for our transgressions I mean to dissolution of soul and body And so by the wickednesse of men he was accused condemned and accordingly executed What think you of him saith Caiphas you have heard his blasphemies and they answered and sayd he is guilty of death Mat. 26. 66. And Pilate himselfe though he thought him to be guiltlesse yet delivered him to be crucified Mat. 27 26. And the people sayd We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye John 19. 7. Thus was he delivered by the wickednesse of men and Pilate knew they did it of envy Mat. 27. 18. So that it was a great wickednesse in Pilate to gratifie the people and to suffer such an innocent Lamb to be crucified yet rather then he will loose the favour of Caesar and of the people he delivers him to be crucified And which is more then so as he dyed by the justice of God and the wickednesse of men so by the malice of Satan for our Saviour saith in Luke 22. 52. This is the very hour and power of darknesse The gates of Hell were opened to powre upon him all the vengence they were able It was fore-tould in Gen. 3. 15. It shall bruise they head and thou shalt bruise his heel The Serpent should bruise his heel that is Christ the seed of the woman His heel you will say that falls far short of death to pinch a man on the heele it may make him go lamely but not kill him but the holy Ghost intends that all the mischief that Satan works against Christ or any of his members it doth but reach to the bruising of the heele It bruised his heele that implies that Christ should have a body like ours and his heele that is the lower part of Christ his humanity Satan should bruise it And he shall break thy head it is the same word and therefore you may take them both for breaking or both for bruising therefore Peter expounds it well in 1 Pet. 3. 18. when he tells you Christ suffered for sinne The just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh His heele was brused that is his flesh So that though the Lord suffered unsupportable misery to be forsaken of his Disciples betrayed by one and forsworn by another to be forsaken of his Father in regard of any comfortable fellowship he had with him Though he suffered all this in inward and outward man to such extremity that made him sweat drops of blood and in the end to gâ—ve up the ghost yet all this was but the heele the lower part of Christ as it were for his personal union is not in the least measure intercepted his head and councel stands sure and all his indeavours will finde a blessed accomplishment Whereas the Lord breakes the head of Satan not onely cuts him off from all hope of fellowship in grace but all his plots shall be disappointed at length and all execution of his designes they shall be brused the Sonne of God comes to dâ—ssolve the works of Satan to undoe them Thus comes the Lamb to be slaine The reason of the point is double First to fulfil all the former types of the Legall Sacrifices The Israelites were to slay the Paschal lamb in the evening at the ninth hour of the day Exod. 12. 6. about the same time he was slain And all other Sacrifices for reconciliation were to be killed necessary therefore he should be slain The daily Sacrifice which consisted of a Lamb in the morning and a Lamb in the evening were both slaine though without blemish and so was Christ But that was but a shadow for Christs suffering was rather the cause of them but it is the Scripture phrase this was done that this and that may be fulfilled because such a thing in after times was fulfilled Secondly the cheif reason why it was requisite Christ should be slaine and why he would be slaine was That he might lay down his life for a ransome or price for his people Mat. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came to give his life a ransome for many A ransome of what or price of what The Scripture holds forth a price of Redemption and a price of Purchase A price of Redemption We are not redeemed with Silver and Gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. He paid a price for our redemption that so he might discharge the debt of our sinnes which lay upon us Rom. 6. 23. Gen. 2. 17. What day soever thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye And partly by this means to satisfie the justice of God who had threatned according to the curse of the Law that cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to doe them Behold saith the Lord I set before you life and death obey it and live do it not and dye This is the sanction and ratification of the Law of God throughout the books of Moses And therefore that he might satisfie the Law and the wrath of God Ezek. 18. 20. The soul that sinneth it shall dye that he might discharge the debt wee ran into and satisfie for our defects it was necessary to pay this price of redemption to save us from death and all evils that drew on death And consequently therefore he hath saved us from sinne Rev. 1. 5. He hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud He hath redeemed us also from the world Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliver us from this present evill world and he hath also given himselfe unto the death that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Devill Heb. 2. 14. So this is one part of the reason and the sum of the ends why Christ gave himselfe to be slaughtered and his life as a price of redemption to redeem us from evill for redemption is from captivity and bondage from sinne and Satan and the world This was a principal end of his death but it was but part of it Here is a price to redeem us from evil from so many captivities wherein we were overwhelmed But there is a price given of purchase to the praise of his glory Ephes 1. 14. It is a price of purchase of some glorious possession and for that end it was also given in a principal manner Now what is the purchased possession which the Lord hath given his bloud as a price to pay Truly as the Lord hath redeemed us from the three great enemies of our souls so he hath purchased the three greatest blessings the sonnes of men are capable of and they are the greatest blessings they can reach to 1. He hath purchased reconcilement with the Father He hath reconciled us by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. God loved us indeed from eternity when he chose us
all doe If the Lord be with us who can be against us He that delivered up his owne sonne to death for us how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 31 32. So that wee are freed from all annoyance from the curse of the Law the rigour of the law free from desertion and corruption and the Lord hath given us himselfe and his Son and his Spirit and his Câ—venant and Kingdome and his Church and people and Ordinance and all is yours 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. And how comes all to be ours By the blood of the Lamb that hath purchased all good things and the removall of all evill therefore how comfortable may the soules of Gods people be if they did attend to the blood of the Lamb. And therefore let not those that have any part and portion in the blood of Christ Jesus be discouraged let them in Gods feare meditate more of this blood and of the power and vertue of it As you desire your lives may be more comfortable and serviceable to God and man and your death more peaceable so be much in meditation of this blood And if you be doubtfull of your spirituall estate then more seriously meditate of it who hath suffered and what and for what end he layd downe his life and lay all together and see if all will not amount at length to the begetting of Faith where it is wanting and to the reviving of it where it is that we may live fruitfully and holily and dye comfortably Rev. 13. 8. latter part of the vers The Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world HERE is something yet to be handled in this Verse and that is the antiquity of the sufferings of Christ He doth not only say that Christ was a Lamb and slaughtered but his death is described by the antiquity of it From the beginning of the world Or as it is here translated and very fitly from the foundation of the world though I would not put any great weight in the very nick of the foundation for the foundation of the world was laid the first day of the creation when the Lord made the highest heavens and the lowest earth the highest heaven the kingdom of the blessed Saints and Angels of whom it is said Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world There was a kingdome in the foundation of the world and therefore the Angels were created the first day and it is true Christ was slaine even then also else those Angels had not been in that kingdome But whether you take it for the foundation in the creation or in the nick of the creation it is not greatly material for the death of Christ reached both to the fall of Adam and in some respect before it and the explication of that will shew the truth thereof and I would not be exquisite nor curious in opening of it The Note is this The slaughter of Christ was from the foundation of the world So it is said here The Lamb that is Christ The Lamb of God slaine from the foundation of the world the Lamb is Christ evident it is that in fulnesse of time he was slaughtered about 4000. years after the world was made but yet the holy Ghost saith He was slaine from the foundation of the world so that though it was actually accomplished and performed in fulnesse of time yet as time began the suffering of Christ began also slaine he was therefore from the foundation of the world First In respect of Gods eternall purpose who from the foundation of the world and before the foundation of the world appointed Christ to this slaughter We are redeemed saith Peter not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without spot who verily was fore-ordayned before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times c. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Before the foundation of the world and from the foundation of the world many times in Scripture are both one in meaning before the foundation of the world he was ordained to be slaughtered the Apostles words are expreâ—sly so as of a lamb slaine he was ordained and from the foundation of the world implyes long before the time he was slaughtered and then you know not where to put the period but some reference it hath to the foundation of the world Secondly He is truly said to be slaughtered from the foundation of the world in regard of the promise of God made to Adam since the world began the same day that Adam was created he fell or certainly soon after but most probable the same day the same day that he fell it is clear the Lord gave him a promise of the death of Christ in Gen. 3. 15. for that is the meaning of the promise He shall break thine head speaking to the Serpent he shall crush the head of the Serpent For the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Thou shalt bruise his heel Hee l implyes the humanity of Christ which was to be trâ—dâ—n upon and indeed it was all that the tempter could doe but that bruising the heel was the crushing of his humanity his soul and body was rent asunder that was promised from the foundation of the world Thirdly From the foundation of the world Christ was slaine in the foreruning types of him for it is said that Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and that was a type of this Lamb Gen. 4. 4. the sacrifice of Abel was a type of Christ suffering now because offering that sacrifice was by faith Heb. 11. 4. And faith hath ground from the word of God though there was no written word yet there was from the mouth of God to Adam that taught Adam he and his sonnes to offer sacrifice in type of Christ that was to be slain who should break the head of the Serpent and therefore as a type of the bruising of the heel of the promised seed which God had set before them they were to offer sacrifice to shadow forth that great worke of Christ Abel beleived on Christ how far expresly or distinctly I do not know but had he not beleived he had not sacrificed by faith nor had not been accepted Fourthly He was slaine from the foundation of the world in regard of the virtue and efficacy of his death from thence the lively virtue and efficacy of the death of Christ did express it selfe from the very foundation of the world that Abel did offer a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain it was from his faith what was his faith fastened on by which his sacrifice was accepted for it is said the Lord had respect to him and to his offering it is Christ alone it implyes he looked not for acceptance by his sacrifice it is impossible that the blood of buls should take away sinne but
down the Temples would suffer none of them to stand rooted them out from East to West Wherever there was any famous Temples down he throws them he utterly renounceth the Pontifex maximus and will have no Temples he doth confiscate the revenues to the Emperors treasury and from that time forward indeed they never recovered there was no more place found in Heaven It is true Constantine began that war in the Empire but war it is not a Skirmish or a Battell it is not soon done but many times continues long as between the house of David and the house of Saul and that for some scores of yeares So in this case the war began with Constantine there holy Brightman takes it most right but for the accomplishment of it for the Devill to be wholly cast out and no more place found in Heaven that was not till Theodosius time now from that time the Emperors renouncing the title of Pontifex maximus the Popish sort thought it was a marvellous providence for the advancing of the Roman Catholick Church that is this Beast so the next year the Pope took up that name and holds it to this day what ever the Popes name be it is Pontifex maximus that is his ordinary style not Bishop or Arch Bishop or Primate or Metropolitan these are but Images of the Beast but the head of this Beast is Pontifex maximus the chiefe Bishop of Rome Now this was to the best observation that I can finde in the year 395. about 90. years after Constantines time or wanting one or two of that Now that is therefore one Reason why I doe not conceive that these 42. months are only at least to be reckoned from Constautines beginning of his reigne for they are reckoned from the time when there was no place found for the Dragon in Heaven which was afterwards accomplished about 90 years after Another Reason why I cannot goe so fully with that holy man of God is because of the end of it when he comes to 1546. It is evident that in that year the Councell of Trent did condemn the Scriptures and advance the vulgar Latine to be the authenticall word of God And Charles the fifth did prevail against the Lant-grave of Hesse Prostestant Princes of Germany in the year 1547. So by that reason it cannot end aright for the Beast hath power given him to continue to make war for 42 moneths now he continued longer then so though it is true his time was limited soon after and therefore I cannot with so full assurance go so clearly with him in that as usually I do in his Interpretation yet still reserving this liberty according to the gift of the spirit of Prophecy he had you may many times read the context of the word of God it may be sometimes somewhat more exactly according to the true meaning then allwayes is exprest which I speak not to impeach the faithfulnesse and learning of the holy man of God but would give every man the honour that God hath put upon them make use of their gifts and leave them where they may at any time mistake the like liberty God forbid but may be left to others that come after us 2. Therefore if you doe a little more narrowly search the Text and weigh every circumstance in it you may observe as I take it a double computation of this time in respect of the beginning and ending of it for you shall read which M r. Brightman rightly observes that the woman fled into the wildernesse at Constantines coming to the Crown it is true for so it is expresly sayd Revel 12. 6. She fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God and this was before the battell was sought and then he tells you of the battell that was fought in vers 7 8 9. The end of which was there was no place for the Dragon in Heaven and now there is given two wings of an Eagle unto the woman that she might flee into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the Serpent which is just 42 moneths So that take both these places and it will appear there is a double beginning of this time the one from Constantines Reigne the other 96 or 97 years after there abouts it was there is the beginning of it Now if you take it by moneths and take it not as holy Brightman doth the Aegyptian yeare but the Roman yeare methinks it is most probable to take the account of the Roman Affaires to be registred by Roman computation not Aegyptian though it is true Rome is spiritually called Egypt but that 's in another sence they did not follow them in computation and though the Aegyptians count 30 dayes to a moneth which sutes well with this yet it is not usuall in Scripture for roundnesse of number sake they pitch a certain time of the moneth 30 dayes for a moneth and therfore if you count so may years in the Roman Kallender you shall come somewhat neere the account of the continuance of the Power and transcendant Authority of this Beast and if you so reckon 1260. years if you adde them to 300. and the odde four years after before Constantines beginning there-abouts it was and computations are not clear the expiration will fall somewhat after the beginning of the reigne of Queen Elizabeth And especially if you take the account from more exact Chronologies it will come in the year wherein the Pope sent a Bull that is an excommunication agaist Queen Elizabeth to deliver her to Satan which brought forth new treasons against her that followed every year and brought her at length the Spanish invasion hostile invasion but from that time it was that the blast of his power was then broken that whereas before if he had excommunicated a Prince it was fatall he could never have stood out he had been everlastingly blasted with his hopes but from that time forward it hath been truly said by some that have spoken of this time that from that time all the Popes Bulls were but baubles they could not prevaile against her though they brought the Excommunication and fastned it upon the Cathedrall Church as they call it and afterwards read it she going to prayer used the words of the Prophet Psal Though they curse blesse thou let them be confounded that rise up against me but let thy servant rejoyce God heard her prayer and marvellously broke his power he had not the power that the great Bishop of Rome had who by his power should rend rocks in peices and blast all before him he never had that power after God delighting by weak means to bring mighty things to passe By her hand the Lord did maintain the low Countries that this beast had great power over his arme was broken there and so against the King of Navar by her assisting him and so in Scotland she mightily
he looked to be accepted in Christ Jesus so Enoch is said to have walked with God Gen 5. 24. and no man can walke with God except he be reconciled with God Amos 3 3. And is there any reconciliation but in the blood of the Sonne of God We are reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 10. It is said of Abraham that by faith he left his country and his fathers house and his kindred and went out not knowing whether he went Heb. 11. 8. Gen. 12. 1. How comes Abraham to be redeemed and rescued from the blood of his Ancestors and from his fathers house We are redeemed from our vaine conversation received by tradition from our fathers not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Which argues plainly and evidently that Abraham himself if he had not been washed in the blood of this Lamb he could not have been saved from hankering after the blood of his Ancestors if the blood of Ancestors had been more warme in him then the blood of Christ he would not have been redeemed from his fathers house but now in his old age he leaves his country and goes to seek that seed in whom they all should be blessed in that country It is said in Gen. 15. 6. That he beleived in the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousnesse and all justiffication is by faith saith the Apostle in the blood of Christ Rom. 3. 23 24 25. We all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus c. For all the sinnes that have passed us from the beginning of the world the Lord received atonement for them in the blood of his sonne and our father Abraham if he were justified it was by faith in the sonne of God How came it to passe that Joseph was able to overcome the strong and subtile temptations of his Mistresse in Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God Can he mortifie a lust by any power of his own No let the Apostle answer it in Gal. 5. 29. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts for so it is it is not affections but all the sinful passions that hang about the soules of men the Lord frees us from them all by the blood of his Sonne So that if you see Joseph crucified to his lust and Abraham 〈◊〉 from his fathers house and justified if you see Abel offering a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Look at all these as lively fruits of the blood of the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the world whence also springs their faith heavenly mindednesse their sanctification their power of godlinesse was as great and in many things greater as in those that have lived since his crucifying on the crosse Now if it had not been as effectuall and reall before his coming as when he did come doubtlesse the efficacy of his death would have been lesse powerfull and more weak in them that lived before his coming but when you see such livelinesse spring from the virtue and power of it then you see the efficacy of it from the foundation of the world onely the manifestation of it was not so clear as afterwards whence it comes to passe that the generality of Christians now are or ought to be more cleare and more pure then the generality of Christians then but in some men you have had them that exceeded those that lived in Christs owne time and since 5. There is a fifth respect in which Christ is said to be slaine from the beginning of the world and that is in respect of the faith of Gods elect who lived from the beginning of the world As soon as there was a man on the earth the same day the Lord put emnity between the seed of the woman and the Serpent now the seed of the woman looks for salvation in the seed of the woman and they did even then look to the Lord Jesus the Messias as much as we do since in John 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day he saw it and was glad that was the day of the coming of Christ into the world to be an attonement for the sinnes of his people If Abraham saw it then Enoch Noah Abel and Adam and Eve and who ever lived by Jesus Christ they all saw Christ afar off yet they saw him notwithstanding they saw his day the day of his Incarnation and Passion and Resurrection and it is said in Heb. 11. 1. That faith is the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene that is it did give the Fathers before Christ as clearly to see Christ already present to them as if he had been actually come in the flesh and so it is with all the Saints at this day look as we do as really believe the Resurrection of the body that by faith gives it substance as verily as if it were present and as we believe the salvation of our soules as verily as if it were accomplished and it is as clear I meane as certaine as if it were already done and in some measure as evident for so he saith It is the evidence of things not seen he speaks in the Apostle words The confidence and evidence of things not seen Hence it comes That the fathers saw the promises embraced them but did not receive them Heb. 11. 39. That is did not receive them accomplished for they never saw Christ in his death but they were perswaded of them and embraced them and did verily look for them in expectation as if they had been present with them that is if Christ had been come they would not have done nor suffered more then they did which argues that faith gives a basis and subsistence to what it layes hold on and makes it so reall that we shall neither do more nor suffer more if it were present They did believe that the time would come when the Messias being bruised himselfe he would break the Serpents head These are the severall respects in which Christ is said to be the Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world In regard of the purpose of God in regard of his promise in regard of the types of him in the Sacrifices that were shadowes of Christ and did really hold him forth in regard of the vertue of it and in regard of the faith of Gods people that lived from the beginning of the world in regard of all these Christ was slaine from the beginning of the world For the Reasons of the point All the ways and respects I have spoken to are as so many Reasons yet if a man should stand upon a Reason I would first say this the first may be from the eternity of that which is infinite what ever