the King Others say that there was some kinde of government though much shattered and broken till the time when the City was destroyed but granting this it is evident as I shewed before that the City was utterly destroyed and the people reduced into a Roman Colony and the very face of a Common-wealth utterly abolished amongst them well nigh 1600 years ago And therefore we may firmly conclude that the Messiah is long since come Fourthly 4 Argument I argue from the breaking and decay of the fourth Monarchy spoken of by Daniel the Prophet Nebuchadnezzar in his dream saw an Image whose Head was of gold the breast and arms of silver Dan. 2. the belly and thighs of brass the legs of iron the feet part of iron and part of clay In this Image were represented to the King the Governments that should be in the World The Head of gold did signifie the Babylonian or Assyrian Monarchy vers 38. which was a very glorious Kingdom after which succeeded the Kingdom of the Medes Persians when Cyrus the Persian overcame and slew Belshazzar the last of the Assyrian Kings this was also a great Kingdom but came as far short of the glory of the Assyrian Kingdom as silver comes short of the worth of Gold and it is compared to two Arms Ver. 39. because there were two Nations joyned the Medes and Persians After this arose a third Monarchy viz. of the Grecians when Alexander the great conquered Darius Ver. 39. the last King of the Persians this was the thigh of Brass After this it is said that a fourth Kingdom should arise Ver. 40. which should be a very strong Kingdom and therefore is compared to legs of Iron Now whereas the King saw that a Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands Ver. 44. should break to pieces all this Image and afterward grow to a great Mountain he saith that in the dayes of these Kings that is the Kings which should be of the fourth Monarchy The God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom which never shall be destroyed and it shall break in pieces all those Kingdoms and consume them and it self shall stand up for ever This is understood of the Kingdom of the Messiah who is compared to a Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands Isa 28.16 Christ is called by the Prophet a Stone and he is said to be cut out without hands that is say some he was conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin without the help of a man But others and perhaps more probably think this to belong to the Kingdom of the Messiah which should be set up or propagated not by the power and policy of man as other Kingdoms were but by the Almighty power of God alone This Kingdom of the Stone we see was to begin in the time of the fourth Monarchy Now what this fourth Monarchy was is variously interpreted but which interpretation soever we imbrace this Argument will be sufficiently cogent When Alexander the Great was dead Josephus Antiq. Sir Walt. Rawley his Dominions and Kingdoms fell into divers mens hands Antigonus was Lord of Asia Seleucus of Babylon and the bordering Nations Lysimachus had Hellespont Cassander Macedon and Ptolemy the son of Lagus held Egypt After a while these five Kingdoms were reduced into two viz. The Syrian Kingdom which was called the Kingdom of the Seleucidae and the Fgyptian Kingdom called the Kingdom of the Ptolemies and these some take to be the legs of Iron and the feet part of Iron part of Clay But according to this computation the fourth Monarchy was gone somewhat before the birth of Christ for Cleopatra who was the last Queen of Egypt was overcome by Octavius Caesar divers years before Christ was born Others say that this fourth Kingdom was the Roman Monarchy which had ten Toes that is so many Forms of Government Now in the time of this Monarchy Christ was born viz. in the days of Augustus Caesar It is an Observation of a Learned man that M. Legh ver 35. there is a two-fold Kingdom of the Messiah described first the Kingdom of the Stone and then the Kingdom of the Mountain The Stone shall first break in pieces the Gold the Silver the Brass the Iron and Clay and then grow up into a Mountain That is Jesus Christ when he shall come shall break in pieces all those 4 Monarchies and afterward his Kingdom shall fill all the Earth And so we know that while the Roman Kingdom stood in its strength the Kingdom of Christ was but small it was then the Kingdom of the Stone but afterward it became a Mountain the Doctrine of the Gospel then spread into all the world while the Roman Emperors flourished the most of them persecuted the servants of Christ and endeavoured to hinder the Promulgation of the Gospel but afterward when their power was cut short the Kingdom of Christ flourished The sum of the Argument is this There were four Monarchies to be erected by the God of Heaven in the world In the dayes of the fourth Monarchy Christ was to be born and his Kingdom set up Now whether we take this fourth Monarchy for the Successors of Alexander the Great or for the Romans both these are long since decayed and therefore surely the Messiah is come in the flesh Fifthly 5 Argu. I argue from the exspiring of the seventy weeks Dan. 9.24 to the end spoken of in Dan. 9.24 to the end of the Chapter which you may read at your leasure It is generally agreed upon that this is a Prophecy concerning the time of the birth of the Messiah and concerning his death and the end for which he was to die and the Text speaks plainly that these weeks were determined to finish transgression and to make an end of Sin and to maze reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness now this can be done by no other but by him that was the Saviour of the world Yea the name Messiah is twice mentioned so that undoubtedly this is a Prophesie concerning the coming of the Messiah Now as to what is meant by the Seventy weeks it is thus agreed upon that every day â—â—es for a year so that seventy weeks are â—eventy times seven years that is 400 and 90 years and it is said Vers 25. that the beginning of these seventy weeks should be from the going forth of the Commandment to restore and build Jerusalem Now here lyes the great difficulty when this time was for the Jews had four several times Commandment to build the City and the Temple Ezra 1.1 2. The first was from Cyrus in the first year of his reign The second from Darius the son of Hystaspis after it had been some time hindred by Cambyses Ezra 6. The third was given to Ezra by Artaxerxes Longimanus Ezra 7.12 Neh. 2. The fourth last was given to Nehemiah who was Butler to
and to the end of his coming into the world viz. to take away the sins thereof 4. The greatest and most Authentick Testimony that can be defired or imagined is that of the Father from Heaven concerning him This is my well beloved Son Mat. 3.17 Chap. 17.5 in whom I am well pleased That he was truly man was evident to those that were about him that he was God was evident by the Testimony of God himself who is the God of Truth 5. The passages of his life upon Earth doth shew him to be both truly God and truly Man His hungring and thirsting his weariness and faintness his sighing and weeping and such other fruits of humane infirmity were sufficient Arguments to prove him to be truly man And all the miraculous works of his Power which he wrought upon earth of which I have spoken before as they shew him to be the Messiah Isa 35.5 6. that was foretold by the Prophets of whom it was foretold that he should work such miracles so also that he was truly God Joh. 5.36 as himself argues 6. The Testimony of the Evangelists and Apostles doth confirm this Of St. Peter Mat. 16.16 Acts 2.36 Chap. 3.17 18. and Chap. 4.11 12. and Chap. 10.43 1 Pet. 1.19 20. Of St. Paul Acts 9.22 and Chap. 13.23 34. Rom. 15.8 2 Cor. 1.10 2 Tim. 2.8 Of St John 1 John 2.22 and Chap. 5.2 15. Of St. Stephen the Proto-martyr Acts 7.52 Of St. Philip Acts 8.32 And many more Instances of this sort might be alledged but these are some of the chief 7. The general consent of the Catholick Church of Christ in all Ages ever since the time of Jesus and his Apostles who have held this Truth and made it a main Article of all their Creeds The concurrence of all Pious and Orthodox Fathers and Councils beside the chearful and undaunted sufferings of many thousands of Martyrs for the Profession of this Faith This I say together with the former Testimonies do argue this foundation of our Faith to be laid as so sure a Rock that The gates of Hell Mat. 16.18 shall never be able to prevail against it and that we may comfortably venture our selves upon this Truth that the same Jesus in whom we believe is both Lord and Christ God and Man Hypostatically united Secondly Let us proceed to the other Head viz. to prove that Christ did fully and in a true and proper sense make satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins And that Salvation is to be expected from him and no other way 1. It is very evident that the Apostles in the New Testament do affirm us to be reconciled to God and justified in his fight by the merits and sufferings of Christ Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Which as it shews plainly that there was an enmity between God and man through the Fall and this enmity mutual God offended by mens transgression and man alienated from God by the depravation of his Nature So it shews whereby the Reconciliation was wrought between God and man even by the death of Christ the Son of God who did both by the merits of his death satisfie Gods justice and also by the efficacy of his Death and Resurrection take from us the stony heart and give us an heart of flesh And it is very observable Vers 19. how afterward the Apostle makes a direct Antithesis between the first and the second Adam the misery that befel us by the transgression of the first and the benefits we receive by the obedience and sufferings of the latter As by one mans disebedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Which words as they do suppose the Communication of the guilt of Adams sin to all his posterity whereby they are said to be made sinners and liable to Gods justice So they do plainly express the benefits of Christ's death to be communicated to the justification of as many as do believe in him And what can be a plainer proof of the point in hand Secondly The New Testament speaks of the blood of Christ being shed to make an attonement for us Phil. 2.8 Being found in fashion of a man having taken our Nature upon him and set himself in our stead in this nature and in our stead He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross And that we may know that he died for us shed his blood to make attonement to Divine Justice for our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 St. John tells us That the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 1 Pet. 2.24 cleanseth us from all our sins And St. Peter tells us That by his stripes we are healed Not healed only in a moral sense as good examples tend to heal and take away corrupt manners as if Christ had come into the world onely to give us an example of Holiness in his life and of Humility and Patience at his death and that were all the benefit which we were to expect by him But we are so healed by his stripes that our sins are thereby pardoned being punished on his back He suffered the just for the unjust to the end that he might justifie the ungodly that believe in him So himself tells us Luk. 22.20 that his blood was shed for many for the remission of sins He died that he might purchase at Gods hands the pardon of our sins by undergoing that punishment which we had deserved To this agrees that Character which the Baptist gives of Christ Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world This sheweth plainly that he was slain and offered up as a Propitiatory sacrifice to expiate the guilt of our sins 3. The New Testament sets him forth as the Substance of all the Legal purifications and ceremonial Oblations and Expiations which were used by the Law of Moses And this argues that he made an Attonement for us Certainly the great God of Heaven and Earth did not take their Cattel from the Jews because he had need of them or because he delighted in shedding the blood of innocent Beasts that were no wayes accessary to the sins of their Masters But we have reason to believe there were further matters intended by these Ceremonies of the Law God did appoint these Ceremonial washings and expiations after legal defilements that the people might be put in mind of the defiling nature of sin and might be warned to take heed of it as that which defiles the soul and accordingly might endeavour after they had fallen into it to wash their souls with tears of Repentance and Contrition He charged their Estates and caused them to sacrifice their Cattel that they might learn that Sin is very displeasing to God and did expose them to that and a worse death then the innocent beast did sustain And yet further to put
conceive and bear a Son c. The Jews of late have endeavoured to evade the force of this Text by corrupting it telling us that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render a Virgin doth onely signifie a Woman but this as it doth offer great violence to the word here used so also to the scope of the Text and Context For the words are spoken as a signe to Ahaz Now what signe or wonder would it have been to tell them that a Woman should conceive or bear a Son But for a Virgin to conceive and yet continue a Virgin still that is a wonder and fit to be given as a Signe Now this also was fulfilled in that Jesus in whom we believe as the Scripture shew Mat. 1.18 The Angel of God came to a Virgin whose name was Mary and told her Behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb c. and when She asked Luk. 1.34 35. How can this be seeing I know not a man It was answered The Holy Ghost shall come upon Thee and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow Thee c. 3. The Messiâ—h was to be born in Bethlehem Thou Bethlehem Ephrata Mic. 5.2 though thou be mean amongst the Tribes of Israel yet out of thee shall he come forth who shall be Ruler of my people The Jews were sensible of this and therefore the Scribes and Elders directed the Wise-men thither Mat. 2. Luk. 2. and cite this place of the Prophet for it Now Jesus was born there and it is the more observable because of that Providence which brought Joseph and the blessed Virgin hither without any thoughts of him that called them thither 4. It was foretold that the Messiah should have John Baptist to go before him Behold I will send my Messenger before thy face Mal. 3.1 which shall prepare thy way before thee and then The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his Temple And elsewhere Isa 40.3 he is called the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight Now Jesus in whom we believe had John Baptist to be born six months before him Luk. 1. Mal. 3. and he is said to begin a little before Jesus began to Preach and he Taught in the Wilderness of Judea the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sin Mark 1.1 2. And it is observable how St. Mark begins his Gospel as it were taking at these Prophesies of Isaiah and Malachy The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is written in the Prophets Behold I send my messenger before thy face c. 5. The Prophet fortold that when the Messiah should come he should confirm his Doctrine by many and great Miracles Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened Isa 35.5 6. and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing Now Jesus did confirm his Doctrine with these and many other Miracles as I have shewed But to apply his Miracles particularly to this Prophesie He opened the eyes of the blind Matt. 9.27 he unstopped the ears of the deaf Mar. 7.32 he made the lame to walk Matt. 15.30 and the dumb to speak Matt. 9.32 6. It was foretold that the Messiah should enter into Jerusalem in a kinde of a triumphant manner That they should cry to him Hosanna Zech. 9.9 Psal 118.25 26. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. For the word Hosanna signifies Save we beseech thee and in the Original of that place of the Psalm the word Hosanna is used And this also was fulfilled in Jesus Christ as you may see at large Mat. 21. 7. It was foretold that he should be betrayed by one of his own Servants As David in his own person speaketh Psal 41.9 Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted who did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me Zech. 11.13 And that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver with which thirty pieces the potters field should be purchased Now this was exactly fulfilled in Jesus for Judas one of the twelve went to the Chief-priests and said What will ye give me Mat. 26.14 15. and I will deliver him unto you and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver with which after Judas in remorse of conscience had restored it Mat. 27.7 8 9. they consulted together and bought the Potters field to bury strangers in And whereas there may be some scruple here in that the Greek cites Jeremy the Prophet when the words are not to be found in him but in Zechariah for the resolving of this see Junius in Parallelis Doctor Hammon in loc and other Commentators 8. It was foretold that the Messiah should suffer death Isa 53.12 vers 5. that he should pour out his soul unto death that he should be numbred with transgressors that he should be scourged to the end Psal 22.17 that by his stripes we might be healed That he should be crucified I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me this crucifying was such a torment as did as it were put all his bones out of joynt That he should be mocked by his enemies as he hanged upon the Cross vers 7.8 Psa 69.21 Psal 22.19 That he should have vinegar mingled with gall given him to drink That they should divide his Garments among them and cast lots upon his Vesture Now these things were all fulfilled in Jesus Christ as we may see if we consult the story of his death in the Evangelists and in particular Mat. 27.15 26 34 35 38 39. 9. It was foretold that the Messiah should rise again from the dead the third day That when he had made his soul an offering for sin Isa 53.11 he should see his seed and prolong his days And some take those words in Hosea to foretel his rising the third day Hos 6.4 After two days he will revive us and the third day we shall live in his sight That he should ascend into Heaven Psal 68.19 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men And some take that other place to be a prophesie of the same Psal 24.4 5. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye ever lasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Now this also was fulfilled in Jesus Christ Matt. 28.1 who rose again from the dead the third day and ascended into heaven before divers witnesses Mar. 16.19 Lastly it was foretold that the Mesliah should be God as well as Man as I have shewed fully before Isa 9.6 by those Names that are given to him Now Jesus in whom we believe as he was evident to all that knew him to be truely man so is he affirmed to be over all God
them in mind that without shedding of blood the blood of Christ the Lamb of God there could be no remission of sin obtained And that their laying their hand upon the sacrifice that was offered up for them might stir them up to put forth an hand of Faith to lay hold upon Jesus Christ And by washing their bodies in water they might be put in mind Zech. 13.1 to apply themselves to that Fountain set open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleanness That this was the signification of their ceremonial Cleansings and Expiations and that Christ by the sheding of his blood did accomplish that for us really and effectually which was shaddowed in these Ceremonies is very evident in that of the Apostle Heb. 1.12 Not by the blood of Calves or Goats as the high Priest amongst the Jews was wont to enter into the most holy Place but by his own blood he entred once into the holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Hence he sheweth the excellency of Christ's sacrifice beyond those Typical sacrifices Those Priests offered often He offered but once they entred into the holy Place made with hands He into the holy Place made without hands even into Heaven whither he went as our Head to prepare a place for us and to shew that he had purchased eternal Redemption for us and an interest in that Inheritance which he went to take possession of for us And he goes on to argue à fortiori Vers 13. If the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean did sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh in a legal sense Vers 14. then how much more shall the blood of Christ c Seeing the Sacrifice which Christ offered was of infinit value as being offered up by the Eternal Spirit or Divine Nature which was Hypostatically united to the humane Nature it is therefore sufficient to make a full and perfect Attonement for us And further Vers 15. For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament c. Which shews very evidently that Christ was the thing intended by those ceremonial Oblations that his blood did that in a real and effectual manner which those sacrifices did Legally and Typically and withal that his death was intended purposely for the Redemption of Transgressions 4. It is said Gal. 3.13 that Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us He was subject to that accursed death and to the wrath of God for the present for this end that he might deliver us from this wrath and curse of God and from that eternal death which our sins had made us liable unto There was no reason for Christs suffering as to any thing in himself 1 Pet. 1.22 Vers 24. For He had done no evil neither was any guile found in his mouth but he bare our sins in his body upon that Tree whereon he suffered that shameful painful and accursed death 5. The Apostles do plainly pronounce that we are redeemed by the death of Christ The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 3.24 25. We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiation through Faith in his blood Here the Apostle doth expresly say that Christ is a Redeemer and a Propitiation for us and shews us that the onely way to have our sins pardoned is by Faith in his blood So the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.18 19. We are redeemed not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the most precious blood of Christ that Lamb without spot and blemish To which agrees that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And again 1 Cor. 6.20 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Tim. 2.5 6. We are bought with a price And St. Peter calls Christ The Lord that bought us So elsewhere it is said There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom for us To this agrees that Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the remission of sins And further chap. 2.14 The Hand-writing that was against us is said to be nailed to his Cross 6. St. Paul tells us That Jesus Christ hath purchased that Righteousness for us which we could not obtain by the works of the Law that is by our own personal Obedience to the Law of God If man had from his first Creation continued in perfect obedience to the Law of his Creator there would have been no need of Christs dying But man had sinned and come short of this Obedience and therefore Christ died to expiate this guilt which we had contracted by our disobedience Gal. 2.21 If righteousness come by the Law saith the Apostle then Christ died in vain There would have been no need of Christs death if man could have been righteous by his own good works but Christ therefore died because we were condemned before God and he took our guilt upon him Acts 13.39 And By him all that believe are justified from all those things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses God sent forth his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 made under the Law subject to the obedience and to the curse of the Law to redeem them that were under the Law 7. The Apostles tell us That whatsoever Christ did or suffered it was for our sakes and to purchase Reconciliation and Salvation for us Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification and our sins are said to be forgiven us 1 Joh. 2.12 for his Names sake In which respect Christ calls his flesh our meat Joh. 6.57 and his blood our drink because as our bodies are kept alive by Bread so are our souls by his Merits As the living Father hath sent me and I live by him so he that eateth me that is applies me to his soul by Faith he shall live by me By these and many other Testimonies of the Evangelists and Apostles of Jesus Christ it is sufficiently evident to every man whose eyes are not blinded by the God of this world that Christ did offer up himself an Expiatory sacrifice for our sins and that through his Merits and Sufferings alone it is that we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and eternal Salvation CHAP. X. From the foregoing Discourses two Cautions are deduced First That we take heed of laying any other Foundation then that which is laid viz. Jesus Christ Three sorts of Persons that build beside this Foundation Secondly That we take heed what we build upon this Foundation WE have seen the