Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
The first-born: Types of Christ, 4. waies.
HAving spoken of holy types in sundry speciall persons; Four rankes of sanctified ones under the Law.now of personal types in some rankes and orders of men, sanctified and specially separated to the Lord.
Of whom,
1. Some were sanctified by birth, the first-borne.
2. Some by office, Priests, especially the High-Priest.
3. Some by vow, as Nazarites.
4. Some by ceremony, as cleane persons, legally cleansed from uncleanenesse.
Of these the first-borne were speciall types of Jesus Christ.
1. As they were Gods peculiar. Exod. 13. 2. Sanctifie 1. The first-born, types in four respects. Ex … Commu… …is … gratia. … is ….unto me all the first-born; for it is mine.
Quest. How were they Gods?
Answ. 1. By common nature. But so were all both first and last borne through the world. For all the world and inhabitants of it are his, Psal. 24. 1.
2. By common grace. So all the people of the Jewes by reason of common grace were his, with whom God had plighted his gratious covenant, which was made to Abraham and all his seed, wheresoever they were borne; of whom he made choice as his peculiar, though all the earth was his. Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my first-borne, that is, not onelyonly the first people and nation that first professed the true worship of God, and had priority of the Gentiles who were younger brethren; but the first-born by a special election and choice of that from all other people; whom he would accept as his beloved in the Messiah, the first-born of all creatures, and among whom he would stablish his covenant, and raise up his worship, thus he dealt not with other nations.
3. By a speciall right. The first-born of Israel were Gods by a singular right, as no other Children of any other family were, namely by right of that singular deliverance of all the first-born, when he destroyed all the first-born of Egypt. And therefore presently after that destruction he makes challenge of them, Exod. 13. 2. Thus is Jesus Christ the Lords first-born by a singular right, not common to man or Angell, whether we respect his nature or office. 1. In his nature he is first-born as sonne of God, the first begotten of all creatures, Primogenitus, ante quē nullus. Unigenitus, post que… nullus.Col. 1. 15. begot before all Creation, And thus he is not onelyonly the first begotten before whom there was none; but the onelyonly begotten after whom is none. Joh. 1. 14. the onelyonly begotten Sonne of the Father; the first-born without a second or brother. 2. In his office he was first-born by speciall prerogative. 1. For the kind. 2. For the undertaking. 3. For the accomplishing. 1. For the kind, in that he was Mediator, God and man in unity of person, and the onelyonly redeemer of his Church. In this regard, Rom. 8. 29. he is called the first-born among many brethren. Which phrase noteth quality, not equality with him, some similitude, but no parity between him and beleevers. He holds his birth-right as the Sonne of God by nature; and we by grace made the Sons of God, he disdaines not to call us brethren. 2. For undertaking his office. 1. In his incarnation, he was the first-born of his Mother. Matth. 1. 25. till she had broughtforth her first-born Hieron. advers. Helvid.Son; not in respect of any that his mother had after him, but because she had none before. 2. For the stranger manner. He was the first-born of a virgin, and so never had brother. 3. He was the first born without sinne. 3. For accomplishing his office in his resurrection. He is called the first-begotten, or first born of the dead two wayes. 1. In respect of his Father who first begot him from the dead. Whence his resurrection is called a begetting. Acts 13. 33. thou art my sonne, this day have I begotten thee; the Apostle applying it to the resurrection of Christ. And had not the Father thus begotten his sonne from the dead, we had never been raised from death. 2. In regard of himselfe, whose priviledge it was to raise up himselfe from the dead by his owne power, Rom. 1. 4. As himselfe said, I have power to take up my life againe. And being risen, he was the first that ascended in body and soul into heaven. Thus consider Christ, as God, as Mediator, as incarnate, as raised, and ascended; he is the Lords first-born, and the birth-right belongs to no other.
II. The first borne of Israel was the second, and next to 2.the father of the family, yea, after the father instead of the father: So is Christ to his family, the Church; performes all offices of a careful & tender father, and takes on him, not the affection onelyonly of a father, but even 1. the name of a father. Isa. 9. 6. Father of eternity. 2. the office of a father. 1. He supplies the meanes of spirituall life, as they of naturall 2 He nurtures and teacheth his Church. 3. He provides for the present, and bestowes the inheritance of eternall life.
III. The first-born had the preheminence among the 3.brethren, and were chiefe in office and authority, rulers in the house after their fathers, and Priests in the family, before the Leviticall order was established. Gen. 27. 29. when Isaac blessed Jacob for Esau, supposing him the first-born, one part of it was: Be Lord over thy brethren, and let all thy mothers children honour thee. So all the sheaves must bow to Josephs. And Gen. 49. 8. when Jacob blessed Judah, this is added as his right: Thy fathers sonnes shall bow down unto thee. Herein they were speciall types of Christ; who in all things must have the preheminence, as first in time, in order, in precedency, first in the excellency and dignity of his person. Of whom, comming into the world, was said: Let all the Angels of God Heb. 1. 6.worship him. And for glory and authority he sits on his fathers throne, the onelyonly King of Kings, who hath a name above all names. Phil. 2. 9. And Heb. 2. 9. we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour, the head of the mysticall body, the Prince and head of all his brethren. And besides he is the high Priest of our profession, by offering up himselfe a sacrifice for us. Thus Christ is first in order, in glory, in Priesthood.
IV. The first-born had a double portion in goods, Deut. 21. 17. Signifying 1. The plenitude of the spirit and grace in 4. Psal. 45. 7.Christ, who was anointed with oyle of gladnesse above all his fellowes. 2. The preheminency of Christ in his glorious inheritance, advanced in glory and majesty incomprehensible by all creatures.
I. Out of the occasion of the Law of the first-born, learn, Use. 1. Every mercy is the greater engagement unto God.that the more God doth for any man, the more he ought to conceive himselfe to be the Lords, and the more right and interest the Lord chalengeth in him. For therefore the first-born were his by a speciall right, because he had not onelyonly delivered them out of Egypt, as others; but from the speciall plague of Egypts first-borne. Speciall mercies call for speciall service. More mercies are more bonds of obedience. And new mercies are so many new cords to draw and fasten us to God and duty. Is it not reason that the more it pleaseth the Lord to become ours, the more we should become his? Ought not great benefits become great binders? And should not great love be a great load-stone of love? Should not strong cords of Gods love draw us strongly to love our God? Examine the encrease of Gods mercies on thee in all kindes, and whether they have had this fruit, to make thee more dutyfull. Hath God multiplied blessing on thy head, that thou shouldest blesse thy self in wickednesse? Hath God continued mercy, that thou shouldst continue sinne? Art thou the Lords by Creation, providence, redemption, stored with all personall kindnesses pertaining to life and godlinesse, to continue a slave to sinne and Satan? Remember good Josephs conclusion, Gen. 39. 8, 9. My master hath dealt thus and thus with me, advanced me from nothing to this estate, committed all to my trust, kept nothing from me but thee, How then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God?
II. If Christ be the true first-born, of whom all they are Use. 2. Honour Christ as the first-born of God.but types; we must give him the honour of his birth-right. The whole Church, and all the sonnes of that mother must honour him; all the sheaves of the brethren must vaile and bow to his sheave. Let not the basenesse of his birth, the humility of his life, the ignominy of his death, the shame of his crosse, the poverty of his professors, the weaknesse and frailty of his followers, draw our eyes aside from him (as the Jewes at this day) but acknowledge him the first-born, esteeming him (as doth the Church) the chiefe of ten thousand; and with the Apostle esteem to know nothing but Christ and him crucified.
Question. How shall we honour Christ as the first-born?and how.
Sol. 1. If we honour him with the same honour that is due to the Father, Job. 5. 23. 2. Advance his estate above our own or other mens, confesse and professe his name, though with losse and disfavour. 3. Depend upon him, and make him our chiefe refuge, for all the family depended on the first-borne for protection, so doe members on the head. 4. Grieve to offend him by sinne. How pitifully can men & women grieve for the death of their first-born? So much more should we that our sinns have pierced Gods first-born, Zach. 12. 10.
III. Here is a ground of much consolation. 1. In that Use. 3. Threefold comfort in the birth-right.Christ being the truth of the first-born, from him the birth-right is derived unto us believers, as it was from Reuben unto Judah, and we partake of the same birth-right with our head. For here is a difference between the type and truth of the first-born. They had all their priviledges for themselves: but Christ not for himselfe but for us: Whence his elect members are called the Congregation of the first-born written in heaven, that is, whose names are written in the book of life. And farther; the more those first-born had, the lesse had the other brethren: but the more Christ hath, the more have we, seeing of his fullnesse we receive grace for grace. If he be strong, he is strong for us, if rich, he is so to us. If he be Prince and Priest of his family the Church, hereby we recover the dignity, we had lost by sinne; and of slaves and vassals of corruption, are made Kings and Priests, that is, the first-born to God, Rev. 1. 6. If he have a double portion of the spirit, so have we by him. Isai. 40. 2. speake to the heart of Jerusalem, her iniquity is forgiven; she hath received double at the Lords hand for all her sinnes, that is a double portion of grace and favour. As Joseph made Benjamins messe to be doubled: so our Jesus doubles his spirit on the elect. If he have a double portion of glory, immortality, and heavenly inheritance; so have we in him, being coheires with him in the same inheritance, Rom. 8. 17. 2. Comfort. Being Gods first-born through Christ, we are dear unto God. So Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my first-born, that is, dear unto me, as the first-born, commonly are dearest to their Parents. Israel, before his receiving into the Covenant, was the worst of all people, and smallest in it selfe, and in Gods eyes, Deut. 7. and 9. 4. But afterwards being (in the right of the Messiah) Gods first-born, became dear to him as the apple of his eye. Now what a joy is it to the beleeving soule to see God a father look towards it as a father to his first-born? So fareth it now with us, being so made in Christ. 3. Comfort. God takes notice, and revengeth all the wronges done to the Saints, because they are his first-born. Let Egypt offer injury to Gods first-born, God will say, slay every first-born of man and beast in Egypt; let them see, in the punishment, their sinne. For can a tender father see an arme or a legge of his first-born cut off? Would it not go to his heart to see him dismembred? And can the Lord Jesus endure any wrongs and cruelties done to his members, and this not pierce his bowels? A man may sometime see his child in want, and correct his first-born for his farther good, send him to be schooled and trained in some course under a sharpe discipline; but to see him wounded, to see him bleed, cast off, trodden under feet, he cannot endure: No more the Lord. Let no man, never so great, dare to wrong the godly; for he will rebuke kings for their sakes.
IV. Seeing in Christ the first-born we attaine the birth-right; Use. 4. Forfeit not the birth-right by sin.let every Christian beware of prophanenesse, and passing away his birth-right as Esau, who sold his birth-right for pottage, Heb. 12. 16. and therefore called prophane. So do they that exchange spirituall things for temporall, earth for heaven. As many who pretend a part in Christ; but in Esaus language say: Give me my pottage, my silver, my honour, my profit, my pleasure, let them take their religion, their preaching, praying, and precisenesse, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. This contempt of their priviledges robbed the Jewes of them, who being cast out of favour, of first-born become the last of all people, and now we Gentiles are stept into their birth-right. Let us be wise in the entertaining our prerogative conscionably, expresse our love to Christ and his Gospell, not hatred, as they, least provoking the Lord he deal with us in justice as he did with them. For if he spared not the naturall branches (Rom. 11. 21.) What reason hath he to spare us?
V. Learn to grow in conformity with our elder brother Use 5. Resemble Christ our Elder brother. Joh. 1. 13.Christ, with whom we cannot be equall, but like as brothers. All must have one Father, one flesh, one spirit. For the brotherhood stands not in communion of flesh and bloud, for so every man were his brother, but in the spirituall union by regeneration, We must be like him in affection, like him in affliction, like him in the combat, and like him in the Crown. How like unto Christ is he that resists and despises the spirit of grace, that having onelyonly humane nature hath no whit of that divine nature, 2. Pet. 1. 4. When heardest thou this first-born brother to swear or lye? Or be idle in speech, wanton in behaviour, carelesse of his course, or company? When was he ashamed of thy cause, of thy Crosse, yea or curse? But thou art ashamed of his Crosse and cause. When did he revile, rebuke, hate?. Would he be like us in every thing, even in our evils, sinne onelyonly excepted? should not we be like him in grace, to be like him in glory?