Look from Adam and Behold the Protestants Faith Proved, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. All vertuous Kings, and the people of Iſrael, truſted unto Chriſt, and not to the Law.
The death of Moſes.AFter that the Law was given, and Gods ſervice ſet up, Moſes the ſervant of God died, being an hundred and twentie yeeres old: and at the commandement and commiſſion of God, he left Gods people to bee ruled and guided by the faithfull valiant Ioſue, Ioſue was a figure of Chriſt.which alſo was a figure of our Lord Ieſus. For like as it was not Moſes, but Ioſue, that brought the people into the land of promiſe: Even ſo are we brought into the eternall reſt, not by the works of the Law, nor through our owne deſerving, but by grace through Ieſus Chriſt: like as it is alſo with many words expreſſed of holy Paul, Heb. 4.3. &c. This Ioſue, no doubt, did keepe, maintaine and defend Gods faith and religion, with the ſpirit and underſtanding thereof, and taught other to keepe the ſame, like as he through Gods inſpiration received it of the fathers by Moſes. Which thing, though it bee evident in many points, yet is it manifeſt ſpecially by this, that hee would not ſuffer the children of Ruben and Gad, and the halfe Tribe of Manaſſe, to ſet up and have another altar, beſide the onelyonly altar that the Lord had appointed them. For herein (as it is mentioned afore) was figured the vertue and perfectneſſe of the onelyonly croſſe, death, and ſacrificing of Ieſus Chriſt. Therefore would not Ioſue that any thing ſhould be ſet cheeke-mate with the croſſe and oblation of Ieſus Chriſt, but that all honour of cleanſing and forgiveneſſe of ſinnes ſhould bee aſcribed onelyonly unto him.
Whereas Ioſue now, and other Iudges, Rulers, Princes and Kings of Iſrael after him, uſed ſore and great warre, ſtroke many horrible battels,Ioſue fought at Gods commandement. deſtroyed much land and people, and ſhed mens bloud without meaſure, he did it as a chiefe head, and as an inſtrument and veſſell of God, at the commandement of God, which would ſo puniſh the Idolatrie, the great ſinne and blaſphemie of the ungodly, which he had long ſuffered, and exhorted them to amendment, but for all his patient abiding, they would not convert: Thoſe now did hee root out through the ſword of his beloved friends: ſometime delivered he his people with the ſword of the righteous, and ſaved them from the hand of their enemies. For becauſe of the ſinnes of his people, he gave them over ſometime into the hand of their enemies, to nurture and correct them with the rod: then fell the people of God, and fled before their enemies, and were ſubdued and oppreſt of the ungodly, till they knowledged their ſinnes, called upon God and amended, putting their truſt in God onelyonly, through the bleſſed ſeed, worſhipping him onelyonly, calling upon him, and honouring him according to his word, caſting away ſtrange worſhipping of God, ſervice of Idols, that ſhamefull, blaſphemous and ungodly living. Then ſent he them his helpe, and delivered them in his power, by the miniſtration of his appointed Captaines. And ſuch warring, delivering and puniſhing was no fleſhly unfaithfull worke, whom no man ought to follow, as ſome, being wrapped with the unſtedfaſt ſpirit of the Maniches and Anabaptiſts,An hereſie of the Anabaptiſts. Heb. 11.32. doe meane. For Paul expreſſeth cleerely; And what ſhall I ſay of Gedeon, Barach, Sampſon, and Iephtha, David, and Samuel, and the Prophets? which through faith ſubdued Kingdomes, wrought righteouſneſſe, obtained the promiſes, ſtopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, eſcaped the edge of the ſword, of weake were made ſtrong, became valiant in battell, turned to flight the armies of the Aliants, Heb. 11. All which works the holy Apoſtle praiſeth and commendeth as excellent works of faith. Therefore are they no works of the fleſh, neither is it now contrarie to the holy faith, if Chriſtian rulers deliver their innocent people (whom God hath ſubdued unto them) from wrongfull violence, and defend their libertie, righteouſneſſe, houſe and land, or puniſh the ſhamefull blaſphemers, Idolaters, and perſecuters of the holy faith, and not ſuffer them to have all their malicious will. Nevertheleſſe,Rulers muſt puniſh. this muſt be done by them, to whom God hath committed the ſword. For thus ſaith the Lord:Matth. 26.52. Who ſo taketh away the ſword, ſhall periſh through the ſword, Matth. 26. But ſpecially in the battels of Gods people and of the unfaithfull, it commeth to paſſe, and is expreſſely ſet before our eyes, that God ſaid to the ſerpent at the beginning, Gen. 3.Gen. 3.15 I will put enmitie betweene thy ſeed and the womans ſeed. For the righteous are the ſeed of Chriſt, the unrighteous and unfaithfull are the ſeed of the Devill. Betweene theſe now ſee we great diſcord; but ſpecially this, that the faithfull doe alway tread the ſerpent on the head, though they themſelves alſo be bitten in the heele. For the right faithfull beleevers afore the birth of Chriſt in the time of the promiſe, had no leſſe trouble and perſecution, not onelyonly becauſe of ſinne, but alſo for righteouſneſſe and faiths ſake, than the faithfull after Chriſts birth in the time of grace and perfectneſſe.An errou…. Therefore have they ſmall knowledge of the doings of the faithfull, which ſay, that the people of old were a victorious people, and governed corporally, but that the people after Chriſts comming are borne to ſuffer, and to no victorie or governance. Nevertheleſſe in theſe wonderfull times (in the which Gods people had no victorie, and anon were ſubdued and oppreſſed) the true faith continued upright and unblemiſhed from Ioſue forth throughout all the Iudges, untill the time and reigne of David.
Of King David.David alſo was a man that ſuffred much through divers and long trouble, through miſerable diſtreſſe and vexation, and through ſore perſecution, without ceaſing, being proved, tried and provoked, afore he was King. Whereof the bookes of Samuel and the more part of the Pſalmes beareth record. But after that he was promoted unto the kingdom, by God (which ſaid,Acts 15.22. I have found a man after mine own heart) he advanced, ſet forth, and magnified the true faith right diligently. Here alſo to the honour of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, will I ſhortly and by the way declare, what knowledge and faith this noble King and Prophet had of our Lord Ieſus. This will I doe with the declaration of the 110. Pſalme, whoſe words are theſe:Pſalm. 110.1. The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy foot-ſtoole. In the firſt verſe David knowledgeth the perſons in the holy Trinitie,The holy Trinitie. the God-head alſo and the eternall kingdome of Chriſt. Thus likewiſe did our Lord Jeſus Chriſt underſtand and alleage this verſe in the Goſpell, Matth. 22. knowledging two of the Perſons in the one only Godhead,Matth. 22.44. for he ſaith, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord. Now is it certaine and undeniable, that hee which ſpeaketh, and he to whom ought is ſpoken, are not one, but two Perſons. Yet is there but one Lord and God, and they both (the Father that ſpeaketh, and the Sonne to whom is ſpoken) are the Lord, therefore are they one, of one ſubſtance and being, the very true God. Neither is the Sonne leſſe than the Father. There can alſo none be a father, except he have a ſonne or a childe. Now is the everlaſting Father God, therefore is the Sonne alſo everlaſting. There is alſo but one only everlaſting without beginning. Both the Father and the Sonne are eternall without beginning, therefore are they one only true God with the holy Ghoſt. Like as Iohn alſo ſaith, In the beginning, (that is to ſay, from everlaſting) was the Word, and the Word was with God, Iohn 1.1.and the Word was God. And immediatly thereafter, ſaith he, that the Word is Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. For it followeth: The Word became fleſh. Iohn 1.14.Therefore doth David alſo call the Son of God ſpecially his Lord, ſaying, The Lord ſaid unto my Lord. Matth. 22.24. The faith of David in Chriſt.And therefore calleth he Chriſt his Lord, becauſe hee confeſſeth and beleeveth, that he is his very naturall Lord and God, as Thomas alſo did knowledge:Iohn 20.20. My Lord and my God, Ioh. 20. Afterward calleth he him his Lord, becauſe that after the nature of man, he ſhould be borne out of his loynes. For thorowout all the Scripture is our Lord Ieſus called the Sonne of David: And thus doth David knowledge two natures in Chriſt, the nature of God, and the nature of man.
That the kingdome of Chriſt ſhall laſt for ever, and that the kinde and nature of man ſhall be exalted aboue all heavens (as Paul ſaith, Hebr. 2.) David teſtifieth with theſe words: Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy foot-ſtoole. Pſalm. 110.1.For Marke ſaith in the ſixteenth chapter:Marke 16.19. The Lord was taken up into heaven, and ſitteth at the right hand of God. Of this alſo finde we 1 Cor. 15.15. Now muſt he needs be very God indeed, which reigneth for ever, and to whom all enemies muſt be ſubdued, yea caſt utterly unto his feet. Now followeth the ſecond verſe:Pſalm. 110.2. The Lord ſhall ſend thy mightie ſtaffe out of Sion: thou ſhalt be Lord, even in the middeſt among thine enemies. Here ſpeaketh he of the preaching of the holy Goſpell, and how the world ſhould be converted unto Chriſt, and Chriſt to reigne in the middeſt of the world. In the firſt verſe is ſpoken of the eternall kingdome, that he is very God, living and reigning for ever,The ſpirituall kingdome of Chriſt. not only in this time, but alſo after this time eternally. But here ſpeaketh hee ſpecially of the kingdome, whereas hee reigneth here beneath through the Goſpell. For the Staffe, the Scepter, the Rod of Chriſt is the holy Goſpell, even the power of God, which ſaveth all that beleeve, Rom. 1.16. Which maketh Chriſts enemies friends, and ſmiteth them downe that will not convert: ſo that Chriſt hath dominion and victorie even in the middeſt among his enemies. It is he, that with the ſpirit of his mouth ſlayeth the Antichriſts. This his word alſo and preachings of the Goſpell,Acts 1.8.12. came forth firſt from Sion or Hieruſalem, as Eſay, Pſalm. 110.3.Micheas, and Luke doe teſtifie. Now followeth the third verſe: In the day of thy battell (or armie) ſhall thy people be well willing: the dew of thy birth is unto thee in an holy maieſtie, out of the wombe of the cleare morning. Herewith doth David deſcribe the glorious and victorious faith of the Chriſtian.A battell. For when the Goſpell is preached, there ariſeth a conflict betweene faith and infidelitie, betweene the ſeed of Chriſt and the Serpent, between idolatrie and true godlineſſe. And the unbeleevers perſecute the Lord Chriſt in his members, that is to ſay, the faithfull: but they are well content utterly to give over bodie, honour and goods, their bloud and life for Gods truths ſake. For the martyrs and they in the Primitive Church, being gathered together of the Apoſtles, and after the Apoſtles time, have thus kept truth and faith toward the Lord Chriſt, and were willing to die for knowledging him. Afterward deſcribeth he alſo in the foreſaid verſe, the pure and holy conception and birth of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And this doth he with a goodly ſimilitude, and ſaith:The birth of Chriſt. Pſalm. 110.3. Thy birth ſhall be holy and very excellent, not uncleane as the birth of other men: For like as the dew out of the cleare heaven, and out of the faire morning, is borne as it were out of a mothers wombe: even ſo alſo ſhalt thou be borne holy and cleane, of an undefiled virgin. Whereof thou findeſt more inſtruction, Luk 1.31. The Lord hath ſworne, and it ſhall not repent him: Pſalm. 110.4.thou-art a Prieſt for ever after the order of Melchiſedech. The office of Chriſt.In this fourth verſe deſcribeth he the office of Ieſus Chriſt, how that he is ordained of God to be one only Prieſt for ever, which ſhould offer up himſelfe for the ſinne of the world, and alway appeare in the ſight of God the Father, and to pray for us. All this doth holy Paul declare at large to the Hebrewes in the 5.7.8·9. and 10. chapters. And ſpecially in this verſe is grounded all that is read thorowout the Scripture, of the merits of Chriſt, of the forgiving of ſinnes, of righteous making, of being Mediatour, and that he alone is the only Salvation, Advocate, Satisfaction and Righteouſneſſe of the faithfull.Pſalm. 110.5. The Lord is at thy right hand: he in the time of his wrath ſhall wound even Kings. Chriſts cauſe ſhall forth.This fifth verſe teacheth, how God will ever more and more ſtand on his Sonnes ſide, further his cauſe, and bring downe and deſtroy thoſe Kings, Princes, and Lords, that will not amend and beleeve in Chriſt, but will rather provoke his wrath, than deſire his grace. Which thing Herod, Nero, Domician, Maximine and Iulian have proved. Yet followeth the ſixt verſe declaring the fifth: He ſhal iudge among the Heathen, and fill all full of dead bodies, Pſalm. 110.6.and ſmite the head on the wide ground. Chriſt is alſo preached unto the Heathen, and reigneth among them: but many withſtand Chriſt, and them doth he judge. And like as a King overcommeth his enemies with a battell, and covereth the whole plaine with dead bodies, viſiteth alſo and ſmiteth the head of the warre, and the head citie of the enemies:Chriſt ſhall deſtroy his enemies. Even ſo doth Chriſt to his enemies, and deſtroyeth their power and kingdome. All which things wee have ſeene in the old unchriſtian Empire of Rome, and in many other potentates and powers. But ſpecially he breaketh the head of the old Serpent, according to the promiſe, Gen. 3.15. And at the laſt ſhall he come to judge the quicke and dead,Pſalm. 110.7. and deſtroy his enemies for ever. Out of the brooke in the way ſhall he drinke, therefore ſhall hee alſo lift up the head. Finally and in the ſeventh verſe, he deſcribeth the paſſion of Chriſt and his glorie. In the way (ſaith he) that is, in his life while he is in this miſery, He ſhall drinke out of the brooke, that is, he ſhall ſuffer and be overcome. For to drinke out of the cup, is as much as to ſuffer. But to drinke out of the brooke, is to be altogether full of trouble, to be vexed and tormented without victorie, and utterly to be overwhelmed with a brooke and ſtrong ſtreame of troubles. Thus was it his minde to declare the Paſſion of Chriſt. After the Paſſion, followeth the glory with the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion. Paul, Philip. 2. ſpeaketh of both, and ſaith,Philip. 2.8. Chriſt humbled himſelfe, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſſe. Wherefore God hath exalted him, and given him a name, which is aboue all names, &c. Thus much be ſpoken of this Pſalme, and of Davids underſtanding, which hee had of Chriſt Ieſus and of the Chriſtian faith.
Upon this I marvell, if (after ſo evident teſtimonies) there be yet any man, which perceiveth not, that Davids faith and underſtanding of Chriſt, was even one faith and underſtanding, with the faith that we knowledge and ſay: I beleeve in one God Father almightie, &c. as it is in the twelve Articles of the Chriſtian faith. For the holy Trinitie in one God-head doth he knowledge, not only here, but alſo in the 33. Pſalme, ſaying,Pſalm. 133.6. The article of the holy Trinitie. Through the word of God were the heavens made, and all their power through the ſpirit of his mouth. For certaine it is, that there is but one only God, maker of heaven and of earth: but here is the Trinitie called Lord or God, Word and Spirit. Neither is there any thing in the Articles of the Beleefe concerning the God-head and Man-hood of Chriſt, of his conception, birth, paſſion, croſſe and death, of the reſurrection, aſcenſion and judgement, but it is cleerely comprehended here in this Pſalme. The articles of the holy Church, of forgiving of ſinnes, reſurrection of the fleſh, and an everlaſting life, are contained in this Pſalme, and are treated upon yet more clearely, and with many mo words very ſubſtantially in other Pſalmes of David. David was called Chriſts father. Matth. 9.27.Therefore had he our holy faith, and knowledged the ſame, was ſaved therein, and of all holy men was called the Father of Chriſt with high commendation, becauſe of the promiſe that was made unto him. Moreover, all the holy Prophets following, had reſpect unto David, as to another Moſes, and tooke many things out of his writings. For there is ſcarce any other, that ſo clearely wrote of the cauſe of Chriſt as this Prophet David, and therefore hath he honour and praiſe aboue other in Iſrael: Of whom thou readeſt alſo, Eccleſ. 47.2. Such faith and confidence in God through Ieſus Chriſt, had David out of the holy Ghoſt, and out of the doctrine of his Prophets Samuel, Nathan and Gad, and of other his Prieſts, which alſo had the ſame of God, and of the holy Fathers, ſpecially of Moſes. And no doubt, hee deſired the honour of God and of his Sonne, not to keepe it only himſelfe, but alſo much rather to require it of all his people. Wherefore no doubt he ſet up and furthered this his faith and religion among all his men of warre, kinsfolke in all his court, dominion, before the whole congregation, and all his kingdome: ſo diligently, earneſtly, and fervently, that afterward certaine hundred yeeres, they which beleeved right and lived well, were praiſed for walking in the waies of David their Father. They alſo that did evill, & ſet not forth the true faith, of them is it written:The waies of David. they walked not in the waies of David their Father. Of this haſt thou many examples in the bookes of the Kings, and in the Chronicles. Many things alſo were forgiven the Kings and all the people of Iuda, for Davids ſake, that is, for the promiſe ſake made unto David, even for Ieſus Chriſts ſake, whom Ezechiel calleth David. In the firſt booke of the Kings,1 Kings 15.3, 4, 5. King Abia. the fifteenth chapter, it is written thus: The heart of Abia was not right toward his Lord God, as was the heart of David his father. And for Davids ſake did the Lord give him a light at Hieruſalem, ſo that at Hieruſalem he ſet up his ſonne, and preſerved him. For David did that, that was right in the fight of the Lord, and all the daies of his life did not he ſhrinke from any thing that he commanded him, except in the matter of Vrias the Hethite. Thus readeſt thou alſo of Ezechias, 2 Reg. 18. Afore Ioſias was there no King, 2 Kings 18.5, 6.that was like him, which turned himſelfe ſo unto the Lord with all his heart, with all his ſoule, and with all his power, according to all the law of Moſes. And afterward came there none like him.
But in the ſecond booke of the Chronicles,2 Chro. 34.1, 2, 3. the 34. chapter, ſtandeth the declaration of the foreſaid place after this manner: Ioſias reigned at Hieruſalem one and thirtie yeeres, and did that which pleaſed the Lord, and walked in the waies of his Father David, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left. For in the eighth yeere of his reigne while he was yet but young (even ſixteene yeeres old) hee began to ſeeke the God of his Father David.
Thus much be ſpoken concerning this, that Iſrael and all the vertuous Kings of Iuda truſted unto Chriſt, and not to the Law of Moſes. Who ſo deſireth the number of the yeeres,1 Kings 6.1. he findeth 1 Reg. 6. even 480. yeeres, from the departing out of Aegypt untill the fourth yeere of the reigne of Salomon. And from that time untill the captivitie of Babylon, are reckoned 419. yeeres, or thereabouts. All together make 899. yeeres.