hath made upon the soul Isa 61.2 and to pour in the oyl of Joy and consolation unto them that mourn in Son 12. Prov. 30.1 I may add that some conceive him to be understood by Ithiel and Vcal Ithiel signifieth God with me and so is to the same purpose with Immanuel and may signifie the Union of the Divinity and Humanity in Christ our Mediator Vcal signifieth power and strength and so may note the strength of his humane Nature by virtue of the Hypostatical Union of the Divine Person both to undergo all those sufferings that were to be laid upon it and also to give infinite value to these sufferings that they might make a perfect satisfaction to Gods Justice as I said before and be a sufficient price to purchase Eternal Salvation for us To these I might add divers other names that are given to the Messiah in the Old Testament but these are sufficient and indeed the very name Messiah as it speaks him to be anoynted of God to that threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King to which Offices men used to be set a-part by the ceremony of Vnction so they suppose him to be such a person as should be qualified and made meet for these Offices and to this end it was necessary that he should be God and Man that he might be a middle person between both Having considered his Names Titles let us proceed in the second place to take a view of what the Old Testament speaks of the Offices to which the Messiah was designed by God the Father And there will be the less need to dwell long upon this because I have spoken something of it upon the former Head We commonly believe that Jesus Christ in order to the accomplishing of this great business of our Salvation As he was pleased to stoop so low as to take our Nature into that neer Union with his Divine Person so that he was both truly God of the substance of his Father and truely Man consisting of a reasonable soul and humane flesh So in the hypostatical Union of these two Natures he did perform the office of a Prophet of a Priest and of a King to his Church And that we may see that we neither wrong Christ in imputing that to him which may either be dishonourable or disagreeing to him nor yet our selves or others in entertaining fond and groundless conceits as Articles of our Religion I shall therefore endeavour to shew you that Christ was promised to the Fathers of the Old Testament as one that should undertake and go through with each of these Offices First it was foretold that he should be a Prophet one that should both by his own preaching and the preaching of his Apostles while he was upon the earth and after his Ascension by giving the holy Ghost to his Ministers shew unto us the will of his Father and all things that should be necessary for us to know believe and do in order to our pleasing God in this world and everlasting enjoying of him in the world to come This is evident from that promise which God made by Moses Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God shall raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me and him shall ye hear in all things to which agrees that voice which came from Heaven Mat. 17.5 in our Saviour's Transfiguration This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Again the Prophet Isaiah speaking in the person of Christ saith Isa 61.1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord And this our Saviour when he was upon earth applyed to himself and told the people that they had then seen that Scripture fulfilled before their eyes Luke 4.18 Secondly that he should be our High-priest one that should do that in reality and substance which was done onely typically by all the Oblations enjoyned in the ceremonial Law that he should offer up an expiatory and propitiatory sacrifice to Gods justice even his own body and thereby make an Atonement for us Surely saith that Evangelical Prophet he hath born our griefs Isa 53.4 5 6. and carried our sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all And again By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many vers 11. for he shall bear their iniquities And further vers 12. He was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours Of whom the Prophet speaks all this you may hear from St. Philip's exposition of this place to the Eunuch Acts 8.34 35. 1 Pet. 2.22 and from St. Peter's application of it to our Saviour Therefore he is called The Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 and he is said to swallow up death in victory Isa 25.8 and his people are called The ransomed of the Lord Isa 35.10 Thirdly It was foretold that he should be a King not that his Kingdom should be of this World that is after the manner of worldly Kingdoms Joh. 18.36 as the carnal Jews did conceit of which errour himself doth convince them But that he should have such a Kingdom wherein he should Rule his own people as a Shepherd doth his Sheep and his enemies with a rod of Iron so as to restrain their fury against his people to disappoint their devices and to dash in pieces at last those that are his implacable enemies This was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 40.10 11. Behold the Lord shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him he shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the lambs in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young And by David Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Ps 2.8 9. and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel So again the Prophet Jerem. Jer. 23.5 Behold a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and righteousness And who is this but he whom he calls in the next verse The Lord our Righteousness To this end he is so often called David Ezek. 37.24 25. and said to sit upon the throne of his father David Not in a literal sense as some conceit as if he should come in person to Reign upon earth and set up his Throne in the same place where
away sooner then one iota or tittle of his Word fail till all be fulfilled And therefore if we make it appear that such a thing was promised by God to the Fathers that the Son of God should be Incarnate to the end that he might be a Mediator between God and man and the Authour of Eternal Salvation to us I suppose no man that reads this will doubt but that in the fulness of Time these promises would take effect Now that God did all along to the Fathers of the Old Testament make such a promise will be evident by considering First The Names and Titles that are applied to him that was promised to come as the Messiah which will shew that he was foretold to be such an one as should be truly God and truly Man Secondly The Offices that are applyed to him which will shew that he was foretold to come as the Saviour of the World First I say the Names and Titles which up and down the Old Testament are given to the Messiah that was promised do shew that for his Person he should be God and Man and some of them also do point at his Office 1. Gen. 3.15 We find him stiled The Seed of the Woman that should break the Serpents head His Humanity is denoted in his being the Seed of the Woman his Divinity in that Office that is ascribed to him To break the Serpents head which may very fitly be interpreted by that expression of the Apostle He was manifest to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Now no person can enter into the strong mans house except he be stronger then he To the same purpose is that other expression where he is called Gen. 22.18 The Seed of Abraham in whom all the families of the Earth shall be blessed which as it foretels his humane Nature which should be born of the Seed of Abraham so it shews that he was to come as a general good to the world not onely to be the glory of his people Israel Lu. 2.31 but also to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles that both Jews and Gentiles might through him be delivered from that curse which they were liable unto through Sin and might be partakers of the blessedness that he hath purchased by his Sufferings and Obedience And this likewise foreshews that he should be the Son of God in that his sufferings and obedience are represented of such infinit value as to purchase so great and general benefits to Mankind 2. He is sometimes called by the name of Shiloh Gen. 49.10 by which word is understood the Messiah as is evident by the Caldee-Paraphrase and most of the Ancient Rabbies who in this place for Shiloh do read Messiah As to the signification of this word some derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the Secundine that contains the Embryo in the womb and in this sense it may denote that the Messiah should be born an Infant and also say some that he should be born of a Woman without a Natural Father Others derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to send and so it may denote his Office that he should be sent by God the Father into the world for the Salvation thereof Others derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Peace and so likewise it may denote his Office that he should be the Author of Peace and Reconciliation between God and man and should purchase eternal Happiness for us and therefore he is called our Peace Eph. 2.14 However we interpret this word yet still it speaks the Messiah to be such a Person and designed to such an Office as I said before 3. He is elsewhere stiled A Prophet whom the Lord should raise up to Israel like unto Moses Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God shall raise up unto thee a Prophet this both shews that he should be a real and not a fantastical Person and it sets before us one of those Offices which he should undertake in order to our Redemption He shall be raised up in the midst of thee of thy brethren and this shews that he was to be the Son of Man That this Prophesie belongs to Christ is evident from Acts 3.22 and Chap. 7.37 4. Psal 80.15 David calls him The Man of Gods right hand and the Son of man whom he had made strong for himself And this shews both the truth of his Divine Nature where in he was the man of Gods right hand the Son of God Phil. 2.7 equal to the Father in Power and Glory in Blessedness and Eternity and also it foretels that God the Father should prepare him a body in which he might suffer for our sins and which by the Hypostatical union with the Divine Nature was made strong to undergo that wrath of God and to break through the bonds of Death which no meer man would have been able to do likewise by the Union of the Divinity with the Humanity of Christ his suffering should become of infinit value and Heb. 9.14 This blood of Christ being offered up by the Eternal Spirit should be able to purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Further David calls him his Lord who was foretold to be his Son after the flesh Ps 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool now the same person being in different respects Davids Son and Davids Lord this shews him to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man 5. He is called Immanuel Isa 7.14 which shews the admirable and unconceivable Union of the Divine Person of the Word with that flesh that he took upon him God was pleased to dwel with men on earth 1 King 8.12 and to pitch his Tabernacle amongst us in a more near and especial manner when the Word was pleased to be made flesh Joh. 1.14 And this stupendious Transaction was not for nothing but for this end that being a middle Person between God and us Medium participationis one that did partake of both Natures he might fitly stand as a middle Person Job 9.33 and lay his hand upon us both 6. We have other Titles given to him in that eminent Scripture Isa 9.6 7 which serve to denote both his Natures and Offices To us a Child is born to us a Son is given This shews the humane Nature of Christ which should be taken into that near Union with the Person of the Son of God And the Government shall be upon his shoulders This denotes that Kingly Office which Christ as our Mediator did undertake And his Name shall be called Wonderful in regard of the Ineffable Union of the two Natures in the Person of one Mediator to which agrees that of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifest in the flesh Further he is called
Councellour not onely in respect of his divine Nature 1 Cor. 1.24 which is called The Wisdom of the Father but chiefly in respect of his Office in the Church as our Mediator he is our Prophet who is sent to reveal unto us the Will of God and the way to Heaven He is called The mighty God which denotes him that was before said to be born of a Woman to be also God equal with the Father The everlasting Father or Father of Eternity not as if the first Person in the Trinity had taken our Nature or suffered to satisfie his own Justice but onely to denote the Eternity of his Divine Nature who was our Mediator Though as man he was conceived in time in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin yet as God he was begotten of his Father before all Words even from everlasting Further Eph. 1.14 he is called The Prince of Peace to note the end of his coming to make Peace between God and us And finally it is said Col. 1.20 that of the encrease of his government there shall be no end c. to note both the great encrease of his Kingdom Dan. 2.35 that Stone cut out of the Mountains without hands shall fill the earth And withal that his Kingdom shall not be subject to those vicissitudes and decayes to which other Kingdoms are subject 1 Cor. 15.25 He shall reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet 7. Further that evangelical Prophet Isaiah chap. 42.1 calls him Gods servant whom he did uphold his Elect in whom his soul delighted As to his Divine Nature he was God equal with the Father Phil. 2.7 but in respect of this Office of Mediator as he was Gods Elect whom the Father did choose to appoint and accept as our surety and a propitiatory Sacrisice in our behalf so he was in some respect the servant of the Father and tells us that he came into the world to do the Will of his Father Nor may we therefore Joh. 4.34 with the Arians think that Christ's being sent by the Father and being called his Servant doth argue any inequality between the Father and the Son nor yet with the Macedonians that the holy Ghost being sent from the Father and the Son Jo. 15.26 this doth argue him to be unequal or inferiour to them both For that Rule in divinity is very rational as well as Orthodox that Missio Obedientia non tollunt aequalitatem Personarum in Sacrâ Trinitate The Fathers sending the Son and the Father and Son sending the holy Ghost doth not argue the Father to be above the Son nor them both to be above the holy Ghost but onely denotes that order in which each person in the Sacred Trinity is pleased to transact its several operations 8. Jer. 23.6 He is termed by Jeremiah The Lord our Righteousness the name Jehovah which is no where in Scripture applied to any Creature doth argue him to be truely God and the other word shews the end of his coming into the World even to make reconciliation for iniquity Dan. 9.24 and to bring in everlasting Righteousness 9. The Messiah is frequently stiled by the name of David Jerem. 30.9 Ezek. 34.23 24. and chap. 37.24 25. Hosea 3.5 To which may be added other places which are not so express as the former Psal 132.10 Isaiah 37.35 and chap. 55.3 Amos 9.11 Acts 13.34 and chap. 15.16 Now the reason why he is called by this Name may be either 1. Because he was to be born of the Posterity and Family of David in which respect he is called a Branch of David Jerem. 23.5 and a Rod of the stem of Jesse Isa 11.1 And in the New Testament he is said to be raised up in the house of David Luke 1.69 and to be made of the seed of David John 7.42 Rom. 1.3 2 Tim. 2.8 He is also called The root of David Revel 5.5 and the off-spring of David Revel 22.16 2. Or else he may be called David because the promise was renewed in a special and solemn manner to David that of his seed should come the Messiah 2 Sam. 7. and 1 Chron. 17. Or 3. because David was in some sort a Type of Christ as namely in that David was both a King and a Prophet as Christ was King Priest and Prophet but chiefly in respect of his wise and happy administration of his Kingdom and Government And these Prophesies do betoken both the humane Nature of Christ who should come of the Seed of David and his Divine Nature in that he was to be King of the Church which is called The Israel of God Gal 6.16 10. Zech. 9.9 The Prophet Zechariah calls him the King of Israel which shews both his Power and Authority to rule his Church and also his Humanity in that he is said to sit upon an Ass and a Colt the foal of an Ass And though Christ did not in his life-time take upon him the temporal jurisdiction over Israel but tells his Disciples they were mistaken in looking for this and tells Pilate that his Kingdom was not of this world that is Joh. 18.36 according to the fashion of earthly Kingdoms yet doth he in all ages in a spiritual sense govern his Church feeding his flock like a Shepherd and ruling his enemies with a rod of Iron And further the same Prophet calls him Gods Shepherd Zech. 13.7 that is a Shepherd of God the Fathers appointment and the man that was his fellow which denotes his Divine Nature wherein he was equal to the Father And this Shepherd is said to be smitten Mat. 26.31 and the sheep of the flock to be scattered from him which is a Prophefie of what Christ in his humane Nature did suffer as our Saviour himself interprets it 11. In Malachi the last of the Prophets he is called the Lord whom they sought after and the Angel Mal. 3.1 or Messenger of the Covenant in whom they delighted And as the name Jehovah being here applyed to Christ doth shew him to be truely God so the name Angel doth both denote his real existence and his Office likewise as being appointed by the Father to ratifie and fulfil that Covenant which he had made with the Fathers even the Covenant of Life and Salvation which was expressed in these words Jer. 31.31 I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people And further Mal. 4.2 He is called the Sun of Righteousness which should arise upon the earth with healing in his wings Which denotes both the excellency of his Nature being like the Sun the most glorious and excellent of all bodies and likewise the greatness and commonness of his benefits the Sun is a common good to the world giving Light and Life to all Creatures that are capable of it and so this Sun of Righteousness shall come with healing in his wings to all that will receive him to heal the wounds which sin
blessed for ever Rom. 5.9 to be Davids Son Mat. 22.42 and Davids Lord also There were also some other things foretold concerning the Messiah As that he should call the Gentiles enter into the second Temple ruine the Idols of the Heathen silence their Oracles c. But of these I have spoken in the last Chapter Also there are some lesser matters as that he should be called a Nazarite that he should be brought up and preach in Galilee and the like But these things which I have mentioned are some of the chief things that are contained in the Prophesies concerning the Messiah To sum up therefore the Argument If all things that were foretold concerning the person of the Messiah or concerning what he should do and suffer upon earth did concur in that Jesus in whom we believe then may we conclude him to be the true Messiah But all things did concur in his person as to his Conception Birth c. and all things were done and suffered by him which the Prophers foretold concerning the Messiah Therefore we may undoubtedly believe that the same Jesils in whom we believe is the true Messiah who was promised to come into the world CHAP. IX The fourth Proposition confirmed viz. That the Apostles and Evangelists of the New Testament do hold forth unto us such a Christ as was really and in a proper sense God and Man hypostatically united in one Person And who did in a real and proper sense satisfie Gods justice for our sins and purchase eternal Salvation for us by his Merits WE have proceeded so far as to shew evident proof of these truths that the Son of God was promised to the fathers of the Old Testament to take our Nature upon him and to become our Saviour and that the time for the fulfilling of these Promises yea the set time is long since come and withal that the same Jesus in whom we believe is that very Messiah who was promised to the fathers And me-thinks to men of moderately clear Reason and competent Modesty this might be sufficient both to satisfie all doubts and also to stop their mouths from cavilling at or contradicting our Christian Faith But because first there are a generation of people so wise in their own eyes that they conceit themselves to see something more in the name of Christ then the Churches of God in all ages have seen And secondly do talk of a perfection of righteousness by walking up to the dictates of I know not what light within And thirdly do seek for the confirmation of all points of Faith out of the New Testament as if the Old Testament were too old to be good I shall therefore for the convincing of these men if possible or at least for the stopping of their mouths and withal for the strengthning of our Faith against the cavils of seducers without and the suggestions of Satan within endeavour from the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists to prove First that Christ was really such as we believe him to be and such as the Prophets foretold him to be The Son of God made Man or The Word made Flesh Secondly that he did fully and in a true and proper sense make satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins and that there is no way to be saved but by his Merits First That Christ was such as we believe him to be and such as the Prophets did foretel that he should be viz. God and Man or the Word made flesh Deut. 17.6 By the mouth of two or three witnesses saith God in the Law shall every word be established And it is our comfort that God hath given us not onely two or three witnesses Heb. â—2 1 but even a whole cloud of witnesses to establish this Word of Faith Christ chose twelve Apostles to be witnesses of what he did and spake upon earth and besides them there are many other witnesses of this Truth First the Angels whose Ministry God was pleased to use in the revealing of this great Mystery to the World Before he was conceived in the Womb the Angel speaking to Zacharias calls him The Lord as to his Divine Nature Luke 1.17 and speaks of his coming after John Baptist as to his humane Nature And speaking to the B. Virgin v. 30.31 he tells her that she should conceive in her Womb and bear a Son This notes his humane Nature And he shall be called The Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall â—ive him the Throne of his father David This notes the truth of his Divinity And â—hen he was conceived in the Womb Mat. 1.20 21. an Anâ—el tells Joseph that That which was conceived in the Blessed Virgin was of the holy Ghost and that she should call his Name Jesus because he should save his people from their sins Behold both his Humanity in his Conception and his Divinity in his Office to save his people And again when he was born the Angel saith to the Shepherds Luk. 2.10 11. To you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord he is born this notes his Humanity he is Christ the Lord that notes his Divinity Again after his Resurrection an Angel saith unto the Women that Christ who was crucified was risen up again Mat. 28.5 6. That shews that he was truely man Come see the place where the Lord lay Act. 1.11 That shews him to be truely God Yea after he was ascended into Heaven they say of him This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven his Ascention which was a change of Place notes his Humanity his coming to Judge the world his Divine Power and Authority So that all along the Angels witness him to be truely God and truely Man 2. We have the testimony of many Pious Persons in the New Testament which though to a Jew or Heathen it be of little value yet to all that profess obedience to the holy Scriptures it is of great moment Let us see the confession of Zachary Luk. 1.68 He calls him the Lord God of Israel who had visited his people so as to Redeem them a clear testimony of both his Natures vers 43. And Elizabeth calleth the Blessed Virgin vers 47. The mother of her Lord. And the Blessed Virgin her self calls him that was conceived in her Womb The Lord her Sauiour a clear proof of his two Natures 3. John Baptist gives testimony to this whose testimony may well be reckoned distinctly from other Saints because he was sent especially about this Message to bear witness of Christ Joh. 1.29 He calls him The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Here he gives Testimony both to his Divinity in that he was able to make satisfaction to Gods justice and to take away sin and to his Humanity in that he was a Lamb that had a body to sacrifice
them in mind that without shedding of blood the blood of Christ the Lamb of God there could be no remission of sin obtained And that their laying their hand upon the sacrifice that was offered up for them might stir them up to put forth an hand of Faith to lay hold upon Jesus Christ And by washing their bodies in water they might be put in mind Zech. 13.1 to apply themselves to that Fountain set open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleanness That this was the signification of their ceremonial Cleansings and Expiations and that Christ by the sheding of his blood did accomplish that for us really and effectually which was shaddowed in these Ceremonies is very evident in that of the Apostle Heb. 1.12 Not by the blood of Calves or Goats as the high Priest amongst the Jews was wont to enter into the most holy Place but by his own blood he entred once into the holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Hence he sheweth the excellency of Christ's sacrifice beyond those Typical sacrifices Those Priests offered often He offered but once they entred into the holy Place made with hands He into the holy Place made without hands even into Heaven whither he went as our Head to prepare a place for us and to shew that he had purchased eternal Redemption for us and an interest in that Inheritance which he went to take possession of for us And he goes on to argue à fortiori Vers 13. If the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean did sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh in a legal sense Vers 14. then how much more shall the blood of Christ c Seeing the Sacrifice which Christ offered was of infinit value as being offered up by the Eternal Spirit or Divine Nature which was Hypostatically united to the humane Nature it is therefore sufficient to make a full and perfect Attonement for us And further Vers 15. For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament c. Which shews very evidently that Christ was the thing intended by those ceremonial Oblations that his blood did that in a real and effectual manner which those sacrifices did Legally and Typically and withal that his death was intended purposely for the Redemption of Transgressions 4. It is said Gal. 3.13 that Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us He was subject to that accursed death and to the wrath of God for the present for this end that he might deliver us from this wrath and curse of God and from that eternal death which our sins had made us liable unto There was no reason for Christs suffering as to any thing in himself 1 Pet. 1.22 Vers 24. For He had done no evil neither was any guile found in his mouth but he bare our sins in his body upon that Tree whereon he suffered that shameful painful and accursed death 5. The Apostles do plainly pronounce that we are redeemed by the death of Christ The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 3.24 25. We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propitiation through Faith in his blood Here the Apostle doth expresly say that Christ is a Redeemer and a Propitiation for us and shews us that the onely way to have our sins pardoned is by Faith in his blood So the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.18 19. We are redeemed not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the most precious blood of Christ that Lamb without spot and blemish To which agrees that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And again 1 Cor. 6.20 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Tim. 2.5 6. We are bought with a price And St. Peter calls Christ The Lord that bought us So elsewhere it is said There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom for us To this agrees that Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the remission of sins And further chap. 2.14 The Hand-writing that was against us is said to be nailed to his Cross 6. St. Paul tells us That Jesus Christ hath purchased that Righteousness for us which we could not obtain by the works of the Law that is by our own personal Obedience to the Law of God If man had from his first Creation continued in perfect obedience to the Law of his Creator there would have been no need of Christs dying But man had sinned and come short of this Obedience and therefore Christ died to expiate this guilt which we had contracted by our disobedience Gal. 2.21 If righteousness come by the Law saith the Apostle then Christ died in vain There would have been no need of Christs death if man could have been righteous by his own good works but Christ therefore died because we were condemned before God and he took our guilt upon him Acts 13.39 And By him all that believe are justified from all those things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses God sent forth his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 made under the Law subject to the obedience and to the curse of the Law to redeem them that were under the Law 7. The Apostles tell us That whatsoever Christ did or suffered it was for our sakes and to purchase Reconciliation and Salvation for us Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification and our sins are said to be forgiven us 1 Joh. 2.12 for his Names sake In which respect Christ calls his flesh our meat Joh. 6.57 and his blood our drink because as our bodies are kept alive by Bread so are our souls by his Merits As the living Father hath sent me and I live by him so he that eateth me that is applies me to his soul by Faith he shall live by me By these and many other Testimonies of the Evangelists and Apostles of Jesus Christ it is sufficiently evident to every man whose eyes are not blinded by the God of this world that Christ did offer up himself an Expiatory sacrifice for our sins and that through his Merits and Sufferings alone it is that we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and eternal Salvation CHAP. X. From the foregoing Discourses two Cautions are deduced First That we take heed of laying any other Foundation then that which is laid viz. Jesus Christ Three sorts of Persons that build beside this Foundation Secondly That we take heed what we build upon this Foundation WE have seen the
those who willingly entertain the truth and he drew unto him divers Jews and Greeks to be his followers This was Christ who being accused by the Princes of the Nation before Pilate and afterward condemned to the Cross by him yet did not they who followed him from the beginning forbear to love him for the ignoming of his death for he appeared to them alive the third day after according as the divine Prophets had before testified the same And divers other wonderful things of him and from that time forward the Race of Christians who derived their name from him hath never ceased Thus we see Josephus confesseth the great works which he did and withall the truth of his Doctrine and certainty of his Resurrection And which we may greatly wonder at he who in flattery had before called Vespasian the Messiah when he comes to write this History whether it overslipped him or whether it was forced from him by the over-ruling hand of God he confesseth that this Jesus was the Christ. Yea the Turks cannot but confess that Jesus did very many great and wonderful works and therefore they preferr him before Moses and set him next to their Mahomet and say He was a good man and a great Prophet And some of the Jews say that Jesus was a very holy man and highly in favour with God who enabled him to do all these works and yet they will not believe him to be the Messiah Pilate himself who condemned him most unjustly to death yet is said afterward to have written to Tiberius a relation of his many Miracles Whereupon Tiberius was willing to admit him into the number of their gods and wrote to the Senate to that end But the Senate refused alledging one of their Laws that none should be admitted into the number of their gods but whom the Senate did first propose themselves Which as it shews the vanity of minde to which even the wiser sort of the Heathens were delivered up that they could conceit that they could either keep out him who was truly God by a Vote in the Senate or by a more favourable Vote when they were in a kinder mood make him a God who was none before So it â—hâ—ws the Providence of God in not permitting his own blessed Son who as to his divine Nature was equal to the Father to be ranked amongst them that were no gods as equal with them The Evasion whereby some of the modern Jews are said to endeavour to keep off this Argument from the Miracles which Jesus wrought from convincing them that he was the true Messiah is so absurd that the very mentioning of it will proclaim it ridiculous They say that as to those works which he did he came to do them by this means He got once into the Holy of holies and stole out thence the name Jehovah which was there written upon a Plate of Gold and for fear lest it should be taken from him he cut a hole in his Thigh and put the Plate therein and by vertue of that Name they say he did all those miracles Every man will easily see the absurdity of this without my spending of words to confute it However hereby it is evident that men of all Nations and Professions are convinced of the many miracles which Jesus wrought when he was upon Earth And forasmuch as he wrought these on purpose to confirm the truth of his being the Messiah that was promised we may therefore conclude that this Truth is hereby setled as such a Rock that the gates of Hell shall never be able to prevail against it The second Argument 2 Argument shall be drawn from Jesus his fulfilling all the Prophesies that went before concerning the Messiah All things did concur in his Person which were foretold concerning the Person of the Messiah and all things were done and suffered by him that were foretold to be done and suffered by the Messiah and therefore he was the true Messiah This was another great Argument which Jesus himself used Search the Scriptures for they are those that testifie of me John 5.39 And tells them that if they did not shut their eyes they might plainly see all things so exactly fulfilled in him that if they did not believe in him Vers 45 46 47. Moses himself would bear witness against them For if they had believed Moses writings and rightly understood them they would have believed Jesus to be the Messiah So when Jesus after his Resurrection was going with the two Disciples to Emmaus Luk. 24.25 26 27. he began at Moses and so through all the Prophets expounded unto them those things which were written concerning himself and blames them for that they had searched and understood the writing of the Prophets no better Acts 17.2 3. And the Apostle Paul at Thessalonica entered into the Synagogue three Sabbath dayes And reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ And again it is said elsewhere Acts 18.28 that St. Paul mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus is Christ It is very observable that the Evangelists in relating many of the passages of our Saviours life do refer to the Prophesies that foretold these things This and This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by this and the other Prophet and then was fulfilled the saying of the Prophets c. Luk. 24.44 So Jesus saith These are the words that I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Yea he was so exact in accomplishing all the Prophesies that when he was upon the Cross in extremity of pain and knew that all things were fulfilled save only that one Prophesie which foretold that they should give him Vinegar to drink he therefore gives occasion for the fulfilling of it before he would die John 19.28 Vers 30. and when that was done he said It is finished and then gave up the Ghost Now that we may be the more sensible how Jesus did fulfil all the Prophesies that went before concerning the Messiah let us consider it in these several Branches 1. It was foretold that the Messiah should spring from the Loyns of Abraham and in the Line of the House of David Gen. 22.18 and Chap. 49.8 Isa 11.1 Now this was exactly fulfilled as we see Mat. 1. Luk. 3. where the Pedegree is traced up to David and thence to Judah and so to Abraham And for this very purpose we may conceive these Genealogies to be set down even to satisfie us that Jesus came of these Families as it had been foretold concerning him 2. It was foretold that he should be born of a Virgin Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall