s68 SERMONS upon Serin: 3o. God ; and he came to deal with Men, and fo he is an Apoftle, to open the everlafting Gofpel, to bring it out of the Bolos of God to our Hearts. His Kingly Office was but little exercifed upon Earth : We have a glimpfe of his Kingly Office, or rather of his Divine Nature, in turning the Mony - Changers out of the Temple; but it was little exercifed upon Earth ; Why ? becaufe this was the time of Chrift's Humiliation. Now the Kingly Office Cults more wieh the Exaltation of Chrifl; when he comes the fecond time, then he comes to exercife his Kingly Office, to reign, and fcatter his Ene- mies, and thew his Kingly Power ; but now he came to teach, and to Puffer. That is the Reafon why his Kingly Office is made the Confequent of his Refurreáion : Aás g. 31. Him bath God exalted with his right Hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give Repentance to Ifrael, and- Forgivenefi of Sins. Was not Chrift King of the Church, and King before his Refurreáion ? I Anfwer, As God, fo he was a King from all Eterni- ty ; and in the days of his Flefh he was our Mediator, therefore certainly, King, Prielt, and Prophet: but in the World, he did not come to poffefs his Kingdom, but only to preach it, and divulge it. Therefore he faith to Pilate, John 18.36. fly Kingdom is not of this World ; if my Kingdom were of this World, then mould my Ser- vants fight, that 1 fhould not be delivered to the Jews; bat now is my Kingdom not from hence. Chrift came to bear witnefs, that he was King, but did not come to poffefe his Kingdom, and aû as a King. As loon as ever he was confecrated to be a Mediator, he . was King, Prieft, and Prophet of *Church. Look, as David was King before God as foon as he was Anointed, long before he poffeffed the Throne and was crowned at He- bron, r Sam.i 6.13. for he was King when he wandred up and down,and was hunted like a Flea, or like a Partridg upon the Mountains : So Chrift in the time of his Humiliation was a King, but did not exercife his Kingdom. Chiefly then he was Cent into the World,the firft time,to redeem and inftruft the World : To redeem the World ; r John 4. ro. God loved us, and feat his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins. This was -Chrift's firfl Errand, to make Satisfaáion for Sins ; afterwards he will come to deflroy his Enemies at his fecond coming. And to inftruá the World, that is of fpecial confide - ration in this place; ./Is thou hafi feat me into the World, fo have I fiat them into the World: Chrift fent Difciples as a Prophet, and in this fenfè he is the 4poflle of our Profefon ; an Ambaffador fent from Heaven, God's Reprefentative, in this Cenfe he is called the .Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3. r. The folemneft Meffenger that ever God Pent into the World. Ifa. 6t. a. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becaufe -the Lord bath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek, &c. Chrift was anointed prin- cipally for this Work, to preach the Gofpel, he came from Heaven to thew us the Way of Life. Heb. t. r, 2. God who at fundry times, and in divers manners fake in Time pall unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in thefe lafi Days iokea unto us by his Son. He path fpoken to us by Apoflles, Pallors, and Teachers : Why doth he make mention only of Chrift ? Becaufe in the Roll of Gofpel- Preachers, Chrift is the Firtt, ChrilT s Name is firtl enrolled, he was firs in Commiflion, and he Cent forth Apoltles, and the Apoflles others. The Myftery of Redemption was never clearly known, till Chrift came to preach it; then all the deep Counfel of God for Man's Salvation came out, which was hidden before. Chrift brought out of God's Bofom the Doárine of the Gofpel .APPLICATION. We learnhence many Things. As, r. The dillináion of the Perlons in the Trinity. Chrift is a difliná fublflence fromthe Father; for he that fended], and he that is Cent, are diftin&. Mark, it im- plies a Diftinûion, but not an Inferiority, againfl the .Arrians. Perlons equal, by mu- tual coulent, may fend one another ; as the Eiders of Antioch fent out .Paul and Barna - bas, but it doth not follow that they were inferior to the Elders of Antioch': So here it implies Diflináion, but not Inferiority. 2. The Knowledg of Chrift's Perfon, he was feat into the World, therefore is God -Man. He was one that was fiat, therefore had a being before he was In- carnate; and was fiat intll the World; therefore there was an Affumption of the Hu- mane Nature. 3. It theweth us the Love of God ; he would not intrult an Angel, nor Arch - Angel with our Salvation, but Cent his Son. r John 4. to. Herein is Love, not that we
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