Looking Unto Jesus, Book 5 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
SECT. I. Of the ſecond Year of Chriſt's Ministry, and of his Acts in general for that Year.
NOW was it that the Office of the Baptiſt was expired; and Chriſt beginning his Prophetical Office, he appears like the Sun, in ſucceſſion of the Morning-Star; he takes at John, and preacheth the Sum of the Goſpel, Faith and Repentance: Repent ye, and believe the Goſpel, Mark 1.15. Now, what this Goſpel was, the ſum and ſeries of all his following Sermons expreſſed and declared: it is fully contained in the new Covenant, of which we have ſpoken, for what is the Goſpel but a Covenant of Grace, wherein all the imperfections of our works are made up by the perfection and Grace of Jeſus Chriſt? the Goſpel is not a Covenant of works (i.e.) it is not an agreement upon the ſtock of innocence, requiring ſtrict and exact obedience without any allowance of Repentance; no, no, be Holy, ſaith the Goſpel, and where that fails, Repent, and believe. By this time the work in his hand was grown high and pregnant, and Jeſus ſaw it Convenient to chuſe more Diſciples; with this Family he goes up and down the whole Galilee, Preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom, healing all manner of Diſeaſes, curing Demoniacks, cleanſing Leapers, giving ſtrength to Paraliticks, and to lame People.
It is not my purpoſe to enlarge on all the Sermons, Miracles, Conferences, or Colloquies of Chriſt with men; I am not for large Volumes, and I ſuppoſe with John, that if all the Acts of Chriſt ſhould be written with Commentaries on them, that even the world it ſelf could not contain the Books that ſhould be written.John. 2.25.
In this year therefore I ſhall contract and limit my ſelf to the Conſideration of Chriſt in theſe two particulars. As firſt to his Preaching. 2. To his Miracles; both theſe relate to the uſe and exerciſe of his Prophetical Office.
SECT. II. Of Chriſt's Sermons this Year.
1. HIs Preaching this year was frequent, and amongſt others his Sermons; now it was that he delivered the firſt Sermon, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
2. Now was it that he delivered that ſpiritual and myſtical Sermon of Regeneration, at which Nichodemus wonders,John 3.4. how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the ſecond time into his Mothers womb and be born? But Jeſus takes off the wonder, in telling him, this was not a work of fleſh and blood, but of the Spirit of God, for the Spirit bloweth where it liſteth; and is as the wind certain and notorious in the effects, but ſecret in the Principle, and manner of production. Then Chriſt proceeds in his Sermon, telling him yet of higher things, as of his deſcent from Heaven, of his Paſſion and Aſcenſion, and of the Mercy of Redemption, which he came to work and effect for all that believe; of the Love of the Father, the Miſſion of the Son, the Rewards of Faith, and Glories of Eternity: and this was the Sum of his Sermon to Nichodemus, which was the fulleſt of myſtery and ſpeculation that ever he made, except that which he made immediately before his death.
3. Now was it that the throng of Auditors forcing Chriſt to leave the ſhore, he makes Peter's ſhip his Pulpit;Luke 5.1, 2, 3, 4 never were there ſuch Nets caſt out of that Fiſher-boat before; whiles he was upon land, he healed the Sick bodies by his touch; and now he was upon Sea, he cured the ſick ſouls by his Doctrine; he that made both Sea and Land, cauſeth both to conſpire to the opportunities of doing good to the ſouls and bodies of men.
Luke 4.18.4. Now it was that he Preached that bleſſed Sermon on that text, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath anointed me to Preach the Goſpel to the Poor: no queſtion but he Preached both to poor and rich, Chriſt Preached to all: but for the Power and Fruit of his Preaching, it was only received and entertained by the poor in ſpirit. In the following particulars, his Office is ſet out ſtill in an higher tenour, To heal the broken hearted, to Preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of ſight to the blind, or as it is in Iſa. 61.1. the opening of the Priſon to them that are bound; a ſad thing to be in captivity, but ſadder to be bound in chains, or lockt up in a priſon there; but 'tis moſt ſad of all to be impriſoned, having ones eyes put out; as it was the caſe of Sampſon and Zedekiah; Now the Evangeliſt willing to render the Prophet to the higheſt comfortable ſence that might be, he uſeth an expreſſion that meets with the higheſt myſtery; that is, when a man is not only ſhut up in a blinded Priſon, when he himſelf alſo hath his eyes put out; and to ſuch Chriſt ſhould Preach; Preach what? not only deliverance to the Captives,Luke. 4.48. but alſo reſtoring of Light to Captive Priſoners, nay yet more, recovering of ſight to blinded Priſoners, as the Evangeliſt renders it.
5. Now it was that he delivered the admirable ſermon, called The Sermon upon the Mount. It is a breviary of all thoſe Precepts which are truly called Chriſtian; it contains in it all the moral Precepts given by Moſes, and opens a ſtricter ſence, and more ſevere expoſition than the Scribes and Phariſees had given; it holds forth the Doctrines of meekneſs, poverty of ſpirit, Chriſtian mourning, deſire of Holy things, mercy, and purity, peace, and patience, and ſuffering of injuries; he teacheth us how to pray, how to faſt, how to give Alms, how to contemn the world, and how to ſeek the Kingdom of God, and its appendent righteouſneſs.
And thus Chriſt being entred upon his Prophetical Office; in theſe and the reſt of his ſermons he gives a clear teſtimony that he was not only an interpreter of the Law, but a Law-giver; and that this Law of Chriſt might retain ſome proportion at leaſt with the Law of Moſes, Chriſt in his laſt ſermon went up into a Mountain, and from thence gave the Oracle. I cannot ſtand to paraphraſe on this, or any other of his ſermons, but ſeeing now we find Chriſt in the exerciſe of his Prophetical Office, let us obſerve firſt his Titles in this reſpect. 2. The reaſons of his being a Prophet. 3. The Excellency of Chriſt above all other Prophets, and then we have done.
SECT. III. Of Chriſt's Prophetical Office.
1. THe Titles of Chriſt in reſpect of his Prophetical Office were theſe: 1. Sometimes he is called Doctor, or Maſter, Be ye not called Maſters, Mat. 23.10.for one is your Maſter, even Chriſt. The word is foreign which ſignifies a Doctor, Moderator, teaching-Maſter, a guide of the way. 2. Sometimes he is called a Law-giver,James 4.12. There is one Law-giver, who is able to ſave and to deſtroy; the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the internal Government of the Conſcience, in which caſe the Lord is our Judge,Iſa. 33.22. The Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King, he will ſave us: we muſt hear no voice in our Conſciences but Gods, no Doctrine in the Church but Chriſts; No Offices, inſtitutions, and worſhip muſt be allowed, but ſuch as he hath appointed; and therefore when men brought in Forreign Doctrines, it is ſaid that they did not hold the head. 3.Col. 2, 19. Iſa. 9.6. Prov. 8.14. Sometimes he is called a Councellor, and his name ſhall be called Wonderful, Councellor; Counſel is mine and ſound Wiſdom, ſaith Chriſt, I am underſtanding, and I have ſtrength. Chriſt by his Office counſels men how to fly ſin, and how to pleaſe God, and how to eſcape Hell,Heb. 3.1. and how to be ſaved. 4. Sometimes he is called the Apoſtle of our profeſſion, Wherefore holy brethren, partakers of the Heavenly calling, conſider the Apoſtle, and High Prieſt of our profeſſion, Chriſt Jeſus. God ſent him as an Embaſſadour to make known his will; he came not unſent, the very word imports a Miſſion, a ſending,Rom. 10.15. How ſhall they preach except they be ſent? let all thoſe who run before they be ſent, take notice of this, for this would not Chriſt do; he was ſent, he was the Apoſtle of our profeſſion. 5. Sometimes he is called the Angel of the Covenant,Mal. 3.1. even the Angel of the Covenant whom ye delight in. Chriſt was the publiſher of the Goſpel-Covenant, he declared the Gracious purpoſe of God towards the Elect held forth in the Covenant; and in this reſpect he is called a Prophet, Acts 3.22. and the Prophet, John 7.40. and that Prophet, John 6.14.John 6.14. this is of a truth that Prophet that ſhould come into the World; whoſe Office it was to impart Gods will unto the Sons of Men, according unto the name, Angel. 6. Sometimes he is called the Mediatour of the New-Covenant,Heb. 9.15. for this cauſe he is the Mediatour of the New-Teſtament, ſaith the Apoſtle; now, a Mediatour is ſuch a one as goes betwixt two parties at variance, imparting the mind of the one to the other, ſo as to breed a right underſtanding, and thereby to work a complyance betwixt both: and thus Chriſt is a Mediatour betwixt God and us. By him it is that the mind and will of God is imparted to man, no man hath ſeen God at any time; John 1.18.the only begotten Son, which is in the boſome of the Father, he hath declared him: and by him it is that we impart our mind unto God, The ſmoak of the incenſe which goes with the prayers of the Saints, aſcends up before God out of the Angels hand. This was typified in Moſes, Rev. 8.4.I ſtood between the Lord and you at that time, to ſhew you the Word of the Lord. Deut. 5, 5.The Vulgar renders it thus, Ego ſequeſtor & medius, I was a Mediatour, a Midler betwixt God and you: and ſo Chriſt Jeſus he is a Mediatour, a Midler, an Interpreter, an Intermeſſenger betwixt God and his People.
2. The Reaſons of Chriſts being a Prophet, were theſe: 1. That he might reveal and deliver to his people the will of his Father. 2. That he might open and expound the ſame being once delivered. 3. That he might make his Saints to underſtand, and to believe the ſame being once opened.
1. As a Prophet he delivers to the people his Fathers will, both in his own Perſon, and by his Servants the Miniſters. In his own Perſon when he was upon earth as a Miniſter of the Circumciſion; Rom. 15.8. Heb. 2, 3.and by his Servants the Miniſters from the beginning of their miſſion till the end of the World; Thus the Goſpel is called, A great Salvation which at the firſt began to be ſpoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. Chriſt in his own perſonal preaching is ſaid but to have begun to teach, Acts 1.1. and the conſummate publication was the ſending of the holy Ghoſt to theſe Select Veſſels, who were to carry abroad this Treaſure unto all the world; it was begun by the Lord, and it was confirmed by them that were the Diſciples of the Lord. In this reſpect we cannot look on the publiſhing of the Goſpel to the world, but as very glorious; was there not a reſemblance of ſtate and glory in the preaching of Chriſt? You have heard how a forerunner was ſent to prepare his way, as an Herald to proclaim his approach, and then was revealed the glory of the Lord; but becauſe the publication was not conſummate till afterwards,Eph. 4.8. Chriſt carries it on in greater ſtate afterwards than he did before; When he aſcended up on high, he then led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, as Princes in time of their ſolemn inauguration do ſome ſpecial Acts of magnificence and Honour; they proclaim Pardons, open Priſons, Create Nobles, fill Conduits with wine; ſo Chriſt to teſtifie the glory of his Goſpel, at the day of his inſtalment, and ſolemn readmiſſion into his Fathers glory, he proclaims the Goſpel, gives gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints, Ver. 12.for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the Body of Chriſt.
2. As a Prophet he opens and expounds the Goſpel. Thus being in the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day,Luke 4.17, 18, 21. he opened the book, and he found the place where it was written, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath anointed me to preach the Goſpel to the poor, &c. and then he cloſed the book—and ſaid, Luke 24.27.this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And thus joyning himſelf with two of his Diſciples, going towards Emmaus, he begun at Moſes, and all the Prophets, and he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himſelf; the Propheſies of Chriſt were dark and hard to be underſtood, and therefore Chriſt came down from Heaven to diſcover ſuch truths;John 3.13. No man hath aſcended up to Heaven, (i.e.) to be acquainted with Gods ſecrets, but he that came down from Heaven; the gracious purpoſe of God towards loſt mankind, was a ſecret locked up in the breaſt of the Father; and ſo it had been even to this day, had not Chriſt who was in the boſome of the Father, and one of his Privy Council, revealed it unto us; hence Chriſt is called the Interpreter of God, Mat. 11.27.no man knoweth the Father ſave the Son, and he to whomſoever the Son will reveal him, by his interpretation.
Luke 24.45. Acts 10.14.3. As a Prophet he gives us to underſtand, and to believe the Goſpel. Then opened he their underſtanding, that they might underſtand the Scriptures; and thus was the Caſe of Lydia whoſe heart the Lord opened; he that firſt opens Scriptures, at laſt opens hearts; He is that true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world: John 1.9.he enlightens every believer, not only with a common natural light, but with a ſpecial ſupernatural light, of ſaving, ſpiritual, and effectual knowledge; now there is no Prophet can do this ſave only Jeſus Chriſt, he only is able to cauſe our hearts to believe, and to underſtand the matter which he doth teach and reveal; other Prophets may plant, and water, Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but he, and only he can give the increaſe; other Prophets may teach and Baptize, but unleſs Chriſt come in by the powerful preſence of his Spirit,1 Pet. 2.5. Pſal. 127.1. they can never be able to ſave any one poor ſoul. We as lively ſtones are built up a ſpiritual houſe, ſaith Peter; but except the Lord do build this houſe, they labour in vain that build it. O alas, who is able to breath the Spirit of life into theſe dead ſtones,John 5.25. but he of whom it is written. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it ſhall live? Who can awaken a dead ſoul out of a dead ſleep? And who can give light unto theſe blind eyes of ours, but he of whom it is written,Eph. 5.14. Awake thou that ſleepest, and ariſe from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light.
3. The Excellencies of Chriſt above all other Prophets are in theſe reſpects.—
1. Other Prophets were but Types and ſhadows of this great Prophet; even Moſes himſelf was but a figure of him;Acts 7.37. A Prophet ſhall the Lord God raiſe up unto you of your brethren like unto me: ſaith Moſes; theſe words, Like unto me] do plainly ſhew that Moſes was at the beſt but an image and ſhadow of Chriſt; now as ſubſtances do far excel ſhadows, ſo doth Chriſt far excel all the Prophets; they were but ſhadows and forerunners to him.
2. Other Prophets revealed but ſome part of Gods will, and only at ſometimes. God (ſaith the Apoſtle) at ſundry times, and in divers manners ſpake in time-paſt unto the Fathers by the Prophets; Heb. 1.1.(i.e.) he let out his light by little and little, till the Day-ſtar and Sun of Righteouſneſs aroſe;Ver. 2. but in theſe laſt dayes he hath ſpoken by his Son, (i.e.) he had ſpoken more fully and plainly; in this reſpect ſaith the Apoſtle, the heirs of Life and Salvation were but children before Chriſts incarnation.Gal. 14.1, 2. As now we ſee but through a glaſs darkly, towards what we ſhall do in the life to come; ſo did they of old in compariſon of us; their light in compariſon of ours, was but an obſcure and glimmering light; Chriſts diſcovery of himſelf then was but a ſtanding behind the wall, a looking forth of the window, Cant. 2.9.a ſhewing of himſelf through the lattice.
3. Other Prophets ſpake only to the ears of men, but Chriſt ſpake, and ſtill ſpeaks to the heart;Revel. 3.7. He hath the Keyes of David, that openeth, and no man ſhutteth, that ſhutteth, and no man openeth; it is a ſimilitude taken from them that keep the Keyes of a City, or Caſtle, without whom none can open or ſhut; no more can any man open the heart or break in upon the Spirit, but Chriſt; he only is able to open the eyes of the mind by the ſecret, kindly, and powerful working of his own Spirit.
4. Other Prophets preached wiſdom unto men, but only Chriſt preacheth men wiſe; other Prophets warned men by telling them of their ſins, and denouncing the judgments of God, but Chriſt reclaimed them and turned them from ſin; hence it is ſaid, that he taught as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes; John 5.25.it came daily and coldly from them, but it came from him as being full of conviction and reproof,1 Cor. 2.4. full of the evident demonſtration of the Spirit, and of power.
5. Other Prophets might not preach themſelves; the Apoſtle inveighs againſt ſelf-commenders, We dare not (ſaith he) make our ſelves of the number, 2 Cor. 10.12.or compare our ſelves with ſome that commend themſelves. Yea, Chriſt himſelf relating to himſelf, as a meer man, ſaith, that his witneſs is not true if he bear witneſs of himſelf. John 5.31.But in another place, relating to himſelf as Mediator, he ſpeaks clean contrary,John 8.14. Though I do bear record of my ſelf, yet my record is true. Here then is a wide difference betwixt other Prophets in reſpect of their Office and Chriſts; they might not preach themſelves, but he bears witneſs of himſelf, becauſe he hath not a greater in the point of our Juſtification, Sanctification, and Salvation, to bear witneſs of them himſelf. And hence are thoſe ſelf-predications of his which we find in Scriptures, as, Look unto me, Iſa. 45.22. Mat. 11.28. Luke 24.27.and be ye ſaved all the ends of the earth. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden. And conferring with the two Diſciples, it is ſaid, that beginning at Moſes and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himſelf. Surely it commends to us the Propheſie of Chriſt, that he might preach and commend himſelf without any blot of Arrogancy, or taking too much upon him.
6. Other Prophets had their Commiſſion and Authority from him,Eccleſ. 12.11. The words of the wiſe are as goads and as nails faſtened by the Maſters of the Aſſemblies, which are given from one Shepherd, (i.e.) the words of the wiſe are divine and Heavenly inſtructions; the Maſters of Aſſemblies are Goſpel-Miniſters, and Chriſt is that one Shepherd from whom theſe words are given, and from whom theſe Maſters have their Authority;2 Cor. 5.20. Ezek. 20.46. are they not called Embaſſadours for Chriſt? and doth not Ezekiel tell us, that he muſt drop his words towards the South? Now what is the meaning of that dropping? It is a phraſe borrowed from rain; as the clouds, from whence the rain deſcends, have not their water Originally and natively in themſelves, but from the Sea; ſo have not the Prophets a ſpirit of Propheſie of themſelves, but all is drawn up out of Chriſt, as out of a full Sea of all excellent Wiſdom and knowledge. In him are all the Treaſures, a Sea, an Ocean of knowledge, and from him all the Prophets derived whatſoever they had.
SECT. IV. Of Chriſts Miracles.
2. THe Miracles of Chriſt this year were many; now what were theſe Miracles, but a purſuance of the Doctrines delivered in Chriſts Sermons? One calls them A verification of Chriſts Doctrine, a ſignal of Chriſts Sermons; If we obſerve, we ſhall find him to work moſt of his Miracles in actions of mercy; indeed once he turned water into wine, and ſometimes he walked upon the waters, but all the reſt were actions of relief according to the deſign of God, who would have him manifeſt his power, in ſhewing mercy and relief to men.
Amongſt all his Miracles done this year, now was it that at Cana, where he wrought the firſt Miracle, he does a ſecond; a certain Noble man, or Courtier, or little King (as ſome would have it) came to Jeſus, and beſought him to come down to his houſe, John 4.47.and to heal his Son, who was at the point of Death. We do not find Chriſt often attended with Nobility, but here he is; Not many wiſe men after the fleſh, not many mighty, 1 Cor. 1.26.not many noble are called, yet God forbid but that ſome are, and may be; this noble Ruler liſtens after Chriſt in his neceſſity; happy was it for him that his Son was ſick, for elſe he had not been ſo well acquainted with his Saviour; O we are loth to come to Chriſt till we ſee a need, a neceſſity for it, and hence it is that Chriſt ſends weakneſs, ſickneſſes, infirmities, oppoſitions, and many afflictions, that he may be ſought unto: Come then, are we afflicted? whither ſhould we go but to Cana to ſeek Chriſt? whither ſhould we go but to that Cana of Heaven, where our water will be turned into wine, where our Phyſitian lives that knows how to cure ſouls, and bodies and all; that we may once ſay, It is good for me that I was afflicted. The firſt anſwer Chriſt gives this Nobleman is a word of reproof,John 4.48. Except ye ſee ſigns and wonders ye will not believe: Incredulity was the common diſeaſe of the Jews, which no receipt could cure but wonders, A wicked and Adulterous generation ſeeks after ſigns; the Doctrine of Chriſt, and all the Divine words that he ſpake, muſt be made up with Miracles, or they will not believe; it was a ſoul fault, and a dangerous one, Ye will not believe. What is it that condemns the world but unbelief? Here's a Noble Capernaite that probably had heard many a Sermon of Jeſus Chriſt; and yet here is Taxed with unbelief; if ſuch as we that live under the clear Sun-ſhine of the Goſpel ſhall not believe, O what a ſin is this? Chriſts next anſwer to this Nobleman is a word of comfort,Ver. 50. Go thy way, thy Son liveth: Oh the meekneſs and mercy of Jeſus Chriſt! when we would have looked that he ſhould have puniſhed this Suitor for not believing, he condeſcends to him that he may believe: as ſome tender mothers that give the breaſt to their unquiet children inſtead of the rod; ſo uſually deals Chriſt with our perverſneſs, Go thy way, thy Son liveth; with one word doth Chriſt heal two Patients, the Son and the Father; the Sons feaver, and the Fathers unbelief; we cannot but obſerve here the ſteps of Faith, he that believed ſomewhat ere he came, and more when he went, he grew to more and more ſaith in the way, and when he came home he enlarged his faith to all the skirts of his family. And the man believed the word that Jeſus had ſpoken unto him, Ver. 51.and he went his way; and in the way one meets him and tells him, Thy Son liveth; which recovery he underſtands to be at the ſame time that Chriſt had ſpoken thoſe Salutary and healing words,Ver. 53. and himſelf believed and his whole houſe.
Mat. 8.5, 6.2.*If I miſtake not in the year, I ſhall not contend, becauſe in this year only I ſhall mention his miracles. Ver. 7. Acts 10, 34, 35. Now was it that a Centurion came unto Chriſt, beſeeching him, and ſaying, my ſervant lyeth at home ſick of the palſie grievouſly Tormented. Many Suitors come to Chriſt, one for a Son, another for a daughter, a third for himſelf, but I ſee none come for his ſervant but this one Centurion; and if we obſerve Chriſts anſwers to his ſuit, we ſee how well pleaſed is Chriſt with his requeſt; And Jeſus ſaith unto him, I will come and heal him. When the Ruler entreated him for his Son, Come down ere he dye, Chriſt ſtirr'd not a foot, but now this Centurion complains only of his ſervants ſickneſs, and Chriſt offers himſelf, I will come, and heal him; he that came in the ſhape of a ſervant, would rather go down to the ſick ſervant than to the Rulers Son: He is no reſpecter of perſons, but he that feareth him, and worketh righteouſneſs, is accepted of him: It may be this poor ſick ſervant had more grace, or very probable it is he had more need, and therefore Chriſt (to chuſe) will go down to viſit this poor ſick ſervant. Nay ſayes the Centurion,Ver. 8. I am not worthy Lord, that thou ſhouldſt come under my roof, q. d. Alas Lord, I am a Gentile, an Alien, a man of blood, but thou art holy, thou art omnipotent; and therefore only ſay the word, and my ſervant ſhall be whole; Mark this, O my ſoul, it is but a word of Chriſt, and my ſins ſhall be remitted, my ſoul healed, my body raiſed, and ſoul and body glorified forever. The Centurion knew this by the command he had over his own ſervants,Ver. 9. I ſay to this man go and he goes, and to another come and he comes, and to a third do this and he doth it: In way of Application; Oh that I were ſuch a ſervant to my heavenly Maſter. Alas, every of his commands ſayes, Do this, and I do it not; every of his inhibitions ſayes, Do it not, and I do it: He ſayes, Go from the world, and I run to it; He ſays, Come to me, and I run from him. Wo is me, this is not ſervice, but enmity; Oh that I could come up to the faith and obedience of this exemplar, that I could ſerve my Chriſt as theſe Souldiers did their Maſter!Ver. 10. Jeſus marvels at the Centurions faith; we never find Chriſt wondering at Gold, or Silver, or coſtly and curious works of humane Skill, yea when the Diſciples wondered at the Magnificence of the Temple, he rebuked them rather, but when he ſees the grace or acts of Faith, he ſo approves of them that he is raviſhed with wonder; he that rejoyced in the view of his Creation, rejoyceth no leſs in the reformation of his Creature,Cant. 4.7, 9. Behold thou art fair my love, behold thou art fair, there is no ſpot in thee: my ſiſter, my ſpouſe, thou haſt wounded my heart, thou haſt wounded my heart with one of thy eyes, Cant. 4.7, 9. To conclude, he that both wrought this faith, and wondered at it, doth now reward it; Go thy way, and as thou haſt believed, ſo be it unto thee, and his ſervant was healed in the ſelf ſame hour.
Luke 7.11.3. Now it was, even the day after, that Jeſus goes into the City of Naim. The fruitful clouds are not ordained to fall all in one field, Naim muſt partake of the bounty of Chriſt as well as Cana, or Capernaum. Thither come, he no ſooner enters in at the gate of the City, but he meets a funeral; a poor widow, with her weeping friends, is following her only Son to the grave; Jeſus obſerving her ſad condition, he pities her, comforts her, and at laſt relieves her: here was no Sollicitor but his own compaſſion; in his former Miracles he was ſought and ſued to; his Mother at the Marriage-feaſt begged a ſupply of Wine, the Ruler came to him for a Son, the Centurion came to him for a ſervant, but now Chriſt offers a cure, to give us a leſſon, that whiles we have to do with the Father of mercies, our miſeries and afflictions are the moſt Powerful Suitors. Chriſt ſees and obſerves the Widow's ſadneſs, and preſently all parts of Chriſt conſpire her good, his heart melts into Compaſſion of her, his tongue ſpeaks chearfully and comfortably to her, Weep not; his feet carry him to the Bier, his hand toucheth the Coffin, and he ſaid, young man I ſay unto thee, ariſe; ſee how the Lord of Life ſpeakes with Command;ver. 14. the ſame voice ſpeaks to him, that ſhall one day ſpeak to us, and raiſe us out of the duſt of the earth; neither ſea, nor death, nor hell can detain their dead, when he charges them to be delivered; we ſee not Chriſt ſtretching himſelf on this dead Corpſe, as Eliah, and Eliſha upon the Sons of the Shunamite, and the Widow of Sarephta; nor ſee we him kneeling down and praying, as Peter did for Dorcas; but we hear him ſo ſpeaking to the dead, as if the dead were alive, and ſo ſpeaking to the dead, that by the word he ſpeaks, he makes him alive, Young man, I ſay unto thee, ariſe, ver. 15.and he that was dead ſate up, and began to ſpeak. So at the ſound of the laſt Trumpet, by the Power of the ſame voice, we ſhall ariſe out of the duſt, and ſtand up Gloriouſly; This mortal ſhall put on immortality, and this corruptible ſhall put on incorruption. And leaſt our weak faith ſhould ſtagger at the aſſent of ſo great a difficulty, by this he hath done; Chriſt gives us taſtes of what he will do; the ſame Power that can raiſe one man, can raiſe a thouſand, a million, a world; Chriſt here raiſed a Widows Son, and after Jairus's Daughter, and then Lazarus, and laſtly at his reſurrection he raiſed a many at once; he raiſed one from her Bed, another from his Bier, another from his grave, and many at once from their rotteneſs, that it might appear no degree of death can hinder the efficacy of his Almighty Power.
4. Now it was that in the Synagogue he finds a man that had a Spirit of an unclean Devil. Luke 4.33. ver. 34.This, I take it, is the firſt man that we read of as poſſeſſed with a Devil. And he cryed let us alone, what have we to do with thee? &c. In theſe words the devil dictates, the man ſpeaks; and whereas the words are plural, Let us alone, it is probable he ſpeaks of himſelf, and the reſt of the men in the Synagogue with him. So high and dreadful things are ſpoken concerning the coming of Chriſt, (Mal. 3.2. Who may abide the day of his coming? and who ſhall ſtand when he appeareth? Mal. 3.2.) that the Devil by this takes opportunity to affright the men of the Synagogue with the preſence of Chriſt; he would diſſwade them from the receiving of Chriſt, by the terrors of Chriſt, as if Chriſt had come only to deſtroy them: Thou Jeſus of Nazareth, art thou come to deſtroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God.Ver. 34.
And Jeſus rebuked him, ſaying, hold thy peace, and come out of him. Ver. 35.The word hold thy peace, is in the original foreign, be muzled; it was not a bare command of ſilence, but there was ſuch Power in it, that it caſt a muzzle upon the mouth of Sathan, that he could ſpeak no more; and when the unclean Spirit had torn him, not with any gaſhes in his fleſh, or diſmembring of his Body, for he hurt him not,Mark 1.26. but with ſome Convulſion fits (as it is ſuppoſed) then he threw them in the midſt, and made an horrid cry,Ver. 35. and ſo came out.
From this Miracle, they all take ſpecial notice of the Doctrine atteſted by ſo great a Miracle, What a word is this? or as the other Evangeliſt, What a thing is this? Ver. 36. Mark 1.27,what new doctrine is this? ſurely this was the great deſign of all the Miracles of Chriſt, to prove his miſſion from God, to demonſtrate his Power unto men, to confirm his Goſpel, to endear his Precepts, to work in us faith to help us Heaven-ward: Theſe ſigns are written that we might believe,—and that believing we might have Life through his Name.John 20.31.
I have given you ſeveral inſtances of the Miracles of Chriſt in this ſecond year of his Miniſtry;Ʋſe. only a few words on this Doctrine of Miracles for our information, as
1. What they are?
2. Why they are?
3. Whether they are chained and continued in this great tranſaction of our ſouls ſalvation? and I have done.
For the firſt, what they are? Miracles are unuſual events wrought above the courſe or poſſibility of Nature; ſuch were the Miracles of Chriſt, and ſuch were the Miracles of the Prophets, and of the Apoſtles of Chriſt; for what they did was above Nature; and all the difference betwixt their Miracles and the Miracles of Chriſt was only in this, viz. they wrought them not in their own Name and Power as Jeſus Chriſt did; Thus when Eliſha with twenty loaves and ſome full ears of corn fed an hundred men, Give unto the people (ſayes he) that they may eat; 2 Kings 14.42, 43.and his ſervitor ſaid, what ſhould I ſet this before an hundred men? He ſaid again, give the people that they may eat, for thus ſaith Lord, they ſhall eat and ſhall leave thereof.
And when Peter cured Aeneas, which had kept his Bed eight years, and was ſick of a Palſie,Act. 9.34. Peter ſaid unto him, Aeneas, Jeſus Chriſt maketh thee whole. And when he cured that man that was lame from his Mothers womb, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple,Acts. 3.6. Silver and gold have I none, (ſaid Peter) but ſuch as I have give I thee; in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt of Nazzareth, riſe up, and walk. But our Saviour comes in an higher ſtrain to the dead damoſel,Mark 5.41. I ſay unto thee, ariſe: and in an higher ſtrain to the ſtormy Winds and Seas,Mark 4.39. Luke 4.35. Peace, and be ſtill: and in an higher ſtrain to the raging Devil in the poſſeſſed, Be muzzled, and come out of the man. Heres the difference betwixt the Lord and his ſervants; but in this they agree, their miracles were not miranda, but miracula; not only wonders, but miracles indeed; they were unuſual events wrought above nature, or the courſe of nature.
For the ſecond, why they are? Many Reaſons are given, of which I hinted before, but in reference to Scriptures, (which is the great controverſie) this is the main and the only true Reaſon; Miracles are wrought for the grounding or confirming of ſome divine truth or doctrine at its firſt ſetling. To this purpoſe Miracles were as the Trumpets or Heralds, by which the Goſpel was firſt commended unto us; as the Law of Moſes was firſt authorized by manifold Miracles wrought in Sinai, and in the Deſert, which afterward ceaſed when they came to, and were ſetled in the promiſed Land; ſo the Goſpel of Chriſt was firſt authorized by manifold Miracles, but the ſound thereof having now gone through all the world, theſe Miracles ceaſe: if new additions of Miracles for the confirmation of Scriptures ſhould be expected in every Age, the former Miracles of Chriſt and his Apoſtles would be ſlighted of all; indeed, Chriſt tells us of great ſigns and wonders that ſhall be in the laſt dayes; Matth 24.24.but withall, he tells us of falſe Chriſts, and falſe Prophets, that muſt work them; it may be diſputed, whether thoſe are true miracles, or meer deceptions and magical pretences, but becauſe they are ſuch as the People cannot diſcern them from miracles really ſuch, therefore it is all one as to them; here then is Chriſt's Rule, Believe them not,—behold I have told you before; he that foretold us of the man,Ver. 23, 25. foretold us alſo of the impoſture, and commanded us not to truſt him; in this reſpect it had been more likely for Antichriſt to have prevailed upon Chriſtians by doing no miracles, than by doing any; for if he had done none, he might have eſcaped without diſcovery; but by doing miracles, or wonders, he both verified the Wiſdom and preſcience of Chriſt, and he declared to the Elect that he was the very enemy of Chriſt. As all the Prophets that ſpeak of Chriſt, bade us believe him for his Miracles; ſo all that foretold of Antichriſt, bade us disbelieve him for his Miracles; which occaſioned Auguſtine to ſay,Contra mirabularios iſtos cautum me fecit Deus meus, Aug. in Johan. tract. 3. Againſt ſuch Miracle-mongers God hath armed me to take heed. Go not forth unto ſuch, ſaith Chriſt, Matth. 24.26. and therefore Brethren ſtand faſt, ſaith Paul, 2 Theſ. 2.15. The great Beaſt deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by means of miracles; theſe are the words of John, Rev. 13.14. but if any man have an ear let him hear (i.e.) let him beware, Rev. 13.9. True miracles that proceed from God, are wrought for the grounding of Doctrine at the firſt ſetling; but being once grounded, and ſetled, and a plat-form deſcribed for the right continuing of it, then we are left to the Scripture, and are not to expect any new miracles for the confirming of it.
For the third, whether they are chained and continued in this great tranſaction of our ſouls ſalvation? I anſwer, yea; in this reſpect miracles ceaſe not; it's without controverſie that Jeſus Chriſt in carrying on our ſouls Salvation is adding miracle to miracle; there is a chain of miracles in the matter of our ſalvation from firſt to laſt: As.—
1. It was a miracle that God in his Eternity, before we had a being, ſhould have once thought of us; eſpecially that the Bleſſed Trinity ſhould ſit in councel, and contrive that moſt admirable and aſtoniſhing plot of the Salvation of our ſouls: Oh what a miracle was this!
2. It was a Miracle that God for our ſakes ſhould create the world, and after our fall in Adam, that God ſhould preſerve the world, eſpecially conſidering that our ſin had unpin'd the whole frame of the Creation; and that God even then ſitting on his Throne of Judgment, ready to paſs the doom of death for our firſt Tranſgreſſion, ſhould unexpectedly give a promiſe of a Saviour, when juſtly he might have given us to the devil, and to Hell, according to his own Law,Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye the death.
3. It was a Miracle that Gods Son ſhould take upon him our nature, and that in our nature he ſhould Tranſact our peace; that he ſhould Preach Salvation to us all if we would believe; and to the end that we might believe, that he would work ſo many ſigns and Miracles in the preſence of his Diſciples, and of a world of men: was not Chriſts Birth a Miracle? and Chriſts Life a Miracle? and Chriſts Death a Miracle? and Chriſts Reſurrection a Miracle? and Chriſts Aſcenſion a Miracle? was not Chriſts Miniſtry a miracle? and was it not a miracle, that Chriſts Word ſhould not be credited without a world of miracles to back it, and confirm it to the Sons of men?1 Tim. 3.16. Without controverſie great is the miracle, as well as myſtery of godlineſs, God manifeſt in the fleſh, juſtified in the Spirit, ſeen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the World, received up into glory.
4. It was a Miracle that God ſhould look upon us in our blood; what a ſight was it for God, when thy navel was not cut, when thou waſt not ſalted at all, Ezek. 16.4.5, 6.nor ſwadled at all when thou waſt caſt out in the open field to the loathing of thy perſon? yet that then, even then the Lord ſhould paſs by thee, and ſee thee polluted in thy own blood, and ſhould ſay unto thee when thou waſt in thy blood, live; yea, ſay unto thee when thou waſt in thy blood, live. O miracle of mercies! If creation cannot be without a miracle, ſurely the new creature is a miracle indeed. So contrary is our perverſe natures to all poſſibilities of Salvation, that if Salvation had not marched to us all the way in a miracle, we ſhould have periſhed in the ruines of a ſad eternity. Election is a miracle, and Creation is a miracle, and Redemption is a miracle, and Vocation is a miracle; and indeed every man living in the ſtate of grace, is a perpetual miracle; in ſuch a one his reaſon is turned into faith, his ſoul into ſpirit, his body iinto a Temple, his earth into heaven, his water into wine, his Averſations from Chriſt into intimate Union with Chriſt; and Adheſions to Chriſt. O what a Chain of Miracles is this? Why Lord, if thou wilt, thou canſt make me clean; ſay thus, you that are yet in your blood, why Lord, if thou wilt thou canſt make me clean. O Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief.
After this there was a feaſt of the Jews, and Jeſus went up to Jeruſalem: John 5.39Some would have this feaſt to be Pentecoſt; and to ſpeak truly, the moſt of our Commentaries run that way: others take this for the feaſt of the Paſsover, and the rather, becauſe the Evangeliſt John reckons the time of Chriſts publick Miniſtry by the ſeveral Paſsovers; now if this feaſt were not a Paſsover, we cannot find in the Goſpel ſo many Paſsovers as to make up Chriſts Miniſtry three years and an half. On this ground I joyn with the latter Opinion; and ſo here I end the ſecond year of Chriſts Miniſtry, and come to the third, and to his Actings therein in reference to our ſouls Salvation.