The Mighty Christ the Saints Help, Part 6
Particular ſufferings wherein Chriſts Mightineſſe is to be ſeen.
Firſt, His Apprehenſion and taking, they came forth as to a Mighty One that would not have been apprehended; Judas came, and with him a great multitude with ſwords and ſtaves, from the chief Prieſts, and the Scribes, and the Elders, Mark 14.43. And at that time the mightineſs of Chriſt was ſeen, for when one that was about him ſmote the ſervant of the High Prieſt, and cut off his right ear, he did but touch his ear and healed him, Luke 22.50, 51. And which is more they that went about to take him, were ſmitten down with one ſoft word of his mouth; for as ſoon as he had ſaid unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground, John 18.6.
Secondly, His Tryal; his Accuſation and charge was, That he was a perverter of the Nation, and forbad to give Tribute to Caeſar, ſaying, That he himſelf is Chriſt, a King, Luke 23.2. And the queſtions which the Governour and others put to him were according to it, Art thou the Son of God? Art thou the King of th… Jews? Art thou a King? his Charge was as of a Mighty One, and his Anſwer was as of a Mighty One: For when the High Priest asked him, and ſaid unto him; Art thou the Chriſt, the Son of the bleſſed? he ſaid, I am; that is, the Son of God, not by Adoption as others, but by Nature; for unleſſe this had been the meaning of his anſwer, they could not have condemned him of blaſphemy, but they took it as granted, nor did he deny it, that he made himſelf ſuch a Son of God, as was equall with God; ſo there was God ſtanding in the Congregation of the Mighty, thoſe earthly gods did judge him, and he (which ſheweth that he was a Mighty One) judgeth them, or at leaſt declareth himſelf to be that Judge which was to judge them and all men too; for to that purpoſe was his Anſwer, Jeſus ſaid, I am, and ye ſhall ſee the Son of man ſitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the Clouds of Heaven, Mark 14.62. And when he was asked, Whether he was a King, he denyed it not, but confeſſed it in theſe words, My Kingdome is not of this world, John 18.36,
Thirdly, His Condemnation; he was condemned as a Mighty One, his Accuſation, and the cauſe of his Condemnation was ſet up over his head, written, This is Jeſus the King of the Jews, Math. 27.37. Mark ſaith, The King of the Jews, Mark 15.26. Luke, This is the Ki…g of the Jews, Luke 22.38. John, Jeſus of Nazareth the King of the Jews, John 19.19. The main thing regarded was, That he took upon him to be King of the Jews: And it is to be obſerved, that God did ſo over-rule the heart and hand of Pilate, that inſtead of noting ſome Crime, he ſets down a moſt glorious and worthy Title; and this Superſcription was wrought in three Languages, viz: Hebrew, Greek and Latine, The end of which was, (as Mr. Perk…ns noteth) that the Paſſion of Chriſt, and alſo the publiſhing of his Kingdome and Goſpel might ſpread all over the world, and Pilate would not be prevailed with by the chief Prieſts, to change the Title to that he ſaid, I am King of the Jews, but ſaid, What I have written, I have written, John 19.21, 22.
Fourthly, His Death, in which his mightineſſe ſhines forth.
Firſt, In the Concomitants of it; as the converſion of the Thief, the darkning of the Sun over all the Land, from the ſixt, to the ninth hour, the rending of the Vail of the Temple in twain, the Earth-quake, the rending of the Rocks, the opening of the Graves, the riſing of many bodyes of Saints which ſlept, the conviction and confeſſion of the Centurion with his Souldiers, That he was the Son of God, ſome great and mighty One that fell that day, Math: 27.51, 52, 54. Mark 15.33.
Secondly, In the vertue and efficacy of it; which I ſhall briefly hint in three particulars,
Firſt, It is of a purchaſing vertue; for by and through it he purchaſed a p…ople, Acts 20.28. And an inheritance for them, Epheſ. 1.7, 11. Which no cerruptible thing as Silver and Gold could obtain, 1 Pet. 1.18.
Secondly, It is of a pacifying vertue; For by it he hath made an Attonement, and Reconciliation for ſin, Rom: 5.10. Heb. 2.17. Which the blood of Bulls and Goats could never do, Heb: 10.4, 11.
Thirdly, It is of a purifying vertue; It purgeth the Conſcience from dead works to ſerve the living God, Heb: 9.14. Yea, It cleanſeth from all ſin, 1 John 1.7. which no Sope nor Nitre can effect, Jer. 2.22.
Twenty-fourthly, He is mighty in his Burial; ſome degree of glory did break forth in Chriſts Burial, he had an honourable Burial; He made his Grave with the rich in his death, Iſa: 53.9. Joſeph of Arimathea, not onelyonly a good man and a juſt, but alſo an honourable Councellour, together with Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jews, who brought a mixture of Myrrh and Aloes, about an hundred pound weight, took the body of Jeſus and wound it in Linnen Cloaths with the Spices and laid it in a Sepulchre hewen out of the Rock, a new Sepulchre where never man was laid before; that which was wonderful in his Burial was, that they who were fearful to confeſſe him when living, were bold to own him when dead, and to be buried; for Joſeph of Arimathea, who was a Diſciple, but ſecretly for fear of the Jews, John 19.38. yet went in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body of Jeſus, Mark 15.43. And Nicodemus which at the firſt came to him by night, had courage to appear at his Burial, though he was condemned and crucified as a great Malefactor; this the Evangeliſt John noteth, John 19.39.
Twenty-fifthly, He is mighty in his Reſurrection; which doth appear in that
Firſt, He roſe at all, and it is a wonderful thing for the dead to riſe.
Secondly, He roſe ſoon, he did not lye many yeers in the Grave, he did not as Mahomet, who promiſed the Sarazins after eight hundred years to re-viſit them, but within three dayes, for he ſaid unto the Jews, Deſtroy this Temple (ſpeaking of the Temple of his body) and in three dayes I will raiſe it up, and accordingly he roſe the third day, which was as ſhort a time as might be, for had he not been dead ſome ſuch like diſtance of time, ſome would not have believed that he was dead at all.
Thirdly, He roſe againſt utmoſt humane oppoſition, though his enemies did whatever they could to hinder it; the chief Prieſts and the Phariſees make an Addreſs to Pilate about this, ſaying, Sir, We remember that that Deceiver ſaid while he was yet alive After three dayes I will riſe again; command therefore that the Sepulchre be made ſure untill the third day: And Pilate anſwered their deſire, for he ſaid unto them, ye have a watch, go your way, make it as ſure as you can; ſo they went and made the Sepulchre ſure, ſealing the ſtone, and ſetting a watch, Math. 27.62, 63, 64, 65.66. Yet Chriſt roſe notwithſtanding their great watch of Souldiers, and great ſtone which they rolled to the door of the Sepulchre; ſo that by his Reſurrection from the dead, he is declared to be the Son of God with power, Rom. 1.4. And that he hath ſatisfied the Juſtice of God, and diſcharged the debt which he undertook to pay to the full, being taken from priſon, the Grave, in which the ſtrength of ſin, and Gods wrath did for a time as Cords hold him; and therefore the Apoſtle proclaims a mighty victory at Chriſts Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15.54, 55, 56, 57. And indeed then Chriſt appeared victorious, his Reſurrection being the beginning of his Exaltation.
Twenty-ſixthly, He is mighty in his Aſcenſion, not onelyonly in that he aſcended on high, into heaven; upon which account the Apoſtle magnifies him, Heb: 4.14. Seeing we have a Great High Prieſt that is paſſed inro the Heavens, Jeſus the Son of God; but he aſcended as a Mighty One; Bleſſing the Diſciples as he parted with them, and they worſhipping him, Luke 24.50, 51, 52. The Angels alſo apppeared and attended, Acts 1.10.
Twenty-ſeventhly, He is mighty in his Seſſion; he is ſet down on the right hand of God. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of him as of a Mighty One in this reſpect, Heb: 8, 1. We have ſuch an High Prieſt, who is ſet on the right hand of the Throne of the Majeſty in the Heavens: And in this reſpect he is far above any of the Angels, for God never ſaid to any of the Angels, Sit on my right hand, Heb: 1.13. And thus he is far above all Principality and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every name that is named, not onelyonly in this world, but alſo in that which is to come, Epheſ. 1.20, 21. To which agreeth the words of Peter, 1 Pet 3.22. Who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God, Angels, and Authorities, and Powers, being made ſubject to him.
Twenty-eightly, He is mighty in his coming again, and that in three things eſpecially.
Firſt, In the ſigns of his coming, the Lord will give notice to the world of his coming, by ſtrange, terrible and dreadful ſignes, publick ſignes, ſuch as all ſhall ſee and obſerve, for there ſhall be ſigns in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars, and in the Earth, and in the Sea: The Sun ſhall be darkened, and the Moon ſhall not give her light, the Stars ſhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens ſhall be ſhaken, the Sea and the waves ſhall roar, the Nations ſhall be diſtreſſed and perplexed, mens hearts failing them for fear, &c. Math. 24.29. with Luke 21.25, 26. And then ſhall they ſee the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Secondly, In the manner of his coming; he ſhall not come then as he did at firſt, not as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, as a Sufferer, but as a Conquerour, and Deliverer from all ſin and puniſhment; he ſhall not come in meanneſſe and weakneſſe, but in Majeſty and Power, triumphing over Sin, Death and Devil; He ſhall come in glory, in his own glory, and in his Fathers, and of the holy Angels, Luke 9.26. He ſhall come with all his holy Ange…s and Saints attending on him, Matth. 25.31. 1 Theſſ: 3.13.
Thirdly, In the end of his coming, viz: to ſhew his might and greatneſſe more than ever he did, to take his kingdome, and to reign before his Ancients & all others gloriouſly, to judge the quick and the dead, 2 Tim. 4.1. Utterly to deſtroy wicked and ungodly men, according to that of Paul, 2 Theſſ: 1.7, 8. He ſhall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; Fully and eminently to ſave his faithfull ſervants, For he was once offered to bear the ſins of many, and unto them that look for him, ſhall he appear the ſecond time, without ſin unto ſalvation, Heb: 9.28. Then ſhall he ſit on his own Throne, and all overcomers with him, Rev: 3.21.
Thus have I demonſtrated the mightineſs of Chriſt in many particulars; I ſhall add a few more to ſhew the ſuper-excellency of this Mighty One, the Lord Chriſt.
Firſt, He is mighty, and righteous; he is no Tyrant, ſhewing forth his mightineſſe in barbarous and unjuſt actions, like the worlds Mighty Ones, whoſe courſe is uſually evill, and their force not right, Jerem: 23.10. He doth not by his might overthrow right, but he alwayes worketh, yea, he loveth righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 45.7. Though he may in ſome great and ſtrange works go beſides the ordinary path and courſe of providence, yet he never goeth out of the way of righteouſneſſe; the moſt terrible things which he will do, ſhall be in righteouſneſſe; true and righteous are, and ſhall be all his judgements, for a Scepter of Righteouſneſſe is the Scepter of his Kingdom, Heb: 1.8. And being thus cloathed with righteouſneſſe, he excels the Mighty Ones of the Earth.
Secondly, He is mighty and mercifull: The mighty ones of the world are commonly cruel and fierce, but for one to be mighty and mercifull is rare; ſuch an one is Chriſt, might and mercy dwell together in him; he hath a mighty▪ yet a tender heart, and though he be well able to cut off his ſtrongeſt, ſtouteſt Adverſaries, yet he is ready to forgive and receive them graciouſly. It is obſervable all the mighty works of Chriſt were merciful works, not wrought in malice and revenge, but in love and good will to men, not for their hurt, but for their good, and therefore it is ſaid, He went about doing good, Acts 10.38.
Thirdly, He is mighty and meek, mild and humble, not like the Mighty Ones of this world, who are for the moſt part of proud and ſcornfull ſpirits, and of fierce countenances; but he is meek and lowly in heart, Math: 11.29. Yea, though he be very high and mighty, yet hath he reſpect to the lowly, and unto that man will this Mighty One look, that is poor, and of a contrite ſpirit, and trembleth at his word; yea, with him will he dwell that is of an humble ſpirit. It was the excellency of Moſes, that he was mighty and yet meek, none on earth ſo meek as he in his day; but Chriſt is both mightier and meeker too. I ſhall conclude this with that rarity and wonder which Zachary mentions, Zach. 9.9. Rejoyce greatly, O daughter of Zion: Shout, O Daughter of Jeruſalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is juſt, and having ſalvation, lowly, and riding upon an Aſſe, and upon a Colt the Foale of an Aſſe.
Fourthly, He is mighty and wiſe; ſome who are great in power, are not eminent in wiſdome; but Chriſt is great in wiſdome, as well as in ſtrength, and therefore he is ſaid to be by the Apoſtle, The Power of God, and the Wiſdome of God, 1 Cor. 1.24.
Fifthly, He is mighty and patient, longſuffering, and ſlow to anger; it is not ſo much for the mean and weak to be patient, as for the mighty, ſuch as are able to revenge all wrongs done unto them, Poſſe, et nolle nobile; The Mighty Ones of the world are uſually haſty, ſoon angry, and preſently ſet upon thoſe that offend them; but it is the glory and excellency of Chriſt, that he is great in power, and yet ſlow to anger, and bears long with ſinners and enemies; he doth (at this very day) with much longſuffering endure the manifold indignities, contradictions and rebellions of ſinners againſt himſelf, in which reſpect he excels other Mighty Ones.
Sixthly, He is Mighty and Allmighty; He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, The Lord which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Allmighty, Revel: 1.8. Other Mighty Ones can do great things, but he can do all things; others are potent, but he is the Lord God Omnipotent, Rev: 19.6. and ſo higher and greater than they.
Seventhly, He is mighty, and alwayes mighty: Other Mighty Ones they faint, and their ſtrength faile them, Iſa: 40.30. they grow weary and weak, and ceaſe to be Mighty, at leaſt ſo mighty as they have been: I cannot do as I have done, is the voice of other Mighty Ones; but Chriſt the Lord, the Mighty One fainteth not, neither is weary, his ſtrength faileth not, he is as mighty as he was when God firſt put his Spirit upon him, as his ſtrength was then, ſo it is now, and ſo it ever ſhall be; He is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever, Heb: 13.8. His Mediatorſhip was as powerfull before, as after his exhibition in the fleſh, in which reſpect he is ſaid to be a Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world, Rev: 13.8. and will be hereafter, even at the very laſt end of all things, as effectual as it is now, or hath been heretofore.
Eighthly, He is mighty, and the onelyonly Mighty One, he is mighty and none beſides him, (the Father alwayes excepted, who hath put all things under him;) power is Chriſts peculiar, he is Plenepotentiarius, the Proprietary of power, and the Diſtributer of it; others, who are called mighty, are not ſo, compared with him; for He is the one Lord over all, Zech: 14.9. and they his Subjects, who muſt bow down before him, either freely or unwillingly; and therefore he is called by the Apoſtle, 1 Tim: 6.15. The bleſſed and onelyonly Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
9. He is the Mighty One, that is truly that, and doth that, which other Mighty Ones are ſaid to be, and are not, and do not; that which is falſely aſcribed to others, is truly attributed to him; for though the worlds mighty ones are accounted mightier than indeed they are, this Mighty One cannot be eſteemed mightier than indeed he is. Hiſtory tell us, that Canutus King of England being flattered by his Subjects, and called King of Kings, Moſt mighty, &c. went and ſate down by the Sea-ſide, commanded the floods ariſing and coming nigh him, nor to touch him nor his cloaths, but the floods came and made him ſtart back, and he ſaid to his Lords, Lo, ye call me ſuch a mighty King, yet I cannot cauſe this little water to ſtay at my command, but it is ready to drown me; but Chriſt can do this, (The Sea, and the winds obey him) and whatſoever any of the mighty ones of the earth undertake to do, and cannot accompliſh: He is not onelyonly called Mighty, but he is mighty and acts mightily; He is (without any flattery, or Hyperbole) Moſt High, moſt Mighty, moſt Sacred, moſt Excellent; yea, He is Excellency, Highneſs, Holineſs, Mightineſs, and Majeſty it ſelfe. Thus Chriſt doth not onelyonly appear to be mighty, but to be mightier, and more excellent than all others; we have heard and read of many mighty, famous Ones, both in Sacred and Common writings, as Nimrod, Pharaoh, Moſes, Joſhua, Gideon, Sampſon, David, Solomon, *Alexander the Great, Pompey the Great.and others, who have done great and mighty things, but Chriſt excels them all, and is greater than any, than all of them; indeed he is ſo mighty, that he is above the underſtanding of men, he is great in power, and we know him not, we cannot find him out, great things doth he, which we cannot comprehend.
Queſt: How came Chriſt to be ſuch a Mighty One?
Anſw. If we conſider him in his Eternal Eſſence and Being, abſtractively from his Humane Nature, as he is one with the Father from Eternity, ſo his mightineſſe and dignity is of himſelf, and not from any other, but if we conſider him as undertaking and carrying on the work of Mediatorſhip between God and man in the humane Nature, which he aſſumed, ſo he is ſaid to be made Mighty: The Apoſtle Peter ſpeaking of him as ſuch, ſaith, Let all the houſe of Iſrael know aſſuredly, that God hath made that ſame Jeſus whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ, Acts 2.36. In which reſpect God is ſaid to do what he did, as appears by the words of Peter in the ſame ſpeech to the men of Iſrael, Jeſus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders and ſigns, which God did by him in the midſt of you, Acts 2.22. And thus Chriſt becomes Mighty through the Father.
Firſt, Through the Fathers miſſion; the Father ſent him, and that's his ſtrength, and therefore he ſpeaks much of it upon all occaſions, nigh forty times in John, beſides ſeveral other places, he hints that the Father ſent him, and that he came not of himſelf, but proceeded forth, and came from God; God cannot ſay of Chriſt, as of thoſe Pr…phets mentioned Jer. 14.14. I ſent them not, neither have I commanded them: and as they were weak and could not profit the people, being not ſent of God, Chriſt being ſent of God becomes mighty to accompliſh whatever he undertook: Had not God ſent him, he could not have ſpake with ſuch Power and Authority, could not have done ſuch wonderful works, nor have undergone and ſuffered ſuch grievous torments as he did; but being ſent of the Father, and knowing that the Father ſent him, he was full of might, courage, and confidence to do and ſuffer what was the Will of his Father that ſent him. Gods miſſion makes mighty, it was that which enabled Gideon to be a Saviour to Iſrael, Judges 6.14. The Lord looked upon him, and ſaid, Go in this thy might, and thou ſhalt ſave Iſrael from the hand of the Midianites: have not I ſent thee? He that is ſent with full Authority and Power from ſome mighty Prince to tranſact his affairs, is thereby mighty, coming and acting as one ſent by him; Chriſt came and acted as one ſent from the abſolute Monarch of all the world, the moſt high …od of Heaven and Earth, and he having given all power and authority into his hands, he is exceeding mighty to perform the will of him that ſent him.
Secondly, Through the Fathers Unction; he was full of power and might by the Spirit of the Lord; the Anointing of the Lord makes mighty, It was that which made David, Solomon, Cyrus, and others mighty to do the worke of God in their ſeverall generations, and it is that which makes Chriſt ſo Mighty, for being anointed with the holy Spirit above others, he became mightier than all others; The Lord anointed him King, in which reſpect he is in a peculiar manner called Gods Anointed, Pſal. 2.2. and thence it is that he is ſo mighty to rule, both able to ſave and to deſtroy; The Lord anointed him to preach good tidings unto the meeke, and ſent him to binde up the broken-hearted, Iſa. 61.1. with Luke 4.18. and thence it was that his words were with ſuch power, and efficacy; And the Lord anointed him Prieſt, and ſo he was Mighty to offer up himſelfe without ſpot to God, and his blood alſo Mighty, and effectuall to purge the Conſcience from dead workes; according to the words of the Apoſtle, Heb. 9.14. How much more ſhall the blood of Chriſt, who through the Eternall Spirit offered himſelfe without ſpot to God, purge your Conſcience from dead workes to ſerve the living God. And Peter in his Sermon, Act. 10.38. gives this very account of Chriſts might, and mighty workes, viz. That God anointed Jeſus of Nazareth with the holy Ghoſt, and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreſſed of the Devil, for God was with him: And himſelfe ſaith, Joh. 8.29. He that ſent me is with me, the Father hath not left me alone. And thus through the Spirit of the Lord reſting upon him, even the Spirit of might (according to what was propheſied of him, Iſa. 11.2.) he is Mighty.