% Oh, if I could be a bridge over the water for my Lord Jesus to walk upon, and keep his feet dry ! Oh, if my poor bit of heaven could go between my Lord and blasphemy and dishonour ! said another worthy.
SERM. IX, THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 119
ing to John xvii. 6. " I have manifested thy name to the men " thou gavest me." The other in illuminating the mind, and open- ing the heart to receive and embrace that doctrine. The first part is contained in the words before us ; " A prophet shall the Lord * your God raise up," fyc.
Which words are those of Moses, recorded in Deut. xviii. 15. and here, by Peter, pertinently applied to Christ, to convince the incredulous JeWs, that he is the true and only Messiah, and the great Prophet of the church ; whose doctrine it was highly dan- gerous to contemn, though out of the mouths of such (otherwise contemptible) persons as he and John were. And it is well observed by Calvin, he singles out this testimony of Moses, rather than any other, because of the great esteem they had for Moses, and his writings, beyond any others. Now in the words themselves are two general parts.
First, Christ, according to the prophetical office, described.
Secondly, Obedience to him, as such a prophet, strictly enjoined.
First, Y ou have here a description of Christ in his prophetical office ; " A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you " of your brethren, like unto me." Where Christ is described,
I. By his title, Prophet, and that, princeps prophetarum, the prince of the prophets, or the great and chief shepherd, as he is stiled, Heb. xiii. 10. 1 Pet. v. 4. It belongs to a prophet to expound the law, declare the will of God, and foretel things to come: all these meet, and that, in a singular and eminent manner, in Christ our prophet, Matth. v. 21, &c. John i. 18, 1 Pet. i. 11.
4. He is described by his type; a prophet like unto Moses, tvho therein typified and prefigured him. But is it not said of Moses, in Deut. xxxiv. 10. " that there arose not a prophet since Ci in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face r* True, of mere men there never arose so great a prophet in Israel, as Moses was ; either in respect of his familiarity with God, or of his miracles which he wrought in the power of God* : but Moses himself was but a star to this sun. However, in these following particulars, Christ was like him. He was a prophet that went be- tween God and the people, carried GocTs mind to them, and re- turned theirs to God, they not being able to hear the voice of God immediately f, Deut. xviii. 16, 17. "According to all that ** thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the " assembly, saying, Let me not again hear the voice of flie Lord ** my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die
* Not like, in the following particulars, namely, his familiarity with God, and miracles. Est. on this place.
f They who dreaded that majesty of God Speaking from heaven, could not be afraid to hear it, when in flesh, and made like themselves.
120 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. IX.
*' not1" And upon this their request, God makes the promise which is cited in the text ; verse 17, 18. " They have well spoken " that which they have spoken : I will raise them up a prophet like " unto thee," &c. Moses was a very faithful prophet, precisely faithful, and exact in all things that God gave him in charge, even to a pin of the tabernacle. " 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 a Son over his own house,1' Heb. hi. 5, 6. Again, Moses confirmed his doctrine by miracles, which he wrought in the presence, and to the conviction of gain- savers. Herein, Christ our Prophet is also like unto Moses, who wrought many, mighty, and uncontrolled miracles, which could not be denied, and by them confirmed the gospel which he preach- ed. Lastly, Moses was that prophet which brought God's Israel out of literal Egypt, and Christ his out of spiritual Egypt, where- of that bondage was a figure. Thus he is described by his likeness to Moses, his type,
3. He is described by his stock and original, from which, ac- cording to his flesh, he sprang ; " I will raise him up from among * thy brethren. Of Israel, as concerning the flesh, Christ came," Rom. ix. 5. And " it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Ju- " dah," Heb. vii. 14. He honoured that nation by his nativity. Thus the prophet is described.
Secondly, Here is a strict injunction of obedience to this Prophet, Him shall ye hear in all things, fyc. By hearing, understand obedience. So words of sense are frequently put in scripture, to signify those affections that are moved by, and use to follow those senses. And this obedience is required to be yielded to this pro- phet only, and universally, and under great penalties*. It is re- quired to be given to him only, for so [him] in the text must be understood, as exclusive of all others. It is true, we are command- ed to obey the voice of his ministers, Heb, xiii. 17. But still it is Christ speaking them, by whom we pay our obedience : He that lieareth you, heareth me : We obey them in the Lord, i. e. com- manding or forbidding in Christ's name and authority. So when God said, Deut. vi. 13. [" Thou shak serve Him,wJ Christ ex- pounds it exclusively, Matth. iv. 10. " Him only shalt thou serve." He is the only Lord, Jude 4. and therefore to him only our obe- dience is required. And as it is due to him only, so to him uni- versally ; " Him shall ye hear in all things :" his commands are to be obeyed, not disputed. A judgment of discretion indeed is al- lowed to Christians, to judge whether it be the will of Christ or
* Him shall ye hear, i. e. Him only ; so thou shalt serve him, Deut. vi. 13. is ex- plained, Him only, Matth. iv. 10.
SERM. IX. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 121
no. We must " prove what is that holy, good, and acceptable " will," Rom. xii. 2. " His slice}) hear his voice, and a stranger " they will not follow : they know his voice, but know not the voice " of strangers," John x. 4, 5. But when his will is understood and known, we have no liberty of choice, but are concluded by it, be the duty commanded never so difficult, or the sin forbidden ne- ver so tempting : and this is also required severely, under penalty of being destroyed from among the people, and of God's requiring it at our hands, as it is in Deut. xviii. i. e. of revenging himself in the destruction of the disobedient. Hence the observation.
Doct. That Jesus Christ is called and appointed by God to be the great Prophet and teacher of the Church.