The Wells of Salvation Opened, Section 8
SECT. VIII.
3. PEter speaks to them of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom this Peace was purchased, and the Word of Peace preached, and that,
1. Concerning his Vnction.
2. Concerning his Life.
3. Concerning his Miracles.
4. Concerning his Death.
5. Concerning his Resurrection.
6. Concerning his Ordination to be the Iudge of the World.
7. Concerning his Mission of them to preach.
1. Peter speaks to them concerning the Vnction of Christ. He tells them that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with Power. God poured forth his Spirit without measure upon Christ, which qualified him for his offices, and he gave him power and authority to execute them.
There is a Threefold Office which Christ was anointed unto.
1. The Priestly Office.
2. The P…phetical Office.
3. The Kingly Office.
1. Christ was anointed to the Priestly Office; who offered up sacrifice to God, even a sin-offering and Peace-offering, …o make reconciliation for sin; not the sacrifice of Bulls and Goats, or Lambs, or Rams, which could never of themselves take away guilt; but he through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, he offered the sacrifice of himself for a sweet-smelling savour, and shed his own blood for the remission of sins, by which blood having obtained eternal redemption for his people, he entered into the Holy place not made with hands, which was but figurative, but into Heaven it self, there to appear in the presence of God, to make intercession for them. Christ is the great High priest, not after the order of Aaron, who were many, and mortall, and sinfull, and their Priesthood changeable; but he is a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec; hath an unchangeable Priesthood, therefore is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession in their behalf, Heb. 7.25. Moreover, v. 26. he is holy, harmless, undefiled, seperate from sinners, and yet very tender and compassionate towards sinners, being touched with the feeling of our Infirmities, and knows how to pity them which are tempted; he is mercifull and he is faithfull too in this Office which the Lord hath anointed him unto. Having therefore such an High-Priest over the House of God, sinners have encouragement to draw neer unto God, with full assurance of acceptance through him, Hebr. 10.21, 22.
2. Christ was anointed to the Prophetical Office: Christ is that Prophet whom the Lord promised to raise up to his people like unto Moses, Deut. 18.15. but is far greater than Moses, who came down from Heaven to preach the Gospel of salvation to lost sinners; who revealed the counsels of the Father, which were hid from ages and generations, and kept secret untill his time, from the foundations of the World; who discovered the purposes of Gods Love, and the promises of his Grace, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. Christ is the great Prophet anointed by the Father to teach his people by his Word and Spirit, who opens the eyes of the understanding which naturally is dark and blinde, and leads his people into all truth, who of themselves would wander into errour, without whose teachings there can be no saving light, nor spiritual discerning and relish of Gospel Mysteries.
3. Christ was anointed unto the Kingly Office: Peter in his Sermon calls him Lord of all. God hath given him a Name above every Name; he hath exalted him above all Principalities and Powers, and Might and Dominion, both in Heaven and Earth, and hath put all things under his feet, and all power into his hand, and appointed him to be head over all unto his Church. He is the King of Saints, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and whose Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness; he hath given Laws to his people with great wisdom, and ruleth in their hearts with great power, and whosoever will not submit to his Scept…r to be ruled by his Laws, he will break them in pieces with his I…on Rod. Thus concerning Christs V…ction to his Offices.
2. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Life; that he went about doing good. His Life was holy, free from sin, he did no evil, no injury to any man, he was harmless, his whole employment was to do good. Never was there such a man living upon the face of the Earth, who never committed any sin in his life, neither in thought, word, or deed. Some indeed have said they had no sin, but they have lied; for no man liveth that sinneth not: but Christ was born without sin, and lived without sin; he was perfectly good and righteous, and he did good. His Life was exactly according to the Rule; he fulfilled the Law not only by his passive, but also by his active Obedience.
3. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Mi…acles, whereof they were witnesses: instance is given of his casting out Devils, likely he told them of more, of his calming the Winds and Sea with a word, his feeding five thousand with five Loaves, his opening the eyes of them which were born blinde, his raising the dead that had been buried several dayes, and the like; which works were a testimony of his Divinity, and that he came from the Father.
4. Peter speaks to them concerning Christs Death. Him they slew and hanged upon a tree. Christ humbled himself not only to take upon him our Humane Nature, to be born of a mean Virgin, and live in a low condition, when he was Lord of all, and God equall with the Father, to take upon him the form of a servant; but he humbled himself further, to become obedient unto Death, even the death of the Cross, Phil. 2.6, 7, 8. It was a cursed, disgracefull, lingering and painfull death, which he endured, and however it was inflicted upon him by the hands of cruel, blood-thirsty men, yet it was according to the fore-appointment of God, for the satisfaction of Gods Justice, for the expiation of Mans sin; it was not only for an example of suffering to men, but in the room and stead of sinners, who otherwise must all have unavoidably perished; and for the ratification of the New Testament and Covenant of Grace: So that the salvation of Man from sin and Hell, and the Inheritance of glory and happiness doth depend upon the Death of Christ which was the purchase hereof.
5. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Resurrection. Him hath God raised from the dead, and shewed openly. Though Christ dyed and was buried, yet the bands of death could not hold him, and the Holy One did not see corruption▪ his body was not so long in the grave as to put…fie, but within three dayes he arose again from the dead, and was seen of Mary Magdalen first, after of two Disciples as they went unto Immaus, after of Peter and all the Apostles, after of above five hundred Brethren at once. He was declared to be Man by his death, he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of holiness in him, which raised him from the dead; forty dayes he remained upon the Earth after his Resurrection, and then was caught up to the Throne of God in the presence of his Disciples, and there he that was dead is alive, and lives for evermore; whose Resurrection as it hath an influence upon the spiritual Resurrection of his people from sin, who when dead in sin are quickened by the same Spirit which raised him up: So it is the first fruits of the resurrection of his people from the grave, who in their order and Gods appointed time shall be awakened out of their long sleep of death, and come forth of the dust, and be caught up to meet him in the Air at his last appearance to Judge the World, which is the next thing Peter speaketh of Christ.
6. Peter speaketh to them concerning Gods ordination of Iesus Christ to be the Iudge of quick and dead. God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness, and hath ordained Jesus Christ to be the Judge; who will so soon as the mystery is finished, and the Elect are gathered, come down from Heaven where now he is, with a great shout, and the sound of a Trumpet, and awaken all the dead, and summon the whole world to his barr, and render unto all according to their works; to them that have repented and believed, and by patient continuance in well-doing, have sought for glory and honour, and immortality, he will give eternal life; but to them which have been impenitent and hard-hearted, and disobedient to the Gospel, he will give indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, and sentence them to eternal Death.
7. Peter speaketh to them concerning Christs Mission of them to preach. He sent the Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins in his Name; and he hath appointed the Office of the Ministry to continue to the end of the World, for the calling and conversion of those which belong to the Election of Grace, and the building up and perfecting the Saints which are called, untill they all come into the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Eph. 4.12, 13. Thus the Apostle Peter preacheth Christ unto Cornelius, and them which were with him.