8 ~n ExPosiTION r~ brought all Creatures unto hi~, that fo he might fee that there was not a meet P A "T I help for him among them. So tn the Work of Salvatron, he lets the Soul tr)' all ~·means firfT, as to run to Duties, and all other Helps,. and then he brings it to ChrifT, ( r Cor. T.) that his Power may appe~r. Fu·fT, He lets the World try their IYifilom, what that could do, and th~n fends the foolijlmcfs of Preachmg to fove thw that believe, (Verf. 2 T, 25.) It rs a Qgdhon among the School-men, Whether any meer Creature could fati!fy for Sin? Some )ay, tt might; and Come l.1y, it is a needlcfs QgefTion : but it is a necejfory thing to li!Jow, that a Creature cannot ; for it glorifies Chrifl: the more, as that all Cre~tures here were firll: chal- . lenged; which is an Argument againfl: that alfo : for tf they could not open the Book._, they could much lefs have redeemed us, that being made a greater thing, Vfi. . Fi1J 9· where they fing, That Chrifl w.u therefore worth) to opm the Book._, bwmft he had redee111ed us. Hence leorn we to renounce all Kings, Priells, and Prophets, except ChrifT, who is a Priefl: to redeem, a Prophet to teach and reveal the Myfreries of God, and a King to execute all God's ,Dec_rees. It is good to go over all the Crea– tures, and to renounce them, and fay, I will be faved by none of you. Sup– poft: the Work of Redemption were yet to be done, an~ God fhould make this Prodamation (as here) : Find me out a Party able to i'edeem, call a Council, and feek one fit for the purpofe. Surely none would be found; and then how would we howl and weep, (as 'John did here) and count our [elves undone! And then, fi:tppofe God l11ould fer out Chrifl: at lafr, as one able to fave to the uttermofl, but this not till he had tried what you could do for your [elves: fure– ly this would non·plus you. But God would not thus put you to it, and there– fore took another courfe, and the more ·to commend his Love unto us, he him– fclf found out Chrifr, and fpake to him to die for us, and do the Work of Re– demption to our hands. Who is worthy! J It is not fimply an All: of Power tobreaft open the Se.ls; but there mufr be an Authority by worth. So that which puts the value on Chrill's Satisfat'rion, was the worth of his Perfon. And thus in this All: of opening the ,Rook._, a meer Creature might have had as much hab!tual Grace, and performed as much Duty ; but •vho is worthy! It was a perfonal wortb.•which carried ir: Sucb an High Prie.fl became,,, who is higber than the Heavem, (that is, than the Angels) Heb. 7· 26. None mu found wortby]. Obferve the word [none J it is not reflrained to Man [ 110 Man J; but ntver a n:arunable Creature, <::it her in the Heaven;, as the Angels; nm·.o" Earth, as Men, nor Hnder the Earth, as Devils, nor Holy Men departed, who are C1id to go down to the Grave : all thefe, nor any of rhefe, were able to open the Book._, neither to look._ thereon ], that is, fo as to underfland it ; for elfe John could, and did look on it, verf 1. · Now to loofe the Seals, and open the Book, is not !imply to know God's Mind in his Decrees, but to make the Vifion of them tor]olm, and to execute and fulfil them in their Times. It is an Allufion to thofe who take a Commi!Iion, who do it, not only to look on it, but to fulfil it: It is a Commi!Iion fealed, fo that this Proclamation is in effet'rthus; Who is able to be God'sCommi!Iioner, ta take this Book, and make the Vifions to John, and in their Times to produce and execute them ! And this appears from Chap. 6. I. And I fow when the Lamb cpmed one of the Seals, and I heard, .u it were, the mnfi ofThunder, one of the four Beajls foying, Come, and fee. Still as the Seals are opened by the Lamb, there is a Vifion made to John of what !hall be done. Therefore the Lamb is prefen– ted, not !imply, as one that fhould take the Book, but as one that bath E;es and . Hanu, Eyes of Provrdence, and Horns of Power to execute. And this agrees with Gen. 49· 9, Io. wherezudah is made a Type of Chrir1, and called a Lion's Whelp, and a Scepter, and a aw·giver, to take God's Laws from him, and execute them; for in that refpet'r it is,that Judah is called a Law-giver in the place above– Cited, nor in refpet'r of making or giving Laws, but in refpet'r ofexecutive Power to
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