gospel glory: proclaimed before the sons of men, in the visible and invisible worship of god

7/29/2019 Gospel Glory: Proclaimed Before the Sons of Men, In the Visible and Invisible Worship of God

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Gospel-Glory

Proclaimed Before The Sons of Men,In the Visible and Invisible Worship of

GOD.

Wherein the Mystery of God in Christ, and His Royal, Spiritual

Government Over the Souls and Bodies of His Saints is ClearlyDiscovered, Plainly Asserted and Faithfully Vindicated, againstthe Deceiver and his Servants who endeavor the Cessation

Thereof, upon What Pretense Soever.

ByEdward Drapes,

An Unworthy Servant in the Gospel of Christ.am he that lives and was dead, behold I am alive for evermore;

Amen and I have the keys of hell and death, Rev. 1:18.

Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart ofunbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one anotherdaily, while it is called today, lest nay of you be hardened through

the deceitfulness of sin, Hebrews 3:12, 13.

London,
http://www.mountzionpbc.org/index/Articles_books_author.htm


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Printed for Francis Tyton and are to be sold at his shop at thethree Daggers, nigh the

Inner Temple Gate.1649.

Editors Introduction

The First London Confession of Faith is a unique document andreflects the ancient Adoptionists faith and order rather than

the Nicene Creed.The Second London Confession of Faith reflectsthe Nicene Creed.

Edward Drapes was a ministering brother who walked with theParticular Baptist Church meeting in the Glasshouse or Glazers Hallin London. This church came into being from the Richard Blountmission to bring adult immersion back into England from theCollegians in Holland. Blount and his friends were not aware of any

who then, 1640, practiced immersion of adult believers in England.See my Notes and Studies on the Kiffin Manuscript for a betterunderstanding of all this. These are two different works. Soon aftertheir constitution as a gospel church, the Glasshouse Church becamevery aggressive in gospel outreach, as were the other ParticularBaptist Churches in London. They spread their faith and order as faras Wales and Ireland. The First London Confession went with them.Edward Drapes had been in Ireland but returned home to London.Soon after he completed this work, he passed on to be with the Lord.

Drapes work is a commentary and manual explaining the samedoctrines and order the Particular Baptists had set forth in The FirstLondon Confession of Faith. It is like the Pedobaptist works, TheLonger and Shorter Catechisms. Herein is not much in the way ofthe classroom, but sermons and lectures explaining and vindicating


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the First London Confession. The section on Christology is excellentin all its particulars.

When readers consider Drapes remarks about Jesus Christ, eachreader should remember that Drapes is dealing with the Man, ChristJesus, not the Eternal Word. Drapes distinguished between the DivineBeing, the eternal Word and the man, Christ Jesus. He shows us thetrue and proper manner of the composite nature of the God-Man andthe several offices of the Man, Christ Jesus, in His sacred humanity asthe Mediator of the New and Everlasting Covenant. Once wedistinguish and understand that Drapes did treat about Christ, inHumanity as a Man, as the Mediator of the New and EverlastingCovenant then our fears and concerns about some of Drapes

statements will vanish away.

Edward Drapes was decidedly anti-Nicene as were the majority of theother contemporary Particular Baptists who helped issue the FirstLondon Confession of Faith.. When the General Baptists startingcoming among the Particular Baptists in the 1670s, then theParticular Baptists started a slow but study drift into Nicenism andeven worse.

Further highlights in Drapes Christology are his holding forth thesame concepts that Richardson and Kiffin had set forth in theirwork, Justification by Christ Alone. I have especially appreciated themanner in which both Richardson and Drapes set forth theintercessory work of Jesus Christ now while He is at the Fathers righthand. Their views have given me further relight into Pauls statementabout Abels blood that speaks. Christs death and His blood speaklouder than even Abels blood. See in this section many true andproper statements about the true manner of Christs intercession inopposition the Papal and Arminian concepts.

Drapes also joins with Richardson in showing that Faith is the meansor result of justification, and not the cause of it. This is another


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blessed section. The entire Christological section is a journey backthrough the dark ages to the early Christology of our ancientforefathers before the Nicene corruptions. See my work, Trinity Primer,for more on the early Christology.

A Debtor to Mercy.

TO the Churches of Christ in London, and in all other places, who

worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, according to thecommandments of the everlasting God; especially to that particularsociety of whom I am a member, grace, mercy, truth, and peace bemultiplied from the Lord Jesus.

Precious and dearly beloved brethren, In these perilous times,when ungodlinessranges from place to place, and blasphemyagainstthe God of truth and Children of righteousness, spreads itself, like an

overflowing stream, or contagiousdisease, wherebytruth seems to befallen in the street; and many who formerly esteemed it their glory tobe professors thereof (according to the prophecies which went before ofthem) have departed from it, and abandoned the profession of it; myspirit was exceedingly moved within me to publish this discourse, asto the consideration of those, who have already shaken off Christ'seasyyokefrom their shoulders, that they may see from whence theyare fallen, repent and do their first works; so especially to your view,who through grace havefollowed the Lambin all His righteous paths,that you may continue to the end, that no man may take you crown

from you.

My own infirmities, and many sinister considerations did stronglyimportune my silence; yet notwithstanding them all, and those lyingprophecies which some ignorantly divulged of my renouncing or


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disclaiming this work before it came to light, through the sufficiency ofthe Lord Jesus, I have now made it public, being well assured thegates of hell shall never prevail against the truth herein contained.

I do profess, had I seen the Lord carrying forth any of my brethren(whose abilities in judgment and clearness of expression far exceedmine) to have undertaken a work of this nature, I should have rejoicedin my own silence. But hitherto have I not known any to stand up inthis cause; and surely if all should be silent, the stones should speak.

The daily objections and loud outcries against the truth of Jesus

(which God directs us to walk in) as if a complete victory was gainedagainst the commands of the Lord; extraordinarily moved my spirit, tocast my mite into the treasury; to expose my talent for you service,which I have according to the measure given me performed; not withenticing words of man's wisdom to please itching ears, but withplainness and simplicity of spirit and words, to the understanding ofthe meanest capacities.

And wherever you find any words you understand not, which I ampersuaded will not be many; necessity, not my own desire, enforcedtheir use; lest any seeming material objections that I have yet heard ofshould pass unanswered. What through pretense to God, Spirit,mystery, power, light, revelations and perfection, and the crying downof the plain, simple and righteous commands of a crucified, and yetexalted Jesus, as legal, beggarly, fleshly, formal, traditional, carnal,etc. The power of godliness is trampled under foot, delusions, notionsand impostors being lifted up, to the subversion of many souls, whoforsake Christ's easy yoke, light burden and straight paths; for

Antichrist's dangerous licentiousness, carnal security, and broaddestructive roads, who. like the man that was possessed with a legionof devils, that dwelt amongst the tombs; whom no bands nor fetterscould hold, but he broke them all, and was driven of the devil into thewilderness, will not endure Christ's laws, but break them all; neitherScriptures nor ordinances can hold them who often times cry out withhim, what have we to do with Thee O Jesus? A wilderness of


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inconstancy, barrenness and unprofitable shrubs will be their portion;the tombs, the painted outsides of things will be their habitation untilJesus, the true Son of God, command this unclean spirit to departfrom them. And then shall we again see them who before in truth werenaked, to be clothed, and in their right minds.

Let not men's boasting or shouting, "Lo, here is Christ" and "Lo, thereis Christ," subvert you. For know assuredly, those who now say intheir hearts, they will ascend to heaven and exalt their throne abovethe stars of God and will sit upon the mount of the congregation andascend above the heights of the clouds, and be like the Most High: Yetthey shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit and be castforth as an abominable branch." And you, precious ones, "who by

patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honor andimmortality, shall be crowned with eternal life." Their mountains shallbe abased and you valleys exalted. Behold in this ensuing treatise:power, light, mystery, God, Christ and perfection unveiled andadvanced; ordinances, duties and visible worship in their properplaces, and their spheres also established. Christ is here representedto you as your King, Priest, and Prophet, purchasing your happiness,commanding your obedience, discovering you duty, rewarding yourfaithfulness to death with a crown of life.

I did not intend in this treatise to have presented to you a discovery ofthe wiles, snares, stratagems and devices of the man of sin, wherebyhe subtly attains to a high degree of lordliness over his poor captiveswhom he takes alive at his pleasure, and wherewith he invades thetents and tabernacles of the saints of the most high God. And likewiseto have laid open the several officers and offices in the true Church ofChrist, with their nature, use and end, but fearing the reader throughits tediousness should be wearied, or by the greatness of its price (theworld abounding with so many books already) be discouraged, Ipurposely deferred that work until the Lord hath vouchsafed meanother opportunity.


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Whoever shall peruse this book and find words or sense mis-pointing,or other faults escaped in the printing, I desire they would in loveamend them, the most material being already corrected to their handsat the end of the book; and that they would seriously read what iscontained in it before they censure, and then let them judge righteousjudgment.

To you, my brethren, and fellow companions in the Gospel of Christ,do I recommend this treatise, beseeching you in the bowels of theloves of the Lord Jesus that you stand fast, quit yourselves like mencontending for the faith (not with carnal, but with spiritual weapons)once delivered unto the saints and forsake not the assembling ofyourselves together as the manner of some is who draw back (without

mercy snatch them as brands out of the fire) to perdition.

Let me beg your prayers, that God would make these poor, weakendeavors of mine strong and successful, and that the Lord would giveme wisdom and knowledge that I may receive the truth in the lovethereof. Which glory, that all you and I may enjoy as our eternalportion, is incessantly desired by,

Your poor unworthy Brother, Companion and Servant in the

Gospel, for Christ's sake.

EDWARD DRAPES.


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To all scattered Saints, who through Satan's subtlety are becomesick of their former faith and love to the Lord Jesus.

Poor Brethren, you are in the following treatise invited to return toyour Father's family. You are bought with a price, be no longer theservants of men. You are redeemed by the Lamb. O let not Satanensnare you at his pleasure. It hath ever been the policy of that subtledeceiver to husband his devices for the best advantage. His snares arealways suited to the constitutions of the subjects he seeketh after. IfEve be found in an innocent posture, he must over candy her applewith the sugared glory of being like unto God, Gen. 3:5. Since hermiscarriage, lower allurements have been sufficient to beguile herdepraved off-spring. This present world, his silver hook (baited with ahaec tibi dabo, Mat 4:9), doth draw in more by thousands than do thedrag-nets of the disciples unto the Lord Jesus. If men begin tohearken after an everlasting inheritance and present themselves inworship before the Almighty, behold, Satan cometh likewise, Job 1:6.If the world blind not wholly to subvert, be sure he will endeavor tosophisticate their worship. If baptism, singing of Psalms, churchfellowship, etc. may not be wholly abolished, but every capacity woulddiscover an interval. He begets a blind obedience to baby sprinklingand confused shouting in babylonish societies and so obtains double

advantage, both by disobedience to the true and conformity to anantichristian worship. And yet further as the day of redemption drawsnigh and that dragon must also draw down the third part of the starsfrom heaven after him, not less than the similitude of an angel of lightcan serve again to effect his enterprise. For innocence again begins toinvade him and while the righteous expect him only in openappearances, behold, he ensnares secretly in the form of innocence, inthe similitude of that which their poor souls thirst after. And now noless than holy, holy, is the language of the beast likewise. Perfection,charity, power, mystery, and above the Scriptures, Christ and His

ordinances, is the common lure of this liar and his followers, 1 John2:4. And from this pinnacle, he flings many a poor soul into thebottomless gulf of fleshly fancy and strong imagination, embracing forperfection all manner of impiety; carnal carelessness instead ofChristian charity; the power of the air ruling in a mystery of grossdarkness and emptiness, baptizing every lying divination with glorioustitles as tree of life, or the leaves thereof. The Lord saith it, the Lord


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saith it is now the serpent's and every false prophet's language, whilepromising others liberty, themselves are become the servants ofbondage. And whilst the great mystery of God manifested in the flesh,hid from ages, but now revealed as the alone Redeemer of all that lookfor salvation in Israel, allowed of God and precious, is rejected bythese builders as too low and His blood accounted an unholy thing.

But you precious souls who have been a long time wildernized in thesewanton ways of calling common and unclean that which God hathsanctified, allowed and called precious. You who have scornfully saidof your redeemer, "Is not this the carpenter's son?" And like Naaman,in your wrath proudly rejected against yourselves the counsel of theMost High as too carnal, 2 Kings 5:11; who being vainly puffed up in

your own carnal minds hold not the Head, Christ Jesus, but havebeen sick of and weak in, and at last dead to His ordinances becauseyou discerned not His Body in them. Awake now thou that sleepest,arise from the dead. He Whom thou condemnest can only give theelife. Call no more His commandments carnal. His pleasure alone isthat which makes any thing to thee spiritual. Yea, confounded be thelanguage of those who are lifted up above Him in their own conceits,esteeming themselves gods and above all that are called God. But theythat trust in the Lord Jesus shall never be ashamed, nor confounded.

Truly friends, when I behold the blasphemies that abound in thesedays and the fleshliness of many having a form of godliness, talkingmuch of the Spirit, but having not the power thereof ruling in them toobedience, adjudging the true Christ and His commandments low andcarnal, their own carnal conformities to every thing their own heartsdevise to be height, mystery and spiritual liberty. When I saw how theserpent had here deceived thousands and bitten the heal of the veryelect also, and when, through grace, by the strong hand of God, I hadescaped this snare, being once miserably enstrangled therein andbeholding many simple ones turning aside from their steadfastness, Ibewailed greatly and sorrowed within me because I saw no reprover. Iwas desirous to speak, but my insufficiency overswayed me. But,having met with and read over the ensuing treatise with rejoicing forand consent to the same, I accounted it my part and privilege to annex


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this visible testimony to the truth and seasonableness thereof. Andthough many expressions therein may be perverted by those, who alsopervert the more perfect Scriptures to their own destruction, yet itshall be mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,casting down imaginations and every high thought to the obedience ofChrist, in those who have pleasure in His second appearance, untoglory and immortality; which, that it may be a means to accomplish, Itrust, is the author's chief end. And that it may instruct the Sons ofZion that are led aside through the wiles of Satan to come out of thewilderness, leaning upon their Beloved, the true Christ and eternallife, keeping themselves from idols, 1 John 5:21; and doing whatsoeverHe commandeth them is the great desire of him who would greatlydelight to see every scattered Saint established in the perfect peacewhich the blood of Jesus alone speaketh, and walking in the path

wherever the Lamb leadeth, wherein he desireth to be kept unto theend, and improved,

A faithful Servant to the weakest Member of our Lord Jesus,

JOHN VERNON


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THE INVISIBLE WORSHIP OF GOD

Introduction

That all nations in all ages have acknowledged a God and that He is tobe worshipped, but have not known nor worshipped Him aright.

It is worthy our consideration in the entrance into this followingdiscourse to consider how all people in all ages (enjoying but theirsenses) do from the principles of nature acknowledge a God. The veryheathens were ashamed to deny this. Ransack all ages and whereveryou find men inhabiting either in East, West, North or South and youshall find them agree in this: That there is a God and this God is to be


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worshipped. The Athenians built an altar with this inscription: "To theunknown God" Acts 17:23. All people have a kind of religion andserving God with prayers, sacrifices and the like; therefore, theheathens chose their priests and others to have a care of their Gods,and the service of their Gods. Men of learning and fools acknowledgethis. The schools of the Academics, Stoics and Peripatetics rung of thisdoctrine. The barbarous Indies gainsay it not.

But notwithstanding the harmony in this (viz.:) that there is a Godand that this God is to be worshipped is so great and wonderful; yetthe discord concerning this God, what He is and what is His trueworship is as great as strange. The Athenians acknowledged Him tobe, but knew Him not. Man being unable to comprehend the

incomprehensible Being hath from time to time, according to his vainimagination, fancied a God or Gods to himself. The Romans had asmany Gods as towns. What they received any good from theyreverenced as their God. Hence it came that they worshipped the sun,moon, stars and fire, yea, even dogs and birds for their Gods. Thepeople of Lycaonia perceiving a miracle to be wrought by the apostles,presently lift up their voices saying, "the gods are come down to us"calling Paul, Jupiter and Barnabas, Mercurius: the names of theirheathen gods. And the Apostles could scarcely restrain the priests

from sacrificing to them. From this blind conceit arises as blind asacrifice. Sometimes men, women, children, beasts and birds havebeen offered by them as well pleasing sacrifices to their gods. Fromthis ignorance of the true GOD and His worship hath sprung thatataxia confusion and disorder that is in the world. Hence comesmurders, rebellions, treasons, witchcrafts, sorceries, uncleanness,contentions, persecutions, self-exaltation and all abominations in theworld.

This deluge hath not only drowned some families, towns, cities,countries, kingdoms and generations, but hath overwhelmed thewhole world in all ages. Man no sooner steps into the world, butdarkness is his dwelling place. Nature once was adorned with all thisglory of knowing GOD the Creator in the true light of the first creation,but now through transgression are all shut up and concluded under


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sin, wrath and darkness that it might be made manifest that salvationis only in the Ark that swims above all these waters (viz.:) in the freegrace, mercy and goodness of the Lord in Jesus Christ by revealingHimself to the sons of men and giving them a righteous law to worshipHim by; that so they might not ignorantly forge a God in and by theirown understandings to themselves and fall down and worship theirown creature instead of the Creator of heaven and earth, but mightsee God in His own light. For in Thy light O GOD do Thy Saints seelight, even the true light, the Lord Jesus. As that light hath discoveredHim to me and the only acceptable service and worship of Him, thisensuing treatise declares the invisible worship of God.

Chapter I

Explaineth the word worship showing its several acceptations

in the Scriptures and what the true worship of God is.

The word worshipin the Scriptures signifies to bow down, fall downbefore, sacrifice, to serve, reverence, respect, fear, honor or be subjectto one. (Psa 92:6; 1 Sam 1:3; Luke 4:7, 8) Of which worship or servicewe may mind these four sorts:

1. Human worship, which is a service of man's own invention, that

hath a form of the true worship of God, but is will-worship, vainworship not commanded by the Lord. (Rom 1:22, 23; Col 2:23; Matt15:9).


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2. Devilish worship - when devils or dumb idols are worshipped.These two kinds being all together vain, carnal and antichristian Ishall have no occasion to speak of them except in a way of reproof asunprofitable works of darkness. (1 Cor 10:20; Deut 32:17; Rev 9:20).

3. Civil worship - an outward expression of reverence and respect tomen of authority or eminency (this being in its own sphere unlawfulbeing bounded by the law of God). I shall have little occasion to speakof it. (Matt 20:20).

4. Divine or spiritual worship - when the true God is worshipped

after a true manner, which worship we may fitly describe to be thesubjection of the whole man unto God in every thing commanded byGod, from a true understanding of God, by the power of God, withsingular spirituality, faith, reverence, fear and love in obedience untoGod in Christ. In this description there are several things to beminded as necessarily required in all true worshippers of God as:

1. A spiritual principle whereby we come to an understanding:

a. firstly of God, the object of divine worship (the inscription of theSaints' altar is not to the unknown God, but to Him Whom theyunderstand.

b. secondly, wherein the worship of God doth consist. Every worshipwill not serve the Lord. Blind obedience is the sacrifice of fools, but

that which God approves, His own light reveals which discovers it toconsist in subjection unto God. Where there is true worship theremust be preeminence; where there is inferiority there is superiorityfrom whence springs subjection.


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2. A spiritual power. It is not every strength that is able to build thishouse. That which God's light reveals His power produces and effects.

3. The manner how the worship of God is to be performed must beregarded. Every way of offering the Lord accepts not, but He will beworshipped.

1. With singular spirituality. As the object, principle and power are allspiritual, so must the heart be offering up sacrifices in a spiritualmanner. It is the Spirit in all performances that make them trulylovely.

2. In faith. A soul that worships God must believe God and give creditto the words of God.

3. In fear and reverence. The majesty of God commands reverence inall that come before His throne. That infiniteness andunspeakableness of glory that is in the Lord causes a soul to fall down

before Him, even at His feet, adoring Him crying on with Isaiah, "I amundone!"

4. In love. No service without love is acceptable. If the distance wasonly minded, it would strike such an amazement and terror that nonewould dare to come to God. Therefore the Lord sends from thebrightness of His majesty comfortable beams and rays of love to gatherup the soul to Himself through the power of which the soul is stirred

with love and flaming, this chariot mounts up to God accounting thehardest enterprise he can achieve for God to be his greatest honor.

5. Divine worship in all its goings forth to God makes its addresses inthe Lord Jesus. Spiritual and gospel worship receive all from God in


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Christ, return to God in Him, Who is that way in which God and thesoul meet embracing each other, Who is that ladder on which Goddescends to him and he ascends to God. He loves, fears, serves andlives to God in Christ and in Him alone.

This true worship of God appears in a twofold consideration:

1. Invisibly. Which is only in the inward man, in the Spirit which noman sees or knows, but he in whom it dwells.

2. Visibly. Which others may take notice of and whereby an invisibleenjoyment and filial affections are clearly demonstrated.

I shall handle the first of these in the first part of this discourse,namely the invisible worship of God and the last, viz.: the visible, inthe last part.


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Chapter II

Showeth what is the spiritual principle in true worshippingwhereby we come to know God, and what of God may be known

to the saints.

Principles are so requisite to all manner of actions that nothing can bedone regularly or honorably without them. A true principle is thatwhich crowns every act. If as man be unsound in his principles, all hisbuilding will prove but rotten.

What this principle is:


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By this spiritual principle, I mean a sure ground, or original, seated inthe heart by the Lord, whereby the soul ascends to the true worship ofGod. And this is two-fold:

1. Light. Until the Sun of righteousness shines into the soul todiscover the mind and will of God, the duty and privilege of Hiscreature; the soul is a dark dungeon, a sleepy, dead confusedhabitation, but when God comes in the appearance of Himself, thesoul is enlightened. Which light is:

Light comes from God:

A. Sent forth from the Lord. It is a spiritual, divine, supernatural light.In thy light (saith the psalmist) shall we see light. It is not in the lightof the world, or of the first creation, but a new light to him that he hadnot, knew not, nor enjoyed before.

Light dwells in the soul:

B. It is sent into the soul, as the light of the sun is conveyed to thenatural eye, whereby that discerns natural objects. So is the heavenlylight darted into the spirit of a man, whereby that man being in thislight, seeth it, and nothing spiritually without it.

2. Love. Love unto God and the truth and light of God, though a manmay know much even by the true light, yet if love be not one with thelight, that is to say, if love and light walk not hand in hand, the soulworships God not aright; therefore, as we hear the Saints breathingout their desires to the Lord that He would send forth His light andHis truth to lead them to compass His altar, that is to say to worship


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God. So likewise we hear of receiving the truth in the love of it. If Iknow anything, and yet love it not,I cannot cheerfully entertain orembrace it. Love, love I say unto the Lord, produced by the light andlove of God, both implanted in the heart become that spiritualprinciple that carries forth the soul certainly unto God.

God is the one object of the Saints' light and love.

We are to consider this spiritual principle with its object: light andlove are vain, empty, a mere fancy without a suitable object. Theobject of true light and spiritual love is that God Who is to be

worshipped, God over all, God in all, God above all, which lightdiscovers what of God is to be known by the saints and wherein theappearances of God are.

That God is:The light of God reveals this to the soul: That God is. Hearken whatthe eternal Spirit saith in the Scriptures: He that cometh to God mustbelieve that God is. When the Lord sent Moses to deliver the childrenof Israel from Egyptian bondage, He bids Moses, Go and say I AM hath

sent me, whereby He signifies to them His being, that He is,distinguishing Himself from heathen vanities. He is in Himself and ofHimself. Therefore God frequently styles Himself by the name ofJehovah whereby He points out to us in a most excellent manner:God's being is Himself from eternity, the same without diminution,addition, or subtraction. Though The fool hath said in his heart thereis no God, the voluptuous man makes his belly and pleasure his Godand although the world makes Satan, the Prince of the world theirGod, yet God only is, viz.: the Unspeakable Substance Who lives ofHimself. What all creatures are, they are by God and have their

dependence upon God, but God Himself is only truly independent.

Question: If any shall demand of me what God is?


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Answer: I answer, if any seek the definition of God from theworkmanship of His hands, he will be all together frustrated in hisexpectations. His substance is unspeakable. Man is but God'screature. Man in the most lively, glorious, quickest and subtlestunderstanding is ignorant of Him.

Objection: But may some be ready to object many Scriptures thatspeak of knowing God, yea, it is eternal life to know Him the only trueGod.

Answer: To answer this we must consider to know God is.

First, to know that there is a God or that God is and so, if we knowHim not, we cannot speak of Him, nor live to Him.

Secondly, To know God is to know Him after a sort or manner, viz.: asHe hath revealed Himself to the sons of men, for the incomprehensibleand invisible Being hath made Himself visible after a sort so that our

obedience may not be without obedience, nor our eyes without anobject. And so, if thou art made partaker of the Spirit and so dwellestin the light of God, thou mayest see him:

God is incomprehensible.

Firstly, to be incomprehensible. If man, poor, silly man, nay, wise,understanding man was able to comprehend the infinite One, hewould then be God himself or greater than He. For 'tis only the greaterthat is able to comprehend the lesser. As soon may the smallest pointin the circumference comprehend the whole, as the creature hisCreator. Therefore wisely did Empedocies answer one that demandedof him what God was, that He was a Sphere whose center was every


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where and circumference no where; whereby is most excellentlyshadowed the incomprehensibleness of God.

God is immutable.

Secondly, that He is immutable. The world is possessed with changes,but in Him there is no shadow of change. The world grows old as dotha garment, but He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Thisis the record that He gives of Himself saying, "I the LORD change not."Mutability proceeds from corruption or imbecility, but God's being ismost simple and pure. There is no composition in Him, neither is He

subjected to time in which all changes are.

God is eternal.

Thirdly, He is eternal. God is before time. Time is made by God andshall be done away by God according to that in the Revelation: "Timeshall be no more."

What time is.

Time is that space in which actions are successively brought about,having beginning and ending, but God is not included here for it isimpossible that He Who made it should be comprehended in it. He is

from everlasting and shall remain to everlasting. This is matter ofadmiration. Arithmetic is nonplused here forced to confess eternitytranscends his skill.

God is Invisible.


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Fourthly, God is invisible. No man hath ever seen Him or can see Him,therefore the Saints acknowledge Him to be the invisible God, Col.1:15.

Objection: But some say Moses talked with God face to face. AndChrist saith, "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God";therefore, He is not invisible.

Solution: To which I answer that God is to be considered either as inHis own being or in His operations. As He is in Himself, we see Himnot, but as His works of love, wisdom, power, etc. declare Him, so we

see Him. Thou seest some glorious and costly building, yet seest notthe spirit of that man in whose mind this building was before erectedto thy view. But seeing it, thou concludest well in saying surely thewisdom of man appears in it eminently and thou knowest the mind ofany man surpasses the matter in his mind.

Thou seest a poor creature acting diverse rare feats and excellent arts,but yet seest not the soul or spirit of that man from whence they flow.

In all natural bodies there is a spirit from which natural actions flow,and yet seest not this spirit, but art made able to know there is aspirit and from its operations canst speak a little, thoughstammeringly of it.

Exodus 33

Moses saw the face of God, and yet saith God to Moses, "my facecannot be seen." The face of God is a phrase God useth, descending tothe capacity of God's creatures whereby the Lord holds forth someglory of Himself. Moses seeing God's face was his seeing the fullestmanifestation of God's beauty and mind that was then for him to see(for the face demonstrates the beauty and mind of a man) and yet hesaw not His being. The face of God doth here hold forth no more the


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being of God than the face of a man his being. A man's beauty is nothis being for a man is a man, though he be not beautiful.

And when as Christ saith, "he shall see God" His meaning is he shallsee what of God may be seen, for He that is in Himself invisible,makes Himself visible after a sort, viz. by the appearance of His loveand glory in His Son; therefore, saith Christ, "no man hath seen theFather at any time, but the only begotten Son hath declared Him." Wehear many declarations of God which is the sight of God the creaturehath; which declarations define not His being, but describe Hisoperations. Thus it is said, "God came down in the sight of the childrenof Israel", when they only saw some terrible appearances of Hismajesty and authority.

God Is Almighty

Fifthly, The Almightiness of God may be seen by the creature that Heis over all and above all and can do what He will is very evident. Allpower centers in Him as its true original. This omnipotence of God is

immutable, boundless and infinite. Who shall say to Him, "this is toohard for Thee?" This power, even this Almighty power which theservants of the Lord feel and know through its irresistible operationsenforces them to serve Him with fear and rejoice before Him withtrembling.

God's Sovereignty may be known.

6. God's sovereignty and supremacy are likewise through the light ofGod clearly made manifest, that is to say, that God is above all, theprincipal, chief and worthiest of all, and under this consideration maybe known to the sons of men: He is King of kings and Lord of lords.This is that which begets obedience, children obey and honor theirparents as them that are over them, servants their masters, subjects


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their kings and rulers as them that are their superiors, and socreatures the Creator as being more worthy than all. His power andsovereignty are inseparable companions: His power fills Him withmajesty and authority.

The light of God discovers the wisdom of God.

7. The wisdom of God may be known, that is to say, that He is wise,understanding, knowing all things. By wisdom He governs all things.By wisdom He made and garnished the heavens. Power, authority andall without wisdom act confusedly. Therefore is He called: the

everlasting light and the Father of light, the God of knowledge. He iswise super eminently and therefore called the only wise God Rom16:27.

God's justice may be known and what it is.

8. God is a just God and His saints know Him to be so. God's justice isHis righteous dispensation of love or wrath according to His own law

made after His own will and thus He is just or righteous to thecreature and He is also just and righteous in Himself, a God of morepure eyes than to behold iniquity and of more justice than to suffer itto pass unpunished. This makes a poor soul bow his knees andtremble before God's dreadful majesty. Who can approach God'spresence without fear? And for this cause is He called a God ofvengeance, a consuming fire, the Judge of all the earth, a Judge mostwise Job 37:17. He is most faithful: He cannot lie, He is a true God, aGod of truth.

God is merciful.

9. That God is merciful, gracious, full of loving kindness, slow toanger, whose mercies are above all His works; His mercy and His


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justice kiss each other. This consideration begets liberty, freedom andboldness in the Spirit to serve, fear, honor and obey the Lord. In thissense is He called a Father of mercies 2 Cor 1:3. This is discovered toa soul as the argument for a soul's obedience to God: if ye love me,keep my commands: for we love Him because He first loved us.

God is known to be related to the creature.

10. God is nearly related to the creature. Though God be never soglorious and

excellent, yet if He had no relation to the creature, it would contributenothing towards spiritual worship which relation is made manifest inseveral particulars:

First, He is a Creator and all things are His creatures. They are all Hisworkmanship Isa 40:28. In the beginning, God made the world and allthings in the world.

Secondly, He is a Father. All things are begotten by Him. In Him welive and move and have our being.

Thirdly, He is a Husband that espouses souls to Himself Isa 54:5.

Fourthly, A King and we His subjects. He rules over all the earth andthe sea is His dominion.

I might here show at large how the several terms God gives to Himself,hold forth His relation to the sons of men, but I shall not now insistupon them.


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God is all in all.

11. God is revealed to be all in all, that is to say, in His operations, butit is the same God that worketh all in all (1 Cor 12:6). All that is goodor excellent, beautiful or glorious in all or any creature proceeds fromGod and this shows the creature's dependency upon Him. ThereforeHe is said to fill all in all Eph 1:23. That is to say all fullness in anycreature is from the Lord Who is above all ruling over us through all,manifesting His power and wisdom in us all, dwelling in us, abidingand delighting in us. Eph 4:6.

God is one.

12. This God is one infinite Being. There are gods many and lordsmany, but to us there is but one God. Many men are called gods. It iswritten I have said ye are gods but there is one original Being who isour God in the Lord Jesus. There are not many first beings but oneoriginal Who is the first and the last., the beginning and the ending.That is to say, the first in Himself, before all, subsisting by Himself,

giving a beginning, and the last, continuing in Himself forever, puttingan end to corruptible things by Himself, for He is without beginning orend of days. (Editor's Note: We would say God is threeeternal,divine, co-equal spirits who make up the One Elohem. The termGod, is representive of the Father in most cases in the NewTestament. The key of course is the term ONE. Study John 17 inthis light and you will find that the elect shall all be one in gloryin the same way that Christ and the Father are One. In additionremember that the husband and wife are one and the true gospelministers are all one as Paul and Apollos were both one. REP)

God is a living God.


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13. God is a living God. He is not a dumb or deaf idol, but One thatlives forever. Time molders all idols in the dust, but God is not is notsubject to time. This infinite Being cannot die, that is to say, besubject to dissolution or corruption.

God is present in all places.

14. Lastly, God is present everywhere. He cannot be circumscribed forHe is an infinite One. Thou canst not say God is not here for He iseverywhere, knowing all thoughts searching all hearts. If thou cansttell me where God ceases to be, there I will prove to thee God is

bounded, limited, and finite; which in no sense can be said of theinfinite Being. His Spirit and presence are everywhere. Where ever Godis He imprints an appearance of Himself to be there. If thou goest intoheaven, that is to say, into thehighest place of glory, the Psalmist willtell thee, God is there. Yea, if thou makest they bed in hell, God isthere, there exercising His wrath, justice and indignation. If thouthinkest to hide thyself in darkness, the darkness is as light to theLord. The darkness and the light are alike unto God, that is to say,His power, knowledge and wisdom cannot be separated from any placeor from the understanding of anything. There is such darkness in us

that we cannot see, but there is no darkness in God that seeth ourdarkness by His own light Psa 139.

Thus having according to my measure brought forth myunderstanding of what of God may be known, viz. His power, wisdom,light, love, justice, presence, and the like, all which terms the Lorduses to express what He is to us in a way of relation to His creatures,in terms that His servants are after some small measure capable to

understand. I shall proceed in the next place to show wherein thisexcellency of the Lord Jehovah our God doth appear.


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Chapter III

showeth wherein that which may be known of God to us is mademanifest, viz. in the creation and in the Lord Jesus,

and how it appears in the creation.

That God is and that He is immutable. incomprehensible, merciful,wise, etc. He hath given us a very lively testimony to seal the truth ofit. God being unwilling to hide Himself and His great glory decreed tobring it forth, which we shall see clearly:

1. In the creation.

2. In the Lord Jesus.

Both these are made manifest in the Scriptures. These are the goldenpipes which empty forth the golden incorruptible oil of joy, gladnessand righteousness amongst the candlesticks into the lamps of thesanctuary, even into the hearts and spirits of the church of the FirstBorn, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The creation holds forth God.


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These are the two great ordinances which are displayed by the eternalword of God according to the Scriptures; which are those conduit-pipes which carry in them all that may be seen. known, understood or

enjoyed of God by the sons of men. I shall speak of both, but in thefirst place of the creation which is a glorious book in which he thatruns may read and understand the excellency of the Lord Who was,and is and is to come. The meanest, most natural capacity may readGod in every line of the creation, which shows:

The creation shows the Godhead.

First, that there is a God. The invisible things of Him from the creationof the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that aremade. even His eternal power and Godhead Rom 1:20. That is to say,though God is invisible, yet that which may be known of Him is clearlyseen, that is understood by the things that are visible. Now the thingthat may be known is this, viz. His power and Godhead. That there isa divine, eternal God is apparent, if we consider that there is not theleast little thing in the whole creation, or great thing which leadeth us

not step by step into a Godhead.

In this world there are four degrees of things, viz. which have being,which have life, which have sense and which have reason. Somethings have all four, some again only one, yet every one preaches forththis God. The earth, sea and air are very spacious, bearing andsustaining all things that have life, sense and reason and yet arethemselves void of life, sense or reason. They are nearest to not being,

to annihilation. The plants besides being, have life and drawnourishment and refreshment from the earth and air. The beasts havebeing, life and sense and seek their food from the earth and plants.Man hath all, being life, sense and reason. He enjoyeth the elements,feedeth on beasts and plants and commandeth other creatures anddiscourseth of all things above and below. Lo here, this wonderfulorder. One serving another, nothing is for itself.


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or kingdoms respect unity. All that ever man doth or can do leads tounity to the high advancement of one God and His wisdom and power.Surely all these unities here below are but so many resemblances in asort of the true unity itself. The mind of man is one, though itconceives in itself an infinite number of things. And the more thingsare in unity, the more noble they are, then certainly God must needsbe unity itself Who is truly noble and only one. I might trade far innature here, but I must mind other things likewise so that I will notdwell here.

Creation shows God to be almighty.

3. The creation shows the almightiness of God in these twoconsiderations:

First, In creating the world of nothing. Amongst the philosophers it's areceived axiom, EX NIBILO NIBIL FIT, of nothing nothing is made. Sofar as this concerns man it's true, which proves the Almighty power ofGod; for if man cannot produce the least matter without some pre-

existent or foregoing matter to work upon, then surely He that canproduce the heavens and the earth of nothing must needs be verypowerful, yea Almighty. In the beginning God created the heaven andthe earth, as saith the Scriptures, or these heavens and this earthwherein Moses proves the things that now appear in the beginninghad no appearances at all, but were created of nothing; for the Hebrewword RESHITH which is translated the beginning, doth not signify anysubstances. Neither doth the word BARA, to create, signify any otherway to create than of nothing and hereby it is distinguished from theword FATZAR, to form, and GNASHA, to make. Doth not this hold

forth the eternal power of God?

The world itself speaketh forth this mighty power of God in that it hadits beginning from God. If we consider the several motions andmutations that are in the world, we must conclude a beginning. Look


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to the rivers, they flow from the Sea. The tide of the Sea arises fromthe influence of the moon and the moon borrows light from the Sun.Sometimes streams grow dry. The moon is eclipsed. And the Suncontinually moves which argues its beginning.

Objection: May, but some say the heavens have continued a long timeand we see no change; therefore, they were from eternity.

Solution: Vain man, because thou seest no change; therefore, willthere be no change? Thou sayest it hath continued long, what then?Therefore hath it continues from everlasting? God that causes thee to

live it may be twenty, thirty, forty, or sixty years or more, causes thatto continue some thousands. Wilt thou then argue because thou livestlonger than another, thou shalt never die? Know the world is madeformore besides thee and they must come and act their parts in it as wellas thee, and when all are come in, then shall it be destroyed.

This will appear more plainly if thou considerest thy own body. Surelythat had a beginning. It was once in the lowest parts of the earth as

the Psalmist saith and thou wast brought forth an infant of days andgrewest stronger in body, and yet for all this returns to the dust. Nay,look into thy mind, the most glorious resemblance of God, and thouwilt find it had a beginning; for it is subject to joy and sorrow, to learnmore and more, which holds forth a beginning and One that made it,and without it.

The beginning is the first point of time and the ending the last. In the

midst of these two points runs the line of time, which is a little spaceborrowed from eternity, where God displays His power in His visiblecreation. That eternity should create time is a wonder and that timeshould again be swallowed up of eternity is matter of admiration.


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Secondly, In upholding the world to this moment. The world would besoon dissolved if that boundless power supported it not. When earthwas without form and void and darkness was upon the face of thewaters, then the Spirit of God moved and brooded on them, which didsupport that matter and brought it forth into so glorious a fabric as wenow behold this day. And if that Spirit or power moved not still in thisfabric to support it, it would soon return into its first nothing.Therefore saith the Scriptures, all things consist in Him. Nature itselfteaches this. The veriest Atheist or Epicure that is, that when he iswell hath no leisure to think of God, or that he may sin the moregreedily, denies there is a God. When he is never so little sick, or readyto die, his conscience flies in his face and he is forced to acknowledgeda God, and that he cannot subsist without him. I have already shownthe heavens and the earth are subject to mutability and so capable of

dissolution. And certainly did not God keep them by his right hand,they would come to nothing.

The creation shows the incomprehensibleness of God.

4. The creation cries aloud God is incomprehensible. I might here fillvolume after volume by descending into thousands of particulars and

show thee every one, every little, yea, the least thing thou canst speakof leads thee there by the hand to acknowledge it. All that any man,the purest natural man or spiritual man is, is but the work of God'shand. Now, the workman is greater and more worthy than his work.Thou seest a curious piece of work made by a skillful artist andpraisest it. But, being led from the work to the artist, thou admirestthe ingenuity and dexterity of the mind of that man from whence thework proceeds. Yet a little further, let us view the works of God, viz.the sun, moon, stars, the herbs of the field, the beasts of the forest,the fishes in the sea. Canst thou tell me what the substances of thembe? Philosophers have traded so far and confusedly herein, that intruth all that they have said of them, or can say, is but vanity andconfusion. This puts the wisest of them all to a non-plus. Hence it isthey differ so much about them. The wisest must confess hisknowledge herein to be but ignorance. Philosophers say, "things arecompounded of four elements, viz. fire, earth, air and water, which as


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to their substances are invisible. And that the virtue of many thingsproceed from the four first qualities of heat, moisture, drines and cold,but yet are they forced to confess many things operate from a hiddenor occult quality which they can render no reason of. Ask them whythe lodestone draws iron to itself, they say there is a hidden virtue init, a specific quality or similitude of substance, but from whence itproceeds they cannot tell. Nay, ask any man in things seemingly moreordinary as why the fire should burn, rather than the water? They sayit is its proper nature so to do. But where is had this nature, or how itcame by it, they are forced to be silent, or to acknowledge it from GodHimself. Surely if we cannot comprehend the least things, as a fly, orthe grass of the field, much less the infinite One. They tell us Rhubarbpurges Choler etc. from a hidden quality which hidden quality isnothing else than the very instinct of the Creator in it.

Objection: But some that would be thought very wise, cunning andspiritual says, though man, that is to say, the natural man cannotcomprehend God, yet a saint may.

Answer: Alas vain man! Thou sayest thou knowest not what. If a saintcan comprehend God, it must be in His Spirit or understanding (for a

saint is a natural man consisting of body or spirit, sanctified or madeholy). Now, that he may see his error, let him turn into his own mind.Can he comprehend that? He knows he hath a soul by its motions,but what his soul is those motions cannot tell him. Yea, this soul andunderstanding of thine is but the work of God. Now the work cannotcomprehend the workman, So that if you canst comprehend Him,thou must be God; for thou hast no light but what thou hast of Godand that light discovers only the works of His hands. But if thou shaltsay thou art God, as some blasphemously affirm, let me ask theewhether thy soul or body is God? If thou sayest thy body, then howcomes it to pass thou canst not be in all places at one time? Howcomes it to pass thou art subject to death and corruption? If thousayest thy soul is God, how comes it to pass thou art so ignorant ofwhat thy soul is? God must needs know Himself and all other things.Knowest thou what shall befall thee? How thou wast made when thissoul was given thee? Why dost thou so often complain? Why art thou


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subject to changes? God is unchangeable. But if thou shalt say, Godin thee is God that knoweth all things, I answer thee, then it is notthyself that comprehendeth Him. God in thee is not thee, no morethan God in the earth, or beasts in the field, is the earth, or the beaststhereof. Therefore poor silly wretch leave off to talk so dotingly ofcomprehending Him when thou knowest not how to comprehendthyself.

Objection: Some are ready to say, this is carnal reason because wemake use of earthly things to speak of God by.

Answer: Vain man! God made the earth to preach forth Himself andthy folly to thy self. Therefore saith the Psalmist, the heavens declarethe glory of God and the earth His handy works. And again saith ourApostle, the invisible things of Him are seen by the things that aremade. They all preach thy folly, madness and vanity and bespeak theeto be but an Atheist for all thou boastest to be a saint.

The creation shows God's wisdom.

5. The creation lively points out to us the wisdom of God. If thou seestthe picture of a man, thou presently askest who made it and admiresthis skill and cunning. If thou castest but a glimpse of thy eyes on theworld and askest who made it, thou wilt see it is God and wilt admireHis wisdom. God's wisdom appears in that glorious and harmoniousorder that is in the world, that unity should be produced fromcontrariety. Oh, what a wonder is it! I have told thee before, fire and

water be contrary, so dryness and moisture, yet thy one body cannotlive without them all, being composed of them all. Nay, let me tell thee,it is God keeps them from encroaching one upon the other. There isnot one thing in the creation but bespeaks God to be a wise God. Thouknowest of beasts, some are for thy food and some again would devourthee. Those that are for thy use God hath placed nigh thee in flocksand herds. Those that would devour thee live in desert places in the


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wilderness in caves and dens. From whence came this disposal ofthem? Did thy own wisdom procure it? No certainly. It is no otherthing than the wisdom of God.

The creation shows the love of God.

6. The love and relation God hath to the sons of men appears in thecreation. It may be thou art a father of children. Thou providest forthem food and raiment and why? Because thou lovest them. Godcreated all for man. God first made the world and brought man into itas into a large palace, ready furnished with all things fit for delight,

pleasure and food; that man became lord of the creatures. All thingswere made for man, and man for God, in whom He took delight. As forman, He created him in His own image wherein appears His great love.

What it is to be created in God's image.

To be created in His image was to be made such a creature that in a

special manner did most resemble his Maker in a created pure naturallight and understanding, power and authority; whereby he was theimage or likeness of God. I might further show that the creation holdsforth the immutability of God. for He that made all changes mustneeds be unchangeable. And the sovereignty of God, for He that madeall must needs be Lord of all. And the eternity of God, for He thatmade time must needs be before time. And the life of God, for He thatmade all creatures live must needs live Himself. The justice of God forhe that ordains it to be observed in His creatures must needs be just

in Himself. Yea, of the invisibility of God, for if thou canst not see intothe substances of things made by Him, thou canst not see Him thatmade them. I might show you that God is all in all in the creation, thatis to say, there is nothing without Him and all things that it is it is byHim. But because I shall further have occasion to hold forth theexcellency of the Lord to the creature in the second particular, viz. asHe appears in the Lord Jesus, I pass from the first creation, the


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habitation of the first man, the first Adam and his posterity which isearthly unto the last Adam, the second Man, the Lord from heavenand His generation, the children of the second and new creation.Concluding this chapter with this that what I have already said of Godis not to define what He is, but to tell us what He is not; that we maynot deceive ourselves by our proud and vain apprehensions, informing a God to ourselves wither with the ignorant, thinking Him tobe a huge body, or massy substance; or with other that seem to bewise, dream of comprehending Him, but rather say as at first, He isthat He is, but what I know not; but with the Psalmist desire to learnin silence and rejoice in those appearances of Himself whereby Hegives out Himself to be known after a sort, for my eternal happinessand the happiness of all His people.

Chapter IV

Showeth what we are to understand by God in Christ, and

what Christ is, and what the Father, Son and Spirit are.

God is in the creation, but dwelt in the Lord Jesus. Christ is God's

habitation, for in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, thefullness of grace and truth. In the creation, He is a God over us, inChrist a loving Father to us. But seeing this is the great mystery ofgodliness, (viz.:) God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen ofangels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, andreceived up into glory. Which mystery is hid from the eyes of the worldand man's vain imagination fancies such vain understanding of it. Ishall endeavor to speak more plainly and particularly of it, and shallobserve this order:

1. To show what we are to understand by God in Christ;

2. How God in Christ unveils Himself to the sons of men, that we mayknow what we are to understand by God in Christ, these three things


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are to be considered, and that from the word Christ which signifiesone anointed; wherein consider:

1. The Anointer;

2. The Anointed,

3. The ointment itself wherewith He is anointed. Of these in order.

Who is the Anointer? It is the Father.

The Anointer, Giver, Dispenser, or Pourer-forth of the ointment is theFather, God in all, over all and above all,for Whom are all things, andby Whom are all things. It is that infinite, that incomprehensiblemajesty, that eternal substance which I have already proved to beincomprehensible. The Scriptures abound in this doctrine. The Spiritof the Lord God is upon me(saith Christ) He hath anointed me. Godproclaims it from heaven, saying, I have found my servant David(whichis the Lord Christ) with my holy oil I have anointed Him. Again singeththe sweet Psalmist of Israel in the Song, that his heart endited orbubbled or boiled forth concerning the King: God, thy God hathanointed thee. This was prefigured, shadowed, pointed at and typedforth in the law by Moses anointing Aaron. This is the Father's work.

The subject anointed is the human nature.

Secondly, the subject anointed is the human nature in which Godwas manifested, for He was manifested in the flesh. It was thatparticular body of Christ that the Word dwelt in, which was madeflesh and dwelt among usand therefore saith the Scriptures He hathanointed His holy child Jesus, even Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary,of a Virgin: the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of man whois called the man Christ Jesus. It was that particular person who was


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the subject of this anointing Now the human nature is nothing elsebut a fleshly body and human soul united in one, which humanity isproper to all men, yet so that every man hath the whole human naturein himself and so was this person, this man Christ, this humannature consisting of body and spirit in one person, was the subject ofthe anointing.

The ointment is the Spirit.

Thirdly, the ointment itself remains to be declared, which is that holyoil with which our Jesus is anointed, which ointment hath several

names in Scriptures to declare its worth and nature. It is the Spirit ofGod, therefore saith Christ, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, He hathanointed me. With My holy oil, saith the Lord, I have anointed Him,which is the oil of joy and gladness, the Holy Spirit and power; whichoil is sweetly typified forth to us by the holy oil mentioned by Moseswhose composition consists of principal spices as pure Myrrh, sweetCinnamon, sweet Calamus, Cassia and oil olive, wherein thoughmysteriously, yet very excellently is deciphered the very nature of theSpirit of the Lord Jesus. For the nature of that composition is suchthat it is of singular virtue, being sovereign for the brain, comfortable

for the heart, and wholesome for the liver-the three natural fountainsand springs of the natural bodies' life, purging from evil humors,mollifying and softening the body, enabling the body to perform itsnatural, vital and animal faculties; which is abundantly, yea,superlatively true of the Spirit, that gives to a saint being, wisdom,understanding, light, life, power, love and increase, softening thehardest heart, moistening and relenting the most flinty spirit; purgingand scouring away effectually all drossy, choleric, passionate, idle,melancholy, earthly and evil humors; fitting and enabling the soul torun the ways of God's commands; preserving the soul from sinsvenom and poison; keeping it from corruption or putrification. Andwhereas none was permitted to make any after the likeness of thatcomposition, it declares and proclaims aloud the contrariety of thetrue Spirit to all pretenders of it, or counterfeitings of it; which are thepowers, signs and lying wonders of the man of sin, which Christ,through the brightness of His coming, will destroy.


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Thus briefly have I handled the three essential things to be consideredin the true knowledge of God in Christ. Now know this, that neither ofthese three, abstracted from the other, is the Lord's Christ. It is the

composition or conjunction of these three in one person that makesthis Christ. Therefore it is said, the word was with God and was Godand yet was made flesh; which leads us to the consideration of thevarious manifestations of God as they are one in Christ Jesus.

What the Father, Son and Spirit are.

There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, Son, and HolySpirit and these three are one, viz. One God and one in the man JesusChrist.

(Kind Reader: It must be pointed out that we do not agree withBro. Drapes' views of the Trinity. We have not removed thissection from this work as we wish not to be accused of editing inor out of these old works and thereby deceiving people by

inserting our own views in the place of those in these works withwhich we do not agree. We do not claim or believe that these menare infallible and so we are not ashamed to reprint such viewswith a disclaimer. We agree that God is but one God, but we donot hold the view that God manifests Himself in three manners,but rather that God is of one essence existing in three separatebeings. The Father is eternal God. The Word is eternal God andthe Spirit is eternal God. Each is distinguished by Jesus ChristHimself very plainly in the New Testament and especially in the

book of John. We believe the Scriptures teach this plainly. We donot hold to the view that the Son was eternally brought up,begotten, or generated of the Father, but rather is as eternal asthe Father and Spirit. The Scriptures which deal with thebegetting or generating of the Son deal with Jesus Christ in Hisvirgin birth (my only begotten Son) and in His resurrection fromthe dead (the first begotten from the dead). We do not find the


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Scriptures teaching that the Father somehow manufactured theSon into existence. We also find Christ teaching the separate anddistinct being of the Spirit, the eternal Spirit [Heb. 9:14]. TheSpirit is not a force, but rather a distinct eternal Being. The viewis ungodly blasphemy that the Father, after begetting the Soninto existence, then took the Son and they did something toproduce the Spirit into existence. The Spirit proceeds forth fromthe Father and Son in a way of ministry to the children of God tobring us children of God into fellowship with Himself, the Fatherand the exalted Son [John 14:16, 23]. We, therefore, rejectDrapes' views which follow - J.K.O.)

These three are not three Gods, but one. God is made manifest after

three manner of ways, that is to say, God the Father conceived Hisword in His own mind, which is His Son, eternally brought up withHim; His wisdom daily His delight. It is His light whereby He knowsHimself, and brings forth everything by Himself. For by His word, thatis to say, Himself in a way of activity, or doing, or wisdom, he madethe worlds. The word was in Himself producing everything belowHimself, and the Spirit is the mutual kindness each of other, which isactively eternal. The Spirit is sometimes taken for the power of God,sustaining all things, producing all things; sometimes for the influence

of the Father's love shed abroad in the heart. And this is the Spirit ofGod, the Comforter in the gospel, so that all these are one, agree inone, and what may be attributed to the one, doth agree to the other;so that these three are not three distinct substances or persons in thecommon and most known acceptation of the word, viz. a particularand individual substance or being, distinct from another. In this senseI say, there are not three persons in God, for this is to make threeGods; but because the Scriptures no where saith there are threepersons, I hope the word (invented by man's wisdom) shall not beimposed on any as a snare. Let us more look to things than words. I

say according to the Scriptures there are three that bear record inheaven: the Father, viz.: the infinite Being, the begetter of the Son;and the Son, viz.: the express image of God, the reflection or likenessof Himself, which is the word begotten of the Father; and the Spirit,the mutual kindness, love and communication of the Father and theSon; for God is love, all agree in one, in one man Christ Jesus; theFather is in Him, the Word is in Him, for it was made flesh and dwelt


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among us; and the Spirit is in Him, viz.: the eternal love of the Father,the sweet and heavenly influences thereof. It is given to Him withoutmeasure so that God manifested in the flesh in a way of union isChrist, for all that may be known, or understood, or enjoyed of God isin the Lord Jesus. Nay further, whatever God is to a saint, He is it inChrist Jesus, for the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily, thatis to say, God in His highest manifestation of Himself in power, graceand truth, etc.; for He was full of grace and truth.

The sum of what I have said or can say in this particular (whichnotwithstanding I must confess comes infinitely short of the height ofits glory) is that the conjunction of Father, Son and Spirit, after aspiritual and wonderful manner in the man Jesus Christ, is the Lord's

Christ. So that God in Christ is God the Father dwelling in and unitingthe human nature after a wonderful and unspeakable manner toHimself; and therefore is Christ called God and man; and because ofthis union, Christ sometimes speaks as He is man, and so dies;sometimes as the Word, which is God in Him, and so He raisethHimself from the dead; in a way of union, and so He is the Mediatorbetween God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.

Chapter V

showeth how God in Christ unveils Himself to the sons of men

wherein is shown that Christ is our Priest, and the manner ofHis consecration and fitness for His office.


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Having showed what we are to understand by God in Christ, and whatthe Lord's Christ is, I am come now to show that Christ was notanointed for Himself only, but that He might communicate of Hisfullness to others; which appears in two considerations:

First, in that Christ was designed by the Father, or set apart, orconsecrated to a glorious work.

Secondly, in that Christ is made fit, capable and able effectually toperform whatever work was imposed on Him, which His beinganointed holds forth to us. Of these in order:

In Christ's designation to a work, there are two things to be observed:

1. What the work is that Christ is consecrated to;

2. The manner of His consecration.

Concerning the work itself, it is a three-fold office or ministry, viz. aPriestly, Prophetical, and Kingly office; wherein all the appearances ofthe love, wisdom or power of God are clearly made manifest. I shallspeak of these in order: .

What the Priesthood of Christ is.

Now the Priesthood of Christ is that order or office that Christ hathfrom His Father, in a way of relation to God and man offering upsacrifices to the Lord; wherein are two things considerable:


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First, the Priest.

Secondly, the sacrifice He offers: for He is not a Priest, but in referenceto His offering of sacrifice

Christ is the Saints' Highest Priest.

The Priest is Jesus Christ, even the man Christ, Whom I have alreadydiscovered to be the anointed of the Father, even this man that hathan unchangeable Priesthood, Who is the Son of God according to the

divine nature, and human nature. It is He that is our High Priest (Heb.9:11).

The manner of Christ's consecration.

But now seeing no man takes this honor to himself, but he that is

called of God as was Aaron (Heb. 5:5). So also Christ glorified notHimself to be made an High Priest, but he did it that said to Him, thouart my Son, this day have I begotten thee. The Father anointed Him,as I have shown more at large before, and now shall show you themanner of His consecration, which was:

Christ consecrated by an oath.

With an oath (saith the Psalmist) The Lord hath sworn, and will notrepent, thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech needsmust we conclude. The matter is of great concernment that ismanaged with so much solemnity.


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That God should with an oath confirm it, it hath much weight in it. Anoath amongst men puts an end of strife and seals up the matter inquestion.

Men in all ages, as I have said before, being convicted in theirconsciences that God is displeased, and must be pacified, have hadtheir Priests to accomplish that service. Nay, the Lord appointed manyPriests to offer sacrifice to Himself. But now, that He might make itappear that none of these were His eternal Priests, that He might putall out of doubt and clearly reveal His own mind and the immutabilityof His counsel, swears by Himself (there being none greater thanHimself to swear by) that He had made, established and consecratedthe Lord Christ to be the everlasting Priest upon Whom He had

conferred His everlasting Priesthood.

The priests of old were made without an oath, but Christ with an oathby Him that said unto Him, Thou art a Priest forever. As if God shouldhave said, "Son, it's true, there have been many Priests that I havemade, but they are dying Priests and their Priesthood but a shadow ortype of Thine which I commit to Thee, for Thou art my well-belovedand shall not die. Of Thy Priesthood there shall be no end, for I have

said, yea, I have sworn it and cannot lie."

Christ consecrated by the pouring on of oil.

The Priests of old were consecrated by the pouring oil on their headsand the putting on of the holy garments. So our High Priest was set

apart for this office by that holy Ointment, even the power and Spiritof the Most High, by the voice of the most excellent glory that gaverecord of Him: "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased." The Lord Christ ministers in the sanctuary with the oil ofjoy, gladness and acceptation poured on Him, with the garments ofrighteousness and salvation.


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Aaron and his sons had garments, yea holy garments for glory and forbeauty; which garments were most exquisitely made for workmanship,wise hearted men filled with wisdom by the Lord being only appointedto make them; whose composition was of the most beautiful, gloriousand rich materials: gold, purple, scarlet and fine linen; whichexcellently types forth the glory of our High Priest Who stands beforeGod in rich, pure, spotless, bright, shining and incorruptiblegarments, being filled, covered, and clothed with the glory of God, andbeing adorned with the beauty of the Most High; for He was and is theexpress image of His Father's beauty. Aaron was appointed to bear thenames of the children of Israel upon the Ephod upon his shoulder andupon the breastplate of judgment, upon his hears, engraven inprecious stones, which shows that our High Priest, the Lord Jesus,administers before the Lord with all His saints engraven upon His

heart, in beauty and glory. Thus briefly having taken a view of themanner of our Jesus, His consecration to His office, let us by divineassistance consider the ability to manage that office. The work, beingof such an infinite extent, requires a person of unanswerable abilitieswhich we shall easily find to be in the Lord Jesus if we consider:

First, the dignity of His person.

Secondly, the excellency of His endowments.

1. For the first, it will appear, if we consider that He is the Son of God,One begotten of the Father, yea, the delight of the Lord. He is the firstborn among many brethren. Priests of old were of the first born amongthe family. So is our Jesus the beginning of the creation of God, thefirst born from the dead, the only begotten Son, that is to say, the

Chief, none begotten to be a Savior, an everlasting Deliverer of Hisbrethren besides Himself. He is Alpha and Omega, the first and thelast, begotten in His Father's likeness, the express image of HisFather's person; white and ruddy (as saith the spouse) the chiefestamong ten thousand, or thousand thousands.


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2. For the excellency of His qualifications consider:

First, His relations to God. He was the Son of God and to man. He was

made flesh. He was of such a nature that He stood related to God andman, as He knew how to preserve both the glory of God and thehappiness of the creature that so divine justice might be completelysatisfied and mercy admirably advanced in the creatures salvation.

Secondly, His interest in God and man. He was not only related tothem, but had a deep interest in them both: to God He was acompanion, therefore God calls Him, the man, His fellow. Moses of old

was prevalent with God, but our Jesus much more - Moses as aservant; Jesus as a Son and Heir; to man as a faithful Brother, Friend,yea Companion and fellow Sufferer; He was tempted that He might beable to succor us being tempted. Likewise, He is the Father's Beloved,Whom God can deny nothing to; the saints Advocate that will losenothing for want of asking.

Christ's will, power and love concur in it.

Thirdly, His will, power, love, wisdom and delight, concurred in fittingHim to be such a Priest. His love sets all on work, both power andwisdom. He is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

He is without spot or blemish.

Fourthly, He is without spot or blemish. The priests of old were forcedto offer for their own sins daily, but our Jesus had no sin to offer for -He was like to me in all things, sin only excepted (Heb. 4:15). Therewas no guile found in His mouth. Yea, such an High Priest became us,Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higherthan the heavens, able to save to the uttermost. (Heb. 7:26, 25).


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Christ is of an incorruptible nature.

Lastly, our High Priest was a High Priest of an incorruptible nature,one that continues forever. The High Priest under the law, by reasonof death, continued not, but Jesus is a High Priest forever after theorder of Melchisedec, that is to say, without father or mother. He wasnot of the offspring of the Priests, but of Judah, without beginning orend of days, who ever lives to intercede for us. Thus much briefly tothe first, viz. concerning the Priest Himself.

Chapter VI

showeth what the sacrifice is Christ offered.

Christ offereth sacrifice.

The sacrifice itself that is offered is next to be spoken of, for every HighPriest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is ofnecessity that this man (viz. Jesus) have somewhat to offer. TheScriptures are exceeding full in declaring this sacrifice.

That I may a little describe this sacrifice in the excellency of it, I willobserve this order:

1. To show you what the sacrifice is Christ offers,


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2. How often it was offered,

3. The place where it was offered,

4. The time when it was offered,

5. The true nature of that sacrifice,

6. How our Priest offered up this sacrifice,

7. For whom it was offered,

8. To whom it was offered,

9. The virtue, effects and end of this sacrifice; of these in order:

What the sacrifice is. It is Christ Himself.

First, the sacrifice itself is the Lord Jesus Christ. When burnedofferings and sacrifices God would not, Christ came to do His will.This is held forth to us in the Scriptures by several expressions, allcentering in one thing, namely, in this sacrifice, as first, by givingHimself as saith our Apostle, "Who gave Himself for our sins." Againsaith Paul, "Who hath loved us and given Himself for an offering and asacrifice to God." The priests of old offered goats and lambs and thelike, but our High Priest a better sacrifice, even Himself (Gal 1:4; Eph.5:2, 25: Tit 2:14; Heb. 7:27; Heb. 9:14, 27).

It is Christ's blood.

Secondly, by pouring out His blood, all things almost under the lawwere sprinkled and purified with blood for without blood there was noremission. The patterns of things in the heavens were purged with theblood of bulls and goats, but the heavenly things themselves withbetter sacrifices, namely, with the blood of Christ Himself. The bloodof beasts sprinkled upon the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of theflesh, but Christ's blood was the sacrifice for the purifying of the


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heavenly things, viz. the saints' bodies and spirits. To this theScriptures gives a large record: In whom we have redemption throughHis blood (as Paul saith) even the blood of the cross, that blood thatissued forth from the side of our Jesus Whom one of the soldierspierced. The High Priest under the law went into the secondTabernacle once every year, not without blood which he offered forhimself and the errors of the people, but our Christ entered into themost holy place by His own blood which is called the blood ofsprinkling which Christ poured forth when He suffered without thegate, even His own precious blood which is the blood of God. This isHe that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ. This was part ofthat new Song the 24 elders sang when they fell before the Lambsaying, "thou wast slain and hast redeemed us by thy blood", even Hisblood Whose vesture was dipped in blood. Therefore Christ's blood is

called the blood of the covenant, of the everlasting Covenant (Eph. 1:7;Col. 1:14, 20; John 19:34; Heb. 9:7; Heb. 12:14; Heb. 10:19; Heb.12:24; Heb. 13:12: 1 Pet 1:19; Acts 20:28; 1 John 5:6; Rev 5:9; Rev19:13; Zech. 9:11; Heb. 10:29; Heb. 13:20).

Objection: But peradventure some will be ready to say, who seem tobe very spiritual, that the blood that washes us is not the bloodpoured forth upon the cross, for that was spilled upon the ground, but

it is a spiritual blood and therefore saith Christ, "he that eateth mybody and drinketh my blood shall never die; which seems to implysome other blood. To which I answer:

Solutions:

1. By the blood of Christ we are to understand, not only the blood

shed forth from His side, as a natural eye might see, but the sameblood in the virtue of it which blood is the sacrifice. So he thatdrinketh Christ's blood partakes of the excellent benefit that redoundsthrough Christ's blood which, in due, I shall show you more fully.


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2. By this word blood we must know the death of Christ to beconcluded and His body included. All Christ's sufferings center in oneword, namely, His blood which holds forth all His sufferings upon thecross. And therefore in the next place the Scriptures declares thissacrifice.

3. To be the offering up of His body, Christ gave up His body to death,to suffer all the wrath of man and to become an offering for sin;therefore, it is called the offering of the body of Christ. So saith Peter,"He bore our sins in His own body, even the body of His flesh. Bywhich body we are to understand Himself, His blood, for every one of

those words are wound interchangeably each in other. Thus Christgives His body to be eaten, that is to say, the fruit of the offering upHis body. He gives His body for us that the fruit of that body mightredound to us (Heb. 10:10; 1 Pet 2:24; Col. 1:22; Isa. 53:10; John10:15; Acts 8:53; John 13:16; Matt. 20:28)

It is His soul offered up.

4. It is said, He made His soul an offering for sin. The Lord Christoffered up the whole man, body and spirit. He loved not His life, butpoured forth His soul and underwent the whole curse, wrath andvengeance of the Most High in body and spirit.

It is the laying down His life.

5. Christ says, He lays down His life for us, yea, He gave His life aransom for many. In this word, all other are contained Therefore it isso often said in the Scriptures we are saved by His death andsufferings. So that all these terms of Christ's giving Himself, pouringforth His blood, giving His own body, making His soul an offering for

7/29/2019 Gospel Glory: Proclaimed Before the Sons of Men, In the Vi

gospel glory: proclaimed before the sons of men, in the visible and invisible worship of god

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