46 LA Declaration of the Glorious M Y ST ER Y cfthechurch, as unto all the ends of the wifdom, will and grace of. God. And Í take it for grantedhere ; becaufe I have proved it at large elfewhere. It evidently followeth on the eternal cmnpa& between the Father and him unto this end. In the work which belonged hereunto, that which con- cerned its inflru&ion in the will of God, its facing Illumination and fpiri- tual wifdom, is of fuck importance as that without it, none can be partaker ofany other bleflings whatever. In this infiruaion and illumination con- fifts the difcharge oldie prophetical office ofthrift. 2.) Upon the account of his fufception ofhis office even before his in- carnation, confidered as God, he is faid to aft in it fo as to befeat of God unto his work, lu ich. v. 2. The ruler of Ifrael wholegoingsforth have been from of old, fromeverlafling. His goings firth are not his eternal genera- tion, which confifts in one individual, eternal a& of the Father: but it is the egrets, the esercife ofhis power and care for the church; that is foexpreffed. Thefe were from the beginning, the firft foundation of the church, in an- fwer unto his everlafting counfels, Zarb. ii. P. Thusfaith the Lordof hoes, after the glory bathhe feat me manto the nations that fpoiledyou; andI will flake mine hand upon them, and they (ball beg fpoil to their pralines, and ye(ball knowthat the Lord ofbolls bath fent me. He who is fent calleth him- felf the Lord of hoffs, and affirms that he will deftroy the nations by the Peaking of his hand, who can be no other but God himfelf. That is, it Was the Son of God who was to be incarnate as is declared in the next words. Sing and rejoice oh daughterof Sian, for to I come andwill dwell in the midfl of them faith the Lord, and many nationsfliall be joyned unto the Lord in that day, and fiat? be my people, and I will dwell in the midfi rf them, and thou fhalt know that the Lordof bop loathfeat me unto thee, v. io, n. He promifeth that he will dwell in the midE ofthe people, whichwas accomplifhed when the award was made flefb and dwelt amongus, John i. 14. which was the time of the calling of the Gentiles, when many nations vvereta be joyned unto the Lord ; and thofe that were focalled, were to be his people ; they frail be my people; and yet in all this he was fent by the Lord of hofts ; thou shalt know that the Lord ofhoes bath fent me unto thee. Wherefore with refpe& unto his fufceptionof his offices towards the church, the Lord of hoes in the perfon of the Son, is faid to be fent by the Lordof bolls that is in the perfonof the,ather. So was he the prophet of the churcheven before his incarnation, fent or defigned by the Father to in- Eru& it, to communicate fpiritual and faving light unto it. So he tetti- fled concerning himfelf unto the Jews, before Abraham was, Iam, John viii. 55. Which as it invinciblyproves his eternal pre-exiftence unto his incar- nation, fo it is not only intended. He was fo before Abraham, as that the care of the church was then and always from the beginning onhim. And he difcharged this office four ways. (r. By gemfonal appearances in the likenefs of humane nature, in the Thape of a man as an indication of his future incarnation ; and under thofe appearances inffrufting the church. So he appeared unto Abraham, to Jacob, to Mofes, to fofuab, as I have proved elfewhere. And thole peculi- ar appearances of the perfon of the Son for the inftruétion ofbelievers, are a full demonEration that the care and workof it were committed unto him in a peculiar Manner. And I sin not without thoughts, although I fee fame difficulty. in it, That the whole Old Teflamnent, wherein Godperpetu- ally treats with men by an a/Jùmnption ofhumane afeíiiomu unto himfelf, fo todraw us with thecords ofa man, proceededfrom the perfonof the Son, in apreparation for, andprofpea ofhis future incarnation. (2. By the minjry of angels. Upon his undertaking to be the media- tor
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