1hefbridgesneritof theÿo el. t?,et dlilithyoudiprthmet. It was !ohmhonour, tobee eager 4Propbetofthe ttuk,10 17, rw:t r, gh,why mould it be any mans debafement toferne the famematter, in the f:amcbufi..dfe? Thusfarretouching the fitti branch. The f cond branch is the realmwhy felon fhonid beefliled oilProphet, &c. 'Mouth dtgoebefore thefaceojthe Lord toprepare his wales. This isa truedefcrip- tion ofa Prophet orM imtcralthough in it fomething therewas peculiarto Iobm notwithltanding true it is ofall Prophetsand Minifters,that theygoebefore Chrifi, TheProphets of old went before Chrifl tobe borne,and they all borewitneffe of him, that throughhrs some all that beleeue in him, fhaarecense reini ionoffinites °: uA9.co The Minifters threeChrift borne,goebeforein refpeCt ofhisfecond commingto A3' iudgement; togiue warningof ir, and tomake men ready forit. lebn wentmore immediately before Chrifts face, becaufe nee was thevery hest Prophet before him, and hued tofee him in hisbody, and withhis finger topoint tohim, Behold the Lambe ofGod ,whichtakethawe, thefinnesoftheworld.. Now although itwas ato1,I4, peculiarto ions, thus immediately to goo before Chrift, yet this iscommon to other Minigerswithhim,to be meffengersofChrift,and tomake the people rea- ' dietoreceiue him. Hencearifeth this do&rine; That it is theoffice anddutiaofthe The a. don. truePrhphetsand Minifiers ofGod, todraw Dijeiplervnto Chrift, andtoprepare the people toreceinehim. Noman(hall deferue thisname ofa Prophet vnleffe he fodo: Heemutt profefle h'imfelfe to bee Chrifts feruant, and mull aime at the ad_ fiance rnenc andrating vgofhis kingdome. The,acknowledgement ofthis truth may befeene in all the Prophets ioyntly : They all haste Witneffe toChrifi r:they all yAll,Io,i;. direded their courfe to this one thing, to beget in the peopleshearts anabfolute dependance upon onelyClarifl. The lame did theA poflles,both whileChriftyet hued (for that was theirerrand when theywere firli lent out,Tbekingdomofbea. genreat hand'') and afterwards allo, as may bee obferuedout of their general! z Staaró.7, courfe'. Thencecane the profefsionofPanl;Wepreachnet ourfords,bat Chrilf tAet.;,ta. leístaoar Lord For this mule an it is letdowne as themarkeofdeceiuers to h4r.rp drawto themfrlues, to drawdifiples after them'. Excellent is the fimilirudyof cb,1a,7ç. the Apollo to Thewboth his owne care andentry Minillers duty : Ibane (faith eh.rg;. he)proparedyauforone husband,toprefentyeaatapurevirginonto Chrifia.Oftenin C.44.1. Scripture is Chrift com ared to an husband, and the Church to a f oufe.: This o Aft as ;o, P P P o19.7,a. life is the timeoEwooing, the laf}iudgementis the mariageday : Mini(tersare eReutq.7, asferuants,or as thebridegrooms friends t, to attend epos the Church, and to f loh3a9. treat ofhis1pirimall mariage,and to feeketogray and attirethe people of God with tbegarmentsoffaheationß, again& thatbohernsneday, in which they mullbec. glfa.6l.ro. tenuityunited varo Chrift. Thus this is theduty ofall Minifters, notto leeketo let vpthemfehtes, or tocall thepeople to them, but todire& intoChrift,faving, Heareyo,eUnbendyourfink fhalllinen,¡fan,manfinse, he is theAdvocate, We fee h lfa,ççg. the truthof thisdoetrine: now let vsenquire of whatvfe it maybe. rlobai. Fist, as itadmonifheth all Miniftersto letthemleluesto the aduancementof Then.Vfe Chrils kingdome, fo doth it plainly prooue theneceffary vfeofthe publikeMi.. nrllen. The Scripturemakettr nomentionofany otheroutward ordinarymeans , toprepare vsvncoChrift. Weecannot prepare our(clues (forour hearer arewie- keel ohme allrhingsk) and vnieffe webe prepared, Chriftcannot beentertained: kter.0,9: Wherefore lookeof what necefsity theprefenceofChrift isintofaluation,ofthe fame(whenwe (peake ofanordinary courfe) is theMiniflryof theWord: There isno faluaróbut by Chrift,there is noway for Chrifttoenter in,vntill the word hauemade vs ready to receiue him. To refuteChrid, is to iviedgrace, tocon. tenure the word preached,is tokeepout Chrifl. Fetchwe a fimilitude fromPhy. ficke : The learned Peyfctian, intending a holefonre potion tohispatient,firft gi. uethhi na prep:erariue to fithis body to receiveit: Ifthe preparative worke not, he hart fpall hope todo good with that which was tofollow : So inthis; Chrift pupoling fainatió intovs, fcedeth hisPreachers before tomake way forgrace, N 4 and 141
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=