178 Book IV. j'}.,OJl\tng ttlltO jjcftt.S. Chap.2. sea+ llph. 4· c; rill afterwards, Chrifl carrieo it on in greater flare af<erwards than be did~before. Wh ':• afcended "P. on high, ~e then led. CI<Jitiviry "Ptive~ andgave gifts mltomen, as 'Princ:: 10 ume of their folemn maugurau.on do fome fpenal ads of magnificence and honour. they proclaim Pardons, open Pnfons, create Nobles, fill Condui•s with wine. ~· Chrifl to te!1ifie the glory of his Gofpel, at the day of his inflalmem, and folemn ;ead~ million imobis ~~rhers glory, he proclaims the Gofpel, gives gifrsumo men forrhe Vcr. 11 , p.rftEimg ef the SAints, for the wor~ of the Mmijfry, for the edij)ing of the Body of Chrijl. · · 2. A; a Prophet he opens and expound' the Gofpel. Thus being in rhe Synagogue I.uke 4· 'i• on rhe Sabbath.-d~y'.' he opened theboo~, and·he fMnd the pl•ce where ittva; written the 18, u. Spirit ofthe Lord it upoi!lnt, brcaufc he hath anointed me to preach the Gofprl to the poor:&c. and theh h~ tflo~d th; b••lt-.- and {aid~ thi~ day it this. Scripture fulfilled;, yOJ<r eart. And 1hus pynmg lumfelf With two of h1s Dtfnpies, gomg towJrds Emmam, he begun Luke,4·'7· lltMii[e.<, a~dallthe Ptophett, andheexpounded untothem inalltheScriptu"Jthethings concemmg k•mfoif; the Prophe!ies of Chnfl were dark and hard to be underflood and John l• '3· therefore Chri{c came down from ~eaven.ro difcover fuch truths ; No man h~th afc;ndtd "P to Heaven, ( i.) to be acquamted wuh Gods fecrets, but he th.1t c~me down from heaveu; the gracious purpofe of God towards loll mankind, was a fecretlocked up in the breafl of the Father; and fo it had been even to this day, had nor Chrifi who was in the bofome of the Father, and one of his Privy Council,revealed it unto ns. hence Chrifi Matth.11., 7 , is called the Interpreter of God, nomank,.rroweththeFather favetheSon, ~~dhctowhom- • foeverthe Son willrcwalhim, by his interpretation. Luke >4· 45· 3. As a Prophet he gives us to underfland, and to believe the Gofpel. Thm opened A<ts 10.14. he their undcrftanding, that they might underftand the Scripwres ; and thus was the cafe of Lydia whofe heArt the Lord opened; he that fir(\ opens Scriptures, at lal1 opens hearts; John 1 • 9 • He is that true light which enlightenethevery man tharcometh into the world: he enlightens every believer, not only with a common natural light, but with a fpecial fupernatural light, of faving, fpirit~al, and df:dual knowledge; now there is no Prophet can do this fave only Jefus Chnfl, he only IS ableto caufe our beam to belteve, and to under– !land the matter which he doth teacp and reveal; other Prophets may plant, and wmr, Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but he, and only he ongive the encreafo; other Prophets may teach and b.tptiz..e, bnr nnlefs Chri!l: come in by the p·owerful prefence of 1 Pet.,, s. his Spirit, they can nev.er be able to fave aoy one poor foul. We as lively ftones ""' pf, 1• 127 • '· built up a fpiritual houfc, faith Pettr ;, but excrpt the Lord do ~ui!drhis ho~t(e, rhey laboiJr in vai11 that /mild it. 0 alas, who ts able to breathe the Spmt of ltfe mto thefe dead John 5 • , 5 , fiones, but he of whom it is writttn, The hour iuoming, and 11owis, n•hw the dead Jhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it ]hall live? Who can awaken a dead foul out of a dead fleep ? And who can give light unto thefe blind eyes of ours, but he Ephef. f· 14. of whom it is written, A1vak; thou that Jleepeft, and 11ri[c from the dtad, and Chrift j/Mll giv• thee light? • . . 3· The ExcellenCies of Chnfl above all other Prophets qre m thefe refpec'ls.- I. Other Prophets were but types and fl1adows of this gre.at Prophet; even Mofes Mh 7 . 37 , himfelf was but a figure of him ; A Prophet ]hall the Lord God raife up ~mo yo~tof your brethren lik! unto me: faith Mofet; thefe words, Lik; unto me] do plamly flJCw that Mofet was at the be!l: but an image and fl1adow of Chrifl; now as fubflances do (ar excel thadows, fo doth Chrifl far excel all 'che Prophets; they were but fl1adows and forerunners to him. . 2 , Other Prophet! revealed but fome part of Gods will, and only. at. fome umes. He~. r.r. God (faith rhe Apoftle) at fnndry timet, ~!'din divmmannenfp-.k;mrnne-paj/1mto the Fathers by the Pro:hett ; ( i.) he let our h1s l•ghr by lutle and ltttle, ull r~e Day.flar • and Sun of Righteoufnef• arofe; but m thefe /aft dayes he bath (poJi!n by~" ~on, (t.) he Ver... hath fpoken more fully and plainly, in this refpect faith the Apollle, the herrsof llfe and Gal. 1 4· 1 • 2 • falvation were but chtldren before Cluifts incarnatton. As now we fee btK through a glafs darkly' towards what we !hall do in the !Jfe to come; fo did they of old Ill com– parifon of us; their light in companfon of ours, was but an obfcure and gltmme;mg li~;ht ;· Chrifl:s difcovery of himfelf then was but a Jfandmg behmd the WAll, a iooRJng 'Cant.>· 9· forth of the wind 01 v, a jhewing of himfetf rhrough the lamce. . 3. Other Prophets fpakc only to the ears of men, but Chriil: fpake, and fttll fpeJks to rhe heart; •He bath the k$_yet of David, that openeth, and noman Jlmttnh, t?at fmtteth: Revel. l· 7' and nD"man o•eneth · it is a limilitude tlken from ritem that keep the keyes ol 3 CHr·n 1 °' r ' l<a.e 1
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