5. SERM. V. The Second Sermon on the Excellency of Christ.
SERM. V. The Second Sermon on the Excellency of Christ.
A nd his Name shall be called Wonderful. – Isa. 9:6.
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 he was sent hither.
And in his Offices, in his Anointment as he 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 only Christ. We read in Scripture of a King and Priest, so Melchizedek was; we read in Scripture of a King, and a Prophet, and so David was; we read in Scripture of a Prophet,
and a Priest, so Jeremiah was: but of King, Priest, and Prophet together anointed by God, we read of none but Jesus Christ only. 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 wisdom, being a Philosopher, able to teach, and eminent in his Priestly office, and then eminent in his power, that he might be honored 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 wisdom to teach, and of Priesthood, and of Kingly power: Now Jesus Christ he was wonderful in all these; now that is the thing that I aim at to show in every particular of these Offices of Christ, how wonderful he was, and then
(though but briefly) I shall set the beauty and excellency of Christ in his three Offices before you, and that shall be all that I intend to do at this time, and shall but be 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 only 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
Savior 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 show Scripture for these, the Scripture is full. If you read the 45th Psalm at your leisure about the middle of it, Thy Throne, O God, is forever and ever, the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter. And Rev. 17:14. Christ there
is said to be Lord of Lord's, and King of Kings. Now Christ is a glorious King and wonderful in his Kingly power.
First, He is King over all, over all Kings, over all Powers, he hath the highest Authority of all; Take that for the first thing. In Rev. 9 he is said to be King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. I remember Theodotius, and another
Emperor, 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 he is wonderful in his Kingly power that hath all the Kings and Lord's, 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, he is not only the King of the Saints, though he be their King in a special manner, but he is the King of Nations too,
Christ he 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 under him to govern and to judge, and to make use of for the good of his Church; He is not only the governor 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 he that hath the Keys of Heaven, and the Keys of Hell, Rev. 1:18. He that was dead, is alive, and hath the Keys of Hell and Death: And this Kingly Power of Christ must needs be wonderful.
3. But further, in the third place, Christ is wonderful in this his Kingly Power, for he 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 he would have such a one to be a King, or he is made by the people: For what is one man's flesh, more than another man's? (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 everyone that comes of that Family, it is by the people at first, none must plead it to be by conquest, for then whosoever can conquer again, he must be King, if another can conquer he must have right too, if that be the only right, if that were the only right that a King had over his people, conquest, then as he 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 be by the first compact with that Family, that is their right. I but our King that we have to do withal, he 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 kind of right than now they have; but the truth is, Subjects do give being to their King; I but our King the Lord Christ he is Wonderful, a Wonderful King in this, because he doth give being to all his Subjects.
4. And then fourthly, The Subjects of this King are for him, he 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 Kingdom is not made for a King, but a King for the Kingdom: But it is otherwise here, Christ was not made for us, but we were made for him, all the Subjects of Christ were made for the honor 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 earth, for it is he alone that makes Laws, other
Kings have not power themselves to make Laws, but together with their people, but he alone makes Laws. It is true, the Kings of Israel they made not the people join with them in all their Laws, because God himself let
Laws there for the government of the Commonwealth. But Jesus Christ, I say, he is the only Law-giver unto his Church, and therefore there can be no new Ordinances, nor no new Laws, nor no new Officers in the Church that can be invented by man: It is true, in the Civil state, there God leaves to human prudence, and we may invent Laws and human Ordinances, and new
Officers, so as may be good for the Church, one Kingdom one kind of Law, and another, another; But now when we come to speak of Christ's Kingly
Power, especially as it hath reference to the Church, there, as he is King of Saints, there are no Ordinances, nor no Laws, nor no officers that can be newly erected, but it must be the same, and it must be 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 be no additions of any; Why? Because that in Spiritual government, there we wait upon God for his presence; we wait upon the presence of Christ to work spiritually upon the soul, and we expect a spiritual efficacy from Jesus Christ upon our souls, to draw us nearer to him, and to draw him near to us, that we do in all
Church Ordinances; and therefore only Christ can appoint Laws for them.
You will say, (an there be no Laws, no nothing added in the Church for way of decency and order, and such kind 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 be 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 be some things civil and natural subservient unto those things that are spiritual; but
that that is properly Ecclesiastical whereby I wait upon Jesus Christ to have my heart drawn nearer to him, or to have him draw nearer to me therein, there must be no addition of men in any Law whatsoever, but only the things of Christ that are merely spiritual; if there be any natural help, or civil help, as we that are men cannot be exercised 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 me; here lies the evil of man's inventions, when there shall be any inventions of man that shall come instead of a spiritual
Ordinance, that shall be set by man's Institution, and have more put upon it than it hath in a natural and civil way to be helpful, why then it comes to be superstition, I say, when anything 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 be sinful and wicked. When I think that by anything of man's appointment, God shall come nearer to me, or my heart shall be drawn nearer to God, by virtue 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 God's worship, that man may appoint, but nothing that is spiritual to draw my heart nearer to God, or God nearer to me. 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 be used as an Ordinance to draw me nearer to God, or God nearer to me, 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 be more accepted, Here I say, man raises it higher than natural, and puts a Divine Institution upon it, and so it comes to be sinful; and so now you may come to know what the meaning is, when we say, that Christ only can make Laws for his Church, and Officers for his Church. Why? Because whatsoever is spiritual, it must be 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 Sovereignty is absolute, which no Kings power is; though they have great power in the world, yet they have not an absolute power to do what they list; and certainly, no Subjects are bound so far to the humors of men, that they shall do 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 man's 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, he 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 Law only of Jesus Christ; all the Laws that men can make, must receive their power and authority especially from the end of them, and therefore if they should not conduce unto that end for which God sets up Magistracy over men, that is, for the good of the place, then the rule will hold, that if there be not scandal or contempt, there is no obligation upon a man's conscience, merely because it is the will of man. But now the Laws of Christ, whatsoever they are, they lay bonds upon consciences, and if I do 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, Christ's Kingly power it reaches to men's hearts, (I must not as I go along enter into the large opening of anything that may be controversial, but merely present what at large might be opened to you, about the Kingly power of Christ) I say, Christ's Kingly power is wonderful in this, in that it rules over the hearts of men as well as their consciences; Christ by his power is able to subdue the wills of men, and bring their hearts to obedience to him; all the power there is in the World cannot do this: why the Kings of the earth, if they were 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 Emperors upon the face of the earth; they may beat his body, or torture his body, or kill his body, but to subdue his heart, to make his soul to be 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 do 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 do such a thing, but you are never able to break their wills; Kings may prevail over their subjects, to make them to do what they would have them do, 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, he 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 knows all their thoughts, and all their ways, and all their wants, all their conditions, he knows them all perfectly. Oh this is the glory of this King, and wonderful is he in his Kingly power in this.
10. He is present with them all in all the Administration of Justice; the King he cannot administer Justice, but he must use Instruments to do it, and he cannot be present always; but Jesus Christ he is always present in the Administration of whatever is administered 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; he may make use of them sometimes, but he hath no need of any. Kings can do but very little without some Instruments, what can a King do for the ruling of a Kingdom, but with such and such Instruments? But Jesus Christ is wonderful in his Kingly power, in that he hath no need of any Instruments for the administration of any Justice, but he can do 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 Kingdom, 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 do rejoice in this; if we had such kind of Governors, that had power over all the plots and designs of the
enemies, what a happy condition would we think ourselves to be in? Now this is in our King the Lord Jesus Christ, he hath power over all the plots and endeavors 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 righteousness, Thy scepter is a righteous scepter, he is King of righteousness, and so King of peace, as Melchizedek was. It is a happy thing when people live under righteous Governors, 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 Laws, and hath righteous Administrations, but this is a King that brings everlasting righteousness to his people, yea he himself is the righteousness of his people; it is he that doth clothe his people with righteousness. Indeed it is said of Saul, that he clothed the people with Scarlet; By a good Governor people may come to be clothed with fine raiment, and enjoy glorious prosperity, and the like: But this is that King that clothes his people with everlasting righteousness; to make them all to stand righteous before his
Father, here is the glory of this King. And then he brings peace, he brings peace by righteousness, he 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 do. What can
Kings do? 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 Righteousness, and the King of Salem, so
Melchizedek signifies, he 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 be Kings, but Christ died that he might be a King; it is true, he was a King when he was born, and he 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 Jews 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 he is wonderful in his Kingly power.
15. Further, Christ is King from everlasting to everlasting, forever; Thy throne O Lord endures forever 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 forever.
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, ver. 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 jointly 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, and together with his Father doth order and govern all things; here is a height of glory that no creature else can be capable of;
the Human Nature of Christ being joined in one Person with the Divine, so it comes to have of the glory of this Kingly power upon it, that it may be 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, in 1 Cor. 15:25, it is a text certainly that hath a great mystery in it, and is very hard to understand, For he 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 be 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 Kingdom that now he hath, and he himself shall be subject, that is, he, when he hath subdued all the enemies of the Church, he shall in a visible and a more glorious way rule over his own Saints, and that eternally, and then he too together with his Saints, he as the head of his Saints, shall in another way be subject unto God than now he is for the present, there shall be another administration of things than now there is; now Christ sits upon the Throne of his Father, here Christ makes his Throne and his Fathers Throne distinct, so that there is yet to come another kind of Throne that Christ hath, besides the Throne that now he sits upon; but this, I say, is a great mystery, only the Scripture holds forth such a thing as this, that hereafter Christ shall have another Throne than that he hath now.
17. Yea Wonderful in this, that he will not only subject all enemies in the conclusion, but he 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 he 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 human Rule and Authority, yet that is certain, that there hath not been any such enmity unto the Kingdom 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 Kingdom than the Rulers and great ones, and Princes of the earth, therefore it seems his Kingdom cannot be full till he hath put down all Rule and Power, and he 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 be put down while we are in such a condition as we are for the present, certainly we should be 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 Kingdom, 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 be made so subject, as they shall have no need of these things, but Christ will put them all down here in the world, and himself only shall Reign; so you have it in the book of the Revelations, chap. 11, ver. 15. That there were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall Reign forever and ever. For that it seems Christ hath not yet taken his Power, had not then, neither hath he since: But there is a time coming for the Kingdoms of the earth to be the Lord's and his Christ's in another way than now they are.
18. And then the last of all, Christ is such a King, as he doth in a spiritual sense make all his Subjects Kings, he hath a Crown of glory for every
Subject, for every one of those that are his Subjects, in that near relation, as he is King of Saints, I say, he 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 we shall Reign on the earth, not only in heaven, but on the earth. Why now how wonderful is Christ in this his Kingly power, that he is able to make every Subject that he hath a King? And he will do it. Now then, If we should put all these together that have been named, you see how wonderful
Christ is in his Kingly Power.
1. He is high above all, King of Kings, Lord of Lord's.
2. He is a universal King over all the World, a heavenly King, over Angels, yea over Powers, over the Devils themselves.
3. It is he that makes his Subjects, not they him.
4. His Subjects are for him, and not he for them.
5. He alone is able to make Laws for his Church.
6. He hath absolute Sovereignty.
7. His Laws do bind conscience.
8. He rules in the hearts of men.
9. He hath perfect knowledge of all his Saints, and all their conditions.
10. He is present in all Administrations.
11. He is the King of Righteousness, and of Peace.
12. He hath no need of any Instrument to do anything.
13. He over-rules all the plots, counsels, endeavors of his enemies.
14. He was not only born to be a King, but he died to be King.
15. He is an everlasting King, his Kingdom endures from Generation to Generation.
16. He 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, Rejoice therefore oh Daughter of Zion, for thy King cometh. Oh did we but apprehend these things by faith, that we have to do with Christ as such a King, certainly our hearts could not be troubled whatsoever stirs there are in the world, whatsoever Kings and Princes do in the world; yet when we 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 believe in Jesus Christ.
In Christ, Why what do you mean by Jesus Christ? Why you will say, he was the Son of God. But what is further? Christ that is (Anointed) Anointed to what, to King, Priest, and Prophet; King, what kind of King? Here I have presented to you what kind 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 rejoice, let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof. Oh it is well for us that the Lord Reigneth; certainly did not Jesus Christ reign in his Church, yea did not he 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 labor to extirpate
them, and yet that they should continue: certainly it is because the Lord Reigns, and so orders all things that seems to be against his Church, for the good of his Church, otherwise it could not continue in the world: Oh let the earth rejoice, because the Lord doth Reign; And again, in Psal. 99:1, mark there what use is made of Christ's 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, We 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 be died in blood, and what will become of them when he shall come to take his Kingdom to himself? Moreover;
Those mine enemies that would not have me 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, we 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 Savior.
Christ's Priestly Office.
Now for the second thing, and that is the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ, Christ is wonderful in that, he is a great High Priest. In Heb. 4:14. Christ is there called a Great High Priest, Seeing then that we have a Great High
Priest that is passed into the heavens; And so in Heb. 7:26. For such a 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. He hath a Royal Priest-hood, for it is joined with Kingly Power, and therefore Melchizedek was his type. He was not after the Order of Aaron,
but he was after the Order of Melchizedek, because it is a Royal Priesthood, and so the Saints are called a Royal Priesthood; And Melchizedek is said to be without Father or Mother: the meaning is, He was not so as he was a man, for he had Father and Mother, beginning and end, but in his typical relation he was so, they were concealed, to typify, that Christ, as he was man, he had no Father, and as he was God, he had no Mother, and he had no beginning in his Priestly office, it was from everlasting, and it shall endure to everlasting. So he is a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek, and not after the Order of Aaron.
2. And in the next place, All the Priests in the Law did typify Christ, and all did cease in him; certainly he must needs be 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 human Nature in this world.
3. But further, Christ is wonderful in his Priest-hood in this, that he had no need to offer for himself, as others had; for he 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 we may call safely according to Scripture language, the blood of God; and that will not seem to be a hard expression, if we 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 yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. These kind of phrases we 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 we, that comes to offer Sacrifice to the Father for us, and comes to offer blood, that is the blood of God. He 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 satisfy God for all the wrong that ever was done him by man's 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 he, that High Priest, came to offer, it was a Sacrifice that did satisfy God's 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 withal. It was worth all that Christ did render it up to his
Father for, not only a Sacrifice that was a sweet savor, because God would be pleased to accept of it, but a Sacrifice that had in itself such a savor that could not but be sweet in the nostrils of God the Father, for it did fully satisfy the Justice of God the Father for the sins of mankind; here is a wonderful High Priest now, that he should come and offer such a Sacrifice that should be of such infinite merit and worth as it was.
6. Yea, and he was wonderful, because that he did offer himself, not only his blood, but himself, soul and body, he 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 he would make atonement for? Jesus Christ he was anointed by God the Father as a Priest of his Church to offer sacrifice, now he must have so nothing to
offer, and Christ saw that whatsoever he could offer, if so be that he had offered that that had been the worth of Heaven and Earth, whatsoever it had been, it could never have been an Atonement for those souls which he did undertake for, therefore Christ offers himself; as there is nothing but God can be a satisfying portion to an immortal soul, so no sacrifice but Christ himself could be a Sacrifice to pacify God's wrath for the sins of mankind, if Christ should have said, Father, Thou hast made me Lord over all the world, and I will give it all for a Ransom for the soul of this poor sinner,
God would have said, It will not do it, but it must be thyself; I, and Christ yields to it, A body hast thou prepared me: And be made his soul an offering for sin. And a body hast thou prepared for me, both body and soul of Christ was offered to God the Father for a sacrifice, that he might smell a sweet savor of rest, even concerning us who are wicked and wretched sinners.
Either Christ must offer himself soul and body to be a Sacrifice for thy sin, or else thy soul and body must have been offered as a sacrifice to God's
Justice, and then it must eternally have been under the stroke of God's Justice; but to that end to free that soul and body of thine, if thou beest a believer, 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 he was not only the Sacrifice, but the Altar. It would be wonderful to hear of a Priest that should offer himself, but the Priest to be the Sacrifice, and the Altar too that should sanctify the Sacrifice, it is a greater wonder: and because this expression seems to be very hard, I take this out of Heb. 9:14.
How much more shall the blood 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 sanctify the Offering, so the
Divine Nature of Christ did sanctify the offering of his Human 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 Christ's 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 he sits down in glory, upon his offering of himself but once before the Father it was available forever, for so the Scripture tells us in divers places of the Hebrews, and he 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 anything, 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 engraven upon his breast, 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, he is gone to Heaven, and hath the names of all Believers upon his breast, upon his heart, and there presents them all before his Father, and is their Advocate, makes intercession for them, he is always 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 straitness of thy heart, and the like, but now learn how to make use of thy faith, look upon Jesus Christ, he is the object of thy faith; I, but you must believe 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 be thou art discouraged because thy prayers are poor and weak; I but thy faith must be 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 do exercise your faith upon Christ as a Priest thus, you do 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 a High Priest? You would see him to be a wonderful Savior 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 do but now name unto you, whereby as we go along you may see how far short you have come from exercising your faith upon Christ as such a Savior, as the Scripture doth present him to you.
9. Again, his Priestly Office endures forever, he lives forever to make intercession; the Priests in the Law they died, but Christ he is a Priest forever, and he makes intercession himself, he hath no Deputy, nor no Successors as others had, but he himself makes intercession forever for his people, and his Priest-hood is confirmed by an Oath, The Lord sware; the
Lord by an Oath confirmed the Priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek, to the end that we might be 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 aimed at higher things than the Priesthood of Aaron did, that was but an external Priest-hood, but this aiming at such high things, yea that Sacrifice that must be tendered up to God for a full atonement for the sin of Mankind, therefore God confirmed this by an Oath; for believers 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 man's 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 Commandment; 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 typify the Covenant of Grace that should be 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 couched 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 do.
And it brings the Saints into the Holy of Holies, and that with boldness, 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 boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by the Sacrifice that this our Priest hath offered to the Father, we come to enter into the Holiest of all, and that with boldness.
It was not so in the time of the Law; no, but after the High Priest had offered Sacrifice, he alone goes into the Holy of Holies; but now mark, here not only Christ our High Priest, but we, may come with boldness, which none of the people could do in the Law, that is thus, there is such an efficacy in the Sacrifice of our High Priest, as that every believer may come, though he hath never so many sins of his own, he may come with boldness 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 Blood 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 Christ's coming, and his actual offering up his Sacrifice, now the Saints of God may come with boldness into the holy, immediate, and glorious presence of God that can be; let God appear never so gloriously, yet the Saints have liberty and boldness 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, we have the glory of his Priest-hood upon ourselves, if we belong unto him; Priests, that we may offer up Sacrifice to God now acceptable; were it not through the virtue of this Priestly Office of Christ, we could not do it: But it is by the Priestly
Office of Christ that all Believers 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 be Sacrifices, but in the time of the Law none must offer a Sacrifice but a Priest; Hast thou an interest in the Priestly Office of Christ, and doest thou go unto Jesus Christ by faith, and give up thy Sacrifice into his hands, and desire that he would 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 he 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 virtue 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 do we 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 believe in Christ is to have thy faith act 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 do understand him, oh but how seldom hath your faith acted upon him, according as he 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 he is one that knows all the mind of God the Father perfectly, which certainly all the Creatures in
the world do 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. ver. 20. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doth; there is nothing that God the Father doth, but he shows it all to Jesus Christ; and in the first of John, ver. 18. No man hath seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father. This is a wonderful Teacher indeed, a glorious Prophet, we 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 bosom of the Father, and lives in the bosom of the Father, and whatsoever the Father hath done or will do, he shows it unto him, and therefore he knows all the mind of his Father, and knows all things that doth any way concern his Church, or whatsoever shall befall his
Church, it is he that knows it, and is able to make it known as he pleases; and he is anointed by God the Father to be the teacher of all those that are elect ones, and that do 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; believers many times go away, and say, oh I have heard of great and wonderful things, but we cannot understand them; oh do not go 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 far 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, ver. 6. And I beheld, and loe in the midst of the Throne, and of the four Beasts, and in the midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, and he 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, noting, that it is a fruit of the death of Christ, that those things which concern the Saints come to be 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 dullness cannot hinder, whether they have strong parts, or weak parts, it is all one to the teaching of Jesus Christ, it may be a hindrance 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 faithfulness of Christ in his Office, and an infinite treasury of comfort it is to the Saints; in the fifteenth of John, ver. 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 believer, whatsoever he knows of his Father, all those treasures of wisdom, 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 do understand more of Christ than many learned men do; you will say, We never can believe it, that such poor ignorant people should understand things of religion better than Learned men, and great Rabbis.
Thou speakest ignorantly, and carnally, thou dost not understand what the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ doth mean, for God the Father hath anointed Jesus Christ to come to instruct his elect ones in all the mystery of godliness, and whatsoever he hath heard from the Father he tells them.
When God the Father sent Christ into the World, he saith, Go 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 Christ's 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 Christ's friendship; therefore though Christ doth not give you Possessions in the world, though you be poor and mean, yet you may be dear friends to Jesus Christ.
Quest. How shall I know this?
Answ. 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 we 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 anointed 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 do you honor the Son of God as the Son of God, when you look thus upon him. And then another Scripture we have in Joh. 17:8. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I come out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. When I was in thy bosom from eternity, thou gavest me such words, and diddest put this upon me, that I should reveal thy will to such and such, and every particular one was mentioned unto Christ, whom such words should be made known too; saith
Christ, I have done it, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and therefore Christ he is called the Word, especially in regard of his
Prophetical Office, The Word was made Flesh, the Word was God; Christ comes to reveal the mind of his Father unto the children of men; as by the words of a man, the mind and counsels, and thoughts of a man come to be 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 be 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: He comes to reveal
God to the children of men. And that may be a third particular.
3. The wonder of Christ's Prophetical Office, it is in the great things that he is sent to reveal, in the high things, the supernatural things, things that are so infinitely above the reach of reason. Let a man be elevated unto the greatest height of reason, he 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 be 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; we can never come by any knowledge that we can have from the creature, to understand those things: There is nothing written in the book of Nature, in the great book of God's 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 Luk. 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 we 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 forefathers 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 man's eternal estate, he 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 men's understanding whatsoever.
4. And especially, it will make the Prophetical Office of Christ wonderful, if we add 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 chooses out them, and makes them to be apprehensive of the mysteries of the Gospel, such things as Angels themselves desire to pry into. 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 we read in Matth. 21:15, when the poor children came to understand somewhat of Christ, When the chief
Priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the Temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were
sore displeased. Mark how this is joined 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 be 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 Christ's Prophetical Office, in ver. 25, and so on. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee O 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 he thanks the Father, and that it was done by Christ it appears in ver. 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 whom the Son will reveal him. All things are delivered to me; so that Christ here makes the revelation of God unto babes, to be the fruit of God's delivering up all things to him; All things are delivered to me, 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 we go along, that upon this ground Jesus Christ doth invite souls to come to him, Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. As if he should say thus,
Conceive now as if Jesus Christ were preaching now personally to you, and he were saying thus to you, All power is committed to me by the Father, and as a fruit of this, that the Father hath committed to me, I do reveal him to whom I please, and none can know the Father but by me, I have the dispensation of all the treasures of wisdom, and the revelation of all the mysteries of eternal life from my Father; Oh therefore come to me, come to me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden; you labor 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 me saith Christ, for all things are given to me, and if I reveal the Father, you shall know him; therefore all you that labor 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 me, 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 he reveals things many times suddenly, he is not bound to those ways 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 he can make known the things of eternal life in an instant to the soul. Whosoever comes to Christ, must be convinced of sin, and be emptied of himself, and be humbled, all these things are in every soul that comes to Christ; now all these things may by one beam of light be 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 blind creature, a profane ungodly man, hating all godliness, perhaps he comes to hear a Sermon merely 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 God's wrath comes not from heaven to strike him into the bottomless pit, yet it may be at this very Sermon, there shall be someone beam of light darted into his spirit, that may work his soul to heaven, possibly, if he should die 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 be 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 he may have a little glimpse of this at one
Sermon, and a little more at another, but at that very instant there may be
that let into the heart, that possibly may unite the heart to Jesus Christ, and save it if it should die 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 be 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 he 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 be done; Oh but who teaches like Jesus Christ?
None teaches the heart but Jesus Christ, Job 38:36. Who hath put wisdom 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 only Jesus Christ in the administration of his Prophetical Office, it is he that teaches, and prevails with the heart when he 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 be many will get brain-knowledge that shall make them to confer about those truths, but yet not changed: you will say, What should be the reason why they that have so much knowledge live wickedly? Why here is the ground, Jesus Christ he 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 be 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 be a Minister by the by speaks of something that he little thought of perhaps before he came up, and this man hath heard the same truth largely handled, perhaps many Tractates about it heretofore, and his heart never touched, 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 he speaks to the heart; and thus should we exercise our faith upon Christ in this, when we 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 only speak unto the ear, but speaks unto the heart.
7. Further, Christ is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this, In that he teaches immediately himself; indeed he doth teach mediately, that is by his
Ministers, therefore you shall find Act. 1:1, there St. Luke speaking of Christ's teaching when he lived here upon the earth, saith he in ver. 1. The former Treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach; why Luke is he that writ the Gospel, and the Acts, he writ the sum of what Christ did teach in the whole course of his life, and yet here he tells us that he 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 he was here in the world, it was but a Beginning, Christ was to teach afterwards to the end of the world, and that he was to do partly by his Ministers that should be to the end of the world, he doth exercise his Prophetical Office by them.
And by the way, whensoever you come to hear any Minister of God to reveal anything of the Gospel to you, you are to look upon it as Christ exercising his Prophetical Office in this way; he is wonderful in teaching in this, that he doth not only by instruments, but immediately himself many times; where there is want of means, we 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 he teaches infallibly, which none can do. Likewise many other particulars might be named in the wonder of Christ's Prophetical Office, but time doth slip me, therefore we will proceed to the next thing in the wonder of Christ, only take this along with you, That in your believing in Jesus Christ, you must believe 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 believe indeed. But to go on.