First, For the Nature of Christ, by the precious promises of God which are made unto us,1 and which the Holy Ghost doth apply to us, We are made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. There is a likeness and a participation of the divine nature, and we are made partakers of the like grace in Christ Jesus, and that grace for grace: Look what grace any where, you see in Christ, the resemblance of it is stamped upon every child of God, by the spirit of Christ: Hence it comes to pass, that (which is worth your observation) those who have Christ, they do reason from the nature of Christ to justify, the temper of their own spirits, and the course of their own lives, as is the Apostle Pauls own Argument, in 2 Corin. 1.17, 18, 19. Some of the false Apostles took up an Argument against the Apostle Paul, to prove his levity, and inconstancy, and forgetfulness; and how doth he free himself, did I use lightness? no saith he, our words toward you, was not yea, and nay; and thus he reasons from Christs nature, The Son of God who was preached among you, was not yea and nay, but yea and amen: Now he which establisheth us with you, is Christ, &c. So that look as Christ is yea and amen, the faithful and true witness of God, what he speaks he confirms, and fulfils in due season. Now saith he, when Christ was preached among you, it was not an uncertain Christ, carried about with lightness, and unsettledness; but what is once gone out of his lips, It is yea and amen. Therefore make account, that God that hath poured the same spirit upon us, hath established us together with you. To show you that by reason of the participation of the spirit of grace, there is such a spirit in us, as that you may argue all these; the nature of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and the nature of the frame of grace in the hearts of Gods people, to be all alike; they do mutually show the ⟨p. 61⟩face one of another, in the frame and carriage one of another: That as Christ is yea and amen, so is the Gospel, and such are they that believe the Gospel, and are established by the Gospel in Christ Jesus, v. 21.2. And he hath sealed us, and given us the spirit in our hearts, the same spirit of Christ that breathed in the Gospel, and in the Preachers of the Gospel, and the believers of it, is yea and amen in them all;
First, For the Nature of Christ, by the precious promises of God which are made unto us,1 and which the Holy Ghost doth apply to us, We are made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. There is a likenesse and a participation of the divine nature, and we are made partakers of the like grace in Christ Jesus, and that grace for grace: Look what grace any where, you see in Christ, the resemblance of it is stamped upon every child of God, by the spirit of Christ: Hence it comes to passe, that (which is worth your observation) those who have Christ, they doe reason from the nature of Christ to justifie, the temper of their owne spirits, and the course of their own lives, as is the Apostle Pauls owne Argument, in 2 Corin. 1.17, 18, 19. Some of the false Apostles tooke up an Argument against the Apostle Paul, to prove his levity, and inconstancy, and forgetfulnesse; and how doth he free himselfe, did I use lightnesse? no saith he, our words toward you, was not yea, and nay; and thus he reasons from Christs nature, The Sonne of God who was preached among you, was not yea and nay, but yea and amen: Now he which establisheth us with you, is Christ, &c. So that looke as Christ is yea and amen, the faithfull and true witnesse of God, what he speakes he confirmes, and fulfills in due season. Now saith he, when Christ was preached among you, it was not an uncertain Christ, carryed about with lightnesse, and unsettlednesse; but what is once gone out of his lips, It is yea and amen. Therefore make account, that God that hath poured the same spirit upon us, hath established us together with you. To shew you that by reason of the participation of the spirit of grace, there is such a spirit in us, as that you may argue all these; the nature of Christ, the nature of the Gospell, and the nature of the frame of grace in the hearts of Gods people, to be all alike; they do mutually shew the ⟨p. 61⟩face one of another, in the frame and carriage one of another: That as Christ is yea and amen, so is the Gospell, and such are they that beleeve the Gospell, and are established by the Gospel in Christ Jesus, v. 21.2. And he hath sealed us, and given us the spirit in our hearts, the same spirit of Christ that breathed in the Gospell, and in the Preachers of the Gospell, and the beleevers of it, is yea and amen in them all;
- 1The first Conformity.
