this is the third day IV. Jonah was a manifest type of Christ in his resurrection For 1. As Jonah was taken into the belly of the Whale whole passed through the ranges armies of teeth as sharpe as speares without breaking or crushing one bone of him or the least limb of his body So Jesus Christ passed through the straight gate of death but as one bone of him was not broken the special and extraordinary providence of God in both of them watching the whole businesse 2. As the Lord spake unto the fish and the fish against his will must cast up Jonah on dry ground So the belly of the earth can keep Christ no longer than the third day no more than the belly of the Whale could keep Jonah his blessed body must see no corruption 3. As Jonah returned from his grave with a song of praise and thanksgâ—ving Chap. 2. So Jesus Christ returned to life from his grave with a song of triumph and victory fore-prophecyed Hos. 13. 14. and accomplished 1 Cor 15. 55. O death where 〈◊〉 thy sting O grave where is thy victory 4. As Jonah an Hebrew goes not to preach to the Ninivites being Gentiles till after his resurrection out of the belly of the Whale So Jesus Christ an Hebrew not till after his resurrection leaves the obstinate Jewes and by his Apostles Ministery and preaching turnes himselfe to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. 5. As Jonah after his delivery went and preached the doctrine of repentance with great fruit and successe to the conversion of all Niniveh and preventing the fearfull wrath denounced to come within forty dayes So our Lord Jesus after his resurrection and ascension sending out his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes mightily prevailed and suddenly converted many nations of the heathen and brought them to faith and repentance For Application I. Let us acknowledge a greater than Jonah here Matth. 12. 41. Least as the Ninivites shall rise up against the Jewes they rise also against us if we convert not nor repentat Christs doctrine as they did at Jonahs For 1. Who are they to us They barbarous Heathens and Gentiles never instructed before we have been trained in the Scriptures from childhood 2. What were their meanes to ours Jonah preached but three dayes to them Christ hath preached not three days as he nor three yeares as to the Jewes but above threescore yeares He preached one Sermon Christ a thousand 3. What was this Preacher to ours 1. Jonah was a weak man Christ is God and man 2. Jonah a sinfull man cast into the sea for his own sinne Christ an innocent man cast into the sea for our sinne 3. Jonah a Prophet a servant Christ the Lord of all the holy Prophets therefore of Jonah 4. Jonah a stranger to them Christ of our own kindred and family 5. Jonah preached unwillingly Christ preached freely and spent himself for us 6. Jonah preached nothing but destruction of them and their City Christ a sweet doctrine of grace salvation and the promise of a kingdome of heaven 7. Jonah came indeed out of the belly of the Whale but did no miracle for confirmation of his doctrine Christ came both from the bosome of the Father and from the heart of the earth and did innumerable signes and miracles in which we see his glory 8. Jonah a most angry impatient man would faine die because he Ninivits did not Christ a mirrour of patience will die least his hearers should 9. To Jonah no prophet gave witnesse or foretold of him To Christ all the Prophets gave witnesse Act. 10 43. and spake before of him Shall now Niniveh repent in sackcloth and ashes by Jonahs Ministery of three days and shall not we by Christs constant Ministery of threescore yeares Shall Niniveh condemne Judea for not acknowledging a greater than Jonah and shall it not condemne us not repenting whose sinne shall be farre greater than that of the Jewes who rejected Christ in his abasement and humiliation but we reject the Lord of glory now exalted II. In the type and truth the freedome of Gods favour in the calling of the Gentiles Jonah was a preacher of grace to the Gentiles and Christ was a preacher of grace not to Jewes onely but the Gentiles also being given for a light to the Gentiles that he might be the salvation of Gentiles to the farthest parts of the earth For 1. God is not the God of Jewes onely but of Gentiles also Rom. 3. 29. 2. Christ was the promised seed in whom all nations must be blessed Gen. 22. 18 Hence comes in our title to grace and not from any desert of ours For what is amiable in the wilde olive It is onely Gods free calling who calls her that was not beloved to be beloved Object If we be grafted into Christ and received into grace all is well we are in state good enough Sol. Some are grafted into the Church by profession of mouth onely as all were not Israel that were of Israel and some planted into it by the faith of the heart The former are not altered from their wilde nature the other are renewed to the Image of Christ. Therefore let none content themselves with externall profession joyning in the word sacraments and prayer but labour for soundnesse of faith and grace by which onely we become branches of the true Olive whereas to be hanged as a scien by a thred of profession will not keep it from withering III. In both we have a certaine Emblem and proofe of our resurrection Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jonah and Jesus be in us he shall also quicken our mortall bodies and if the head be risen the members must rise also For as God spake to the Fish and the fish gave up Jonah as from the dead so shall God speak to the earth and Sea and all creatures and they shall give up their dead Isai. 26. 19. he shall say to the earth give and to the sea restore my sonns and daughters and they that are as seed under clods shall awake and sing And these dry bones shall be againe covered with sinewes flesh and skin aâ— Ezek. 37. 6. For as it was impossible for Christ to be held ever under death Act. 2 24. as impossible is it for his members Let us comfort our selves in the approach of death to our selves or our friends and by rising before hand from the grave of our sinnes provided for a blessed and joyfull resurrection 2. King 13. 21. a dead body cast into Elisha's grave quickned so our soules and bodies IV. The wonderful power and wisdome of God that can draw light out of darknesse Jonahs casting over board into the sea was the occasion of converting the Marriners Even so Christs death converted many of them that were causes and authors of it Act. 2. 36 41. And as the Marriners lives were saved by casting Jonah into
himself and all his members All the bonds of death and sinne with which he was bound in our steed he shooke off as Sampson did the seaven green cords and broke their power as towe is broken when it feeleth fire 5. Sampson never had help from any other in slaying the Lyon the enemies but with his own hands without any other second or weapon So Christ in the wildernesse alone in the garden at prayer alone before Pilate alone all the disciples fled on the Crosse alone No other must tread the winepresse none must share in the honour nor conquest with him 1. Not to judge of the piety or impiety of Gods children by their calamities Sampson hath many enemies many conslicts many dangers by the Lyon the Philistims the Azzhites and his own wife his life painfull his death violent Jesus Christ himselfe beset with enemies on all sides as the sunne with moats never free from conflicts with the Lyon the devill with his owne Jewes with Pharaoh Sadduces Herodians his person despised his miracles traduced his life painfull his death shamefull and accursed Yet may we not judge either of them forsaken of God who still assisted them with his own strength and was strongest in them when they seemed weakest Neither may we mis-judge the generation of Gods children in their conflicts with satan with temptations with sinners or with the terrors of their own hearts If they shall cry out My God why hast thou forsaken me waite a while and Gods strength shall do great things in their weaknesse II. God can and usually doth use strange weake and unexpected meanes to overthrow his enemies and the enemies of his Church his strength is most seen in weake things his wisedome working by the most foolish When a thousand enemies set upon Sampson at once without any weapon or meanes of defence he can use a jawbone to kill a thousand of them when they thinke him farre enough from any weapon and if Sampson wants a better and readier meanes against Gods enemies he can by two hundred Foxes a most unexpected meanes burne up their graine and fields at harvest time Our Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching can doth overcome his enemies nay God can and doth by contrary meanes wrack his foes Sampson shall marry a wife among the Philistims to be an occasion of warre and revenge and this came of God whereas marriages among Princes ordinarily are made to compose and make up differences not to make them Our Lord Jesus overcomes sinne death hell grave by suffering by death by descending into hell by lying in the grave most unlikely or contrary meanes Let Gods enemies fear revenge by every thing even where no fear is An enemy of God and his Church is never safe seeme he never so secure An Army of frogs shall drive Pharaoh out of his bed chamber in the middest of his greatnesse a fly shall choake Pope Adrian if other meanes be wanting and proud Herod shall be eaten up not by any army of men but of lice III. The greatest victory against the enemies of the Church is by passion and patience submitting our selves meekly unto God in obedience walking in our callings and doing the work of God Thus did these two mighty Sampsons most overcome their enemies when they seemed most overcome by them Our warre saith Isidore is contrary to the striving of the Olympicks There he gets the garland which striketh and overcommeth here he which is strooke and suffereth There he which being strooke striketh againe here he which offereth his cheeke to the striker And thus he concludeth Our victory consisteth not in revenging but in suffering Oh let the children of the Church lay aside worldly weapons clamour reviling revenging speeches or actions and betake themselves to the weapons of the Church prayers teares patience weapons mighty under God The power of a Christian is patience who must overcome evill with goodnesse IV. In that Christ is the true Sampson here is much consolation and many comforts to the Israel of God 1. Comfort As Sampson revenged the wrong offered him in his wife So will Christ Matth. 25. In that ye did it to one of these little ones ye did it to me And though Sampsons wife may be taken from him and given to another Christs cannot Ioh. 10. 28. none shall pluck them out of my hand 2. Comfort A mightier deliverer is here than Sampson for Israel For 1. Though Sampson was strong to overcome a Lyon our Sampson is stronger to overcome the Devill not in himselfe onely but for us in us and by us 2. Sampson was stronge but might abuse his strength as he did in whoring and wantonnesse which in prison he repented But Jesus Christ used all his strength for God against sinne and his enemies 3. Sampson abusing it might loose his strength for it was not the parting with his haire but his sinne grieving the Spirit that weakned him but Christ could not loose his strength because he could not loose his obedience 4. Sampson was so strong as the Philistims thought it bootlesse to assay him with power but by pollicy and indirect meanes they conquer him but our Sampson cannot be conquered neither by power nor by pollicy for he is stronger than all and in him are treasures of wisdome 5. Sampson overthrew the enemies but that was his owne overthrow but Christ not so his conquest was to his most glorious exaltation 6. Sampson as a type onely began the deliverance of the Church but hindered by death could not perfect it Our Sampson perfected the deliverance and salvation of the whole Church and did more after death than in his life or death and will most fully perfect it for all his members in the resurrection 3. Comfort The glory of Gods children appeares not yet but shall when he shall appeare 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Sampsons strength for a time lurked in the prison the glory of Christs Deity lay hid a while in the grave but both most powerfully brake forth So shall the glory of the despised Saints Psal. 37. 6. 4. Comfort We shall never doubt of meanes to comfort and supply us in want The same God that supplied Sampson a jawbone against his enemies supplied him out of the same jawbone a well of water to drinke when he was ready to faint Trust thy selfe with God in thy wants reserve to him all meanes instruments and wayes of bringing thee help If thou see no apparant or great meanes of thy comfort and supply he can use weak and unexpected meanes onely walk in thy calling and the rock shall yeeld thee water rather than thou shalt be destitute in Gods way or work V. In both learne to contemne the greatest and extreamest perill in Gods causes Sampson offered himselfe to death so did Christ he went out to meet his enemies so must thou learne not to love thy life to the death Revel 12. 11. and with Paul
wholly out of thy self and all other 300 Look onely unto Christ and that two wayes 302 How this looking cures us by faith and how by faith 303 Markes of one cured by looking to Christ. 304 Four qualities of the eye that lookes to him ibid. Motives to look up to our Serpent 306 Use of comfort in five particulars 307 In this Treatise are two things 1 The Introduction chap. 1. where 1 Propositions concerning the Church of God 2 Reasons of the ancient Ceremonies 2 The Treatise it self c 2. where 1 Christ is figured in holy persons 1 Singular eleven cap. 2 -12 2 Rankes and orders of men separated and sanctified 1 By birth the First-born c. 13. 2 By office the Priests c. 14 Deputation Execution 3 By vow the Nazarites c. 15 4 By ceremony Clean persons c. 16. 2 He is figured in holy things c. 17. 1 Ordinary Sacraments 1 Circumcision c. 18 2 Passeover c. 19. 2 Extraordinary answerable to 1 Circumcision Baptism 2 1 Pillar of Cloud Fire c. 2 2 Red Sea c. 21. 2 Passover and Lords Supper 2. 1 Manna froÌ„ heaveÌ„ c. 22 2 Water out of the Rock c. 23 Adde hereunto the Brazen Serpent c. 24. CHRIST REVEALED JOHN 14. 6. J am the Truth CHAP. I. HAving formerly delivered that Christ is Truth as opposed to falsehood we are now to shew that he is Truth as opposed to the shadows and figures of the old Law In the entrance into which Treatise we must premise some Propositions I. That the Lord decreed to have always a Church upon the face of the earth for the upholding of which he upholds the world For 1. He will have his name confessed and praised as well in earth as in heaven 2. He will maintaine his publike worship by it to distinguish heathenish Idolaters from true Worshippers 3. To prepare true beleevers in this Church militant to that Church triumphant and to set and polish them as living stones in this mount of the Church for that heavenly mountaine and temple II. For the effecting of his purpose he hath decreed that the doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ would be sounded out in the Church together with the doctrine of the Law that partly the right way of his shorship and partly the way of salvation might be made known and opened to beleevers III. By the Gospel the Lord hath revealed the Covenan of grace which is in substance but one as God is but one and Christ is but one who is the substance of it As there is but one hope of one eternall life the end of the Covenant and one faith which is the mean to lead to that end Ephes. 4. vers 5. IV. Christ and his doctrine the Covenant being the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. for substance altereth and differeth onely in the form and manner of dispensation according to which it is diversly propounded in the old Testament and New In the former propounded as of the Messiah to come from Adam unto his Incarnation In the latter as of the Saviour allready come and so embraced in the Church from his first comming to his second comming againe V. So long as Christ was to come it pleased God to train his Church by an heap of Ceremonies rites figures and shadows to strengthen their Faith in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him Of which multitude of Ceremonies if more â—pâ—â—â—ll reasons be demanded These may be given 1. The nonage and infancy of that Church which was not capable of such high mysteries but was to be taught by their eyes as well as their eaâ—s And therefore it pleased God to put the ancient Church even newly out of the Cradle under Tutors Gal. 4. 2. and appointed divers Types and Ceremonies as Rudâ—ments and Introductions vers 3. fitted to the grosse and weak fences of that Church which was to be brought on by little and little through such shadows and figures to the true Image and thing signified who in our Text calleth himselfe truth in opposition to all those shadowes Object But the weaker and duller they were the more need had they of clear instruction and God could have revealed Christ as clearly to them as to us Sol. But as the Lord had observed this method in creating the world he would have darknesse go before light and in upholding the world he would have dawning go before clear day So in the framing and upholding the Church he would have Christ exhibited to the Fathers as to the Wise men in swadling coluts which hid his glory He respected them as Children he erected for them in Jewry a little free-schoole set up in a corner of the World he appointed the Law of Moses as a Primer or A. B. C. in which Christ was to be shaddowed in dark and obscure manner he would that Christ should come to his brethren as Joseph to his who first obscured himself to them and afterwards made himself better known One compares it to Noahs 1. opening the window of the Arke 2. Removing the covering 3. Stepping forth himselfe II. Therein the wisedome of God provided for the further advancement of Christ and his Gospel which compared with the Law must be manifested in great brightnesse and glory Christ the Sonne must come in more glory than Moses the servant Hence John 1. 17. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The Gospel is called grace not because under the Law the same grace was not preached but comparatively that was scarce grace to this which is more full more manifest as the light in the dawning is scarce light in comparison of light at noon-day There was grace but here is more grace 1. In manifestation The light of the Sunne is sevenfold and like the light of seven days as was prophesied Isai 30. 26. 2. In impleti on and accomplishment of that which was but a promise of grace in comparison Act. 13. 32. 3. In application and apprehension by beleevers in all Countries not onely in Judea 4. In the groth and perfection of faith and grace in the hearts of ordinary beleevers above them Hence Heb. 10. 1. the Law had but a shadow of good things to come and not the Image and truth it self that is It had a rude and dark delineation of good things to come as a draught made by a painter with a coale but the Gospel exhibites the picture it self in the flourish and beauty that is the truth and being of it Hence also Paul to the Col. 2 17. speaking of observances of the Ceremoniall Law saith they were but shadows of things to come but the body is Christ. Whence he would have us conceive 1. That as the body is the cause of the shadow and the cause more excellent than the thing caused So Christ was the cause of those Ceremonies and more excellent than they 2. As the shadow representeth the shape of the
it from the spirituall servitude of sinne death the devill and damnation 2. It shadowed herein its successor in the new Testament for the Sacrament of the Supper was therefore instituted to keep in remembrance the death of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 11. 26. As often as yee shall eat this bread and drink this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come 3. To be a rule for all Sacraments wherein it is necessary that the word be joyned to the Element I mean the word of Institution and if it may be conveniently of exhortation that the seal may goe with the Charter as even in these shadowes the Lord himself straitly enjoyned these were the Lawes prescribed for the Anniversary Passeover both in Exod. 12. 14. and Numb 9. in neither of which is any mention of any of the former Laws proper to the first Passeover The last condition in eating concerned the measure The Lambe must be whole eaten signifying 1. Our perfect communion with Christ who are as nearly united unto Christ as the meat we eat which is turned into our own substance 2. That nothing in Christ is unprofitable 3. That Christ must be received wholly without dividing of his natures or destroying any of his offices Arrius divides the Lambe in denying his Godhead Manichees impugned his humanity Neither eat the whole Lambe The Papists destroy all his Offices Whosoever deny any fundamentall Article of Religion they divide the Lambe To eat the whole Lamb is to believe whole Christ according to the rule Faith is but one yet a copulative Deny one overthrow all Hitherto served that Injunction that no part of the Lambe must be reserved till the morrow but if any remained it must be burnt with fire verse 10. The Lord in his infinite wisdome would prevent all the occasions of idolatry which is easily admitted in the reservations of holy things As in Popery what a deal of idolatry is crept into the Church by reserving superstitious relicks and especially their consecrated or conjured bread as if this condition did not condemn expresly that Popish reservation of the hoast or breaden god Add hereunto that the Jewes requiring the body of Christ on the Crosse to be taken away that night before the Sabbath Joh. 19. 31. fulfilled against their knowledge this Prophecy Nothing of the Paschall Lambe must be left till the morning Sect. V. V. The Paschall Lambe is an expresse type of Christ in respect of the fruit and use of it which is security and safety from Gods revenge ver 23. For as by the sprinkling of the bloud and eating of the flesh the Jewes were defended from the revenging Angel and the destroyer passed over the house where he espied the bloud sprinkled So the bloud of Christ applied to the conscience causeth the wrath of God to passe by those that are so sprinkled And as they could sit in the house safe and not fear the stroke of the destroyer because of the bloud sprinkled so whosoever by true faith feeds upon Jesus Christ and are died with his bloud rest secure and fear not the destruction and revenge due to wicked men Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience 1. As the Jewes dwelling in Egypt were in great danger of the revenging Angel who was to passe through the land So all the Israel ot God dwelling in the midst of the Egypt of the world and too too much tainted with the fashions of it have no small cause to fear the judgements and revenge of God which must pursue the sinnes of it and also to use meanes for their own safety in the night of trouble and revenge as the Israelites did Quest. What meanes Answ. The same that Israel did We must 1. Sprinkle the house of our hearts with the bloud of the Lambe Heb. 10. 22. sprinkled in our hearts c. Whosoever were sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe were safe Was there so much power in the bloud of the type and not much more in the bloud of the truth 2. Get into the house of the Church and fellowship of the faithfull for such as are true members of the Church which is the house of Saints are secure from the plagues of wicked men Isai. 27. 3. I the Lord doe keep the vineyard I will water it every momâ—nt lest any assaile it I will keep it night and day and â—sai 37. â—8 My people shall dwell in the Tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Noah can be safe no where in the deluge but in the Ark And out of the Church is no salvation or safety 3. Thou must abide in the house all night and goe not forth Except the Israelites abide in the house they cannot be safe except thou abidest in the ship of the Church thou canst not be safe no more than any of Noahs company if they had stepped out of the Ark. We must adhere constantly to the true Church and not forsake the fellowship or depart from it by Apostacy or revolt which brings certain shipwrack of faith Consider Heb. 10. 25. 4. Patiently wait for the morning even the bright rising and appearing of Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse coming again to our deliverance whether publikely to generall judgement or personally in speciall to our selves For he shall bring health under his wings Mal. 4. 2. II. In the whole precedent discourse is a fruitfull direction for Christians for their holy use of the Sacrament of the Supper which is come in place of the Passeover 1. As he must be circumcised that must eat the Passeover so must he be baptized that must be admitted to the Supper that is a reverent professed Christian. For holy things must not be cast to dogs Mat. 7. 6. The Word and Sacraments are childrens bread and must not be cast to dogs that is obstinate enemies scorners blasphemers to men of uncircumcised lips and eares who wilfully repell the meanes of their cleansing So much the more pity is it that all sorts of notorious evill men thrust into the presence chamber of the great King yea sit down at the Lords Table and like swine swill in his cup without controul or any rebuke in many places Open blasphemers common-drunkards scoffing Ishmaels noted adulterers obstinate sinners And where is the care to preserve the holythings of God from pollution contempt and prophanation Would a man spread a table for dogs or swine If the shadows of these holy things might not be cast to dogs is it nothing to expose to them the body and substance it self 1 Cor. 11. 30. for this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep 2. As the Lamb was taken in the tenth day but was not slain till the fourteenth that it might be before their eyes all the four dayes before for the helping of their meditation and due
the sea so all beleevers by the death of Jesus Christ. 1. Let us not measure Gods works by carnall senses This made the two disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24. to make but a bad argument He is crucified and behold this is the third day therefore though we thought he should have redeemed Israel we are deceived Whereas faith would have made a clean contrary conclusion He is crucified and this is the third day therefore he is the Redeemer The Jewes not knowing the Scriptures and power of God are hardned against Jesus Christ expecting a great Emperour as Julius Caesar or some great Monarch not able to see that by so base a death life could be procured The carnall protestants are held off from the true embracing of Christ because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by great Rulers and Doctors as if it had not been so in Christs own person and Ministery or as if Christ was not set as a signe or butt of contradiction whereas therefore it must needs be he 2. Let us admire Gods power and wisedome and patiently with Jonah expect after darknesse light And seeing God can turne the greatest evill into the greatest good of his Church let us labour to make benefit of all evils hapning to our selves and others 1. Even of our sinnes themselves to make us more humble watchful for time to come 2. Of our sufferings as Jonah and Christ learned obedience by the things they suffered V. In the type and truth we have first terror on the one hand secondly comfort on the other 1. We see the weight of sinne committed pressed Jonah into the deepest sea of evills and sinne imputed thrust Christ into a deeper sea even the deepest hell Both seem left of God in the hands of death both cry out as left in the depth of hell 1. Do thou run from God and duty and though thou beest Gods childe thou maist find God pursuing thee as if he were an utter and irreconcileable enemy 2. Make as light a reckoning of sinne as thou canst the least of them shuts us or Christ out of heaven Doth Christ undertake thy sinne he sees not heaven till he die for it Sinne imputed will not let Christ enter into heaven but by his own bloud yea through hell Thy sinne repented of held Christ an innocent out of heaven till he died for it but where shall ungodly and impenitent sinners appear 2. This same collation affords us sundry grounds of comfort First both seem forsaken neither of them was so but both of them go to his God There is no time nor place wherein the child of God may not boldly goe to God and pray to his God and say My God my God Secondly no deepe is so deepe but Gods hand can reach helpe into it even into the Whales belly and heart of the earth Thirdly the extreamest misery and death it selfe work to good to the godly See it in Jonah Where was feared perdition there was found preservation The Whales belly was a prison indeed but to preserve him alive a deepe gulfe and a sea but to save him from drowning Can any man save a man from drowning by casting him into the Sea but God can Fourthly when the case seems most desperate then the Lord steps in to help When no helpe can be expected any other way after three dayes and three nights Jonah must be cast up and Christ raised up Never feare extreamities but then exercise thy faith most for then is God the nearest howsoever trust in him though he kill thee Job 13. 15. Fifthly the deepest sorrowes of Gods children end in greatest joy God hath a dry ground for Jonah after a sea of misery a glorious ascending for Christ after his lowest descent Whatsoever the sorrowful songs be that Gods people sing here in Egypt or Babel they shall end in songs of joy and victory and be changed into the songs of Moses and the Lambe Rev. 15. 3. CHAP. XIII The first-born Types of Christ 4. waies HAving spoken of holy types in sundry speciall persons now of personal types in some rankes and orders of men sanctified and specially separated to the Lord. Of whom 1. Some were sanctified by birth the first-borne 2. Some by office Priests especially the High-Priest 3. Some by vow as Nazarites 4. Some by ceremony as cleane persons legally cleansed from uncleanenesse Of these the first-borne were speciall types of Jesus Christ. 1. As they were Gods peculiar Exod. 13. 2. Sanctifie unto me all the first-born for it is mine Quest. How were they Gods Answ. 1. By common nature But so were all both first and last borne through the world For all the world and inhabitants of it are his Psal. 24. 1. 2. By common grace So all the people of the Jewes by reason of common grace were his with whom God had plighted his gratious covenant which was made to Abraham and all his seed wheresoever they were borne of whom he made choice as his peculiar though all the earth was his Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my first-borne that is not onely the first people and nation that first professed the true worship of God and had priority of the Gentiles who were younger brethren but the first-born by a special election and choice of that from all other people whom he would accept as his beloved in the Messiah the first-born of all creatures and among whom he would stablish his covenant and raise up his worship thus he dealt not with other nations 3. By a speciall right The first-born of Israel were Gods by a singular right as no other Children of any other family were namely by right of that singular deliverance of all the first-born when he destroyed all the first-born of Egypt And therefore presently after that destruction he makes challenge of them Exod. 13. 2. Thus is Jesus Christ the Lords first-born by a singular right not common to man or Angell whether we respect his nature or office 1. In his nature he is first-born as sonne of God the first begotten of all creatures Col. 1. 15. begot before all Creation And thus he is not onely the first begotten before whom there was none but the onely begotten after whom is none Joh. 1. 14. the onely begotten Sonne of the Father the first-born without a second or brother 2. In his office he was first-born by speciall prerogative 1. For the kind 2. For the undertaking 3. For the accomplishing 1. For the kind in that he was Mediator God and man in unity of person and the onely redeemer of his Church In this regard Rom. 8. 29. he is called the first-born among many brethren Which phrase noteth quality not equality with him some similitude but no parity between him and beleevers He holds his birth-right as the Sonne of God by nature and we by grace made the Sons of God he disdaines not to call us brethren