due unto Him for them.

11.

But that we may not only escape death, but be fully restored to the favour of God, and to that state of bliss and happiness in which He at first created us, it is necessary, that, for the future, we should keep all His Commandments; which we can never do, unless we first know them. And therefore Christ, as our Mediator, was pleased to take upon Him also the office of a Prophet, John 15. 15. to instruct mankind in the will of God. And that He hath done all along from the beginning of the world, and will do it to the end; as appears from His empowering His Apostles, and their successors, to teach all nations all things that He had commanded; assuring them, that He Himself Matt.28.20. would be with them to the end of the world. And as He was, and will be with the Apostles and their successors, to the end of the world, so He was with the Prophets, their predecessors, from the beginning of it. It was He who inspired the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament, with the knowledge of God's will, and endued them with 1 Pet. 1. 10, power to make it known to others. It was He who enabled them to foretell things to come, especially such as related to Himself: it was He that moved the holy men of [2 Pet. 1. old when they spake; and it was His Holy Spirit they meant, when they said, "Thus saith the Lord:" it was He, who when He was upon earth, vindicated the Law of God, from the false glosses which the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon it, and acquainted mankind with all things necessary to be known, concerning either the Law or the Gospel it was He, who after He was ascended to Heaven, "gave some Apostles, some Prophets, and some Evangelists, Eph. 4. 11, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." It was He therefore, whom Moses meant, when he said, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee Deut. 18.15, a Prophet, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like Acts 3. 22. unto me; unto Him shall ye hearken." To Him therefore we must hearken, and observe whatsoever He hath said, if we desire to understand the whole will of God; and "every soul that will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed Deut. 18.19; from among the people."

But, although Christ be called and really is a Prophet,

H

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18;

Acts 3. 23.

11.

XXX.

SERM. properly so called, yet we must not think Him only such a one as the Prophets of the Old or New Testament were; for, as all the sacrifices of God's appointment were only His 1 Pet. 1. 10, sacrifice in type and figure, so all other Prophets prophesied only in His name, and by His authority; it was He that spake by them. And whatsoever they said in the audience of the people, went no farther than their ears, unless He Himself was pleased, by His Almighty power, to send it home into their hearts; it being His great prerogative, to speak to the hearts as well as to the ears of men as when He called to His Apostles, He only said, "Follow Me;" and they no sooner heard the words, but immediately they left all, and followed Him. But whatsoever men say, though it be in His name, unless He Himself be pleased to influence and enforce it with His own. especial grace, it hath no effect at all upon those who hear it: they only hear it sounding in their ears, but their hearts are no way affected with it. And therefore, when He gave His Apostles, and in them all succeeding Ministers, their commission to propagate His Gospel among all nations, and teach them His Commandments, He promised to be Matt.28.20. always with them Himself in the doing it: "And lo!" saith He, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Without which, all their preaching would have signified nothing: whereas, by it whole nations were soon converted to the faith.

And so it is to this day: all the virtue and efficacy that there is in the ministry of Christ's Word, comes from Him, whose Word it is; not from the Word itself, or those who 2 Cor. 5. 20. minister it: we are only "ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." And therefore, if you be prevailed upon by what you hear from us, you must not thank us, but Him who sent us; for Paul himself may plant, and

1 Cor.3.6,7. Apollos water, it is God only that gives the increase, even God the Son. It was He that opened Lydia's heart, “that Acts 16. 14. she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul." In like manner, when in hearing of His Holy Word, you receive it in the love of it, it is He that inflames you with [Acts 2.37.] love to it: when you are "pricked in the heart," and con

vinced of your sins by it, it is He that convinceth you: when you are put upon holy resolutions by it, to serve and obey God, it is He that puts you upon them: when you are turned by it from darkness to light, from the power of [Acts 26. is.] Satan unto God, it is He that turns you: when your minds are enlightened, so as to see the wonderful things in God's Word, it is He that enlightens them, who is the true light that lightens every one "that cometh into the world." John 1. ?. When your faith is strengthened and confirmed in Him, it is He Himself that confirms and strengthens it, who, as His Apostle saith, is both "the Author and Finisher of our Heb. 12. 2. faith." And so, whensoever you feel yourselves touched and affected with what you hear, you must ascribe it wholly to Him, the great Prophet of the world, whose Word it is, and whose power alone can make it effectual to the ends for which He hath appointed it; He being the only Mediator between God and man, without whom the Word of God would never have been preached to us, nor do us any good when it is.

Isa. 9. 6, 7.

But what saith the Apostle! "Not the hearers of the Rom. 2. 13. law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Whatsoever light or knowledge we have of God's will, unless we have power likewise to do it, we shall be never the better for it. Hence therefore, Christ our Mediator, as He undertook to be a Prophet, to instruct and teach us, so likewise to be our King, to rule and govern us. David calls Him "a King:" and the Prophet Isaiah Ps. 2. 6. hath given us a large description of His kingdom, with the extraordinary properties and prerogatives belonging to it, and to Him as the head of it. It is true, He Himself saith, that His "kingdom is not of this world." But though it John 18. 36. be not of this world, it is in it, and hath been so from the beginning of it. He is that "God of peace," who, as the Apostle speaks, "bruiseth Satan under our feet," and hath Rom 16.20. done so all along from the first promise, that He should bruise the serpent's head: neither doth He exercise this His regal authority only over the prince of darkness, and the powers of Hell, but over all things else; for God "hath put all things under His feet, and given Him to be the Eph. 1. 22. head over all things to the Church," "the Church He [Acts 20.

28.]

XXX.

[Rom. 8.

28.]

SERM. purchased with His own blood," and therefore hath an absolute right and title to be head and governor of it: and for the sake of that, He is likewise the head and governor over all things else, that He may be able to order and dispose of all things so, that nothing may be able to destroy or hurt His Church, but all things work together for its good; and not only for the good of the Church in general, but of all and every particular member thereof. And as He makes all things else concur to do them good, He Himself doth them most good of all: He quickens and actuates them with the influences of His own Holy Spirit : He guides them by His counsel, and directs them by His wisdom, to such things as are most pleasing to God: He enables them to resist the Devil, to overcome the world, and to do good in it: He assists them in doing their whole duty, and intercedes for them, that God would accept of it when it is done: He keeps off all things that may hinder their Salvation, and supplies them with all things necessary [2 Cor. 12. to it. "His grace is always sufficient for them; His strength 9.] is made perfect in their weakness, and His power rests continually upon them," whereby He carries them through all the changes and chances of this mortal life; and so at length brings them to Himself in glory. All this He doth for all who truly believe in Him, and so are His faithful and obedient subjects.

But that we may take a better prospect of that regal power, which is vested in Christ, and exercised by Him, as He is the Mediator between God and man; we must further observe, that by this power, when He was upon earth, He prescribed laws peculiar to His own kingdom, and ordained Sacraments in it. By this He commanded the Devils themselves to depart out of persons possessed, and diseases from such as were afflicted with them: by this He sent His Apostles, as His ambassadors, into all nations, to bring them over to His kingdom: by this, at His ascension into [Ps. 68. 18; Heaven, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men; Eph. 4. 8.] and among others, the gift of working miracles in His name: by this He presides over angels, Archangels, “principalities, powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in

[Eph. 1.

21.]

that which is to come:" by this He hath propagated His Church all over the earth, and made whole nations submit unto His government: by this He defends His Church so propagated against all the machinations both of men and Devils; so that according to His promise, the very gates of [Matt. 16. 18.] Hell cannot prevail against it: by this He gathers together all His faithful people into one body, and appoints them their several places and stations in it: by this He constitutes some His vicegerents, to govern them in His name; others effectually to administer His Word and Sacraments to them: by this He keeps them always in His true faith, in constant subjection to Himself, and sincere obedience to His laws: by this He protects them from all their spiritual enemies, the world, the Devil, and the flesh; and gives them power to overcome them: by this He delivers them from all their troubles, or disposeth them so as to make them turn to their advantage: by this His royal power He will one day summon all mankind that ever lived, from the beginning to the end of the world, kings and emperors themselves, as well as others, He will summon them all to appear before His tribunal, there to give an account to Him of all their actions by this He will then condemn all that would not believe in Him, and obey His laws, "to that everlasting [Matt. 25. fire, that is prepared for the Devil and his angels:" and 41.] by this He will advance all His faithful and obedient subjects to the highest Heavens, there to live and reign with Him for ever; for "of His kingdom there shall be no Luke 1. 33. end."

These are the three Offices which the Son of God undertook, and in our nature executes for us, and by that means mediates most effectually between God and us. By the first He hath satisfied God's justice for our sins; by the second He hath revealed His will to us; and by the third He gives us power to perform it. By the one He hath paid our debts; by the other He assures that He hath done it, that we may believe in Him; and by the last, upon our believing aright in Him, He dischargeth and acquits us from it. As our Priest, He purchased redemption for us; as our Prophet, He makes known the terms and conditions of it to us; and as our King, He confers it actually upon