Looking Unto Jesus, Book 3 · Chapter 1 · Section 1
SECT. I. Of Chriſt Promiſed by degrees.
IN this period, as in the former, we ſhall firſt lay down the Object; and then direct you how to look upon it.
The Object is Jeſus, carrying on the work of mans ſalvation in that dark time before his coming in the fleſh.
No ſooner is the world made, & the things therein; but man was created, that way might be made for God to ſhew his grace in the ſalvation of his Elect. And now was it that Gods eternal project, and counſel, & fore-knowledge, and purpoſe, and decree, and Covenant with Chriſt was to come into execution. Indeed at the firſt there was no need of Chriſt; for man at firſt was made in holineſs, the image of God, and to bear rule over the reſt of the viſible creatures; though this his ſtate was but of a little ſtanding. It was the received opinion in in former times, that our firſt parents fell the very ſame day in which they were created. Auguſtine amongſt the reſt writes, that they ſtood but ſix hours: but though we cannot deſcribe the certain time, very probable it is, that it was but ſhort: This we finde, that Moſes having ſet down the creation of man, without the interpoſition of any thing elſe, he comes immediatly to the fall; and the Devil no doubt took the firſt occaſion he poſſibly could, to bring man to the ſame damnation with himſelf. Well then, long it was not but Adam by his ſin deprived himſelf, and all his poſterity of the image of God: All mankind was in his loynes, ſo by the order and appointment of God all mankind partake with him in the guilt of his ſins: Hence is the daily & continual cry, not only of Adam, Abraham, David, Paul, but of every Saint, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? But ſweet ſouls, ſtay your complaints, here's Goſpel-news.—
In this ſad hour of temptation God ſtepped in: he will not leave man without hope; he tells the Devil who begun this miſchief; I will put enmity between thee, and the woman, and between thy ſeed and her ſeed, it ſhall bruiſe thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel. At the very inſtant, when God was pronouncing judgment upon the ſeveral delinquents in the fall; nay, before judgment was pronounced on the perſons tempted, Jeſus is hinred, the Covenant of grace is proclaimed. O the infinite riches of the mercy of God in Chriſt!
But you will ſay, how comes Jeſus in? how carried he on the great work of our ſalvation in this dark time?
I anſwer, 1. By aſſuming and taking upon him the form and ſhape of man, and ſo diſcharging ſome ſpecial offices in that reſpect: We read often of Chriſts apparition before his Incarnation, and then eſpecially when he had to do with this great Nego…iation of mans Eternal happineſs. Some think it not improbable that Chriſt aſſumed the form of man when he firſt created man; and ſo he made man, not only in his own image which he had as God, In holineſs, and true righteouſneſs, but in reſpect of that form which he had aſſumed. Howſoever this we find, that after man had ſinned, Chriſt then appeared, firſt to Adam, then to Abraham, then to Iſaac, then to Jacob, then to Moſes, &c. — firſt, he appeared to Adam in the garden, and they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. God as he is God hath neither voice to ſpeak, nor ſeet to walk, but aſſuming the form and ſhape of a man he exerciſed both: and ſo he was the firſt that publiſhed that firſt promiſe to the World, It ſhall bruiſe thy head. — 2. He appeared to Abraham in the plain of Mamre, where the Lord talked with Abraham, and Abraham calls him the Judge of all the Earth, which can be aſcribed to none but Chriſt the Judge of quick and dead. Some from that ſaying of Chriſt, your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it, and was glad, do gather that Abraham ſaw Chriſt, not only with the eyes of faith (as all the reſt of the Patriarchs and Prophets did) but alſo in a viſible ſhape which he aſſumed, like unto that whereunto he was afterwards to be united; And ſo it was Chriſt that renewed the Covenant with Abraham, ſaying, I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations, for an everlaſting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee. — 3. He appeared to Iſaac, Gen. 26.2. and to Jacob, Gen. 32.24, 30. and to Moſes, Exod. 20.1, 2, 3. and to many others, of which I ſhall comment in order. And theſe apparitions of Chriſt were as praeludiums of his Incarnation. But this is not the way I ſhall inſiſt upon.
2. Chriſt carried on the great work of our ſalvation in that dark time, not by himſelf exhibited (as when he was Incarnate) but onelyonly promiſed. The great King would firſt have his Harbingers to lead the way, before he himſelf would come in perſon. As the Lord had obſerved this method in creating the World, that firſt he would have darkneſs, and then light, and as ſtill he obſerves this method in upholding the world, that firſt he will have dawning, and then clear day; ſo in the framing and upholding of his Church, he will firſt have Chriſt held forth in Ceremonies, Rites, Figures, Types, Promiſes, Covenants; and then like a glorious Sun, or like the day-ſpring from on high he would viſit the world, to give light to them that ſit in darkneſs. To this purpoſe we read, that as Chriſt, ſo the Covenant of grace (which applies Chriſt to us) was firſt promiſed, and then promulgated: the Covenant of promiſe was that Covenant, which God made with Adam, and Abraham, and Moſes, and David, and all Iſrael in Jeſus Chriſt; to be Incarnate, crucified, and riſen from the dead; and it was meet that the promiſe ſhould go before the Goſpel, and be fulfilled in the Goſpel, that ſo a great good might earneſtly be deſired, before it was beſtowed. In a time of darkneſs men deſire light; as the morning-watch watcheth and longeth for the morning, ſo the obſcure revelation of Chriſt in a promiſe, raiſed the hearts of the Patriarchs to an earneſt deſire of Chriſt his coming in the fleſh. But in this obſcurity we may obſerve ſome degrees; before the Law given by Moſes the promiſe was more obſcure; the Law being given, even to the time of the Prophets, the promiſe was a little more clear; in the time of the Prophets, even to John the Baptiſt, it was clearer yet; as the coming of the meſſias did approach nearer and nearer, ſo was the promiſe clearer and clearer ſtill: Juſt as the approach of the Sun is nearer or further off, ſo is the light that goes before it greater or leſſer. In like manner was the Revelation that went before Chriſt more dim or clear, as the riſing of the Sun of righteouſneſs was more remote, or nigh at hand. It was the good pleaſure of God to manifeſt the riches of his grace by degrees, and not all at once; we ſee to this very day, that God in his ſeveral approaches of mercy and goodneſs draws nearer and nearer to his Church: Even now in this marvellous light of the Goſpel we have our divine Ceremonies and Sacraments, we ſee him afar off, we know but in part; but time ſhall come (even before his ſecond coming) that we, or our children ſhall ſee him more clearly, perfectly, immediatly. My preſent buſineſſe is to hold forth Jeſus in the Covenant of grace as promiſed, and becauſe the promiſe receives diſtinction of degrees according to the ſeveral breakings out of it to the dark world, we will conſider it as it was manifeſted.
1. From Adam till Abraham.
2. From Abraham till Moſes.
3. From Moſes till David.
4. From David till the Babyloniſh Captivity, or thereabout.
5. From the Captivity, or thereabout, till Chriſt.
In every of theſe periods will appear ſome further and further diſcoveries of Gods mercy in Chriſt, of the Covenant of grace, of our Jeſus carrying on the great work of mans Eternal ſalvation in that dark time.
You heard before of the Covenant betwixt God and Chriſt concerning our ſalvation; but that was not the Covenant of grace which God immediately made with man as fallen; but a particular Covenant with Chriſt to be the Mediator. Or ſo far as it was a Covenant of grace, it was then made betwixt God and Chriſt, and after to be made betwixt God and us: for a time we were hid in the womb of Gods Election, and not being then capable to enter into Covenant with God, Chriſt undertook for us, but yet ſo that when we come to be regenerate, we are then to ſtrike Covenant our ſelves. And hence we read expreſly of Gods Covenanting with ſundry particular perſons, as with Adam, and Abraham, and Moſes, and David, &c. Of which in the next Sections.