Sermon 29 March 1648, Doctrine
The Doctrine.
THe Words thus opened, and divided, afford us from both parts this one Doctrine:
Doctr. Jeſus Chriſt is the onelyonly Maſter in Chriſtianity.
Jeſus Chriſt is Emmanuel, God with us, Mat. 1. 23. The Creatour in union with the Creature; The Divine nature joyned with the Humane in one Perſon; God living in the nature, and forme of man: man living in the perſon, and power of God.
This Chriſt is Lord of all, as the Scripture ſpeaks, and ſo he is a Maſter. But I ſpeak not of him now in this ſence, as a Maſter in power, but in precepts: as a Maſter over ſervants, but Diſciples.
I will give you one Proofe of the Doctrine, and one Reaſon for it:
Proofe. The Proofe is that place, Matth. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, ſave the Son; and he, to whomſoever the Son will reveal him. There is nothing worth the knowing but God alone. Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he underſtandeth me, Jer. 9. 24. There is nothing capable of being Known, but God; or by the Knowing of him firſt. For all other things are meer Repreſentations of him, and relate to him. Prov. 16. 4. God hath made all things for himſelf: that is, to reſemble him, and returne to him. No knowledge can bring into your ſoules ſubſtance, or ſatisfaction; life, or immortality, beſides this. This is Eternall life to Know thee the only true God, John 17. 3. Thou art a good Chriſtian, if thou Knoweſt thy God, thy Father; from whence thou cameſt; in whoſe houſe thou dwelleſt; to whom thou muſt returne. But no man can Know the Father, except he be taught by the Son.
Reaſon. The Reaſon of the Doctrine is the Office of Chriſt. Our Saviour hath a three-fold Office of
1. King.
2. Prieſt.
3. Prophet.
It belongs to him by all theſe Offices, to be our onelyonly Maſter.
1. Chriſt hath the Office of a King, Pſal. 2. 6. God ſaith, I have ſet my King upon my holy hill of Sion. Chriſt is a King of God's making, and appointing; the King of Saints; a King in his Church, which is the true mount Sion.
Saul the firſt King of the Jewes, was taller by the head, than the reſt of his Brethren. Jeſus Chriſt is higher by the head, than all the Creatures; his head is ever above all Clouds in the light of the Divine nature. The head of Chriſt is God, 1 Cor. 11. 3. Thus is Chriſt crowned King by the Godhead. And by this Title hath he the Law of all Truth, and Goodneſſe in his own Breaſt. For he is an abſolute, ſupream King.
God calls Chriſt, my King; a King in my likeneſſe, in my ſtead.
Therefore Moſes ſpeaks to Jeſus Chriſt, in a Figure, after this manner, Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand, (to be trained up, and form'd by thee, O Lord Jeſus) they ſate at thy feet, (as Paul at the feet of Gamaliel) they received the words from thy mouth.
It is a Spirituall Kiſſe from the mouth of Jeſus Chriſt upon the ſoul, that can alone ſet the ſtamp of a Truth, or a Law upon any thing there. They received the words from my mouth. Chriſt is our only Maſter by his Kingly office.
2. Chriſt hath the Office of a Prieſt, Pſal. 110. 4. Thou art a Prieſt for ever after the Order of Melchiſedech. Some Divines tell us from the 7. of the Hebrews, that this Melchiſedech was the Holy Ghoſt, or Jeſus Chriſt in the Spirit, appearing to Abraham in the Form of a Man. Both are much at one. But however this be; it appears clearly from the Chapter; that this Order of Prieſthood was abſolute, incommunicable, immortall.
The Prieſthood, and Kingdome of Chriſt are both peculiar to himſelf. For he hath a peculiar anointing to them both, Pſal. 45. 7. God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladneſſe above thy Fellows.
The anointing which Jeſus Chriſt hath is the powring forth of the Divine nature upon the Humane. This makes him both Prieſt, and King after an eminent, and ſingular manner.
Now it was one of the Principall works of the Prieſt, to teach men the Knowledge of God. So you may read Mal. 2. 7. For the Prieſts lips ſhould keep Knowledge, and they ſhould Seek the Law at his Mouth, for he is the Meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts. This was the duty of Prieſts under the Law, as the Type. But this is the dignity of Chriſt alone in the Goſpel, as the Truth to that Type. He is the Meſſenger (the Angel) of the Lord of Hoſts.
This is the living Spring of Knowledge, which is ever full, and flowes forth upon thoſe Soules, that hang on his lips; even the Spirit of our Lord Jeſus.
The Office, and aptneſſe of Chriſt to Teach; his Communicative nature in Divine things is ſweetly expreſt, Cant. 5. 13. His Lips, like Lillys, dropping ſweet-ſmelling Myrrhe.
The Appearances, and Diſcoveries of Chriſt to the Soule are thoſe Lips, with which he Kiſſeth the Spirits of Men.
Lillys are Flower-de-luces, Flowers of Divine light. Myrrhe is an Embalming ſpice of ſweet ſavour, preſerving from corruption.
The Lips of Chriſt, his layings forth of himſelf to the Soul are exceeding faire with the brightneſſe of heavenly Truths. They drop upon the Soule in the pretiouſneſſe, and power of thoſe Truths, like Myrrhe, carrying the ſweet ſavour of Life and Immortality along with them.
This is the ſecond Office of Chriſt, his Priesthood, by vertue of which he is our only Maſter.
3. Chriſt hath the Office of a Prophet, Act. 3. 27. Moſes truly ſaid to the Fathers; A Prophet ſhall the Lord your God raiſe up unto you, from among your Brethren, like unto me. Him ſhall you hear in all things, whatſoever he ſhall ſay unto you. The Lord Jeſus is a Prophet like Moſes, becauſe he is a Man, but unlike him, becauſe he is God, as well, as Man. He is like Moſes, becauſe Moſes was the ſhadow of this riſing Sun, which went before him. Yet he is unlike, becauſe he is the Sun it ſelf.
The name of a Prophet (foreign) Signifies two things in the Office: 1. To fore-tell things to come. 2. To tell forth the Hidden truths of God from the Secret of his Spirit to the Ears, or Souls of Men.
A Prophet in the latter of theſe ſenſes, is that Prophet, of which I now principally ſpeak. And in this ſenſe are Prophets ſpoken of, 1 Cor. 14. 29. Let the Prophets ſpeak, two, or three, and let the reſt judge. Ver. 30. If any thing be revealed to another that ſitteth by, let the firſt hold his peace. Ver. 31. For ye may all propheſie one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
A Prophet is the Oracle of God, for the delivery of Divine Diſcoveries to men.
And in this ſenſe God ſpeaketh of Chriſt, Hebr. 1. 2. God hath ſpoken in theſe laſt times by his Sonne. Glorious truths laid up in God, concerning Himſelfe, and the Heavenly eſtate of things are revealed firſt to Jeſus Chriſt, and by him to us.
The Lord Jeſus is God-man, God and Man in Vnion. As God, he poſſeſſeth eternally all Divine Truths in Himſelf: then by vertue of the Vnion he drawes forth theſe Truths out of the Depth of the Divine nature into the Humane, as it were to the top of the water, that they may be viſible there.
Divine Truths can live no where, but in the Divine nature: neither can they appeare to us, but in the Humane nature. Therefore can there be a Spirituall Diſcovery no where, but in Jeſus Chriſt, where he goes along with it, and carryes it on in his owne Perſon: Becauſe in Him alone is the Vnion betweene both Natures.
Object. But you may ſay, May we heare no Perſon in Divine things? May no man ſpeak to us the things of God, beſides Jeſus Chriſt? Were there not Prophets before his Being in the fleſh? Have there not been Prophets, and Teachers in the Church, ſince his fleſhly comming?
Anſ. You ſhall have an Anſwer to this Objection from the mouth of an Angel, Rev. 19. 10. Saint John would have worſhipt the Angel, which miniſtred to him the revelations of Jeſus Chriſt: But he forbade it in theſe words, See thou doe it nor, I am thy fellow-ſervant, and of thy Brethren, that have the Teſtimony of JESUS, worſhip God, For the Teſtimony of Jeſus is the Spirit of Propheſie. Propheſie is a Diſcovery of Divine things by a Divine light. This is that which is called a Revelation, Epheſ. 1. 17. The Spirit of Wiſdome, and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him, that is, Jeſus Chriſt. And 1 Cor. 14. 30. If any thing be revealed to another, let the firſt hold his peace.
Nothing can come to us in a Divine light, except it come in Chriſt, and his Appearance. For this is that which makes the Day in Divine things. Ye are Children of the Light, and of the Day.
We are to take nothing for a Divine Light, a Propheſie, or a Revelation, except the Lord Jeſus give his Teſtimony to it by his Appearance in it.
Worſhip God, ſaith the Angel, I am a ſervant, who beare the Image of the Living God, which is the Appearance of Jeſus Chriſt in me. I am no more than the Precious Stones were under the Law, on which a Light from Heaven ſhone forth, to give anſwers from God. I am onelyonly the Lanthorne, that carry the Light in me, which ſends forth its Beames to you.
The Prophet ſaith, To the Law, and to the Teſtimony, if they ſpeak not according to theſe, they have no Light in them. Eſay 8. 20. This he ſpeaketh of the Prophets. No Light, that is, no Morning.
All Propheſies, or Spirituall Diſcoveries, before Chriſt appeared, were, as Morning light, which flowes from the Sun, though that be not yet ſeene it ſelfe. All ſince Chriſt are as Beames falling from his Face. S. Paul calls all Goſpel-diſcoveries, The Glory of God in the Face of Chriſt, 2. Cor. 4. 6.
Thus much for the Anſwer to this Objection, and the Reaſon of the Point.