VERSE 19.
* For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached amoncj you by us, hy me, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him is yea.' In the words the apostle shews in particular what he preached among them, and we have in them these particulars briefly to be unfolded :
First, That Christ Jesus, in his nature and his ofiices, is the chief and main object and subject matter of preaching.
Secondly, That to make him profitable to us, he must be preached.
Thirdly, That 'consent of divines and preachers helps faith.
Fourthly, That Jesus Christ, being preached by the apostles, is an un- doubted * yea,' that is, an undoubted ground and foundation to build on, in all the uncertainties of this life, in all the uncertainty of religion. Jesus Christ preached by St Paul and other holy men of those times, was not ' yea and nay, but yea.'
Doct. 1. First, Christ Jesus is the main object of preaching.
It were impertinent here to stand on particulars, to shew you how Christ
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870 COMMENTARY ON
is the Son of God ; for ho is brouj^'ht in here as the objofi of preaching. Only in a word, we must of necessity l)elieve that Clirist Jesus is the Son of God. For how wondrously doth this staliHsh our faith when we beheve in a Saviour that is God ; the Son of God, Jesus Christ by eternal genera- tion. In a word, here are these prerogatives of Christ's generation from all other sons whatsoever. Other fathers are before their sons, this Son of God was eternal with his Father. Other Withers have a distinct essence from their sons, the father is one, and the son another ; they have distinct existences ; but here there is one common essence to the Father and the Son. Other fathers beget a son without them, but this Father begets his Son witliin him. It was an inward work. So it is a mystical divine gene- ration, which indeed is a subject of admiration rather than of explication, that Jesus Christ is the Hon of God and tlie Son of man. This was typi- fied in the ark. The ark was a type of Christ. The ark had wood, and gold that covered that wood. Christ's human nature was the wood, a,nd his divine nature that contained it, that is the gold. But I should be too h\rge, and besides* the scope of the text, if I should unfold this point. I only touch it by the way. Christ Jesus in his natures as he is God and man, and in his offices as Jesus Christ, that is, anointed as king, priest, and prophet, and in his estates of abasement, and advancement, is the main subject matter of preaching. For what can we say, but it must be reduc- tive, and brought to Christ ? If we open men's consciences by the law, and tell them what a terrible estate they are in, what do we but drive them to the physician. What is the law, but as John Baptist was to Christ, to prepare the way, to level the soul, to pull down the high thoughts and ima- ginations, to make way and passage for Christ '? And then in Christ, when we preach Christ, we preach his natures, God and man, and his offices, as king, priest, and prophet, as he is predestinate, and sealed, and anointed by God the Father for that purpose, that we may have a strong Saviour, strong in himself, and authorised by his Father. And we preach his estates of abasement, as he was crucified and suffered for our sins ; and his estate of exaltation, as he arose and ascended into glory. These things belong to the preaching of Christ.
And then the benefits we have by him, reconciliation to his Father by his death, and peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and such like wondrous benefits we have by him.
And then our duty to him again, which is faith, and a conversation worthy ; to embrace all that is oflered by Christ, that it be not lost for want of appre- hending. Christ Jesus is the subject matter of our preaching, in his natures, in his offices, in the benefits we have by him, in the duties we owe to him, in the instrument of receiving all, — faith. For in preaching, that faith which we require to lay hold on Christ, is wTought.
For preaching doth not only manifest the benefits we have by Christ, but is a potent instrument of the Spirit of God to work this qualification, to make Christ profitable to us. Now all that we preach of holy duties, is either to humble us if we have them not, to make us fly to Christ by faith ; or when we believe, to make us walk answerable to our faith. So whatso- ever we preach is reductive to Christ ; either to prepare us, or to furnish us to walk worthy of Christ. Indeed, Jesus Christ is all in all in our preach- ing, and he should be so in your hearing. Of all things you should desire to hear most of Christ. The apprehension of your sinfulness should drive you to Christ. The hearing of duties should be to make you adorn your * That is, ' beside.'— G.