The Mighty Christ the Saints Help, Part 1 – Part 2
Foure things eſpecially about his Mediatourſhip in Generall, ſpeak forth the Mightineſs of Christ.
Firſt, The ſingularity, and oneneſs of the perſon Mediating, not Many, not a Few, not two, but One Mediator between God, and man, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2.5. There was none with him in his difficult worke of Mediatorſhip, but he carried it on alone, there was none with him to helpe him, therefore his own Arme brought ſalvation both unto him, and us, which ſpeaks him to be a Mighty One; Moſes was a Mighty one, in that he ſtood, and that alone between the Lord, and the Children of Iſrael on the Mountaine, and yet but a ſhaddow of this One great Mediator, Chriſt Jeſus.
Secondly, The Greatneſs of the perſons between whom he doth Mediate, he is uſually a Mighty One that is Mediator between either Mighty Perſons or Nations, even the greateſt, mightieſt, and moſt excellent One they can finde, then how Mighty muſt he be that is Mediator between the Almighty, Higheſt God, and Man the chiefe of the Creatures.
Thirdly, The weightineſſe of the Matter it being of greateſt concernment, no leſs than the bringing of ſouls (which were afar off) unto God, 1 Pet. 3.18. the making ſinners righteous, yea righteouſneſs, 2 Cor. 5.21; the reconciling all things in heaven, and earth unto God, Col. 1.20. the turning away Gods wrath from ſinners, the deſtroying of the enmity that is in their minds againſt him, and ſo the ſalvation of them that are loſt.
Fourthly, The exact performance, and accompliſhment of the whole buſineſs; According to what was prophecied of him, Dan. 9.24. He did make reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in Everlaſting Righteouſneſſe; He did not begin, do ſomething, and then faint, and leave his work imperfect, but he finiſhed it, and that to the Glory of his Father that ſent him; as himſelfe teſtifieth in his prayer to his Father, Joh. 17.4. I have glorified thee on the Earth, I have finiſhed the worke which thou gaveſt me to do; ſurely he is a Mighty One.
Demonſtrations of the Mightineſſe of Christ, the Mediator.
Firſt, He is a Mighty One in his Originall, and riſe, from whence he came; himſelfe told the Jews, Joh. 8.23. That he was from above, and not of this World, and that he proceeded forth, and came from God: When John heard he was come, and manifeſted himſelfe by preaching, and Baptizing, magnified him upon this account, Joh. 3.31. He that cometh from above is above all; He that cometh from Heaven is above all; And by this the Apoſtle doth diſtinguiſh him from, and exalt him above the firſt Adam, 1 Cor. 15.47. The firſt man is of the Earth Earthly, the ſecond man is the Lord from Heaven.
Secondly, He is a Mighty One in the firſt promiſe of him, the firſt hint, and report of him is of a Mighty One, a Conquerour of the Devill, In that this bleſſed ſeed of the Woman ſhould bruiſe the Serpents head, according as it is written, Gen. 3.15. 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 heele; the firſt appearance, and coming forth of Chriſt in the promiſe, is as of a Mighty one prevailing againſt mans mightieſt Enemy, the Devill.
Thirdly, He is a Mighty One in the Types of him:
Firſt, In the multitude of them, every thing almoſt (which was before him) being a Type, and ſhaddow of him, as the Paſſeover, Rock, Mannah, Brazen-Serpent, 1 Cor. 5.7. Joh. 6.32, 48, 50. 1 Cor. 10.4. Joh. 3.14, 15. The Prieſts, Tabernacle, Altar, Sanctuary, the Feaſts, Sacrifices, and all the Ceremoniall rites, Col. 2.16, 17. Heb. 1. ad 11 verſe; Aarons Bells (as one ſaith) ſounded Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified; ſurely he is ſome Mighty one indeed that the Lord did fore-ſignifie by ſo many things.
Secondly, In the Mightineſs of them (I meane the perſonall Types of him) who were not meane, but mighty ones; As Adam whom God made ſo mighty, giving him Lordſhip over the Creatures, was a type of him that then was to come, Rom. 5.14. Melchiſedec that great, and mighty one, of whoſe greatneſs the Apoſtle exhorts the Hebrews to conſider, Heb. 7.4. Now conſider how great this man was, unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the ſpoils; was a Type of Chriſt. Moſes, Joſuah, David, thoſe Great, and eminent Saviours and Deliverers of the Children of Iſrael were but types and ſhaddows of that Great, and mighty Saviour, and Deliverer of his people, Jeſus Chriſt. And if the ſhaddows be thus Mighty, the body, and ſubſtance muſt be very Mighty.
Fourthly, He is a Mighty One in the Prophecies of him, I ſhall not lay any weight upon the predictions of him to the Gentiles by the famous Sybils (to whom much is attributed by ſome) who are ſaid to Prophecy of him as of a Mighty One, an univerſall King, that ſhould be Lord over Romanes and all others;
Nor yet upon Diabolicall Oracles mentioned in Hiſtory, as the Anſwer of Apollo from Delphos to Auguſtus Caeſar the Emperour (demanding of him, who ſhould reigne after him) after long waiting, That an Hebrew child that ruleth over the bleſſed Gods, commandeth me to leave this Habitation, and out of hand to get me to Hell, but yet do you depart in ſilence from our Altars; which cauſed Auguſtus, after much muſing, to returne to Rome, and to build there an Altar in the Capitall, with this Inſcription (as Nicephorus affirmeth) Ara primogeniti Dei, The Altar of Gods firſt begotten Son: But I paſſe by theſe things, and ſhall ſpeak of him onelyonly as he is prophecied of in the holy Scriptures, according to which he will appeare to be a very Mighty One.
Firſt, In that he was prophecied of at all, for the Prophets for the moſt part foretold of great things to come to paſſe. Great changes, and alterations in the world, Great deliverances, Great proſperity, Great Judgements, and deſolations, Great Warres, Famines, Peſtilences; as alſo of Great and Mighty Perſons, Families, Cities, Nations, as of the five Mighty Monarchies, the Man of ſin, that mighty one, who oppoſeth, and exalteth himſelfe above all that is called God, 2 Theſ. 2.4. the Mighty Beaſt, whom the world worſhip, ſaying, Who is like the Beaſt? who is able to make warre with him? Rev. 13.4. The Great Whore, that ſitteth upon many waters, and the falſe Prophet that worketh Miracles; ſo that Chriſt is a Mighty One, being One prophecied of.
Secondly, In that he is prophecied of by all the Prophets in their ſeverall ages, and generations, Gods holy Prophets which have been ſince the world began, have prophecied of him, Luk. 1.70. As Chriſt was in the way with the two Diſciples going to Emaus, beginning at Moſes, and All the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himſelfe; there was ſomthing in Moſes, and all the Prophets concerning him; And this doth accord with what he minded his Diſciples of, which he had formerly ſpake to them, That all things muſt be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moſes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pſalmes concerning him, Luk. 24, 27, 44. Philip having ſeene Jeſus, ſpeakes of him with Great affection to Nathaniel, as of a Mighty One upon this very account, We have found him of whom Moſes in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jeſus of Nazareth, the ſon of Joſeph, Joh. 1.45. And Peter told the Jews, that God ſhewed by the mouth of All his Prophets, that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer, Acts 3.18. And ſpeaking of Chriſt to Cornelius, and thoſe with him, ſaith, To him give All the Prophets witneſs, &c. Acts 10.43. Surely he is a Mighty One of whom all the Prophets have ſpoken.
Thirdly, In that All of Chriſt is prophecied of, not onelyonly his ſufferings, and the glory which ſhould follow, in the Generall, but his coming, the time, the Tribe out of which he ſhould ſpring, his birth, the place thereof, his offices, workes, particular ſufferings, death, reſurrection, Aſcention, ſeſſion, and coming againe, and whatſoever elſe was, and is to be fulfilled in him, and by him, is ſpoken of in the Prophets; And certainly he is no Ordinary Perſon whom the Spirit of God did ſo carefully predeclare in all things belonging to him.
Fourthly, In that he is the ſumme, and All of the Prophecies; for what are they but Chriſt in his Sufferings, and Glory, they having all ſome reference, and tendency unto him; yea all the Great things prophecied of, as the Converſion of the Jews, the coming in of the fulneſs of the Gentiles, the pulling downe high, and lofty things, the eſtabliſhing of Juſtice and righteouſneſſe in the Earth, the powring out of more abundance of the Spirit, and all other Great things, are in a ſubſerviency unto him, and have a ſpeciall reference to his exaltation, and kingdome.
Fifthly, In the Matter of the prophecies concerning him, which I ſhall reduce to theſe three heads.
Firſt, What he ſhall be, and have; Balam prophecying of Iſraels happineſs, ſaith, His King ſhall be higher then Agag, and his kngdome ſhall he exalted▪ out of Jacob ſhall come he that ſhall have dominion, Numb. 24.7, 19. The Pſalmiſt ſpeaking of Chriſt, ſaith, That he ſhall have the Heathen for his Inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the earth for his poſſeſſion, Pſal. 2.8. He ſhall be exalted, extolled, and be very high, Iſa. 52.13. He ſhall have a portion with the Great, and divide the ſpoile with the ſtrong, Iſa. 53.12. He ſhall not onelyonly be Ruler in Iſrael, but alſo Great unto the ends of the Earth, Micah 5.2, 4. Yea, he ſhall be King over all the Earth, Zach. 14.9.
Secondly, What he ſhall do; He ſhall judge the poore of the people, he ſhall ſave the children of the needy, and ſhall breake in pieces the Oppreſſor, Pſal. 72.4. He ſhall rule in the midſt of his Enemies, he ſhall Judge among the Heathen, he ſhall fill the places with the dead bodies, he ſhall wound the Heads over many Countreys, Pſal. 110.2, 6. He ſhall ſmite the Earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips ſhall he ſlay the wicked, Iſa. 11.4. He ſhall reigne and proſper, and ſhall execute Judgement and Juſtice in the earth; He ſhall build the Temple of the Lord, and he ſhall beare the Glory, and ſhall ſit and rule upon his Throne, Zach. 6.13. He ſhall overcome the Beaſt, and the Kings of the earth, Rev. 17.14. & 19.19, 20. Theſe and other mighty things are ſpoken of Chriſt that he ſhould do.
Thirdly, What others ſhall be, and do towards him. Unto him ſhall the Gathering of the people be, Gen. 49.10. To him ſhall the Gentil…s ſeeke, Iſa. 11.10. The Kings ſhall ſhut their mouths at him, they ſhall be dumb, and not dare to ſpeak in his preſence, Iſa. 52.15. They that dwell in the Wilderneſs ſhall bow before him, and his Enemies ſhall lick the duſt; The Kings of Tarſhiſh, and the Iſles ſhall bring preſents; the Kings of Sheba and Seba ſhall offer gifts; yea all Kings ſhall fall downe before him, and all Nations ſhall ſerve him, Pſal. 72.9, 10, 11. At his Name every knee ſhall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth, and every tongue ſhall confeſſe that he is Lord, Phil. 2.10, 11. All which ſpeak Chriſt to be a Mighty One.
Fifthly, He is a Mighty One in the expectation of the people.
Firſt, In the expectation it ſelf; he was one lookt for before his coming, the people were in expectation of him, and the expectation of the people is not ordinarily of mean and ordinary perſons, like themſelves but of great and mighty ones, of ſuch, as ſome way or other excell others.
Secondly, In the nature and manner of their expectation, it was not a faint and dull, but a ſtrong and earneſt expectation; they did expect him, and expect him much, they did expect him with deſire and longing, according to his own words to his Diſciples, I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have deſired to ſee thoſe things which ye ſee, and to hear thoſe things which ye hear, Luke 10.24. Therefore when God ſent any one into the world more excellent than others, they thought it might be he. The Jews as ſoon as they heard of John Baptiſt preaching and baptizing in the wilderneſſe, ſent Prieſts and Levites from Jeruſalem to ask him, Who he was? ſuſpecting he might be the Chriſt, John 1.19. And when Chriſt was come, they not knowing it was he, came round about him as he was in Temple, and ſaid unto him, How long doſt thou make us to doubt? (or Doſt thou kill us? foreign) If thou be the Chriſt tell us plainly, John 10.24. So great, and earneſt was their expectation of him, and ſurely he is ſome mighty, excellent one indeed, that is the ſtrong and earneſt expectation of the people.
Thirdly, In the matter of their expectation, as they looked that he ſhould come, ſo they looked that he ſhould be a Mighty One, and do great things when he came, That he ſhould be a Redeemer of Iſrael, a Reſtorer of the Kingdome, which is evident from the words of the two deſponding Diſciples to himſelf, We truſted that it had been he which ſhould have redeemed Iſrael, Luke 24.21. And ſo much may be gathered from the words of the woman of Samaria to him, I know that Meſſias cometh, which is called Chriſt, when he is come he will tell us all things, Jo. 4.25. Her expectation of him was as of a Mighty One, ſurpaſſing all the Prophets which were before; and ſuch was the expectation of Simeon, Luke 2.25. He waited for the conſolation of Iſrael, whom when he ſaw, he called Gods ſalvation, verſ. 30.
Fourthly, In the continuance of their expectation, they waited long in their Generations, and though he came not, yet they held up their expectation of him, and did not faint in their minds, but lived and dyed in expectation of him.
Sixthly, A Mighty One in his Fore-runner.
Firſt, In that he had a fore-runner, they are Mighty, not mean ones that have fore-runners to prepare the way for their coming, ſuch an One was Chriſt.
Secondly, In that he had ſuch a fore-runner, a Mighty One, for ſo the Angel deſcribed him to his Father, Luke 1.15, 16, 17. He ſhall be great in the ſight of the Lord, he ſhall be filled with the Holy Ghoſt, even from his mothers womb, and many of the children of Iſrael ſhall he turn to the Lord their God, and ſhall go before him in the ſpirit and power of Elias; &c. And ſo his Father being filled with the holy Spirit prophecyed of him, verſ. 76. Thou child ſhalt be called the Prophet of the higheſt, for thou ſhalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his way: Yea, he was ſo mighty as Chriſt himſelf teſtifieth of him, That among them that are born of women, there hath not riſen a greater than John; and yet he but Chriſts fore-runner; he that comes after, is always mightier than the fore-runner, and ſo John witneſſed, He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Matth. 3.11.
Seventhly, A Mighty One in his Incarnation: That he who is over all, God bleſſed for ever, ſhould take our fleſh, and dwell among us; that there ſhould be a conjunction of two ſo infinitely differing Natures, the Divine and Humane, in the Unity of one Perſon, remaining uncompounded, and unconfounded together, that he in whom the fullneſſe of the man-hood dwelleth, is not One, and he in whom the fullneſſe of the God-head, another; but he in whom the fullneſs of both natures dwelleth, is one and the ſame, is very wonderfull, and a great Myſtery, and muſt needs ſpeak the perſon to be ſome mighty and extraordinary One indeed, being both perfect God, and perfect man, and ſo every way fit for any undertaking, to do and ſuffer any thing; for as man he could ſuffer, but not overcome the ſharpneſſe of death, as God he could ſuffer nothing, but overcome any thing; and thus incarnate, he became a Mighty One in our Nature for us, fit to ſave us.
The Incarnation of Chriſt doth eſpecially comprehend his conception and birth, in both which he appears to be a Mighty One.
Firſt, In his Conception, which was not common nor ordinary, for he was not conceived by the power of Nature, as all other Mighty Ones are, but By the power of the Holy Spirit, Matth. 1.18. His Mother Mary was found with Child of the Holy Ghoſt, according to the word of the Angel to her, Luke 1.35. The Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheſt ſhall overſhaddow thee. Nonus modus novi hominis, A new way of conceiving this new man; for a woman that knew not man to conceive a man in her womb, is the new and ſtrange thing which the Lord hath created in the earth; A woman ſhall compaſſe a man, Jer. 31.21. And while Joſeph was troubled about this matter, an Angel was ſent from Heaven to ſatisfie him, which ſaid to him, Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghoſt, Matth. 1.20. Certainly he was ſome Mighty One, who was thus conceived, and whoſe Conception was thus declared and confirmed by Angels.
Secondly, In his Birth, he was not only born, but born a Mighty One, a Saviour, according to the word of the Angel to the Shepherds, Luke 2.11. Ʋnto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord. A King, as the Wiſe men ſtiled him in their inquiry after him, Math. 2.2. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? And he was not only Mighty in his birth, becauſe he was born a Mighty One, but alſo in his birth it ſelfe, it being a more than ordinary birth, To awake (ſaith one) the world to look for ſtrange things in this life, to ſignifie that he ſhould be a Mighty One, and do wonderfull things, the ſtrange Births of perſons did uſually ſpeak ſome Extraordinarines to be in their lives, as in Iſaac, Jacob, Samuel, Sampſon, &c.