viours Kingdome is to
bee exercised by him in his humane nature.
Christs Authority In The Kingdome Of God Subordinate To His Father
Again, he is to be King then, no otherwise than as subordinate, or
Viceregent of God the Father, as Moses was in the wildernesse; and as
the High Priests were before the reign of Saul; and as the Kings were
after it. For it is one of the Prophecies concerning Christ, that he
should be like (in Office) to Moses; "I will raise them up a Prophet
(saith the Lord, Deut. 18.18.) from amongst their Brethren like unto
thee, and will put my words into his mouth," and this similitude with
Moses, is also apparent in the actions of our Saviour himself, whilest
he was conversant on Earth. For as Moses chose twelve Princes of the
tribes, to govern under him; so did our Saviour choose twelve Apostles,
who shall sit on twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel;
And as Moses authorized Seventy Elders, to receive the Spirit of God,
and to Prophecy to the people, that is, (as I have said before,) to
speak unto them in the name of God; so our Saviour also ordained seventy
Disciples, to preach his Kingdome, and Salvation to all Nations. And as
when a complaint was made to Moses, against those of the Seventy that
prophecyed in the camp of Israel, he justified them in it, as being
subservient therein to his government; so also our Saviour, when St.
John complained to him of a certain man that cast out Devills in his
name, justified him therein, saying, (Luke 9.50.) "Forbid him not, for
hee that is not against us, is on our part."
Again, our Saviour resembled Moses in the institution of Sacraments,
both of Admission into the Kingdome of God, and of Commemoration of his
deliverance of his Elect from their miserable condition. As the Children
of Israel had for Sacrament of their Reception into the Kingdome of God,
before the time of Moses, the rite of Circumcision, which rite having
been omitted in the Wildernesse, was again restored as soon as they came
into the land of Promise; so also the Jews, before the coming of our
Saviour, had a rite of Baptizing, that is, of washing with water all
those that being Gentiles, embraced the God of Israel. This rite St.
John the Baptist used in the reception of all them that gave their names
to the Christ, whom hee preached to bee already come into the world; and
our Saviour instituted the same for a Sacrament to be taken by all that
beleeved in him. From
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