John 1:18

In the last branch of this commendation, Christ is preferred to all men in the point of seeing and knowing of God, and in particular, to Moses, of whom it is said, that he saw God, and God talked face to face with him, Deut. 34.10. Numb. 12.8. It is here declared that God is invisible and incomprehensible by any, save by his Sonne Jesus Christ, who being one in essence with the Father, and upon all his councels, doth perfectly know him, and doth reveale unto mankind all that they know of him. Doctrine 1. God, as being a Spirit, is invisible to the bodily eyes of any, though some rayes of his glorious Majesty have at some times been seen; nor can any creature take up the infinitely glorious essence of God with the eyes of their minde, but very Angels cover their faces before him; Nor is there any knowledge of God at all attainable by men of themselves, and what they see and know by revelation, is but as nothing in comparison of what Christ hath: All this is imported in that, No man hath seene God at any time, to wit, with bodily eyes, or fully as Christ doth, or without him. 2. Albeit God be invisible and incomprehensible by any of themselves, yet there is a declaration and manifestation of him to sinful man, and a knowledge and sight of him attainable in so farre as is necessary to salvation; for, so are we taught here, that God is declared. 3. As Christ perfectly seeth; and knoweth and comprehendeth the Father; so the declaration and manifestation of God to man, and especially that which is saving and sanctifying, is by Christ, who from the beginning of the world was the onely revealer of God to the Church; And especially at his incarnation, he hath revealed the Father in himself, and the knowledge of him and his will unto salvation, by his doctrine; for, the Sonne, he hath declared him. 4. Albeit God have many sons by creation, (as Angels, Job 1.6. and Adam, Luke 3.38.) and by adoption; yet he hath onely one natural Son begotten of his substance, by eternal and incomprehensible generation, who as he perfectly comprehendeth the Father, so he cannot but infallibly declare him, being the expresse image of his person; for, Christ is the onely begotten Sonne, and this is one ground of his declaring the Father. 5. Christ is one in essence with the Father, coexisting with him from eternity, and is one with him in regard of familiarity and delight, and was and is upon all the Fathers counsels; And this doth yet further assure the Church of the certainty of what he declareth of God, and doth set out their happinesse who have him for their friend and surety, who is so intimate with the Fathar; for, this is another ground of his declaring the Father, that he is in the bosome of the Father, which imports onenesse, intimacy and delight, that he hath a neere sight, and intimate acquaintance with the Father. See Prov. 8.30.