1 the Weakness and Vanity of the Creature, and will be rifen to the meridian of the glorious Manifeftation of himself. The times of this World are as a Parenthefis between Eternity a parte ante, and Eter nity a parte poft, replenished with Wonders for the Illuftration of Eternity; but thefe are fhut up within two Semi-circles, and having ferved their Seafon, Eternity takes its place again; and as the Sense is not broken by a parenthesis, which is read over in a breath, fo, and not more confiderable, is Time to Eternity. We read of many Signs and Wonders in this Book of the Revelations, and many Mysteries; the Mystery of the Seven Stars and the Seven Golden Candlesticks, and the Myftery of the Woman, even Babylon, and all thefe Signs, thefe Wonders, thefe Myfteries, even the giving Scope to the Myftery of Iniquity, and the Revelation of the wickedone, the Man of Sin, are all fubfervient to the Revelation of Jefus Chrift. And therefore the Book takes its Denomination from thence, and is called the Revelation of Jefus Chrift, that being the Scope thereof, and when they have ferved their end, then they lie down and appear no more. And this is the Law of all things that are not the Eternal Glory itfelf, they lye down into their Ideas, which are in the Eternal Glory; but there they are as Beauty Spots, not as contending Images, but as Eternal Witnees between God and the Creature, between Time and Eternity, as flain Images, as Spoils and Trophies of Almighty and Unchangeable Eternity, which will give the Spirit of God exercife and trouble no more, but will caft the Creature into the Arms and Bofom of its only fafety, and hold it in the firmest and most continual dependance on his keeping, without fear and fufpicion of ever being abandoned to change more, and will prefent everlafting occafion of Joy and Triumph to the All-conquering Power of Divine Love and Glory, that hath prevailed against all this Weakness and Enmity in the Creature, and yet not notwithstanding, hath recovered it to his own Embraces, and fixed it in the Immutability of his own Bleffednefs. CHAP. XVIII. The Fruits and Advantages of this Hypo A thefis. If Nother Scripture that gives fome Light to our Hypothefis, is in John xvi. 33, where our Saviour tells us he hath overcome the World. the matter, the manner, the feal and the reafon of this Victory be rightly opened and underflood, it. will not only prove Chrift's Conqueft of the World, but contribute alfo to our prefent Service; for he conquers not as other Princes do, to deftroy and ferve their Ambition, but to recover, bring back, and fave all that he hath conquered.. 1. Then the matter of this Victory is the whole World. The World confifts of two Parts, a Light and a Dark part, Chrift hath conquered both, 1. The light part of the World, is the first matter of Chrift's Conqueft, God at the beginning fet the Image of his own Beauty in the Creation. This Image at the Fall was defaced and fet up by Man inftead of the true Beauty, fo it became of an Image an Idol, of a Reprefentation a Rebellion. Our Lord the true Light, the Effential, Subftantial, Original. Image breaks forth upon it, and breaks it in picces, fo in Col. ii. he is faid to fpoil Principalities and Powers upon his Crofs. Sampfon laying hold upon the Pillars of the Houfe, pulling down the Houie upon the Philistines and. himfelf, was a fair Type of our dying Saviour; for M thus thus he falling, takes hold of the Pillars, Principles and Powers, the invifible Strengths, Glories of this World: So he pulls them, the World and his own fleshly part into one common ruin. Chrift on the Crofs uncrowned and uncloathed the light part of the World. The Scripture tells us, that he was the First Born of the whole Creation, the Head of every Creature, he was cloathed with the Supremacy and Eminency of all natural Strength and Glory; but he takes not up his Reff here, neither doth apply himself to build up and heighten this natural Beauty: But he chufes another Title, the First-born from the Dead, to Crucify the whole Creation in himself, as it flood in its Natural Glory; that he might as the Firft-born from them, the Dead, become the Head, the Foundation of a New Creation. 2. The dark part of this World. This is the fecond matter of Chrift's Conqueft and Victory, 1 Tim. i. 10. it is faid Chrift by his Appearance hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light. I will fay no more of this here, becaufe I referve it for a particular Difcourfe upon that Scripture. There are two forts of Darkness, the dark things of Earth, and the dark things of Hell, both these are in Scripture comprehended under one Name of Death. The Lord Jefus hath taken away both thefe Deaths out of the nature of Things in his own Perfon. The whole World in both parts of it, in the light, and in the dark parts, this World in all its tempting and tormenting Forms. 2. My fecond general Head is the Manner of Chrift's Conqueft. This is Four-fold, Chrift conquered by refifting, by fuffering, by fubmiffion, by Divine Union. 1. Chrift conquered by refifting, our Saviour overcame by fighting, according to the Rule, refift the Devil and he will fly from you. The Devil made two principal Onfets upon Chrift. The one by the Light, the other by the dark dark part of this World. The firft was after his Baptifm, then the Devil came armed with the light part of this World. The Beauties of the Earth, a Temple, in the Letter, a Representation of Divinity, if thou beeft the Son of God, &c. He prefented and tempted our Saviour at once with all the Kingdoms of this World and their Glory; but our Saviour refifted and beat him off, get thee behind me Satan : immediately upon this All-conquering Word, Kingdoms, Glory, Satan, and all vanished into another Appearance. The fecond Onfet was at Chrift's Death, of this our Saviour fpeaks afore-hand, John xiv. 30, the Prince of this World cometh, but he finds nothing in me. The Devil poffeffeth the Principles of Nature, by thefe he conveys himself into us, and makes us his own. But Jefus Chrift was not born in the way of Nature, but after a fupernatural manner. A Divine Principle clothed itself with the Virgin's Subftance, grew up in it, made it to fubfift in itfelf, and to be wholly in a Divine Perfon; the Devil now had nothing of his own in Chrift to comply with him, when therefore he came armed with the dark part of the World, having called about him all the black Powers of Terror and Wrath from Earth, Hell, Heaven itself, he meets with a full and ftrong refiftance from Jefus Chrift, by which he is beaten down into his depth of Darknefs below; which he confumed and fired about his Head. In this Chrift overcame by refifting. 2. The Second Manner was by Suffering. This World as now it is fince the Fall, (as it is called in Scripture this prefent Evil World) is compounded of three Principles. The guilt of Sin. The power of Wrath. The frailty of the Flefh. Thefe three Chrift hath overcome by Sufferings. 1. The guilt of Sin, 2 Cor. v. and laft. Chrift is made Sin in a flame of Wrath in our Stead, (or M 2 a Sa Chrift hath made Sa a Sacrifice for Sin) for us. tisfaction to divine Juftice and fo taken away the whole guilt of Sin in his own Perion, he is called Lutron, a Ranfom, a ballance to the guilt of Sin, which makes the fcale of Juftice even again. The Sufferings of our Saviour have wonderfully reduced the diforder of Sin into order in the eternal Judgment of God, as the God-head was clouded by Sin in the Nature of Man: So now it falls in a cloud of Vengance upon the Head of all Mankind Man afpired by Sin to the top of all things; Man by Sufferings is thrown down below all things to the utinoft depths of Woe. The Image of God was fwallowed up into the darkness of Sin in Man. The Image of God now confumes the Image of Man, comprehends it, magnifies, and makes Glorious itself in it, by the Suffering of Jefus Chrift; thus Chrift overcame the guilt of Sin by Suffering. 2. The power of Wrath. The Prince of this World reigns by Wrath. Chrift draws the whole force of Wrath upon himfelf. To spend itfelf on him the Devil now is made a Drone, having fhot his Sting into our Saviour and loft it there; thus Christ by Death deftroys him who had the power of Death; Heb. ii. The Pfalmift faith, Deep calls to Deep; the deep of Wrath touches upon the deep of Love and Glory. God is the Beginning and End, the Top and Bottom of all Things, as the Earth is faid to ftand in the Water, nor as to all his Saints that are faved, as the Firft-fruits being Love, fo this World ftands in a Sea of Wrath; what meer Man foever falls into this Sea, can never come to the bottom, but is eternally Sinking. Chrift more than a many times caft himself into it, immediately reached the utmoft depths, and reached through it to the Glory below it, difcovered the foundations of it all in Glory; upon this difcovery the Sea of Wrath difappears for ever in the Perfon of Chrift, and is feen no more. He was made a Curfe for us. He did in Death for our Sakes and |