The Figures or Types of Christ, Typological category 1 · Sermon 6
Sept. 19. 1667.—Who is the Type or Figure of him that was to come, Rom. 5.14.
THe third Conjunction or Conglebation of typical Perſons under the Law, is thoſe three Prophets, Elijah, Eliſha and Jonah, whom I put together, becauſe Elijah was a Type of Chriſts Aſcenſion into Heaven, and Eliſha of the Continuance of his Preſence and Spirit in his Apoſtles and Meſſengers ever ſince, and Jonah of his Death and Sufferings the procuring cauſe of all.
1. For Elijah, that great Prophet. I confeſs he is omitted by many that have written of the Types, and indeed by all that I have ſeen. I know not well, how it comes to paſs.
But that he was a Type, is certain, becauſe John the Baptiſt is called by his Name; therefore he was a Type,
1. Of John. Yea,
2. Of Chriſt himſelf.
1. He was a Type of the Meſſiahs Harbinger and Forerunner John the Baptiſt. For the Types (as hath been often hinted) are not to be reſtrained always only to the Perſon of Chriſt himſelf; but all the things of Chriſt were typified to them of old. There were Types of all New Teſtament Diſpenſations; therefore John is called Elijah, Mal. 4.2 laſt v. and Chriſt himſelf explains it, Matth. 11.14.
But why is John called Elias?
Not that he was Elijah perſonally, but myſtically; he roſe up in the Spirit and Power of Elijah: So Elijah was John in a Type or Figure. John was Elijah in Spirit and Power, as Luk. 1.17. There was ſomething of Analogy in his very outward Garb and Deportment, an hairy man, 2 King. 1.8. that is, in regard of his Habit or Clothing; in a rough hairy Garment: So John, Matth. 3.4. a Girdle of Hair; but chiefly in regard of his Spririt and inward Endowments, and of his Work and Office, to convert and recall a backſliden Generation.
2. Elijah was a Type of Chriſt himſelf. And that he was ſo, will be very evident, if you do conſider how great a Perſon this Elijah was, in three reſpects.
1. His eminent and heroick Spirit of Holineſs, and invincible Courage and Activity for God. His very Name ſignifies God the Lord, Elijah or Elijahu in the Hebrew, Elias in the Greek in the New Teſtament.
He abode with God when almoſt all the world forſook him, 1 King. 19.10. he reduced and brought back the people, cap. 18.39. he was a man mighty in Prayer, Jam. 5.17, 18. a man of an invincible Courage, who feared not to ſtand himſelf alone againſt four hundred Prophets, and againſt Ahab the King, and Jezabel the Queen, whoſe Chaplains theſe falſe Prophets were: He is brought forth in the ſacred Hiſtory not unlike Melchizedek, without Father or Mother, without either Birth or Death, 1 King. 17.
2. The great and wonderful Miracles wrought by him, there be twelve recorded in the Hiſtory of him in the firſt and ſecond Books of Kings.
1. His ſhutting up the Windows of Heaven, that there ſhould be no Rain for three years and an half, 1 King. 17. whence ſome have called him Fraenum Caeli, the Bridle of Heaven.
2. His being fed by a Raven morning and evening at the Brook Cherith beſide Jordan. This was the effect of his Faith and Prayer, and may be reckoned amongſt his Miracles;Engliſh Annot. not that it is likely that he did eat raw Fleſh, but rather that God by his Providence directed the Ravens to the places where they might have it, as to ſome rich mens Kitchens, or the like.
3. His miraculous Supply of the Widow of Zarephath, called Sarepta in Luke 4.26. that her Barrel of Meal waſted not, nor did the Cruiſe of Oyl fail.
4. His raiſing of her Son from the dead, by ſtretching himſelf upon the Child. This was the firſt perſon we read of in Scripture that was raiſed from the dead, and Elijahs fourth Miracle. All theſe are recorded in 1 King. 17.
5. In fetching down Fire from Heaven upon his Sacrifice, to confound the Prieſts of Baal.
6. His opening the Windows of Heaven, and fetching down Rain after he had done juſtice upon the Prieſts of Baal; theſe two are in cap. 18. he did this alſo by Prayer, and by perſevering in Prayer, cap. 18. ver. 43.
7. His faſting forty days and forty nights, cap. 19.8. In Mount Horeb, and in his Journey thither and back again, the place where God appeared to Moſes, Exod. 3.1, 2. and where he gave the Law to Iſrael, Deut. 4.10, 14.
Never any man faſted forty days, beſides this Elijah and Moſes, Exod. 34.28. and Chriſt, Matth. 4.2.
Herein both Moſes and Elijah were manifeſt Prefigurations of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. This was Elijahs ſeventh Miracle.
8. His calling the Prophet Eliſha, and cauſing him to follow him, by caſting his Mantle upon him, which had ſuch an influence, that he left all and followed him; therefore this may be put into the Catalogue of his Miracles, cap. 19.
And in the like miraculous influence of the Spirit did Chriſt call his Apoſtles to leave all and follow him.
His ninth and tenth Miracles were the Deſtruction of the two Captains and their Fifties, when Ahaziah ſent to take him, 2 King. 1.1. they both periſhed alike. For like Sins pull down like Judgments.
The 11th was the dividing of Jordan by his Mantle, that he and Eliſha might paſs over, 2 King. 2.
And the 12. was his Aſcenſion into Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, 2 King. 2.11. a Prerogative that never any man had but himſelf, and Enoch before the Law, and Moſes who gave the Law; but Moſes died firſt, and was tranſlated afterwards, as hath been formerly ſhewed. They were all three eminent Types herein of Chriſt his Aſcenſion into Heaven.
They that are faithful and zealous for God in times of general Apoſtacy, the Lord is wont to own them in a ſpecial manner, and to put ſpecial Honour upon them one way or other.
3. His commiſſionating Succeſſors after him to carry on the Work of God when he was gone, 1 Kings 19.15, 16. Eliſha to be Prophet. Hazael King of Syria, Jehu King of Iſrael.
So Chriſt ſends forth his Apoſtles and Miniſters, Matth. 28. ſome that are godly, and ſometimes he imploys others that are not godly, but only gifted, and makes ſome uſe of them, as he did of Jehu, and of Judas, and Demas for a time.
2. Eliſha, called in the New Teſtament Elizeus, Luk. 4.
He was a Type of Chriſt in three reſpects.
1. In that Eliſha in reſpect of Elijah, was, as it were, a Continuation of the ſame perſon: For he roſe up compleatly in the ſame Spirit. The Prophets diſcerned it, 2 Kings 2.15. the Spirit of Elijah did reſt upon Eliſha.
So when Chriſt departed and aſcended up to Heaven, he left the Comforter in his ſtead, Joh. 16. and he left the Apoſtles and Miniſters to carry on his Work, and poured forth his Spirit upon them for that end.
Or we may accommodate this with reſpect to John the Baptiſt, thus. As Eliſha ſucceeded Elijah; ſo did Chriſt come after John the Baptiſt: and ſo Eliſha was in this reſpect a Type of Chriſt himſelf.
2. In regard of the remarkable Vengeance and Deſtruction that came upon his wicked Enemies.
The Children that mocked him were devoured by two She-Bears, 2 Kings 2.23, 24.
Gehazi his treacherous Servant ſmitten with Leproſie, 2 Kings 5.27.
So Deſpiſers of Jeſus Chriſt, and the Goſpel, ſhall be puniſhed with moſt remarkable and dreadful Deſtruction; Hear ye Deſpiſers, and wonder, and periſh, Acts 13.41. For I work a Work in your days, a Work which you ſhall in no wiſe believe, though a man declare it unto you; incredible Plagues ſhall the Deſpiſers and Rejecters of Chriſt, and of the Goſpel, be puniſhed with.
And Judas the Traytor, his Servant, you know what dreadful Deſtruction came upon him, Acts 1.18. his Bowels guſhed out, through the horror of his Conſcience, and the Fury of the Almighty rending his very Body in pieces, as well as his Soul from his Body.
3. In regard of his Miracles.
He and his Predeceſſor Elijah were the greateſt workers of Miracles (except Moſes) that ever we read of in Scripture, or that ever the Lord raiſed up in his Church. For Moſes was to be the Founder as it were of that Church-Eſtate and Worſhip that was in thoſe days: and Elijah and Eliſha were the Preſervers and Reſtorers of it in a moſt degenerate and corrupted Age.
The Miracles of Eliſha were very great and many; they are recorded in the ſecond Book of Kings, in the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7th. Chapters and one more in chap. 13. They were about one and twenty in all. There be three recorded in the ſecond chapter, viz. his dividing Jordan with Elijahs Mantle, his healing the Waters of Jericho, the devouring two and forty ſcoffing Children of thoſe idolatrous Parents, the people at Bethel, by two She-Bears.
In the third Chapter there is another, viz. the overflowing of the Wilderneſs of Edom with Water, crp. 3.20. ſee ver. 8. to the Deſtruction of the Moabites.
In the fourth Chapter there be five more, which are the Analyſis and Contents of that Chapter, viz.
1. His multiplying the Widows Oyl, while ſhe had any empty veſſels to fill.
2. His giving a Son to that great and good Woman the Shunamite.
3. His raiſing her Son when dead unto life again: and this is the ſecond perſon that ever was raiſed from the dead.
4. His healing the deadly Pottage, which had poyſoned the Students in the Colledge at Gilgal.
5. His feeding of an hundred men with twenty Loaves.
In the fifth Chapter there be two more, the curing of Naamans Leproſie, and the ſmiting of Gehazi with that Diſeaſe.
In the ſixth Chapter there be ſix more.
1. His cauſing Iron to ſwim.
2. His diſcloſing the ſecret Counſels of the King of Syria by the Spirit of Propheſie.
3. An Army of Angels coming down from Heaven for his defence at Dothan.
4. The opening of his Servants Eyes to ſee them.
5. The ſmiting of the Syrians with Blindneſs. And
6. The opening their Eyes again.
In the ſeventh Chapter are three more, the hideous which noiſe was heard, and cauſed ſuch a pannick terror in the Camp of the Syrians, that their whole Army fled; and the incredible Plenty in Samaria; with the Death of that unbelieving Nobleman who had queſtioned whether God could do it.
And then laſtly, cap. 13.21. a dead man is reſtored to life by touching his Bones. And this is the third perſon that was raiſed from the dead.
All theſe Miracles in general were Preſignifications of what the Meſſiah was to do in that kind: and ſome of them were more particularly fulfilled and anſwered by the Antitype.
As that of feeding an hundred men with twenty Loaves.
You know Chriſt did that and more, feeding five thouſand with five Loaves and two Fiſhes, Matth. 14.21.
And at another time four thouſand with ſeven Loaves and a few little Fiſhes, Matth. 15.38.
His raiſing the dead to life, whereof we have three inſtances in the Old Teſtament, the Widow of Sarepta her Son, the Shunamites Son, and the Man buried in Eliſha's Grave. Theſe were Types and Pledges of what Chriſt ſhould do in raiſing the dead.
As in raiſing Lazarus, Jairus his Daughter, the Widows Son of Naim; and his own bleſſed Body out of the Grave, and many Saints that aroſe with him.
And thoſe which the Apoſtles raiſed by his Name.
And finally, the raiſing all his Elect unto eternal Life, and all the Sons of men unto Judgment at the great Day.
There might alſo be a ſpiritual application and accommodation of them, as to the quickning of mens Souls, the healing of the Diſeaſes of the Soul, feeding them with the Bread of Life, pouring into empty Veſſels, empty Souls, the Oyl of Gladneſs, the Joys and Graces of his Spirit.
3. Jonah, him I connect with Elijah and Eliſha, to make the Type more compleat and full.
Some have conjectured that Jonah was the Widows Son of Zarephath, whom Elijah raiſed from the dead, 1 Kings 17.22, 23. but this is but a conjecture without proof: it is probable enough he might live about their time, or perhaps ſomewhat after.
That he was a Type of Chriſt, the Scripture is expreſs, Matth. 12.39. No Sign ſhall be given them, but the Sign of the Prophet Jonah.
You may ſee how the Type fits the Antitype in four reſpects.
1. In his Death; he offered himſelf willingly unto Death to aſſwage the Storm, Jon. 1. and ſo he is caſt into the Sea, and devoured by the Whale.
So did Chriſt, to appeaſe the Tempeſt of Gods Wrath.
And as upon Jonahs being caſt into the Sea, the Sea ceaſed from its raging, cap. 1.15. and the Seamen were ſaved from drowning.
So upon Chriſts Death Gods Wrath is pacified, and Believers ſaved from the Wrath to come.
Jonah had ſore conflicts, and inward agonies of Spirit when he was under that ſhadow of death in the Whales Belly, cap. 2.
So had Chriſt when he cried, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me! there were unutterable anguiſhes in his Soul, thoſe foreign, unknown, unconceivable ſufferings in his Soul.
2. He was a Type of Chriſt in his Burial. For, look, as Jonah was buried in the Belly of the Whale three days and three nights: So was Chriſt in the Belly of the Earth the ſame ſpace, Matth. 12.40.
3. In his Reſurrection. For, look, as Jonah overcame all the dangers he was in, and came forth again alive out of the Whales Belly.
So did Chriſt out of the Grave within three days: he overcame greater Enemies, even the power of Satan, Death and Hell; and upon this ſang Praiſe to God, cap. 2.
So did Chriſt triumph; Oh Death, where is thy Sting? Oh Grave, where is thy Victory? Hoſ. 13.14. and Pſal. 22.22, 23, 25. and Pſal. 18.48, 49.
4. In his preaching after his Reſurrection. For, look, as Jonah after his Reſurrection preached Repentance to the Ninevites, and that with great ſucceſs and efficacy; for they did repent upon his preaching, the whole body of them with an outward Repentance; and many of them doubtleſs with a true and ſaving Repentance: and ſo were ſaved both from that preſent temporal Deſtruction, and from eternal Damnation: and Jonah did preach to the Iſraelites alſo, as well as to the Ninevites, 2 Kings 14.25. but which was firſt the Scripture doth not expreſs.
So Chriſt, when riſen from the dead, ſent his Spirit, and preached by his Spirit in his Apoſtles and Miniſters; and not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, ſuch as thoſe Ninevites, to the Converſion and Salvation of multitudes of them, as was foretold of him, Pſal. 22.22. and to the deeper Condemnation of Unbelievers, Matth 12.41. becauſe a greater than Jonas is here.
4. The fourth and laſt Conjunction that I ſhall ſpeak unto, of typical Perſons under the Law, is Zerubbabel and Jehoſhuah; of whom the one was the chief Magiſtrate, the other the chief Prieſt, and both of them Rebuilders of the Temple, and Reſtorers of the collapſed eſtate of the Church of God in thoſe times: in all which there was an eminent Praefiguration of Jeſus Chriſt.
But what of Chriſt was ſhadowed forth by theſe two?
For I ſhall put them both together, they being contemporaries, and joint inſtruments in the Work and Service of God in that Generation.
There were three things of Chriſt typed and ſhadowed forth by them.
1. Both his Offices of King and Prieſt. Zerubbabel was the Prince of the People of God in thoſe days, and the chief perſon of the Line of David. And Jehoſhuah was at the ſame time High Prieſt. And that there was ſomething of peculiar Glory in his Prieſthood, relating to Jeſus Chriſt our great High Prieſt, is not improbable. In Zach. 3. he is preſented in Viſion to the Prophet, as ſtanding before the Lord, and reſiſted by Satan, but Satan doth not prevail againſt him, ver. 1, 2. for he is clothed with change of Raiment, ver. 4 and hath a fair Mitre ſet on his head, ver. 5.
So Chriſt, though oppoſed and reſiſted by Satan, yet went through with his Work, and had bleſſed acceptance with God, and ſucceſs therein.
2. His building the Temple, the Church of God. For theſe two did build the Temple, Ezra, 4. conjunctly each of them in their ſeveral capacities, being ſtirred up to it by the Prophet Haggai, as you may ſee Hagg. 1.12, 14.
And it is ſaid of Zerubbabel, that as his Hands laid the Foundation of the Temple: ſo his Hands ſhould alſo finiſh it, Zach. 4.9. and the building of the Altar is aſcribed to them both conjunctly, Ezra 3.2.
So doth Chriſt ſpiritually, as the Apoſtle tells us in that very metaphor of building the Houſe of God, Heb. 3.3, 4.
3. His bringing back the Captivity of his People out of ſpiritual Bondage under Sin and Satan in their natural eſtate, and out of antichriſtian Bondage under Rome, which is myſtical Babylon.
Thus Zerubbabel and Jehoſhuah were the Conductors and Captains of the Salvation of that People from literal Babylon, Ezra 1.5, 8. and 2.2. and 5.14.
But there will be occaſion to ſpeak further to theſe things when we come to the real Types.
Beſides the perſonal Types that have been ſpoken to, there be divers others alſo that are noted by learned men; as of the firſt Claſſis before the Law: ſome have noted Abel the Proto-martyr, as alſo Seth, Methuſelah, and Lamech Noaks Father, and Heber the ſeventh from Enoch, as Enoch was the ſeventh from Adam. He was a pious man; in his Seed the primitive Language, and the true Religion and Church of God was preſerved, when the reſt of the world was loſt and fell into Idolatry: and from him the Church had their Denomination, Hebrews; as Chriſtians have from Jeſus Chriſt.
And it was propheſied, that Chittim ſhould afflict Heber, Numb. 24.24. Chittim is the Romans, Chriſt is the chiefeſt of Heber, whom Italy or Chittim afflicted, as in other reſpects; ſo chiefly at his death: for he was crucified under Tiberius the Roman Emperor.
Judah the Son of Jacob, to whom it was ſaid, Thy Fathers Sons ſhall bow down unto thee, Gen. 49.8.
Alſo Job in his Sufferings and Patience, both unparallel'd, and his prevailing Interceſſions for his offending Friends, are by ſome looked on as Types of Chriſt.
And as to the ſecond Claſſis, viz. thoſe under the Law, ſome have added Aaron the Prieſt of the Lord: but what might be ſaid of him, will come in when we come to handle the Office of the Prieſthood.
Alſo Gideon and Jephtah, Judges of Iſrael of old.
And Samuel the Prophet, who was a Judge alſo, and a Nazarite.
Hezekiah and Joſiah, thoſe great reforming Kings.
Eliakim, Iſai. 22.20. for the like phraſe which is there uſed, ver. 22. of Eliakim, is applyed to Chriſt, Iſai. 9.5. Revel. 3.7.
Some have ſet Cyrus alſo among the Types of Chriſt, the Founder of the Perſian Monarchy, who may be thought to have been a godly man, much good and no evil being recorded of him in the Scripture: and he did a very good work (and a great and glorious work it was) the breaking the Yoke of Babylon, and ſetting the Iſrael of God at liberty, and rebuilding the Temple; and indeed the Elogies and Expreſſions of the Prophet Iſaiah concerning him are very high and excellent, Iſai. cap. 45. beginning, and cap. 46.11.
Daniel alſo a perſon of extraordinary Eminency in his Generation.
I do not omit theſe Perſons, as concluding they had no typical relation to Jeſus Chriſt: For indeed I think divers of them had: But in ſome the Analogy is but weak and dark, and in ſome few particulars: and though in others it is more clear; yet it would have been too large to go thorough every perſon.
I have thought it ſufficient to my intended ſcope, to inſtance only in ſome of the cleareſt and moſt eminent, referring the reſt to your own Meditations in the Scripture, to obſerve and improve what you find written concerning them.
Ʋſe 1. See the Glory of Jeſus Chriſt the Antitype, in that ſo many excellent perſons do but weakly and imperfectly repreſent him: as if all the Candles in the world were put together, it would not equalize the Glory of the Sun: But how bright then is the Sun it ſelf, which ſhines brighter than all the Candles of the world; yea than all the Stars in the Firmament?
So here how glorious is the Meſſiah, of whom all theſe were but weak and dark Umbrages? He is indeed the chiefeſt of ten thouſands, Cant. 5.
Ʋſe 2. Look whatever Glory was in any of theſe Perſons by way of Prefiguration of Jeſus Chriſt: it is and ſhould be found in every Believer by way of Participation from Chriſt and Imitation of him.
Therefore in theſe Examples we ſee our own Duty; in their Attainments, we ſee what ſhould be our Endeavours: our Endeavours did I ſay? I may ſay alſo, through Grace, our Attainments. For tho it is true, we are not yet perfect; neither have we already attained; yet there is a time coming, when thou and I, if we be true Believers, ſhall be more holy than ever Elijah or Eliſha were in the days of their pilgrimage here below: when we ſhall ſerve God better than Zerubbabel and Jehoſhuah did, when they reſtored and rebuilt his Temple; namely, when we come to Heaven. Then there is not the leaſt Saint, but is more holy than ever the moſt eminent Saint was here upon Earth. For the beſt of them had a Body of Sin and Death in them: but in Heaven there ſhall be no Sin at all.
For as theſe eminent Perſons had a typical relation unto Chriſt: ſo every true Believer hath a myſtical Union and Communion with him: and by virtue thereof they do partake of his Spirit and Glory.
So that as we have here a motive unto what we ought to do: ſo we have alſo Encouragement and Comfort, as to what we ſhall attain.
We ſhall attain it then, when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall preſent all his Members to his Father blameleſs, and ſpotleſs, and faultleſs, Epheſ. 5.26, 27. Jude 24. before the preſence of his Glory with exceeding Joy.