Four sermons which doe manifest the true sence of the 1. Epistle to Timothie 6. Chaper 13. 14. 15. [and] 16. verses of that chapter. Preached by the reverend divine Mr. Iohn Forbes late preacher to the Companie of Merchant-Adventurers in Delft. Published by S.O.

1. Tim. 6.15.

Which in his times he shall shewe, who is the blessed, & onely Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

HAving spoken of this description of God in gene∣rall,* 1.1 now (considering the order of the words) we will come and speake of them in particular. First let us speake of them in particular, and first of Gods power, then of his blessednes, for the proof of this, is sett down the contrarye order, he named blessed first, but he setts downe power last, his power is this, because he is the onely Potentate, that is, he is the Lord of al powers and principalityes, the argument is this, he that is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he must needs be the onely potentate in heaven and earth, and so it is that God is the head of all principallityes and powers, therefore he must needs bee the onely Potentate. It is strange that this ar∣gument should hold, since it is graunted that there are

manie Kings and Lords besides God, how then can this prove God to be the onely Potentate, there being other Kings and Lords besides him?

It would seeme by this property here ascribed unto God, that it would confirme the false fancyes of the Ana∣baptists, who hold, that now under the Gospell there should be no Magistrate but God onely, because in the New Testament he is called the onely Potentate, and this is one of their grownds wherupon they build their opinion: but the argument of the Apostle doth manifest the contrary, so the argument is set down by the Apostle in great wisdome, for this argumente doth not take away all Magistrates in the world, but onely makes God to be over them all, to be the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, now if there were no more Kings nor Lords but God alone, how could he then be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? So that the very words of the Apostles argument doe confute this vanity, and lets us see that the authority which he claymes to God, doth not take away mans authority over their subjects, but lets that remain still, notwithstanding that God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But to understand aright what is the Apostles meaning in his argument, it is of great force, for God is said to be King of Kings in divers respects, first because there is not a King or Lord but by him it is, and by him Kings reigne, it is he onely that rayseth to authority, and none but he, so for this reason God is said to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, because they have not their au∣thority but from God, and this is that for which Nabu∣chadnezar that great king of Babell did suffer such a great judgmente from God, as to be cast out from amongst men, and to live among beasts for the space of seven years, that he might know that the most high had rule over the Kingdoms of men, as Daniel tells him in plain termes, be∣cause he in the pride of his heart did think he had raysed

himself to his honour, when these words came out of his mouth, Js not this great Babell which I have built for mine honour, and Honour of my Kingdom? Immediately his kingdome was taken from him, untill he was forced to acknowledge that the most high had rule over men, this is a fearfull spectacle to teache kings to know from whom they have their kingdoms and their authority. Pi∣late when he did boast of his authority to Christ, saying unto him, knowest thou not I can save thee or take thy life from thee? Christ answered him, thou couldest not have anie power over mee except it were given thee from above. This is the first reason why God is called the king of kings and Lord of Lords, because it is not by succession, nor by birth that kings come to rule over others, but by the speciall providence of God, and this is the reason why we must reverence them that are in authority, because (saith the Apostle) all authority is of God.

The second reason why God is called the kinge of kings is this, because he never made king yet of abso∣lute power, he never yet made an absolute king on earth, but allwaies made them substitutes to himself in authori∣ty, reserving to himself the supream authority over them to thrust them out of their thrones whensoever it pleased him. All the kings of the world are but subjects to the king of heaven, so that even in their ruling, and exerci∣sing of their power, they are to know there is another po∣wer above them, unto which they must give an accompt of all their doings, for the Lord will not let the power he hath over them to goe out of his own hands, so that no kings nor Lords have anie power to doe as they list.* 1.2 It is blasphemie to say that anie king hath absolute po∣wer, for that is asmuch as to sett him in the throne of God, for there is no absolute king but God alone, and this is the second reason why the spirit of God describes the power of God after this māner, to prove him the one∣ly Potentate, if he that is a king have another power above

him which is the Lord, thē must this Lord bee the onely Po∣tētate; but every king hath the Lord above him, so as he cā hold it no longer then it pleaseth him, neither can his race injoy it longer then God will suffer it; therefore the Lord tooke away the kingdoms from some, and gave it to others, he tooke away authority from the house of Da∣vid, and gave it to Ieroboam, and for the iniquityes of Ieroboam he tooke it from Ahab and gave it unto Iehu, manie changes of kingdoms the Lord hath made, taking kings out of their thrones, and placing their eni∣mies in their places, to let us see that kings are not ab∣solute Lords on earth, but they are at the Lords dispo∣sing, at his pleasure.

Thus we see the third reason proved, wherfore the A∣postle describes the power of God after this manner, that by necessary evidences he concludes the main point. Since there is not a power or Potentate, but God is the onely Potentate to doe with men as himself please, it is he that casteth down, and it is he that rayseth up, and thus he will have all men to know, but specially his mi∣nisters to know this.

There is a fourth reason of this manner of describing God, and that is for the comfort of his children, which I have touched before, to arm them against all the terrours of kings, that the terrour of no power make them to dispence with the ordinaunces of this great Potentate, therfore he would imprint this in their mindes, that God is the king of kings, therfore no king can doe more harm to them then it pleaseth God, this is comfort, and the same which Christ gives his desciples in the tenth of Matthew, where he bids them not to fear them that can onely kill the body, for he tells them that their lives are more precious then birds, and are there not so manie sparrows sold for a farthing? and yet not one of them shall fall to the grownd without the providence of God, therefore Christ knowing that power was given

over him, though he could have prayed to his Father and obteyned legions of Angells, yet he would not, because he knew there was no resistance of Gods will, there∣fore he comforts himself against the loosing of Pilate, that hee had no power but was given him from above. First of all this, letts us see that it is a vain thing to be astonished at the fury of Princes, it is but miserable weak∣nes of men that know what God is, certain it is if we serve God aright we would not be moved with the fear of anie man in the world.

Ye see when as Ieroboam would have apprehended the Prophet that God sent to threaten his judgments upō him for his idolatry, when he stretched out his hand, to apprehend him, God so decred that his hand withered, that when he had stretched it out, he could not pull it in again; This God that could make the hand of a King to wither when he did oppose the counsell of God, what need anie man to feare, whenas our Saviour and God is on our side. We know what Saule did unto David, he did use all his skill to destroy him, but it was unpossible for him to do it because God who is the King of Kings was with David, and God did shew his power against Saule in this, when he put Sauls life into Davids hands, but hee never put Davids life into Saules hands. We knowe what enmity Ahab had against Elias the Prophet, yet the Lord cōmaūds him to goe to him, & the Prophet answered the Lord, that he sought his life, but the Lord answered him saying, goe, be not afraid, and the Prophet goes to him & tells him that it was he that troubled Israell, and the Lord restrained him that he could doe the Prophet no harme. Infinite examples in the Scriptures wee have of this, to let us see, that he can hold Kings that they shall doe no more harm then God will suffer them, to prove this truth of God, that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

To come yet to make more use of this, why doth the Apostle lay this before us, the use is partly for Kings, and partly for us, the first lesson for Kings is this that I touched before concerning Nabuchadnezar, how God forced him to learn how to know God to be the King of Kings, therfore let all Potentates learn to know that God hath rule over them, and their Kingdoms, and it is he that makes them Kings, and serts them in their thrones, and if they doe not this, it is just with God to make them will they nill they, to acknowledge this to their destru∣ction, for the saying of Isaie shalbe accomplished which the Lord there speaks, all knees shall bow to him, and every mouth shall confesse him to bee the Lord, for the Lord will not suffer himself long to be despised, but in his own time hee will challenge his right, in despite of the world: it were a blessed thing if Kings would con∣sider this, that it is by God that they doe reigne, observe what it is Christ shall doe in the last day, the proper effect of this Kingdom shall be to put down all principallityes and powers, and to give up his Kingdom to God, that God may be all in all, 1. Corin: 15, then shall they see the trueth of this, that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, if Kings would consider this, that the time shall come, that the world shall not have a Kingdom nor King but God alone, me thinks they would then reverence this God in greater measure then they doe, but this sort of doctrine is harsh to Princes eares, to think that there is a God above them, or that there should be anie of whom they hould their scepter, and yet they must know this, or feele the truth of it by experience in Gods judgment.

The second use for Kings and Lords is this, that the Apostle doth teach them to doe that which is right to all men, that they oppresse no man, because they have a King over them in heaven, unto whom they must give an accompt of their doings; This Argument the Apostle

useth to Maisters in sundry places, that they should doe that that is right to their servants, knowing they have a maister in Heaven. If superiours would but acknowledge this that they have a Lord over them, that shall take a reckoning of them aswell as they take a reckoning with their in∣feriours, surely it would make them to doe nothing but that which is right, these are the uses that doe concern Kings and rulers.

Now there is great use of this likewise for ourselvs, besides the incouragement it gives us, not to be afraid of anie power in the world, but it teacheth us this lesson, not to resist power nor authority, because there is no power nor authority but it is from God as the Apostle shewes.

Now since all authority is of God, he that resists authority hee resisteth God, but some object, what if they be tyrants and merciles men: and such as make no con∣science to doe wrong? I answere even as the Apostle doth to servants, whom hee commands to be subject, not onely to their good masters, and such as are gentle; but also to them which are froward: so I say, if thou wilt doe thy duty, thou oughtest rather to suffer wrong, and to suffer thyself to be oppressed, rather then to lift up thyself against authority which thou art under, for if this bond of subjection to Princes were loosed, Kingdoms could not stand, if every servant should stand against their master, and every subject against his Prince, when he is wronged, no common wealth could stand, it is true wee may use all lawfull means to eschew wrong, and Magistrates may plead in Parliament with their Princes, for they have also their authority from God, wee ought to use all lawfull meanes to escape wrong, but if there be no possibility of escaping, wee must rather suffer them to wrong us, for power and authority is to be reverenced as being of God, and indeed God doth sometimes in ju∣stice give bad rulers to avenge himself for the sins of his

people; hee gave to Israel a King in his wrath, and hee stirred up a wicked King in Israel to avenge himself upō the people for their idolatrie, doe you not think but that the divell is Gods instrumēt against the wicked, so is every wiked king th•• Lords scourge, the rod of his justice to in∣flict upō his enimies, when as good rulers are the blessings of God upon a people that are carefull to please him, the Lord will make them nursing Fathers and Mothers unto his church, and so God in his infinit wisedom makes Kings and Rulers to subjects as hee sees cause, either to plague them or to preserve them, this is the secret of Gods providence, thus to order the World according as he sees they carry themselvs towards him; we see that so long as Israel did not know God, so long God gave them in∣to their enimies hands, and they had tyrants to rule over them, but when they sought the Lord as they should and ought, the Lord gave them gracious judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enimies, and assoone as they fell from God again, God tooke those rulers from them again, and made their enimies their Lords: to let us see the truth of this, that it is our sin against God which causeth him to send wicked tyrants over a people, to repay them home according as they have dealt with him, and it is his mercy to his owne, that hee gives them good and gracious rulers. Alwais it teacheth us this, that reverence must be given to him which God hath sett in authority over us, since they are set over us by God. To come yet nearer to the point, doth not God give power to the divell to be the prince of the ayre? How could he prevaile as hee doth over the soules and bodies of men, if God did not give him liberty? looke to the history of Iob, what could he doe against Iob? nothing but by the permission of God, so in the Gospell when there were two men possessed of the divell, which met Christ in the way, and hee dispossessed the divells, when they were cast out, they had not so much power as to

possesse the swine, till Christ gave them leave, & so doth God give power to the divell as we read in the Re∣velation, where it is said that he setts up his viccar in the Church, who shall exercise the power of the divell in the Church, and yet all this is of God, to punish the wickednes of the world, and to avenge himself upon his enimies which have not the knowledge of God as they should, and if God give such power to wicked men, it is to make them his firebrands, to plague the contemners of God and despisers of his word.

But to goe farther, this is not onely a lesson to teach us not to be afraid of mens terrour, and to reverence the whom God hath sett in authority over us: but likewise it servs us for another lesson, and that is this, that Kings, and Superiours we are to obey in the Lord, & no farther, for they have a Lord over them who hath made them our Lords, therefore I must obey them but in the Lord,* 1.3 we must not obey the king against that king that made him a king, for God is the king of kings and Lord of all Lords, and therefore above all he is to bee obeyed, though it should cost us our lives, yet we must not obey princes to the prejudice of God, it would be thought treason; if a subject should harken to an inferiour Magistrate against his own king,* 1.4 although the king had made him a Magistrate, yet if I should hearken unto him in anie thing against my prince, I were a traytor to any prince, and is it so amongst men, and shall not God have the like autho∣rity? kings are but Gods subjects, and inferiour Magi∣strates under him, and is it not high treason to obey them against God? So all obedience that is given unto prin∣ces under pretence of subjection to thē, being cōtrary to Gods will, is rebellion against God and thus much con∣cerning the power of God, that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Now

onely blessed▪ we have heard already how that he is the onely potentate, Now we shall see that none is so blessed as hee, and blessednes can be expected from none but from him alone, for who can make a man blessed that is not blessed in himself, but God alone? therefore it is vain to think to have an happy & blessed estate from anie Princes under heaven, except from God alone, for onely he which hath blessednes without measure can be∣stow it, but let us consider how the Apostle proves it by two things, first because he onely hath immortality, and secondly because he onely dwells in that light that no man can approach unto, and from these two he con∣cludes that he is blessed, and he onely can give it.

He that hath life and an eternall life that is so glo∣rious, and a life which is light, and is such as makes the glory of him that hath it incomprehensible, certainly that must be unspeakable felicity, and this is the first point of true felicity, and this is the reason why all crea∣tures are said to be subject to vanity, because they are sub∣ject to death, so that all things although they should have their hearts desire in the world, yet they cannot be happy, for when they dye their happines ceasseth, therefore to be truely happy, is first to be immortall, which is not one∣ly to be exempted from death, but to be in such an estate where death cannot come, and to have corruption swal∣lowed up of life, whē God shall be made glorious in them that beleeve, this makes men truely happy, therefore the saincts of God have both in the old and New Testament lamented the misery of man in this, that his life is but threeskore and ten, and it is quickly gone as a race that is runne, so vain a thinge is man; and if we had nothing els to humble us but this, namely, our corruption and mortality, it were argument enough to know our base estate, and farre from being happy in this world, in that we are not exempted from death, therefore it is, that God

makes the vanity of man who heaps up riches, and cannot tell who shall injoy them, as the rich glutton in the Gospell, who said, soule take thine ease, thou hast goods layd up for manie yeares, when Christ told him, he had not a day to live, then thou foole whose shall those goods be? the scrip∣tures mock at these vain desires. so that be a man what he cā be in this world, yet his mortallity makes him wretch∣ed and unhappy, therfore in regard God is immortall therefore he is onely blessed.

But it may be objected are not the Angells immortall,* 1.5 why then doe ye say God is onely said to have immor∣tality?

I answer, that none have immortality properly but God alone, for true immortality requireth true eternity,* 1.6 that is to say, it is without begining as well as without ending, and none is so but God alone, therefore none truly is immortall but God alone, though notwithstanding God hath made the Angells immortall, and the soules of men immortall, that is, for durance onely, and yet indu∣rance simply doth not make immortallity, for though the divells indure for ever, yet it is not to live for ever. A thing may be said to be immortall, that is, to live for ever, and yet not free from Gods wrath, as experience shall prove in wicked men and evill Angells and reprobate men, but to speake of the blessed Angells and the soules of the elect, to speake truely as the matter is, the immortality of Angells and of men, it is not in the soules themselvs, nor in the Angells themselvs, what then? even from God a∣lone, as it is said Acts 17. That in him we live, move, and have our being, and if God should but withdraw his up-hol∣ding hand and power, neither should the soules of men, nor Angells be immortall; so that it is not from themselvs but from God that they have their immortality, and ther∣fore the objection takes not away this truth, that God is onely immortall.

Again observe this, that although the Lord give im∣mortality to my soule and unto Angells, yet neither man nor Angell can give immortality to anie creature in the World, God onely is able to doe this, therefore hee onely hath immortality, because hee onely hath it of himself, and because hee onely is able to give it to others, therfore must hee needs continue to be im∣mortall, that hath the onely keeping of it himself, and di∣spences the same to others at his pleasure, so that in this point God is onely happy, for man may begett children, but we cannot make them immortall, onely the Lord must doe this, nay we cannot make ourselvs immortall, doe we what we can, reade Psalm. 43. and you may see the spirit of God taxeth the miserable vanity of men, that thinke their names great on earth, and yet he saith, no man can redeeme his brother from death, all must goe to the grave, the rich dye aswell as the poore, and yet vain man he will call his Lands by his own name, and all is but in vain, so that this is proved, that God is one∣ly blessed. We know that the divell did speake true to God concerning Iob, when the Lord said unto him, Hast thou not considered my servent Iob, who is a righ∣teous mā, that doth no evill but good, what saith the devill to God, skin for skin and all that a man hath will a man give for his life, Wheras the hand of God being stretched forth against Iob in his children, & in his estate, yet it could not make Iob to blaspheme God, but the devill thought that if God would stretch out his hand upon his own person, that it would make him to blaspheme God, a man will part with anie thing so as he may have his life, for what is riches unto a man if he cannot injoy them, without life there is no conceite of hap∣pines, let men therefore learn this, that their life, and the continuance of their life, & the eternity of their life is in the hands of God alone, and since it is so that he onely

can give eternall life, why then should I for the pleasure of anie man in the world offend this God, and make him to be mine enimie? can anie Prince in the world give me eternall life, but he onely? why then should I for the pleasure of anie man offend him in whom my life stands? unlesse I care not what become of mee, whether I be cast away into hell, or whether I have eternall life; If I desire life let me then make conscience not to greive this good God, since he onelie can give life, and he onely can take it away, this is still but one part of his fe∣licity, and of our felicity in him, if we obey him, he hath promised to give eternall life unto us; and they that remember not this promise that God hath promised to them that feare him, certainlye that man cannott walk as a Christian.

To come then to speake of the 2. pointe, of the fe∣licity of God, which is thus sett downe, be dwelleth in that light, which no man can attain unto, I will consider two things in these words, first that he dwells in the light, secondly, he declares what manner of light this is, it is such a light as no man can approach unto. The first shewes the infinite glory of God, in that the very place of his habitation is light it self, and such a light as the sunne cannot give, it is a light surpassing all created light, yea this light coms from God himself, 1 Iohn. God is light, if anie man say he hath fellowship with God, and walk in darknes, he is a lyer, for God is light, and they which have fellowshich with God walk in the light, and therefore those that are called of God, they are called the children of light, and God is said to call us out of darknes into his marvellous light, that is, God calls us from death to life, so hee doth call us from darknes to light, and this is the second part of our felicity, for in this we must be like God, in whom is no darknes, for when God shall translate our vile bodies unto his glorious light then

shall the light of the sunne be inferiour to this bright shining light of this mortall flesh, what glorious crea∣tures shall we be in that daye when this our mortall flesh shall not onely bee made immortall, but our bodies shal∣be raysed in glory, as the Apostle saith, they are sowen in weaknes, but they shalbe raysed in glory, glorious bodies, even like unto the sonne of God, who is now at the right hand of his father, so that whatsoever is in mans body that makes it defective it shall then be taken away, and the glorie of God himself shall be put upon our bo∣dies in that day, so this is the first thing to be considered of us, that God dwells in the light.

What use should we make of this, it should teach us where to lay the blame if we see not God, for in the dark we can see nothing, but in the light we can see anie thing▪ now if thou canst not see God, it is not because God is in darknes, for God dwells in the light, something there∣fore must be the reason why thou canst not see him, and the reasons are one of these two.

First if thou seest not God at all, the reason is this, be∣cause thou art a child of darknes, and the light of life was never putt into thy soule, therfore the wicked are said to be of them which know not God, and what wonder is it they doe not know him, since they were never called out of darknes to the light of God, the want of this calling out of darknes, is the reason why they cannot see nor know this God, as for example, if a man be in a dark dungeon or prison, that hath no windowes in it to shew light, he cannot see, such a man in such a place cannot see the sunne, for untill he be taken out of that darke place he cannot see anie thing, so untill men be ta∣ken out of that beastly blindnes wherin he is conceived and born he cannot see God.

But the second thing will bring us to a non plus in this point, for suppose I be called out of darknes what will

that help mee? what the better am I for this calling, if I cannot approach to this light? this is the second thing that we are to mark in the felicity of God, that besides his dwelling in the light, he dwelleth in such a glorious light as is unspeakable, which no man can approach unto, which shews the unspeakable glory of the Majesty of God.

But then it may be objected, what availes this light of God, since we cannott approach unto it? To understand this more clearely the words following make this doubt greater, where he saith, no man ever saw this light nor can see it, Abraham never sawe him, nor Moses never saw him, neither can anie man see that unapproachable light that he dwells in, all which doth let us see the incom∣prehensiblenes of the glory of God, if all the Angells in heaven, and all the men in earth should putt their witts in one, yet they could never see Gods face as he is, it is but the back parts of God that ever anie man saw, or at∣tayned to, for God faith himself that it is impossible for man to see God and live, well then how shall we resolve these phrases of scripture where it is said,* 1.7 blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, and the Apostle saith,* 1.8 we now see but in parte darkly as in a glasse, but then we shall see him face to face. How can this be true, if none can see God?

To resolve this doubtfull point the Scriptures lead us to the knowledge of the divers kinds of the sight of God; first there is a sight of God which is perfect, secōdly there is a sight of God which is imperfect, the perfect sight of God no man cā see but Christ, neither Angell nor mā ever had, or shall have the full and perfitt sight of the Maje∣sty of God, it cannot be seen, for it is infinite and in∣comprehensible, which cannott be comprehended by anie creature, no not by gloryfied men, nor glorifyed creature, for the brightnes of God is such, that it woud

strike to death man or Angell if he should behold it, therefore no man or Angell can see it and live, as God said to Moses my face can no man see and live, yet if anie man could have seen God, Moses could, but the Lord tels him, my back parts thou majest see, but my face shall no man see, that is, we may have an obscure sight of God as Moses had, but a perfitt sight of God can no man have, in heaven the Angells dare not behold Gods glory, and therfore in the 6. Esay, the Angells are said to have 6. wings, with two they cover their faces, and with two they cover their feet, and with two they fly. They had two to cover their faces, to let us see that they dare not sett their eies upon the immediate Majesty of God, they could not indure the brightnes of Gods nature if it were exposed to their sight immediately, so this perfect sight of God is proper to God himself and Christ, and no man els besides himself.

An imperfect sight of God the saincts may have, and that we may know the bounds and the limitts of it, we must first know the end of it and the fruit of it, and that will let as see what it is to see God.

The ends of the sight of God are twolfold, or wee may observe it in one, and that is, that we may be like him, all similitudes of God flowe from our sight of God here in this world, and in that which is to come, there is no conformity to God nor likenes to him, but by the shining of Gods light upon us, therfore it is that in this world he sends such a light amongst us, as is able to make us like unto him in grace, though not in glory, the small light we get in the Gospell, is to shew with open face the glory of God, it puts the image of God in righte∣ousnes and holines upon us, and it is given us to this end to beget us again, and to translate us from the similitude of sinfull flesh to the glorious image of God: see ther∣fore what conformity in holines and righteousnes God

hath appointed us in this life, according to this he gives us a sight of himself in the Gospell, it is a glasse wherin we may see God, and according as he givs us a sight of himself, so doth he conform us to his image, and the measure of our conformity to God doth arise from the measure of our sight of God, if we had a greater measure of the sight of righteousnes possesse us, we should have a greater measure of the sight of God, so that is the rea∣son of this light that God reveales to us in this world, that we may see the glory of God manifested in Christ Ie∣sus, that we may attain to this blessednes in this life to be like unto him.

There is yet more, a second degree of blessednes in the sight of God, which is not onely to have a similitude like unto God in holines, but in glory and immortality, we shall not onely be made righteous and holy, but im∣mortall and glorious, this doth proceed from the sight of God, when Christe shall come again in the cloudes, then shall mortalitye be swallowed up of immortality, but this effect of the sight of God cannot come to passe un∣till we attain such a sight of God as the Scriptures speake, when he saith, we are now the sons of God, but when Christ who is our life shall appeare, then shall we also appear with him in glory.

The sight that we have of God in this life, though it be but a poore sight, yet is effectuall to regeneration, and it is as farre as sinfull man can see him here, and yet this sight of God is nothing to that he is in himself, and to that which we shall see in him at the last daye: So like∣wise that sight we shall receive at Christs coming again, it shall not be the sight of Gods Majesty immediately, but we shall see this God clothed with his manhood, for the fullnes of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodyly, the God∣head

is overshadowed with the flesh of Christ, and we cā never see it but in and thorow his flesh, his flesh is the vaile, and except through this vaile, wo cannot see the Majesty of God in heaven, now this glorious light of his godhead which we shall see in heaven through the flesh of Christ is not the essenciall glorie of the deity, but the created glory that is putt upon the manhood of Christ, which glory of the manhood shall transform our flesh to the similitude of the same glory, so that the sight we shall have of God in heaven shalbe an earthly object in the glorifyed body of the sone of God, take away this flesh of the sonne God in heaven, and neither man nor Angell can see the Lord, therefore in the 3. Chapter of this Epistle the Apostle tells us that Christ was ma∣nifested in the flesh, and seen of Angells, the Angells durst not looke upon God before, but had two wings to cover their faces, they durst not see the Majesty of God untill God had put this vaile upon it, and then the Angells did see it, which is one of the greatest points of the mystery of godlines.

Since then there is no happines, but in conforming ourselvs to God in Holines, in immortality and glory, and that by the sight of him, what will that teach us? it should teach us to labour to see this God, which tho hee be invisible in himself, yet we should labour, to get a sight of him, without which there is no conformablenes to him, nor blessednes in the world, therefore Christ himself counts his disciples blessed that they sawe the glory of God in him, saying, blessed are the eies, that see what you see, manie have desired to see it, and have not seen it, this sight which the saincts have of God on earth is of two sorts, the first is according to that God shewes him∣self in the law, the second is according as God did mani∣fest under the Gospell, under the law hee did shew him∣self

but darkly in shadows, types and figures, but now under the Gospell hee doth manifest himself in his sone, which is the ingraven forme of the Fathers person. God in the old law did shewe himself in sacrifices; and oblations and purifications, in these things God did shewe himself darkly, and not plainly as hee was, there∣fore the lawe is now abrogated that the Gospell is come, and wee are not now to looke on God as they did in shadowes, but to see him in open face, it is not now as the glory of God was upon Moses, which the people could not behould the glory of God which did shine in Moses face, much lesse could they then see God himself, but now saith the Apostle wee shew forth the glory of God with open face in the Gospell, which transformes mee by the same image from glory to glory.

Yet this bright sight of God which we have in the Gospell, is but a dark sight in comparison of the sight of God, which wee shall have in glory like unto Christ, that is reserved till Christ come againe; If Christ at his first coming into the world had come in glory and not in weaknes, then hee should have transformed the world to it, but hee came not for that end then, but hee came then onely to make us holy, and not to make us glorious, hee came in our nature, and was subject to hunger and thrist and wearynes, rhat hee might conform us to his nature, as far as flesh and bloud could be capable, but when hee shall come again in Majestye then shall hee appeare in glory, and when he appeares, wee shalbe like to him in Glory, so as I said before in the be∣gining, all our felicity coms from our sight of God, and looke what felicity God bestows upon us, hee will let us see it by transforming us to his image in holines here, and in glory herafter; and all doth arise from the sight of God, and yet this remains a truth as I said, that all the

sight wee have of God is not a perfect sight, wee shall never see God as hee is, but it shalbe such a sight as is sufficient for the ends hee gives it for; God is as farre above us, as it is possible an infinite creature can be above a finite creature, and giving this glory to God onely, that he knowes himself perfectly, and that he will blesse us with that measure of the sight of him which is sufficient to make us happy for evermore.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The 4▪ Sermon.
• * 1.2

  This shews that kings must ren∣der an ac∣count of all their actiōs to God.
• * 1.3

  observ this
• * 1.4

  he that doth anie∣thing at the com∣mand of his king, which is contrary to the word of God he is atraitour to Christ.
• * 1.5

  Objection.
• * 1.6

  Ans.
• * 1.7

  Matt. 5.
• * 1.8

  1. Cor. 13.