Christ Revealed, Scriptural typology · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
HAving formerly delivered,Christ the truth of legall shadows. that Christ is Truth as opposed to falsehood; we are now to shew, that he is Truth as opposed to the shadows and figures of the old Law.Introduction to this Treatise In the entrance into which Treatise, we must premise some Propositions.
1. That the Lord decreed to have alwayes a Church upon the face of the earth; for the upholding of which hee upholds the world. For, 1. Hee will have his name confessed, and praised as well in earth as in heaven. 2. Hee will maintaine his publike worship, by it to distinguish heathenish Idolaters from true Worshippers. 3. To prepare true beleevers in this Church militant to that Church triumphant, and to set and polish them as living stones in this mount of the Church, for that heavenly mountaine and temple.
II. For the effecting of his purpose he hath decreed, that the doctrine of salvation by Iesus Christ should bee founded out in the Church, together with the doctrine of the Law, that partly the right way of his worshipp, and partly the way of salvation, might be made knowen and opened to beleevers.
III. By the Gospel the Lord hath revealed the Covenant of grace, which is in substance but one, as God is but one, and Christ is but one, who is the substance of it. As there is but one hope of one eternall life, the end of the Covenant: and one faith which is the meane to leade to that end, Ephes. 4. 5.
IV. Christ, and his doctrine, and Covenant being the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, Heb. 13. 8. for substance,Sacramenta sunt mu…ata, non fides. Aug. altereth and differeth onelyonly in the forme and manner of dispensation; according to which, it is diuersly propounded in the old Testament and New. In the former propounded, as of the Messiah to come, from Adam unto his Incarnation. In the latter, as of the Saviour already come, and so embraced in the Church from his first comming, to his second comming againe.
V. So long as Christ was to come, it pleased God to traine his Church by an heape of Ceremonies,God appointed a multitude of ceremonies to the …ewes, for 5. reasons. rites, figures, and shadows, to strengthen their faith in the expectation of him. Of which multitude of Ceremonies, if more speciall reasons be demanded; These may be given.
I. The nonage and infancie of that Church, which was not capable of such high mysteries, but was to bee taught by their eyes as well as their eares. And therefore it pleased God to put the ancient Church (even newly out of the cradle) under Tutors, Gal. 4. 2. and appointed diverse types and ceremonies, as rudiments and introductions, verse 3. fitted to the grosse and weake sences of that Church, which was to be brought on by little and little, through such shadows and figures, to the true Image and thing signified, who in our Text calleth himselfe truth, in opposition to all those shadowes.
Object. But the weaker and duller they were, the more neede had they of cleare instruction; and God could have revealed Christ as clearely to them,Velata sunt ista, donec aspiraret dies, & removerentur umb…e. A…g. as to us.
Sol. But as the Lord had observed this method in creating the world, hee would have darknesse goe before light; and in upholding the world hee would have dawning goe before cleare day: So in the framing and upholding the Church, hee would have Christ exhibited to the Fathers, as to the Wise men, in swadling clouts, which hid his glory. He respected them as children; he erected for them in Iewry, a little free-schoole set up in a corner of the world; hee appointed the Law of Moses as a Primer, or A. B. C. in which Christ was to be shadowed in darke and obscure maner; he would that Christ should come to his brethren, as Ioseph to his; who first obscured himself to them, and afterward made himselfe better knowen. One compares it to Noahs 1. Opening the window of the Arke; 2. Removing the covering; 3. Stepping forth himselfe.
II. Therein the wisedome of God provided for the further advancement of Christ and his Gospel; which compared with the Law, must bee manifested in great brightnesse and glory. Christ the Sonne, must come in more glory then Moses the servant. Hence, Ioh. 1. 17. The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ: The Gospel is called grace, not because under the Law the same grace was not preached, but comparatively: that was scarse grace to this which is more full, more manifest; as the light in the dawning,Grace in the new Testament specially, how. is scarse light in comparison of light at nooneday. There was grace, but here is more grace. 1. In manifestation: The light of the Sunne is seven-fold, and like the light of seven dayes, as was prophesied, Isai. 30. 26. 2. In impletion and accomplishment of that
which was but a promise of grace in comparison. Act. 13. 32. 3. In application and apprehension by beleevers in all Countries, not onelyonly in Iudea. 4. In the groweth and perfection of faith and grace in the hearts of ordinary beleevers above them. Hence, Heb. 10. 1. the Law had but a shadow of good things to come, and not the Image and truth it selfe: that is, It had a rude and darke delineation of good things to come, as a draught made by a painter with a coale; but the Gospel exhibits the picture it selfe in the flourish and beauty; that is, the truth and being of it.
Hence also Paul to the Col. 2. 17.Ceremonies called shadows, for 4. reasons. speaking of observances of the Ceremoniall Law, saith: they were but shadowes of things to come, but the body is Christ. Whence hee would have us conceive: 1. That as the body is the cause of the shadow, and the cause more excellent then the thing caused: So Christ was the cause of those Ceremonies, and more excellent then they. 2. As the shadow representeth the shape of the body, with the actions and motions: So those rites and Ceremonies resemble Christ in all his actions, passions, motions, as after we are to heare. 3. As the shadow is but an obscure resemblance in respect of the body: So the Ministery of the old Testament in rites and Ceremonies, is a darke representation of the body, namely Christ and his spirituall worship. 4. As the body is solid, firme, and of continuance, even when the shadow is gone: So the Ceremonies as shadowes are flowen away, but Christ the body and his true worship lasteth for ever. In all which Christ and his grace are advanced, as the publisher and perfecter of our salvation without any shadowes; whereas of the Law it is sad: It made nothing perfect, Heb. 7. 19.
III. Those Ceremonies were not given to merit remission of sinnes by them, nor to appease Gods anger,Non ex opere op…ato. nor to bee an acceptable worship by the worth of the worke done, nor to justifie the observer: but to shew justification by Iesus Christ, the truth and substance of them; to bee types of him, pointing at him in whom the Father is pleased; to bee Allegories and resemblances of the benefits of Christ, exhibited in the new Testament; to bee testimonies of the promise and Covenant on Gods part; to be Sacraments and seales of faith on the part of the beleeving Iew, exciting and confirming his faith in the Messiah.
IV. God would have this heape of Ceremonies; 1. As bonds and sinewes of the ministery and publike meetings;Vse of them to the Jews. in which the voice of the promised seed, and the sound of wholsome and saving doctrine might bee preserued in the Church, and propagated to posterity. 2. To be externall signes of their profession, by which God would have his Church distinct from all nations of the earth. 3. To be to the unbeleeving Jewes, an externall discipline to bridle them, and an exercise to frame them (at least in externall conversation) to the Policy, and Commonwealth of Moses; for else they must be cut off, and excluded.
V. Gods wisedome in appointing these Ceremonies; 1. Appointed a certaine observation of the line and tribe whence the Messiah should come according to the promise.Gods wisdome in appointing them. 2. Enjoined a certaine provision for the Ministery, which had no certaine part of the land allotted to them. 3. That the poore might be so provided for, as that there might not be a beggar in Israel.
The former propositions and reasons being delivered by way of Preface, wee now come to shew that which our Text properly calleth for, that is: wherein or how, Christ is the truth of those figures, and the body of those shadowes of the Ceremoniall Law.
Christ was figured in the old Testament by holy Persons, The generall division of this Treatise.and by holy Things. Of the most holy and eminent Persons who were figures of Christ, I wil propound some instances.