Christs eternal existence, and the dignity of his person asserted and proved in opposition to the doctrine of the Socinians : in several sermons on Col. I, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 verses / by the Reverend Tho. Manton.

VSE.

1. This serveth for the confutation of those Atheists that say, Christ took upon him the appellation of a God to make his Doctrine more authentick and effectual; they confess the morals of Christianity are most excellent for the establishment of Piety and Honesty, but mens inclination carry∣ing them more powerfully to vice then ver∣tue, this doctrine would not be received with any reverence if it came recommended to them by a mere man, and therefore Christ assumed the glorious appellation of the Son of God, or pretended to be God: A blas∣phemy very derogatory both to the honour of Christ and Christianity: and quite con∣trary to the drift of the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament. The Messiah promised in the Old Testament was to be God all the Prophets agree, in that Jesus Christ proved himself to be God both by his Word and Works: and the Apostles still assert it: Could they that lived in so

many several Ages, as the Prophets and Apo∣stles did, lay their heads together and have intelligence one with another, to convey this Imposture to the World? Surely if Christ be the Messiah promised in the Old Testament as clearly he is, then he is God, for that describeth him to be such: and if Christ usurped this honour, how did God so highly favour him with such ex••raordina∣ry Graces, by i••spiring him with the know∣ledge of the best Religion in the World, to authorise him with miracles, to raise him from the dead. And must this Religion that condemneth all frauds, and doing evil that good may come of it be supported by a lye? or cannot God govern the World without countenancing such a deceit? or is it possi∣ble that such Holy persons as our Lord Jesus and his Apostles were, could be guilty of such an Imposture? Did they do this by command of God? No surely, for God which is the God of Truth would not com∣mand them to teach a lye, or to make use of one: He hath power enough to cause the Truth to be embraced by some other means; and a greater injury cannot be done him, then to go about to gratifie him with what he hateth, much less would God have com∣manded a mere man to call himself his Eter∣nal Son, and God equal to him, which is a

blasphemy and sacriledge as well as a lye, the greatest of the kind, for mortal man to take upon himself to be the eternal God. If it were not by his express commandment, would he suffer such an attempt to go un∣punished? would he witness from Heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased? would he have raised him from the dead, and so ingaged the World to be∣lieve in him and adore him, Acts 17.31.

2. If Christ were before all things, let us prefer him above all things: This consi∣deration is of great use to draw off our hearts from all created things, and to lessen our respects to wordly vanities, that they may be more earnestly fixed on what is eter∣nal and glorious. He that was before the world was, will be when the world shall be no more: Christ is from Everlasting to Everlasting, Psal. 90.2. to him should we look, after him should we seek, he is first and last, the beginning and ending. It is for an Everlasting blessedness, for the in∣joyment of an eternal God that our souls were made. He that was from the beginning, & will be when all things shall have an end; it is he that should take up our minds and thoughts: How can we have room for so ma∣ny thoughts about fading glories, when we

have an Eternal God and Christ to think of? What light can we see in a Candle when the Sun shineth in his full strength? All things in the World serve onely for a season, and then wither; and that season is but a short one. You glory in your Riches, and pre∣eminence now, but how long will you do so? To day that House and Lands is thine, but thou canst not say it will be thine to∣morrow: but a believer can say my God, my Christ, is mine to day, and will be mine to all eternity. Death taketh all from us honours and riches, and strength and life, but it cannot take God and Christ from us, they are ours and everlastingly ours.

Secondly, We come now to the second point, his sustaining all things by his Almigh∣ty power, and by ••im all things consist.

Doct. II. That as Christ made all things, so he doth sustain them in being and working.

Let me explain this how the creatures are preserved by Christ.

1. This is to be understood not only meritoriously as a moral cause, but efficient∣ly as a natural cause of the creatures susten∣tation: for the Apostle doth not consider

here so much what Christ doth as a Media∣tor, as what de doth as God. It is true Christ as Mediator hath reprieved the World from that ruine▪ which might come upon it for mans sin, but here his merit is not considered, but his power, Heb. 1.3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power. The weight of the whole creation lyeth up∣on his hands, as Daniel telleth Belshazzar, that his breath and his wayes were in the hand of God, Dan. 5.23. so is the being, life, and operation of all the creatures▪ If he should withdraw his withholding hand, they would quickly return to their first no∣thing, which sheweth the great power of our Redeemer. Moses complaineth, Numb. 11.11, 12. Thou hast layed the burden of all this people upon me, have I conceived this people? have I begotten them that thou shouldst say un∣to me, carry them in thy bosom, but Christ hath the care and charge of all the world, not to rule them only, but to sustain them. A King or a Governour hath a moral rule over his subjects, but Christ giveth them being and existence; and doth preserve and keep them in their present state and condition from dissolution.

2. Not only indirectly but directly: In∣directly Christ may be said to sustain and preserve the creatures, as he keepeth off

evil or removeth those things that may be destructive to them: As he preserveth a Town that repelleth their enemies, but di∣rectly he preserveth them as he continueth his providential influence, Acts 17.28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being. As the root feedeth the fruit, or the breath of the musician maintains the sound, Psal. 104.29. Thou takest away thy breath and they dye, and return to their du••t. Life and all the joyes and comforts of it every mi∣nute depend upon God. It is by his pro∣vidential influence and supportation we subsist. The greatest creature cannot preserve it self by its power and greatness, and the lest is not neglected, both would sink into nothing without this continued influ∣ence.

Thirdly, He doth this not only mediate∣ly by means appointed, but immediately as his efficacy pierceth through all. God pre∣serveth the creatures by means, for he giv∣eth them those supplyes, which are proper for them: as to man food and rayment: for other creatures what may relieve them. And the wise dispensing these supplies with∣out any care and solicitude of the creatures, is a notable part of his Providence. But here we consider his intimate presence with

all things by which he upholdeth their be∣ings; which all the means of the World cannot do without him. God doth as it were hold the creatures in his own hand, that it may not sink into its old nothing, as a man holdeth a weighty thing. This is sup∣posed to be alluded unto, Iob 6.9. Let him loose his hand and cut me off. If he doth but loose his Almighty grasp, all the creatures fall down.

Fourthly, Christ doth this so, as that he doth not overturn their nature: he worketh by natural and necessary causes necessarily, with voluntary causes voluntarily: he that inlightneth the World by the Sun, causes man to discourse and reason; the Sun would not shine if Christ were not the light of it, nor man discourse if he did not continue the faculty, Ioh. 1.4. In him was Life, and this Life was the light of man. It is man seeth, man heareth, man talketh, man act∣eth, but yet the seeing eye, and hearing ear, is of the Lord, Prov. 20.12. as God hath made both, so he sustaineth both in their operation and exercise: All that we do naturally and spiritually we have from Christ.

Fifthly, He is not the bare instrument of God in sustaining the creature, but as a co∣equal Agent. As he made the World, and with the father created all things, so he doth support and order all things. It is as well the work of the Son as of the Father; for he is God equal with him in glory and power, Iohn 5.17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work, and he hath a com∣mand of all the creatures, that they can do nothing without him, how much soever they attempt to do against him.

2. Let me give you the reasons of this, why all things must subsist by him.

1. Because preservation is but a kind of continued creation, or a continuance of the being which God hath caused: Gods will in creation maketh a thing to be, his will in preservation maketh it continue to be: the same omnipotency and efficacy of God is necessary to sustain our beings, as at first to create them. Therefore it is said Psal. 104.2. Thou stretchest out the Hea∣vens like a curtain, which noteth a continued act, God erected them at first and still su∣staineth them by his secret power in this posture: so that with respect to God it is the same action to conserve as to create. That the creature may have a being the influence of God is necessary to produce it,

that the creature may continue its being, it is necessary that God should not break off that influence, or forsake the creature so made: for the being of the creature doth so wholly depend on the will of God, that it cannot subsist without him. Nothing can be without the will of God, which is the cause both of the being and existence of all crea∣tures: Therefore their being cannot be con∣tinued unless God will: therefore it belong∣eth to the same power to make any thing out of nothing, and to keep any thing that is made from returning to its first nothing.

2. It is impossible to cut off the depen∣dance of the creature upon the first cause, for no creature hath a self sufficiency to maintain and support it self. Things of Art may subsist without the Artificer, as a Carpenter maketh a House and then leav∣eth it to stand of it self; the Shipwright mak∣eth a Ship, and then leaveth it to the Pilot to guide it: but all things of Nature de∣pend upon God that made them, because they have their whole being from him, matter, and form: which be continueth no longer then he pleaseth, whether they be things in Earth, or things in Heaven, visi∣ble or invisible. No impression of the A∣gent remaineth in the effect when his action ceaseth; when the effect wholly dependeth

on the cause: as when the Air is inlightned which receiveth light from the Sun, but when the Sun is gone the light ceases: So when God withdraws the creature vanishes: for they have no other being then God is pleased to bestow upon them.

3. If it were not so many absurdities would follow, as for instance

• 1. If things do subsist by themselves then they would allwayes be: for nothing would destroy it self.
• 2. Then the creature would be inde∣pendent, and whether God will or no they would conserve their being, and then how should God Govern the World? therefore it undenyably followeth, thou hast made all things, and thou preservest them all.

4. It would destroy all Worship, and our Piety and respect to God would be cold and languid. The service we owe to God is reducible to these Four heads.

• 1. Adoration of his excellent nature above all other things.
• 2. Affiance in his goodness, with expectati∣on of relief from him.
• 3. Thankfulness for his benefits.
• 4. Obedience to his Precepts and Com∣mands.

Now unless we acknowledge his inti∣mate presence with, and preservation of all things; these necessary duties will either be quite abolished or degenerate into a vain and needless superstition.

1. The Adoration we owe to his excellent nature above all other things in the universe, alass, we see how little reverence and re∣spect we have for the great Potentates of the Earth whose fame we hear of indeed, but are not concerned in their favour or frowns, or have no dependance on them at all: the least Justice of Peace or Consta∣ble in our Neighbourhood is more to us then all these mighty forreign Princes, with whom we have nothing to do but onely to hear and read the reports of their great∣ness, when we have no other business to divert us. So cold and careless would be our respect to God if we did not depend on him every moment, and were neither concerned in his wrath nor love: those practical Atheists that were settled on their Lees, and lived in a secure neglect of God, they sos••ered it by this presumption, tush he will neither do good nor evil, Zeph. 1.13. Fine things may be told us of the Excellen∣cy of his Nature, but what is that to us, he hath so shut up himself within the cur∣tain

of the Heavens, that he takes no no∣tice or care of things here below. How soon would such a conceit dispirit all Re∣ligion, and take away the life and vigor of it; but if you would plant a reverence and due veneration of God you must do it by this principle, In his hands is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all man∣kind. No Creature can subsist without him for a moment: now this respect is due not only to God the Father, but our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. As to Trust and dependance on his good∣ness for relief in all our streights and necessi∣ties: This is the grand principle that keep∣eth up an acknowledgment of God in the World, by Prayers and Supplications, Psal. 62.8. Trust in the Lord at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him. When you retire your souls from all secular consi∣dences, and repose all you trust in him, you will be instant in Prayer, and earnest∣ly beg his relief: you see all things subsist by him, and it is in vain to expect any real assistance from the creatures, but what God will communicate to us by it; Now if it be not so, but the creatures could stand of themselves, and live of themselves: this would blast all devotion, and prayer be

withered and dryed up at the root, hum∣bling our selves to God in our streights and necessities would look like dejection or poorness of Spirit, whining to no pur∣pose.

3. For Thank fulness for benefits received, which is the great means to knit the hearts of men to God, and the bellows which bloweth up the fire of love, and Religion in our hearts: how can we ascribe our de∣liverances to God, if he hath not a hand in all things, but when we acknowledge his sustaining and governing power, we see God in the face of the creature, and every benefit we receive representeth his goodness to us. But alass, they have no thought or care of Praise and Thanksgiving that think not themselves obliged to God for the least hair of their heads: God is banished out of their sight, because they look for all from the creature; but they cannot enough Praise and bless God who is the strength of their lives, and the length of their days: They acknowledge that every good gift cometh from him, that he heareth their Prayers, re∣lieveth their necessities, continues their lives to them every moment; therefore God is all in all with them, but to others he is a

shadow or nothing. His memory is kept up in the World by his benefits, Acts 14.17.

4. For Obedience and Service to him: cer∣tainly dependance begets Allegiance and ob∣servance. We are obsequious to those from whom we expect our dole and portion, Psal. 131.2. as the eyes of Servants look to the hand of their Masters, and the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her Mistress, so do our eyes wait on the Lord our God. The Masters give the Men∣servants their portion and allowance; and the Mistriss to the Maid-servants, they look∣ed for all from their hands, and therefore to them they performed their service, so do the people of God. What reverence do we owe to him who is our Creator and Pre∣server as well as Redeemer? as he made all things so he supporteth all things. Did we see God in us and in all things round about us, these thoughts would be more frequent in us, and we will still be considering what we shall render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards us? but obedience soon languisheth where men think they subsist of themselves without God, Psal. 55.19. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. They are not interrupted in their

sinful course, and therefore have no reve∣rence and respect to God.