A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 26
CHRIST a Prophet.
DEUT. 18.15
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet, &c.
HAving spoken of the Person of Christ, we are next to speak of the Offices of Christ, Prophetical, Priestly, Regal.
1. Prophetical, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet. Enunciatur hic locus de Christo, 'tis spoken of Christ. There are several Names given to Christ as a Prophet: He is called the Counsellor, Isa. 6.9. In uno Christo Angelus faederis completur, Fagius. The Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. a Lamp, 2 Sam. 22.29. the bright Morning-star, Rev. 22.16. Jesus Christ is the great Prophet of his Church; the Woman of Samaria gave a shrewd guess, Iohn 4.19. He is the best Teacher; he makes all other teaching effectual, Luke 24.45. Then opened he their Understanding. He did not only open the Scriptures, but opened their Understanding. He teacheth to profit, Isa. 48.17. I am the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit.
Quest. How Christ teacheth?
Resp. 1. Externally, By his Word, Psal. 119.105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet. Such as pretend to have a Light or Revelation above the Word, or contrary to it, never had their Teaching from Christ, Isa. 8.20.
2. Christ teacheth these sacred Mysteries, Inwardly, by the Spirit, John 16.13. The World knows not what it is, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can ye know them. He knows not what it is to be Transformed by the renewing of the mind, Rom. 12.2. or what the inward workings of the Spirit means; these are Riddles and Paradoxes to him. He may have more insight into the things of the World then a Believer, but he doth not see the deep things of God. A Swine may see an Acorn under the Tree, but he cannot see a Star: he who is taught of Christ sees the Arcana imperii, the Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Quest. What are the Lessons Christ teacheth?
Answ. 1. He teacheth us to see into our own Hearts. Take the most Mercurial Wits, the greatest Politicians, that understand the Mysteries of State, yet they know not the Mysteries of their own Hearts, they cannot believe there is that Evil in them as is, 2 Kings 8.13. Is thy servant a dog? Grande profundum est homo, Aug. The Heart is a great deep which is not easily fathomed. But Christ, when he teacheth, removes the Vail of Ignorance, and lights a Man into his own Heart. And now he sees swarms of vain Thoughts, he blusheth to see how Sin mingles with his Duties, his Stars are mixt with Clouds; he prays, as Austin, that God would deliver him from himself.
2. The second Lesson Christ teacheth, is the Vanity of the Creature. A Natural Man sets up his Happiness here, worships the golden Image; but he that Christ hath anointed with his Eye-salve hath a Spirit of Discerning, he looks upon the Creature in its night dress, sees it to be empty and unsatisfying, not commensurate to an Heaven-born Soul. Solomon had put all the Creatures into a Limbeck, and when he came to extract the Spirits and Quintissence, all was Vanity, Eccl. 2.11. The Apostle calls it foreign, a Show or Apparition ▪ 1 Cor. 7.31. having no intrinsical Goodness.
3. The third Lesson is the Excellency of Things unseen. Christ gives the Soul a sight of Glory, a prospect of Eternity, 2 Cor. 4.18. We look not at things which are seen, but foreign, things which are not seen. Moses saw him who is invisible, Hebr. 11.27. And the Patriarks saw a better Country, viz. an heavenly, Hebr. 11.16. where Delights of Angels, Rivers of Pleasure, the Flower of Joy fully ripe and blown.
Quest. How doth Christ's Teaching differ from other Teaching?
Resp. Several ways.
1. Christ teacheth the Heart. Others may teach the Ear, Christ the Heart, Acts 16.14. Whose heart the Lord opened. All that the Dispensers of the Word can do, is but to work Knowledge, Christ works Grace. They can but give you the light of the Truth, Christ gives you the love of the Truth. They can only teach you what to believe, Christ teacheth how to believe.
2 Christ gives us a Taste of the Word; Ministers may set the Food of the Word before you, and carve it out to you, but it is only Christ causeth you to taste it, 1 Pet. 2.3. If so be ye have tasted, the Lord is gracious. Psal. 34.8. Taste and see that the Lord is good. It is one thing to hear a Truth preached, another thing to taste it; one thing to read a Promise, another thing to taste it. David had got a taste of the Word, Psal. 119.102, 103. Thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter then honey to my mouth. The Apostle calls it foreign, the savour of Knowledge, 2 Cor. 2.14. The light of Knowledge is one thing, the savour another. Christ makes us taste a savoriness in the Word.
3. Christ when he teacheth makes us obey. Others may instruct, but cannot command obedience. They teach to be humble, but Men remain proud. The Prophet had been denouncing Judgments against the People of Iudah, but they would not hear, Ier. 44.17. We will do whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth, to bake cakes to the Queen of Heaven. Men come quasi armed in Coat of Male, that the Sword of the Word will not enter; but when Christ comes to teach, he removes this obstinacy, he not only informs the Judgment, but inclines the Will. He doth not only come with the Light of his Word, but the Rod of his Strength, and makes the stubborn sinner yield to him. His Grace is irresistible.
4. Christ teacheth easily. Others teach with difficulty. Difficulty in finding out a Truth, and in inculcating it, Isa. 28.10. Precept must be upon precept, line upon line; some may Teach all their lives, and the Word take no impression. They complain as Isa. 49.4. I have spent my labour in vain. Plough on Rocks. But Christ the great Prophet teacheth with ease. He can with the least touch of his Spirit convert. He can say, Let there be light; with a word he conveys Grace.
5. Christ when he teacheth, makes Men willing to learn. Men may teach others, but they have no mind to learn, Prov. 1.7. Fools despise instruction; they rage at the Word, as if a Patient should rage at the Physician when he brings him a Cordial: thus backward are Men to their own Salvation. But Christ makes his People a willing people, Psal. 110.3. they prize Knowledge, and hang it as a Jewel upon their Ear. Those that Christ teacheth, say as Isa. 2.3. Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in them: and as Acts 10.33. We are all here present before God, to hear all things commanded.
6. Christ when he Teacheth, doth not only illuminate, but animate. He doth so teach, as he doth quicken; Iohn 8.12. I am the light of the world, he that follows me shall have lumen vitae, the light of life. By Nature we are dead, therefore unfit for teaching; who will make an Oration to the Dead? But Christ teacheth them that are dead, he gives the light of life; as when Lazarus was dead, Christ said, Come forth, and he made the dead to hear, Lazarus came forth. So when Christ saith to the dead Soul, Come forth of the Grave of Unbelief, he hears Christ's voice, and comes forth; it is the Light of Life. The Philosophers saith, Calor & lux concrescunt, Light and Heat encrease together. 'Tis true here; where Christ comes with his Light, there is the heat of Spiritual Life going along with it.
Use 1. of Information. Branch 1. See here an Argument of Christ's Divinity. Had he not been God, he could never have known the Mind of God, or revealed to us those Arcana Caeli, those deep Mysteries which no Man or Angel could find out. Who but God can anoint the eyes of the blind? and give not only light, but sight? who but he who hath the Key of David can open the Heart? who but God can bow the iron sinew of the Will? He only who is God can enlighten the Conscience, and make the stoney Heart bleed.
Branch 2. See what a Cornucopia, or Plenty of Wisdom is in Christ, who is the Great Doctor of his Church, and gives saving knowledge to all the Elect. The Body of the Sun must needs be full of Charity and Brightness, which enlightens the whole World. Christ is the great Luminary. In him are hid all Treasures of Knowledge, Col. 2.3. The middle Lamp of the Sanctuary gave light to all the other Lamps. Christ duffuseth his glorious Light to others. We are apt to admire the Learning of Aristotle and Plato; alas! what is this poor Spa…k of Light to that which is in Christ, from whose infinite Wisdom both Men and Angels light their Lamp.
Branch 3. See the Misery of Men in the state of Nature, before Christ came to be their Prophet, they are inveloped with Ignorance and Da…kness. Men know nothing in a salvifical, sanctified manner; they know nothing as they ought to know▪ 1 Cor. 8.2. This is sad: 1. Men in the dark cannot discern Colours; so in the state of Nature, they cannot discern between Morality and Grace; they take one for the other, pro dea nubem. 2. In the dark the greatest Beauty is hid. Let there be rare Flowers in the Garden, and Pictures in the Room, yet in the dark their Beauty is vail'd over; so, though there be such transcendent Beauty in Christ as amazeth the Angels, a Man in the state of Nature, sees none of this Beauty. What is Christ to him? or Heaven to him? the vail is upon his heart? 3. A Man in the dark is in danger every step he goes; so a Man in the state of Nature is in danger every step, of falling into Hell. Thus it is before Christ teacheth us; nay, the darkness in which a Sinner is, while in an unregenerate state, is worse then natural darkness; for, natural darkness affrights, Gen. 15.12. An horrour of great darkness fell upon Abraham. But the Spiritual Darkness is not accompanied with horrour, Men tremble not at their condition; nay, they like their condition well enough, Iohn 3.19. Men loved darkness. This is their sad condition, till Jesus Christ comes as a Prophet to teach them, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
Branch 4. See the happy condition of the Children of God, they have Christ to be their Prophet, Isa. 54.13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made to us wisdom. One Man cannot see by anothers eye; but Believers see with Christ's eyes, in his light they see light: Christ gives them the light of Grace and light of Glory.
Use 2. Labour to have Christ for your Prophet, he teacheth savingly, he is an interpreter of a thousand, he can untie those Knots which puzzle the very Angels; till Christ teach, never learn any Lesson; till Christ is made to us wisdom, we shall never be wise to Salvation.
Quest. What shall we do to have Christ for our Teacher?
Resp. 1. See your need of Christ's Teaching; you cannot see your way without this Morning Star. Some speak much of the Light of Reason improved: Alas! the Plumb-line of Reason is too short to Fathom the deep things of God; the Light of Reason will no more help a Man to believe, then the light of a Candle will help him to understand. A Man can no more by the power of Nature reach Christ, then an Infant can reach the top of the Pyramids, or the Ostridge fly up to the Stars. See your need of Christ's Anointing and Teaching, Rev. 3.18.
2. Go to Christ to teach you, Psal. 25.5. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me. As one of the Disciples said, Lord teach us to pray, Luke 11.1. so, Lord teach me to profit. Do thou light my Lamp, O thou great Prophet of thy Church, give me a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, that I may see things in another manner then ever I saw them before. Teach me in the Word to hear thy Voice, and in the Sacrament to discern thy Body, Psal. 13.3. Lighten mine eyes, &c. Cathedram habet in coelo qui corda docet in terra, Aug. He hath his Pulpit in Heaven who converts Souls. And that we may be encouraged to go to Christ our great Prophet.
1. Jesus Christ is very willing to teach us. Why else did he enter into the Calling of the Ministry? but to teach the Mysteries of Heaven, Matth. 4.23. Iesus went about teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of diseases among the people. Why did he take the Office Prophetical upon him? why was Christ so angry with them that kept away the Key of Knowledge? Luke 11.52. why was Christ anointed with the Spirit without measure, but that he might anoint us with Knowledge. Knowledge is in Christ, as Milk in the Breast for the Child. O then go to Christ to Teach! None in the Gospel came to Christ for sight, but he restored their eye-sight. And sure Christ is more willing to work a cure upon a blind Soul, than ever he was upon a blind Body.
2. There are none so dull and ignorant, but Christ can teach them. Every one is not fit to make a Philosophers Scholar of, Ex omni ligno non fit Mercurius; but there is none so dull but Christ can make a good Scholar of such as are ignorant, and of low parts. Christ teacheth them in such a manner, that they know more then the great Sages and Wisemen of the World. Hence that saying of St. Augustine, Surgunt indocti & rapiunt coelum, the unlearned Men rise up and take Heaven; they know the Truths of Christ more savingly then the great admired Rabbies. The duller the Scholar, the more is his skill seen that teacheth. Hence it is, Christ delights in teaching the Ignorant, to get himself more Glory, Isa. 35.5. The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Who would go to teach a blind, or a deaf Man? yet such dull Scholars Christ teacheth. Such as are blinded with Ignorance, they shall see the Mysteries of the Gospel, and the deaf Ears shall be unstopped.
3. Wait upon the Means of Grace which Christ hath appointed. Though Christ teacheth by his Spirit, yet he teacheth in the use of Ordinances. Wait at the Gates of Wisdoms door; Ministers are Teachers under Christ, Eph. 4.11. Pastors and Teachers. We read of Pitchers, and Lamps within the Pitchers, Iudges 7.16. Ministers are Earthen Vessels, but these Pitchers have Lamps within them to light Souls to Heaven. Christ is said to speak to us from Heaven now, Hebr. 12.25. viz. by his Ministers, as the King speaks by his Ambassador. Such as wean themselves from the Breast of Ordinances, seldom thrive; either they grow light in their Head, or lame in their Feet. The Word preached is Christ's Voice in the Mouth of the Minister; and they that refuse to hear Christ speaking in the Ministry, Christ will refuse to hear them speaking on their Death-bed.
4. If you would have the Teachings of Christ, walk according to that Knowledge which you have already. Use your little knowledge well, and Christ will teach you more, Iohn 7.17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of my Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of my self. A Master seeing his Servant improve a little Stock well, gives him more to trade with.
Use 3. If you have been taught by Christ savingly, be thankful: It is your Honour to have GOD for your Teacher; and that he should teach you, and not others, is matter of admiration and gratulation. O how many knowing men are ignorant! They are not taught of God; they have CHRIST's Word to enlighten them, but not his Spirit to sanctifie them. But, that you should have the Inward, as well as the Outward Teaching, that Christ should anoint you with the Heavenly Unction of his Spirit, that you can say, as he Iohn 9.25. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, I now see; O! how thankful should you be to Christ, who hath revealed his Father's Bosom Secrets unto you, Iohn 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. If Alexander thought himself so much obliged to Aristotle, for the Philosophical Instructions he learned from him: O how are we bound to Jesus Christ, this great Prophet, for opening to us the Eternal Purposes of his Love, and revealing to us the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.