all mankind to the bottome of hell had not Christ endured it 3. Wholly roasted to signifie that Christ endured the whole wrath of God which is a consuming fire both in soul and body as that bitter agony in the garden witnesseth which made him sweat drops of water and bloud and complaine that his soule was heavie unto the death VI. Observation Though the lamb must be wholly drest yet a bone of it shall not be broken Noting that wonderfull accident in the passion of Christ that when the souldiers came purposely to break his legs as they had done the others that were crucified with him yet by Gods secret providence they were restrained so as the antitype might exactly answer to the type as the Evangelist applieth it Joh. 19. 36. This lamb by dying when he would hindered the breaking of his bones For 1. His body was most holy and must not be prophaned and torne ignominiously as if it were the body of a thiefe or malefactor 2. His Fathers care that keeps the bones of the Saints that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. will much more keep safe the bones of his onely Sonne 3. His bones were to be whole buried because he was to rise againe with his whole body and so the faith of believers in the article of his resurrection was more easily confirmed We must cast our eyes upon Jesus Christ the true Paschall lamb in all the worship of the old Testament For further than Christ was found and seen in it it was then but as an empty shell without a kernell and how much more now The Jews at this day celebrate the Passeover kill the Lamb sprinkle the bloud eat the flesh observe the rites but refusing Jesus Christ what sweetnesse can be in that feast What do they else than cast away the kernell to gnaw upon the shell or as a mad man who casts away the graine and choakes himselfe with the husks Oh how is the wrath of God come upon them to the uttermost who think that they have done a good service when they have slain a number of lambs taken from earth rejecting the Lamb of God who came from heaven from the bosome of his Father infinitely surpassing them all For their madnesse 1. What sence or what spirituall worship is it to feed their bodies with the flesh of lambs and to refuse Christ the lamb of God separated from all the flock for the food and refreshing of the soule 2. What weak and cold comfort to eat a number of lambs in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt and the thraldome of Pharaoh and yet not endure to hear of much lesse to taste of that lamb that hath wrought a more powerfull deliverance from the Pharaoh of Hell from sinne from damnation and all their heaviest burthens 3. All that sprinkling of bloud in their houses so long as they despise the bloud of Jesus Christ shall never get them protection from the revenging Angel We must pray that God would please at length to remove their vaile from their hearts that they may submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 3. that so all Israel may be saved by acknowledging the deliverer out of Zion of whom was prophecied Isai. 59. 20. That he shall turne away the ungodlinesse from Jacob. Sect. III. III. The Paschall lamb directly aimed at Christ our true Passeover in respect of the bloud and actions about it which were three 1. The bloud of the Lamb must be saved in a Basen vers 22. It must not be shed upon the ground to be troden under foot signifying the preciousnesse of the bloud of Christ. 1. In respect of God 2. Of Christ. 3. Of the Church For 1. God the Father highly prizeth this bloud and saves it in a golden vessell that it may be ever before him and that the streames of it may pacifie his displeasure and confirme the Covenant of grace with his Church Whence it is called the bloud of the Covenant Heb. 9. 18. 2. It was precious in regard of Jesus Christ seeing every drop of it was the bloud not of an innocent man onely but of one that was God as well as man Act. 20. 28. God with his own bloud purchased the Church and therefore it was a bloud of infinite vertue and infinite merit 3. Every true member of the Church doth most highly esteem it as the most precious thing in all the world and with great care and reverence receives it into the vessell of precious and saving faith and there keeps it safely as men do their most precious commodities 2. The bloud of the Lamb must be sprinkled upon the lintle and side posts of the doores of the Israelites vers 22. 1. In that it must be sprinkled it signified that the bloud of Christ must be applied unto us for our righteousnesse stands not in the shedding of Christs bloud but in sprinkling and application of Christs bloud shed and sprinkled upon our soules and consciences to purge them from dead works 2. It must be sprinkled upon the posts and doores so as the Israelites could neither go out of doores nor in but they must see on all sides the bloud of the lamb signifying that they and we should both at home and abroad going forth and comming in and on all occasions have the passion of Jesus Christ before our eyes in the holy meditation and deep contemplation of it 3. It was not enough for the Jew that the lamb was slain the bloud shed within the house but it must be sprinkled without doores that every man might see it and signified that if Christs bloud and the merit of it be shed in the houses of our hearts for justification and righteousnesse the sprinkling of it will appear and be seen without in holy life and practise of sanctification 3. This bloud of the lamb must not be sprinkled with the bare hands but with a bunch of hyssope dipt in the bloud vers 22. which signifyed that every one which puts forth his hand is not sprinkled with Christs bloud unlesse he have provided this bunch of hyssope Hyssope is Faith and Faith resembles this herbe in four things 1. It is a ground herbe low and weake so Faith in it selfe and in us is weak fraile feeble and of most despised Neither hath every man that hath hysope in his garden this bunch of hysope in his heart 2. Rooting in a rocke for so it used among the Jewes whence some thought it to be Pellitory of the wall Faith roots it selfe upon the rock Jesus Christ and cannot grow or prosper in any other soile Other hysope roots in earth this in heaven 3. It is an herb cleansing and curing Faith onely is an herbe of soveraigne virtue both to purifie the heart Act. 15. 9. and to heal all the wounds of conscience Act. 16. 31. the Goaler wounded and pricked in heart must believe in the
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
obedience Let the word command an angry furious natural man to forgive his neighbour that wrongs him and blesse him that curseth him and doe good for evill and recompence love for hatred Oh this is an impossible commandment and flesh and bloud cannot possibly brooke it and indeed he must be more than flesh and bloud that can heare it he must have a spirit subduing his will unto the will of God Let God speake as he did to Abraham to a man unconverted Offer me up now not thy sonne but thy sin thy dear lusts thy Usury thy Revenge Swearing Lying thy Herodias thy Dalilah thy Darling thy Pride take the knife into thy hand and with thine own hands kill it sacrifice it let out the life bloud of it Oh what grutching gainesaying rising up against the word and him by whom God commandeth Every naturall mans sinne is his Isaac his childe his best beloved his joy and laughter he cannot spare him he cannot part with him Though the Lord be in never so great haste and earnest they be not so hasty to rise up with Abraham early in the morning to offer up their sinnes a plain evidence that as yet their nature was never changed but they are in their sinnes Rule II. In dangerous and difficult or costly commandements prop up thy faith with consideration of Gods power and truth So did Abraham in this difficult commandement when he might have considered of a thousand strong hinderances he strengthened his faith by this Heb. 11. 19. he considered that God was able to raise him up even from the dead whence after a sort he received him Thus he supported his faith in that word of promise Rom. 4. 20 21. he considered not Sarahs dead body but was fully assured that God whom he beleeved who quickneth the dead verse 17. who hath promised was also able to do it These two props upheld him even the full assurance of Gods truth in promises and power in performing them In duties of apparant danger the casting an eye on Gods truth and power will bring them forward else they never come on Dan. 3. 17. Our God is able to deliver us and he will but if not c. So in the time of danger and deep distrhsse cast thy selfe on the might and truth of God who quickneth the dead who can say to the dead live and they shall live In duties chargeable if thy obedience must cost thee some part or the whole of thy estate looke on Gods power and goodnesse So the prophet to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 9. what shall we do for the hundreth talents The Lord is able to give thee more than this Object But I know not whether he will Sol. Faith assures it self there is never any losse in obeying God It knowes the way to keep Isaac is to give up Isaac It hath a promise whosoever forsaketh house lands c. for Christ he shall have an hundreth fold II. In both we have a nolable type of our resurrection Isaac was raised the third day as from the dead but Christ indeed raised not as Isaac for himselfe but as an head for his body and members Which assureth us 1. That we shall rise out of all petty deathes and dangers for our head is above water Though the billowes of afflictions inward and outward may rinse us and run over us yet they shall not drown us because our head is aloft They may threaten and affright us but shall not drown and destroy us we shall wade out well enough because they can never go over our head any more 2. That we shall at the last day rise from all the death of mortality and corruption in which argument the Apostle is large to prove that because Christ the head is risen the members must also rise againe For 1. Can or will a living and powerful head be always dismembred and sundered from the body 2. Because Christ rose not as a private person as Isaac did but as the first fruits of them that slept v. 20. 3. Because Christ in his resurrection is opposed to the first Adam v. 21. For as by the first Adam comes death on all so by the second Adam resurrection from the dead This is a sure prop and stay against all the miseries occurrences of this life against the bitternes of death and horror of the grave that we are assured of a better resurrection else were we of all men most miserable verse 19. III. A sweet consolation God watched every motion in both these Isaac's offering how farre Abraham should go how long to the lifting up of the knife and where he should stay and when was fit to say do the boy no hurt So he watched the executioners the crucifiers how farre they should proceed with Christ but stayed them from breaking his bones and kept him from seeing corruption So when Gods time and terme is come the affliction and afflicter shall goe no farther a voyce at length shall come and say Stay thy hand do him no hurt IV. Both were delivered but not till the third day the one when the knife was up the other being dead and hopeles at least in the account of men as appeared by the words of the disciples which were going to Emmaus Hence we learn to make this use for the strengthening of our faith Then to look for helpe and deliverance when the case is desperate and in humane sence we are gone There is life in this comfort which assureth us of life even in death as Hos. 6. 2. After two days he will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight In all wants and extreamities let Abrahams voice to Isaac comfort thee God will provide If Isaac see Abrahams sword in the one hand and fire in the other ready to devoure him yet a little while and the sword shall be put up and the fire shall take another object So the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham seeing God the Fathers sword of justice drawn against them and the fire of his fury ready to consume them yet at length shall see by Christ the sword put up and the fire of wrath turned againe into a flame of love and grace Faith hath a cheerfull voyce God will provide Unbeleefe is full of repinings and murmurings Oh how shall I be provided for in this or that I see no meanes c. Here the difference holds which was between the ten spies and the two Numbers 13. If thou see not the meanes for thy deliverance go to the Mountaine there is a Ramme for Isaac hasten thy obedience and God which set thee on work will hasten thy deliverance CHAP. VI. 5. Ioseph a type of Christ. 4. waies I. IN regard of his person 1. Joseph was the first borne of the beloved Rahel as Christ was the first borne of the freely beloved Mary 2. Best beloved of his father Gen. 37. 3.
alone Christ being to preach the Gospel fasted so long in the Wildernesse alone 2. Moses comming armed with authority for the Hebrews good was rejected both in his person and doctrine and message The Hebrew could say who made thee a judge And Pharaoh will not hearken Exod. 7. 4. Nay Pharaoh raged and oppressed the more Our true Moses comming to save the Jewes sped no better for thus they protested against him We have no King but Caesar Joh. 19. 15. And we will not have this man to raigne over us Yea his gracious words and potent works were still contemned and envied by the wicked Scribes and Pharisees as at this day by all the wicked in the world and there is no stilling of the rage of the Devil and his instruments where Christ is truly preached 3. Moses refused to be call'd the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and left the Court of Pharaoh to be partaker of the afflictions of Gods people Heb. 11. Christ descended from the Glory of heaven to save his elect and to suffer with them and for them as Moses could not do Yea he tooke on him our infirmities and sorrowes and on earth refused his right to be a King when they would have made him because his Kingdome was not of this world 4. Both were willing to dye at Gods commandement both went up into a mount to dye Moses on mount Abarim Christ on Golgotha Both carefull to supply their absence to their people Moses by appointing Joshua his successor Christ by sending his spirit to lead his people into all truth IV. In sundry particular actions 1. Moses lift up the serpent in the wildernesse So was Christ lift up Joh. 3. 14. 2. Moses obtained flesh in the wildernesse to feed many thousands So Christ in the desert fed many thousands with a few loaves and fishes 3. Moses married an AEthiopisse a stranger blacke Christ marrieth the Gentiles strangers and in the Encomium of his Church it is said I am blacke but comely Cant 1. 4. 4. Moses sweetned the bitter waters of Marah by the tree cast in Exod. 15. 25. Christ sweetens our afflictions by the wood of his Crosse Hebr. 2. 10. 5. Moses was called a God Aarons God for directing him in things of God Exod. 4. 16. and Pharaohs God Exod. 7. 1. For executing on him as God Gods judgements But Christ is indeed God most wise in counsell most potent in revenge 6. Moses delivered Israel through the Red-sea by his Rod Exod. 14. So Christ his Church from death by his Crosse through the red-sea of his bloud 7. Never was God so clearly seen by the eve of flesh as to Moses who talked face to face But never did Creature see his face but Christ Joh. 1. 18. 8. As Moses was transfigured on an hill Sinai and so glorious as Israel could not behold his face So was Christ on mount Tabor so as his disciples were amazed and wist not what they said 9. As Christ after death rose most gloriously So Moses body after his death was most gloriously raised in which he was talking with Christ on the mount in his transfiguration Matth. 17. 2. 10. Moses face was covered with a vaile Our Moses with the vaile of his flesh hid the glory of his Deity and put on vilenesse in stead of majesty that men might behold him and see and hear him and beleeve I. The doctrine of Religion which we teach is of God For 1. We teach no other than what Moses taught nor no other than what Jesus Christ taught the one being faithfull as a servant the other as the sonne in the house For as there were not two Churches of the old and new Testament So is there but one faith one doctrine in substance onely differing in manner of delivery 2. This doctrine was perfectly fully and faithfully delivered to the Church seeing both were so faithfull If there be a doctrine of traditions unwritten If a doctrine of merits of purgatory of intercession of Saints then was Christ unfaithful and did not reveale the whole will of his father Paul a servant revealed the whole will of God Acts 20. 27. Was the Sonne lesse faithfull 3. This doctrine is fully and sufficiently confirmed by many and mighty miracles both in Moses the servant and in Christ the Sonne and being no new doctrine it needs no new miracles It is too idle to call for other miracles when they cannot prove that we bring any other doctrine If we should bring in strange and lying doctrines never known to Moses or Christ as they do we would cast about for lying wonders and pretend fabulous miracles to proove them as they do II. Whatsoever office or function God sets thee in be faithfull so was Moses the servant so was Christ the Sonne Hast thou an high place in Gods house as Moses be faithfull see 1 Tim. 1. 12. Art thou but a door-keeper in Gods house be faithfull in faithfull performing of whatsoever God reveales to be his will Hast thou received any talent lay it out to thy Lords advantage else canst thou not be faithfull Let thy care and study be to be found not onely faultlesse but faithfull in all things according to thy Christian profession that faithfullnes may be thy praise and crown in Magistracy Ministery private life in the whole practise of religion and also thy comfort living and dying when the Lord shall witnesse unto thee as to Moses in his life time Numb 12. 7 8. and dead Deutremon 34. 5 10. Moses the servant of the Lord died and there arose no such Prophet III. Labour to expresse the fruit of faith Heb. 11. 26. to preferre the state of Gods people above all earthly profits and prerogatives account the despised condition of the Saints above the admired happinesse of wicked men Moses would joyne himselfe to them when he might have been in the height of honour Christ would not be in heaven without them but endured more affliction than Moses could to enjoy them Hence observe four sorts of people that are not of Christs nor of Moses minde 1. Polititians who take the honour and profit of the Gospel but will none of the afflictions of Christ. 2. Proud persons who will not looke so low as on afflicted Christians 3. Temporizers that looke a squint on them if any suffer for well-doing 4. Scorners that despise the society and exercises of Gods people as too base company and courses for them Let all such know 1. That Christ in heaven scornes them not nor withdrawes himself from them yea heaven would not please him without them 2. That the fellowship of a Kings Court such as Pharaohs in riot feasting drinking gaming is hatefull to a sound mind in comparison of the society of the miserable and persecuted Saints though a fleshly eye cannot see it 3. That it will be no great comfort to beleeve the Communion of Saints and not enjoy it 4. That they which despise it here
Sam. 16. 23 Christ by the sweet voyce of the Gospel stills the evill spirits which molest and vexe men and gives them peace and quietnesse in mind and conscience And in the dayes of his flesh how he sought to cure and allay the spirituall madnesse of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees against him is plaine in the story 2. David brings back the Arke to his right place 2 Sam. 6. So did Christ the truth of Gods Law obscured by the false glosses of Scribes and Pharisees and reduced the true sence and meaning of it And freed his Church signified by the Arke from the spirituall thraldome and captivity of the Law 3. David buildes an Altar in the grounds of a stranger 2 Sam. 24. 24. namely Araunah the Jebusite The true David builds up a Church among the Gentiles and sets up Gods worship among them that were strangers from the Covenant 4. David offers a sacrifice and the Lord accepts it sending fire from heaven to consume it 2 Sam 24. 25. Christ offers the most acceptable sacrifice that ever was in which both Davids and all ours must be accepted and in which alone the Lord smels a savour of rest I. As the Spirit of God came on David after his anoynting 1 Sam. 16. 13. So did it on our true David after his baptizing to fit them to their waighty offices Learne 1. That he that is not fitted and furnished with gifts of the spirit in some measure and attempteth any office in the Church or common-wealth is not called by God whose wisedome will not send a blind man for a Seer nor a dumb man on his message or errand Would a man know whether he have received of this spirit for his office A note is when God stirres up his will in that office to performe all the desire of God Isai. 44. 28. he saith to Cyrus Thou art my Shepheard thou shalt performe all my desire The Magistrate is a shepheard he must do in judgement what God himselfe would do in repressing vice and cherishing religion else the spirit who is not contrary to himselfe leads him not The Minister is a shepheard he must speake nothing but what God would speak for the incouraging of grace and disgrace of sinne and sinners God speakes peace to his people and feeds the impenitent with judgenent and he that in his ministery doth speak sweetly to wicked men and broacheth aÌ„ vessell of gall and wormewood for godly men to drink is not sent by God on that errand he crosseth the spirit which he pretendeth 2. Art thou a private Christian see that the same spirit rest on thee and that thou hast received of the same anointing For 1. he that hath not the spirit is none of Christs and 2. wâ—â—t is it to us that the spirit rest and light upon Christ if he should determine all his fruits and graces upon him But in that the sweete oyntment and Balsame poured upon the head of our high Priest runnes down to the skirt of his garment that is to the lowest member of his Church Psal. 133. 2. hence are we sweetly and admirably refreshed Findest thou emptinesse or want of grace fly to this fullnesse but observe the diverse manner To the head is given the spirit in all fullnesse to us members of that fulnesse Joh. 1. 16. To him beyond all measure to us according to measure II. That Jesus Christ is the right and undoubted King of his Church of whom David was but a shadow And it will be worth our labour to enquire how farre the truth exceeds the type 1. For originall Davids kingdome and all other Kings and kingdomes are mediately from men either from some meane family as Jshais or some greater house in some corner of the earth But the kingdome of Christ is immediately and unchangeably from heaven Dan. 2. 44. the God of heaven shall raise up a kingdome that is immediately for mediately all kingdomes Kings and power is from him 2. In respect of unction All they are anoynted 1. by men 2. with materiall oyle 3. to be temporary Saviours 4. from temporary dangers But Christs anointing was by the Spirit of God with more divine and excellent oyle above all his fellowes Psal. 45. 7. that he might be a spirituall and and eternall Saviour a Jesus saving his people from their sinnes and such spirituall evils as pertaine to the life to come 3. Their titles are stately and glorious David as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said so Caesar Augustus Charles the great Constantine and Alexander the great to set out their glory But all these are nothing to the true and undoubted title of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. And if this were too little he hath another for he is God and man in one Person our Emmanuel a stile too high for Pope or Potentate for men or Angels Isai. 7. 14. 4. Their Scepters are of metal gold or silver which they hold in their hands and by them they save or slay innocent or nocent But his Scepter is but verball which he holds in his mouth the word and breath of his mouth more pure than the gold of Ophir more potent than all the Scepters of all Kings put together By this he slayes the wicked Hos. 6. 5. I slew them with the word of my mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. He shall slay that wicked man of sinne with the breath of his mouth Other Kings by their Scepters can kill men but cannot make them alive againe when they have done but Christ by his word can quicken and make alive dead soules and bodies They by theirs can be dreadfull to men Christ by his drives back devils diseases death and all adversary power 5. In port and state 1. Their banners and ensigns exprese their noble acts and the honourable exployts of them and their progenitors which are glorious in the eyes of men Christs banner for his kingdome of grace is his Crosse or rather the Gospel a doctrine of the Crosse to the world foolishnesse or basenesse but in his kingdome of glory the signe of the sonne of man that is such glory and power as agrees to none else 2. Their servants and attendants must be rich stately noble and the sonnes of great Princes must be nearest to attend them Christ Jesus in contempt of what the world admireth will have his servants poor meek lowly not such losty Lords as so farre excell the Emperour in worldly glory as the Sunne the Moone the Popes ridiculous claime and yet they be Sonnes of God heires of heaven brethren of Christ and of the royalest bloud that ever was 3. When they ride in progresse they shew their state pompe and worldly glory Great Alexander gets upon his Bucephalus Pompey triumphs upon an Elephant Anthony rides upon Lyons Aurelianus upon Harts and Bucks Christ had his kingdome been of this world
2. For undertaking his office 1. In his incarnation he was the first-born of his Mother Matth. 1. 25. till she had broughtforth her first-born Son not in respect of any that his mother had after him but because she had none before 2. For the stranger manner He was the first-born of a virgin and so never had brother 3. He was the first born without sinne 3. For accomplishing his office in his resurrection He is called the first-begotten or first born of the dead two wayes 1. In respect of his Father who first begot him from the dead Whence his resurrection is called a begetting Acts 13. 33. thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee the Apostle applying it to the resurrection of Christ. And had not the Father thus begotten his sonne from the dead we had never been raised from death 2. In regard of himselfe whose priviledge it was to raise up himselfe from the dead by his owne power Rom. 1. 4. As himselfe said I have power to take up my life againe And being risen he was the first that ascended in body and soul into heaven Thus consider Christ as God as Mediator as incarnate as raised and ascended he is the Lords first-born and the birth-right belongs to no other II. The first borne of Israel was the second and next to the father of the family yea after the father instead of the father So is Christ to his family the Church performes all offices of a careful tender father and takes on him not the affection onely of a father but even 1. the name of a father Isa. 9. 6. Father of eternity 2. the office of a father 1. He supplies the meanes of spirituall life as they of naturall 2 He nurtures and teacheth his Church 3. He provides for the present and bestowes the inheritance of eternall life III. The first-born had the preheminence among the brethren and were chiefe in office and authority rulers in the house after their fathers and Priests in the family before the Leviticall order was established Gen. 27. 29. when Isaac blessed Jacob for Esau supposing him the first-born one part of it was Be Lord over thy brethren and let all thy mothers children honour thee So all the sheaves must bow to Josephs And Gen. 49. 8. when Jacob blessed Judah this is added as his right Thy fathers sonnes shall bow down unto thee Herein they were speciall types of Christ who in all things must have the preheminence as first in time in order in precedency first in the excellency and dignity of his person Of whom comming into the world was said Let all the Angels of God worship him And for glory and authority he sits on his fathers throne the onely King of Kings who hath a name above all names Phil. 2. 9. And Heb. 2. 9. we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour the head of the mysticall body the Prince and head of all his brethren And besides he is the high Priest of our profession by offering up himselfe a sacrifice for us Thus Christ is first in order in glory in Priesthood IV. The first-born had a double portion in goods Deut. 21. 17. Signifying 1. The plenitude of the spirit and grace in Christ who was anointed with oyle of gladnesse above all his fellowes 2. The preheminency of Christ in his glorious inheritance advanced in glory and majesty incomprehensible by all creatures I. Out of the occasion of the Law of the first-born learn that the more God doth for any man the more he ought to conceive himselfe to be the Lords and the more right and interest the Lord chalengeth in him For therefore the first-born were his by a speciall right because he had not onely delivered them out of Egypt as others but from the speciall plague of Egypts first-borne Speciall mercies call for speciall service More mercies are more bonds of obedience And new mercies are so many new cords to draw and fasten us to God and duty Is it not reason that the more it pleaseth the Lord to become ours the more we should become his Ought not great benefits become great binders And should not great love be a great load-stone of love Should not strong cords of Gods love draw us strongly to love our God Examine the encrease of Gods mercies on thee in all kindes and whether they have had this fruit to make thee more dutyfull Hath God multiplied blessing on thy head that thou shouldest blesse thy self in wickednesse Hath God continued mercy that thou shouldst continue sinne Art thou the Lords by Creation providence redemption stored with all personall kindnesses pertaining to life and godlinesse to continue a slave to sinne and Satan Remember good Josephs conclusion Gen. 39. 8 9. My master hath dealt thus and thus with me advanced me from nothing to this estate committed all to my trust kept nothing from me but thee How then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God II. If Christ be the true first-born of whom all they are but types we must give him the honour of his birth-right The whole Church and all the sonnes of that mother must honour him all the sheaves of the brethren must vaile and bow to his sheave Let not the basenesse of his birth the humility of his life the ignominy of his death the shame of his crosse the poverty of his professors the weaknesse and frailty of his followers draw our eyes aside from him as the Jewes at this day but acknowledge him the first-born esteeming him as doth the Church the chiefe of ten thousand and with the Apostle esteem to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Question How shall we honour Christ as the first-born Sol. 1. If we honour him with the same honour that is due to the Father Job 5. 23. 2. Advance his estate above our own or other mens confesse and professe his name though with losse and disfavour 3. Depend upon him and make him our chiefe refuge for all the family depended on the first-borne for protection so doe members on the head 4. Grieve to offend him by sinne How pitifully can men women grieve for the death of their first-born So much more should we that our sinns have pierced Gods first-born Zach. 12. 10. III. Here is a ground of much consolation 1. In that Christ being the truth of the first-born from him the birth-right is derived unto us believers as it was from Reuben unto Judah and we partake of the same birth-right with our head For here is a difference between the type and truth of the first-born They had all their priviledges for themselves but Christ not for himselfe but for us Whence his elect members are called the Congregation of the first-born written in heaven that is whose names are written in the book of life And farther the more those first-born had the lesse had the other brethren but the more Christ hath
onely a purifying of the flesh this of the Spirit and conscience 4. That cleansed from legall and bodily pollution this from morall called dead works 1. Because they proceeded from death of sinne 2. Because they lead to eternall death For the explaining of this ordinance consider four things 1. Whence the Cow must be 2. The properties or qualities 3. The actions about her 4. The use and end of it I. All the congregation must bring an heifer to Moses out of the heard 1. All the congregation for not one in the congregation but needs a meanes of purging 2. This meanes must be a Cow not an Oxe or Bull. The imbecillity of the sexe noteth the great humillity of our Lord Jesus who being the mighty Lyon of the tribe of Judah would so abase and weaken himselfe for our sakes 3. They must take her from the heard so our cleanser must be taken from among our selves being true and perfect man taking our nature and our flesh yea our infirmities as the weak sexe importeth in all things save sinne like unto us II. The properties required in this Cow are four 1. She must be an heifer in her youth and strength Christ offers himself and must be taken for a sacrifice in the flower of his strength at three and thirty yeares He offers his best gifts and dies in his strength and so his offering was more free and acceptable And we also should offer up our youth strength best times and gifts to Jesus Christ who offered himselfe in his best strength to death for us 2. The Cow must be red Signifying 1. The truth of Christs humane nature being of the same red earth that the first Adams body was 2. The grievousnesse of sinne which he was to undertake and the scarlet staine of it 3. The bitter and bloudy passion of Christ and his cruell death The red skin of the Cow resembled the red garments of Christ all besprinkled 1. With his own bloud 2. With the bloud of his conquered enemies 3. Presented unto his father like the coat of Joseph all stained with bloud 3. The Cow must be without spot or blemish to signifie the purity of our Lord Jesus in whom was never any spot or staine of sinne Though he was contented to be counted a sinner yet he was no sinner And though he had sinne on himselfe he had none in himselfe as the Cow was slaine for sinne not being sinful Christ was ruddy through his passion yet most white and spotlesse by his most perfect and absolute righteousnesse 4. She must be without yoke on which never yoke came Signifying 1. That Christ not necessarily but voluntarily took our nature that he might free us from our yoke 2. His absolute freedome from all the yoke of sinne farther than he voluntarily undertook the burthen of it 3. That he was never subject to the yoke of humane precepts and commandements being the Law-giver to prescribe Lawes to all not to receive Lawes from any 4. That none could compell him to suffer for sinne but his whole obedience active and passive was a free-will offering he having power to lay down his life and to take it up againe 5. He was more free from the yoke than any red heifer could be She indeed must be free in her selfe He not onely free in himselfe but he must free all believers from the yoke whom the sonne sets free they are free indeed III. The actions about the Cow were five ver 5. 1. Action 1. The Congregation must deliver the Cow to be slaine so was Christ delivered to be slaine by the whole body of the Jewes 2. She must not be delivered to Aaron but to Eleazer his successor signifying that the death of Christ serveth all the successions and ages of the Church and must be taught by the Ministers of all ages 2. Action She must be led out of the Camp and there burnt whole to ashes her skin flesh bloud and dung ver 5. Signifying 1. That Christ must be led out of the gate of Jerusalem to suffer Heb. 13. and there 2. must be crucified by which he was made a whole burnt offering 3. That whole Christ is our comfort his flesh our meat his bloud our drink yea the very base dung of those contumelies cast upon him were a part of his sacrifice offered up in the fire of his passion for us to sweeten and sanctifie ours 3. Action Eleazer must take of the bloud with his finger and sprinkle towards the foreside of the Tabernacle of the assembly seven times vers 4. Signifying 1. The purging of us by the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience 2. That Christs death profits none to whom it is not specially applied for the Cowes bloud must be not shed onely but sprinkled 3. That onely the people and Congregation of God have benefit of the death and bloud of Christ for it was sprinkled directly before the tabernacle 4. The seven times sprinkling noteth 1. That that one oblation hath virtue and merit enough 2. The perfection of justification 3. The need of often application of Christs death 4. The duration of it to all ages 4. Action She must be burnt with Cedar wood scarlet lace and hysope all which must be cast into the fire with her vers 6. Signifying 1. Three things in Christ. 1. The Cedar of uncorrupt life 2. The scarlet of fervent love to mankind 3. The hysop of savoury obedience in all things to his father all which were in all his sufferings and fire of his passion sweetning it 2. They noted three things arising from Christs sufferings 1. Immortality signified by the Cedar which is not subject to putrefaction 2. The scarlet the merit of his bloud applyed to justification 3. The hysope of mortification healing our corruptions aâ— hysope hath a healing quality All these three properly arise from the passion of Christ. 5. Action A clean person must gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them without the Camp in a clean place vers 9. Signifying 1. The buriall of Christ in a cleane and new tombe wherein never man lay a clean place never used before 2. That the merit of Christs death is ever laid before God in the highest and holiest heavens 3. The Christians account of Christs merit and passion who layeth them up as his chiefe treasure in the clean place of a pure heart and conscience an onely fit closet to keep the mystery of faith in IV. The use and end of these ashes was twofold vers 9. 1. They must be kept for the Congregation Signifying that there shall never want supply of grace and merit from the death of Christ to any believer that sees his need of them 2. Of them was made a water of separation thus A clean person took of the ashes of the red Cow burnt and put pure water into a vessell and taking hysope dipped it and sprinkled it upon the tent the persons and vessels and
consumed with fire as the burnt offering was but slaine for the expiation of sinne The use of which was to figure and seale up to the Jews the expiation of their sinnes in Christ. Now Christ is made manifest for the doing away of sinne by the slaine sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. and see vers 28. The burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the whole beast or bird was consumed with fire offered up therein to God for a savour of rest namely to appease and pacifie Gods wrath for some sinne or sinnes committed Which signified that Christ was to be a whole burnt offering and to be wholly consumed in soule and body with the fire of his Fathers wrath that he might be a sweet smelling savour for us He gave himselfe for us a sacrifice and oblation for a sweet smelling savour Neither did the believing Jewes think that God was appeased by any virtue in the burnt-offering but through the eternall sacrifice of Christ shadowed therein 2. What were the ceremonies about these foules for they all pointed at Christ. 1. For the sinne offering of foules the ceremonies are appointed Levit. 5. 8 9. and they be three 1. Rite The Priest must wring the neck of the Dove asunder but not pluck it clean off and the same rite in the burnt-offering The neck must be pincht with the naile of the Priest to let out the bloud but the head must not be pluckt off from the body Signifying 1. That although Christ was to die yet his divinity and humanity should not be severed 2. That the death of this innocent Dove should not interrupt his headship of the Church He was to be pinched to death but his head should not be severed from his body and members which is the Church 3. That Christ should die indeed but no bone of him must be broken Joh. 19. 36. Shadowed also in the Passover 2. Rite The Priest must sprinkle the bloud of the sinne offering upon the side of the Altar vers 9. and the like in the burnt offering Chap. 1. 15. Signifying that all the virtue and merit of Christs bloud for the purging of sinne was drawn from the Altar of his Deity He must be God that must purchase the Church with his bloud Act. 20. 28. and 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ. 3. Rite All the rest of the bloud must be powred out at the foot of the Altar Signifying not onely the powring out of the bloud of Jesus Christ our true sinne offering upon the Altar of the Crosse without which shedding of bloud can be no remission of sinnes but also the bloud powred at the foot of the Altar that is those clots and drops of bloud plentifully flowing from him in his agony before his passion Luke 22. 44. as he was going up to the Crosse. 2. For the Dove appointed for the burnt offering besides the former rites some other are appointed 1. The Priest must pluck out the maw with his feathers and cast them besides the Altar on the East side in the place of the ashes For these were things unclean and signified that Christ should bring no unclean thing to his suffering but present a most spotlesse and holy oblation to the Lord for else had it not been of sweet smell 2. The Priest must divide and cleave the bird with his winges but not asunder signifying Christ who seemed by his death to be burnt extinct and perished for so he was in the esteem of his own disciples as they were going to Emaus but yet he was not quite sundered but rose againe by his own power and ever liveth sitting at his Fathers right hand to make request for us Yea his own words might seem to imply a sundering when he saith Why hast thou for saken me but that the ingemination of his former words my God my God doth strongly prove the contrary 3. This bird must be throughly consumed to ashes to make it a sweet savour to the Lord Levit. 1. 17. signifying that never was any thing so gratefull and acceptable to the Lord as the whole burnt sacrifice of his Sonne in which he smelled a savour of eternall rest To which the Psalmist alludeth Let him smell a savour of all thy oblations and turn thy burnt offerings into ashes Psal. 20. 3. 4. When all these rites were observed the party that was unclean shall be clean Levit. 12. 8. and Chap. 15. 13 28. signifying that a party justified by Christs bloud and exercising true repentance and the study of holinesse and new life is brought in againe into the right and fellowship of God and his people whatsoever his uncleannesse formerly hath been And thus hath the legall cleansing of this person brought us to the Evangelicall in Jesus Christ I. Sundry grounds of consolation to the Church and people of God 1. As Christ seemed clean divided and sundered from his Father from his Church but was not so his members often seem quite sundered from God and all comfort but are not and Ch. 6. 9. A godly man may be in such a streight as David was when thus he brake forth to Jonathan As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth there is but one step between me and death And yet when he can see no passage God makes a passage forth Hence may a Christian with Paul challenge all perills and dangers and contemne them as too weak to separate us from Christ Rom. 8. 39. yea in all things we are not onely conquerours but more than conquerours So was Christ in death and from under the grave more than a conquerour Let a Christian be slain it hinders him not from being a conquerour and what ever he may loose he looseth not the love of God who loveth him to the end whom he once loveth and therefore onely the sound Christian is in a sure estate If sorrow be for a night joy will returne in the morning after darkenesse as sure to see light As Jesus Christ keeps his headship and death cannot sever him quite so the members may be pinched yet not quite off but abide members still 2. As the speciall providence of God watched his own sonne that though he was in wicked hands that wanted no will yet they were kept from breaking one bone of him so doth the same providence watch over his members that howsoever the wicked of the world pinch and presse them yet the promise is made to them Psal. 34. 20. He keeps all their bones not one of them is broken that is without the will of our heavenly Father as Matth. 10. 29. Not an haire shall fall for the same providence watcheth the head and members This consideration is used by Christ to remove excessive fear of men If thou see thine enemies encrease as bees about thee ready to strike and sting Let thy waies please the Lord he can 1. turne their hearts to peace as Esaus to Jacob when he purposed his death and Labans to
humanity then to his divinity and so are knit to his whole person and by him we come to the father 3. The Priest must let the live bird go into the broad field vers 7. Signifying 1. Christs escape and deliverance from death and the power of the grave 2. His exaltation after he was once consecrated his ascending on high and being made higher than the heavens Heb. 7. 26. 3. The publication and manifestation of righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ in the broad and open field of the Church and this in the daily ministery of the Gospel Thirdly concerning the party to whom this cure must be applied The Priest must sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed this bloud seven times Signifying 1. That onely Christ Jesus doth sprinkle his bloud on penitent soules from whom onely they must expect pardon and purging from sinnes 2. That Christs bloud must be particularly applyed to every believer to every thing that is to be cleansed partly by Gods imputation of Christ and his merits to the penitent sinner Partly by his Ministers in the publishing and speciall applying the particular promises to every soule that is weary 3. Seven times sprinkling noteth 1. Perfect justification by the bloud of Christ the number of seven times perfect sprinkling he is able perfectly to save Heb. 7. 23. all that come unto him and needeth no other seeking of other merits to satisfie or justifie 2. To put the unclean person in mind how hardly he parts from his foulenesse and us that it is no easie thing to be rid of sinne 3. How weak and imperfectly our selves apply the bloud of Christ that have need of so many sprinklings to humble us for our weaknesse of faith and slow progresse in sanctification Sect. IX I. All these ordinances and ceremonies in discerning and curing this disease in generall teach us two things I. That it is no small businesse to be rid of the leprosie of the soule and the infection of sinne which was but shadowed in that as that was occasioned by this For whence is bodily leprosie but from leprosie of the soule Or what is it that strikes the body with such contagious sickness but the infection and sicknesse of the soule As in Gehezi Miriam Uzziah Whose bodies were so fouly infected and deformed by the leprosie of the soule and corruption of heart And who sees not how the Lord would lead them and us to take speciall notice hereby of the souls leprosie by sinne in that he committeth the knowledge and discerning of this disease of leprosie to the Priests sending them to the Physitians of their souls and not to the Physitians of their bodies whom one would think it more specially and properly concerned This should admonish us all that if there be so much adoe to get clean bodies clean faces clean skins how great our care and businesse should be to get clean souls the soile of which cleaves not to the skin onely but sticks closer to us than our skin or bones and yet we think every slight sigh or Lord have mercy or three words at our death sufficient to rid us of our sinnes and soules leprosie II. How careful the Lord is to sever the clean from the unclean for fear of generall infection Teaching 1. The Magistrate that as the Lord puts difference between him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath so should they to incourage and countenance the clean person that is the godly and faithfull David set his eyes on the godly in the land not to maligne or wrong them but to cherish their persons and help up religion and the fear of God in them As also to discountenance and terrifie the foule blasphemer the drunkard Sabbath breaker idle persons and gamesters that thrust themselves out of their calling all the week long But if a man by his course shuffle clean and unclean together nay run with the unclean countenance gamesters swearers bibbers how doth he execute the judgements of God 2. A good Minister then stands in the counsell of God when he severs the precious from the vile Jer. 15. 19. The Priest in the Law must pronounce him clean that is so indeed He durst not pronounce a foule person to be clean nor a clean person foule Then how dares a man that stands to judge between the Lord and his people scandalize or scorn such as endeavour most to be clean How comes it that we do not hear drunkards adulterers theeves swearers blasphemers so rated and disgraced as them Or how dare men sell praises of religion to foule Atheists swearers haters and despisers of goodnesse as if men should gild rotten posts or wash dead bricks making them at their death seem as white as lawne who all their life were white as Lepers Well let not the despised members of Christ be discouraged we know that the judgement of Christ shall passe righteously between the cleane and uncleane If thy heart be upright let all men cast the foule brand of an hypocrite on thee Jesus Christ shall pronounce thee clean 3. Every good man must and will be glad of this separation rejoyce in that arbitrement that differenceth cleane and uncleane as most savoury Wicked men can abide nothing lesse than this shedding and differencing of men Whence are so many tumults Oh you are more holy than all other you are the pure ones you are all clean c. but because they have learned a trick to deceive themselves and to hide their foulenesse as they think by crowding all into one confusion Now is that doctrine onely intolerable that fetcheth them out of their holes and casts them out among their uncleane fellowes for whose company they be a great deale fitter than for the society of Saints and beleevers II. Note in speciall 1. In that the Leper must bee sent to the Priest to have his leprosie discerned we see that our Lord Jesus who was typified by the high Priest can discerne our leprosie Thou maist hide thy sinne from man but thou canst not deceive him no idle excuse or fig-leaf can cover thee If he see thee an adulterer a swearer an unjust person a covetous or proud person if he see thee an enemy a prophane person he will judge thee a Leper Thou canst not sin though never so secretly but thou art sure to be discerned and tried by him whose eyes are as a flame of fire And if he judge thee a Leper he will pronounce thee a Leper and thou canst not apeale from but must stand to his judgement What if a man applaud and commend thee for an honest man a good neighbour a just man if He judge thee a Leper What had it been better if all the congregation had taken part with a Leper if the Priest pronounced him uncleane And if he pronounce thee uncleane he will shut thee out of the campe out of the society of God and his Saints till thou beest seasonably cleansed Men may
upon the Crosse wherein the Circumcision of Christ was fully accomplished 3. Was shadowed their duty also that having shed the first fruits of their bloud in Circumcision in obedience to God they should be ready to shed all their bloud for him whom they expected to shed all his bloud for them 3. A distinguishing signe of the Jewes from all other people who were without God without Christ and they onely a chosen seed in that blessed seed in whom all their prerogatives were conferred and established 4. A demonstrative signe 1. Of the naturall sinne and disease of man and therefore it was placed in the generative part to admonish Abraham and his posterity of their uncleannesse for things clean need no Circumcision nor ablution Abraham and his seed must be led out of themselves 2. To demonstrate the cure and remedy by the Messiah to come cleansing our natures two waies 1. By bearing upon himselfe the imputation of our impurities 2. By healing them in us partly by his merit and bloudy death bestowing a perfect righteousnesse upon us partly by his Spirit daily sanctifying and circumcising our hearts thus hath this Sacrament preached Christ unto us Now the observations to make it usefull 1. Take notice of our own estate to humble us both in state of nature and in state of grace 1. In our nature we are all sprung out of a corrupted seed which although we would forget yet the Lord in this Sacrament took care that his people should carry upon their bodies the signe of sinne and death seizing upon their whole nature In place of which comes our Baptisme presently after our birth shewing that a man in his very first frame is filthily polluted and goeth astray even from the womb Psal. 58. 3. Whence also it is called Originall sin 1. Because it hath been from the beginning of the world 2. Because it is the originall and beginner of all sinne in us it is the first of all our sinnes 3. From our beginning even from our conception Psal. 51. I was conceived in iniquity and we from it called the childeren of wrath that is laid under wrath even from our childhood Eph. 2. 3. 2. After grace received see the weaknesse of our faith Abraham the father of the faithfull needed this pledge and seale to support his weak and shaking faith Who can say my faith is strong enough which is ever imperfect in the best who know but in part and believe but in part Why else did the Lord appoint the use of Sacraments to the strongest believers and that all their life long but to put them in mind of the weaknesse of their faith which needeth such continuall props and supports Neither is it marvel that men are so heavy to the reverent receiving of the Sacrament because they see no want no need no benefit of faith they feel not the weaknesse of faith which would breed desire of strength and drive them to the diligent use of the meanes II. If Christ be the truth of Circumcision then every Christian in the new Testament must be circumcised as necessarily as the Jewes in the old And though the ceremony and act of Circumcision be worn out yet the truth of circumcision as neerly belongs to us now a dayes as of old it did unto them In whom we are circumcised through the circumcision of Christ speaking of the Gentiles converted unto Christ. In which words the Apostle plainly distinguisheth between Jewish circumcision and Christian between Legall circumcision and Evangelicall between Moses his circumcision and Christs Here 1. What this Evangelicall circumcision is 2. The difference from Legall 3. The marks and notes of it 4. The motives This Christian Circumcision is described Col. 2. 11. to bee a putting off the sinfull body of the flesh that is in plaine tearmes the mortification of the body of sinnes that are in the flesh For the truth and kernell of Circumcision never stood in the cutting off a piece of skin that was but the shell of it but in cutting off the lusts of the heart life parting from corruptions of nature which rebell against the Spirit And this we have in Christ alone being as farre beyond the Circumcision of the old Testament as the truth useth to excell the type as farre as Christ is beyond Moses or heaven above earth This renovation of mind was 1. Signified by that Ceremony 2. Promised by every Circumcised person The difference between this Evangelicall and that Legall Circumcision is 1. In the efficient That was appointed by God to be made with hands but this is a wonderfull work without hands done by the finger of God himselfe The mortification of sinne is so honourable a work as the hand of man and Angels cannot do it 2. In the subject That was wrought upon the seed of Abraham according to the flesh this onely upon Abrahams seed according to the faith upon believeres and members of Christ. That upon the Jew without this upon the Jew within That upon Ismael as well as Isaac here no Ismaelite is circumcised That was Circumcision of the naturally born and males onely of Jewes onely this is of the supernaturally born againe male or female Jew or Gentile for in Christ all are one 3. In the proper seat That was ceremoniall in the flesh this morall in the heart In that a natural part was wounded in this the very corruption of nature That dealt with flesh in substance this with the body of flesh in quality 4. In the end In that every man was circumcised in himselfe and his bloud shed to fulfill the rite of the Law In this all believers men and women are in Christs bloud once circumcised to fulfil the rigour of the Law 5. In the effect By that the person was received into the society of Gods people according to externall profession by this the sinner is received into inward and eternall fellowship with God and into communion with Gods people 6. In the latitude or extent In that the Priest circumcised in one part of the body in this Christ our high Priest circumciseth the whole man In that one beloved part was cast away with griefe and sorrow in this the whole corruption of nature and all beloved sinnes with no lesse griefe and sorrow of heart for them 7. In the durance and continuance That was temporary but till the coming of Christ who razed the type and raised the truth but this is to continue for ever till the second coming of Christ and is most perfectly finished and consummate in heaven The notes or markes to know inward circumcision attained by Christ are these 1. The party to be circumcised was presented and offered to this ordinance of God as willing and contenttd to part with his flesh and bloud in obedience to God so here thou hast begun thy circumcision if thou hast offered up thy soul body and all a
Because he covered himself with a Serpent when he first stung and deceived mankind 2. He is more subtle than any Serpent crafty to insinuate and deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. 14. 3. As a Serpent dwels and lies among thornes bushes bryars and feeds upon dust so the devill reigns in the thickets and bushes of worldly cares and lusts and feeds upon worldings exercising his chief power against them 4. As a Serpent casts out of his mouth venome and poyson so the devill casts out nothing but virulent words against God and his Saints and spewes out after the Church a flood of poyson to drown her How he blasphemed Job how he is the accuser of the brethren how of the head Christ himself the Scripture declares 5. As a Serpent is cursed above all beasts so is the devill The first cursed creature in the world was this Serpent and hath ever since remained the cursed head of all cursed rebels and wicked ones to whose custody and condemnation they shall all be gathered in the last day Mat. 25. 41. goe yee cursed c. 2. Why called fiery Serpents Answ. 1. From their colour Through abundance of poyson they had a shining and glistering skinne and they seemed as if they had been made of fire A resemblance we have in our Snakes that seem to shine and sparkle against the Sun 2. From their effect For with their sting they infused such poyson into the bodies of the Israelites as stirred up in them an outragious heat and fire Now these diseases are most painful and so tormentful as if a wild-fire were in the bowels feeding upon the bones marrow and members 3. From their end 1. Because they were appointed by God and after a sort inflamed and kindled with desire of revenge of the Lords wrongs and they so fiercely assaulted the Israelites as if a raging and devouring fire had seised upon them which no way they could avoid 2. That in their punishment they might be admonished both what a fearful fire of Gods wrath they had kindled by their sin against themselves as also that they had deserved a more fearful fire in hell to seize upon their whole man everlastingly 3. Why stinging Serpents Answ. To imply unto us 1. That sin is the sting of this old Serpent even a poysoned sting that he hath thrust into all mankind But with this difference in that this poyson is far more general and the wounds infinitely more mischievous than were those of the fiery Serpents For 1. They stung a few Israelites but not all but this Serpent hath stung all mankind none excepted 2. They stung the bodies onely but these souls and bodies also 3. They stung one part of the body this Serpent all parts and whole man 4. They to a temporal death this to an eternal 2. To imply that sin is the sting of a fiery Serpent 1. Set on fire with wrath and cruelty and desire to poyson and destroy us Rev. 12. 17. 2. Setting on us with fiery darts For so his temptations are called Ephes. 6. 16. for three reasons 1. From the manner and custome of souldiers in times past which cast poysoned darts the poyson of which inflamed the wounded bodies and made the wounds incurable As now many out of desperate malice poyson their weapons and bullets to make sure with their enemy So doth Satan by all meanes poyson his darts to speed the Christians soul. 2. Because as fiery darts they inflame and kindle in the heart all manner of burning lusts and sinnes one of them being but as a spark or firebrand to kindle another 3. Because they leave for most part a cauterized and seared conscience behind them as if they were burnt with an hot iron which makes the sinner stung senslesse of his wound Whence is another miserable difference between the stung Israelite and the stung sinner The former was alwayes felt with grief and pain but this often not felt and so more desperate 3. The effect of this stinging was death in many And so the effect of sin is death in all The stung Israelite had death in his bosome and no other could be expected so the guilty sinner is stung to death In his nature is every man the son of death and can expect nothing but death every moment And as the stung person in the wildernesse had no meanes in himself nor from others to avoid either the Serpent or death from it till God appointed them the brazen Serpent So the poor sinner was destitute of all help in himself and others till the Lord appointed Jesus Christ the promised seed to break the Serpents head There is given no name else whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. First Note hence how deceitful are the pleasures of sin It is as a sweet poyson Job 20. 12. sweet in the mouth but poyson in the bowels What wise man would drink a draught of poyson for the sweet taste of it Wicked men hold sin as a sweet morsel but sour sauce follows it Secondly What little cause we have to love our sinnes for that is to love our own bane Prov. 8. 35. He that sinneth against me hurteth his own soul and all that hate me love death No sin but the more pleasing the more poysoning the more delicate the more deadly Sin never so much disguised never the lesse deadly Thirdly That sinners are but dead men while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. An Israelite stung was but a dead man So although the reasonable soul in a sinner makes him a man yet the want of the Spirit of grace makes him a dead man Death waits upon sin as the wages on the work and hell upon death that comes before repentance Fourthly A fool he is that makes a mock of sin Who would play with a deadly Serpent or make a jest of his own death or drink up the poyson of a Serpent in merriment or cast darts and fire-brands about him to burn himself and others and say Am I not in sport See Prov. 26. 18. and 10. 23. and 14. 9. Oh that we could discern our wounds as sensibly as we are certainly stung It would make us run to God and get Moses to goe to God for us and pray that these Serpemts and painful wounds might be removed If we saw death as present and as ghastly in our sins as Israel did in their stinging we would hasten our repentance and seek after meanes of cure Sect. II. The Remedy is First prescribed Numb 21. 8. Secondly applied vers 9. Thirdly in the same verse is the effect they recovered and lived So then in the Remedy are 1. Ordination 2. Application 3. Sanation or Cure I. The appointing hath First the person appointing which was God himself who devised it and prescribed it to Moses for God will save onely in his own meanes So God himself so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 16.
This way of remedy and cure could be no devise of man nor Angel For 1. The Angels stand still admiring and amazed at it 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2. Men without a superior teacher cannot conceive it 1 Cor. 2. 14. much lesse invent it Secondly The thing appointed a Serpent of brasse resembling Christ in the matter and the form 1. The matter was of Brasse not Gold for five reasons 1. God ties not himself to the excellency of meanes but by weak and unlikely meanes effects his great works And therefore that which had no power of cure in it self must cure and heal that the work may be known to be his and not the meanes 2. The lower and baser the meanes are the better may the Israelites be led through them and so beyond them It was not the will of God that they should rest in the brazen Serpent which had no power of cure but through it be led by faith unto the Messiah who onely could cure them 3. Though it was of brasse yet it was strong and signified Jesus Christ how weak soever in mens eyes yet was he First the mighty and strong God Secondly powerful and able to deliver his people Thirdly most invincible and potent also against all his enemies he is a wall of brasse and his strength is as the strength of brasse Rev. 1. 15. 4. Being of brasse as it was strong so was it shining and bright signifying Christ in respect of his divine and eternal generation truly shining and glorious He was the brightnesse of his Father Heb. 1. 3. the very brightnesse of the glory of God excelling all the Angels in heaven in their clearest glory and brightnesse Rev. 1. 16. 5. As that Serpent so shined that the Israelites might look upon it and their eyes not dazled so this great glory was so veiled by his flesh and humility as we the Israel of God might behold it yea approach it and fetch our salvation and happinesse from it 2. It resembled Christ in the form for the form was of a Serpent 1. A Serpent is of an hateful and contemptible shape and appearance so was Christ in his own habit Isai. 53. a despised man a worm rather than a man men saw no beauty in him but hid their eyes 2. The Serpent was accursed of God so Christ lay under the curse of sin for us Gal. 3. 13. 3. That was but like a Serpent in the form of a Serpent not a Serpent it had onely the shape not the life sting nor poyson of a Serpent So Jesus Christ was the similitude of sinful flesh but no sinner No venome or poyson of sin was found in him neither in his nature nor actions Rom. 8. 3. he was in the similitude of sinfull flesh as that of a Serpent but without all sting or spot of sin The third thing in the appointment is the end or use of the Serpent It must be lift up upon a pearch that all Israel might see it Which plainly noteth both the kind of death which Christ must suffer as also the proper end and vertue of it as in these particulars 1. Both must be lifted up So Christs crucifying is called an exaltation from the earth Joh. 12. 32. 2. Both must be exalted upon wood the Pole a type of the Crosse of Christ. 3. Both among the Jewes out of the Church is no salvation 4. Both to be looked upon one with the eye of the body the other with the eye of faith 5. Both to recover health and life one of body the other of soul one frees from corporal death the other from spiritual and eternal II. The applying of this remedy was nothing but the looking upon the brazen Serpent which signified the sinners beholding of Jesus Christ for his cure The meanes of application of the remedy was the eye of the Israelite So the instrument of applying the remedy by Jesus Christ is the eye of faith which is the eye of the soul. So our Saviour Christ himself expoundeth it Joh. 3. As the brazen Serpent was lift up so shall the Son of man that whosoever believeth in him c. That which Moses calls looking on the type Christ calls believing in himself the truth Which if the Lord had not purposed to expresse he could as easily have removed the Serpents as appointed the making of another and as easily have healed them by his word as by this sign but hereby affords them a double mercy and cure one of the body by the sign another of their soules by the thing and truth thereby signified III. From this application follows a saving effect The Israelite by looking lived and received present ease with freedome from pain and poyson So the believer looking on Christ by the eye of faith hath an heavenly life restored present ease from the pain of a guilty and accusing conscience freedome from the poyson of sin both the guilt and stain of it But herein the truth is advanced above the type 1. That brazen Serpent had not power in it self to cure this hath power in it self 2. Whereas they were cured to dye again believers attain a sound cure never to dye more Joh. 11. 26. 3 Whereas that did not alwayes retain the vertue of curing our brazen Serpent doth ever retain power and vertue for the salvation of believers looking towards him to the end of the world 4. Whereas this brazen Serpent now a remedy against poyson was after turned to poyson the Israelites in Hezekiahs time which made him stamp it to powder our brazen Serpent ever remaineth the soveraign and healing God as unchangeable in his goodnesse as he is in his most holy and divine nature 5. That remained a great while about seven hundred and threescore yeares but after was defaced and destroyed Our brazen Serpent can never be defaced or destroyed but abides the Saviour of sinners to all eternity Oh now what a sweet Sermon doth this one type contain of the whole sum and marrow of the Gospel what a pregnant testimony and vaticinie is it alone of the death and passion of Jesus Christ as also of the vertue and merit of the same and consequently what a prop and stay of our faith what a goade and spurre to drive us to Jesus Christ in whose name alone we can be saved Sect. III. I. Note What weak unlikely and contrary meanes the Lord useth to effect great things for his Church and in his Church Was there any sence or reason to be conceived in all this counsel and ordinance of God in healing thus his people 1. Could a Serpent of brasse a shape onely more heal than hurt them 2. Could a dead Serpent prevail against so many living and fiery Serpents 3. Shall not this shape and image of a Serpent be so much as touched or applied to the wound but the sight of it onely afar off cure a mortal wound really inflicted How inconceivable is this to humane
brazen Serpent though he had no reason for it And the people having a word of commandement and promise shut the eye of their reason and open the eyes of their faith and by beholding this shape of a Serpent were cured and found life restored not by a thing having life but by a dead thing Learn how the eye of faith must shut up the eye of our reason and having a word of God look confidently upon it be it never so unreasonable or improbable There be four things which a man shall never attain till the eye of his faith close up the eye of his reason 1. He shall never attain the true knowledge of divine things Gods wisdome hath no greater enemy than humane wisdome not sanctified No men hardlier nor seldomer converted than worldly wise men as the Scriptures which say not many wise and experience shews daily What wiser men in the world than the Philosophers and Stoicks of Athens but when Paul came to dispute among them of doctrine of religion he was called a babler Act. 17. 18. What will this babler fay and reasoning among them of the resurrection he was derided and mocked verse 32. Was not Festus a wise man and a prudent Governour and yet when Paul preached to him no other things than Moses and the Prophets had foretold of those sufferings death and resurrection Festus tells him too much learning had made him mad Acts 26. 24. John 9. 6. Christ to cure a blind man tempered clay and spittle together and applyed it to his eyes and bids him goe to Siloe A remedy likelier to put out a mans eyes than to recover sight There was no reason in the earth of the remedy but onely to try whether the blind man did constantly believe Yet if the blind man had not wholly resigned himself to Christ and shut up his own reason had not he acknowledged Christ able to doe what he would by what he would and to be the same God who at first put all sences into a piece of clay and now by a piece of clay would recover his sence he had never seen but remained blind still So every naturall man born as blind as he in spiritual things till he wholly submit himself and subdue his reason to the meanes appointed shall never see any thing to salvation but a bide in natural blindnesse still What hope hath he to be taught by the Spirit that must give lawes to the Spirit of God or what a short â—et-wand is natural reason to measure divine things by 1 Cor. 1. 21. and 1 Cor. 2. 14. Why else did these Jews esteem the doctrine of the Gospel scandal but that reason of flesh would not nor could behold life and glory in such a base life and ignominious death as Christs was nor could hold him the Messiah who was made a curse upon the Crosse as if he had been crucified through infirmity and this vail as to them remaineth at this day unremoved And why was Christ foolishnesse to the Grecian but that reason would not yeild that life should be fetched out of death or salvation to be sought in curse and malediction 2. He that shuts not the eye of reason can never attain faith There be six things which a man cannot believe so long aâ— he sticks to natural reason First He cannot believe the Word of God nor depend upon but scorn the Ordinances of God in the Word preached and Sacraments administred which is the visible word Reason unrenewed cares not for this foolishnesse of preaching 1 Cor. 1. 21. And to a carnal man the threatnings of God are like Lots warning to his kinsmen he was as one that mocked or jested A promise to a carnal heart is as tastelesse as the white of an egge The wiser men are the further off they are from believing in a crucified God or conceiving that by the foolishnesse of preaching God will save such as believe Flesh and bloud revealeth nothing Secondly He cannot believe the main promises of God which cannot be comprehended but by the eye of faith and not by that till the eye of reason be shut up God hath promised his presence favour and love with his children how can reason conceive the truth of this promise seeing them in hunger thirst wants hearing them reviled slandered disgraced observing them cast out of companies and societies as refuse and out-sweeping that were their hopes here onely they were of all men most miserable Reason will not be perswaded that God can send us by hell to heaven yet that is his promise Humane reason will never pray My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How could Abraham have believed the promise of a son by Sarah had he looked to natural reason Thirdly He cannot believe the main Articles of faith that hath not resigned up his reason Example Reason will not believe an happy resurrection seeing the body raked up in dust and corruption but denies this Article Reason cannot conceive or believe an eternal life because it sees it not given but to dead men It cannot apprehend how the Son of God should become the son of man or that this Son of man was born of a Virgin without man And so of the rest Fourthly He cannot believe the miracles of Scripture for confirmation of Gods truth and our faith Natural reason cannot believe that the Sun ever stood still as in Gibeah much lesse went back ten degrees as in Hezekiahs time 2 King 20. 11. Or that fire should descend which naturally ascendeth and feed upon water contrary to nature as at Elias prayer 1 King 18. 39. Or that fire should rain down as on Sodome which is proper to water Or that fire should not burn the three children Or that water should stand as a wall as in the Red sea and in the river Jordan whose property is to be fluid Fiftly He cannot believe the work of creation if he will believe reason the universal consent of which is That of nothing nothing can be made and not anything much lesse all things out of nothing To reason therefore it will be incredible that there should be light before the Sun or fruits before any rain as in the Creation Heb. 11. 3 By faith we know not by reason that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which doe appear Sixtly He cannot believe the great work of Redemption For natural reason thinks it unreasonable that the life of the Church can be fetched out of the death of Christ. That a man can be justified by the imputed righteousnesse of another and yet there dwell so many sinnes in him Reason will not believe that one man can recover life by anothers death no more than one man can live by anothers soul or be wise by anothers learning or be cured and brought to health by anothers disease 3. So long as the eye of reason is open a
humbled heart will not so lose his time nor dwell in toyes and unnecessaries to thrust out things more profitable A wise heart will not for a shadow forgoe the substance but will be much in that question of the young man Master what may I doe to inherit eternall life what may I doe to be saved what may I doe to be rid of this Serpent and of that of this sin and of that How may I doe to get mastery of my corruptions In going to Gods Ministers let thy errand be the same with the Israelites in their going to Moses how to be rid of the Serpents 4. Moses directs them to the brâ—zen Serpent erected for their cure for Moses himself cannot help them Moses law cannot cure them that rather sharpens the sting and thrusts it deeper into the flesh and spirit He directs them to no merits or works of their own to cure them for their merits brought in those poysoned stings among them but he sends them quite out of themselves to Gods ordinance which was the brazen Serpent Thou art never in the way of cure till thou art sent out of thy self out of the Law and works of it which now cannot justifie till thou comest to the Evangelical brazen Serpent there is no hope of cure As the Israelite could never be cured till he acknowledged the brazen Serpent the onely meanes so no more canst thou till thou acknowledge Jesus Christ the onely healing God and that there is no other name in heaven or earth to be saved by but the name Jesus Onely Christ onely Christ said that Martyr for he onely can give a perfect righteousnesse he onely can cover our imperfections he onely being no sinner could conquer sin he onely by dying could conquer death he onely by entring into the grave could sweeten it he onely by sustaining the sorrows of hell could shut hell for all believers Had Moses sent the Israelites any whither but to the brazen Serpent he had deluded them and they had lost all their labour Who now is so void of judgement that cannot discern whether our Religion or the Roman be the antient and true Religion of Moses and the people of God If a man stung with the Serpent come to us for counsel and cure as they to Moses we send him as Moses out of himself to Christ onely the true brazen Serpent Our doctrine leads him out of himself out of his own merits out of external works and ceremonies unto Christ who is our peace and left his peace unto believers and by this meanes through Gods blessing the Patient attaines true tranquility of mind and inward peace of conscience and rejoyceth with an unspeakable and glorious joy for his recovery as the Israelites did in theirs But let a man stung in conscience goe to a Roman teacher he leads him any way but the right any whither so not to Christ. Instead of Gods certain direction in the words of the Prophets and Apostles which testifie of Christ the onely brazen Serpent they send him to unsound and uncertain speculations fables traditions equal say they to Scripture and some of them say far better Instead of Christs satisfaction and merit they send him home to his own merits and satisfactions by which say they he may apply the satisfaction and merit of Christ. But in case he be so bad as he have no merits of his own the Church hath a Treasury of other mens merits to dispense by taile so he will come to the price So he may buy oyle enough to fill his lamp out of the Popes Exchequer or Burse filled to the top with works of supererogation But if he make some scruple of this least the wise Virgins have not enough for themselves and others then they may have the sacrifice of the Masse not to fail but never apply that one and onely sacrifice upon the Crosse it self Now whether of us agree with Moses 5. As the Israelite must look up to the Serpent lifted up so must thou look up and behold Christ lifted up This must thou doe two wayes First on the wood of the Crosse Secondly on the Throne of the Kingdome both of grace and glory Behold Christ lifted up not in his abasement onely but in his advancement First in the Kingdome of grace as he is lifted up in the Word and Sacraments In which Christ is mightily declared the Son of God and preached the Saviour of the world Gal. 3. 1. among whom Christ was crucified Secondly in his Kingdome of glory raised from the dead ascended into heaven and exalted at the right hand of God above all principalities and powers Phil. 2. 9. God hath given him a Name which is above every name Now the looking on Christ thus lifted up is the act of faith not a bare intuition sight or vision as to believe that Christ was thus exalted on the Crosse and in his Kingdome but it is apprehensive and applicatory and to believe in Christ crucified and glorified This looking hath three things in it 1. To believe that he was the Son of God and son of man our Immanuel 2. That he being so was lift up for the salvation of believers 3. That my self assuredly trust and depend on him alone as the onely author meritour and bestower of salvation This is Evangelical looking on the Serpent Now because this looking is the principal thing in the cure we will consider 1. How this looking cures us 2. How we know we are cured by our looking 3. Motives to stir us up still to look on our Serpent Sect. VII I. When the Israelite comes to Moses and asketh Oh what shall I doe to be saved from death being so deadly stung A full answer to this question was goe look upon the brazen Serpent thou shalt be whole So if an humble soul suppose the Jaylor shall come to the Minister as Paul or Silas Sirs what may I doe to be saved the direct answer to this question is Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 31. and yee are saved by faith and Thy faith hath made the whole Quest. But how doth faith save us Answ. Not as it is an excellent grace nor as any work of ours We are not saved and cured for believing but by believing 1. Because faith is the condition of the Covenant and of our cure as looking was the condition of the cure of the Israelite For it was not the having of a Brazen Serpent nor the lifting it up could cure but the Israelites looking upon it so it is not the hearing of Christ nor the lifting of him up in the Ministery nor knowledge of his merits can save unlesse they be received by faith A potion never so vertuous is fruitlesse if not taken As meat uneaten so is Christ not digested and applyed by faith 2. Faith cannot cure considered simply in it self as a quality or vertue or gift or