An Expoftion of the C x A.P. L 2. There were fundry Excellencies that attended the very Revelation itfe f made unto him, or his Prophecie asfuch: For, I. Not receiving the Spirit by meafure, yob. 3.34. as they all did, he had given unté him altogether,a comprehenfion ofthe whole :rill and mindofGod, as to what ever he would have revealed of hitnfc!f, with the myflery of our falvation, and all that obedience' and worfhip which in this world he would require ofhis Church. Ir pleated *Fa- ther, that in him allfulneßfboulddwell, Col. I. i 9. that is, of Grace and Truth, Yoh. 1. a f.not granting him a tranfient irradiation bÿ them, but a permanency and conftant abode ofthemwith him in their fulnefs ; all treafitres,of Wifdom and knowledge being hid in him, Col. 2.3. as their borne and proper abiding place; which made him of quick underftanding in ShefearoftheLord, .10 .'1 1.3. All.the Myfierier ofthe,counfd be tween the Father and theEternal Word for the falvation ofthe Elea, with all the ways whereby it was tobe accomplifhéd through his own blood, were known unto him as alfowere all the bounds, the whole extent ofthat Worfhip which his Church was to render unto God, with the alfiftance of the Spirit that was to beafforded unto them for that 'end and purpofe. Hence the only reafnwhy he did not at once reveal unto his Dijiipàs the whole copnfel of.God, was not becaufe a1 the treafures ofit were not committed unto him, but becaufe they could bear no other but that gradual commúni- cationof it, which he aced towards them, Job. 16. 12. But he himfelfdweft inthe mid( of there treafures, feeing to thebxtom ofthem. All other Prophets, evtn Mop himfelf, receiving their revelation by tranjicnt irradiations oftheir minds, had no treafureoftruth dwelling in them, but apprehended only that particular wherein they wereenlightned; and that not clearly neither in its fulrltfs and perfe&ion, but in a ntealirre oflight, accommodated unto the Age wherein they lived, 1 Pet. 1. aí, Ia. Hence the Spirit is faid toref{ on him, Ifa. Ia. 2, 3. and to abide on him, Matth. 3. 16. who did only in a tranftent all affest the minds of other Prophets; and by an alual motion, which had not an habitualfpring in themfelves, caufe them to,lpealk or write the willofGod, as an inftrument of Mufick givesforth a found according to the skit/ ofhim that (Bikes it, and that onlywhen it is fo'firicken or ofd. Hence, 2. The Prophets receiving their Revelations; as it were, by number and tale from the holy Ghoft, when they load fpokeu or writtenwhat in particular at any feafori they had receivedfrom him, couldnot adde one wordor fyllable ofthe fame infallibility and authority with what they load fo received. But the Lord Chri( having alltbe treafures of Wifdom, Knowledge, and Truth bid and laid up in him, did at, all times, in all. places, with equal infallibility and authority give forth the mind Ott will.ofGod, even as he would; what he fb lake having itswhole -.Authority froto bit fßeakin.g ofir, and not from its confnancy -unto any thing otherwife revealed. 3. TheProphetsof oldwere fo barely injtrumentalin receiving, and revealing the will of God, being only fervants in the bull., Heb.3. q. forthe good ifothers, 1 Pet. 1 r a: that they faw not to the bottom of the things by themfelves revealed; and did there- fore both diligently readand Rudy thebooks of them that wrote before their time, Dan. 9.2. and meditated upon the things which the Spirit uttered by themfelves, toob- tain an underfandingin them, I Pet. I. IO, 1 1, 12. But the Lord Jefus; the Lord over his:oxvnhoufe, had an abfolutely perfell comprehenfion of all the my(eries revealed to him.and by him, by thatdivine Wifdom which alwaysdwelt in him. 4 The Difference wasno lefs between them in refpeEl of the Revelations themfelves made to them, and by them. Foralthough thefubjtance of thewill and mind of God concerning falvation by the Mefjiah was madeknownunto them all, yet it was done foobfcurely to Mofes and the Prophets that enfued, that they cameall fhort in the light ofthat Myfiery toJohn the Baptijt, who didnot rife up in a clear and ddtind appre- heulionof it, unto the leaf$ of the true Difciples of Chritt, Matth. is. t a. whence the giving of the Law by Motes to Mittel t the Church in that My(ery, by its types and, Jhadows, is oppofed to that Grace and Truth which were brought;by Jefus Chrif; yob. a. 17, 18. See Ephef. 3.8, 9,10, I I. Col. I.26, 27. Tit. 2. I a. 2 him. I. I O. In there, and fundry other thingsofthe like importance, had theFathers ffeaking in the Son, theprebeminenceabove his fpeaking in Mays and the Prophets ; for which caufe the Apo(leplaceth this confderation in the bead ofhis Reafonings and Arguments, for attendance unto, and obfervation of the things revealed by him.. For even all theft things have influence into hisprefent Argument, though the mainBrefs ofit be laid on the excellency ofhis Perron, ofwhich at large afterwards. 6. We mu(yet further obferve, that the Jews, with whom the Apo( load to do, Bad
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