Gospel Revelation, Treatise 2 · Sermon 2
The Second SERMON ON The Excellency of Chriſt.
Iſaiah 9.6. And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful. Christ Wonderful in his Offices.
CHriſt further is the Wonder of the World in his Offices.
In his Natures.
In his Perſon.
In the manner of his Incarnation.
In the end why hee was ſent hither.
And in his Offices, in his Anointment as hee was Chriſt. Chriſt ſignifies the Anointed of God, and is all one with the Meſsias; that that was the Meſsias in the Old Teſtament, is Chriſt in the New. The word ſignifies Anointed. And Chriſt is the Anointed of the Father, Anointed to thoſe three great Offices, King, Prieſt, and Prophet. Great in all theſe three Offices, never any man in the world had them all before, I ſay, never man in the world was Anointed to theſe three together, but onelyonly Chriſt. Wee read in Scripture of a King and Prieſt, ſo Melchiſedeck was; wee read in Scripture of a King, and a Prophet, and ſo David was; wee read in Scripture of a Prophet, and a Prieſt, ſo Jeremiah was: but of King, Prieſt, and Prophet together anointed by God, wee read of none but Jeſus Chriſt onelyonly. Among the Egyptians they were wont out of their Philoſophers, their wiſe men, to chooſe their Prieſts, and out of their Prieſts to chooſe their Kings; and ſo whoſoever was a King to them, was eminent firſt in wiſdome, being a Philoſopher, able to teach, and eminent in his Prieſtly office, and then eminent in his power, that hee might bee honoured by all people, as having thoſe threefold eminencies that was accounted the greateſt eminency in the world, for thoſe were the three great eminencies, the eminency of wiſdome to teach, and of Prieſthood, and of Kingly power: Now Jeſus Chriſt hee was wonderful in all theſe; now that is the thing that I aim at to ſhew in every particular of theſe Offices of Chriſt, how wonderful hee was, and then (though but briefly) I ſhall ſet the beauty and excellency of Chriſt in his three Offices before you, and that ſhall bee all that I intend to do at this time, and ſhall but bee very brief in them too: For I told you in the opening of the Excellency of God, I did not intend to ſtand to open every particular Attribute at large, but onelyonly to ſet the Excellency of God before you briefly, ſo of Chriſt.
The Kingly Office of Chriſt.
Now for theſe Offices of Chriſt; his Kingly Office firſt; Chriſt is King, and wonderful in this Office of his, for you cannot underſtand Chriſt your Saviour aright, except you underſtand him, as before in his Natures, in his Perſonal union, and ſo in his Offices. Firſt, As King, I ſhall not need to ſhew Scripture for theſe, the Scripture is full. If you read the 45. Pſalm at your leaſure about the middle of it, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter. And Rev. 17.14. Chriſt there is ſaid to bee Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. Now Chriſt is a glorious King and wonderful in his Kingly power.
Firſt, Hee is King over all, over all Kings, over all Powers, hee hath the higheſt Authority of all; Take that for the firſt thing. In Rev. 9 hee is ſaid to bee King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I remember Theodotius, and another Emperour, did uſe to call themſelves the Vaſſals of Chriſt, and ſo certainly all the Kings and Princes in the world, they are but the Vaſſals of this great King. Now hee is wonderful in his Kingly power that hath all the Kings and Lords, and all Authority in the world under his feet, indeed they all hold on him, and that will appear from the ſecond place.
2 As his power is the higheſt, ſo it is univerſal, univerſal over all the world, the Government of all the world is committed to him, 1 Cor. 15.27. All things are put under his feet, God the Father hath given unto him the Government of all the world, hee is not onelyonly the King of the Saints, though hee bee their King in a ſpecial manner, but hee is the King of Nations too, Chriſt hee is the King of Nations, God-Man (I ſay) the government of all the world is given to him, all the Nations of the World are unde… him to govern and to judge, and to make uſe of for the good of his Church; Hee is not onelyonly the governour of the World univerſally, but a heavenly King, even the Angels themſelves are under him, Thrones, and Principalities, and Dominions, in Eph. 1.20. They are all brought into one under Chriſt, yea and the Devils themſelves are under him; It is hee that hath the Keyes of Heaven, and the Keyes of Hell, Rev. 1.18. Hee that was dead, is alive, and hath the Keyes of Hell and Death: And this Kingly Power of Chriſt muſt needs bee wonderful.
3 But further, in the third place, Chriſt is wonderful in this his Kingly Power, for hee makes his Subjects, his Subjects do not make him, Col. 1.16. By him were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth. There is no King that ever was in the World, but either God from heaven doth tell people that hee would have ſuch a one to bee a King, or hee is made by the peop…e: For what is one mans fleſh, more than another mans? (I ſay) at firſt men they agree together to ſet up ſuch a man, or family, to have a Kingly Power, ſo that the Kingly power of the Family, and of every one that comes of that Family, it is by the people at firſt, none muſt plead it to bee by conqueſt, for then whoſoever can conquer again, hee muſt bee King, if another can conquer hee muſt have right too, if that bee the onelyonly right, if that were the onelyonly right that a King had over his people, conqueſt, then as hee had his right over the people by conqueſt, ſo if the people conquer him, then they have right. Certainly the beſt right of all the Kings of the earth this day, it muſt bee by the firſt compact with that Family, that is their right. I but our King that wee have to do withall, hee makes his Subjects, they make not him King, but this King makes all his Subjects; Indeed if Kings could give being to their Subjects, then their right were another kinde of right than now they have; but the truth is, Subjects do give being to their King; I but our King the Lord Chriſt hee is Wonderful, a Wonderful King in this, becauſe hee doth give being to all his Subjects.
4 And then fourthly, The Subjects of th…s King are for him, hee is not for them; whereas it is otherwiſe between man and man; certainly the Subjects are not made for the King, but the King is made for his Subjects; a Kingdome is not made for a King, but a King for the Kingdome: But it is otherwiſe here, Chriſt was not made for us, but wee were made for him, all the Subjects of Chriſt were made for the honour of Jeſus Chriſt, and Chriſt I ſay, was not ſet up King for them.
5 And then fifthly, This King Jeſus Chriſt, is King in another manner than any other Kings upon the ea…th, fo… it is hee alone that makes Laws, other Kings have not power themſelves to make Laws, but together with their people, but hee alone makes Laws. It is true, the Kings of Iſrael they made not the people joyn with them in all their Laws, becauſe God himſelf let Laws there for the government of the Commonwealth. But Jeſus Chriſt, I ſay, hee is the onelyonly Law-giver unto his Church, and therefore there can bee no new Ordinances, nor no new Laws, nor no new Officers in the Church that can bee invented by man: It is true, in the Civil ſtate, there God leaves to humane prudence, and wee may invent Laws and humane Ordinances, and new Officers, ſo as may bee good for the Church, one Kingdome one kinde of Law, and another, another; But now when wee come to ſpeak of Chriſts Kingly Power, eſpecially as it hath reference to the Church, there, as hee is King of Saints, there are no Ordinances, nor no Laws, nor no officers that can bee newly erected, but it muſt bee the ſame, and it muſt bee the ſame in all Churches in the World, the ſame Laws muſt rule all, and the ſame Ordinances, and the ſame Church-officers, there muſt bee no additions of any; Why? becauſe that in Spiritual government, there wee wait upon God for his preſence; wee wait upon the preſence of Chriſt to work ſpiritually upon the ſoul, and wee expect a ſpiritual efficacy from Jeſus Chriſt upon our ſouls, to draw us nearer to him, and to draw him near to us, that wee do in all Church Ordinances; and therefore onelyonly Chriſt can appoint Laws for them.
You will ſay, (an there bee no Laws, no nothing added in the Church for way of decency and order, and ſuch kinde of things?
To that I anſwer briefly thus, There are ſome things that do belong to thoſe ſpiritual Ordinances, things that are in the Church that may bee helpful to them in a natural way; as now if congregations meet they muſt meet in ſome place, they muſt have civil order in their meeting, there may bee ſome things civil and natural ſubſervient unto thoſe things that are ſpiritual; but that that is properly Eccleſiaſtical whereby I vvait upon Jeſus Chriſt to have my heart dravvn nearer to him, or to have him dravv nearer to mee therein, there muſt bee no addition of men in any Law whatſoever, but onelyonly the things of Chriſt that are meerly ſpiritual; if there bee any natural help, or civil help, as wee that are men cannot bee exe…ciſed in things that are ſpiritual, without ſome natural and civil helps, there certainly the prudence of man may come in; but this cannot come to ſet up any new Ordinances, or ſet up any new Officers in the Church, or make any new Laws that ſhall concern the ſpiritual Worſhip of God, to work my heart in a ſpiritual way to God, or God unto mee; here lyes the evil of mans inventions, when there ſhall bee any inventions of man that ſhall come inſtead of a ſpiritual Ordinance, that ſhall bee ſet by mans Inſtitution, and have more put upon it than it hath in a natural and civil way to bee helpful, why then it comes to bee ſuperſtition, I ſay, when any thing is ſet by man in the worſhip of God, that ſhall have more in it than that that is natural or civil to help, then it comes to bee ſinful and wicked. When I think that by any thing of mans appointment, God ſhall come nearer to mee, or my heart ſhall bee drawn nearer to God, by vertue of any Inſtitution of man, here is the very proper nature of Inſtitution; As for inſtance, Some thing that is natural or civil to help Gods worſhip, that man may appoint, but nothing that is ſpiritual to draw my heart nearer to God, or God nearer to mee. As thus, If the Church of God meet together for Ordinances, it muſt meet in ſome place, this is a natural help to have a convenient meeting-place, to have a place to keep them from the air, or rain, or wind, this is natural; but if it go one ſtep higher than naturalneſs of the place, If I ſhall make this place by the conſecration of man to bee uſed as an Ordinance to draw mee nearer to God, or God nearer to mee, that is, to think that my prayers in that place are more acceptable than in another, that becauſe I perform ſervices in that place it ſhall bee more accepted, Here I ſay, man raiſes it higher than natural, and puts a Divine Inſtitution upon it, and ſo it comes to bee ſinful; and ſo now you may come to know what the meaning is, when wee ſay, that Chriſt only can make Lawes for his Church, and Officers for his Church. Why? becauſe whatſoever is ſpiritual, it muſt bee only by the Authority of Jeſus Chriſt, this great King of his Church.
6 And then Sixthly, Chriſt is a wonderful King in this, that his Soveraignty is abſolute, which no Kings power is; though they have great power in the world, yet they have not an abſolute power to doe what they liſt; and certainly, no Subjects are bound ſo farre to the humours of men, that they ſhall doe what they liſt, there is no abſolute power that one man hath over another; bur the power that Jeſus Chriſt hath is abſolute, an abſolute Kingly power, his Will it is the Law; no mans will in the World is ſufficient to be a law, but the will of this King it is ſufficient.
7 And then in the Seventh place, hee hath power to bind Conſcience, his Laws are ſuch as lay obligations and bonds upon the Conſciences of men; no Law that would be made by all the Angels in heaven could lay bonds upon conſcience, but the Lavv only of Jeſus Chriſt; all the Lavves that men can make, muſt receive their povver and authority eſpecially from the end of them, and therefore if they ſhould not conduce unto that end for vvhichwhich God ſets up Magiſtracy over men, that is, for the good of the place, then the rule vvill hold, that if there be not ſcandal or contempt, there is no obligation upon a mans conſcience, meerly becauſe it is the will of man. But now the Lavves of Chriſt, vvhatſoever they are, they lay bonds upon conſciences, and if I doe offend them never ſo ſecretly, I ſtand as guilty before the great God; and that is the ſeventh thing.
8 And then in the Eighth place, Chriſts Kingly power it reaches to mens hearts, (I muſt not as I goe along enter into the large opening of any thing that may be controverſal, but meerly preſent vvhat at large might be opened to you, about the Kingly povver of Chriſt) I ſay, Chriſts Kingly povver is vvonderful in this, in that it rules over the hearts of men as vvell as their conſciences; Chriſt by his povver is able to ſubue the vvills of men, and bring their hearts to obedience to him; all the power there is in the World cannot doe this: vvhy the Kings of the earth, if they vvere put all together, they could not ſubdue the heart of any one poor man in the world, the will of the pooreſt Creature in the world cannot be ſubdued by all the powers of all the Potentates and Emperours upon the face of the earth; they may beat his body, or torter his body, or kill his body, but to ſubdue his heart, to make his ſoul to bee ſubject and obedient to them, that I ſay, all the powers of all the Potentates in the world, nay all the Angels in heaven cannot doe it, the will of a man or woman is ſuch, that all the Angels in heaven cannot bring it down, only God himſelf; you many times ſay, you will break the will of ſuch a one, that is, you will make them not to doe ſuch a thing, but you are never able to break their wills; Kings may prevail over their ſubjects, to make them to doe what they would have them doe, and their Eſtates and Liberties may come to be at their diſpoſe; but all this while it may be he hath never a one of their hearts, and that is but a very mean kind of Kingly power, only to rule over men by fear, and they not to love him. But now Chriſt in his Church, he hath never a ſubject that is truly under his Kingly power, but he rules his very will, and hath never a ſubject but loves him; where Chriſt doth rule Spiritually in the hearts of his people, though they were never ſo ſtubborn and rebellious before, yet when Chriſt comes and brings them under his power, hee brings their wills and their hearts to him, and that is the glory of the Kingly power of Chriſt.
9 And then in the Ninth place, Chriſt is a wonderful King in this, that he hath the perfect knowledge of all his Subjects, and of their wants; alas, Kings and Princes in great States, they know but very few Subject that they have; but now Jeſus Chriſt takes notice of every ſubject that is in his Kingdom, and knowes all their thoughts, and all their vvayes, and all their vvants, all their conditions, he knovves them all perfectly. Oh this is the glory of this King, and vvonderful is hee in his Kingly povver in this.
10 Hee is preſent vvith them all in all the Adminiſtration of Juſtice; the King hee cannot adminiſter Juſtice, but hee muſt uſe Inſtruments to doe it, and hee cannot bee preſent alvvayes; but Jeſus Chriſt hee is alvvayes preſent in the Adminiſtration of vvhat ever is adminiſtred to any of his Subjects, he ſtands by and looks upon them all.
11 Chriſt is ſuch a King as he hath no need of any Inſtruments at all; hee may make uſe of them ſometimes, but he hath no need of any. Kings can doe but very little vvithout ſome Inſtruments, vvhat can a King doe for the ruling of a Kingdom, but vvith ſuch and ſuch Inſtruments? But Jeſus Chriſt is vvonderful in his Kingly povver, in that hee hath no need of any Inſtruments for the adminiſtration of any Juſtice, but he can doe it all immediately himſelf, if he pleaſes.
12 Chriſt is glorious in his Kingly power, in this, that he doth over-rule all the plots and counſels of all the enemies of his Subjects, for the furtherance of the glory of his Kingdome, and the good of his Subjects; now my brethren, look upon theſe things as real, and certainly by faith they are made real to the hearts of the Saints, and they doe rejoyce in this; if we had ſuch kind of Governours, that had power over all the plots and deſigns of the enemies, what a happy condition would we think our ſelves to be in? Now this is in our King the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he hath power over all the plots and endeavours of all adverſaries, to work them all for the good of his Church.
13 Further, the Lord Chriſt is wonderful for his Kingly power in regard of his righteouſneſſe, Thy ſcepter is a righteous ſcepter, he is King of righteouſneſſe, and ſo King of peace, as Melchiſedeck was. It is a happy thing when people live under righteous Governours, that they ſhall be ſure never to have any oppreſſion, any wrong at all done by them, but they ſhall enjoy all in a righteous and juſt way; Jeſus Chriſt is ſuch a King, thou ſhalt have nothing but righteous dealings from him. I, but there is ſomething more in this, he is not only righteous, becauſe he makes righteous Lawes, and hath righteous Adminiſtrations, but this is a King that brings everlaſting righteouſneſſe to his people, ye… he himſelf is the righteouſneſſe of his people; it is hee that doth cloath his people with righteouſneſſe. Indeed it is ſaid of Saul, that hee cloathed the people with Scarlet; By a good Governour people may come to be cloathed with fine raiment, and enjoy glorious proſperity, and the like: But this is that King that cloathes his people with everlaſting righteouſneſſe; to make them all to ſtand righteous before his Father, here is the glory of this King. And then hee brings peace, he brings peace by righteouſneſſe, hee doth not bring peace to them by the ſword, but by his righteous Adminiſtrations; ſo he comes and brings peace, brings peace to the conſcience, to the ſoul, which no Kings can doe. What can Kings doe? they may treat about peace, and if they be righteous they may be the cauſe of abundance of outward peace; I, but they cannot bring peace of ſoul; Chriſt is the King of Righteouſneſſe, and the King of Salem, ſo Melchiſedeck ſignifies, hee was King of Righteouſneſs, and King of Salem, that is, King of peace; this is the glory of this our King.
14 And further, other Kings are born to bee Kings, but Chriſt dyed that hee might bee a King; it is true, hee was a King when hee was born, and hee was born as others are to be a King, but eſpecially Chriſt had his power upon his death, it behooved him to ſuffer, and ſo to enter into his glory; ſo to enter into his glory, that is, upon his ſufferings, it behooved him; and ſo the Apoſtle tells the Jewes in the ſecond of the Acts, that they had crucified Chriſt, and upon their crucifying of him, Peter there ſtands up and tells them in the ſix and thirtieth verſe, that God had made that ſame Jeſus whom they had crucified, both Lord and Chriſt; by his death he came unto his glory. Others come to glory by their Lives, but Chriſt comes to his glory by his Death, and was raiſed to ſit upon the Throne of Majeſty and glory upon his death, and in that hee is wonderful in his Kingly power.
15 Further, Chriſt is King from everlaſting to everlaſting, for ever; Thy throne O Lord endures for ever and ever: other Kings are but of yeſterday, and they are dead and gone; but it is not ſo with our King, the Lord is King for ever.
16 Further, he is wonderful in this, he ſits upon his Fathers Throne now at this time. You have ſuch a place in the third of the Revelations, verſ. 21. where Chriſt promiſes to thoſe that over-come, that they ſhall ſit upon his throne, even as he over-came, and is ſet down with his Father in his throne. The adminiſtration of all things in the World now, I ſay, it is given to Chriſt joyntly with his Father, Jeſus Chriſt God-Man, ſits upon the Throne of his Father, not only the ſecond Perſon in Trinity, but Chriſt God-Man ſits upon the Throne of his Father, & together with his Father doth order and govern all things; here is a height of glory that no creature elſe can bee capable of; the Humane Nature of Chriſt being joyned in one Perſon with the Divine, ſo it comes to have of the glory of this Kingly power upon it, that it may bee ſaid, That Perſon that is Man, doth now at this time ſit upon the Throne of his Father, and together with his Father doth adminiſter his power; ſo that the Apoſtle ſpeaks of a ſubjection of Chriſt that ſhall be afterwards unto the Father more than is now,1 Cor. 15.25, 26, 27, 28. in 1 Cor. 15.25. it is a text certainly that hath a great myſtery in it, and is very hard to underſtand, For hee muſt reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet; the laſt enemy that ſhall be deſtroyed is death, for he hath put all things under his feet; but when he ſaith, all things are put under him, it is manifeſt that he is excepted which did put all things under him; And when all things ſhall be ſubdued unto him, then ſhall the Son alſo himſelf be ſubject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. When all things ſhall be ſubdued unto him, then the Son himſelf ſhall bee ſubject. It ſeems there is not that ſubjection now as ſhall be hereafter; Chriſt now ſits upon the Throne of his Father, and rules together with his Father, but there is a time that Chriſt ſhall give up the Kingdome that now hee hath, and hee himſelf ſhall bee ſubject, that is, hee, when hee hath ſubdued all the enemies of the Church, hee ſhall in a viſible and a more glorious way rule over his own Saints, and that eternally, and then hee to together with his Saints, he as the head of his Saints, ſhall in another way bee ſubject unto God than now hee is for the preſent, there ſhall bee another adminiſtration of things than now there is; now Chriſt ſits upon the Throne oF his Father, here Chriſt makes his Throne & his Fathers Throne diſtinct, ſo that there is yet to come another kinde of Throne that Chriſt hath, beſides the Throne that now hee ſits upon; but this, I ſay, is a great myſtery, onelyonly the Scripture holds forth ſuch a thing as this, that hereafter Chriſt ſhall have another Throne than that hee hath now.
17 Yea Wonderful in this, that hee will not onelyonly ſubject all enemies in the concluſion, but hee will put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power. It is a very notable Text often read, but little obſerved, 1 Cor. 15.24. Then cometh the end, when hee ſhall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he ſhall have put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power. Though as our condition is for the preſent, we have a great deal of need of humane Rule and Authority, yet that is certain, that there hath not been any ſuch enmity unto the Kingdome of Chriſt, as the Rulers, and Kings, and Princes of the earth, for the greater part, I ſay, Chriſt hath had no men that have more kept-under his Kingdome than the Rulers & great ones, and Princes of the earth, therefore it ſeems his Kingdome cannot bee full till hee hath put down all Rule and Power, and hee himſelf to reign wholly without any ſuch help of man as now. But now in regard of our neceſſity, it is true, If all Rule and Authority ſhould bee put down while wee are in ſuch a condition as wee are for the preſent, certainly wee ſhould bee all in a confuſion, therefore though Chriſt ſees that ſo many of the Rulers and great ones of the world have been, and are enemies to his Kingdome, yet to keep things in a civil order, Chriſt would have Rule and Authority for the preſent; But there is a time coming, when his people ſhall bee made ſo ſub…ect, as they ſhall have no need of theſe things, but Chriſt will put them all down here in the world, and himſelf onelyonly ſhall Reign; ſo you have it in the book of the Revelations, chap. 11. verſ. 15. That there were g…eat voyces in heaven, ſaying, The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Chriſt, and hee ſhall Reign for ever and ever. For that it ſeems Chriſt hath not yet taken his Power, had not then, neither hath hee ſince: But there is a time coming for the Kingdomes of the earth to bee the Lords and his Chriſts in another way than now they are.
18 And then the laſt of all, Chriſt is ſuch a King, as hee doth in a ſpiritual ſenſe make all his Subjects Kings, hee hath a Crown of glory for every Subject, for every one of thoſe that are his Subjects, in that near relation, as hee is King of Saints, I ſay, hee will put Crowns of glory upon them all; you have it in Rev. 5.10. And haſt made us unto our God Kings and Prieſts, and wee ſhall Reign on the earth, not onelyonly in heaven, but on the earth. Why now how wonderful is Chriſt in this his Kingly power, that hee is able to make every Subject that hee hath a King? and hee will do it. Now then, If wee ſhould put all theſe together that have been named, you ſee how wonderful Chriſt is in his Kingly Power.
1 Hee is high above all, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
2 Hee is an univerſal King over all the World, a heavenly King, over Angels, yea over Powers, over the Devils themſelves.
3 It is hee that makes his Subjects, not they him.
4 His Subjects are for him, and not hee for them.
5 Hee alone is able to make Laws for his Church.
6 Hee hath abſolute Sovereignty.
7 His Laws do binde conſcience.
8 Hee rules in the hearts of men.
9 Hee hath perfect knowledge of all his Saints, and all their conditions.
10 Hee is preſent in all Adminiſtrations.
11 Hee is the KING of Righteouſneſs, and of Peace.
12 Hee hath no need of any Inſtrument to do any thing.
13 Hee over-rules all the plots, counſels, endeavours of his enemies.
14 Hee was not onelyonly born to bee a King, but hee dyed to bee King.
15 Hee is an everlaſting King, his Kingdome endures from Generation to Generation.
16 Hee ſits upon his Fathers Throne as equal with him.
17 And will certainly ſubdue all enemies, and will put down all Rule, and all Power.
18. And will put a Crown of glory upon every one of his Subjects.
This is our King, Rejoyce therefore oh Daughter of Zion, for thy King cometh. Oh did wee but apprehend theſe things by faith, that wee have to do with Chriſt as ſuch a King, certainly our hearts could not bee troubled whatſoever ſtirs there are in the world, whatſoever Kings and Princes do in the world; yet when wee look up to this King, and by faith make all this real to our ſouls, Oh what matter of infinite joy is it! I beſeech you do not think that theſe are notions that I ſpeak unto you, thoſe that exerciſe their faith aright upon Chriſt, they exerciſe their faith upon him as ſuch a King.
You ſay you do beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt.
In Chriſt, Why what do you mean by Jeſus Chriſt? Why you will ſay, hee was the Son of God. But what is further? Chriſt that is (Anointed) Anointed to what, to King, Prieſt, and Prophet; King, what kinde of King? Here I have preſented to you what kinde of King Jeſus Chriſt is Anointed by the Father. And thus muſt you preſent him before your ſouls when you exerciſe your faith upon him. Certainly there are few people that know what it is to exerciſe their faith upon Chriſt, becauſe they never knew Chriſt to be thus. Well might the Pſalmiſt ſay, Pſal. 97.1. The Lord Reigneth, let the earth rejoyce, let the multitude of Iſles bee glad thereof. Oh it is well for us that the Lord Reigneth; certainly did not Jeſus Chriſt reign in his Church, yea did not hee reign in the world, all things would come to confuſion preſently. Were it poſſible that ſuch a handful as his Church that is a deſpiſed company, a poor people that lives in the world, and is ſo hated by the world, and all the Devils in hell, and their inſtruments, which do labour to extirpate them, and yet that they ſhould continue: certainly it is becauſe the Lord Reigns, and ſo orders a… things that ſeems to bee againſt his Church, for the good of his Church, otherwiſe it could not continue in the world: Oh let the earth rejoyce, becauſe the Lord doth Reign; And again, in Pſal. 99.1. mark there what uſe is made of Chriſts Kingly power. The Lord Reigneth, let the people tremble; Oh the Lord Reigneth, let the people tremble; certainly all wicked and ungodly men that are Rebels againſt this King, they have cauſe to tremble, ſuch men as ſay of Chriſt, Wee will not have this man to reign over us, they have cauſe to tremble, for the Lord Chriſt will overcome them; certainly his Garments ſhall bee dyed in blood, and what will become of them when hee ſhall come to take his Kingdome to himſelf? Moreover; Thoſe mine enemies that would not have mee to Reign over them, come and bring them, and ſlay them before my face. All wicked and ungodly men in their ſins, they do as if they ſhould ſay thus, wee will not have this man to Reign over us; thou who doeſt caſt off Jeſus Chriſt as a King, certainly thou canſt not expect good from him as a Saviour.
Chriſts Prieſtly Office.
Now for the ſecond thing, and that is the Prieſtly Office of Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt is wonderful in that, hee is a great High Prieſt. In Heb. 4.14. Chriſt is there called a Great High Prieſt, Seeing then that wee have a Great High Prieſt that is paſſed into the heavens; And ſo in Heb. 7.26. For ſuch an High Prieſt became us, who is holy, harmleſs, undefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher than the Heavens. A great High Prieſt, a High Prieſt made higher than the Heavens, this is the High Prieſt that we have which we are to exerciſe our faith upon.
1 Hee hath a Royal Prieſt-hood, for it is joyned with Kingly Power, and therefore Melchiſedeck was his type. Hee was not after the Order of Aaron, but hee was after the Order of Melchiſedeck, becauſe it is a Royal Prieſt-hood, and ſo the Saints are called a Royal Prieſthood; And Melchiſedeck is ſaid to bee without Father or Mother: the meaning is, Hee was not ſo as hee was a man, for hee had Father and Mother, beginning and end, but in his typical relation hee was ſo, they were concealed, to typifie, that Chriſt, as hee was man, hee had no Father, and as hee was God, hee had no Mother, and hee had no beginning in his Prieſtly office, it was from everlaſting, and it ſhall indure to everlaſting. So hee is a Prieſt for ever after the Order of Melchiſedeck, and not after the Order of Aaron.
2 And in the next place, All the Prieſts in the Law did typifie Chriſt, and all did ceaſe in him; certainly hee muſt needs bee a great High Prieſt that was typified by them, and in whom all ceaſed and vaniſhed: As when the Sun ariſes, the light of the ſtars doth no more appear; there was no further Prieſthood when Jeſus came and took that Office to himſelf in his humane Nature in this world.
3 But further, Chriſt is wonderful in his Prieſt-hood in this, that hee had no need to offer for himſelf, as others had; for hee was blameleſs, and without ſin.
4 Yea, and conſider what Chriſt offered, and there you ſhall ſee him wonderful; the Offering that Chriſt offered, it was the blood of God, I ſay, it was that that wee may call ſafely according to Scripture language, the blood of God; and that will not ſeem to bee a hard expreſſion, if wee underſtand what the perſonal union of the two Natures are, in Act. 20.28. faith the Apoſtle to the Church of Epheſus, Take heed therefore unto your ſelves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you overſeers, to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchaſed with his own blood. Theſe kinde of phraſes wee have that come from the Perſonal union of the two Natures; ſo that the blood that Chriſt did ſhed, and offer unto God as a Sacrifice for the ſin of man, it is that that the Scripture calls the blood of God. Now the blood that other Prieſts did offer, was the blood of Goats, and Bulls, and Lambs, and Kids, but now what a wonderful Prieſt have wee, that comes to offer Sacrifice to the Father for us, and comes to offer blood, that is the blood of God. Hee is wonderful in his Prieſtly Office in regard of his Offering.
5 Further from this follows, that Chriſt offered a Sacrifice unto God that was ſufficient to ſatisfie God for all the wrong that ever was done him by mans ſin; they offered poor things unto God, you know, in the time of the Law, things that were worthleſs: But now the Sacrifice that Chriſt offered unto the Father, when hee, that High Prieſt, came to offer, it was a Sacrifice that did ſatisfie Gods infinite Juſtice, did make up all the wrong that all the ſins of the Elect had ever done to God, it was that that infinite Juſtice ſaid it was well-pleaſed withall. It was worth all that Chriſt did render it up to his Father for, not onelyonly a Sacrifice that was a ſweet ſavour, becauſe God would bee pleaſed to accept of it, but a Sacrifice that had in its ſelf ſuch a ſavour that could not but bee ſweet in the noſtrils of God the Father, for it did fully ſatisfie the Juſtice of God the Father for the ſins of mankinde; here is a wonderful High Prieſt now, that hee ſhould come and offer ſuch a Sacrifice that ſhould bee of ſuch infinite merit and worth as it was.
6 Yea, and hee was wonderful, becauſe that hee did offer himſelf, not onelyonly his blood, but himſelf, ſoul and body, hee made himſelf a Sacrifice, none of the Prieſts did ſo in the time of the Law; was there ever heard of ſuch a Prieſt that came to offer ſacrifice, that did offer himſelf for ſuch as hee would make attonement for? Jeſus Chriſt hee was anointed by God the Father as a Prieſt of his Church to offer ſacrifice, now hee muſt have ſo nothing to offer, and Chriſt ſaw that whatſoever hee could offer, if ſo bee that hee had offered that that had been the worth of Heaven and Earth, whatſoever it had been, it could never have been an Attonement for thoſe ſouls which hee did undertake for, therefore Chriſt offers himſelf; as there is nothing but God can bee a ſatisfying portion to an immortal ſoul, ſo no ſacrifice but Chriſt himſelf could bee a Sacrifice to pacifie Gods wrath for the ſins of mankinde, if Chriſt ſhould have ſaid, Father, Thou haſt made mee Lord over all the world, and I will give it all for a Ranſome for the ſoul of this poor ſinner, God would have ſaid, It will not do it, but it muſt bee thy ſelf; I, and Chriſt yeelds to it, A body haſt thou prepared mee: Iſa. 53.10And bee made his ſoul an offering for ſin. And a body haſt thou prepared for mee, both body and ſoul of Chriſt was offered to God the Father for a ſacrifice, that hee might ſmell a ſweet ſavour of reſt, even concerning us who are wicked and wretched ſinners. Either Chriſt muſt offer himſelf ſoul and body to bee a Sacrifice for thy ſin, or elſe thy ſoul and body muſt have been offered as a ſacrifice to Gods Juſtice, and then it muſt eternall… have been under the ſtroke of Gods Juſtice; but to that end to free that ſoul and body of thine, if thou beeſt a beleever, to free thee from the eternal Juſtice of God, therefore Chriſt did offer his ſoul and body as a ſacrifice to his Father.
7 And yet further, Chriſt was wonderful in his Prieſtly Office, for hee was not onelyonly the Sacrifice, but the Altar. It would bee wonderful to hear of a Prieſt that ſhould offer himſelf, but the Prieſt to bee the Sacrifice, and the Altar too that ſhould ſanctifie the Sacrifice, it is a greater wonder: and becauſe this expreſſion ſeems to bee very hard, I take this out of Heb. 9.14. How much more ſhall the bloud of Chriſt, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himſelf without ſpot to God; he offers his body and ſoul as it were upon his Divine Nature, that as the Altar did ſanctifie the Offering, ſo the Divine Nature of Chriſt did ſanctifie the offering of his Humane Nature, ſo that he indeed became both the Altar, and the Sacrifice.
8 And then further, Chriſt is wonderful in his Prieſtly Office, and that is in this, That he offered but one Sacrifice, and at one time; now the Prieſts in former time, they offered many Sacrifices, and they offered often; but now if you would read of Chriſts Prieſtly Office, read eſpecially the ſeventh, eighth, and ninth Chapters of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, and there you ſhall have as much almoſt as in all the Scripture beſides, of the Prieſtly Office of Jeſus Chriſt; The Prieſts in the Law they offered often, but Chriſt offered but once, and having but once offered hee ſits down in glory, upon his offering of himſelf but once before the Father it was available for ever, for ſo the Scripture tells us in divers places of the Hebrews, and hee was able to ſave to the uttermoſt, upon his once offering of himſelf.
And then further, Chriſt is wonderful in his Prieſtly Office in this, which is as much as in any thing, and that is, that he doth now exerciſe it in heaven at the right hand of the Father by his interceſſion, for ſo the Scripture ſaith in the eighth of the Hebrews, That we have ſuch an high Prieſt, who is ſet on the right hand of the throne of the Majeſty in the heavens, and there he is making interceſſion. As the Prieſt (you know) in the time of the Law did exerciſe his Prieſtly Office, not only by offering Sacrifice, but by going into the Holy of Holies, and there had the names of the Tribes ingraven upon his breſt, and ſo preſented them before God, and made interceſſion for all the Tribes. Alſo Chriſt he is our wonderful High Prieſt, for he having offered himſelf a Sacrifice to the Juſtice of his Father, hee is gone to Heaven, and hath the names of all Beleevers upon his breſt, upon his heart, and there preſents them all before his Father, and is their Advocate, makes interceſſion for them, hee is alwayes holding before the Father all his Sufferings, as it were pleading before God the Father for them. Why thou art a poor Creature here, and art, it may be, fallen down in thy cloſet pleading with God for mercy, and thou art diſcouraged for the ſtraitneſſe of thy heart, and the like, but now learn how to make uſe of thy faith, look upon Jeſus Chriſt, hee is the object of thy faith; I, but you muſt beleeve in Chriſt as the High Prieſt that is gone before into Heaven, and now is at the right hand of the Father making interceſſion for thy ſoul. It may bee thou art diſcouraged becauſe thy prayers are poor and weak; I but thy faith muſt bee exerciſed upon that God-man, who is pleading with God the Father for thee, and that by his own merits, that are worth more than ten thouſand thouſand Worlds, and except you doe exerciſe your faith upon Chriſt as a Prieſt thus, you doe not exerciſe your faith aright; Oh what ſtrangers are moſt people in the world to the exerciſing of faith! I appeal to you, when did you exerciſe your faith upon Chriſt as ſuch an High Prieſt? you would ſee him to be a wonderful Saviour indeed, if by the eye of faith you did behold him to be thus.
Thus he is wonderful in his Prieſtly Office; oh what wonderful things are theſe, if they were made real to us by faith! How wonderful would be the comfort and joy of the Saints of God in the exerciſing of their faith, upon this that I doe but now name unto you, whereby as wee goe along you may ſee how farre ſhort you have come from exerciſing your faith upon Chriſt as ſuch a Saviour, as the Scripture doth preſent him to you.
9 Again, his Prieſtly Office endures for ever, hee lives for ever to make interceſſion; the Prieſts in the Law they dyed, but Chriſt he is a Prieſt for ever, and hee makes interceſſion himſelf, he hath no Deputy, nor no Succeſſors as others had, but he himſelf makes interceſſion for ever for his people, and his Prieſt-hood is confirmed by an Oath,Pſal. 110.41 The Lord ſware; the Lord by an Oath confirmed the Prieſthood of Chriſt after the order of Melchiſedeck, to the end that we might bee the more ſure of ſuch a wonderful mercy of God to Mankind, that is the reaſon that he added an Oath to the Prieſt-hood of Chriſt, becauſe that aymed at higher things than the Prieſt-hood of Aaron did, that was but an external Prieſt-hood, but this ayming at ſuch high things, yea that Sacrifice that muſt bee tendered up to God for a full attonement for the ſin of Mankind, therefore God confirmed this by an Oath; for beleevers when they hear ſuch things (thoſe that are weak) I but Lord (think they) are theſe things ſo? is it poſſible that God ſhould have ſuch thoughts of Mankind, to work ſo wonderful for mans Salvation! therefore ſaith God, I have confirmed this by an oath.
And then this Prieſt-hood of Chriſt is a Prieſt-hood of a better covenant, the other was but after a carnal Commandement; and in compariſon of this it was but an external covenant, for there was certainly a covenant of Works beſides that of Grace, that God did renew with the people of Iſrael, even when he gave the Law, the Ceremonial Law did not only typifie the Covenant of Grace that ſhould bee revealed hereafter more fully, but it was annexed to the Covenant of Works, as it appears plainly in the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, but yet ſtill I ſay they had a Covenant of Grace that was coucht darkly in the Ceremonial Law, therefore Chriſt is ſaid to be a Mediator of a better Covenant, he comes to deal between God and Man in a better Covenant than was before.
And then further, the Prieſt-hood of Chriſt it comes to have more efficacy than that of Aaron had, for it prevails to the purging of conſcience, which that could not doe.
And it brings the Saints into the Holy of Holies, and that with boldneſſe, and for that you have a moſt excellent Scripture of the Saints being brought into the Holy of Holies by the Prieſt-hood of Chriſt, in the tenth to the Hebrews, Having therefore boldneſſe to enter into the holieſt by the bloud of Jeſus, Heb. 10.19.by the Sacrifice that this our Prieſt hath offered to the Father, we come to enter into the Holieſt of all, and that with boldneſſe.
It was not ſo in the time of the Law; no, but after the High Prieſt had offered Sacrifice, hee alone goes into the Holy of Holies; but now mark, here not only Chriſt our High Prieſt, but we, may come with boldneſſe, which none of the people could doe in the Law, that is thus, there is ſuch an efficacy in the Sacrifice of our High Prieſt, as that every beleever may come, though hee hath never ſo many ſins of his own, he may come with boldneſſe into the Holy of Holies, into the moſt immediate preſence of God the Father, through the ſacrifice of this our Prieſt, that hath made ſuch a way by his Bloud for us, to come and enter into the Holy of Holies; the People in the time of the Law were to ſtand at a diſtance, for this Sacrifice was not actually offered; but ſince Chriſts coming, and his actual offering up his Sacrifice, now the Saints of God may come with boldneſſe into the holy, immediate, and glorious preſence of God that can bee; let God appear never ſo gloriouſly, yet the Saints have liberty and boldneſſe to come into the moſt glorious preſence of God; and therefore Chriſt is wonderful in this Prieſtly Office of his. Two or three things more ſhould have been ſpoken.
That Chriſt hath made us Prieſts unto God, wee have the glory of his Prieſt-hood upon our ſelves, if wee belong unto him; Prieſts, that wee may offer up Sacrifice to God now acceptable; were it not through the vertue of this Prieſtly Office of Chriſt, we could not doe it: But it is by the Prieſtly Office of Chriſt that all Beleevers are now made Prieſts unto God, ſo as they may offer Sacrifice to God acceptable; it may be thou goeſt to God in Prayer, and offereſt up a Sacrifice to God, and thinkeſt God will be well pleaſed with it, I pray now upon what terms doſt thou offer them up? Thy Prayers ſhould bee Sacrifices, but in the time of the Lavv none muſt offer a Sacrifice but a Prieſt; Haſt thou an intereſt in the Prieſtly Office of Chriſt, and doeſt thou goe unto Jeſus Chriſt by faith, and give up thy Sacrifice into his hands, and deſire that hee vvould preſent it to the Father? certainly except thou doſt ſo, all thy Sacrifices are caſt out as dung and filth in thy face, and are an abomination unto God. As in the time of the Law we know, let a man offer never ſo good a Bullock, or Sheep, though they were worth never ſo much, yet if hee did not offer them by the Prieſt, we know they were abomination unto God: ſo our ſervices are as our Sacrifices, and they muſt be offered up unto God by this our High Prieſt; and in this Jeſus Chriſt is wonderful in his Prieſtly Office, for by vertue of that Sacrifice of his that he offered to the Father, all the Sacrifices of all the elect ones are tendered up to the Father, and ſo come to be accepted; And then doe wee exerciſe our faith upon Chriſt aright, when we can look upon our High Prieſt, and tender up our Sacrifices by faith unto the Father through him. To beleeve in Chriſt is to have thy faith a…t upon Chriſt in his ſeveral Offices. Oh what ſtrangers are moſt unto the glory of Jeſus Chriſt? what little glory hath Chriſt from you, when you underſtand him not in thoſe things that are his glory? or you that doe underſtand him, oh but how ſeldome hath your faith acted upon him, according as hee hath been ſet out unto you in theſe ſeveral things?
The Prophetical Office of Chriſt.
Chriſt is wonderful in his Prophetical Office; I will but name one or two particulars about that, which is exceeding comfortable.
Firſt, a wonderful Prophet he muſt needs be, for hee is one that knowes all the minde of God the Father perfectly, which certainly all the Creatures in the world doe not; take all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the World, and they know not all that is in the heart of God the Father. Now Chriſt he knows all that is in the very heart of the Father, and whatſoever the Father doth, Jeſus Chriſt knows it; in the fifth of Joh. verſ. 20. For the Father loveth the Son, and ſheweth him all things that himſelf doth; there is nothing that God the Father doth, but he ſhews it all to Jeſus Chriſt; and in the firſt of John, verſ. 18. No man hath ſeen God at any time, but the only begotten Son which is in the boſome of the Father. This is a wonderful Teacher indeed, a glorious Prophet, wee may well call him Wonderful in regard of his teaching. He is called (the) Prophet, and (that) Prophet in Scripture, becauſe he is one that came from the boſome of the Father, and lives in the boſome of the Father, and whatſoever the Father hath done or will doe, he ſhewes it unto him, and therefore he knowes all the mind of his Father, and knowes all things that doth any way concern his Church, or whatſoever ſhall befall his Church, it is hee that knowes it, and is able to make it known as he pleaſes; and hee is anoynted by God the Father to be the teacher of all thoſe that are elect ones, and that doe belong to Chriſt, he hath taken the charge of every one of them, to teach and inſtruct them in all the mind of his Father; now next unto the Sacrifice of Chriſt, there is no one thing in Scripture of greater uſe than this to the Servants of God; beleevers many times goe away, and ſay, oh I have heard of great and wonderful things, but we cannot underſtand them; oh doe not goe away diſcouraged, but remember the laſt thing that is ſaid in the Sermon, that Chriſt is wonderful in his Prophetical Office, and hath undertaken the charge of thy ſoul to inſtruct it in all the mind of his Father, and ſo farre as is neceſſary for thy Salvation thou ſhalt be inſtructed, or Chriſt muſt be unfaithful in his Office; now that cannot be, but except thou be inſtructed this muſt be ſo, for Chriſt hath the charge of thee. And this is made in Scripture as a fruit of his being ſlain, in the fifth of the Revelation, verſ. 6. And I beheld, and loe in the midſt of the Throne, and of the fear Beaſts, and in the widſt of the Elders, ſtood a Lamb as it had been ſlain, and hee came and opened the ſeals, opened the Prophecies, and ſo fore-told what ſhould befall the Church to the end of the World; it was a Lamb ſlain that did it, …oting, that it is a fruit of the death of Chriſt, that thoſe things which concern the Saints come to bee opened and made known unto them, and Chriſt cannot plead to his Father, and ſay, that thou gaveſt me the charge of ſuch and ſuch, but they were dull and could not learn, and therefore that is the ſecond thing.
2 That the dulneſſe cannot hinder, whether they have ſtrong parts, or weak parts, it is all one to the teaching of Jeſus Chriſt, it may be a hinderance to a Miniſters teaching, but if they come under the teaching of Jeſus Chriſt, it is all one, whether ſtrong parted, or weak parted, it makes no difference at all; and there is one Scripture that doth declare the faithfulneſſe of Chriſt in his Office, and an infinite treaſury of comfort it is to the Saints; in the fifteenth of John, verſ. 15. there is an expreſſion of the Prophetical Office of Chriſt, ſaith Chriſt there, Henceforth I call you not ſervants, for the ſervant knoweth not what his Lord doth; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Jeſus Chriſt knows the counſels of his Father perfectly, and all his will and mind; now ſaith he, all things that I have known of the Father, that is, that concerns you to know, there is nothing that I have known of my father from eternity, that any way concerns you to know, but I have revealed it to you; Chriſt he is the Prophet of his Church, to reveal to thy ſoul, if thou beeſt a beleever, whatſoever he knowes of his Father, all thoſe treaſures of wiſdome, and counſels of his Father concerning thy eternal eſtate, Chriſt is deſigned by his Father to make theſe things known unto thee, firſt or laſt thou muſt come to know what thou art capable to know. Oh how wonderful is Chriſt in this Prophetical Office of his, to undertake to teach all the elect from the beginning of the world to the end; this indeed is the reaſon why many poor weak people doe underſtand more of Chriſt than many learned men doe; you will ſay, Wee never can beleeve it, that ſuch poor ignorant people ſhould underſtand things of religion better than Learned men, and great Rabbies.
Thou ſpeakeſt ignorantly, and carnally, thou doſt not underſtand what the Prophetical Office of Jeſus Chriſt doth mean, for God the Father hath anoynted Jeſus Chriſt to come to inſtruct his elect ones in all the myſtery of godlineſſe, and whatſoever he hath heard from the Father hee tells them. When God the Father ſent Chriſt into the World, he ſaith, Goe your way; and this is the charge that I lay upon you, that whatſoever you have heard of me from all eternity, firſt or laſt, reveal it to thoſe ſouls; it is a wonderful benefit that the Saints have by this Prophetical Office of Chriſt; and this is ſpoken to his Diſciples, not as eminent only, but he calls them friends, in the fourteenth verſe, And all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you; here is the fruit of Chriſts friendſhip; you are my friends, and here is the fruit of my love to you; he doth not ſay, I have called you friends, therefore I will give you great poſſeſſions in the World; no, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you; for Jeſus Chriſt to make known theſe bleſſed things that he hath heard of the Father, that are kept from the wiſe of the world, this is the fruit of Chriſts friendſhip; therefore though Chriſt doth not give you Poſſeſſions in the world, though you bee poor and mean, yet you may be dear friends to Jeſus Chriſt.
Q. How ſhall I know this?
A. Why? if Chriſt reveals to your ſouls thoſe great things of eternal life that he hath heard from the Father, certainly you are the friends of Jeſus Chriſt; oh that wee could exerciſe our faith in this Prophetical Office of Chriſt, in which he is wonderful; when you would exerciſe faith upon Chriſt, exerciſe your faith upon him as a Prophet; Lord, I am weak and dull, but Lord thou haſt anoynted thine own Son to reveal unto me thy will, as much as concerns my everlaſting good; look upon Jeſus Chriſt as the wonder of the world in all theſe things, in his Kingly, Prieſtly, and Prophetical Office, and then doe you honour the Son of God as the Son of God, when you look thus upon him. And then another Scripture wee have in Joh. 17.8. I have given unto them the words which thou gaveſt mee, and they have received them, and have known ſurely that I come out from thee, and they have beleeved that thou didſt ſend mee. When I was in thy boſome from eternity, thou gaveſt mee ſuch words, and diddeſt put this upon mee, that I ſhould reveal thy will to ſuch and ſuch, and every particular one was mentioned unto Chriſt, whom ſuch words ſhould bee made known too; ſaith Chriſt, I have done it, I have given unto them the words which thou gaveſt mee, and therefore Chriſt hee is called the Word, eſpecially in regard of his Prophetical Office, The Word was made Fleſh, the Word was God; Chriſt comes to rexeal the minde of his Father unto the children of men; as by the words of a man, the minde and counſels, and thoughts of a man come to bee made known, ſo Chriſt was the Word of God; though I ſay not that this is all the ſenſe from that, but there is a higher ſenſe; but this is one thing aimed at, that by him the counſels of God come to bee made known to the children of men, therefore Chriſt ſaith, That no man knows the Father but the Son, and him to whom the Son ſhall reveal him: Hee comes to reveal God to the children of men. And that may bee a third particular.
3 The wonder of Chriſts Prophetical Office, it is in the great things that hee is ſent to reveal, in the high things, the ſupernatural things, things that are ſo infinitely above the reach of reaſon. Let a man bee elevated unto the greateſt height of reaſon, hee is not able to reach into the myſteries of godlineſs, no, as the Apoſtle ſaith in a place in the Corinthians before named, it muſt bee the Spirit of God that ſearches the deep things of God; now this is the Spirit of God that is ſent from the Father and the Son, that ſearches the deep things of God, they are deep, high, ſupernatural, glorious things that Jeſus Chriſt doth diſcover; Oh there are unſearchable riches, the Apoſtle calls the Goſpel, Unſearchable riches, rich things that have no footſteps at all in the creature; wee can never come by any knowledge that wee can have from the creature, to underſtand thoſe things: There is nothing written in the book of Nature, in the gre…t book of Gods Creation and Providence, not one letter written of the glorious things of the Goſpel: Now theſe are the things that Chriſt is wonderful in, to reveal things that are ſo high, and ſo wonderful and glorious, therefore in Luke 4.22. When Chriſt was performing that Prophetical Office of his, the Text ſaith, That all wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth; as if they ſhould ſay, Oh here are wonderful things indeed, theſe are ſecret things indeed that wee were not taught, they all did wonder at the gracious things that proceeded out of his mouth. It is true, before Chriſt was Incarnate, there was ſomewhat of the myſtery of the Goſpel, and our fore-fathers that were ſaved, were ſaved by the ſame Goſpel, but the knowledge of the glorious myſteries of the Goſpel were kept hid till that great Prophet ſhould come into the world, and that is a ſpecial reaſon why all the time before the Incarnation of Jeſus Chriſt, there was ſo little knowledge; God, and the way of eternal life was known ſo little, becauſe the Lord would reſerve the Revelation of himſelf, and thoſe great Counſels of his Will concerning mans eternal eſtate, hee would reſerve them for the great Prophet to come to reveal, and when Chriſt came, then broke forth light into the world; and as Chriſt comes to any place, ſo there breaks forth the light of thoſe glorious ſupernatural things that are above the reach of reaſon, yea ſuch things as Angels could never have underſtood, therefore I remember it is ſaid in one place. That thoſe things are made known to Angels by the Goſpel, the Lord ſending his Miniſters in his Name to preach thoſe things from Chriſt, that ſo the Angels come to underſtand further things in the myſtery of the Goſpel, than they did before; therefore they are things above the reach of any mens underſtanding whatſoever.
4 And eſpecially, it will make the Prophetical Office of Chriſt wonderful, if wee adde to this a fourth conſideration, that theſe things are not revealed to the wiſeſt and the great ones of the world,☞ but to ſuch men and women that ordinarily have the leaſt underſtanding in the things of the world, thoſe men that have the dulleſt capacity to underſtand the reaſon of things in the world, thoſe that are the moſt ignorant people in the world, why Jeſus Chriſt chuſes out them, and makes them to bee apprehenſive of the myſteries of the Goſpel, ſuch things as Angels themſelves deſire to pry into. 1 Pet. 1.12.Here is a wonder, that ſuch poor, weak, dull, ignorant creatures, ſometimes that can ſcarce be able to ſpeak two or three ſentences in good ſenſe together to a man, yet that they ſhould have the clear underſtanding of the chief myſteries in the Goſpel, and ſuch things as Angels deſire to pry into, here is a wonderful work, and therefore wee read in Matth. 21.15. when the poor children came to underſtand ſomewhat of Chriſt, When the chief Prieſts and Scribes ſaw the wondeful things that hee did, and the children crying in the Temple and ſaying, Hoſanna to the Son of David,☞ they were ſore diſpleaſed. Mark how this is joyned to the wonderful things, they ſaw the wonderful things that Chriſt did, and the children crying in the Temple, Hoſanna to the Son of David, they were diſpleaſed. It is one of the moſt wonderful things in the world to ſee that ſometimes poor young children, and ſuch as underſtand but very little in the matters of the world, and yet that theſe ſhall come to underſtand the deepeſt myſteries of godlineſs, thoſe things that exerciſe the underſtanding of Angels, and ſhall exerciſe them to all eternity, yet poor children and youths ſhall come to underſtand theſe things further than the great Rabbies and Doctors of the world, is not this a wonderful thing in the diſpenſation of the Prophetical Office of Chriſt? You make this uſe when you ſee poor youths come to have underſtanding in the great things of the Goſpel, you think ſurely it is but a conceit: Oh, but rather make this uſe, let your thoughts bee carried to admire at the wonderful diſpenſation of the Prophetical Office of Jeſus Chriſt; and ſo in Matth. 11.25, 27. you ſhall ſee what a wonderful thing it is made, even this diſpenſation of Chriſts Prophetical Office, in verſ. 25. and ſo on. At that time Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, I thank thee 0 Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto Babes. Now that the Father did hide them from the wiſe of the world, and revealed them unto babes, it was by Chriſt, though hee thanks the Father, and that it was done by Chriſt it appears in verſ. 27. All things are delivered to mee of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the father, neither knoweth any man the Father ſave the Son, and hee to whom the Son will reveal him. All things are delivered to mee; ſo that Chriſt here makes the revelation of God unto babes, to bee the fruit of Gods delivering up all things to him; All things are delivered to mee, and no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and him to whom the Son will reveal him; ſo that Chriſt having received all power from the Father, upon this it is that theſe babes come to have ſuch underſtanding in the myſteries of godlineſs, and the wiſe of the world never come to underſtand.
And then that is very remarkable as wee go along, that upon this ground Jeſus Chriſt doth invite ſouls to come to him, Come unto mee all yee that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt. As if hee ſhould ſay thus, Conceive now as if Jeſus Chriſt were preaching now perſonally to you, and hee were ſaying thus to you, All power is committed to mee by the Father, and as a fruit of this, that the Father hath committed to mee, I do reveal him to whom I pleaſe, and none can know the Father but by mee, I have the diſpenſation of all the treaſures of wiſdome, and the revelation of all the myſteries of eternal life from my Father; Oh therefore come to mee, come to mee all yee that labour, and are heavy laden; you labour under the burden of your ignorance, perhaps you complain, alas, I do not know God, nor underſtand the great myſteries of ſalvation; I pray, and hear, and yet I cannot come to underſtand what God is, Why come to mee ſaith Chriſt, for all things are given to mee, and if I reveal the Father, you ſhall know him; therefore all you that labour and are heavy laden, all you that ſee the need you have of the knowledge of my Father, and of the way of eternal life, come to mee, and I will reveal theſe things unto you, and ſo will bring reſt unto your ſouls. Wonderful is Chriſt in the way of his Adminiſtrations, and that is another conſideration in the Prophetical Office of Chriſt.
5 But further, Chriſt is a wonderful Prophet in this, that hee reveals things many times ſuddenly, hee is not bound to thoſe wayes that any man or Angel is bound to; if a man or Angel would come to inſtruct others in the truths of the Goſpel, they muſt inſtruct them by degrees, to underſtand one thing at once, and another at another time, and ſo deduct one thing from another in that way, but Chriſt hee can make known the things of eternal life in an inſtant to the ſoul. Whoſoever comes to Chriſt, muſt bee convinced of ſin, and bee emptied of himſelf, and bee humbled, all theſe things are in every ſoul that comes to Chriſt; now all theſe things may by one beam of light bee wrought that Jeſus Chriſt ſhall let into the ſoul. As an Apothecary may get the very quinteſſence of all herbs in one drop, though you cannot ſee the herbs: ſo Jeſus Chriſt I ſay, ſometimes by one beam of light lets in a hundred truths into the ſoul, ſo that they do apprehend the ſubſtance of all thoſe particulars that are ſpoken of, and there is a proportionable work upon their hearts to bring them to Chriſt; is not this a wonderful work of Chriſt? that a man that hath been an ignorant, ſottiſh blinde creature, a prophane ungodly man, hating all godlineſs, perhaps hee comes to hear a Sermon meerly to ſcorn, as many have done, this man comes in the very heat of his wickedneſs, ſo that a man would wonder that ſome fruit of Gods wrath comes not from heaven to ſtrike him into the bottomleſs pit, yet it may bee at this very Sermon, there ſhall bee ſome one beam of light darted into his ſpirit, that may work his ſoul to heaven, poſſibly, if hee ſhould dye at that inſtant; though it is true, ordinarily God begins to ſtir firſt, and doth it not all at once, but yet ſometimes ſome that come into a Congregation moſt ignorant and ſottiſh, and know no other God but Mammon and luſts, and yet coming to the word, at one inſtant God darts in that light into his ſpirit, as this man comes to have his heart turned to God, and comes to know his miſery, and to know the way of ſalvation, and the Covenant of Grace, but not diſtinctly. It may bee after this beam of light is darted in, God may come over again diſtinctly, and reveal to him his miſerable eſtate by nature, and humble him more, and ſo hee may have a little glimpſe of this at one Sermon, and a little more at another, but at that very inſtant there may bee that let into the heart, that poſſibly may unite the heart to Jeſus Chriſt, and ſave it if it ſhould dye at that preſent; here is a wonderful work in the Prophetical Office of Jeſus Chriſt.
6 And then Chriſt is wonderful in his Prophetical Office, in this, he teaches the heart; no men, nor Angels, can teach the heart, but Jeſus Chriſt; though men, or Angels may preſent truths before another man, and ſo convince the underſtanding, yet there is no men, nor Angels, can bee able to ſay thus, I will ſo make known ſuch a truth to this man or woman, as I will gain his heart by it, it ſhall transform his heart into the very image of that truth that I ſhall preſent unto him, no man, nor Angel can do it; but Chriſt hee teaches ſo as no man teaches, Job 36.22. Behold God exalteth by his power, who teacheth like him? Now God teacheth by Chriſt in the adminiſtration of his Prophetical Office. Man may come and tell us, this and the other thing ought to bee done; Oh but who teaches like Jeſus Chriſt? none teaches the heart but Jeſus Chriſt, Job 38.36. Who hath put wiſdome in the inward parts, or who hath given underſtanding to the heart? certainly none living, no Angel can do it, nor no man can do it, it is onelyonly Jeſus Chriſt in the adminiſtration of his Prophetical Office, it is hee that teaches, and prevails with the heart when hee comes with truths, therefore when you ſee people come to hear many truths, and ſit under a clear and diſtinct Miniſtry that opens many truths unto them, it may bee many will get brain-knowledge that ſhall make them to confer about thoſe truths, but yet not changed: you will ſay, What ſhould bee the reaſon why they that have ſo much knowledge live wickedly? why here is the ground, Jeſus Chriſt hee hath not exerciſed this Prophetical Office of his ſo far upon them, to over-power their hearts, Here is the reaſon why ſuch men have had knowledge in the brain, and yet lived wickedly a long time; yet if they belonged to Chriſt, at ſome other time they ſhall come to hear the Word of God, they ſhall hear the very ſame truths they heard before, and perhaps delivered in a weaker manner than they have heard it, and yet their hearts ſhall bee a hundred times more wrought upon at that time than ever they were wrought upon before. Sometimes a man comes by accident into a Congregation, and hears a Miniſter upon ſuch a ſubject, and it may bee a Miniſter by the by ſpeaks of ſomething that hee little thought of perhaps before hee came up, and this man hath heard the ſame truth largely handled, perhaps many Tractates about it heretofore, and his heart never touch'd, but now hearing it mentioned by the by his heart is mightily wrought upon, and he goes away, and ſaith, Verily God is in this place. What is the reaſon? why here Chriſt ſpeaks to the heart, and before man only ſpoke to the ear, this is a wonderful thing in the Prophetical Office of Chriſt, that hee ſpeaks to the heart; and thus ſhould wee exerciſe our faith upon Chriſt in this, when wee come to the Word, look upon Chriſt by the eye of faith as the great Prophet of the Church, that teaches ſo as no man teaches, that doth not onelyonly ſpeak unto the ear, but ſpeaks unto the heart.
7 Further, Chr…t is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this, In that hee teaches immediately himſelf; indeed hee doth teach mediately, that is by his Miniſters, therefore you ſhall finde Act. 1.1. there St. Luke ſpeaking of Chriſts teaching when hee lived here upon the earth, ſaith hee in verſ. 1. The former Treatiſe have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jeſus began both to do and teach; why Luke is hee that writ the Goſpel, and the Acts, hee writ the ſumme of what Chriſt did teach in the whole courſe of his life, and yet here hee tells us that hee did make a Treatiſe, and did relate what Jeſus Began to do and teach; if one ſhould have ſaid to Luke, Why, did you not relate all that Jeſus did do, and preach? why Chriſt is dead now. But the meaning is this, That indeed all that Chriſt did preach perſonally when hee was here in the world, it was but a Beginning, Chriſt was to teach afterwards to the end of the world, and that hee was to do partly by his Miniſters that ſhould bee to the end of the world, hee doth exerciſe his Prophetical Office by them.
And by the way, whenſoever you come to hear any Miniſter of God to reveal any thing of the Goſpel to you, you are to look upon it as Chriſt exerciſing his Prophetical Office in this way; hee is wonderful in teaching in this, that hee doth not onelyonly by inſtruments, but immediately himſelf many times; where there is want of means, wee may there expect Jeſus Chriſt immediately to reveal the Will of his Father to thoſe ſouls that do belong to Election.
8 And then Chriſt is wonderful in teaching, for hee teaches infallibly, which none can do. Likewiſe many other particulars might bee named in the wonder of Chriſts Prophetical Office, but time doth ſlip mee, therefore wee will proceed to the next thing in the wonder of Chriſt, onelyonly take this along with you, That in your beleeving in Jeſus Chriſt, you muſt beleeve in him as Chriſt, that is Anointed by the Father, King, Prieſt, and Prophet; and when you exerciſe your faith upon him in all theſe three of his Offices, then you will know what it is rightly to beleeve indeed. But to go on.