PREPARATORY TO 'TIiE NEW CREATION. 69 those principles and abilities, but it is ascribed unto the prospect, which, by faith they obtained, was their chief- Holy Spirit of God, as the immediate operator, and efficient cause of it, This we shall afterwards confirm by instances. Of old he was all; now some would have him nothing. Sect. 4. -2. Whatever the Holy Spirit wroùght in an eminent manner under the Old Testament, it had generally, and for the mostpart, if not absolutely and always, a respect unto our Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel, and so was preparatory unto the completing of the great work of the new creation in and by him. And these works of the Holy Spirit may be referred unto the two sorts mentioned; namely, (I.) Such as were extraordinary, and exceeding the whole compass of the abilities of nature, however improved and ad- vanced; and (2.) those which consist in the improving and exaltation of those abilities, to answer the occasions of life, and use of the church. Those of the first sort may be reduced unto three heads: (1.) Prophecy. (2.) Inditing of the scripture. (3.) Miracles. 'Chose of the other sort we shall find. (l.) In things political, as skill for government and rule amongst men. (2.) In things moral, as fortitude and courage. (s.) In things natural, as increase of bodily strength. (4.) In gifts intellectual; (1.) Por things 'sacred, as to preach the word of God, (2.) In things artificial, as in Bezaleel and Aholiab. The work of grace on the hearts of men being more fully revealed under the New Testament than before, and of the same kind and nature in every state of the church since the fall, I shall treat of it, once for all, in its most proper place. Sect. 5. ,The first eminent gift and work of the Holy Ghost under the Old Testament, and which had the most direct and immediate respect unto Jesus Christ, was that of prophecy; for the chief and principal end hereof in the church, was to foresignify him, his suffer- ings and the glory thatshould ensue; or to appoint such things to beobserved in divineworship asmight be types and representations of him. For the chiefest privilege of the church of old was but to hear tidings of the things which we enjoy, Isa. xxxiii. 17. As Moses on the top of Pisgah saw the land of Canaan; and in spirit, the beauties of holiness to be erected therein, which was his highest attainment; so the best of these saints was to contemplate the King of Saints in the land that was yet very far from them, or Christ in the flesh. And this est joy and glory, John viii. 56. yet they all ended their days as Moses did, with respect unto the type of the gospel-state; Deut. iii. 24, 25. So did they: Luke x. 23, 24. God having provided some better thing for ". us, that they without us should not be made perfect," I-leb. xi. 40. That this was the principal end of the gift of prophecy Peter declares; 1 Epist. chap. i. ver. 9, 10, 11, 12. " Receiving the end of your faith, the sal- vation of your souls; of which salvation the prophets " have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophe- sied of thegrace that should come unto you. Search- " ing what, or what manner of timethe Spirit of Christ " which was in them did signify, when it testified be- " fore-hand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that " should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not "unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you." Someof the ancients apprehended, that somethings were spoken obscurely by the prophets, and not to be understood without great search, especially such as concerned the rejection of the Jews, lest they should have been pro- voked to abolish the scripture itself. But the sum and substance of the prophetical work under the Old Testa- ment, with the light, design, and ministry of the pro- phets themselves, are declared in those words. The work was to give testimony unto the truth of God in the first promise; concerning the coming of the blessed seed. 'This was God's method: first, He gave himself imme- diately, that promise which was the foundation of the church, Gen. iii. 15. Then, by revelation unto the prophets, he confirmed that promise; after all which the Lord Christ was sent to make them all good unto the church; Rom. xv. 8. Here withal they received fresh. revelations concerning his person and his sufferings, with the glory that was to ensue thereon, and the grace which was to come thereby, unto the church. Whilst they were thus employed and actuated by the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of Christ, they diligently endea- * ZeaElary Ó'ro, rlva ¡my i,caras ÓE K,rsy(aarar, rlYa Óv OavEtaregor. Ta 1e61 br Ss i,rszgvlfa, ryya,<a iar Éz ,r[g,rga,s ivaza aeaaTTV(afaEraç úrroáe8or$ay á,a ra SECarYeq"Eva zar' Array cx.vBgaaa. Ai lark size; ûr zae siyarrra, ävras rev ygapsv, 11 la 1eaqc9avxs us, ixanr ciuzeo d,ro,soaqv érvyaa,v,v..Euseb. Demost. Evangel. lib. 6. Proem.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=