of the PERSON of CHRIST. 51 unto the minds ofmen. For the church which he was to inftrud, was not only in darknefs by reafon of ignorance, and want of obje&ive 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 dire live light, but alfo to irradiateand illuminate our minds, fo as that we might favingly apprehend them. And it is no wonder if thofe who are otherwife minded, who fuppofe themfelves able to receive fpiritu- al things, the things ofGod, in a due manner upon their externalpropofal unto them, are regardlefs of the divine perfon of Chrift as the prophet of the church. But hereon they will never have experience of thelife and power of the dodrine ofthe gofpel, if the apoftle is to be believed, s Cor. ii. 9, to, tt, 12. Now this internal illumination of the minds of men unto the acknowledgment of the truth, can be wrought in them only by the ho- ly fpirit of God, Eph. i. 17, 18, 19. 2 Cox. iii. 18. None therefore could be the prophet of the church, but he who had power to fend the holy fpi- rit to enable it to receive his doftrine by the faving illumination of the minds of men. And this alone he could do whofe fpirit he is, proceeding from him, whom he therefore frequently promifed fo to fend. Without a refpe& unto thefe things, we cannot really be made partakers ofthe faving benefits and fruits of the prophetical office of Chrift. And this we can have only in the exercife of faith on his divine perfon, which is theeternal fpring from whence this office derivesall life and efficacy. The command ofGod in refpecî unto him as the prophet ofthe church, is, This is my be- lovedSon in whom I am well pleafed, bear bim. Unlefs we actually regard him by faith as the only begotten Son of Gad, we can perform no duty aright in the bearing of him, nor (hall we learn the truth as we ought. Hence it is that thofe who deny his divine perfon, though they pretend to attend unto him as the teacher of the church, do yet learn no truth from him, but embrace pernicious errours in the ftead thereof. So it is with the Socinians, and all that follow them. For whereas they fcarcely own any other office of Chrift but his prophetical, looking on him as a man fent to teach the mind of God and to confirm his dodrine by his fufferings, whereon he was afterwards highly exalted of God, they learn nothing from him in a due manner. But this refpef unto the perfon of Chrift is that which will ingenerate in us all thofe holy qualifications that are neceffary to enable us to know the mind and will of God. For hence do reverence, humility, faith, de- light and affurance arife and flow, without whofe continual exercife, in vain (hall men hope to learn the will of God by theutmoft of their en- deavours. And the want of tlhefe things is the caufe of much ofthat lfe- lefs, unfandified knowledge ofthe dodrine of the gofpel, which is amongft many. They learn not the truth from Chrift, fo as to expert all teachings from his divine power. Hence they never come to know it either in its native beautydrawing the foul into the love and delight ofwhat they know,' nor in its transforming efficacy changing the mind into its own image and likenefs. (2.) The fame alfo is the Rate of things with refpelt unto his Kingly office and power. But this I have at large treated on elfewhere, and that Much unto the fame purpofe i namely, in the expofition of the third verfe of the fidi chapter of the epiflle unto the Hebrews. Wherefore I Ihall not here enlarge upon it. Some frein to imagine, that the Kingly power of Chrift, towards the church, conflits only in external rule by the, gofpel and the laws thereof, requiring a
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