Ver: 6. the i 7th Chapter of St. J O H N. 67 was in the Bofom of the Father, knew the depth and bottom of it.. John t. 18. W Man hathfeen Godat any Man ; the only begotten Son, who is in the Bofom if the .Father; be bath declared him; and accordingly he revealed it to the Difciples. And betides; by an inward Light he gave them to underftand it ; for Chrift preached publickly; but all did not underftand him, but thofe to whom' it mar given to know the Myfleeies of the Kingdom of God, Mat. 73.1 r. So much is intimated in the weird ë pav Quuoec. And herein Chrift fulfilled that Prophecy, Pfal. 22: 22. I will declare thy Name unto my Bre- thren, The Difciples of ChriPc, efpecially the Apoftles, are adopted into the Privi- leges of Coheirs with Chrift, and therefore to them he declared his Fathers Name i than which there could not be a greater Privilege. Now by the Name of God, fome underftand one thing, fome another, according to the different Acceptations of the word Name. Largely, and More generally, we may underftand, whatever is necefla- ry to be known and believed to Salvation concerning God's Will and Effence ; That is his Name , all by which the Father might be known, as Men are knówn and diftin- guifhed by their Names. The meaning is, that he had made known to them the whole Doctrine concerning God's Will and Effence ; teaching them, that in one EC- fence of God there are three diftintt Perlons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft ; that the Father begot the Son his fubftantial Image, by eternal. Generation; and fent hint in time, that he might take a true Humane Nature on him, that fo he alight become a Mediator between God and us, by whom alone we have accefs to God, that we may obtain Grace and Life Eternal. Now this he manifefted in his Doctrine, in the Courfe of his Life, and by the Light of the Spirit, freeing them from all Prejudices, con- tratted by their own Darknefs, or the obfcure Doctrine that was then taught in the Church. t. Oblerve ; Chrifl's faithfulnefr to his own Charge. He opened all the Myfteries of God's Name, that is, of the true Religion, to them. We that are Minders, and you that are Matters of Families, fhould learn of him : It is our Duty, to teach the Flock committed to our Charge : Aûs 20. 20. I kept .back nothing that was profitable to you; teaching you publickly, and from Houle to Houfe. We are to draw out all the Truths ne- ceffary to Salvation. It is not enough that Minitiers live honeftly and unblameably; that they are hofpitable and kind, but they mutt teach the People to read God's Name. If you hire a Man to prune the Vineyard, and he diggeth in the Field ; to fight in the Battei, and he watcheth the Stuff, it is not the Work you let him about. So to you that are Matters of Families, the Apofíles- were Chrilt's own Family ; God expefteth it from you. Gen. 18. 19. I know him, that he will command- hir Children, and his Floufhold after him, and they fire keep the way of the Lord. Do not difappoint the Lord, he reckoneth upon it ; your Family fhould be a little Flock, a little Church, Families are the Fountains of Church and Common - wealth. Oh hew fweet will it be when we come to die, if we could fay as Chrift, we concerning . our Flock,. you concerning your Families, I have manifefted thy Name to them that thóu .gavefl me out. of the World; thine they were, and thou gavefl them me, and they have kept thy Word 1. 2. Obferve ; The earnfl defere Chri had to glorify his Father, by living, teaching, dy. hog, thy Name, thy Word. Oh that we would learn of our Lord to glorify our Fathet which is in Heaven; to be contented to do any thing, to be any thing, fo we might be to the glory of God ! 3. Obferve; The Excellency of the Dot7rine of the Gofpel. Its Certainty, its Clear- nefs. 1. Its Certainty : It is not a Dollrine forged in the Brain of Men, but brought out of the Bofom of God into the Breafis of the Apófiles, and from them conveyed to us. In this word you have the Father's Heart, Chrift told it the Apofries, I have manifefied thy Name to them, &c. Chrift is the Original Author, Heb. I. 2. In thefe le Times hi bath ff oken tour by his Son. The Son of God is the firft Man in the Roll of the New= Teftament Prophets; the firft was not an Angel, bit God's own Son, the Meffenger of the Covenant, the Apoftle of our Confeflion. Though Chrift doth not fpeak to 'us immediately in Perkin, yet he fpake to us by the Apoftles ; they have their Light from Chrift.: Therefore he that readeth thé Word, fhould feem to hear Chrift fpeak. This was that which he whilpered to the Apolilesin fecret. Ìià a a. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=