another Saviour of the World and of my posterity That Shilo should come to whom the gathering of the people shall be Agreeable to what hath been said are these words of Zacharias who said of the Lord God of Israel that he had raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the house of his servant David Luk. 1.69 By Horn of Salvation for us is denoted the Kingdom and Power of our blessed Saviour And for the better understanding of this expression it is to be remembred that Dominion and Power is expressed by Horn among the Hebrew Writers Thus in the Prophet Daniel the ten Horns are said to be ten Kings c. 7. v. 24. Again I will make the Horn of David to bud Ps 132. v. 17. Instead of Horn the Chaldee Paraphrast hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorious King Kimchi in Psal 132. v. 17. And one of the learned Jews and a bitter enemy to Christianity confesses that that verse speaks of the Messias that was to come So that the Horn of Salvation does intimate to us the greatness of that deliverance which our Lord hath wrought Besides 't is said of Simeon that when he took Jesus into his Arms and blessed God he said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luk. 2.29 30. Which agrees well with the words of Jacob I have waited for Thy Salvation O Lord. Indeed Aben Ezra tells us from R. Isaac Aben Ezra in Gen. 49.18 that Jacob having likened Dan to an adder by the path did thereupon fall into a fear and then as fearfull men are apt to call for help and deliverance he added I have waited for thy salvation O Lord And another of the Jewish Commentators would have those words to contain the prediction that Sampson's eyes should be put out by the Philistines R. Solom in loc and then that they imply that prayer of Sampson at the last O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me I pray thee onely this once O God that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes Judg. 16.28 It is enough that I have named these opinions I shall not need refute them for besides that their authority is not great who are the Authours of them they are not backed with any reasons at all But to return As those deliverances of Joshuah and the other Worthies were but temporal whereas our Lord 's was eternal So They were but Carnal but our Lord's is Spiritual They delivered their people from thraldom and bondage the yoke of a Tyrant the tribute of an Oppressour the chains and fetters of some potent Prince But our Jesus saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 He was manifested to take away our sins 1 Joh. 3.5 And to destroy the works of the Devil v. 8. Or as Zacharias expresses it we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve God without fear In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life Luke 1. 74 75. This is the deliverance that our Lord hath wrought He sets us free from our sins and hath redeemed us from the wrath to come This Jesus does for all them that will obey him He destroyed the Devil's Kingdom stopt his mouth in his Oracles overturned his Temples dispossessed him of his Idols destroyed his Worship and baffled him in all his Designs He cast him out not of the bodies onely but of the souls and hearts of men and wrested from him that Kingdom which he had so long and so unjustly got the possession of The World was over-run with Idolatry and Superstition with violence and oppression with ignorance and prophaneness Men were proud and covetous unchast and intemperate full of envy and malice But Our Lord came and by his life and doctrine by his death and divine grace he sent away that darkness that overspread the World he knocked off those Chains in which men were shackled and restored Mankind to the Worship of the true God and to his image and likeness Let 's hear the excellent words by which the Apostle expresseth all this For we our selves says he also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward mankind appeared Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.3 Such was the deliverance which our Jesus wrought For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.11 Moses delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians he brought them from the bondage of those Infidels but he did not save them from their infidelity For we see they could not enter into the promised land because of their unbelief Heb. 3.19 Joshua brought them into Canaan but left them on this side heaven Others delivered them from the men of Midian and the Philistines but none of them delivered them from the evil men themselves They were saved from their enemies frequently but not from their sins They fell into their folly and their misery again But our blessed Redeemer saves us from our sin He gives repentance and forgivenss of sins Acts 5.31 And turns us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 This exalts him above Moses and Joshua this speaks him the great Redeemer and Shepherd of our Souls The Jews expected a Temporal Messiah one that would restore them their Kingdom and advance them to worldly splendour and greatness But our Lord came to erect a spiritual Kingdom in the hearts and minds of men He came to vanquish our lusts and destroy the power of sin in the hearts of men This was a design worthy of God and becoming our Lord Jesus And that which the greatest Kings and Princes were never able to doe Our Lord hath wrought the greatest deliverance Others have conquered their Enemies Our Lord hath done more He hath reconciled them and made them friends Others have killed the bodies of men our Lord hath done more he has saved their souls Others have gotten wealth and worldly greatness our Lord does more when he enables his followers to despise these things Others have saved their followers from dying our Lord delivers us from the fear of death He kills our pride destroys our covetousness purges away our lust plants in us the love of God and the contempt of the World
entrance into the world to his going out The meanness of his Birth did not protect him from being persecuted by Herod He was after this a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and there hath been no sorrow like unto his sorrow He fasted and was tempted he was acquainted with hunger and with thirst with great poverty and contempt He met with false friends and implacabe enemies He was always doing good and recieveing evil And after all at the close of his life he was a most eminent sufferer If there be any suffering in great pains and agonies in being scoffed and derided in being buffeted and scourged in a bloudy sweat or a bitter cup In a crown of Thorns in the Spear and in the Nails He suffered if to be forsaken and betrayed to be unpitied in trouble and to be denied to be flouted and scoffed at be any thing of a suffering He suffered if to die be to suffer and to die upon a Cross among malefactors If the bloud of the Cross if the shame and curse of it if the pain and scandal of it speak any sufferings our Lord did indeed suffer From the sufferings of our Jesus it does appear that he is the Christ I do not mean that the bare sufferings of Jesus are an argument that he is the Christ For sufferings are not a sufficient argument alone And though the Messias were to suffer yet so might and so did Impostors also But as the Messias was to suffer so it was predicted what he should suffer and we shall find that our Jesus did suffer those very things which the Messias was to suffer and all things duely considered we shall find this especially in conjunction with what hath been and is to be said a very good proof that Jesus is the Christ And this I take to be the meaning of our Saviour's words to his Disciples going to Emmaus Ought not Christ to have suffered These things And of his words to the Apostles afterward Thus it is written and Thus it behoved Christ to suffer Luk. 24.26 46. St. Peter tells the Jews that those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled Act. 3.18 Our Saviour himself said Thus it must be Mat. 26.54 56. To the same purpose we find the Disciples saying For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy Council determined before to be done Act. 4.27 28. We shall find afterward that Jesus did suffer all that which the Christ was to suffer And some of these sufferings were such as were not likely to have been the portion of Jesus But so it was though Herod and Pontius Pilate though the Jews and the Gentiles had an hand in the sufferings of Jesus they did at the same time though they designed it not fulfill some Prophecies of old and this was so eminently done that we have from hence a very great proof that Jesus is the Christ I shall not look over all the sufferings of Jesus from the time of his birth to the moment of his death I shall begin no sooner than the last week of his life and shall more especially consider those particulars which attended upon his death We have a remarkable Prophecy in the Prophet Zechariah and the words are these Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee He is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the foal of an Ass That this place is a prophecy of the Messias no Christian can doubt and the Jew ought not to deny R. Solomon confesses frankly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. It is impossible to interpret it but of King Messiah R. Solom in Zech. 9.9 And as it is very agreeable to the words to expound them of the Messias These words of R. Solomon are translated by Raymundus in his Pugio fidei pag. 656. in to words which contradict the sense of them viz. Non potest hoc exponi de Rege Messia when he affirms that they ought not to be expounded of any other person And that the Jews do understand these words of the Messiah is â—â—â—ved at large by Bochart de S. S. Animalibus lib. II. c. 17. so it well agrees with the sense of the Ancient Jews too For it was the sense of the Jews that this place was meant of the Messias and we find among the writings which we have of theirs plain intimations of it There is a fabulous relation that the Ass which Abraham sadled Gen. 22. was created on the evening of the Sabbath Pirke R. Eliezer cap. 31. and that Moses rode upon the same Ass when he came into Egypt and farther the Son of David shall ride upon the same they say hence it is said Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion c. From this fabulous relation it is evident that this place was understood of the Messias Beresith Rabb in Gen. 49.11 To the same purpose the words are understood by another ancient writer who represents it as the sense of their Rabbins It was upon the tenth day of the first month when our Saviour rode upon an Ass into Jerusalem and fulfilled this Scripture and in the Passeover-week in which he suffered Our Saviour was now ready to be Sacrificed for us and as the Paschal Lamb in Egypt was taken up on the tenth day so did our Lord our Paschal Lamb on that very day present himself in that City where the same week he was sentenced to death For the rest of the words of the Prophecy they do very well agree to our Jesus as it is certain they were meant of the Messias Thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly Never were there any persons to whom these words could so duely belong as our blessed Saviour He was a King indeed and denies it not before Pontius Pilate though he professed that his Kingdom was not of this world As such a person the Messias was promised of old and it was foretold that he should erect an everlasting Kingdom in the Prophet Daniel The Jews expected a temporal Prince indeed they being themselves a carnal people Our Lord did not appear like an earthly Prince but as one born from Heaven and that would erect an heavenly and spiritual Kingdom in the world A King he was in the best and the highest sense and when he was crucified the main of his accusation written on his Cross was that he was King of the Jews That he was just malice it self cannot deny of our blessed Saviour He was for giving both God and Caesar their due He paid Tribute when it was demanded and would not excuse himself from the publick payment to which he was not yet strictly obliged And
Earth The third day on which Jesus rose considered as the first day of the Week pag. 264 265. CHAP. IX Of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven That the Messias was to ascend thither This proved from Psalm 68.18 which is justly applied to this matter by St. Paul Eph. 4.8 Psalm 110.1 considered The Jews grant that Psalm to belong to the Messias An eminent type of Christ's ascension That Jesus did ascend into Heaven There were eye-witnesses of it Of the distance of forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension That Christ is not a Metaphorical Priest shewed against the followers of Socinus That this ascension into Heaven was typified by the High Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies That the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews does ch 9.24 and elsewhere infer this from the avowed principles of the Jewish Writers That the High Priest was an eminent type of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is acknowledged by Philo. Three remarkable places of that Authour to this purpose That the Sanctuary was a representation of the Vniverse and the Holy of Holies of the highest Heavens proved at large from the Modern Jewish Writers and from the more Ancient Of the Veil of the Temple which rent when our Saviour suffered Mat. 27.51 What Veil that was and what was imported by the renting of it Of the effects which followed upon the exaltation of Jesus Of the mirculous gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost That that gift was an argument that Jesus was a true Prophet and that he had that power which he had professed to be given to him Of the success of the Religion of Jesus in the world Success barely considered is no good argument of a good Cause and truth of a Religion yet the success of the Christian Doctrine is a good argument of it's truth if it be considered what the Authour and first Preachers of this doctrine were and what is the nature of the Doctrine it self and after what manner it did prevail pag. 305 306 307. CHAP. X. What was predicted of the Messias was fulfilled in our Jesus This appeared in the birth of Jesus in his Office and Character in his Works in his Sufferings and Resurrection and the spreading of his doctrine The adoreable providence of God in bringing Events to pass This shewed in very many particulars This is a farther proof that Jesus is the Christ pag. 376. CHAP. XI The Christian Religion more Excellent than that given by Moses and consequently the best in the World The Pagan Religion not worthy of regard The wiser Heathens guilty of great inconsistencies and evil Principles The Stoicks upon sundry accounts very blameable The Law given by Moses came from God in what sense it was a perfect Law It was not unalterable A general distribution of the Precepts of that Law The defects of it I As a rule of life Many of its Precepts not good in their own Nature They obliged the Jews onely and were annexed to their Land or some part of it Many of them Political II The reward annexed to the Obedience of that Law was but Temporal III It was not attended with the promise of Divine assistance IV Nor was there that hope of pardon which was afterward given in the Gospel The Sacrifices allowed to that purpose very defective This shewed at large For some sins no Sacrifice was allowed Sacrifices were not pleasing to God of their own Nature The Expiation did not depend upon the value of the oblation He that brought an Expiatory sacrifice was not allowed to eat any part of it The repetition of the Sacrifices another Argument of their weakness In some cases the Sacrifice was but one of those things required in order to pardon The Legal Sacrifices were not designed to continue for ever That the defects of the Law of Moses are supplied in the Christian Religion Of the excellent Precepts of the Christian Religion Of the promise of Eternal life therein clearly revealed and of the great moment of it Of the Divine assistance attending this Religion Of the assurance of pardon from the Christian Religion and the sure foundation which it lays for the quieting the Consciences of Men. The usefulness of the foregoing discourse A more particular inquiry into the great Ends or Causes for which the Law of Moses was given The Conclusion of this Discourse pag. 394 395. THE INTRODUCTION I Do intend with God's assistance in the ensuing Discourse to prove that our Jesus is the Christ And shall by way of introduction to this weighty Argument reflect something upon the words of St. Peter to the Jews Act. 2.36 And for the better understanding those words it is to be remembred that our Jesus before he left his Disciples promised them the presence and the aid of the Holy Ghost and a little before his Ascension into Heaven he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me Act. 2.4 Nor did our Saviour fail to make good his promise but when the day of Pentecost was fully come they are filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance This happened at Jerusalem at a great solemnity and at a time when the devout and religious of several Nations were together in the City who heard the Apostles speak in the language of their several Countries the wonderfull works of God And they were all amazed and were in a doubt saying one to another what meaneth this v. 12. And there were among the rest very evil men that were so malicious as to mock and say these men are full of new wine v. 13. This calumny St. Peter disproves and lets them know that they spake by the power of the Holy Ghost And then he preaches to them the resurrection and ascension of Jesus who was approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs And he gives them to understand that as this Jesus had received of the father the promise of the Holy Ghost so he had also now bestowed this Holy Ghost upon them the effect of which gift they saw and heard And thereupon concludes as well he might that he is the Messias that was promised Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Act. 11.36 Before I proceed I shall take notice of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath made that same Jesus That is says Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath ordained or appointed Jesus to be Lord and Christ And the Greek word will well bear this sense as well as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus it is said of our Saviour Mar. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. he made twelve or ordained twelve as we translate it well He chose twelve says the Syriac version Again Gen. 41.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 As the LXXII render it That is let Pharaoh make and appoint Officers and not as we have rendred it Let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint Again It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron or made as it is in the margent of 1 Sam. 12.6 And we usually speak after this manner when men are advanced to dignity and office they are said to be made what they are afterwards called To make a Consul a Captain or General signifies no more than to appoint them and raise them to those dignities and offices So that the meaning of these words is as if the Apostle had said let all the Israelites therefore be assured of this great and very evident truth that that Jesus whom the Jews have Crucified is by God the Father who hath raised him from the dead and taken him up to his right hand constituted and appointed head of the Church and instated in the Kingly office of the Messiah That Jesus is the Christ or Messiah that was foretold is that which the Apostle would have the Jews be assured of And this was the Doctrine which the first preachers of Christian Religion did mainly insist upon It being not onely an article of the Christian faith but such an one as is the foundation of the rest Who is a Liar says St. John but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 We read that Saul confounded the Jews which were at Damascus proving that this is very Christ Act. 9.22 He preacheth the same Doctrine at Thessalonica Acts 17.3 And at Corinth Acts 18.5 And of Apollos we read that he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ v. 28. A DEMONSTRATION OF THE MESSIAS CHAP. I. The CONTENTS Of the name Jesus That this name by which our Saviour was called and distinguished from other men is no objection against the Prediction Isa 7.14 The importance of the name Jesus In what sense our Lord is said to be a Saviour His Salvation compared with the deliverances mentioned in the Old Testament Of the word Christ Of anointing things and persons and the design of it Of the anointing of Jesus Some account of the Jewish constitutions about anointing with their holy Oil. BEfore I proceed to shew that Jesus is the Christ I shall shew what is meant by Jesus what by Christ Jesus was the name by which our Lord was commonly known among men the name which Joseph his reputed Father gave him Matt 1. v. 25. And it was given him at his Circumcision Luk. 2.21 And that too not without the particular command of the Angel of God This was the name by which he was called commonly by those that spake of him Thus he that was restored to Sight said A man that is called Jesus made clay c. Joh. 9.11 This was a name in use among the Jewish people and a name which others had as well as our Jesus and we have mention of several men to whom that name was given Col. 4.11 Heb. 4.8 And the Jewish Writers mention him by the name Jesus indeed they call him by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They cut off the last letter Eli. Levit. This bit p. 151. as Elias Levita tells us because they do not acknowledge him to be a Saviour But yet they do not deny that he was known and commonly called by the name Jesus which he received at his Circumcision It is true indeed it was foretold that a Virgin should bring forth a Son and 't is said they shall call his name Emmanuel Matt. 1.23 That these words are meant of our Saviour is also undeniable And though the Jew object against us from this place that either the words were never meant of our Saviour as the Evangelist will have them or that they were never verifyed in him because he was called by the name Jesus and not Emmanuel though I say they may thus object yet they do but trifle in it For if they look into their Prophets they will find that being called Orig. contra Cels l. 1. or called by such a name does not infer that the thing or person so to be called shall be commonly known by that name as a man is by the name by which he is known and distinguished from other men 'T is enough that they shall be that which they are called and that what is foretold shall truly belong to them as will appear from the following places Isa 1.26.60.14.62.4 Jer. 3.17 Ezek. 48.35 Zech. 8.3 There are many things said of our Saviour which serve to describe his office and acquaint us with his perfections and relation and were never intended for his name by which he was to be known among men His name shall be called wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 That is the Messiah shall be all this Theophylact in Matt. 1. v. 23. though not commonly known and called by these names For the word Jesus if we consider its Hebrew Original it signifies a Saviour And for that reason this name was given to our Lord because he was to save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And the Angel tells the Shepherds unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour Luk. 2.11 And the Apostle says no less when he says God hath raised up unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Act. 13.23 This word Saviour imports very much and is very agreeable to the great design of our Lord 's appearing Lactan. Institut l. 1. c. 11. Lactantius observes that the name Jupiter that the heathen gave their God was unbecoming a Deity For Jupiter being no more but Juvans pater an helping father it was a term of diminution For one man may help another And 't is no great matter to help but to save and deliver imports much Non intelligit beneficia Divina qui se tantummodo à Deo juvari putat He hath too mean and low an apprehension of the Divine benefits that thinks God does onely help him This is to attribute too much to our selves and too little to God He that helps me adds his strength to mine but he that saves shews his own power onely We were without all help and hope too Our Lord rescued us and saved us we contributed nothing toward our deliverance He is the Saviour of mankind Our intire deliverance is to be ascribed to him And 't will well become us to consider how justly this name of Jesus belongs to him and to meditate awhile upon the greatness of that Salvation and deliverance which our Lord hath wrought for us Now our Lord might well be called Jesus a Saviour 1. As he hath published and made known to us the Gospel which is the power of God unto Salvation Our Lord hath brought life and immortality to light and hath shewed us the way to eternal life There was no
express promise of eternal life in the law of Moses Temporal blessings were promised to the obedient but they had no assurances given them of a glorious immortality The way to this our Lord hath revealed plainly 2. He procured this for us also he bought it with no less price than his pretious bloud And now we stand reconciled to God by the death of his Son and then we may justly expect to be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 3. He confers this Salvation upon us He is set down at God's right hand and hath received all power in Heaven and Earth God hath exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of Sins Act. 5.31 We receive from him the power of his grace here and justly expect from him the glorifying of our souls and bodies hereafter And it will well be worth our while to enter into a meditation of this Salvation and deliverance which our Lord hath wrought for us And to that purpose let us compare it with those deliverances which were wrought of old for the people of the Jews For those deliverances may well be called Salvations and those men that were the instruments of them may be called Saviours for so they are called in the Holy Scripture 2 King 13.5 Nehem. 9.27 with the LXXII Judg. 3.9.15 Among those Saviours there was one who was not onely an eminent type of our blessed Saviour but who had the same name that was given our Saviour at his Circumcision And that was Joshua the Son of Nun For Joshua and Jesus are the same name and Joshua is called Jesus Heb. 4.8 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neh. 8.17 'T is true indeed his name was Hoshea and so he is called but upon his being chosen to spy out or search the Land of Canaan Moses changed his name from Hoshea to Joshua Num. 23.16 i. e. he made an honourable alteration of his name as Philo observes when he added to the name he had the first letter of the Tetragrammation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo Judae de mutat Nominum And he made this addition to his name by putting to it the first letter of the name of God when he sent him to search the Land of Canaan so that for the future he is a Saviour and by God's appointment was set apart to introduce the Israelites into the Land of Promise Moses the Lawgiver did not bring the Israelites into the promised Land This was left for Joshua to doe Now that Land was a type of heaven And Joshua of our Jesus And what the Law did not that the Gospel does It hath brought life and immortality to light And though Moses who brought the Israelites out of Egypt and Joshua who introduced them into the good Land and others who afterward fought their battels were great deliverers of their people yet all these deliverances put together come greatly short of that which our Lord hath wrought For these deliverances were but temporal our Saviour's is eternal Those Worthies fell asleep and then the Israelites fell under the malice and power of their enemies and ill neighbours then were they liable to the impressions of their enemies who did inslave their people and sack their City and burn their Temple and carry them away to a strange Land Their enemies were not dismayed with the great names of Moses and Joshua Gideon and Sampson These great men were dead and could yield no succours to the oppressed Israelites And what ever terrours these men impressed upon their enemies while they lived their names will strike none now The Chaldeans are not over-awed by the rod of Moses or the strength of Sampson these deliverers can afford no relief or help 't is otherwise with us Our Lord is the Authour of Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 And hath obtained an Eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9.12 Those Saviours died and left their enemies behind them But Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Our Lord arose from the dead and is gone before us into Heaven and is there concerned on our behalf And this is unspeakably to our comfort and advantage Old Jacob in his last words to his Sons tells them what shall befall them in the last days Of Dan he foretells that he shall be a Serpent in the way an Adder in the path that biteth the Horse heels so that his Rider shall fall backward Gen. 49.17 These words seem to refer to Sampson who delivered his people from the Philistines But then 't is worth our observing what follows where the good man's Soul sallies out into another and greater contemplation I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord V. Targum Hierosol Jonath in locum v. 18. That is as the Jews expound it as if he had said I do not expect the deliverance of Gideon and Sampson which will be but a temporal deliverance but thy Salvation O Lord is that which I expect for thine is an eternal Salvation These words seem to refer to the salvation of the Messias and do very well deserve to be considered farther V. Hieronym adversus Jovinianum l. 1. 'T is agreed that in the foregoing words Jacob speaks of Sampson He was a Nazarite and a great deliverer of his people And besides what he did for his people in their life-time he destroyed their enemies at his death In several respects we may suppose him a type of our blessed Saviour And we may very well suppose him so to be even as he is considered here as a Serpent by the way Phil. Jud. de Agricultura For Philo the Jew hath directed us to understand that expression of a Serpent not with reference to the Serpent which beguiled Eve or Voluptuousness but with respect to the Brazen Serpent of Moses a symbol of Temperance and Fortitude and as I shall shew afterwards a very remarkable type of the Messias And Jacob looks farther than Sampson he looks off from that Nazarite to our Nazaren from that temporal deliverer to our Jesus who is the Author of eternal Salvation I shall give you the sense of these words in the words of one of the Ancients who brings in Jacob speaking thus Hieronym Quaest Hebr. in Genes Nunc videns in Spiritu comam c. i. e. I foreseeing in the Spirit Sampson the Nazarite nourishing his hair and triumphing over his slaughtered enemies that like a Serpent and Adder in the way he suffered none to pass through the land of Israel and if any were so hardy confiding in the swiftness of an Horse as to adventure like a Robber to spoil it he should not be able to escape I foreseeing this Nazarite so valiant and that he dyed for the sake of an Harlot and dying destroyed our enemies I thought O God that he was the Christ thy son But because he dyed and rose not again and Israel was afterward carried away captive I must expect
〈◊〉 LXXII si voluisses Sacrificium dedissem utique V. L. For says he thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it Psal 51.16 i. e. Thou hast allowed no sacrifice for such an high offence as mine is This agrees well with the Text the ancient Versions and the Jewish Expositors R. David Kimch in Ps 51.16 In eundem sensum R. Solom Aben Ezra in loc One of the Jewish Commentators upon this place expresses himself thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is And although God says he commanded oblations together with confession and repentance the blessed God did not command oblations unless it were for him who sinned ignorantly But he the Psalmist was a presumptuous sinner and for this sin there was no oblation but onely repentance with a broken and contrite heart But the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a pardon for all sins upon the sinners saith and repentance No sinner is excluded from hope that does not by his impenitence exclude himself This seems to be the meaning of these words of St. Paul Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Acts 13.38 39. I come now to explain what is meant by Christ Now so it is that the word Christ does denote our Saviour's office Christus non proprium nomen est Lactant. Institut l. 4. c. 7. sed nuncupatio potestatis regni Says Lactantius Christ is as much as Anointed it being but the Greek of Messias Andrew telleth Simon Peter we have found the Messias which is being interpreted the Christ Joh. 4.41 And the woman of Samaria said I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 4.25 Thus our Lord is called Ps 2.2 Dan. 9.25 Now for the better understanding of the importance of this word Christ or Anointed we shall doe well to reflect upon the usage that obtained among the Jewish People where we shall find frequent mention of the Ceremony of Anointing That which was anointed was thereby separated to some particular and special use whether it had relation to things or persons Thus was the Pillar anointed Gen. 28.18.22 And the Tabernacle and all its Utensils They being by that means set apart to the Service of God But this Ceremony of anointing had relation to persons also Thus the most publick Persons and Ministers among the Jews were by this Ceremony set apart to their publick Offices and Dignities As for example Kings were anointed whence it is that a King is expressed in the sacred Dialect by the Lord 's anointed Thus were Saul and David anointed by Samuel according to the Divine appointment 1 Sam. 10.1.15.1.16.3.13 And Zadok anoints Solomon that there might be no dispute who should succeed David 1 King 1.39 And these Kings when they were thus anointed were then God's Vice-gerents over the Jewish People who were under a Theocracy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist l. 1. c. 3. And when the Prophets did by anointing them make them Kings they made them Typical Christs as one of the ancients does express it And so indeed they were They did typifie the Messias who was to be Lord and Governour of the Church as these Kings were of the Jews Priests were anointed also Aaron and his Sons that they might minister unto God in the Priest's office Exod. 40.13.15 For Prophets the like cannot be said We have not that express Law nor the Practice upon record which we have for the other 'T is true indeed that Elijah is commanded to anoint Elisha to be a Prophet in his room 1 King 19.16 And at the same time he is commanded to anoint Hazael to be King over Syria and Jehu over Israel 'T is probable that no more is meant by that expression than this that he should constitute Elisha to be Prophet in his room and because men were set apart to great offices by the Ceremony of anointing therefore that expression is used there And that Person who is constituted and appointed by God to some great office or employment is said to be the Lord 's Anointed though he were not set apart with material oil to that office because these publick Persons were wont by the holy oil to be set apart to their Dignities and Employments Thus Cyrus is said to be Lord's anointed Isa 45.1 He being appointed by God for the destruction of Babylon and the return of the Israelites And we find that all that we reade Elijah did when he came to Elisha to perform what he was commanded was that he passed by him and cast his Mantle upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. S. B. Mel. Michal Jophi in 1 Reg. 19. R. D. Kimchi in Isa 45.1 1 Kings 19. v. 19. Upon which Elisha arose and ministred to Elijah v. 21. For Kings and Priests the Precept is plain and the practice unquestionable I shall from the Jewish writers give you a more particular account of the right of anointing Kings and Priests as well as of the reasons of it Now the reasons of it are said to be these two First this was to be a sign of the Divine election and choice He that was thus set apart was to be received as chosen of God I have exalted one chosen out of the People I have found David my servant With my holy oil have I anointed him Psal 89.19 20. This holy oil was a composition of God's prescribing wherewith certain things and persons were to be set apart and separated to holy uses and 't is expresly said whosoever compoundeth any like it or whosoever putteth any of it upon a Stranger shall even be cut off from his People Exod. 30.33 Secondly that he that was thus anointed might thereby be prepared to receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine influx And thus we read of Saul that when Samuel had anointed him and told him that the spirit of the Lord would come upon him and that he should be turned into another man That the spirit of God came upon him and that he prophesied 1 Sam. 9. We are moreover told from the Jewish writers that those that were anointed were anointed on their heads Vid. Maimon H. Melach Abravenel in Exod. 30.23 Kings with the figure of a Crown Priests with the figure of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sign of a Crown denoting the Regal dignity and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Priest denoting the Priesthood That the high Priest was anointed but not the inferiour Priests That a Son succeeding his Father in the Kingdom was not anointed Indeed Solomon was but that was because there was a competitor in the case namely his Brother Adonijah
the Messias shall come among them This is the natural and unforced sense of these words Now we know that forty years after the death of Jesus the Jews were overcome by the Romans their City and Temple burnt since which time they have been dispersed and scattered and are not at this day nor have they been for many ages any distinct Polity or Commonwealth Let them in this confute us if they can Let them tell us where their Nation dwells where it is that they are either a Kingdom or Republick or Body Politick Let them shew us their Sceptre their marks and ensigns of government and authority We know they are a scatter'd people that their City and Land are in the possessions of strangers and that they live under the laws and government of the several Countries in which they are The Prophet is more particular and precise in this affair Dan. 9. Gabriel informs that Prophet of the time of the Messias For there we shall not need to be beholden to the Jews to grant us that Gabriel speaks of the Messias for he calls him Messiah and Messiah the Prince His words to Daniel are these Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteoâ—sness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy Know therefore and understand thâ—t from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks And threescore and two weeks the streets shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself And the people of the Prince shall come and shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a floud and unto the end of the wars desolations are determined And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate even untill the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate v. 24 25 26 27. That the time mentioned by Gabriel hath a particular reference to Christ must be granted it being express And then let men but compute the time and they will soon find that Gabriel's words give an account of a time that is long since past and that they are words that give such a description of time as must have its expiration about that time when our Jesus was in the flesh Another testimony we have from the Prophet Haggai chap. 2. It is well known that the second Temple came very much short of the glory of the first and yet there we find a promise that the glory of that second Temple should be greater than that of Solomon's which could not be otherwise true than that the Messias a greater than Soloman was to come into it and honour it with his presence Let us consider the words I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts v. 7 8 9. The glory must be with reference to the Messias or upon some other account Upon other accounts this house was so far from exceeding the glory of the first Temple that the Jews mention several particulars in which this second Temple fell short of the first And therefore the promised glory must refer to the coming and presence of the Messias And thus we reade in Malachy chap. 3. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to this temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts v. 1. It will appear by what hath been said that the time is lapsed long ago in which the Messias was to come For Daniel's weeks they are expired whatever Epocha we frame for their beginning And the people of the Jews have been vanquished and dispersed and their City and that very Temple into which the Messias was to come were committed to the flames above sixteen hundred years ago But then our Jesus lived when the Jews were a Polity and while they lived by their own laws and in their own land He went into that Temple which the Prophet mentions and did appear among the Jews before their Sceptre was departed and at an age and time when there was a great expectation of the Messias among the Jews and of some great person among the Gentile world That there was at that time when Jesus appeared a great expectation of the Messias among the Jews I have shewed already And I shall now observe farther still that there was even among the Heathens an expectation of some great person that should appear in that age in which our Jesus lived And of the truth of this we have very good testimonies from sundry Authours I shall not insist upon the predictions of the Sybils which were among the heathen people Thus much is certain that there was in that age a great expectation of some extraordinary person When Augustus in whose time our Saviour was born sent to the Oracle to know who should reign after him he received an answer to this purpose That an Hebrew Child had commanded him whom Augustus consulted off from his seat and remitted him to his sad doom and that therefore he should forbear making any farther addresses to him I will not lay any great stress upon this testimony There have been those that think that Virgil hath some passages that iusinuate the perfections of this person that was expected in that age Virg. Eclog 4. and that his words point at our Saviour however they were applied by him or others to the Son of Pollio And indeed there are some parts of his Poem that seem to look that way viz. Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua solvent formidine terras But be all this as it will we have other testimonies from approved Authors among the Heathens of the truth of what I have said Sueton. in vita Vespasiani Suetonius tells in the life of Vespasian to this purpose of a great expectation of some eminent person from Judaea about that time that should come into the government and administration of affairs His words are these Percrebuerat oriente toto vetus constans opinio esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judaeâ profecti rerum potirentur This agrees very well with what I
the Lord shall he behold Num. 12.6 7 8. Our blessed Saviour was in this the great Anti-type of Moses No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 In his Mediatourship Thus Moses tells the Israelites I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the word of the Lord Deut. 5.5 And in this he was but the type of our blessed Saviour who exceeded him greatly inasmuch as he is the Mediatour of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises Heb. 8.6 I may add that Moses was a type of our blessed Saviour in the deliverance which he wrought He delivered his people from Egypt but Jesus saves us from our sins He saved the Israelites Jesus is the Saviour of the World He wrought miracles but not so many and great works as those which Jesus did as I shall shew at large afterwards What hath been said is sufficient to convince us that those words Deut. 18. belong to the Messias and were fulfilled in our blessed Saviour I know very well that the Jewish writers expound those words to another sense and by the Prophet there they understand the whole order and succession of Prophets after Moses or else Joshuah or Jeremiah But there is no ground for such an interpretation of the Text. For the words speak plainly of one certain Prophet that God would raise up and for Joshua he was no Prophet nor is he justly reckoned among that order of men And that the words cannot be meant of Jeremiah or of any other Prophet succeeding Moses is plain from this that they contain a promise not onely of a Prophet but a Prophet like unto Moses which according to the Jews concession neither Jeremiah nor any of the other Prophets were For Moses was a Prophet of an higher form and rank than any of those that did succeed him till our Saviour's time And that this Prophet Deut. 18. is not to be found among any of the Prophets of the old Testament will appear from these words where it is said There arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Deut. 34.10 The succeeding Prophets did but repeat what Moses had taught His law was their rule till Christ came who spake what God had commanded him Secondly the place where the Messias was to converse when he came into the world is also predicted and we shall find our Saviour did converse in that place Though he were born in Bethlehem yet he lived in Galilee as was predicted by the Prophet Isaiah I shall take the liberty to translate those words as a learned man hath done and to begin where he does also Mr. Mede on Mar. 1. v. 14 15. As the first time he made vile or debased the land of Zabulon and the land of Naphthali so in the latter time he made it or shall make it glorious If you ask how it follows The way of the sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles the people that walked in darkness namely of affliction have seen a great light they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined If you ask how comes this it follows Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder Isa 9. v. 1 2 3. For the better understanding of these words we may remember what the Scripture tells us of the early affliction and captivity of this people even in the days of Pekah by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 King 15.29 Now as it were in recompence of these early sufferings they are promised here by the Prophet a glorious dignation from the presence and conversation and preaching and mighty works of our blessed Saviour As the second Temple which fell short of the first in glory was to be more glorious than that by the presence of the Messiah so Galilee though an obscure Countrey and remote from Jerusalem the principal City of the Nation and a Countrey that had been early and very severely afflicted should yet be dignified with the presence and works of Christ We are next to enquire whether this prediction were fulfilled in our blessed Saviour And to that purpose we read that the Angel Gabriel was sent unto a City of Galilee named Nazareth to the Virgin Mary who dwelt there to acquaint her that she should conceive and bring forth a Son and call his name Jesus Luk. 1. And though Jesus were born at Bethlehem yet he was conceived in Galilee and from thence Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem upon occasion of the decree of Augustus Coesar Luk. 2. And in Galilee again he lived when he was a young child for after he was brought up out of Egypt by Joseph he fearing to go into Judoea being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a City called Nazareth Matt. 2.22 23. From thence he came to be baptized by John Matt. 3.13 Mark 1.9 And after his temptation and John's imprisonment we find him in Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God Mark 1.14 Or as St. Matthew hath it In the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the Prophet saying Euseb Demonstr l. 9. c. 8. The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim by the way of the sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles the people which sate in darkness saw great light Matt. 4.14 15 16. As there he had been brought up Luk. 2.39.4.16 so there he preached Luk. 4.14 Matt. 4.23 At the Sea of Galilee he calls Simon and Andrew and a little way from thence two other Disciples James and John Mar. 1.16 19. And thereupon as he himself is called a Galilean Matt. 26.69 so are his Disciples called Galileans Act. 1.11.2.7 The first miracle he wrought was in Cana of Galilee Joh. 2.11 He went indeed to Jerusalem at the feast Joh. 2.13 but after that returns to Galilee Joh. 4.3 43. And there he cures the Noble-man's Son v. 46. And this was the second miracle that he did when he was come out of Judoea into Galilee v. 54. And he promises his Disciples that after his resurrection he will go before them into Galilee Matt. 26.32 So that though he were at Jerusalem at the feasts and died there yet he was conceived in Galilee there he lived and preached there he called his Disciples there he did his miracles there he appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection But it is not fit we should dismiss this excellent prophecy which does not onely foretell the great happiness of Galilee by reason of the presence of the Messias but seems very particularly to point out those places in Galilee that should be thus dignified and honoured The Prophet does not onely in general foretell the
The works which he did spake who he was for such they were as did plainly proclaim a divine power But besides the works which our Saviour did and to which he refers the Disciples of John were those very works which the Messias was to doe according to the prediction of the Prophet And these works here mentioned are those very works When our Saviour tells them that the blind receive their sight the lame walk it is no more but what the Prophet had foretold should come to pass in the days of the Messias Isa 35.5 6. It may indeed be asked why our Saviour should use these words and the poor have the gospel preached unto them For why should this be reckoned as a miracle or where was this foretold of the Messias But the answer is very easie to this And First this was foretold of the Messias that he should preach the gospel to the poor For preaching good tidings to the meek Isa 61.1 is the same thing with preâ—ching the gospel to the poor And the same words are used by the Septuagint in the Prophet which are used by the Evangelist here Secondly that though preaching the gospel to the poor be not a miracle nor is it reckoned so here yet it is a particular that is very remarkable and very pertinent to our Saviour's purpose We must know that poverty was very much contemned by the Jews Poor men were esteemed evil also And they have a saying among them that the spirit of God does not rest upon a poor man Hence the poor and common people were slighted and reckoned as children of the Earth Their Prophets of old were generally sent to Kings their Scribes and Doctours taught the rich They expected a Princely Messias that would Lord it over poor men But our Saviour puts them in mind here that it was foretold that the Messias should preach to the meek or poor And that when he did so as we know he did to poor Fishermen and Publicans they ought to consider that he did that which was predicted of the Christ For that those words Isa 61.1 belong to the Messias our Saviour elsewhere gives the Jews to understand Luk. 4.18 21. Nor do we find that they had any contest with him about that matter No they were so far from it that we are told they all bare him witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth V. 22. Nor could any thing have been said more seasonably to the Disciples of John Baptist than this after our Lord had referred them to the works which he did that he preached the Gospel to the poor because this would set them right as to the Messias whom they were to receive For they may not now look for a temporal Prince to conquer and captivate their powerfull enemies but a meek and lowly and mercifull person that would converse with and instruct the poor and the needy So that those words and the poor have the Gospel preached c. tend to instruct them aright concerning the Messiah whom they were to expect and the nature of his Kingdom For had he been such a temporal Prince as the Jews were ready to expect he would rather have employed his arms against the powerfull enemies of his people than to take upon himself the care of preaching the Gospel and that not to the wealthy and honourable but to the poor also But not to insist any longer upon this matter I shall onely consider that our Saviour refers the Disciples of John Baptist to the works which he did as a proof that he was the Christ that was to come into the world So then the works which Jesus did are a good proof that he was the Christ and do very much confirm the Doctrine which he taught This was the great end for which they were done and for which they are recorded also These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name Joh. 20.31 By the works of Jesus must be meant the miracles which he wrought and to which he appeals upon all occasions as well as in these words of St. Matthew These miracles are a good argument of the truth of what Jesus professed and of what he taught And I shall make this appear to those who are unprejudiced and the sincere enquirers after truth This is a truth of great moment and that which tends very much to beget faith in us and to dispose us to the receiving the truth These miracles that were wrought do not onely speak the truth of our Saviour's doctrine but the great moment of it also And so they do tend toward not onely the begetting in us a belief but a great veneration also of these divine truths And he that goes about to deny or to disparage our Saviour's miracles does at the same time endeavour to overthrow a main ground of Christian Religion and one great motive of its credibility I shall the rather enlarge upon this argument both because of its great weight and usefulness and also because there have not been wanting in all ages those who have denied or disparaged the miracles which Jesus did and by so doing have hindred what in them lay the propagation of the Christian Faith In our Saviour's time we find those that endeavoured to overthrow the credit of our Saviour's miracles When Jesus had restored one that was possessed with a Devil and who was blind and dumb insomuch that all the people were amazed and said Is not this the Son of David There wanted not then among the Pharisees who durst affirm that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Mat. 12.22 Our Saviour does indeed sufficiently refute this suggestion and shews the inconsistency thereof and does lay before us the greatness of the sin of these men who imputed a work of the Holy Ghost to the Prince of Devils And assures us that whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost v. 32. it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come These evil men were not able to deny the matter of fact it was confessed that the blind saw and the dumb spake But then they were guilty of speaking against the Holy Ghost when they imputed this work of his to the power of the Devil The Jews in after-times could not deny that Jesus had done great works among their Forefathers but then these wretched men run into fables and make lies their refuge and give such an account of the whole matter as carries its confutation along with it the account which they give is this That in the time of Helena the Queen Pug. Fidei par 2. cap. 8. sect 6. Jesus of Nazareth came to Jerusalem and that in the Temple he found a stone on which the Ark of God was wont to rest whereon was written the Tetragrammaton or more peculiar name of God That whosoever
purpose in hand in shewing that this Doctrine is in it self false When God was about to send Moses to the Israelites in Egypt Ex. 4.1 we find Moses objected and said they will not believe me Hereupon God bids him cast his rod upon the ground and the rod was turned into a serpent And this that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers v. 5. c. hath appeared unto thee saith God to Moses After this the hand of Moses was turned leprous and restored again upon which Moses is told that if the Israelites would not believe him upon the first v. 8. that they should believe the voice of the latter sign Moses tells Pharaoh that at his request the plague of frogs should be removed Ex. 8.10 that thou mayst know says he that there is none like unto the Lord our God So far it is evident that Moses wrought signs to procure belief But let us follow Moses out of Egypt into the Wilderness and see whether it be true which Maimon affirms that those Miracles were not wrought to gain belief to his Prophecy I shall content my self with one of the Miracles which Maimon himself mentions as a work that Moses did to serve a present necessity and not to gain credit to his Prophecy And that is the Miracle which was wrought upon occasion of the rebellion of Corah and his company Now it is very evident from the Text that that Miracle was wrought to assert the Prophecy of Moses as well as the right of Aaron as will appear from the words of Moses to Corah and his company Numb 16.5 To morrow says he the Lord will shew who are his and who is holy and will cause him to come near unto him even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him Again when those evil men were about to be swallowed up we find Moses saying Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to doe all these works for I have not done them of mine own mind If these men dye the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me v. 28 29 30. But if the Lord make a new thing and the Earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them and they go down quick into the pit then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. Hence it is evident that the Miracle confirmed the Mission of Moses and so had a direct tendence to gain credit and belief unto his Prophecy and that a Miracle is a good confirmation of a Doctrine No wonder then that we find our Saviour frequently appealing to his Miracles as the evidences of his commission I have says he greater witness than that of John for the work which the father hath given me to finish Joh. 5.36 the same works that I doe bear witness of me that the father hath sent me Again we read elsewhere to the same purpose Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him how long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly And thereupon it follows presently Jesus answered them Joh. 10.24 25. I told you and ye believed not The works that I doe in my father's name bear witness of me Again Believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the very works sake And in another place our Saviour says Joh. 14.11.15.24.10.37 38. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin Again if I doe not the works of my father believe me not but if I do though ye believe not me believe the works that ye may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him Besides we find that men were greatly convinced by the Miracles which Jesus wrought when he had miraculously fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes as it is said then those men when they had seen the Miracle that Jesus did said Joh. 6.14.2.11.23 this is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world And when he had turned water into wine 't is said that his disciples believed on him And when he was at Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast-day many believed in his name when they saw the Miracles which he did The works of Jesus were very convictive and great was the evidence that they were attended with When our Saviour raised the widows son of Naim There came a great fear on all Luk. 7.16 and they glorified God saying that a great Prophet is risen up among us and that God hath visited his people To this purpose Nicodemus tells our Lord. Joh. 3.2 Rabbi say he we know that thou art a teacher come from God And then follows that which gives him the ground of this perswasion of his For no man can doe those Miracles which thou doest except God be with him And the blind man who was restored to sight speaks to the same purpose Joh. 9.32 33. Since the world began says he it was not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind If this man were not of God he could doe nothing whence it appears that the people were greatly convinced by the works which they saw Jesus doe Indeed our Saviour appeared in a mean and poor condition in the world he was reproached and traduced and accused by evil men But then the works which he did which were the works of the spirit did clear and justifie our Saviour 1 Tim. 3.16 And to this sense I understand the Apostle's words where he tells us that God was manifested in the flesh and adds that he was justified in the spirit Or justified and cleared from false accusations by the spirit ' Ev signifies by Matt. 17.21 ch 23. v. 16. Luk. 4. v. 1. Heb. 1.1 Matt. 12.28 For so those words may be rendred which we render in the spirit It was we know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the spirit of God that Jesus cast out Devils His miraculous works did proceed from the spirit of God And he was justified by that spirit when he wrought miracles This is no new interpretation We find it in one of the ancient Fathers He was justified by the spirit i. e. by the divine spirit he wrought miracles But if I cast out Devils by the spirit of God says he It was therefore demonstrated and plain by miracles that he was true God Theodoret in 1 〈◊〉 c. 3. v. 16. and the Son of God Thus the Centurion by the Cross when he saw the earthquake and the darkness said This of a truth is the Son of God The Holy Spirit did acquit our blessed Saviour from the aspersions which were cast upon him And may very well be said to be an Advocate to our
Saviour as well as a Comforter with relation to his Disciples Joh. 16.8 The spirit did plead the cause of our Lord and by the mighty works of this divine spirit men were convinced that Jesus was no Impostour but that he was what he professed himself to be the Christ the Son of God A Miracle hath always been a good proof of a Doctrine and ever acknowledged to be very convincing When Elijah had restored to life the Widow's Son she concludes him a true Prophet 1 King 17.24 By this I know says she that thou art a man of God and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth A true miracle is an attestation from Heaven We cannot think that God will set his seal to a lye or to a truth of little moment and concern And as miracles are a good proof of the truth of a Doctrine so our Saviour had great reason to reser the Disciples of John Baptist to his miraculous works especially when it is considered that the law of Moses was confirmed by miracles and it is very reasonable to believe that the ordinances of Moses should be removed after the same manner that they were established and confirmed And therefore that Jesus should doe greater miracles that Moses ever did Besides our Saviour designed the destruction of the Devil's Kingdom in the world For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 And upon that account it was needfull that he should doe miracles The Devil had gotten a great and ancient possession over mankind he had got into the hearts and bodies of men and dwelt in the Temples of the Heathen world And whoever considers the largeness of his dominion the power and malice of his instruments will easily grant that there was need of a mighty power to dispossess him Now our Saviour and his followers made use of no carnal weapons they armed no legions raised no fighting men by sea or land And yet it is not to be believed that the Devil could be driven out of his ancient possession and strong holds without a greater power than what he was possessed of and that must be a divine power The power of the Devil was great at our Saviour's appearance He dwelt in the Heathen Temples answered in their Oracles an idolatrous worship obtained in the world many were there who were possessed by him Our Saviour stopped his mouth in the Oracles overthrew his Kingdom destroyed the idolatry and superstition which had overspread the world and threw the Devil out of the bodies and which was a greater work out of the hearts of men The Gospel set forward with great disadvantages The preachers of it had not riches or power or great birth or strong alliances or wordly wisedom to recommend them On the other hand they were poor men and despised But yet they were endued with power from above of working miracles and dispossessing the Devil where ever they came Chrysost Tom. 3. p. 276. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Had all this been done without the working of miracles this would have been the greatest miracle of all It was necessary that this power should be employed against the Devil's Kingdom The Jews indeed seem to be blamed by our Saviour for seeking after signs Mat. 16.4 But certain it is that they were not blameable nor blamed by our Saviour for demanding signs and wonders This demand was not unreasonable in it self nor blameable in them In this they were to be blamed that they did not require them with a mind prepared to receive the truth and were not content with such Miracles as our Saviour wrought H. Melach c. 1. Maimonides tells us that there were three precepts which did oblige the Israelites when they came into the Land of Promise viz. to set over them a King to destroy the Amalekites and to build a Sanctuary or Temple And yet when the Israelites demanded a King we find God displeased with them But then it was not because they desired to set a King over them but because they desired it amiss and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order to obey the law but because they were weary of Samuel a good Governour And so in the case before us The Jews require a sign and it is not to be supposed that our Saviour was upon that account displeased with them For their law being confirmed by Signs and Miracles it was very reasonable for them to require signs before they consented to relinquish it But that was not their fault that they required a sign But they came to our Saviour tempting rather than as sincere learners Matt. 16.1 Mark 8.11 and nothing will serve their Turn but a sign from Heaven The Jews ask our Saviour what they should doe that they might work the works of God Our Saviour answered and said unto them Joh. 6.28 29 30 31. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 'T was their great Duty to believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God The Jews do not stop here but proceed and demand of him a sign What sign shewest thou then said they that we may see and believe thee what dost thou work This was not unreasonable all this while their fault was that they would chuse what kind of Miracles our Saviour should work and they must be signs from Heaven and no less seems to be intimated in the following words Our fathers did eat Manna in the desart As it is written He gave them bread from Heaven to eat They must have Miracles of this sort they are for just such signs as Moses wrought There was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud at the giving the Law upon Mount Sinai They had Manna from Heaven in the wilderness They must have such signs as they pitch upon themselves and thus they tempt God by indulging their Curiosity Our Saviour wrought many signs and wonders and did mightily outdoe Moses as shall be shewed afterward and all their Prophets And therefore our Saviour did enough to confirm his doctrine and left the Jews without excuse Miracles are then a good testimony provided we are sure that they are miracles strictly so called For it hath often happened that the World hath been cheated with lying wonders Magicians and Impostours have imposed upon men And it is a matter of some difficulty to discern the difference between a true miracle and a false one between that which is indeed the finger of God and that which is the fraud and artifice of the Devil If Moses turn a rod into a Serpent so do the Sorcerers also and it might perhaps have puzled the wisest stander-by to discern the difference between them It will be very hard many times ex parte rei to Judge what miracles are true and what are falsly so called But though there be a difficulty in judging ex parte rei
R. Solom R. Bechai in Deut. 16.6 But R. Solomon upon those words speaks more explicitly and plainly still At even c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He tells us that in these words we have three several times placed before us 1. The time of sacrificing or killing the Paschal Lamb at even i. e. after the sixth hour of the day and onward 2. The time of eating it and that is when the Sun sets 3. The time of burning the remainder and that is the season in which they came out of Egypt And to the same sense R. Bechai interprets these words 3. That though these three several times be laid before us viz. the Even Sun-set and the Season in which they came out of Egypt yet is there no need to understand any of them as belonging to the sacrificing the Passeover but the even onely Thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover at even i. e. post declinationem solis as Lyra interprets it well For though it follow at the going down of the Sun c. it does not therefore hence follow that those words relate to the same matter For the proof of this I shall need go no farther than to the second verse of this Chapter there it is said Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God of the flock and the herd Where 't is evident that the flock relates to the Passeover onely according to the law Exod. 12.3 5. And therefore the herd must belong to some other matter and therefore the Jews understand it of the Chagigah or the other offerings which were offered up during the Passeover So that by this time it will not be hard to understand what is meant by between the two evenings which was also the time of the daily evening sacrifice Num. 28.4 which was wont to be offered up about our three in the afternoon or their ninth hour which was also a stated time of prayer Act. 3.1 It is evident that the time between the first deelining of the Sun to its setting is that time which is between the two Evenings And then our three a clock or their ninth hour when the day consists of twelve hours is the exact middle between the two Evenings Let us now see how well the time of Christ's death agrees with this And that it seems to do very exactly for besides that he was Crucified at the Passeover so he seems to have dyed about that moment of time when they were wont to slay the Paschal Lamb which as I have shewed was about their ninth hour They begin to Crucifie him at the third hour of the day Mark 15.25 at the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land untill the ninth hour v. 33. at the ninth hour he cries out my God my God c. v. 34. and presently upon that we read that he gave up the Ghost v. 37. And that all this happened before the latter Evening and so consequently between the two Evenings appears from v. 42 43. where we read that when even was come Joseph begs the body of Jesus So that Christ our Passeover the great Antitype of the Paschal Lamb dyes between the two Evenings And as in other particulars our Lord did fully answer what was typified of him in that Sacrifice so he does also in the time of his death which was about the ninth hour which was the precise time of slaying the Paschal Lamb. Thirdly The place of our Saviour's death This was also prefigured of old and fulfilled in the death of Jesus We know that the Sacrifices of old were not to be offered up any where but within the camp at first and afterwards at Jerusalem the place which God had chosen to place which God had chosen to place his name there Our Lord who was to suffer and to be slain a Sacrifice for our sins did suffer in that place In that City he was accused and condemned and abused and afterwards without the Gate he suffered death as some of the Sin-offerings under the Law of Moses were burnt without the Camp The City of Jerusalem answered to the Camp in the Wilderness and what was done without the Camp at first was when Jerusalem was chosen to be done without the Gates of the City Heb. 13.11 Fourthly let us consider still more particularly the manner and circumstances of the death of Jesus and we shall find what was of old predicted and prefigured was fulfilled in our Jesus As for example That he was betrayed by his own Disciple the Evangelists report And this the Psalmist had foretold long before in these words Mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me And what St. John reports is very remarkable to this purpose when our Saviour had told his Disciples that they were not all clean intimating that one of them should betray him he tells us what our Saviour adds I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen but that the Scripture may be fulfilled he that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me Now says our Saviour I tell you before it come that when it is come to pass ye may believe that I am he v. 18 19. His meaning is that they should be confirmed in their belief of him when they should compare the treachery of Judas which was predicted by the Psalmist and foretold by himself Joh. 18.2 with Psalm 41.9 Joh. 13.10 11. That he was betrayed for thirty pieces of Silver we read in the Gospel and the same was foretold by the Prophet Zechary and not onely that but also the use that this money was put to viz. the buying the Potters field Matt. 26.15 and 27.7 8 9. with Zechar. 11.12 13. That he was crucified between two Thieves the Evangelists report and the Prophet long before had foretold that he should be numbred with transgressors And our Saviour a little before his death tells his Disciples of it in these words Luk. 22.37 For I say unto you that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me and he was reckoned among the transgressors For the things concerning me have an end Matt. 27.38 with Isai 53.12 When he was upon the Cross there was given him Vinegar to drink and no less was foretold by the Psalmist in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink And our Saviour's thirst at that time was to verifie that prediction Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished and that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst Upon which they gave him Vinegar to drink This is the more remarkable still because it was contrary to the constant custome and courtesie of the Nation to give him that was condemned to die Vinegar to drink For whereas such a sharp liquor is apt to awaken to a sense of pain the Jews were wont to give such persons a stupifying or Narcotick potion to ruffle and disorder their minds that they
might not attend unto their pain Maimon H. Sanhedr c. 13. viz. Frankincense in a cup of Wine For this they ground themselves on the words of Solomon Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy heart Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more This was the constant practice of the Jews and there is a tradition among them that the Ladies of the City of Jerusalem were at this charge of their own good will towards the poor Sufferers But for all this practice what God foretold was fulfilled Matt. 27.48 with Psalm 69.21 Joh. 19.28 29. Prov. 31.6 7. The Souldiers when they had crucified Jesus part his garments and made four parts to every Souldier a part but when they came to his coat which it seems was woven and without a seam because they could not part that they said among themselves let us not rend it but cast lots for it whose it shall be And so this seemed to be a very casual and contingent thing yet was this not without the particular providence of God in order to fulfill the prophecy of the Psalmist they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Psalm 18.22 with Joh. 19.23 24. The Psalmist predicted of the Messias in these words All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Let us hear now what the Evangelist tells us as to the verifying of this prophecy He tells us that when Jesus was crucified they that passed by reviled him wagging their head and saying thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save thy self if thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross There were others that said He saved others himself he cannot save If he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Psalm 22.7 8. with Mat. 27.39 The Psalmist reports the very words which the Christ should speak upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And we find that Jesus about the ninth hour cryed out Eli Eli Lama sabacthani i. e. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And if the Prophet Isaiah tell us when he reports that he poured out his soul unto death that he did also make intercession for the transgressors I am sure St. Luke tells us that Jesus when he was upon the Cross interceded for his greatest Enemies praying for them and saying Father forgive them for they know not what they doe Psalm 22.1 with Mat. 27.46 Isai 53.12 with Luk. 23.34 The same Prophet describes the patient sufferings of the Messias in these words He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Never was this Scripture so eminently fulfilled as it was by Jesus He endured his pain and contempt with a most unparallelled patience He was betrayed by a false Disciple and with a fraudulent kiss Another swears he does not know him the rest leave him in his extremity He is stricken by the hand of a rude Officer oppressed in the place of Judgment condemned to die without sufficient Evidence he is spit upon buffeted hooted at and reviled They carry him from Caiaphas to Pontius Pilate before whom he answers with silence and an unheard of patience From Pilate he is conveyed to Herod and is silent before him also thence he is returned to Pilate neither one nor the other could find any fault with him His enemies thirst for his bloud are loud and clamorous our Lord who suffers holds his peace Isai 53.7 Mat. 27.14 Luk. 23.9 11 14. Though the sufferings of the Messias were particularly predicted as hath been said and they were very severe yet we are assured that a bone of him should not be broken This was intimated in the Law of the Paschal Lamb a very remarkable type of the death of Christ by which it was provided that not a bone of the Lamb should be broken Abravenel in Ex. 12. This is said to have been so appointed for the honour of the holy oblation and was of perpetual obligation and not peculiar to the Passeover of Egypt Now this was actually fulfilled in the body of Jesus though it were very unlikely it should have happened so For besides that our Saviour's enemies were barbarously cruel towards him they had a custom among them to break the legs of the crucified and were at this time especially carefull about it because of their approaching Sabbath and had actually broken the bones of the two Malefactors which hung by him and were come to the body of Jesus for the same end But finding him dead they pierced his side but brake not his bones not without a very remarkable providence of God And this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled A bone of him shall not be brokea Exod 12.46 Joh. 19.36 If what hath been said be considered duely we shall have great cause from the sufferings of Jesus to believe him to be the Christ I come now to enquire into the causes or reasons of the sufferings of Christ For it cannot be supposed that Christ who was a most innocent person should suffer a most painfull and ignominious death without some weighty cause and great ends And what those are you may learn from the following particulars 1. He suffered in our stead and to procure our pardon and acceptance and Salvation We do believe that he suffered for us men and our Salvation and maintain against the followers of Socinus that this death was a piacular Sacrifice and that his sufferings were a vicarious punishment upon the account and for the expiation of our sins Or that he died to make satisfaction for our sins For the proving of this let us consult the holy Scriptures and we shall find that they do abundantly teach us this truth It is granted on all hands that the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII speaks of the sufferings of the Messias And he gives us such an account of them as speaks them to be undergone not onely for our sakes but in our stead also Thus he is said to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows v. 4. And if those words do not import this sense yet those which follow do very much confirm us in this belief He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed v. 5. These words do plainly import that the fault was ours and that for that fault the Messias suffered It was our transgression and our iniquity but the wounds
and bruises due to them fell upon him The chastisement and stripes were his the peace and healing thereby procured belong unto us In a word though we finned and were liable to suffer upon that account yet he suffered for us If this be not plain enough let us proceed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all v. 6. The plain and natural sense of which words is this that whereas we had sinned and had made our selves obnoxious to punishment yet God did not punish us as we deserved but the Messias in our room and stead To the same purpose we read afterward He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken v. 8. And after those words we read that his soul should be made an offering for sin v. 10. It is certain that a sin or trespass-offering under the law of Moses was expiatory and piacular and the beast was offered instead of the offender and God did accept the bloud of the sacrifice in the room of the life of the person who had sinned Let us now consider what we read in the New Testament to the same purpose Our Blessed Saviour in his solemn prayer a little before his passion hath these words For their sakes speaking of his Disciples I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth That is Christ did offer up himself as a victim or sacrifice for them as the Greek word is observed to signifie And that sacrifice also is to be looked upon as a piacular and expiatory one And to that purpose it is well observed that the prayer Joh. 17.1 2 c. by which Christ consecrated himself unto his death is like unto that which the Jewish High Priest used when he consecrated or offered up the victims of the day of expiation before the Altar Joh. 17.19 Agreeably to what hath been said St. Paul speaking of Christ tells us that God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin Of which words I can give no other sense but this viz. that though Christ were innocent himself yet God thought fit to give him up to death as a piacular sacrifice for our sins And to the same purpose St. Peter tells us that Christ bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2 Cor. 5.22 1 Pet. 11.24 The divine Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that Christ did by himself purge our sins And that he was once offered to bear the sins of many And that he offered one sacrifice for sins Heb. 1.3 c. 9.28.1.10.12 And we find that the expiation of our sins is imputed to the death of Christ in the Holy Scriptures We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle For the bodies of those beasts whose bloud is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin are burnt without the camp Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud suffered without the gate By sanctifying the people nothing less can be meant than the expiation of their sins and as this was done under the law of Moses by an expiatory sacrifice so was it done by the bloud of Jesus the anti-type of those sacrifices which he speaks of in that place who suffered without the gate St. John tells us that the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin Heb. 13.10 11 12. 1 John 1. v. 7. And this is farther confirmed to us from this that our Saviour's bloud is said to be a price paid for us by which we are bought and redeemed For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance To which I shall add those words of the Apostle to the Ephesians where speaking of Christ he saith In whom we have redemption through his bloud And to the Colossians In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgiveness of sins Heb. 9.15 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 To what hath been said very much may be added to the same purpose viz. that our Lord himself hath said that he came to give his life a ransom for many Matt. 20.28 That of St. Paul to the same purpose 1 Tim. 2.6 And those words of our Lord This is my bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Matt. 26.28 Again these words of the Apostle Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ is elsewhere said to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.10 I shall not need to add any more Testimonies to those already named For though there are many others yet these are sufficient And indeed they do so plainly acquaint us with the end of Christ's death that he must use great art that can strain them to another sense For what the Socinians object against this doctrine viz. that it renders God's kindness less which yet is greatly magnified in the Scripture in giving his Son This objection I say can be of no force at all For though God thought fit for the honour of his justice that sin should not altogether go unpunished and gave us his Son to make our peace and redeem us from misery with his pretious bloud yet is this no diminution to the free grace and mercy of God 'T was the infinite mercy of God which moved him to find out this way in which we can claim nothing 'T was intirely the mercy of God that provided us this remedy Our pardon is free to us whatever it cost our Lord to procure it We have great cause to adore the love of God and the unparallelled charity of our Blessed Saviour Our free pardon and Christ's redemption the infinite mercy of God and the satisfaction of his justice are not things that are inconsistent The Apostles words teach us this truth with which I shall conclude this particular Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. v. 24 25 26. And thus I have considered the death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin and consequently as a great instance of the love of Christ who was content to dye that we might live And therefore when we are exhorted to love one another we are pressed to it from this consideration Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for an offering
had in confirmation of it Men are not commonly so fond of truth as to confirm it with their bloud Can we imagine that men should persist in a lie to the loss of all things At the close of chap. VI. But of this matter I have discoursed before and shall not need to pursue it now 7. That the Resurrection of the Messias was foretold in the old Testament as well as typified and therefore the Evangelists are not to be rejected by the Jews for reporting this matter The first preachers of the Christian faith did confirm this truth from the holy writings which the Jews owned They proved from them that this was foretold and they do it beyond all exception because they argue from those principles which the Jews allowed To this purpose belong those words Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That that Psalm did relate to the Messias we are able to prove from the Jewish Doctors who do acknowledge it And therefore when it was alledged to this purpose they cannot say that it was an allegation out of a place which did not belong to the Messias The Apostle applies those words to this sense He assures us that God hath fulfilled his promise in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm thou art my Son c. It being confessed by the Jews themselves that the Psalm out of which these words are cited is to be understood of the Messias I need not go about to justifie and make good that it belongs to the matter for which it is alledged Psal 2.5 Act. 13.33 I shall onely consider how fitly these words are applied to the resurrection of the Messias For thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee seem rather to relate to the birth than to the Resurrection of the Messias For the clearing of this matter it is to be considered That it is no unusual thing to call the earth our Mother as well as our Parent from whom we are born it is very common to call each of these by the same name The earth out of which we are taken and to which we return is our Mother as well as our Parent from whom we spring and our grave to which we return is our Womb as well as that of our Mothers When Julius Caesar dreamed that he had offered violence to his Mother Sueton. Jul. Caesar there were those who did interpret it arbitrium orbis terrarum portendi i. e. that he should conquer the earth quae omnium parens haberetur i. e. which is the common Mother of us all Id. Tiberius And when Tiberius died the people out of hatred prayed Terram Matrem the common Mother the Earth to give him no reception but among the wicked Philo the Jew tells us that the earth seems to be a Mother Phil. Jud. de Mundi Opificio and that thence it was that among the Ancients it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a word that at once signifies the Earth and Mother and that according to Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the earth does not so much imitate a Woman as a Woman the earth He tells us farther that nature hath given her breasts viz. the chanels of rivers and fountains After this manner do the writers of the old Testament speak with whom the grave which receives the dead is called the Womb and therefore a Resurrection from thence may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a new birth Naked came I out of my Mother's womb says Job and naked shall I return thither What we render thither the Chaldee Paraphrast expresseth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the grave Again on the other hand when the Holy Scripture speaks of the Mother's womb it does it after such a manner as refers to the Earth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mother of us all When the Psalmist speaks of his being formed in the Womb he expresses the Womb by the lowest parts of the earth which the Chaldee Paraphrast on the place interprets of the Womb of his Mother And the Virgin 's Womb seems to be meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Paulum Fagium in Gen. 37.35 i. e. the lowermost parts of the earth And to my present purpose into the innermost parts of the belly in Solomon is by the Targum rendred in profundum Sepulchri i. e. into the depth of the Grave And we find among the Jewish Writers that the Mother's womb is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sepulchre Oholoth c. 7. m. 4. He that is born and dies and is buried does but pass from one Tomb to another And he that rises out of the Womb of the earth or his grave may be said to be born anew and therefore it may well be said of our Saviour when he rose from the dead that he was then begotten And when the Apostle applies those words this day have I begotten thee to our Saviour's Resurrection he does but speak the language of the Hebrew writers and the Jews who own this Psalm to belong to the Messias have no reason to complain that those words of it should be applyed to his Resurrection Job 1.21 Ps 139.15 Eph. 4.9 Pro. 18.18 And this manner of speaking is very agreeable to the type of our Saviour's Resurrection I mean the Prophet Jonas who was three days and three nights in the Whales belly to which the heart of the earth in which Jesus was and from which he rose answers Matt. 12.40 Jonas is not onely said to have been in the belly or bowels as it is in the Hebrew of the Fish Jonah 1.17 But when he prayed unto the Lord his God there and God heard him he is said to have heard him out of the belly of Hell or as the Marginal reading hath it and the Hebrew word signifies out of the belly of the grave Jon. 2.2 And when he acknowledges his deliverance he does it in these words Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God Jon. 2.6 compare Ps 16.10 Act. 2.31 Jesus came from the Virgins Womb and the Womb of the earth The first birth was natalis Imperatoris the second natalis imperii The Prince was born when the Virgin brought him forth at Bethlehem but his Resurrection was the birth day of his Kingdom and of his entrance upon his everlasting Preisthood Upon both accounts he is justly called the Son of God as he was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the Virgins Womb and as he was raised by the Holy Ghost from the grave Augustin de Tempore Serm. 133. Virgoerat adhuc terra nondum opere compressa nondum sementi subacta Tertull. de carne Christi And there is a great cognation between the Womb and the grave The Womb of the Virgin which had received none but the Holy Jesus and the Sepulchre which Joseph had provided wherein never
man before was laid The Virgin and the Sepulchre were both undefiled And however a several Joseph were related to each yet they had not made any use of either Our Lord was miraculously born of the Virgin and raised from the dead Without the help of a man he was born at first and was raised from the grave without humane assistance and maugre all the endeavours used to prevent it He received life upon the first conception and a new life when he rose from the dead They were both effected by the H. Ghost and published by Angels Heb. 5.5 Luk. 1.35 with Rom. 1.4 chap. 8. v. 11. Luk. 23.53 But we have another prediction of the Resurrection of the Messias that cannot belong to the person of David at all viz. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption This must belong to the person of the Messias for David dyed and was buried and his flesh consumed and it is therefore an unexceptionable proof of that truth which it is brought to Confirm Ps 16.10 Act. 2.29 We have another Prophecy that assures us that the Messias after his resurrection shall dye no more viz. The promise of the sure mercies of God which we find the Apostle applying to this matter and inferring from it that Christ who rose from the dead was no more to return to corruption Isa 55.3 Act. 13.34 If what hath been said be duly considered we shall find that God hath given us sufficient assurance that Jesus did rise from the dead For what greater assurrance can we desire of this matter of fact unless we think Our Saviour should have dyed in every age and Country and risen again to satisfie our unreasonable infidelity What is there that the Jew can object against this doctrine thus confirmed will they undertake to prove a negative against so many positive proofs and witnesses what possible ways are there left them of doing this They cannot deny the possibility of the thing who believe a Resurrection to come or that God made the world Or will they say as once they did who watched his Sepulchre and were hired to say it that his Disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept Is it probable that this should gain any belief among men what temptation could they have to do this Or is it likely that they who for fear forsook him when he was living should adventure upon the Guard to retrieve his dead body which was honourably interred If these Souldiers knew this to be true why did they not hinder it if they knew it not how could they Testify what could hinder them who had power that they did not prevent it Or what reason have we to believe those Competent witnesses who confess that they were a sleep when it was done Thus having shewed that we have sufficient Evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead I shall now proceed to shew That this is an unexceptionable proof that he is the Christ and consequently of the truth of the Christian Religion I need not enlarge upon this head For it is very evident and plain and the Jews themselves cannot deny it And for that reason they who deny not that he lived and dyed do what they can to stifle the belief of the Resurrection This they do because they are sensible that his Resurrection from the dead is a proof beyond exception that he is the Messias They Endeavoured what they could to hinder his resurrection and when they could not doe that they laboured to hinder the belief of it And that which makes the Resurrection of Jesus so unexceptionable a proof that he is the Christ is this that Jesus did in his life time not onely profess himself to be the Christ the Son of God but also foretell the manner of his own death and that he should not onely rise again but rise again the third day and does referr the unbelieving Jews to his Resurrection as to the great sign and proof of his being sent from God When the Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign He answered and said unto them an Evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a Sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonas For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth Our Lord had done many miraculous works among the Jews and still they require a Sign or a more plain and clear proof that he came from God Our Saviour referrs them to his Resurrection as that which would be a most unexceptionable one and sufficient to remove any but a perverse and incurable unbelief And this he calls the Sign of the Prophet Jonas That Prophet was sent to call the Ninevites to repentance and was successfull in his undertaking and his miraculous escape from the belly of the Whale was a Competent proof that he was sent by God and very fit to gain him credit with the Ninevites And very probable it is that the fame of what had befallen the Prophet had come to the men of Nineveh and that it made way for the reception of the doctrine which he preached The Resurrection of Jesus was a greater sign and that which made way for the Entertainment of his doctrine in the World For it did confirm the truth of his Doctrine Matt. 16.21 Joh. 2.19 ch 3.14 ch 12.32 33. Matt. 12.39 40. There have been those who have been raised from the dead besides Jesus And many besides him have professed themselves to be the Christ also But none in the world but Jesus professed himself to be Christ and confirmed it by his Resurrection Maimon Epist ad Judaeos Marsilienses Maimon tells us of one who deceived the poor Jews under a pretence that he was at least the forerunner of the Messias who having boasted vainly that he would rise again after his death in token that he came from God was indeed beheaded by a certain Arabian King but returned not to life again He was not able to give the proof that Jesus did who rose from the dead And though there have been others who have been raised from the dead yet none of them ever professed to be the Christ the Son of the living God as our Jesus did This being a truth upon which the truth of the whole Christian Religion depends no wonder that the belief of this Article should be accounted for a faith in the whole Religion That is the word of faith says St. Paul which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For he that believes that Jesus rose from the dead does believe the other Articles of Religion which are all confirmed by this He that believes that Jesus is risen does at
into Heaven and to be concerned there in behalf of his people Secondly that our Jesus did ascend into Heaven and is there concerned on the behalf of his people Thirdly I shall shew that the divine Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews does chap. 9.24 and elsewhere infer this truth from the avowed principles of the Jewish Writers Fourthly I shall make it appear from the effects following upon the exaltation of Jesus in Heaven that he did ascend thither and was there concerned on our behalf and that therefore our Jesus is the Christ I shall shew that the Messias was to ascend into Heaven and to be concerned there in behalf of his people This was foretold in the Old Testament Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men Psalm 68.18 These words are not onely applied by St. Paul to this purpose Eph. 4.8 but with great reason they are so applied The occasion of that Psalm was the removal of the Ark Psal 68.1 1 Chron. 13.5 which of a long time had been separated from the Tabernacle of the congregation which Moses had made for it And as this Ark was an eminent type of the Messias so the place assigned both by Moses and afterward by Solomon for the reception thereof was a type of Heaven as shall be shewed afterwards And therefore it shall not need to seem strange to any man that those words which were at first used with reference to the Ark should be applied to the ascension of the Messias And this may be the more reasonably presumed to be implied in those words of the Psalmist if we compare them with the words of another Psalm relating to this matter Psal 24. where we find the Ark the symbol of God's special presence called the King of glory and it's reception into the place prepared for it represented in such words as do serve to express the reception of a glorious King into his Palace and Throne Lift up your heads Vid. The Dean of Peterburgh's Argument to Ps 24. O ye gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory The Lord of hosts he is the King of glory Besides what hath been said to justifie the Apostle's application of those words to the Ascension of the Messias into Heaven I may add farther that the words themselves cannot so properly be applied to any person as to the Messias when he did ascend up into Heaven Psal 7.8.93.4.71.19 For what we render on high is observed in the Psalmist's phrase to signifie Heaven and to be applied unto God And the following words thou hast led Captivity Captive c. do very fitly agree with the conquest which Christ obtained over death and over the Devil whom he triumphantly led Captive when he went up into Heaven and he did as those who triumphed were wont to doe upon this Ascension of his into Heaven bestow great gifts upon mankind the bestowing of which was an argument that when he was exalted into Heaven himself he did not forget his followers but did by the gifts which he bestowed make it appear that he was concerned there in behalf of his people Another prophecy to this purpose we find in Micah Mic. 2.13 The breaker is come up before them They have broken up and have passed through the gate and are gone out by it and their King shall pass before them and the Lord on the head of them I will by no means enter into a particular explication of this place See Raimund Pug fidei par 3. dist 3. c. 18. and D. Pocock on Micah 2.13 nor shall I need to prove that it belongs to this matter for which it is produced because the Jews themselves grant that these words are to be understood of the Messias and the latter Jews confess that this was the opinion of their Ancient writers I shall name but one more but that is a very eminent and conspicuous one The Lord said unto my Lord Ps 110.1 sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Now these words do so belong to the Messias that they cannot be applied to any other person And whereas several predictions which concern the Messias had also a reference first to some other eminent person who was a type of him The words of this Psalm throughout do immediately belong to him and cannot in any tolerable sense be applied to Abraham or David Ezekiah or Zorobabel or any other person whatsoever And though the Jews have exercised their wits in perverting the sense of this Psalm and applying it to some other person P. Galatin de arcan Cathol veritat is l. 8. c. 24. yet as they have been very unhappy in it so several of them have been forced to confess that these words are to be understood of the Messias And without all doubt the ancient Jews did with one consent interpret this Psalm of the Messias who is said not onely to sit at God's right hand but also to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck which words can not be with truth affirmed of any other person whatsoever And Jesus did apply these words to the Messias and so far stopped the mouths of the Pharisees that they were not able to reply Matt. 22. v. 42 43 44 45. What think ye says Jesus to them of Christ Whose Son is he They say unto him the Son of David He saith unto them how then doth David in Spirit call him Lord saying the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine eâ—emies thy footstool If David then call him Lord how is he his Son This put them to silence which it would not have done if these words had not been confessed to belong to the Messias Had it not been the sense of the whole Nation that the Psalm belongs to him they could soon have answered our Saviour in this place And as this place was made use of by Jesus so it was by his followers also to the same purpose and to the same persons viz. the Jews also Act. 2.34 St. Peter tells them that David is not ascended into the heavens but he saith himself The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand c. To the same purpose are these words justly applied by St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.25 in his Epistle to the Corinthians and the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentions this as a peculiar belonging to the Messias and not to the Angels those excellent Ministers of God To which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Heb. 1.13 with ch 5.6.10.12 13. Now this sitting on the right hand of God does denote the exaltation of the Messias and not onely that but his great power and authority and his being concerned
I shall mention two which were great proofs of our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven and of his power there and his being concerned on the behalf of his Church The first is the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost at the day of Pentecost Act. 2. Our Saviour had promised to his sorrowfull Disciples a Comforter who should abide with them for ever This he did before his death and the better to support them under the sorrow which his death would occasion Joh. 14.16 18. ch 15. v. 26. and ch 16. v. 7. He repeated this promise after his Resurrection Luk. 24.49 And before his Ascension he commands them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me Act. 1.4 This promise he made good Act. 2. To the great amazement of the multitude which from several nations were come together to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost The Holy Ghost which was then miraculously bestowed upon the Disciples of Jesus was his Advocate and pleaded his cause Our Saviour had foretold that he would bear witness of him And this the Holy Ghost did Joh. 15.26 1. As he testified that Jesus was a true Prophet when he promised this heavenly gift to his disciples and did thereby bear Testimony to his veracity and make it appear that he was not an impostor or cheat They were now convinced abundantly that Jesus had made his word good Joh. 16.7 10. And now there was no suspicion left of his being a false Prophet or deceiver 2. Of the power and autority which Jesus had He told his followers that all power was given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 This he told them after his Resurrection and a little before his Ascension into Heaven He gave at the day of Pentecost an undeniable proof of it Jesus had said before his death to the elders and chief Priests and Scribes that asked him if he were the Christ Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God Luk. 22.69 The meaning of which words is plainly this that they should be convinced e'er long of his great power which he had in Heaven upon his exaltation to that place and at the day of Pentecost he gave a great demonstration of this power of his And St. Peter does conclude from it that he is the Christ This Jesus saith he hath God raised up whereof we are all witnesses Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear And presently afterward he concludes as he very justly might do Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ Act. 2. v. 32 33 36. Secondly another great effect following the exaltation of Jesus was the success of his Religion in the world which was a farther argument of the power of Jesus in Heaven and of his being concerned for his Church and an evident proof that this Jesus is the Christ But for the better speaking to this I shall shew First that according to the prophecies of old all nations were to serve the Messias Secondly that these prophecies have been in great measure fulfilled in our Jesus whose Religion did greatly spread over the world Thirdly that this success of the Religion of Jesus is an unexceptionable proof that Jesus is the Christ According to the prophecies of old all nations were to serve the Messias and consequently that the partition-wall between the Jew and Gentile should be thrown down Thus in those words of Jacob which the ancient Jews understand of the Messias it is said that unto him shall the gathering of the people be Gen. 49.10 That is the nations or Gentiles should obey and serve him No less is promised than this I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for a possession Ps 2.8 The Prophet Isaiah foretells also that it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all nations shall flow unto it Isa 2.2 And again In that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people To it shall the Gentiles seek Isa 11.10 And again the same Prophet tells us The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet chuse Israel and set them in their own land And the strangers shall be joined with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob Isa 14.1 And farther we read It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the end of the earth c. 49.6 To which we may add Isa 54. as also what he tells us afterwards The Gentiles shall come to thy light and King 's to the brightness of thy rising The abundance of the Sea shall be converted to thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee c. 60.3 5. We shall hear what the Prophet Hosea also tells us I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people Hos 2.23 No less perhaps is meant than this in that vision of Zechary where Jerusalem is not permitted to come under a measuring line and that because she should be inhabited as Towns without walls for the multitude of men and Cattel therein Zech. 2.4 However sure I am that the same Prophet speaks plainly in these words Many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord c. 8.22 And as plainly still afterwards in these words Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the foal of an Asse And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem and the battel bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen And his Dominion shall be from Sea even to Sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth c. 9. v. 4 10. To which I shall add the words of the Prophet Malachy From the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1.11 By which we may see that the Gentiles according to these prophecies were to submit to
to the Jews imply no less What nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day The giving a law to the Jews was a special dignation and favour He sheweth his word unto Jaâ—ob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them This was a great treasure which the Jews had when the neighbouring Countries were not admitted to the favour of a Divine Revelation The study of this law is frequently pressed upon them And the devout Psalmist does upon all occasions express the great esteem which he had for it It was sweeter to him than honey more valuable than Gold and Silver 't was the joy of his heart the desire of his soul the delight of his eyes and great comfort of his life Jesus himself shewed all due regard to the law of Moses He professed that he did not come to destroy the law and the Prophets he puts the people upon searching the Scriptures he was circumcised according to the law he wore such a Garment as the law of Moses prescribed he observed the Feasts which that law appointed and when he had healed the Leper he sends him to the Priest to doe according to the law of Moses The Jews had no cause to quarrel with our Lord in this matter St. Paul who was the Apostle of the Gentiles yet allows that the giving of the law to the Jews was a singular privilege and advantage He reckons it their great advantage that unto them were committed the Oracles of God and that to them pertained the covenants and the giving of the law Deut. 4.8 Ps 147.19 20. Ps 19.10 Ps 40.8 Ps 119.70 72 92 97 136. Mat. 5.17 Joh. 5.39 Luk. 2.21 Mat. 10.20 Luk. 2.41 Joh. 2.13 23. and ch 7.2 Mat. 8.4 Rom. 3.1 2. Rom. 9.4 And as the law of Moses came from God so it must also be granted that it was as it is called by the Psalmist a perfect law That is it was well fitted for that people to whom and for that time in which and for those ends for which it was given It taught them their duty to God their neighbour and themselves and laid before them such precepts as concerned them as men as members of a Body Politick and of a Church It was so full and so complete that it wanted nothing for the end it was designed to It was expressly provided that they to whom it was given should neither add to it nor diminish from it Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I commanded you It was indeed full of rites and ceremonies but it required nothing immoral and did not allow of the least shadow of Idolatry Its precepts were just they were consistent they were plainly revealed and sufficiently confirmed Indeed many rites and ceremonies were prescribed But as they were of God's own appointment so they were ordained for wise ends also viz. to keep the people from Idolatry to which they were prone and from the foppish and superstitious usages of their neighbours for a proof of their obedience to God and for the fore-shadowing of some better things to come they were many of them very instructive and were so many Sacraments or Symbols of very weighty things Ps 19.7 Deut. 4.2 Notwithstanding what hath been said it does not follow that the law of Moses was never to be altered The Jews might not add or diminish but God himself was not bound by that law It stood upon divine authority and was revealed by God but it does not thence follow that the same authority which set it up could not take it away God no where tells us that 't is his last Revelation and that he intended it should be taken as such God is not obliged to reveal his mind all at once He may make what laws he pleaseth and add to them when he will Nay God himself does expressly declare that he would make a new Covenant And it is added not according to the covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt Jer. 31.31 32. It reflects no dishonour upon God to say that he reverses some Constitutions of his own that he alters or adds to his own laws All the laws which proceed from him are not of the same importance and moment The Jews themselves will own this and the thing is very evident and plain This appears from the greater or less punishments assigned to the transgressors of these laws There were some sins so great as admitted no Sacrifice to expiate them There were others which were easily atoned for We do not call the wisedom of God in question nor disparage his law when we shew how far short it comes of the Gospel For all this while we do but compare one Divine Revelation with another God made the Heaven and the earth and all that which he made was good It is no reflexion upon his wisedom or goodness or veracity to say that God will make a new Heaven and a new earth For God who promised to make a new covenant promised to make a new Heaven and earth also Isa 66.22 These things I thought fit to premise that I might proceed in this weighty argument with the greater caution I shall now consider the law of Moses more particularly in order to the proving this that the Gospel of Christ does excell it The whole body of the law of Moses comprizeth those precepts given by him which were either Moral Ecclesiastical or civil The Moral law concerned them as men and was given at Mount Sinai in ten distinct precepts or Commandments These are called the word or words of God and the ten words and the words of the covenant word in Scripture phrase signifying at intire sentence or precept Ps 147.19 Exod. 20. 1. Deut. 4.13.10.4 Exod 34.28 Gal. 5.14 Mark 7.13 with Matth. 15.6 The other laws which Moses gave are expressed by statutes and Judgments Ps 147.19 as the Moral are by word or words in the same place For statutes the Jewish writers tell us that they are to be understood of those precepts the reason whereof is not revealed Bechai in Legem fol. 185. Abravenel fol. 177. or at least is not obvious and plain Such were the laws concerning divers kinds concerning the scape Goat and the red Heifer and the like And to these belong the ceremonial and ritual precepts which concerned the Hebrews as they were a Church Judgments are such precepts as are more agreeable to reason and such as might at least in some measure be found out by it Such are tâ—ose which relate to adultery and theft c. These have relation to a Polity or civil Society As for
School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith Whoever duly considers what hath been said above of the nature of many of the Mosaical precepts which were of their own nature things very minute of their symbolicalness and reference to better things to come of the malediction to which the transgressours of the Law were subject and the defectiveness of the Legal Sacrifices and the slender hope of pardon which that Law afforded will easily understand that the Law was a School-master to bring men to Christ The Law shewed men their disease but did not cure and heal them but referred them to some better provision which our Lord hath made for us in the Gospel What hath been said does sufficiently prove that the Christian Religion does very much surpass that of the Jews And also that our Jesus is that very Christ who was promised from the beginning and was the hope and expectation of the faithfull in the Old Testament FINIS Places of Scripture Explained Chap. Ver. GEnesis IX 6. Whoso sheddeth man's bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God c. Page p. 400 Chap. Ver. XII 3. with XXII 18. And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed And in thy seed shall the Nations c. Page 51 52 Chap. Ver. XXII 4. And on the third day Abraham lift up his eyes c. Page 300 Chap. Ver. XXXV 21. And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar Page 63 64 Chap. Ver. XLIX 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet untill Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be Page 74 75 82 Chap. Ver. Ib. 18. I have waited for thy salvation O Lord. Page 14 15 Chap. Ver. Exodus XII 6. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening Page 214 Chap. Ver. Numbers XIII 16. And. Moses called Oshea the Son of Nun Jehoshua Page 11 Chap. Ver. XVI 5. And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company saying even to morrow the Lord will shew who are his and who is holy and will cause him to come near unto him even him c. Page 136 Chap. Ver. XXI 9. And Moses made a Serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a Serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the Serpent of brass he lived Page 210 Chap. Ver. Deuteronomy XVI 6. But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in there thou shalt Sacrifice the Passeover at even at the going down of the Sun at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt Page 222. Chap. Ver. XVIII 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Page 87 88 Chap. Ver. XXIII II. But it shall be when evening cometh on he shall wash himself with water and when the Sun is down he shall come into the camp again Page 217 Chap. Ver. 2 Samuel II. 4. And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David King over the house of Judah c. Page 38 Chap. Ver. XI 2. And it came to pass in an evening-tide that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the King 's House c. Page 217 218 Chap. Ver. 1 King XIX 16. And Jehu the Son Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be King over Israel and Elisha the Son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoint c. Page 31 32 Chap. Ver. Job I. 21. And said Naked came I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return thither c. Page 287 Chap. Ver. Psalms II. 7. with Act. XIII 33 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Page 285 Chap. Ver. XIX 7. The law of the Lord is perfect c. Page 404 Chap. Ver. XXIV 9. Lift up your heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Page 309 Chap. Ver. LI. 16. For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offering Page 28 Chap. Ver. LXXXIX 30. to 37. If his children forsake my law c. Page 60 Chap. Ver. CX 1. The Lord said unto my Lord c. Page 311 Chap. Ver. CXLVII 19. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel Page 407 Chap. Ver. Isaiah VII 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive c. Page 70 Chap. Ver. IX 1 2 3. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation c. Page 95 96 Chap. Ver. LIII 9. And he made his grave c. Page 260 Chap. Ver. LXI 3. To preach good tidings unto the meek Page 104 112 Chap. Ver. Joel II. 28. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh c. Page 129 Chap. Ver. Micah V. 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah c. Page 78 Chap. Ver. Ib. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former c. Page 83 84 Chap. Ver. Zechariah IX 9. Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem c. Page 203 204 Chap. Ver. Malachi III. 1. Behold I will send my Messenger c. Page 100 Chap. Ver. St. Matthew I. 23. Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his name Emanuel c. Page 7 8 Chap. Ver. II. 5 6. And they said unto him In Bethlehem of Judaea for thus it is written by the Prophet And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah c. Page 66 67 Chap. Ver. IV. 14 15 16. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying The land of Zabulon c. Page 98 99 Chap. Ver. XI 4 5. Jesus answered and said unto them Goe and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see The blind receive their sight and the lame walk c. Page 106 107 Chap. Ver. XII 31. Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but c. Page 461 c Chap. Ver. Ib. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but c. Page 461 463 Chap. Ver. Ib. 39 40. But he answered and said unto them An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign c. Page 293 Chap. Ver. Ib. 40. with Chap. XXVII 63. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth Page 30â— Chap. Ver. XXVII 51. And behold the veil of the Temple was rent in twain c. Page 333 Chap. Ver. Ib. 63. After three days I