Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Concerning Chriſts Prophetical Office.
SECT. I. Why Chriſt muſt be a Prophet.
HAving inſiſted largly on Chriſts Sacerdotal Office, I come now to his Prophetical and Regal Office, and I ſhall be more brief in the handling of theſe, not intending a juſt volume of this Argument: only ſo far I may inlarge as may afford good Meaſure full preſt and running over for the further Demonſtration of the Doctrine that I inſiſt upon, viz. The ineſtimable Dignity of Chriſt.
In the 2d. place it follows that I ſhould2▪ Of Chriſts Prophetical Office. treat of Chriſts Prophetical Office, Chriſt is called *Deut. 18. 5. Chriſtus dicitur Nabi Propheta: eſt autem Nabi uſu ſcripturae is qui profundiora de Deo, deque rebus divinus diſſerit, qui mentem divinam hominibus aperit: ſaepius etiam de iis uſurpatur, qui futura praedicunt. Sol. Glaſs. onomat.the Prophet, he was the Doctor of all Doctors, a Doctor that nonpluſt the greateſt Doctors. Chriſt is the Lawgiver, Jam. 4. 12. The Counſeller, Iſa. 9. 6. The Maſter or Rabbi, Matt. 23. 10. He taught with Authority, and by vertue of his Prophetical Office he teacheth the Church all things appertaining to their Salvation. Chriſt reveals the Will of his Father, concerning all the ways and means of Salvation. Chriſt was the principal Author of Prophecy; He had the Gift of Prophecy immediately, he exactly knew his Fathers will, but all other Prophets had the Gift, mediately. They had their Revelations from the Power of the Spirit of Chriſt, their gift was tranſient, and by Intervals, and there were Intermiſſions amongſt them: But Chriſt had a permanent gift of Prophecy abiding in him, without meaſure and limitation.
For a farther inlargement of theſe Particulars, I ſhall indeavour to reſolve three Inquiries.
1. Why Chriſt muſt be a Prophet.
2. How he differs from all other Prophets.
3. What fruits and benefits accrue unto us by Chriſts Prophetical Office.
1. Why Chriſt muſt be a Prophet.1. Why Chriſt muſt be 2 Prophet. 1. Chriſt was a Prophet to reveal the Will of God to his Church.
This I ſhall Anſwer in a few Reaſons.
1. Chriſt was a Prophet to reveal the Will of God to his Church, and inſtruct them by his Word. Chriſt received his Meſſage not only from the Mouth of God▪ Joh. 8. 26. but alſo from the *In ſinu eſſe eſt proximum, & infimum eſſe dicitur de conjugibus inter ſe. Grot. 2. Chriſt was a Prophet to place Miniſters in his Church.Boſom of God, Joh. 1. 18. Chriſt was a great Prophet, Luk. 7. 16. He was the moſt eminent of all Prophets, a Prophet to direct all other Prophets, and he was the ſubſtance and main end of all their Prophecies.
2. Chriſt was a Prophet to place Miniſters in his Church to teach his People▪ Miniſters are of Chriſts inſtitution, Officers Commiſſionated by Jeſus Chriſt: They are not a Calling nor an Order of Men of their own appointment running upon their own Heads, and Fancies, (as Novatus made himſelf a Biſhop) neither are they of any humane appointment for politick ends and intereſts. It is true, that by Humane Authority Miniſters are permitted pro hic & nunc to exerciſe their Miniſterial function in the places where they live, yet their calling is from Chriſts Inſtitution. And Gifts and Qualifications wherewith they are endowed, are the fruits of Chriſts Aſcenſion. The Apoſtle is clear, Eph. 4. 11. And he gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, and for the edifying of the Body of Chriſt. In this Text we obſerve two ſorts of Church-Officers, viz. Extraordinary as Apoſtles, Prophets, Evangeliſts, Doctoris munus fuit verbum Domini fideliter explicare, & veluti Scholam Eccleſ… aſticam regere, ut ſincera doctrina dogmatum et verae interpretationes in Eccleſia retinerentur: At paſtorum (qui & Epiſcopi dicebantur 1 Pet. 2. 25.) munus longe latius patebat, nimirum ut verb… & orationi vacarent, et eccleſiam ſibi commiſſam modis omnibus tuerentur; ex quibus etiam ſatis perſpicitur haec d…o munera perpetua eſſe …portere in Eccleſia Dei. Beza.which were changeable, and for a time only, and afterward ceaſed; and ordinary, as Paſtors and Teachers, which are ſtanding Officers, and abide to the end of the World: So that maugre all the malitious Oppoſitions of Men and Devils againſt the Goſpel Miniſtry, it ſhall continue: Though it may be laid low, yet it ſhall never be overthrown, neither ſhall Chriſts Miniſters be ever laid aſide, for Chriſt hath promiſed them his preſence▪ And that promiſe, Matth. 28. 20.—Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the World, makes more for the Miniſtery of the Goſpel, than all the malice and fury of inveterate implacable Adverſaries can make againſt them.
3. Chriſt was a Prophet to teach his3. Chriſt teacheth inwardly. Church by the inward effectual Teachings and Inſpirations of his Spirit. This grand Prophetical work Chriſt undertook from the beginning of the World, 1 Pet. 3. 19. Chriſt by his Spirit went and preached unto the Spirits in Priſon. This is to be underſtood of the old World, who though they were then in Priſon, (i. e.) Hell, when the Apoſtle wrote this Epiſtle; yet in the days of Noah they were alive, and Chriſt by the Miniſtery of Noah and others; Preacht unto them, whilſt they were in the Land of the Living. Thoſe abominable Sinners had means of Grace offered unto them: They had the Miniſtery of Noah, Enoch, Methuſelah, and other Patriarchs who warned them of a Deluge coming. And Chriſt by his Spirit Preacht unto them. An antient Father and a modern Divine, both eminent in their times, fully (as I apprehend) expound this Scripture.—One ſaith—Per Spiritus in Carcere intelligit animas impiorum viventium tempore Noah corporibus incluſas quaſi carcere quodam, & his praedicaſſe Chriſtum dicit, ſecundum divinitatem, vel per interna… inſpirationem, vel per linguam Noae. Aug. Epiſt. 99. ad Evodium. Non poteſt dubitari quin hoc referatur ad ea quae ſequuntur, i. e. ad illud tempus quo Spiritus per os Noae arcam conſtituendi iram Dei imminent… praedicabat. Nam cui fuerunt immorigeri? Cert… illi qui praedicabat. Non poteſt ergo pr…dicatio iſta ad poſterius aliquod tempus referri. Beza. By Spirits in Priſon, he underſtands the Souls of wicked Men living in the time of Noah, ſhut up in their Bodies, as in a certain Priſon, and he ſaith that Chriſt Preached unto them according to his Divinity, or by inward inſpirations, or by the Tongue of Noah.—So far that Learned Father. The other ſaith, that it cannot be doubted, why his may not refer to thoſe things which follow (i. e.) unto that time wherein the Spirit by the Mouth of Noah that made the Ark, Preached the wrath of God hung over their heads. For to whom were they diſobedient? Truely to him that Preached; therefore that Preaching cannot be referred to any after time.—There was no Preaching to them after they were in Hell. All Reproofs and Exhortations then are out of date, for time is paſt, and the door of hope ſhut. But now whilſt we are on this ſide the Grave, the Spirit of Chriſt moves, wooes and entreats us to make our peace with God. Chriſt ſends his Ambaſſadors to beſeech us to be reconciled unto God. Now we are called2 Cor. 5. 20. Iſ. 55. 6. to ſeek the Lord whilſt he may be found, now to call upon him while he is near. And thus you have the Reaſons why Chriſt muſt be a Prophet.
SECT. II. How Chriſt differs from other Prophets.
A Second Inquiry is, how Chriſt differs2 How Chriſt differs from other Prophets. from all other Prophets?
A. We read of many Holy Prophets, high in the Favour of God, and Honourable Perſons; yet in Chriſt there are theſe three Singularities above all other Prophets whatſoever, viz. Holineſs, Gifts, and Authority. Although other Prophets were Holy, and had Gifts and were of Authority, yet the Holineſs, Gifts and Authority of Chriſt infinitely exceeded them all.
1. There's in Chriſt an abſolute perfect1. Chriſt's Holineſs is abſolute and perfect. Holineſs without mixture of the leaſt imperfection. Chriſts Holineſs is in himſelf and from himſelf, but the Holineſs of the Prophets was derivative, they had it infuſed into them by the Spirit of Chriſt: And although they were Holy Perſons and Honourable Men of God, Anointed and Sanctified for the Diſcharge of their grand and weighty Office, yet they were not without their ſinful Infirmities. We read that Jeremy in a great Paſſion curſed the day of his Birth. Abraham a Prophet, through Infirmity, denied his Wife. And David a great and eminent Prophet committed thoſe ſcandalous Sins in the matter of Ʋriah, and Jonah a Prophet Fretted and Quarrelled with God himſelf, and Moſes a Holy Prophet, whom God highly loved, ſpake unadviſedly with his Lips at the Waters of Meribah, and other Prophets had their failings. But Chriſt is a Prophet, who never committed any thingLuk. 23. 41. foreign. Doctiſſimus Heſychius foreign interpretatur. Walleus, foreign videntur proiiſdem. Hic p…rro videtur foreign dici quic… praeter officium ſit, quod non male videtur indecentis nomine exprimi. …za. amiſs. The Penitent Thief gives a true Teſtimony of Chriſt—That he had done nothing amiſs (i. e.) nothing out of place or order. No guile, no deceit was ever found in Chriſts Mouth. He challengeth the worſt of his Adverſaries, John 8. 46. Which of you convinceth me of Sin? Malicous and implacable Enemies are very Eagle-Ey'd, to eſpy Faults, yet none of them could lay any Sin to the charge of Chriſt.
2. Chriſts Gifts are tranſcendent above2. Chriſts Gifts are tranſcendent. all other Prophets: The Gifts in them were like a Drop, in Chriſt, as the Ocean; in their Gifts was only a meaſure, in Chriſt a fulneſs. The Prophets were a…ointed and qualified with great Gifts for …he diſcharge of their imployment: But Chriſt was anointed with the Oyl of glad…ſs above his fellows, Heb. 1. 9. Chriſt did …ot receive Gifts by meaſure, after ſuch a …int and proportion, but it pleaſed the Fa…her that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell, Col. …. 19. All fulneſs of Wiſdom, all fulneſs of Righteouſneſs, all fulneſs of Holineſs, …ll fulneſs of Grace, and all fulneſs of Glory are in Chriſt.
3. Chriſts Authority is Omnipotent:3. Chriſts Authority is omnipotent. We read of the teaching of Chriſt, far different from that of the Scribes, Matth. 7. 29. For he taught them as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes. Other Prophets and Teachers laboured all Night, and ſpent their ſtrength often in vain, yet this comfort they reaped, that their Judgment was with the Lord, and their Work with God. Hereupon the Prophet grounds ſingular comfort from Iſai. 49. 5. Though Iſ. 49. 5. Senſus eſt, etiamſi Iſrael ad meum monitum nolit converti, ego tamen Deo placebo, qui ſcit me in officio non fuiſſe ceſſatorem. Grotius.Iſrael be not gathered, yet ſhall I be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord, and my God ſhall be my ſtrength. Here then conſiſts a vaſt difference between the Authority of Chriſt and all other Prophets; other Prophets reproved, exhorted and intreated, but Chriſt commanded obedience, and inabled People to obey his Commandments. The Authority of Chriſt was incomparable, for what he commanded them to do, he gave them Strength and Ability to perform. Chriſt perfectly knew his Fathers will, and he commanded and enabled the Hearts of People, to yield ready obedience thereunto; and no other Prophet could attain to ſo great a perfection.
SECT. III. Of the Fruits and Benefits that accrue unto us, by Chriſts Prophetical Office.
WE are now thirdly to enquire3. The Fruits and Benefits of Chriſt's Prophet… cal Office. 1. By Chriſt's Prophetical Office we are fully aſſured that we have a ſure Word of Prophecy. concerning thoſe choice and excellent Fruits, which we reap by Chriſt's Prophetical Office. Amongſt others theſe two principally I ſhall inſiſt upon,
1. By Vertue of Chriſt's Prophetical Office, we are fully aſſured, that we have a ſure word of Prophecy to reſt and rely upon; we are not left at random to unwritten Traditions, nor to humane Inventions, and deviſed ways of Men; we are not left to Apocryphal Writings, and uncertain and fallible Dictates, of ſuch Impoſers, who magiſterially command, and obtrude their own Brain-Fancies, and (as it was applyed to the Phariſees) teach for Doctrines, the Traditions of Men. ButMat. 15. 9. His verbis aufertur omnis fiducia, quam poſitam habebant in obſervanti… humanarum traditionum. Nam credebant ſe Deum colere ſi illas obſer…ſſent, & qui eas docebant, praeteribant cultu… Dei. Deus contra per…gat ſe hoc pacto coli, & omnem hunc cultum reſpuit. Muſculus in loc. what Chriſt teacheth us, is ſure and certain, and not left to the pleaſure of Men or Angels to change. For we read, Gal. 1. 8. But though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Goſpel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurſed. And the Apoſtle tells us of a ſure word of Prophecy, 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have alſo a more ſure word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a Light that ſhineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-ſtar ariſe in your Hearts. This Word of Prophecy is the Goſpel of Chriſt, and it's ſaid to be more ſure (i. e.) more ſure than thoſe Revelations which were not Foundations of Faith, or more eſpecially in regard of the greater credit, which the believing Jews gave to the Doctrine of the Apoſtles, than that of the Prophets of old. The dark place isVid. Diod. in loc. meant our Hearts, and the Day-Star is Chriſt; who ſhining in our Hearts, and illuminating us by his Spirit, ſcatters away Miſts and Darkneſs.
2. By vertue of Chriſt's prophetical2. By Vertue of Chriſt's Prophetical Office we have a divine Uncti…, or Spiritual …umination. Office, we have a divine unction or Spiritual Illumination, whereby the eyes of our Mind are opened, to underſtand the Myſteries revealed in the Goſpel. Chriſt not only reveals his Will, and declares his Covenant of Grace in his Word, but he teacheth us to underſtand, believe and obey the ſame. The Goſpel is a Myſtery, and only he that is anointed with Eye-Salve from Chriſt can diſcern it. The Goſpel is a Book ſealed, to ignorant carnal Men. Take a natural Man in his beſt Accompliſhments of Nature, yet he neither receives nor perceives the things of the Spirit of God, *Rerum ſupernaturalium & myſterii evangelici, non eſſe cognitionem aliquam naturalem, aut naturae viribus acquiſibilem, &c. Vid. Doctorem Reynoldum, in conc. cui tit. Animalis homo.1 Cor. 2. 14. A Beaſt may as ſoon underſtand Reaſon, as a natural Man (whilſt he remains ſo) the ſaving things of God: Spiritual things are beyond his Ken and beyond his Cognizance. But a Spiritual Man judgeth all things, v. 15. He hath his Eyes in his Head, his Senſes exerciſed, an Ʋnction whereby he knoweth all things, 1 John 2. 20. He knoweth all things neceſſary to Salvation; for Chriſt is his Teacher, Chriſt is that great Prophet who inſtructeth his Church: the great Rabbi and Maſter, that teacheth as never any Man taught. He is a Counſellor, Iſa. 6. 9. The Wiſdom of the Father; Therefore we muſt go to Chriſt for Wiſdom: He teacheth us that divine Wiſdom that cometh from above. In our Doubts, let us go to Chriſt for Counſel; In our Diſtreſs, let us go to Chriſt for Comfort: He is both a Counſellor, and a Comforter. And by vertue of Chriſt's Prophetical Office, we have light in our Underſtandings. This is Chriſt's Gift, Eph. 5. 14. This was propheſied, Iſa. 60. 1. Ariſe, ſhine, for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is riſen upon thee. This Prophecy relates to the glorious Light breaking forth, in the days of the Goſpel. And this was the end of Chriſt's coming, to give light to them that ſit in darkneſs, Luk. 1. 79. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Iſrael, Luke 2. 32. Hence we obtain renewed Spirits, inlightned Judgments, a Spirit of diſcerning, to diſcern between things that differ. Theſe are the Fruits of Chriſt's prophetical Office. All things neceſſary for Salvation are taught in the Word of Chriſt, and by the Spirit of Chriſt. The Word is a Lamp, and the Spirit directs us in the uſe thereof. The Spirit worketh by the miniſtry of the Word. We have no warrant for inward teachings by a Light within us (as ſome ſtrangely fancy) Thus we may diſcern, whether that Light which is within them (as they ſay) be a true or falſe Light, for if it be true, it borrows its Light from the Lamp of the Sanctuary, even the written Word of God, and accordingly walks. Otherwiſe that inward pretended Light, which derives not its Light from God's Word, is an Ignis fatuus, and will lead the Followers into by-paths and dangerous Ways. Wherefore let's be exhorted to keep cloſe to the Word of God, which is the Goſpel of Reconciliation, and the Goſpel of our Salvation; and let us be earneſt Solicitors unto Chriſt the great Prophet, that he would aſſiſt us by his Spirit, to underſtand his Will, revealed in his Word. Let's go to God for Wiſdom and Illumination, James 1. 5. If any of you …ack Wiſdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all Men liberally, and upbraideth none. Here are two great encouragements.
1. God is a moſt liberal Donor, heforeign. Iſocrates. giveth liberally; though Men expect great Rewards for their Counſel, yet God moſt liberally giveth Counſel: Men may give good Counſel, but cannot compel them to whom it is given, to take and follow it. But God can open the Eyes and Heart, and direct the Feet, and order and guide the whole Man, and work Obedience.
2. God upbraideth none. It oft times falls out amongſt Men, that if they do a Kindneſs, they upbraid them with it who are the Receivers. But it is not ſo with God, he doth not exprobrate nor hit us (as we ſay) in the Teeth, either with preſent Defects or former Failings. And if Men be conſtant Suitors to great Perſons, they will ſoon be weary of their Company. But God doth not upbraid his People, notwithſtanding their frequent addreſſes to him. Here then is ſingular encouragement to make our Applications frequent and ſerious, to this great Prophet, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that he would take away the Scales of Darkneſs, and Veil of Ignorance, from our Underſtandings, and inſtruct us in his Will, and guide us by his Almighty Counſel, till at length he bring us unto his Glory.