tl;e Salvation oftl)e Church from his Perfon 99 men. For the Church which he was to inH:rufr, was 11ot only in DClrknefs by reafon of Ignorance, and want ·of Ob– jecrive Light or Divine Revelations, but was iNcapacitated to receive.fpiritual things in a due manner when revealed. Wherefore it was the work of this Prophet,. not only to make known and declare the DoCtrines of Truth, which are our external direCtive Light, but alfo to irradiate and illumi– nate our minds, fo as that we might £wing1y apprehend them. And it is no wonder if thofe who are otherwife minded, who fuppofe themfelves able to receive fpiritual things, the things ofGod in a due manner upon their exter– nalpropo[al unto them, are regardlefs of the Divine Perfon of Chrifi as the Prophet of the Church. But hereon they will never have experience of the Life and Power of the DoCtrine of the Gofpel, if the Apofl:le is to be believed, I Cor. 2. 9,ro,r I ,12. Now this internal Illumination of the minds of men unto the acknowledgment of tl1e Truth, can be wrought in them only by the Holy Spirit of God, Ephef. I. I7, I8, r9. 2 Cor. )· r8. None therefore could be the Prophet of the Church, but he who had power to fend the Ho· ly Spirit to enable it to receive his Doctrine by the faving Illumination of the minds ofmen. And this alone he could do, whofe Spirit he is, proceeding from him,whom he there- . fore frequently promifed fo to fend. . Without a refpecr unto thefe things, we cannot really be made partakers of the faving_ Benefits. and Fruits of the Pro– phetical Office of Chrifr. And this we can have only in the exercife of Fait:I on his Divine Perfon, which is the eternal fpring from when-ce this Office derives all Life and Efficacy. The Command of God in refpecr unto him as the Pro– phet of the Church, is, ibis is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleaftcl, Elear him~ Unlefs we atl:ually regard him · by Faith as the only begotten Son ofGod, we can perform 0 2 no·
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