Sermons preached

Secondly, Positively.

1. God's desertion of us, or any Creature, may be understood with a respect to his communicating Himself to us. We have a twofold Apprehension of God, as an Holy and Happy Being: And when he doth communicate Himself to any reasonable Creature, it is either in a way of Holiness, or in a ⟨p. 163⟩way of Happiness. He doth now in the Kingdom of Grace communicate Himself more in a way of Holiness; but in the Kingdom of Glory fully in a way of Happiness, both as to the Body and the Soul. These two have such a respect to one another, that he never gives Felicity and Glory without Holiness, Heb. 12. 14. And an holy Creature can never be utterly and finally miserable. He may sometimes give Holiness without Happiness, as when for a while he leaveth the Sanctified, whom he will try and exercise, under the Cross, or in a state of Sorrow and Affliction; therefore Holiness is the more necessary. In his internal Government God doth all by his Spirit; now the Spirit is more necessarily a Sanctifier than a Comforter. It was by the Spirit that Christ was with God, and God with Christ; therefore his Desertion of Christ, or any Creature, must be mainly understood with respect to the Spirit working in any, either as to Holiness, or Comfort. When God withdraweth either Holiness or Happiness, one of them, or both, or any degree of them, from any Creature, he is said to desert them. Now apply this to Christ. It is Blasphemy to say, that Christ lost any degree of his Holiness, for he was always pure and holy, and that most exactly and perfectly: Therefore he was deserted only as to his Felicity, and that but for a short time.

2. The Felicity of Christ may be considered, either as to his outward and bodily Estate, or else to his inward Man, or the Estate of his Soul.