Some Gospel Truths Opened, Part 2
The second thing that I will (through the strength of Christ) prove, is this, that he that was of the Virgin, is he that is the Saviour.
And first, I shall lay down this for a truth; That it is not any Spirit only by, and of it sel…e, without it doe take the nature of man, that can be a Saviour of man from eternal ve…g…nce.
Or thus; That … will be a Saviour of man, must in the nature of man satis…e and appeas… the justice and wrath of God▪ and the arguments that I doe bring to …rove it by are these.
1. Because, it was man that had offended, and …ustice required that man must give the satisfaction: And therefore, when he that should be the Saviour, was come, he tooke upon him the forme of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men, Phil. 2. 7. And in Heb. 2. 14. Because the children were partakers of flesh and blond he also himself likewise took part of the same: to what end▪ that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Dwell. And is that all? No, but also that he might deliver them who through feare of death, were all their life time subject to bondage.
The second argument is this, because, if a Spirit only could have made satisfaction for the fin of mankind, and have subdued Satan for man; without the nature of man; either there had been weaknesse in God when he made that promise to fallen Adam, That the seed of the woman should break the serpents head: (for there had been no need of, and so no room for that promise) or else God having made it would have appeared unfaithful in not fulfilling his promise by redeeming the world without it.
3. If a Spirit only could have made satisfaction, and so have saved man; then Christ needed not to have come into the world, and to have been borne of a woman, Gal. 4. 4. but in that he must come into the world, and must be borne of a woman, it is cleer, that without this he could not have been a Saviour: for he was made of a woman, made under the law, to this end, that he might redeem them that were under the law; Implying,Gal. 3. 13. No subjection to this (viz. the taking of the nature of Man) no redemption from the curse of the law. But Christ hath delivered from the curse of the law, (all that believe in his name) being in their Nature made a curse for them.
And this is the reason, why the fallen Angels are not recovered from their damnable estate, because, he did not take hold of their*They that are redeemed must have redemption wrought out for them thorow their natures; for except that nature that sinned do bring in recovery from the curse that is due to it for its sin, that nature that sinned must suffer for its own sin. nature, For he tooke not on him the nature of Angels, but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2. 16.
Now then, seeing this is the very truth of God, I shall next prove, that Jesus that was born of the virgin, to be the Saviour: And first, I shall prove it by comparing some places of the old and new Testament together, and by some arguments drawn from the Scriptures.
And first, see Gen. 3. 15. where he is called the seed of the woman, saying, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; and so was Jesus, Gal. 4. 4. where it is said, God sen… forth his son made of a woman, or borne of a woman.
2. This woman must be a virgin, Isa. 7. 14. where it is said, a virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and shall call his name Emanuel. And Jesus is he that was the fulfilling of this Scripture, Matth. 1. 22, 23. Now all thus was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Beh…ld a virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel.
3. The Saviour must be of the Tribe of Judah. And this Jacob prophecied of, on his deathbed, saying, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, or honour, Gen. 49. 8th… hand shall be on the … of thine enemies, thy fathers children shall bow down before th…e.
And again Mic. 5. 2. But thou Be…hlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come, that is to be ruler in Israel. Jesus … of the tribe of Judah, and that will cleerly appeare, i… you read Mat. 1. Ma…the… he begins first with Abraham, v. 2. and thence to Judah, v. 3. from Judah to D… x…d, ver. 6. From David to Zorobabel, v 13. then to Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary of whom was borne Jesus, ver. 16.
Now Mary was one of the same house also, and for this con…ider, Jesus came from the loynes of David; see Ma…. 1. but that he could not doe, if M… had not been of the seed … … vid: For Christ came … not from him, for … her not till shee had brought forth her first born, Mat. 1. 25. Again▪ the Angel told her that he was the Son of David, saying, And the Lord God will give unto him the throne of his father David, Luke 1. 32.
And againe, The Jews knew this very well, or else they would have been sure to have laid it open before all the world; for they sought by all meanes to disown him. And though they did through the divellishnesse of their unbeliefe disown him, yet could they find no such thing as to question the right of his birth from Mary. If it had been to be done, they would no doubt hauehave done it; they did not want malice to whet them on; neither did they want meanes so far as might helpe forward their malice, without manifest and apparent injury; For they had exact Registers or records of their genealogies, so that, if they had had any colour for it, they would sure have denyed him to have been the Son of David. There was reasoning concerning him when he was with them, Joh. 7. and I do believe, part of it was about the generation of which he came. And this was so commonly knowne, that the blind man that sat by the way side could cry out, Jesus thou Some of David, have mercy on me; thou Sonne of David, have mercy on me, Luke 18. 38, 39. It was so common, that he came from the loines of his Father David according to the flesh, that it was not so much as once questioned. And when Herod demanded (Mat. 2. 4, 5, 6.) of the chiefe Priests and Scibes of the people where Christ should be borne, they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the Prophet, And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judea, art not the least among the Princes of Judah, for out of thee shall c…me a Governour that shall rule my people Israel: (For out of thee) Mark that; if Mary had not been of Judah, Christ had not come out of Judah. But Christ came out of Judah, therefore Mary is also a daughter of Judah. and this is evident, as saith the Scripture, for our Lord sprang out of Judah, Heb. 7. 14.
Againe, when Christ the Saviour was to come into the world, at that time the Scepter was to depart from Judah, according to the prophesie of Jacob. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between, his feet until Shiloh come, Gen. 49. 10.
Now the Scepter was then departed from those that were Jews by nature, and also the lawgiver, and Herod who was a stranger, and not of Judea, was King over them, as Caesars Deputy; and Caesar Augustus imposed lawes on them.
The stuborn Jews also confessed the Scepter to be departed when before Pontius Pilate a Romane governour of …udea, they cryed out against Christ: We have no King but Caesar, Joh. 19. 15.
Nay further, the Jewes from that day to this have beene without a …ing of their owne nation to governe them; they never had the Scepter swayed since by any of themselves, but have been a scattered despised people, and have been as it were liable to all dangers, and for a long time driven out from their countrey, and scattered over all the Nations of the earth, as was prophesied concerning them, Je…. 24. 9. Zek. 5. 14, 15. And yet these poor souls are so horribly deluded by the devil, that though they see these things come to passe, yet they will not believe. And one reason among many, of their being thus deluded, is this, they say that the word Scepter in that 49. of Gen. is not meant of a Kingly Government, but the me…ning is (say they) a rod, or persecutions shall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come, Now they doe most grosly mistake that place; for though I am not skilled in the Hebrew tongue, yet through grace, I am enlightned into the Scriptures, whereby I find that the meaning is not persecutions, no… the rod of afflictions, but a Governour or Scepter of the Kingdome shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come. And that this is the meaning of the place, weigh but the very next words of the same verse, and you will find it to be the Scepter of a King that is meant: for he addeth nor a Lawgiver from between his feet. Marke it, The Scepter, nor a Lawgiver; the Legislative power depending on the Scepter of the Kingdom shall not depart from Judah untill Shiloh come. According to that Scripture, written in Isa. 7. 16. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evill and chuse the good, the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings: which Scripture hath been fulfilled, from that same time.
But a word to the Jews exposition of the Scepter to be a rod, or persecutions, saying, that persecutions shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come. This cannot be the meaning of the place; for the Jews have had rest oftentimes, and that before Shiloh did come, at one time they had rest fourscore years, Judges 3. 30. againe, And the land had rest from warre, Jo…h. 14, 15. And againe, & the Lord gave them rest round about according to all that he sware unto their fathers; and there stood not up a man of all their enemies before them, Jos. 21. 44. Jos. 22. 4. 23. 1. And the land had rest forty years, Jud. 3. 11. There was rest many a time from persecution and from the rod, th…ugh it we but for a season, but the Scepter, or Kingdome, did no… depart from Judah, and a lawgiver from between his feet ti… Shiloh came.
Againe, to prove that Jesus is the Christ, it is cleer from the hand of God against the Jews for putting him to death: What was the reason why they did put him to death but this, he did say that he was the Christ the Sonne of God? Luke 22. 70. Then said they all, Art thou the Sonne of God? And he said, ye say that I am: that is,*Joh. 9. 37. I am he as you say, I am the son of God, Yea the only begotten Son of the Father, and I was with him before the world was.Joh. 17. 5.
Now the Jews did put him to death for his thus owning his own, That is, for not denying of his Sonship, but making himself equal with God; therefore did they put him to death, Joh. 1…. 7.
Now God did, and doth most miserarably plague them to this very day for their crucifying of him; But I say, … he not been the Christ of God, Gods Son, he would not have laid sin to their charge, for crucifying him; but rather have praised them for their zeale, and for taking him out of the way, who did rob God of his honour, in that he made himselfe equal with God, and was not. He would have praised them for doing the thing that was right, as he did Phinehas the son of Eleaz…r, for executing judgement in his time, on the adulterer and adultere…le, Numb. 25. 8.
But in that he said he was the Sonne of God, and accounted it no robbery so to call himself, Phil. 2. And seeing that they did put him to death, because he said he was th… Son of God, And in that God doth so severely charge them with, and punish them for their sin in putting him to death, for saying that he was the son of God, it is evident that he was and is the sonne of God, and that Saviour that should come into the world. For his blood hath been upon them to this very day for their hurt, according to their desire, Mat. 27. 25.
Againe, Jesus himselfe doth in his day hold forth that he is the Christ, where he saith, the time is fulfilled and the Kingdome of heaven is at hand, Mat. 1. 15. What time is this th… Jesus speaks of? Surely, … that of Daniels Seventy weeks, spoken of in Chap. 9. 24. when he saith Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people to finish transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation or satisfaction, for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to anoint the most ho…y: this time, that here Daniel speakes of, is it that Christ saith hath an end▪ and the argument that he brings to perswade them to believe the Gospel, is this, the Kingdome of God is at hand, (according as was prphesied of it by Daniel) repent, and believe the Gospel. Repent, and believe that this is the Gospel; And that this is the truth of God, Consider, that Daniel had a revelation of these daies from the Angel of God, and also the time in which it should be accomplished: Namely, Seventy weekes was the determined time of the Messias his comming, from the time when the Angel spake these words to Daniel: Seventy weekes, that is about 490 years, if you reckon every day in the said twenty weekes for a yeare, a day for a yeare: a day for a yeare; for so is the holy Spirits way sometime to reckon dayes, Ezek. 4. 6. and this the Jews were convinced of, when Christ saith to them, ye Hypocrites, ye can discerne the face of the skie, but can you not discerne the Signes of the time? Mat. 16. 3. Do you not see that those things that are spoken of as forerunners of my comming, are accompli…hed? Do you not see that the Scepter is departed from Judah? Doe you not see the time that Daniel spake of is accompli…ed also? There shall no Signe be given you but the sign of the Proph…t J…nab… O ye hypocritical generation, ver. 4.
Another argument to pr…ve that Jesus is …he Chri…, is this, By his power, the blind …ee, the … walke, t…e dea heir, the d…mbe speak, the dead are raised up, the divels are dis…o… fesled In Es… 5 …. 4. it is thus pro…he…ed of him. Beh…ld, your God will come with a vengeance; even God with a reco… pence, he will … and save you. But how shall we know when he is come? Why, th…n the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the eares of the deafe shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leape as an hart, and the …o…gue of the dumbe shall sing, for in the wildernesse shall waters breake forth, and streames in the desart, v…r. 5. 6. Now which John would know whether he were the Christ or no, Jesus sends him this very answer, Go and tell John (saith he) what you hear and see, The bl…nd receive their sight, and the lame walke, the …epers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached unto them, Mat, 1…. 3 4. 5.
Another Argument that doth prove this Jesus to be the Christ is this, namely, he to whom it was revealed that he should see him, though he waited long for him. So soone as ever he did but see that sweet B…be that was borne of the Virgin Mary, he cryed out, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word: for mine eyes have seene thy Salvation, which thou hast prepared before all people, as it is in Luke 2. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. The Prophetesse Anna also so soone as shee had seen him, gave thanks to the Lord, and spake of him … all those that waited for redemption in Israel, ver. 36, 37, 38.
Another Argument is the signe of the Prophet Jonah. He, even Jonah, was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly, Jonah 1. 17. And Jesus makes this very thing an argument to the Jews that he was the true Messias, where he saith, A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a signe, that is, they would have me to shew them a signe to prove, that I am the Saviour, & there shall no sign be given to them, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah wa… Three dayes: and three nights in the whales belly, so shall the So… of Man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth, Mat. 12. 39, 40. And this, the Apostle makes mention of to be accomplished, where he saith, The Jews slew Jesus, and hanged him on a tree, Act. 10. 39. and laid him in a Sepulchre, Mat. 27. But God raised him up the third day, & shewed him openly, Acts 10. 40.
Another Scripture argument to prove that Jesus is the Christ, is this, that there was not one of his bones broken, which thing was foretold and typed out by the paschal Lambe, where he saith, thou shalt not leave any of it until the morning, nor break a bone of him, Exod. 12. 46. Numb. 9. 12. which thing was fulfilled in the Sonne of the Virgin, (though contrary to the customes of this Nation) as it is written, Then came the Souldiers and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs, Joh. 19. 31, 32. That the Scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken, ver. 36.
Another Scripture demonstration is, in that they did ful… the saying that was written, They parted my rayment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. Psal. 22. 18. But this was also …ulfilled in Jesus, as it is written: Then the Souldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every Souldier a part, and also his coat. Now the coat was without seame; They said therefore among themselves, let us not rent it, but let us cast lot… whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They parted my rayment among them, and for my vesti… they did cas… lots, John 19. 23, 24.
Againe, the Scripture saith, they shall look on me whom they have pierced, Zach. 12. 10. But the Souldier thrust a spear into his side, that it might be fulfilled which was written, They shall look on him whom they have pierced, Joh. 19, 34, 35, 36, 37.
Now then, seeing this is the truth of God that Jesus that was borne of the Virgin is the Christ of God; how horribly are those deceived who look on Jesus the son of Mary,A believer hath no law to fulfill for justification; only believe on what the man Christ Jesus hath done and be saved. to be but a shadow or type, of something that was afterward to be revealed; whereas the Scriptures most lively hold him forth to be the Christ of God, and not a shadow of a spirit, or of a body afterwards to be revealed, but himselfe was the very substance of all things that did any way type out. Christ to come; and when he was indeed come, then was an end put to the law for righteousness, or justification to every one that believeth; Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, as it is written, Rom. 10. 4. That is, he was the end of the ceremonial law, and of that commonly called the moral law, the substance of which is laid down, Exod. 20. from the first to the 17 verse, though that law, as handed out by Christ, still remaines of great use to all believers, which they are b…und to keepe for sanctification, as Christ saith, Mat. 5. 19. verse, to the end of the Chapter. But Christ Jesus hath obtained everlasting righteousness, having fulfilled all the law of God in the body of his flesh wherein he also suffered on the Cross without the gates, and doth impute this righteousness to poor man, having accomplished it for him in the body of his flesh, which he took of the Virgin, Gal. 4. 4 God sent forth his son made of a womanaThat is, borne of the virgin., made under the law, that is, to obey it, and to bear the curse of it, being made a Curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. to redeem them that were under the law, That is to redeem such as were ordained to life eternal, from the curse of the law. And this he did by his birth, being made or borne of a woman; by his obedience, yea, by his perfect obedience he became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him, Heb. 5. 8, 9. and by his doing and suffering, did compleatly satisfy the law and the justice of God, and bring in that glorious and everlasting salvation, without which we had all eternally been undone, and that without remedy; for without shedding of his blood there was no remission.See Heb. 9. 22. and Compare it with Heb. 8. v. 3. where he saith it is of necessity that this man hath somwhat also to offer, which man was Jesus, ch…. 7. 22.
Secondly, seeing Jesus Christ, …he son of the virgin Mary, was and is the Christ of God: and that Salvation came in alone by him, for there is salvation in no other, Acts 4. 12. then how are they deceived, that think to obtain salvation by following the Convictions of the Law, which they call Christ (though falsely) when alas, let them follow those convictions that do come from the law, and conscience set on worke by it, I say, let them follow all the Convictions that may be hinted in upou their Spirits from tha… law, they shall never be able to obtaine salvation by their obedience to it,Gal. 2. 10. John. 10. 15. Heb. 9. 12 Gal. 3. 10. for by the law is the kuowledge of sin, Rom. 3. 20. And It is not of workes least any man should boast, as those fond Hypocrites called Quakers would do. And again, If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ i… dead in vaine, Gal. 2. 21. Bu… that no man is justified by the workes of the law, it is evident, for the just shall live by faith, Gal. 3. 10. Which living by faith, is to apply the Lord Jesus Christ his benefits, as birth, righteousnesse, death, blood, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, with the glorious benefits of his second comming to me, as mine, being given to me; and for me, and thus much doth the Apostle signi…ie, saying; The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, whe loved me, and gave himself for me, Gal. 2. 20.
Againe, Seeing Gods Christ which was with him before the world was, John 17. ver. 5. took upon him flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, (who was espoused to Joseph the Carpen…er) and in that humane nature yielded himself an offering for sin, (for it was the body of his flesh by which sin was purged, Col. 1. 22.) I say, seeing the son of God as he was in a body of flesh, did bring in salvation for sinners, and by this meanes, as I said before, we are saved, even by faith in his blood righteousness, resurrection, &c. How are they then deceived who own Christ no otherwise then as he was before the world began, who was then without flesh and blood (for he took that in time of the virgin, Gal. 4. 4. Heb. 2. 14.) I say, they are wickedly deluded who own him no otherwise but as he was before the world was: For in their owning of him thus and no otherwise, they do directly deny him to be come in the flesh, and are of that Antichristian party which John speaks of, Joh. 4. 3. v. Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the …, is not of God; and this is that sprit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come, and even now already it is in the world. Now because the enemy doth most notably wrest this Scripture, as they do others, to their own damnation, I shall speak something to it; and therefore, when he saith, every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God, his meaning is, Every spirit that doth not confesse that that Christ that was with the father before the world was, did in the appointed time of the father come into the World, took on him a body from the virgin, and was very man as well as very God, and in that body of flesh did do and suffer whatsoever belonged to the sons of men for the breach of the holy law of God, and impute his glorious righteousnesse which he fulfilled in that body of his flesh, to the soules that shall believe, … what he hath done and is a doing in the same body. And that this is the mind of the Spirit of God, consider, First, he himself saith, handle me and see, for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have, when his disciples had thought he had been but a spirit, Luke 24 39, 40. Now that in this flesh he died for sins, consider secondly that Scripture which saith, Who his own sel… (that is the Christ that was born of the Virgin) did bear our sins in his own body on the tree. See Col. 1. 22. in the body of his flesh, saith he, to present you holy and unblameable, & unreproveable in his sight. Now that he arose again from the dead with the body of flesh wherewith he was crucified, consider, that forenamed Scripture, Luke 24. 39, 40. spoken after his resurrection.
Now that he went away with the same body from them into heaven, consider that it is said, And he led them out as, farre as Bethany, and he lift up his hands & blessed them: & it came to pass while he blessed them, he was carried from them, & carried into heaven, Lu. 24. 50, 51. This is the meaning of those words therefore; Jesus Christ is come into the flesh, that is, Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh that he took of the Virgin, hath brought us who were enthralled to the law, the divel, and sin, to liberty; and that by his obedience and death. For asmuch then a…h children were … of flesh and blood (saith the Scripture) he, Christ also himself took part of … same; Wherefore? that though death … desir…y him … had the power of …, that is the devill, and deliver them who through feare of death, were all their time subject to … Heb. 3. 14, 15. For he was delivered for our offer…es, and was raised again for our justification, Rom 4. 25. For he, even that man, through the power of the eternal Spirit, did offer up himself without spot to God; and thereby, o… by that offering, obtained eternall redemption for us, Heb. 9 12, 14. And therefore I say again and again, look to your selves, that you receive no Christ except Gods Christ: for he is like to be deceived that will believe every thing that calls it selfe a Christ. For m…y, saith he, shal …ome in my name, and shall deceiue many, Matth. 24. 5.