A44344:1457
A comment upon Christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of John wherein is opened the union believers have with God and Christ, and the glorious privileges thereof ... / by that faithful and known servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Hooker ... ; printed from the authors own papers written with his own hand, and attested to be such in an epistle by Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nigh.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1656
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is too mysterious a depth, and therefore beyond our scantling to fathom it. We will a little, make some search with Sobriety, so far as may help us to understand the place in hand.
It is too mysterious a depth, and therefore beyond our scantling to fathom it. We wil a little, make some search with Sobriety, so far as may help us to understand the place in hand.
Thus our Saviour makes it the Head Corner Stone of our Confidence: This is Eternal Life, to know thee (that is, the Father) to be only God (not he only to be God, but to be the only God) there is but one only Deity, and he hath that only God-head, and what beside? and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. Know him as a Christ, anointed, and fitted; and as a Jesus, a Saviour, who hath performed the work; and that he is ⟨p. 433⟩sent for that very End, and Errand, and for that purpose from God the Father.
Thus our Savior makes it the Head Corner Stone of our Confidence: This is Eternal Life, to know thee (that is, the Father) to be only God (not he only to be God, but to be the only God) there is but one only Deity, and he hath that only God-head, and what beside? and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. Know him as a Christ, annointed, and fitted; and as a Jesus, a Savior, who hath performed the work; and that he is ⟨p. 433⟩sent for that very End, and Errand, and for that purpose from God the Father.
For had our Saviour done it, if he had not been sent, the Soul would have been at a loss, whether he had ever satisfied, or should ever be accepted.
For had our Savior done it, if he had not been sent, the Soul would have been at a loss, whether he had ever satisfied, or should ever be accepted.
But when our Faith can reach this: That the Father, who is the only God, hath sent him, he will then assist, and accept, and we should go no further, seek no other; we then •it down, and are at rest, John, 12.44.
But when our Faith can reach this: That the Father, who is the only God, hath sent him, he wil then assist, and accept, and we should go no further, seek no other; we then •it down, and are at rest, John, 12.44.
We shall therefore make way for the Discovery of the Nature of this Sending, by the Propositions following:
1. This Sending, taken in a full Sense, is not an Act of the Deity, or Divine Nature properly; but of the Person, or Persons in the Deity, who nextly, and immediately dispenseth it.
1. This Sending, taken in a ful Sense, is not an Act of the Deity, or Divine Nature properly; but of the Person, or Persons in the Deity, who nextly, and immediately dispenseth it.
Reas. That which is an Act of the Deity, or God-head, belongs indifferently, and equally to all the Persons; in that all are equally God, and have the Essence of the Deity, and all the Essential Attributes, equally attributed to them all. As all are Eternal, Omnipotent; all Create, Decree, &c.
Reas. That which is an Act of the Deity, or God-head, belongs indifferently, and equally to al the Persons; in that al are equally God, and have the Essence of the Deity, and al the Essential Attributes, equally attributed to them al. As al are Eternal, Omnipotent; all Create, Decree, &c.
But to send (much less to send the Lord Christ) doth not belong to all the Persons: The Spirit is never said to send in the Phrase of Scripture, nor is the Father ever said to be sent. And this shall be further cleared and proved in the Conclusions that follow; and by the Nature of Mission, as it's set forth to us in the Word.
But to send (much less to send the Lord Christ) doth not belong to al the Persons: The Spirit is never said to send in the Phrase of Scripture, nor is the Father ever said to be sent. And this shal be further cleared and proved in the Conclusions that follow; and by the Nature of Mission, as it's set forth to us in the Word.
2. This Sending hath a double Reference. 1. To the Person that is sent. 2. To the thing about which he is sent: namely, When the Person sent, leaves a new act, or impression upon the Creature: so that the Creature is said to be otherwise than it was, and to have something which formerly it had not, and the Person is sent on purpose, to leave such operations, and impressions.
2. This Sending hath a double Reference. 1. To the Person that is sent. 2. To the thing about which he is sent: namely, When the Person sent, leaves a new act, or impression upon the Creature: so that the Creature is said to be otherwise than it was, and to have somthing which formerly it had not, and the Person is sent on purpose, to leave such operations, and impressions.
God sent his Son made of a Woman, sent him to take our Nature: here the second person takes our Nature into personal union with him. Sanctifies it, unites it, supports it.
Though Christ be the same, yet here be new impressions, which appear in the Creature, which formerly did not. I will send the Comforter, and be shall teach you and lead you into all truth. Here be new and diverse expressions of the work of the Spirit appearing, which formerly did not. Joh. 16.10.11. The second respect implies ever the first; the sending to a work implies a person that must be, and is sent to that end: though then these may be distinguished, in our reason and consideration, yet in the Nature of the thing, the one is included in the other.
Though Christ be the same, yet here be new impressions, which appear in the Creature, which formerly did not. I wil send the Comforter, and be shal teach you and lead you into al truth. Here be new and diverse expressions of the work of the Spirit appearing, which formerly did not. Joh. 16.10.11. The second respect implies ever the first; the sending to a work implies a person that must be, and is sent to that end: though then these may be distinguished, in our reason and consideration, yet in the Nature of the thing, the one is included in the other.
3. Sending, when it respects a Person properly, It ever implies in the Nature of the thing, The Authority of him that sends, in respect of the party that is sent. I say Authority, but not of rule or Dominion so much, as Authority of Order & Communication of work from one to another, and in this sense; which is a proper and true sense; he only can be said to be sent, who works from another: whether it be in way of Origination, or firstness of Order; to be first beginner or setter in of a work before all other: or whether it be in regard of operative or active production when several persons may, as one Joint principle, put forth a work, for the producing. They are not one in order before another, but both meet as one principle and producer or bringer forth of the other; And therefore hence it is plain, and undeniably Evident (which ye must especially observe) that in this breadth and extent of sending, which the Scripture speaks to, The Son and the Spirit are only said to be sent, and it is never, and indeed it can never be, affirmed of the Father.
3. Sending, when it respects a Person properly, It ever implies in the Nature of the thing, The Authority of him that sends, in respect of the party that is sent. I say Authority, but not of rule or Dominion so much, as Authority of Order & Communication of work from one to another, and in this sense; which is a proper and true sense; he only can be said to be sent, who works from another: whether it be in way of Origination, or firstness of Order; to be first beginner or setter in of a work before al other: or whether it be in regard of operative or active production when several persons may, as one Joint principle, put forth a work, for the producing. They are not one in order before another, but both meet as one principle and producer or bringer forth of the other; And therefore hence it is plain, and undeniably Evident (which ye must especially observe) that in this breadth and extent of sending, which the Scripture speaks to, The Son and the Spirit are only said to be sent, and it is never, and indeed it can never be, affirmed of the Father.
If sending imply Authority of Order and communication ⟨p. 435⟩of work from another, then there is none can send the Father, because there is none in Order before him: nor can he be sent, because he works of himself, and from himself, nor from another, therefore cannot be sent from another.
Hence again it follows: The Spirit may be sent from the Father and the Son, and the Father and the Son may sent: because the Spirit, the Holy Ghost works in Order from both, and there is Authority of Order and communication from both. Gal. 4.6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of the Son. That is, the Father, as appears by the distinction of Son in the words. Joh. 15.26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father. Joh. 14.26. When the Comforter is come, whom the Father will send in my Name.
Hence again it follows: The Spirit may be sent from the Father and the Son, and the Father and the Son may sent: because the Spirit, the Holy Ghost works in Order from both, and there is Authority of Order and communication from both. Gal. 4.6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of the Son. That is, the Father, as appears by the distinction of Son in the words. Joh. 15.26. When the Comforter is come, whom I wil send unto you from the Father. Joh. 14.26. When the Comforter is come, whom the Father wil send in my Name.
Hence Christ can only be said to be sent of the Father, not of the Holy Ghost (I speak now of this internal sending, which is attended only in regard of the Person, not of the thing, about which he is sent) the Reason and ground is the same.
Sending implies the Authority of Order and Communication of work from one to another: but the Son works only from the Father, therefore can be said only to be sent from the Father.
