Three heavenly treatises, concerning Christ [brace] 1. His genealogie, 2. His baptisme, 3. His combat with Sathan : together vvith deuout meditations, for Christian consolation and instruction / by Mr. William Cowper ...

And the holy Ghost came down in a bodily shape like a Doue vpon him.

THe second way wherby the Fa∣ther beares witnesse vnto him,* 1.1 is as you see, by sending down the holy Ghost vpon him, in the simi∣litude

of a Doue; vvhereby his vnction, which in it selfe is spiri∣tuall, and could not be perceiued, was represented & notified vnto al the people: for he was not annoin∣ted vvith any materiall oyle, but with the oyle of gladnes, accor∣ding to that Prophesie: The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee,* 1.2 therefore hath the Lord annointed me, he hath sent me to preach good tidings vnto the poore, &c.

Where for remouing of all doubts that may here arise, we must vnderstand that Christs vnction,* 1.3 hath in it these two things: the [ 1] first is, a separating and designing of him to the worke of a Mediator;* 1.4 & this part extends to the whole person of Christ Iesus, God, and Man. Now in this action of desig∣nation, albeit, the three persons of the blessed Trinitie concurre,

and so Iesus be both the designer, and the person designed: yet be∣cause the father is first in order, this action is ascribed to him, for him hath the father sealed.* 1.5

The other part of this vnction, [ 2] is the communicating of the gra∣ces of the Spirit vnto him:* 1.6 and this is extended onely to his hu∣mane nature, so that albeit it be true, that our Sauiour was annoin∣ted in both his Natures, because he is our Mediator not in any one of them, but in both: yet we must remember the difference, that his annointing in respect of the di∣uine Nature imports onely the separating,* 1.7 and designing of the second Person of the Trinitie, to worke the vvorke of mans Re∣demption.* 1.8 Illius enim opus erat nos restituere, qui ab initio, cum n••n essemus, nos condidit. Nec poterat

alius renouare in nobis abolitam dei imaginem, nisi patris imago: For it was his worke to restore and re∣deeme vs, vvho from the begin∣ning created vs, when wee were not, and had no being. Neither could any other restore the image of God blotted out in vs, but the image of the Father, that is to say, his Sonne Christ.

But his annointing in respect of his humane Nature,* 1.9 imports also the communication of the graces of the holy Spirit vnto him, not in measure, as his bre∣thren receiues them, but aboue all measure: for in number he had all graces of the spirit, he wanted none; and next he had euery one of them in the full degree: in which respects the Spirit was ne∣uer communicated vnto any, but to Iesus Christ alonely.

Thus we vnderstand how Iesus was annointed;* 1.10 which vnction is not here first made, as if before this hee had not beene endewed with the holy Ghost: for wee be∣leeue that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost; but here is the first declaration, and publike manife∣station to the world, by a visible signe of the fulnesse of grace com∣municated to him, for the doing of this great worke, whereunto he is now ordained: and this is done partly for the confirmation of Iohn, who albeit hee knew that Christ was come, yet he knew not who hee was, till by this token gi∣uen of God, Christ was poin∣ted out vnto him, for so hee wit∣nesses himselfe. And I knew him not,* 1.11 but he that sent mee to baptise with water said vnto mee, vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit come

downe, and tarry still on him, that is he, which baptiseth with the holy Ghost: and partly also for in∣struction of the people, that by this signes seene of them all, they might know who hee was, whom shortly after the audible voice from heauen, proclaimed to be the Sonne of God.

And that the holy Ghost di∣scends vpon him at this time in the similitude of a Doue, and not in the similitude of fire,* 1.12 as there∣after he descended vpon the Apo∣stles, it is to declare vnto vs, both what he is in himselfe, as also what sort of creatures true Christians are made by his grace.

As for himselfe,* 1.13 he is a meeke Sauiour: not terrible to penitent sinners, but louing and comforta∣ble, ye shall finde that of all those who in the Gospell came to seeke

mercy, and grace, from him, ne∣uer one was reiected, but all of them louingly receiued, and sent away with a comfortable answere: for it was prophesied of him, that hee should not breake the bruised Reede,* 1.14 nor quench the smoaking Flaxe; and no maruell that hee was kinde to his owne, for he was meeke toward his very enemies: He prayed for them on the crosse, when they were persecuting him to the death, and when his Disci∣ples vvould haue had him bring fire from heauen, to burne the Sa∣maritans, because they held him at the Ports of their citie: he gaue them this answere:* 1.15 yee know not of what spirit yee are, the Sonne of man is not come to destroy, but to saue.

The Law was giuen with fire,* 1.16 and thunder, with tempest, black∣nes,

and darknes, in so terrible a manner, that Moses himselfe did quake for feare: but Iesus the Me∣diatour of the new Testament, when he comes to proclaime the Gospell (a doctrine of the ioyfull tidings of mans saluation) hee comes not in a terrible manner: Neither to accuse nor conuict of sinne, nor to trouble and torment the conscience for sinne, for that is the operation of the Law; but as the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world,* 1.17 hee cryes peace to the conscience within, of euery poore penitent sinner,* 1.18 that beleeues in him: he is such a Phy∣sitian as being himselfe annoin∣ted of the Lord, he cures his pati∣ents, not by burning, or cutting, or by any such hard medicine, but onely by annointing them, then the which no gentler kinde

cure can be. Whatsoeuer bitter∣nes was in that potion that heales the deadly disease of sin, he dranke it himselfe, and wonderfull it is; the Phisitian drinkes the potion, and the Patient is healed.* 1.19 And therefore let not penitent and be∣leeuing sinners feare to goe neere him.

And as he is in himselfe,* 1.20 such makes he those who are his, hee endues them with the properties of the Doue, he learnes them sim∣plicitie, lowlinesse and meekenes. As the elect of God, they put on tender mercie,* 1.21 kindnes, humblenes of minde, meekenes, and long suffe∣ring: but where there is yet bit∣ternes,* 1.22 anger, wrath, euill spea∣king, and maliciousnes, by which, after the manner of rauening birds, men deuoure one another: it is an euident argument that

such were neuer as yet renued by by the grace of Christ Iesus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Secondly, by sending the holy Ghost, on him in the similitude of a Doue.
• * 1.2

  Esa. 61. 1.
• * 1.3

  Two things con∣sidered in the vncti∣on of Christ.
• * 1.4

  The sepa∣rating or designing of him to the worke of a Re∣deemer.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. 6. 1.
• * 1.6

  The com∣municati∣on of grace sufficient for that worke vn∣to him.
• * 1.7

  Christs vnction, in regard of his diuine Nature.
• * 1.8

  Athanas. de Incar. verbi.
• * 1.9

  Christs vnction in regard of his hu∣mane Na∣ture.
• * 1.10

  Here we haue the manifesta∣tion of Christs vnction.
• * 1.11

  Iohn 1. 33.
• * 1.12

  Why the Spirit dis∣cends in the simili∣tude of a Doue, and not of fire.
• * 1.13

  To shew his loue and meek∣nes toward poore pe∣nitent sin∣ners.
• * 1.14

  Mat. 12. 20.
• * 1.15

  Luk. 9. 52. 53.
• * 1.16

  The law was pro∣claimed with ter∣rour, not so the Gos∣pell.
• * 1.17

  Iohn 1. 29
• * 1.18

  Christ cures his patients by annoin∣ting them.
• * 1.19

  ☜
• * 1.20

  With this same meek∣nes he en∣dues all that are his.
• * 1.21

  Col. 3. 12.
• * 1.22

  Ephe. 4. 31.