our judgement; and looking for the day wherein that which we now see in part, shall be wholly and perfectly revealed to us. Yet notwithstanding, we must employ our minds and studies this way. Why doth St. Paul call this a mystery of faith, that Jesus Christ, who is God everlasting, was manifest in the flesh? It is as much as if he should say, when we are gathered to God, and made one body with the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall behold the end for which we were made; to wit, that we might know that God is joined and made one with us in the person of his Son.

Thus, we must conclude that no man can be a christian, unless he know this secret which is spoken of by St. Paul. Should we now examine, and ask both men and women whether they know what these words mean, that God was manifest in the flesh, scarcely one in ten could make so good an answer as would be looked for from a child. And yet we need not marvel at it; for we see what negligence and contempt there is in the greatest part of mankind. We show and teach daily in our sermons, that God took upon him our nature: but how do men hear them? Who is there that troubleth himself much to read the scripture? There are very few that attend to these things; every man is occupied with his own business.

If there be one day in the week reserved for religious instruction, when they have spent six days in their own business, they are apt to spend the day which is set apart for worship, in play and pastime; some rove about the fields, others go to the taverns to quaff: and there are undoubtedly at this time as many at the last mentioned place, as are here assembled in the name of God. Therefore, when we see so many shun and flee from this doctrine, can we marvel that there is such a brutishness, that we know not the rudiments of christianity? We are

apt to consider it as a strange language, when men tell us that God was manifest in the flesh.

But this sentence cannot be put out of God's register. We have no faith, if we know not that our Lord Jesus Christ is joined to us, that we may become his members. It seemeth that God would stir

us up to think upon this mystery, seeing we are so sleepy and drowsy. We see how the devil stirreth up these old makebates to deny the humanity of Jesus Christ, and his Godhead: and sometimes to confound them both; that we may not perceive two distinct natures in him: or else to cause us to believe that he is not the man who fulfilled the promises in the law; and consequently descended from the stock of Abraham and David.

Is it indeed the case, that such errours and heresies as were in the church of Christ at the beginning, are set forth in these days? Let us mark well the words that are here used by St. Paul: God was manifest in the flesh. When he calleth Jesus Christ God, he admits this nature which he had before the world was made. It is true, there is but one God, but in this one essence we must comprehend the Father, and a wisdom which cannot be severed from him, and an everlasting virtue, which always was, and shall forever be in him.

Thus, Jesus Christ was true God! as he was the wisdom of God before the world was made, and before everlastingness. It is said, he was made manifest in the flesh. By the word flesh, St. Paul gives us to understand that he was true man, and took upon him our nature. By the word manifest, he showeth that in him there were two natures. But we must not think that there is one Jesus Christ which is God, and another Jesus Christ which is man! but we must know him only as God and man. Let us so distinguish the two natures which are in him, that we may know that the Son of God is our brother.

• God suffereth the old heresies, which in times past troubled the church, to make a stir again in our days, to stir us up to diligence. The devil goeth about to destroy this article of our belief, knowing it to be the main prop and stay of our salvation.

If we have not this knowledge of which St. Paul speaketh, what will become of us? We are all Adam's children; and therefore accursed: we are in the bottomless pit of death. There is nothing but death and condemnation in us, until we know that God came down to seek and save us. Until we are thus learned, we are weak and miserable. Therefore, the devil went about doing all in his power to abolish this knowledge, to mar it, and mix it with lies, that he might utterly bring it to nought. When we see such a majesty in God, how dare we presume to come nigh him, seeing we are full of misery! We must have recourse to this link of God's majesty, and the state of man's nature together.

Do what we can, we shall never have any hope, or be able to lay hold of the bounty and goodness of God, to return to him, and call upon him, until we know the majesty of God that is in Jesus Christ; and likewise the weakness of man's nature, which he hath received of us. We are utterly cast off from the kingdom of heaven, the gate is shut against us, so that we cannot enter therein. The devil hath bestowed all his art to pervert this doctrine; seeing that our salvation is grounded thereon. We should therefore be so much the more confirmed and strengthened in it; that we may never be shaken, but stand steadfast in the faith, which is contained in the gospel.

First of all we have this to note, that we shall never know Jesus Christ to be our Saviour, until we know that he was God from everlasting. That which was written of him by Jeremiah the prophet, must needs be fulfilled: chap. ix. 24. "Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and

knoweth me, that I am the Lord.”

St. Paul showeth that this must be applied to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ: and thereupon he protesteth that he made no account of any doctrine or knowledge, only to know Jesus Christ.

Again, how is it possible for us to have our life in him, unless he be our God, and we be maintained and preserved by his virtue? How can we put our trust in him? for it is written, Jer. xvii. 5. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." Again, how can we be preserved from death except by God's infinite power? Although the scriptures bear no record of the Godhead of Christ Jesus, it is impossible for us to know him as our Saviour, unless we admit that he possesses the whole majesty of God; unless we acknowledge him to be the true God; because he is the wisdom of the Father whereby the world was made, preserved, and kept in being. Therefore let us be thoroughly resolved in this point, whenever we speak of Jesus Christ, that we lift our thoughts on high, and worship this majesty which he had from everlasting, and this infinite essence which he enjoyed before he clothed himself in humanity.

Christ was made manifest in the flesh: that is to say, became man; like unto us in all things, sin only excepted: Heb. iv. 15. Where he saith, sin only excepted, he meaneth that our Lord Jesus was without fault or blemish. Yet notwithstanding, he refused not to bear our sins; he took this burden upon himself, that we through his grace might be disburdened. We cannot know Jesus Christ to be a mediator between God and man, unless we behold him as man. When St. Paul would imbolden us to call upon God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he expressly calleth him man.

St. Paul saith, 1 Tim. ii. 5. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man

Christ Jesus." Under this consideration, we may in his name, and by his means come familiarly to God, knowing that we are his brethren, and he the son of God. Seeing there is nothing but sin in mankind, we must also find righteousness and life in our flesh. Therefore if Christ has not truly become our brother, if he has not been made man like unto us, in what condition are we? Let us now consider his life and passion.

It is said, Hebrews ix. 26. (speaking of Christ,) "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” And why so? St. Paul showeth us the reason in Romans v. 18. "As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." If we know not this, that the sin which was committed in our nature, was repaired in the self-same nature, in what situation are we ? upon what foundation can we stay ourselves? Therefore, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ could not profit us one whit, unless he had been made man, like unto us.

Again, if Jesus Christ were only God, could we have any certainty or pledge in his resurrection? that we should one day rise again? It is true that the Son of God rose again: when we hear it said, that the Son of God took upon him a body like unto ours, came of the stock of David, that he is risen again, (seeing our nature is of itself corruptible,) and is lifted up on high into glory, in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. ii. 6. Therefore, those that went about to bring to nought man's nature, in the person of the Son of God, are to be the more detested. For the devil raised up in old times, some individuals, who declared that Jesus Christ appeared in the shape of man, but had not