ter that Gen. 14. 1, 2, 3. for any thing I know a Type of the Four Monarchies; we are fure Melchifedeck is a Type; and alfo Gen. 23. 3, 4, 5, 6. for in both thefe places is between refpective Propofitions. I fhall conclude with this Caution, That we must not conclude there is no Type where is not fo placed. For then all the Book of Leviticus must have been fo Pointed; but only where it comes in unexpectedly, the general Intent being Historical, or Doctrinal. I fhall yet add one more, We may give beyond Promife, but not punish beyond Threatning. I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said to me, The Question is, If this be the Eternal Generation of the Son from the Fathers Effence, per modum cogitandi, fays one, Seipfum modificandi, fays another. Or the Temporal,of his Mother the Virgin; and with which of thefe Quotations the New will agree best. Now I think there is a Third Son-fhip to be propofed, viz. A peculiar fupereminent Son-fhip of the Humane Nature, by Virtue of its incomparable and ineffable Union with the Divine Nature. If a Beggar Marry a King's Daughter, he is the King's Son. Nearness to God is the Foundation of highest Dignity; this puts a value on his Blood, to be a Price fufficient. Now this Text fays it is a Name and Generation by Statute and Decree, fo an Eternal necessary Generation is not. Secondly, The Pfalmift refers to fome peculiar Famous Day, wherein this was, or was exhibited for begetting this Day feems to be an execution of what what was before Decreed.Now Gen. 3. 8. There is a most famous Day, wherein a Voice, or Word of the Lord,walking in the Garden,in the Morning of that Day, read, for [cool of the day.] Now that was the Seventh, the firft Sabbath, wherein the Promifé of that Seed which was fo Eminent, by virtue of this Son-fhip, was Promifed, and by Præludium ap peared with the Meffage, . e. The Divine Nature exerting his Office. Thirdly, Prov. 8. 22. The Lord poffessed me in the beginning of his way. The firft Week is that which bears the Name of beginning. Fourthly, Heb. 1. 5. 6. Where it is quoted, fays the Time when he got this Name, was when he bringeth the first begotten into the World. 2. A Son-fhip by Promife, 2 Sam. 7. Wherein He excels the Angels. D. G. Thinks the whole Intent of this Chapter is to prefer Chrift to Angels, but not as God; what few would equal GOD and an Angel? but as Man, by virture of his Perfonal Dignities,through that Union to God which was nearer than theirs. 32 Fifthly, Heb. 5,8. A Son-fhip by Calling. 2. A Son-fhip by which God glorified Him. 3. A Sonhip, wherein He learn'd Obedience, and Suffered. 4. A Son-fhip to found a Prieft-hood. Sixthly, Alt's 13. 13. This is faid to be fulfilled in his Refurrection. Now i. His Refurrection was neceffary on the account of his Son-fhip; it was in confiftent with his Dignity to be long dead, Pfal. 16. 10. Such an holy one (ver. 35) could not feel corruption I may add, That though his Refurrection, and firft Introduction into the World, were not the fame Day of the Week, the one being first, the other the feventh; yet they agreed in his being Foundation of both, and in the Solemnity and Significancy of both, hence that we have a fweet Harmony in the Quotations. 2. A juft ground for calling the Union betwixt the Humane Nature and Divine Perfonal, or next to Union of Nature, for I believe Angels comprehend it not, fo nigh it is, 2 There remains yet two more Ufes of thefe Points. First, Their Elentick Ufe, they fit one to be a good Difputant. The Papifts were not able to ftand before the Proteftants, at the first Reformation, because of their Promptitude and Readiness in Scripture neither is now a Learned Scholar otherwife able to deal with a Country Farmer, who is very Converfant in his Bible. I have feen a Mafter of Arts (and then my own Mafter) baffled by a Shepherd, and another by a Thresher: And how much lefs is one Ignorant of the Original, able to Difpute with them that are? for that is the Rule, that is the Canon, that is our Bible. It's rare to find a Veit where all Tranilations agree; and what Priviledge can we claim for ours above others, but that it agrees more with the Original, and that he who is Ignorant cannot Judge? I may add, That he who is skilled in the Original, and other Daughters of that Tongue, Rabbin, Syrian, Chal dean, Arabian, &c. and wants this part of Grammar, or Key of Scripture-Senfe, is not able to Expound Scripture, nor Difpute from Scripture, on a Divine Subject, with him that is. I have occafion to experience this, by a Gentleman, whofe Superiour in thefe Languages I doubt if Europe can af ford, that is my kind and near Neighbour. How foon is a Boy baffled at School, when you tell him he does not Conftrue right, he does not Parfe right? right? He is Silenced, for he is Conscious that then he cannot make True English. But on the other hand, thou must have other Parts of Grammar, as well as this. It were a foolish Method to begin a Child with the Syntactical Part of Grammar, before he can Conjugate a Verb,or Decliné a Noun. To initiate a Boy with Flowers and Figures of Rhetorick, to Teach him the Logical Analysis of Speeches, before he is acquainted with the Common Style of the Language, or before he knows the Ingredient Parts of Speech. I fhall add here, That this doth not only prepare a Student to carry the empty Air of Victory in an Eriftick Contention: As good Skill and Promptitude in Logick, will enable a mean Scholar to do from a great Mafter, and Learned Divine. I have known them come off from the Publick Paleftria with Triumphal Hums, that underftood neither their Thefis,nor their Arguments, nor the true Ufe of Logick. But to Stablish and Settle his own Faith, once believing this Book God's, that his Creator and Governour, who as the Difpofal of his Immortal Soul, and Temporal Affairs too, at his Pleafure, has communicated his Will towards Sinners in this Book, how they may be Happy, notwithstanding that otherwife infuperable Difficulty, that lies Latent in a Natural Confcience; will the God that needs me not? will the God whofe Patience and Goodnefs I have abufed; whofe Talents I have milimproved; whom I have Offended and Contemned every Day I have lived, make me Happy, hugg in his Favour, affoon as I have done Breathing? By this thou mayeft be as inuch Convinced of the Author's Senfe and Intention in this Book, as its Divine Characters (whereof, may be, this is no fmall part) will Convince theewho K 2 the the Author is, what depth of Wisdom he had, and what Ocean of Love and Goodness, even exceeding the Bounty of communicating fuch a bulky pregnant Entity as Heaven and Earth is, to empty Nothing, exceeding the Wisdom of fsetting all their Hofts in order: For, P First, Mutability is the Creatures Effential Necellary Property, attending all its Properties as a Creature. Secondly, In Moral Creatures, Reasonable Creatures, a terrible Sanction was the moft fuitable Mean to prevent Moral Immutability, from an actual Mutation and Change, into Rebellion and Difobedience. Thirdly, What became the Governing Wisdom of the Creator of the World to Establish as LawGiver, it became Him as King to Execute. Fourthly, We will grant a Sovereign Throne of Grace in the Effence of the Deity, Superiour to the Tribunal of Juftice, fettled among the Creatures, and founded on the Laws fuiting their Mutability. But if this fhould be Exerted without moft deep Repentance, and an univerfal Re-change of their Hearts, their Love, their Faith, and their Obedience to their Creator and Governour; What a contemptible Government and Conftitution must we think the firft was? The Effect of Folly and Weaknéfs, more than Wisdom and Gruelty, more than Love and Goodnefs. Repentance is impoffible to a Man Spiritually Dead; it fuppofes the fame Man to be dead and alive at once; for God to give this Spiritual Life, whofe Frame of Mind is Repentance, is to act contrary to his fettled Government in the Word. For when the Subject |