Christ Revealed, Scriptural typology · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
6. Moses a type of Christ, 4. waies.
MOses was a type of Christ.Moses a type of Christ, 4. waies Similes, non pares. Deut. 18. 18. A Prophet will I raise up like unto thee: Here is a similitude a likenesse, no parity no equality. This is the difference: Christ is worthy of more glory then Moses, Heb. 3. 3. For Moses was meere man: Christ God as well as man. Christ the builder of Gods house, Moses but a stone in it. Christ a sonne in the house: Moses but a servant. Christ the Lord of his owne house being the Church: Moses a servant in his Lords house. Now let us see wherein the similitude is.
I. In his person and estate. 1. Moses was of meane parents and birth: So was Christ of a poore decayed and dryed stocke, and borne of a poore Virgin, who at her purification brought a payre of Doves, a gift appointed for poore persons, Luk. 2. 24. Whereas rich folkes must bring a Lamb of a yeare old, Lev. 12. 6. 2. Moses was no sooner borne but he was exposed to the cruelty of King Pharaoh, and sought out to death: So Christ in his infancy was sought by Herod to bee. slaine. But both by Gods extraordinary and especiall providence saved and delivered, that both might bee saviours and deliverers, the one by her whose sonne he was reputed, the other by him whose sonne he was reputed. 3. Moses was a shepheard, he kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in law, Exod. 3. and while Moses was in that private estate, wee read of little concerning his life expressed till he was fourty yeares old: So Christ was a shepheard sent to seeke and save the lost sheepe of his Fathers fold, of whose private life wee read as little as of Moses till he was thirty yeares old. 4. Moses was of a most meeke and sweet disposition above al men living, yet full of zeale and indignation against sin, as at the erecting of the calfe, Exod. 32: So Christ a patterne of meekenesse: Learne of me for I am meeke; but most zealous and earnest at the abuse of the Temple, Mar. 11.
II. In his office and function. 1. Both appointed by God.Office of Moses and of Christ. Moses sent and raysed to deliver Israel out of Pharaohs bondage: Christ sent to deliver all the Israell of God from the Pharaoh of hell, and all his oppression of sinne, curse, damnation, the most heavy taskes and burthens. Moses was appoynted to lead Israell towards Canaan: So Christ to lead the Church the Israell of God, into heaven. And whereas Moses was to lead them but into the sight of Canaan, and the borders: Our Moses leads us into the heavenly Canaan, and gives us possession. 2. Both were furnished by God to their office. 1. Moses was learned in all the learning of Aegypt: Christ was learned to admiration. His enemies asked, whence hath he all this great learning? Ioh. 7. 15. And, Never man spake like this man. Ioh. 7. 46. And at twelve yeares old he sate among the Doctors conferring with them, Luk. 2. 46. 2. Moses was furnished with many mighty miracles, in Aegypt, in the red sea, and in the wildernesse for the confirming of his calling: all types of the miracles of Christ by sea and land, in townes and deserts to manifest his glory, Ioh. 2. 11. But with difference, Christ wrought, by his owne power: Moses by Christ.Execution faithfull for matter and manner. 3. Both joyfully executed their office whether we consider the matter, or the manner. 1. For the matter. 1. Moses brings glad tidings to the Israelites of their deliverance out of Aegypt, and that from God, Exod. 29. 30. Christ brings from God the glad tidings of eternall salvation, and deliverance from the spirituall Aegypt and bondage under Pharaoh of hell to all the elect of God. 2. Moses received from God and delivered to his people the Law, and was a Mediator betweene God and his people. Gal. 3. 19. the Law was delivered in the hand of a Mediator: that is, Moses, as Acts 7. 38. Now Moses was Mediator of the Old Testament,Non redemptionis, sed relationis. not a mediator of redemption, but of receiving the law and delivering it to the people, standing betweene God and them, as his mouth to them, and theirs to him: But Christ our true Moses, 1. not onelyonly receives the Law, but fulfils it. 2. When Moses had broken the tables, to shew how wee in our naturne had broken the Law, our true Moses repaires it againe. 3. He writes the Law not in tables of stone, but in the tables of the hearts of beleevers. Iohn 1. 17. the Law was given by Moses, but grace by Christ. Moses could not pearce the heart, nor supply grace to keep the Law. 4. He is Mediator of a new Covenant, and surety of a better testament, Heb. 7. 22. and 9. 15. 3. Moses gives Israel an excellent patterne of the Tabernacle, and all the utensils to the very least pinns about it: But our Moses delivers a perfect doctrin from heaven, and certaine and perpetual rules for the worship of God to his Church and the wel ordering of it even in the smallest things. And as nothing was left which must not be framed to the patterne seene in the mount: So hath not Christ left the worship of God in whole or part, in great or small matters to the liberty of men; for then he should have beene lesse faithfull then Moses. 4. Moses instituted the Passeover and sacrifices from God, offers the blood of beasts, sprinkles the houses of the Israelites with the blood of the Lambe, Exod. 12. by which they were saved from a temporall death, and the revenging Angell: But Christ the true Moses instituted the supper of the Lord, sacrificeth himselfe, offers his owne blood being the Paschall Lambe, who purgeth and saveth from death eternall. And as that house onelyonly was exempted which was sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb:Dum extendebat manus Moses, prae se …erebat typum eius qui crucifixus est pro nobis. nam Quemadmodum servo extendente manus ce cidit Ama…ch, ita cum dominus manus extendit, dissoluta est acies diabel. Theodoret. in Exod. So in the Church salvation is assured onelyonly where the blood of Christ is sprinkled, and apprehended by faith. 5. Moses prayeth for Israel with his hands stretched out till the evening, and while he prayeth, Israel overcommeth Amalek, Exod. 17. At Moses prayer Gods wrath is turned away. Numb. 14. Christ stretcheth out his hands for the elect upon the Crosse, and made intercession for them in earth, and now continues so to doe in heaven; whereby we are both enabled to conquer our spirituall enemies, as also Gods wrath is appeased, and grace and favour returned, Heb. 8. Thus, both for the matter faithfully discharged their office in these five things. 2. For the manner containing the difference, it is in Heb. 3. 5. 6. Moses was faithfull in all the house of God as a servant: but Christ as the sonne. Moses in his masters house: Christ in his owne house. Moses by delegate authority: Christ by proper power. Moses as a servant foretells his masters comming: Christ declared the Lord present. Moses in types and shadows: Christ in body and truth. Moses to one nation the Jews: Christ taught all nations the true worship. Moses doctrine accuseth, woundeth, Iohn 5. 45. Christs doctrine justifieth, healeth, &c.
III. In his passion and suffering. 1. Moses being to deliver the Law,Suffering of Moses and of Christ. fasted forty dayes and forty nights in the Mountaine alone: Christ being to preach the Gospell fasted so long in the wildernesse alone. 2. Moses comming armed with authority for the Hebrews good was rejected both in his person and doctrine and message. The Hebrew could say, who made thee a iudge? Exod. 2. 14. And Pharaoh will not hearken, Exod. 7. 4. Nay Pharaoh raged and oppressed the more: Our true Moses comming to save the Jews sped no better; for thus they protested aginst him, Wee have no King but Caesar, Ioh. 19. 15. And we will not have this man to raigne over us. Yea his gracious words, and potent works were still contemned and envyed by the wicked Scribes and Pharisees, as at this day by all the wicked in the world, and there is no stilling of the rage of the Devill and his instruments where Christ is truely preached. 3. Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, and left the Court of Pharaoh to be partaker of the afflictiōs of Gods people, Heb. 11. Christ descended from the glory of Heaven to save his elect, and to suffer with them, and for them as Moses could not doe. Yea he tooke on him our infirmities and sorrowes, and on earth refused his right to be a King when they would have made him, because his Kingdome was not of this world 4. Both were willing to dye at Gods commandement, both went up into a mount to dye; Moses on mount Abarim, Christ on Golgotha. Both carefull to supply their absence to their people: Moses by appoynting Ioshua his successor, Christ by sending his spirit to lead his people into all truth.
IV. In sundry particular actions. 1. Moses lift up the Serpent in the wildernesse:Actions of Moses and of Christ. So was Christ lift up, Ioh. 3. 14. 2. Moses obtained flesh in the wildernesse to feede many thousands: So Christ in the desert fed many thousands with a few loaves and fishes. 3. Moses marryed an Aethiopisse, a stranger, blacke: Christ marrieth the Gentiles strangers, and in the Encomium of his Church it is said, I am black but comely, Cant. 1. 4. 4. Moses sweetened the bitter waters of Marah by the tree cast in, Exod. 15. 25. Christ sweetens our afflictions by the wood of his Crosse, Heb. 2. 10. 5. Moses was called a God; Aarons God for directing him in things of God, Exod. 4. 16. and Pharaohs God, Exod, 7. 1. for executing on him, as God, Gods judgements: But Christ is indeed God, most wise in counsell, most potent in revenge. 6. Moses delivered Israel thorow the Red-sea by his Rod, Exod. 14: So Christ his Church from death by his Crosse through the red-sea of his blood. 7. Never was God so clearly seene by the eye of flesh as to Moses, who talked face to face: But never did creature see his face but Christ, Ioh. 1. 18. 8. As Moses was transfigured on an hill, Sinai, and so glorious as Israel could not behold his face: So was Christ on mount Thabor, so as his disciples were amazed, and wist not what they said. 9. As Christ after death rose most gloriously: So Moses body after his death was most gloriously raised, in which hee was talking with Christ on the Mount in his transfiguration, Matth. 17. 2. 10. Moses face was covered with a vaile: Our Moses with the vaile of his flesh hid the glory of his Deity, and put on vilenesse instead of majesty that men might behold him, and see, and heare him, and beleeve.
I. The doctrine of religion which wee teach is of God.Vse. 1. Our doctrine is of God. 1. Wee teach no other then what Moses taught, nor no other then what Jesus Christ taught, the one being faithfull as a servant, the other as the sonne in the house. For as there were not two Churches of the old and new Testament: So is there but one faith, one doctrine in substance, onelyonly differing in manner of delivery. 2. This doctrine was perfectly, fully, and faithfully delivered to the Church, seeing both were so faithfull. If there be a doctrine of traditions unwritten; if a doctrine of merits, of purgatory, of intercession of Saints, then was Christ unfaithfull and did not reveale the whole will of his Father. Paul a servant revealed the whole will of God, Acts 20. 27. Was the Sonne lesse faithfull? 3. This doctrine is fully and sufficiently confirmed by many and mighty miracles both in Moses the servant, and in Christ the Sonne, and being no new doctrine, it needs no new miracles. It is too idle to call for other miracles, when they cannot proove that wee bring any other doctrine. If wee should bring in strange and lying doctrines never knowen to Moses or Christ, as they doe, wee would cast about for lying wonders, and pretend fabulous miracles to prove them as they doe.
II. Whatsoever office or function God sets thee in,Vse. 2. Bee faithfull in doing thy office. bee faithfull; so was Moses the servant; so was Christ the Sonne. Hast thou an high place in Gods house as Moses? be faithfull, see 1. Tim. 1. 12. Art thou but a doore-keeper in Gods house? bee faithfull, in faithfull performing of whatsoever God reveales to bee his will. Hast thou received any talent? lay it out to thy Lords advantage, else canst thou not bee faithfull. Let thy care and study be to bee found not onelyonly faultlesse, but faithfull in all things according to thy Christian profession; that faithfulnesse may bee thy praise and crowne in Magistracy, Ministery, private life, in the whole practise of religion; and also thy comfort living and dying, when the Lord shall witnesse unto thee as to Moses in his life time, Numb. 12. 7, 8. and dead, Deut. 34. 5, 10. Moses the servant of the Lord died, and there arose no such Prophet.
III. Labour to expresse the fruit of faith,Vse. 3. Shew faith in the fruit of it. Heb. 11. 26. to preferre the state of Gods people above all earthly profits and prerogatives; account the despised condition of the Saints above the admired happinesse of wicked men. Moses would joyne himselfe to them when hee might have beene in the height of honour: Christ would not be in heaven without them, but endured more affliction, then Moses could, to enjoy them. Hence observe foure sorts of people that are not of Christs nor of Moses minde. 1. Politicians, who take the honour and profit of the Gospel, but will none of the afflictions of Christ. 2. Proud persons, who will not looke so low as on afflicted Christians. 3. Temporizer…, that looke a squint on them if any suffer for well-doing. 4. Scorners, that despise the society and exercises of Gods people as too base company and courses for them. Let all such know, 1. That Christ in heaven scornes them not, nor withdraws himselfe from them, yea heaven would not please him without them. 2. That the fellowship of a Kings Court, such as Pharaohs, in riot, feasting, drinking, gaming, is hatefull to a sound minde in comparison of the society of the miserable and persecuted Saints, though a fleshly eye cannot see it. 3. That it will be no great comfort to beleeve the Communion of Saints and not enjoy it. 4. That they which despise it here shall never enjoy it in heaven.
4. In the type and truth wee have a sure argument of our resurrection.Vse. 4. Assurance of our resurrection. Moses dead body, hid in the valley of Moab, none knew where, appeared glorious on the hill Thabor, in Christs transfiguration: Christs body hid in the grave comes forth glorious, and ascends glorious on mount Olivet. Both teach that our bodies are not lost but laid up, and as sure as laid downe in basenesse, shall rise in glory.