Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Book · Part 1
Concerning Jesus, how he put himself upon the Test among his Adversaries.
THe Lord Jesus also putteth himself upon the Test among his Adversaries divers ways.
First, he urgeth the time of the appearing of the Messias, to be come.
The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the Gospel, (Mar. 1. 15.)
For this he had a three-fold proof.
1. The Heathens had invaded and taken the Land, according to that of Daniel, Dan. 9. 25, 26.
2. The Scepter was departed from Judah, according to that of Jacob, (Gen. 49. 10.) to which also suited that Prophecy: Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good, the Land which thou abhorrest, shall be forsaken of both her Kings.
3. The Roman Emperor had not only subdued the Nation, and put down the Kingly Race of the Jews; but had set up and established his own Power over them. In the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilat was Governor of Judea, Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee, Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene, all Heathens, and of Tyberius his making.
Besides, The Kingly Race of Judah was at this time become so low by reason of the Roman oppression, that the chief of them were put to get their living by their own hands, even Joseph, the supposed Father of Jesus, was then become a Carpenter: Poor man! when Jesus was born, he was fain to thrust into a Stable, for there was in the Inn no room for such Guests as they. The Offering also which was brought unto God the time when Jesus was presented unto the Lord, was two Turtle-Doves, or two young Pigeons; a Sacrifice allowed only for them that were Poor and could provide no bigger.
And if she be not able to bring a Lamb, then she shall bring two Turtle-Doves or two young Pigeons, the one for a Burnt-Offring, the other for a Sin-Offering, Levit. 12. 8. Besides, Jesus himself saith, Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not whereon to lay his Head.
Now, I say, all these things were so apparent to the Jews, that they could not object; they felt the Romans were come, they knew the Scepter was gone, they smarted under the Roman Tyranny, and knew the Kingly Race of Judea was over-thrown: How then could they object, that the time was not come for Christ to be born?
Further, The People was generally convinced, that the time was come, and therefore, saith the Text; They were in expectation. And as all the People were in expectation, and all men mused in their Hearts of John, whether he was the Christ or not, Luk. 3. 15. The unbiassed People observing the face of things, could do no other but look for the Messias. And hence it is, that the Lord Jesus gives the Pharisees, those mortal E nemies of his, such sore rebukes; saying, O ye Hypocrites, ye can discern the Face of the Skie, but can you not discern the Signs of the Times? The Kingdom is lost, the Heathens are come, and the Scepter is departed from Judea. Ye Hypocrites, ye can discern the Face of the Skie, and of the Earth, but how is it that ye do not discern this Time? Mat. 16. 3. Luk. 12. 56.
Secondly, He yet again puts himself upon the Test, by the Miracles which he wrought before them.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works sake, (John 14. 11.)
For the Works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me, John 5. 36.
This Proof they could not withstand, but granted that he did many Miracles while they did nothing. Then gathered the Chief-Priests and Pharisees a Counsel, and said, what do we? for this Man doth many Miracles: if we let him alone all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our Place and Nation, John 11. 47, 48.
Yea so did Jesus confound them, that by their own Records and Laws by which they were to prove persons clean or unclean; they in reading their Lectures, did justifie him and overthrow themselves.
For instance, it was written in their Law; If he that hath an Issue spit upon him that is clean, that Spittle should make him unclean, (Levit. 15. 8.) Now Jesus whom they counted most unclean because he said he was the Son of God (as they thought speaking Blasphemy) he spits upon people and makes them whole; he spat and made clay with the Spittle and with that clay made a Blind Man see, Joh. 9. 6. Also he spit on the Eyes of another and made him see, Mar. 8. 23, 24, 25. Again he spit, and with his Spittle touched the Tongue of one that was Dumb, and made him speak immediatly, Mar. 7. 33, 34, 35. Thus he proved himself clear of their Accusations, and maintained before them, that by their Law he was guiltless, and the Son of God; for the Miracles which he wrought were to prove him so to be.
Again, In their Law it was written, that whoso touched the Altar of Incense should be Holy, (Exod. 29. 37.) A Woman with a Bloody Issue toucheth him, and is whole of her Plague. Yea, they brought to him many diseased Persons; and besought him that they might only touch the Hem of his Garment; and as many as touched, were made perfectly whole, Mar. 5. 28, 29. Mat. 14. 35, 36.
Thus was he justified before them out of their own Law, and had his Glory manifest before their Faces, to their everlasting confusion and contempt.
Indeed, the Jews did make one Objection against Jesus Christ, that seemed to them to have weight in it: and that was because he first began to appear and manifest his Glory in Canaan of Galilee. At this, I say, they stumbled, it was their sore temptation; for still as some affirmed him to be the Christ, others as fast objected, shall Christ come out of Galilee? art thou also of Galilee? search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet, John 2. 1, 11. Chap. 7. 40, 41, 42.
But this their stumble might arise either;
1. From the cruelty of Herod: Or,
2. From their own not observing and keeping in mind the Alarum that God gave them at his Birth.
1. It might arise or be occasioned through the Cruelty of Herod; for Jesus was born in Bethlehem the City where David dwelt: But when Herod sent out to kill him, and for his sake killed all the young Children in Bethlehem; then was Joseph warned by an Angel of God, to take the young Child and his Mother and fly into Egypt, and so he did, and was there till the Death of Herod, Mat. 2. 1, 13, 16, 19, 20.) After this the Angel comes to them in Egypt, and bids them take the young Child and return into the Land of Israel; wherefore they arose and went: but hearing that Herod's Son that Tyrant ruled in the room of his Father, they were afraid to go to Bethlehem, but turned aside into the Parts of Galilee, where they remained till the time of his shewing to Israel.
2. This stumble of theirs might arise from their not observing and keeping in mind the Alarum that God gave them of his Birth.
1. God began to give them the Alarum at the Birth of John the Baptist, where was asserted that he was to go before the Face of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare his Ways. And fear came upon all that dwelt round about them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-Countries of Judea, Luk. 1. 65.
2. Again, What a continuation of this Alarum was there also at the Birth of Jesus, which was about three months after John Baptist was born. Now come the Angels from Heaven, now comes a strange Star over the Countrey to lead the Men of the East to the Stable where Jesus was born; now was Herod, the Priests, the Scribes, and also the City Jerusalem awakened and sore troubled: for it was noised by the Wise-Men, that Christ the King and Saviour was born. Besides, The Shepherds, Simon, and Anna gave notice of him to the People; they should therefore have retained the Memory of these things, and have followed God in all his dark Providences, until his Son of Righteousness should arise among them with healing under his Wings.
3. I may add another cause of their stumble. They did not understand the Prophecies that went before of him.
1. He was to come to them out of Egypt. Out of Egypt have I called my Son, Mat. 2. 15.
2. He turned aside into Cana of Galilee, and dwelt in the City of, Nazareth; That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, he shall be called a Nazaren, Mat. 2. 23.
3. That saying also was to be fulfilled. The Land of Zebulon, and the Land of Nepthaly, by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the People that sat in Darkness saw a great Light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of Death, Light is sprung up, Mat. 4. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.
At these things then they stumbled, and 'twas a great Judgment of God upon them.
Besides, There seemed to be a Contradiction in the Prophecies of the Scriptures concerning his Coming. He was to be born in Bethlehem, and yet to come out of Egypt: How should he be the Christ, and yet come out of Galilee, out of which ariseth no Prophet? Thus they stumbled.
Hence note, That though the Prophecies and Promises be full and plain as these were, that he should be born in Bethlehem; yet men's Sins may cause them to be fulfilled in such obscurity, that instead of having benefit thereby, they may stumble and split their Souls thereat.
Take heed then, hunt not Christ from plain Promises with Herod, hunt him not from Bethlehem, lest he appear to your amazement and destruction from Egypt, or in the Land of Zebulon. But thus much to the Second Question; to wit, What it was for Jesus to come into the World.
I come now to the Third Question.
Quest. 3. What it was for him to come to be a Saviour.
For the further handling of this Question I must shew:
1. What it is to be a Saviour.
2. What it is to come to be a Saviour.
3. What it is for Jesus to come to be a Saviour.
To these three briefly.
First, What it is to be a Saviour.
1. A Saviour supposeth some in misery, and himself one that is to deliver them.
2. A Saviour, is either such an one Ministerially, or Meritoriously.
Ministerially, is when one person engageth, or is engaged by virtue of respect or command from Superiours, to go and obtain by conquest or the Kings Redemption, the Captives or Persons grieved by the Tyranny of an Enemy. And thus was Moses and Joshuah, and the Judges and Kings of Israel, Saviours.
Thou deliveredst them into the Land of their Enemies who vexed them, and in the time of their trouble when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from Heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them Saviours, who saved them out of the Hand of their Enemies, Nehem. 9. 27.
Thus was Jesus Christ a Saviour, he was engaged by virtue of respect and command from God, to obtain by conquest and redemption, the Captives or Persons grieved; God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World, John 4. 14.
Meritoriously, is when the Person engaging, shall at his own proper cost and charge give a sufficient value or price for those he redeemeth.
Thus those under the Law were redeemed by the Mony called the Redemption-Mony. And Moses gave the Mony of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his Sons, Numb. 3. 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52.
And thus was Jesus Christ a Saviour; he paid full price to Divine Justice for Sinners, even his own precious Blood. Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed from your vain Conversation, received by tradition from your Fathers, with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, but with the precious Blood of Christ, 1 Pet. 1 18, 19.
And forasmuch as in mans redemption, the Undertaker must have respect, not only to the paying of a price, but also to the getting of a Victory; for there is not only Jesus to satisfy, but Death, Devil, Hell, and the Grave to conquer: therefore hath he also by himself gotten the Victory over these.
1. He hath abolished Death, 2 Tim. 1. 10.
2. He hath destroyed the Devil, Heb. 2. 14, 15.
3. He hath been the destruction of the Grave, Hos. 13. 14.
4. He hath gotten the Keys of Hell, Revel. 1. 17, 18, 19.
And this I say, he did by himself at his own proper cost and charge, when he triumphed over them upon his Cross, Col. 2. 14, 15.
Quest. 2. Secondly, What it is to come to be a Saviour?
1. To come to be one, supposeth one, ordained, and fore-prepared for that work. Then said he lo, I come a Body, hast thou prepared me, Heb. 10.
2. To come to be a Saviour, supposeth, one commissionated, or authorized to that Work. Th… Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me (authorized me) to preach the Gospel to the Poor: He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the Blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luk. 4. 18.
And upon this account it is, that he is so often called CHRIST, or the Anointed one; the Anointed Jesus, or Jesus the Anointed Saviour. Thou art the Christ the Son of God, that should come into the World. This Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ: He testified to the Jews, that Jesus was Christ, and he confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving by the Scriptures that this is the very Christ, Joh. 11. 27. Acts 17. 3. Chap. 18. 5. Chap. 9. 22. The very Anointed of God, or he whom God authorized and qualified to be the Saviour of the World.
3. To come to be a Saviour, supposeth a resolution to do that work before he goeth back. I will ransom them from the power of the Grave; I will redeem them from death: O Death I will be thy Plague, O Grave I will be thy Destruction, Repentance shall be hid from mine Eyes, Hos. 13. 14.
And as he resolved, so he hath done.
1. He hath purged our Sins, Heb. 1. 2, 3.
2. He hath perfected for ever (by one Offering) them that are sanctified, Heb. 10. 14.
3. He hath obtained Eternal Redemption for them, Heb. 9. 12. See further, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Heb. 9. 26. Col. 2. 15. Heb. 6. 18, 19, 20.
Quest. 3. I come now to the Third Question, What it is for Jesus to come to be a Saviour.
1. Ans. It is the greatest discovery of mans misery and inability, to save himself therefrom, that ever was made in the World. Must the Son of God himself come down from Heaven? or can there be no Salvation? can not one Sinner save another? cannot man by any means redeem his Brother, nor give to God a Ransom for him? cannot an Angel do it? cannot all the Angels do it? no; Christ must come and die to do it.
2dly. It is the greatest discovery of the Love of God, that ever the World had. For god SO to love the World, as to send his Son! For God SO to commend his love to the World, as to send it to them in the Blood of his Son! Amazing Love! John 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8.
3dly. It is the greatest discovery of the Condescention of Christ that ever the World had.
1. That he should not come to be ministred unto, but to minister; and to give his Life a Ransom for many, Mat. 20. 28.
2. That he should be manifest for this purpose, that he might destroy the works of the Devil, 1 John 3. 8.
3. That he should come that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly, John 10. 10.
4. That the Son of God should come to seek and to save that which was lost, Luk. 19. 10.
5. That he should not come to judg the World, to but to save the World, John 12. 47.
6. That Christ Jesus should come into the World save Sinners of whom I am chief, 1. Tim. 1. 15.
7. That he should love us and wash us from our Sins in his own Blood, Revel. 1. 5. What amazing Condescention and Humility is this! Phil. 2. 6, 7, 8, 9.