' Christ displaces all Rabbis, by assuming this title to himself, ' one is your doctor and master, eren Christ,' Mat. xxiii. 8-10.
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and sheweth him all things that himself doth/ by a divine and un- speakable communication. God the Father shews to Jesus Christ all things that he doth. Grod's love is communicative, and will manifest itself in effects, according to the capacity of the party beloved ; so much appeareth in that unspeakable love of the Father to the Son,
* The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things,' &c., or com- municateth his nature, wisdom, and power, for operation with him ; which is expressed in terms taken from among men, because of our weakness : and ought to be spiritually, and not carnally conceived of. And therefore these terms of the Father's ' shewing,' and the Son's ' seeing,' are made use of to prevent all carnal and gross conceptions of this inexpressible communication from the Father, and participation by the Son. In the blessed Scripture, Jesus Christ is sometimes called
* the ' prophet, and ' that ' prophet ; because he is one that came from the bosom of the Father, and lives and lies in the bosom of the Father, and understands the whole mind, will, heart, counsels, designs, ways, and workings of the Father. Jesus Christ is anointed by God the Father to be the great prophet and teacher of his elect ; and accord- ingly Jesus Christ has taken that office upon himself. God the Father has laid a charge upon Jesus Christ, to teach and instruct all those that he has given him, in his whole mind and will, so far as is necessary to their salvation, edification, consolation, &c. ' Moses was faithful as a servant, but Christ as a Son,' Heb. iii. 2, 5, 6. Christ cannot be unfaithful in his prophetical office. Those that God the Father hath charged him to teach and instruct, he will teach and in- struct, in the great things of their peace; and no wonder, for the knowledge that is communicated to Jesus Christ, the great prophet of his church, is not by dreams, or visions, or revelations of angels, as to the prophets of old, but by a clear, full, intimate view, and beholding of the Godhead, the fountain of all sacred knowledge ; Rev. v. 6, ' And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." i The lamb slain opens the pro- phecies, and foretells what shall befall the church, to the end of the world. The discovery of the secrets of God in his word, are the fruit of Christ slain, ascended, and anointed as the great prophet of the church. The lamb wanted neither power nor wisdom to open the seven seals, and therefore he is said to have ' seven horns and seven eyes.' Seven is a number of perfection. Horns signify power, eyes signify knowledge or wisdom ; ^ both joined together, argue a fulness • and perfection of power and wisdom in Christ ; so that we have here a lively representation of the threefold office of Christ : his sacerdotal or priestly office in the lamb as slain, his royal or princely office in the horns, and his prophetical office in the eyes. But,
[3.] Thirdly, God the Father promises to make him a king, yea, a mighty king also. The kingly office speaks might and power. Christ is a king above all other kings ; he is a king ' higher than the
^ The Lamb stands, because (1.) prepared to perfect the work of redemption; (2.) to help ; (3.) to judge; (4.) to intercede.
* Dan. vii. 24 ; Isa. xxxv. 5 ; Mat. xxviii. 18 ; Col. ii. 3, 9.
378 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION