1. Our Mediator hath a Prophetical office belonging to his Administration, that he may be made Wisdom to us, and therefore he must be both God and Man: God that he may not only teach us outwardly, as an ordinary Messenger or Minister, but inwardly putting his Law into our minds, and writing it upon our hearts, Heb. 8.10. and 2 Cor. 3.3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with Ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not in Tables of stone, but in the ⟨p. 142⟩fleshly Tables of the heart. Men may be the instruments, but Christ is the Author of this Grace, and therefore he must be God: To convince mens understandings of their duty, and to incline their hearts to perform it, requireth no less then a divine power. If such an infinite virtue be necessary to cure the blindness of the body; how much more to cure the natural blindness and darkness of the mind! And man he must also be; for the great Prophet of the Church was to be raised up among his brethren, like unto Moses, Deut. 18.15. Till such an one came into the World they were to hear Moses, but then they were to hearken to him: he that was to come, was to be a Lawgiver as Moses was, but of a far more absolute and perfect Law: a Lawgiver that must match and overmatch Moses every way. He was to be a man as Moses was in respect of our infirmities, such an one as Moses was whom the Lord had known face to face, but of a far more divine nature: and approved to the World, by Miracles, Signs, and Wonders as Moses was. Again 'twas prophesied of him, that as the great Prophet of the World he should be anointed, that he might come and Preach the Gospel to the poor, Isa. 62.1. Which could not be if he had spoken from heaven ⟨p. 143⟩in thunder, and not as a man conversed with men: Again he was to approve himself as one who had grace poured into his lips, Psal. 45.2. That all might wonder at the gracious speeches that came from his mouth, as they did at Christs. In short that wisdom of the Father, which was wont to assume some visible shape for a time, when he would instruct the Patriarchs concerning his will, that he might hide his Majesty and put a veil upon his glory, was now to assume our nature into the unity of his Person, not a temporary and vanishing appearance.
1. Our Mediator hath a Prophetical office belonging to his Administration, that he may be made Wisdom to us, and therefore he must be both God and Man: God that he may not onely teach us outwardly, as an ordinary Messenger or Minister, but inwardly putting his Law into our minds, and writing it upon our hearts, Heb. 8.10. and 2 Cor. 3.3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us, written not with Ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not in Tables of stone, but in the ⟨p. 142⟩fleshly Tables of the heart. Men may be the instruments, but Christ is the Author of this Grace, and therefore he must be God: To convince mens understandings of their duty, and to incline their hearts to perform it, requireth no less then a divine power. If such an infinite vertue be necessary to cure the blindness of the body; how much more to cure the natural blindness and darkness of the mind! And man he must also be; for the great Prophet of the Church was to be raised up among his brethren, like unto Moses, Deut. 18.15. Till such an one came into the World they were to hear Moses, but then they were to hearken to him: he that was to come, was to be a Lawgiver as Moses was, but of a far more absolute and perfect Law: a Lawgiver that must match and overmatch Moses every way. He was to be a man as Moses was in respect of our infirmities, such an one as Moses was whom the Lord had known face to face, but of a far more divine nature: and approved to the World, by Miracles, Signs, and Wonders as Moses was. Again 'twas prophesied of him, that as the great Prophet of the World he should be anointed, that he might come and Preach the Gospel to the poor, Isa. 62.1. Which could not be if he had spoken from heaven ⟨p. 143⟩in thunder, and not as a man conversed with men: Again he was to approve himself as one who had grace poured into his lips, Psal. 45.2. That all might wonder at the gracious speeches that came from his mouth, as they did at Christs. In short that wisdom of the Father, which was wont to assume some visible shape for a time, when he would instruct the Patriarchs concerning his will, that he might hide his Majesty and put a vail upon his glory, was now to assume our nature into the unity of his Person, not a temporary and vanishing appearance.
