death ofChrifl is here placed in themidft, as the End ofone thing, and the Means or caufe of another; the End of his own Incarnation, and the means of theChildrens Deliverance; from the fish we may fee, V I I. That thefirff and principal End of the'Lord Chríffs affamhsg Humane Nature was not to reign init, Out to fufr and dye in it. He was indeed from of old deigned untoaKingdom, but he was to fufer, and fo to enter into his glory : Lake 24. 26. And he fo (peaksof his coming into theworld, tofufr, to dye, to bear witnefl unto the truth, as if that had been the only work that he was incarnate for. Glory was to follow, a Kingdom to enfue, but fufering and dying was the principal work hecame about. Glory he had with his Father before the world :was, John 17. 5. and therein. a joyntRule with himover all the works of his hands. He need not have been made partaker of flefh and blood to have been a King; for he was theKing immortal, invifible, theKing of Kings and Lord ofLords, the onlyPotentate from everlafling. But he could not have dyed if he had not been made partaker ofcur Nature. And therefore when the People wouldhave taken himby force, and have made hima King, he hid himfelf from them, John6. 15. But he bid not himfelf, when they came to take himby force, and put him to death, but affirmed, that for that hour; or bufinefs he came into the world, John 18. ç, 5, a t. And this farther fete forth his Love and Condefcenfivn. He faw the,work, that waspropofcd unto him; howhe was to be Gggg 2 expofed
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