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ESSAY XLV.

CHRIST our PROPHET.

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1. ALTHOUGH Chrift is, in one of his) natures, GOD equal with the Father, yet in his complex perfon, as Godman-Mediator, he is the Father's righte ous servant, whom GOD hath provided, appointed, fanctified and fent into the world, on the great and gracious errand of redeeming loft finners; fulfilling and honoring his law, and promoting his glory; to whom he hath (for a time at leaft) entrusted the whole; management of his mediatorial kingdom; committed all power and judgment, and made him the head and governor of all things, of all the fcenes of providence, all the kingdoms of the world, and all the angels of heaven and devils of hell, of which he is the glorious king and head.

2. Inthis his mysterious, complex person, as God-man- Mediator, he more efpecially fuftains and executes three offices for the good of the church, and for the salvation of finners: As finners are naturally ignorant and blind in the knowledge of GOD, and in the way of ferving him acceptably, in compaffion and relief of this mifery of our fallen race, he is become our brophet to inftruct

us-As they are guilty and fubject to condemnation and wrath, and have no accefs to GOD or power with him; in this our guilty and rebellious ftate, he is become our Priest to atone for our fins, by the facrifice of himself, and to plead, pray and intercede for us with his juftly offended Father, and to procure us access to him with humble boldness and favorable acceptance with him: As we are by nature bond flaves of Satan and of luft, having numberless enemies which feek our perdition, and neither power nor skill to oppose them, he is gracioufly become our King, not only to give laws to our confciences, but to captivate our hearts to himself; to rule and reign within us by the power of his Spirit, and having thus refcued us from the power of inward enemies, to lead us on to the conqueft of the world and the devil, with all their ftratagems and temptations.

3. The prophetic office confifts chiefly of two parts: 1. To reveal, preach, and inculcate thofe truths and doctrines of GOD, which are neceffary to the falvation of finners: And, 2. To foretel, with certainty, future events, relative to the church of GOD, or the members of it, or others, which feemed to depend, for their existence, on uncertain contingencies and events. This was the twofold business of both the Jewish

and christian prophets; and in the Jewish church, there were certain eftablifhed marks of trial, whereby the true prophets were diftinguifhed from the false. Now, in both these respects, Chrift is the prime and chief prophet of the church; nay, he may be faid, by way of eminence, to be the only true prophet of GOD; because all other true prophets were only his organs or instruments, (if I may fo fpeak) deriving all their revelations, predictions, gifts and graces, from the light of his Spirit, communicated to them, illuminating, inspiring them, and speaking and writing by and in them.

4. Whatever revelations, or divine infpirations, Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, David, or the prophets and the patriarchs of old, were favored with, or have recorded in the fcriptures, for illuminating, converting and building up the church;or, if any heathens of old, Socrates, Heraclitus or any of the heathens at this day, have obtained, or do obtain, any just and spiritual revelations of GoD or his will, or any supernatural light or assistance, all has proceeded from the Mediator that fountain of light and grace; that light of the Gentiles and glory of his people Israel-that true light which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world;-who, having been from eternity in the bofom of the Father,

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and having learned of him, declareth him to his creatures ;-for none hath thus known the Father, but the Son; the word and wisdom of GOD, and him to whom the Son revealeth him. In particular, we are affured, that all fcripture is given by infpiration of Gop;' and that the prophets fpake in old time, as they were moved by the holy Ghoft, which is the Spirit of Jefus.

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5. Although the Mediator was thus the Prophet of GOD in all ages; yet he was more visibly, sensibly and solemnly inaugurated and fet apart to his prophetic office, at his baptifm by John, where, inftead of being anointed with oil (a ceremony ufed of old at the inftalment of prophets as well as of priests and kings) he was anointed with a plentiful effufion of the holy Ghoft, with which he was filled without measure; and all men commanded to hear him, under that character, by a voice from heaven: which feems a furprising, literal fulfilment of Moses's prophefy concerning him.*

6. It may be observed, that Chrift, in the course of his miniftry, remarkably fulfilled and discharged the two branches of the prophetic office, mentioned above: 1. He revealed the will of GOD to men for their falvation; and,, 2. He foretold future events.

Deut. xviii 15, &c.
VOL. II.

7. In the firft of these branches, Chrift the Mediator, reveals the will of GOD to men, for their falvation, both by his, word outwardly, and by his spirit applying the word to their hearts. In this refpect, how far has he the pre-eminence above all other prophets? Other prophets can only declare GOD's will to men, from the revela tion of Jefus Chrift, and after this have no more that they can do, not being able to difpenfe the quickening Spirit, without which the outward declaration of GOD's will, is ineffectual to the falvation of fin ners: But this divine Prophet is not only the original revealer and declarer of GOD's will, but alfo the dispenser of the Spirit, by which he can, when he pleases, reveal GOD's will inwardly to the hearts and consciences of finners, and make it operative and effectual there for their falvation.

8. By his perfonal miniftry, and that of his apoftles, he as the Father's righteous fervant, has revealed all truth and duty ne-, ceffary to the falvation of finners. He exprefsly declares, that what he spoke and taught was from the Father, and not of his. own will.* He unfolded and caft a new light on the dark prophetic parts of the old Teftament, and fhewed how all the prophefies and facrifices there fhadowed forth, prefigured and pointed to himself and gos

John xii. 49.

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