f the PERSON 0CHitIST: 47 for for the church with God, the angels were in a peculiar manner putin- to dependance on him, even as he became a new and immediate head unto the whole creation. This belonged unto that efpecial glory which he had with the Father befàre the warld was, whereof we have treated .before. All things were to be a-new gathered into an head in him, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, Ephef. i.. to. And he became the firth born ofevery creature, Col. i. 15. the Lord and proprietor of'them. Hence the whole miniftry of angelswasfubordinateunto him ;andwhatever inflru- dion was thereby given unto the church in the mind and will of God, it was immediately fromhim, as the great prophet of the church. (9. By fending his holy fpirit to infpire, aft and guide the prophets by whom God would reveal himfelf. God fpake unto them by the mouth of bis holy prophets from the beginning of the world, Luke i. 70. But it was the fpirit ofChriyl that was in them, that fpake by diem, that revealed the things which concerned the redemption and falvation of the church, t Pet.i. tr, 12. And by this fpirit Ire himfelf preached unto thofe that were difobe- dient in the days of Noah, who are now inprifon for their difobedience, Y Pet. iii. 19, 20. For he was fo the prophet of the .church always as to tender manifold inftrué ions unto the perifhing unbelievingworld. Hence ishe faid to lighten every man. that cometh into the world John i. g. by one way or other communicating to them fome notices of God and his will : for his light fhineth in, or irradiates darknefs it felf; that darknefs which is come on the minds of men by fin, though the darknefs comprehend it not, v. 5. (q. By the miniylry of holy men, ailed and moved by his fpirit. So he gave forth the word that was written for an everlafting rule of faith and obedienceunto the church. Thus werethe office andworkof inftrufting and illuminatingof thechurch onhis hand alonefrom the beginning, and thus were they by himdifcharg- ed. This was not a work for him who was no more but a man. His hu- mane nature had no exiftence until the fulnefs of time, the latter days, and therefore could efFeft or operate nothing before. And whereas the apoftle diftinguilheth between the fpeaking ofGod sn the Son, and his fpeaking in theprophets, oppofrngthe one to the other, Heb. i. 1, 2. He doth it with refpeft unto his perfonal miniftry unto the church of the yews, and not with refpeet unto his being the peculiar fountain of life and light, unto thewhole church in all ages. It is true, we have under tare gofpel many unfpeakable advantagesfrom thepropheticaloffice of Chrift, abovewhat they enjoyed under the OldTefta- ment. But he was theprophet of the church equally in all ages. Only he bath given out the knowledge of themind of God in different degrees and meafures; that which was molt perfeft, being for many reafons referved un- to thetimes of the gofpel; the fumwhereof is that God deftgned trim unto a preheminence above all in Iris own perfonal miniftry. If any (hall now enquire how the Lord Chrift could he the prophet of the church before he took our nature on him and dwelt amongus; I (hall alfo ask how they fuppofe him to be the prophet of the church, now he bath left the world and is gone to heaven; fo as that we neither fee him, nor hear him any more? If theylisait fay that he is fo by his fpirit, his word, and the miniylrywhich he hath ordained, I fay fo was lae the prophet of the church before Iris incarnationalfo. Toconfine the of &ces of Chriff, as to their virtue, power and ef$cacy unto the times of the gofpel only, is utterly to evacuate the fitft promife, with the covenant ofgrace founded thereon. And their minds are fecretly influenced by a disbeliefof lais divine perfon,
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