Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Book · Question 4 – Question 1
Quest. Fourthly, What it was for Jesus to be raised thus up of God to Israel.
Here we have two things to consider of.
1. Who Israel is.
2. What it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them.
1. Who Israel is. By Israel sometimes we should understand the whole Stock of Jacob, the Natural Children of his Flesh; for that name they have of him; for he obtained it when he wrestled with the Angel and prevailed (Gen. 32.) and remained with his Seed in their Generations.
2. By Israel we are to understand all those that God hath promised to Christ. The Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed, the elect Jews and Gentiles. These are called the Israel of God, and the Seed of Abraham, whom Jesus in special regarded in his undertaking the work of Mans Redemption, Rom. 9. 6. Gal. 6. 16. Heb. 2. 14, 15, 16.
2. What it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them.
This word, raised up, is diversly taken in the Scripture.
1. It is taken for sending, as when he saith, he raised them up Judges, Saviours, and Prophets; he means, he sent them such, (Judges 2. 16, 18. Chap. 3. 9, 15. Amos 2. 11.) and thus he raised up Jesus; that is, he sent him. I came not, saith he, of my self, but he sent me. But the Father which sent me gave me a commandment, Jo. 12.
2. To be raised up intimateth one invested with power and authority. Thus he raised up David to be the King of Israel; he anointed him & invested him with Kingly Power, 1 Sam. 16. 13. Acts 13. 22. And thus was Jesus Christ raised up: Hence he is called, the Horn of Salvation: He hath raised up for us an Horn of Salvation in the House of his Servant David, Luk. 2. 69.
3. To be raised up intimateth quickning and strengthening, to oppose and overcome all opposition. Thus was Jesus raised up from under Sin, Death, the rage of the World, and Hell, that day that God raised him out of the Grave.
Thus therefore was Jesus raised up to Israel; that is, he was sent, authorized, and strengthned to, and in the work of their Salvation, to the compleating of it.
The words thus opened, do lay before us these two Observations.
First, That in all Ages God gave his People a Promise, and so ground for a believing remembrance that he would one day send them a Saviour.
Secondly, That when Jesus was come into the World, then was that Promise of God fulfilled.
To begin with the First, That in all Ages God gave his People a Promise, and so ground for a believing remembrance, that he would one day send them a Saviour.
This Zacharias testifies when he was filled with the Holy Ghost; for speaking of the Messias, or the Saviour, he saith, That God spake of him by the mouth of all the Prophets which have been since the World began: To which I will add that of Peter; Yea, and all the Prophets from Samuel, and these that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days, Luk. 2. 69, 70. Acts 3. 24.
From these Texts it is evident that in every Generation or Age of the World, God did give his People a Promise, and so ground for a believing-remembrance that he would one day send them a Saviour: for indeed the Promise is not only a ground for a remembrance, but for a believing-remembrance: what God saith is sufficient ground for Faith, because he is Truth and cannot lye or repent. But that is not all, his Heart was engaged, yea all his Heart, in the Promise which he spoke, of sending us a Saviour.
From this Observation I shall make inquiry into these three things.
1. What it is to be a Saviour.
2. How it appears that God in all Ages gave his People a Promise that he would one day send them a Saviour.
3. That this was ground for a believing remembrance that a Saviour should one day come.
First, What it is to be a Saviour.
This word Saviour is easie to be understood, it being all one with Deliverer, Redeemer, &c. A Saviour, Jesus; both words are of the same signification, and are doubled, perhaps to teach us, that the Person mentioned in the Text, is not called Jesus only to distinguish him from other Men (for names are given to distinguish) but also, and especially to specifie his Office: his Name is Saviour, because it was to be his Work, his Office, his Business in the World. His Name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his People from their sins, Matt. 1. 21.
Secondly, This word Saviour is a word so large, that it hath place in all the undertakings of Christ; for whatever he doth in his Mediation, he doth as a Saviour. He interposeth between God and Man as a Saviour. He engageth against Sin, the Devil, Death, and Hell, as a Saviour, and triumphed over them by himself as a Saviour.
Thirdly, The word Saviour, as I said, is all one with Redeemer, Deliverer, Reconciler, Peacemaker, or the like; for though there be variation in the terms, yet Saviour is the intendment of them all. By Redeeming he becoms a Saviour, by Delivering he becomes a Saviour, by Reconciling he becomes a Saviour, and by making Peace he becometh a Saviour: But I pass this now, intending to speak more to the same question afterwards.
Secondly, How it appears that God in all Ages gave his People a Promise that he would one day send them a Saviour.
It appears evidently, for so soon as man had sinned, God came to him with an heart full of Promise, and continued to renew, and renew, till the time of the promised Messias to be revealed was come.
He promised him under the name of the Seed of the Woman, after our first Father had sinned: I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed, it shall break thy Head, and thou shalt bruise his Heel (Gen. 3. 15.) This the Apostle hath his eye upon when he saith, When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4. 4.
2. God renewed this Promise to Abraham, and there tells him Christ should be his Seed; saying, In thy Seed shall all Families of the Earth be blessed, (Gen. 12. 3.) Now saith Paul; To Abraham and his Seed was the Promise made; He saith not unto Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ, (Gal. 3. 16.)
3. He was promised in the time of Moses under the name of a Prophet; I will raise them up (saith God to him) a Prophet of their Brethren like unto thee: This Peter expounds of Christ, for Moses truly said unto the Fathers: A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me, him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you, Deut. 18. 18. Acts. 3. 22.
4. He promised him to David under the Title of a Son; saying, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son: For this the Apostle expounded of the Saviour; saying, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: and again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son, 2 Sam. 7. 14. Heb. 1. 5.
5. He was promised in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah.
1. By the name of a Branch. In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be Beautiful and Glorious, Isa. 4. 2.
2. Under the name of the Son of a Virgin. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign; Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, & thou shalt call his Name Emmanuel. This Matthew expounds of Christ, Isa. 7. 14. Matt. 1. 22.
3. He was promised under the name of a Rod. Then shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. This answereth the Text, David was the Son of Jesse, and Christ the Son of David, Isa. 11. 1, 2.
4. He is promised under the Title of a King. Behold, a King shall rule in righteousness; and a Man shall be for a hiding-place from the Wind, and a covert from the Tempest, as Rivers of Waters in a dry place, as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, Isa. 32. 1, 2.
5. He was promised under the name of an Elect Servant. Behold, my Servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles: he shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the Streets; a bruised Reed shall he not break, and smoking Flax shall he not quench, Isa. 42. 1, 2, 3. Matt. 12. 18.
6. He was promised to Jeremiah under the name of the Lord our Righteousness. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper: he shall execute Judgment in the Earth, in his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is the name wherewith he shall be called, The Lord, our Righteousness, Jer. 23. 5, 6.
7. He was promised by the Prophet Ezekiel under the name of David a Shepherd. And I will set one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my Servant David, he shall feed them: and he shall be their Shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and my Servant David a Prince among them, I the Lord have spoken it. Ezek. 34. 24. Joh. 10. 1, 2, 3.
8. He was promised by the Prophet Daniel under the name of Messias, or Christ, the most Holy. And after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. Dan. 9. 26.
9. He was promised by the Prophet Micha under the name of the Ruler of Israel. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall be come, that is to be Ruler in Israel, Mic. 5. 2. Matt. 2. 6.
10. He was promised to Haggai as the desire of all Nations. I will shake all Nations, and the desire of all Nations shall come, and I will fill this house with Glory, saith the Lord of Hosts, Hag. 2. 7.
11. He was promised by Zechariah under the name of Servant and Branch. For behold, I will bring forth my Servant the Branch: and again, Behold the Man whose name is the Branch, he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the Temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the Glory, Zech. 3. 8.
12. He was promised by Malachi under the name of the Lord, and the Messenger of the Covenant. Behold, I send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before thee, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple; even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts, Malachi 3. 12.
Indeed the Scriptures of the Old-Testament are filled with Promises of the Messias to come, Prophetical Promises, Typical Promises: For all the Types and shadows of the Saviour, are virtually so many Promises. Having therefore touched upon the Prophetical, I will briefly touch the Typical Promises also; for as God spake at sundry times to the Fathers, so also in divers manners, Prophetically, Providentially, Typically, and all of the Messias, Heb. 1. 1.
The Types of the Saviour were various.
1. Sometimes he was typed out by Men.
2. Sometimes by Beasts.
3. Sometimes by Insensible Creatures.
First, He was typed forth sometimes by Men.
1. Adam was his Type in many things, especially as he was the Head and Father of the first World. He was the Figure of him that was to come, Rom. 5. 14.
2. Moses was his Type as Mediator, and as Builder of the Tabernacle, Heb. 3. 2, 3.
Aaron was his Type as he was High-Priest, and so was Melchisedec before him, Heb. 5. 4, 5. Chap. 7. 1, 21.
4. Sampson was his Type in the effects of his death: for as Sampson gave his life for the deliverance of Israel from the Philistins, Christ gave his Life to deliver us from Sin and Devils.
5. Joshuah was his Type in giving the Land of Canaan to Israel, as Jesus will give the Kingdom of Heaven to the Elect, Heb. 4. 8.
6. David was his Type in many things, especially in his subduing of Israels Enemies, and feeding them; hence he is sometimes called David their King, and David their Shepherd, Ezek. 34. 23, 24.
7. Solomon was his Type in his building the Temple, and in his Peaceable Kingdom. Hence it is said, he shall build the Temple of the Lord; and again, Of his Government and Peace there shall be no end.
Beasts were his Types. To instance some:
First, The Paschal-Lamb was his Type, Exod. 12.
1. In its Spotlesness. Christ was a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19.
2. In its being Roasted. It was a Figure of the cursed Death of Christ, (for to be Roasted bespake one accursed, Jer. 29. 22.) Gal. 3. 13.
3. In that it was to be eaten. He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, saith Christ, hath Eternal Life, John 6. 57.
4. In that its Blood was to be sprinkled upon the doors of their houses for the destroying Angel to look on: The Blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the Elect for the Justice of God to look on, Heb. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 1, 2.
5. By eating the Paschal-Lamb, the People went out of Egypt: by feeding upon Christ by Faith, we come from under the Egyptian Darkness, Tyranny of Satan, &c.
Secondly, The Red Cow was his Type, Numb. 19. 2, &c.
1. In that she was to be without blemish.
2. In that she was to be slain without the Camp. Jesus also that he might sanctifie the People with his own Blood, suffered without the Gate, Heb. 13. 12.
3. In that her Flesh was to be burnt, a Type of the grievous Death of Christ.
4. Her Ashes was to be carried into a clean place without the Camp; a Type of the clean Sepulcher where the Body of Jesus was laid, John 19. 38, 39, 40, 41.
There was also divers other Sacrifices, as Bulls, Goats and Birds; which were Types of him, which I here omit.
Thirdly, Insensible Creatures were his Types.
As first, The Mannah in the Wilderness, (Ex. 16.) and that,
1. As it came down from Heaven; for so did Christ, I came down from Heaven, saith he: and again, I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven, John 6. 51.
2. The Mannah was to be eaten, so is Christ by Faith. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever, and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh, which I will give for the life of the World, John 6. 51.
3. The Mannah was to be gathered daily, so is Christ to be daily eaten.
4. The Mannah was all the Bread that Israel had in the Wilderness: Christ is all the Bread that Believers have in this Life for their Souls.
5. The Mannah came not by Moses Law, neither comes Christ by our Merits. Moses gave you not that Bread from Heaven, but my Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven, John 6. 32.
Again, The Rock that gave them out Water for their Thirst, was a Type of him, (Numb. 20.) They did all drink of the same Spiritual Drink, for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ, 1 Cor 10. 4.
This Rock was his Type in four▪ things.
1. It gave Drink to the People in the Wilderness when they were come out of Egypt. Christ gives drink to them that forsake the World for him.
2. The Rock yielded Water by being smitten by Moses's Rod: Christ giveth drink even his Blood, by being striken by Moses's Law, Numb. 20. 11. Isa. 53.
3. The water out of this Rock was given to the Thirsty. I will give to him that is a-thirst, saith Christ, of the Fountain of the water of Life freely, Revel. 21. 6.
4. The Water of the Rock in the Wilderness ran after the People, They drank of that Rock that followed them, he opened the Rock and the Waters gushed out, they ran in dry places like a River. Christ also is said by that Type to follow us: They drank of that Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ, Psal. 105. 41. 1 Cor. 10. 4.
Again, The Mount Moriah was his Type.
1. That Mount stood in Jerusalem; Christ also stands in his Church.
2. Upon that Rock was built the Temple. And upon this Rock, said Christ, will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, 2 Chron. 3. 1. Mat. 16. 18.
Other things might be urged, but these being virtually of the force of the Promise, and also as a Key to open them, therefore I thought good to place them here with the Promises; because, as they are standing with them, so they are written to beget Faith in the same Lord Jesus Christ.
I come now to the third thing, to wit, That these Promises were ground for a Believing Remembrance that a Saviour should one day come.
There is a Remembring, and a Believing Remembring, or such a Remembring that begetteth, and maintaineth Faith in the Heart. Jacob had a Believing Remembrance, when he said, I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord, Gen. 49. 18. And so had David when he cried, O that the Salvation of Israel was come out of Zion, Psalm 53. 6. These, with Simeon and Anna, had not a Remembrance only, but a Believing Remembrance, that God would send them a Saviour. They had the Promise not in the Book only, but in their Hearts: This Gospel was mixed in them with Faith; therefore they with their Fellows remembred and believed, or made the Promise the Ground of their Believing that God would one day send them a Saviour.
Let me make some use of this Doctrine.
Here we may see how much the Heart of God was set upon the Salvation of Sinners, he studied it, contrived it, set his Heart on it, and promised, and promised, and promised to compleat it by sending one day his Son for a Saviour, Ephes. 1. 3. 2 Sam. 14. 14. Tit. 1. 2.
No marvel therefore, if when he treateth of the New-Covenant, in which the Lord Jesus is wrapped, and presented in a Word of Promise to the World, that he saith; I will do it assuredly with my whole Heart and with my whole Soul, Jer. 32. 41.
Now this is of singular comfort to sensible Sinners; yea, what greater ground of consolation to such, than to hear that the God against whom they have sinned, should himself take care to provide us a Saviour
There are some poor Sinners in the World, that have given such way to discouragement, from the sence of the greatness of their Sins, that they dare not think upon God, nor the Sins which they have committed: But the reason is, because they are ignorant that God's Heart was wrapt up in this good work of providing and sending a Saviour. Let such hearken now to the Call of God; Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee, Isa. 44. 22. Ho! turn again, hearken; the Heart of God is much set upon Mercy, from the beginning of the World he resolved and promised, ay, and sware we should have a Saviour.
2. Doct. I now proceed to the second Observation.
That when Jesus was come into the World, then was the Promise of God fulfilled; namely, That he would one day send us a Saviour.
Take three Texts for the Confirmation of this Point.
1. This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the World.
These words were spoken of them that were present at that Miracle of Jesus, when he sed Five Thousand with Five Barly Loaves which a Lad had about him in the Company: For these Men, when they had seen the Marvel, being amazed at it, made confession of him to be the Saviour, Joh. 6.
2. Lord, I believe thou art the Christ the Son of God, which should come into the World, John 9. 27.
3. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners, 1 Tim. 1. 15.
For the explaining of this Observation, I will briefly handle three questions.
1. How this Jesus is to be distinguished from others of that Name.
2. What it was for this Jesus to come into the World.
3. What it was for him to come to be a Saviour.
Quest. 1. For the first, The Jesus in the Text, is distinguished from all others of that Name.
1. By the manner of his Birth, he was born of a Virgin, a Virgin espoused to a Man whose Name was Joseph; but he knew her not till she had brought forth her First-born Son, and he called his name Jesus, Mat. 1. 25.
2. He is distinguished from others of that Name, by the place of his Birth; to wit, Bethlehem, the City of David, there he must be Born, there he was Born, Joh. 7. 42. Mat. 2. 4, 5, 6.
3. He is distinguished by his Linage, He came of the House and Linage of David, Luk. 2. 4, 5, 6.
4. He is distinguished by the time of his Birth, to wit, the Time that the Prophets prefixed, Gal. 4. 4.
5. But his common Distinction is, Jesus of Nazareth; by this Name he is distinguished one and twenty times in the New-Testament.
1. His Enemies called him Jesus of Nazareth, Mat. 26. 71. Mark. 14. 67. Joh. 18. 5.
2. His Disciples called him Jesus of Nazareth, Mat. 21. 11. Luk. 24. 19. Joh. 1. 45. Act. 2. 22▪
3. The Angels called him Jesus of Nazareth, Mar. 16. 6.
4. And he calleth Himself Jesus of Nazareth, Acts 22. 8.
5. Yea, and he goeth also by the Name of Jesus of Nazareth among the Devils, Mar. 1. 24. Luk. 4. 34.
He was called Jesus of Nazareth, because he dwelt there with his Mother Mary and her Husband. Nazareth was his City where he had been brought up, whither for shelter Joseph carried him when he came up out of Egypt with him: in Nazareth was his common Abode, until the time that John was cast into Prison, Luk. 4. 16. Mat. 2. 23. Chap. 4. 12, 13. Wherefore he might well say, I am Jesus of Nazareth: Yea, though he was now in Heaven; for Heaven shall not make us forget what Country-men we were when we lived in the World. Jesus, you see here, though Glorified in Heaven, yet forgets not what Countrey-Man he was when he dwelt in the World. I am Jesus of Nazareth, saith he, I am the Jesus that thou hatest; and that thou mayest know I am he, I tell thee I dwelt once in the City Nazareth in Galilee: Joseph and my Mother Mary brought me up there, and there I dwelt with them many years. I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.