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of his, that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we might know "what" is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe; according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality, and power, and might, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

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Yet was it fit also, that this head should be of the same nature with the body which is knit unto it: and therefore that he should so be God, as that he might partake of our flesh likewise. "For" we are members of his body," saith the same apostle, " of his flesh, and of his bones.' "of And, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man," saith our Saviour himself, " and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." "Hey that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." Declaring thereby, first, that by his mystical and supernatural union, we are as truly conjoined with him, as the meat and drink we take is with us, when by the ordinary work of nature, it is converted into our own substance. Secondly, that this conjunction is immediately made with his human nature. Thirdly, that the "Lamb slain," that is," Christa crucified," hath by that death of his, made his flesh broken, and his blood poured out for us upon the cross, to be fit food for the spiritual nourishment of our souls, and the very well-spring from whence, by the power of his Godhead, all life and grace is derived unto us.

Upon this ground it is, that the apostle telleth us, that we "have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath conse

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crated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh." That as in the tabernacle, there was no passing from the Holy to the most Holy place, but by the vail; so now there is no passage to be looked for from the Church militant to the Church triumphant, but by the flesh of him, who hath said of himself," I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Jacob in his dream beheld "a ladder set upon the earth, the top whereof reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascending and descending on it, the Lord himself standing above it." Of which vision none can give a better interpretation than he who was prefigured therein, gave unto Nathanael: "Hereaftere you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." Whence we may well collect, that the only means whereby God standing above, and his Israel lying here below are conjoined together, and the only ladder whereby heaven may be scaled by us, is the Son of man; the type of whose flesh, the vail, was therefore commanded to be made with cherubims, to shew that we come "to an innumerable company of angels," when we come to "Jesus, the Mediator of the New Testament:" who as the head of the Church hath power to "send" forth all those ministering spirits, to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation."

Lastly, we are to take it into our consideration, that as in things concerning God, the main execution of our Saviour's priesthood doth consist; so in things concerning man, he exerciseth both his prophetical office, whereby he openeth the will of his Father unto us, and his kingly, whereby he ruleth and protecteth us. It was indeed a part of the priest's office in the old Testament, to instruct the people in the law of God, and yet were they distin

John, chap. 14. ver. 6.
John, chap. 1. ver. 51.

d Gen. chap. 28. ver. 12, 13.

Exod. chap. 26. ver. 31. and chap. 36. ver. 35.
Heb. chap. 12. ver. 22, 24.

h Heb. chap. 1. ver. 14.

iDeut. chap. 33. ver. 10. Hag. chap. 2. ver. 11. Mal. chap. 2. ver. 7.

Esai. chap. 28. ver. 7. Jer. chap. 6. ver. 13. and chap. 8. ver. 10. and chap. 14. ver. 18. and chap. 23. ver. 11, 33, 34. Lam. chap. 2. ver. 20.

guished from prophets: like as in the new Testament also, prophets' as well as apostles, are made a different degree from ordinary pastors and teachers, who received not their doctrine by immediate inspiration from heaven, as those other "Holym men of God did, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Whence St. Paul putteth the Hebrews in mind, that "God" who in sundry parts and in sundry manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" Christ Jesus: whom therefore he stileth "the apostle," as well as "the high priest stileth"the" of our profession, who was faithful to him that appointed him, even as Moses was in all his house."

Now Moses, we know, had a singular preeminence above all the rest of the prophets: according to that ample testimony which God himself giveth of him: "Ifr there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house: with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold." And therefore we find, that our Mediator in the execution of his prophetical office is in a more peculiar manner likened unto Moses which he himself did thus foretell, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; and unto him ye shall hearken. According to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God; neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken, that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto

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Deut. chap. 18. ver. 15, 16. &c. Acts, chap. 3. ver. 22, 23.

thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

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Our prophet therefore must be a man raised from among his brethren the Israelites, "of whom, as concerning the flesh," he came, who was to perform unto us, that which the Father requested of Moses: "Speak' thou to us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.' And yet, that in this also we may see, how our Mediator had the preeminence, when Aaron, and all the children of Israel were to receive from the mouth of Moses all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai, they were afraid to come nigh him," by reason of the glory of his shining countenance: so that he was fain to put a vail over his face, while he spake unto them that which he was commanded. But that which for a time was thus "made" glorious, had no glory in respect of the glory that excelleth," and both the glory thereof, and the vail which covered it, are now abolished in Christ: the vail of whose flesh doth so overshadow "the" brightness of his glory," that yet under it we may "behold his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father;" yea, and "we all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

And this is daily effected by the power of the ministry of the Gospel, instituted by the authority, and seconded by the power of this our great prophet: whose transcendent excellency beyond Moses (unto whom, in the execution of that function he was otherwise likened) is thus set forth by the apostle: he is "counted" worthy of

Rom. chap. 9. ver. 5.

Exod. chap. 20. ver. 19. Deut. chap. 5. ver. 25, 27.

Exod. chap. 34. ver. 30, 32, 33.

Heb. chap. 1. ver. 3.

y 2 Cor. chap. 3. ver. 18.

2 Cor. chap. 3. ver. 7, 10, 11, 13.

John, chap. 1. ver. 14.

Heb. chap. 3. ver. 3, 4, 5, 6.

more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some one: but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: but Christ, as the Son, over his own house." This house of God is no other than "the Church of the living God," whereof as he is the only Lord, so he is also properly the only builder. Christ therefore being both the Lord and the "Builder" of his Church, must be God as well as man: which is the cause why we find all the several mansions of this " great house" to carry the title indifferently of the "Churches of God, and the Churches of Christ."

True it is that there are other ministerial builders, whom Christ employed in that service: this being not the least of those gifts which he bestowed upon men at his triumphant ascension into heaven, that he gave not only ordinary "pastors and teachers," but "apostles likewise, and prophets, and evangelists, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Which, what great power it requireth, he himself doth fully express in passing the grant of this high commission unto his apostles: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

St. Paul professeth of himself, that he "laboured" more abundantly than all" the rest of the apostles: "yet not I," saith he, "but the grace of God which was with me." And therefore although "according to that grace

a 1 Tim. chap. 3. ver. 15.

2 Tim. chap. 2. ver. 20.
Rom. chap. 16. ver. 16.

Matth. chap. 28. ver. 18, 19, 22.
1 Cor. chap. 3. ver. 9, 10.

Matt. chap. 16. ver. 18.
d 1 Cor. chap. 11. ver. 16.
Eph. chap. 4. ver. 11, 12.
h1 Cor. chap. 15. ver. 10.

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