Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
4. Isaac a type of Christ.
I. IN his birth, Isaac the sonne of Abraham the father of the Isaac a type of Christ in five respects. 1.faithfull: a promised seed long before he was born, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Yea, so strange was his birth, as that he was not to be born by the strength of nature, but of Sarahs dead womb, when it was not with her as with other women: Insomuch as when the Angel fore-told it to her, she thought it impossible, Gen. 18. 12. So Christ the sonne of Abraham commonly so called, the onelyonly Sonne of God by nature, who is the Father of all the faithfull, who are taught to say; Our father, &c. The onelyonly true promised seed long before prophecied of, and expected of beleevers before his manifestation about four thousand yeares. Borne and incarnate not by the strength of nature, but by the power of the holy Ghost after an unconceiveable manner; so as when the Angell told his mother Mary of his miraculous manner of birth, she thought it impossible, and said, How can this be? Luk. 1. 34. And in him onelyonly the whole spirituall seed of Abraham, all Gods people of Jewes and Gentiles were blessed, Psal. 72. 17. the Nations shall blesse him, and be blessed in him. Which Prophecy cannot be understood of Salomon; for scarce his own nation was blessed in him, who by his sinne lost tenne tribes of twelve from his own sonne: and verse 5. they shall fear him so long as the Sunne and Moone endure from one generation to another, verse 11. all Kings shall worship him and serve him: and, verse 17. his name shall be for ever: all these are true in Christ onelyonly. Thus as Isaac was founder of a mighty state: so Christ of all the Church of God in all nations onelyonly blessed in him. As Isaac was his fathers heire: So Christ heire of all things, Isaac hath goods onelyonly.
II. In his suffering. 1. Isaac was circumcised the eighth 2.day: so was Christ. Luk. 2. 2. Isaac in his infancy was persecuted by Ishmael, Gal, 4. 29. So Christ by Herod, Mat. 2. 3. Isaac carried the wood of the burnt offering upon his shoulders even to mount Moriah, Gen. 22. 6. So Christ carryed the Crosse on which he was to be nayled, even to Golgatha. 4. Isaac was led away as a Lamb to the slaughter: So Christ was lead away, Joh. 19. 16. to death. 5. Isaac without reply submitted himself to his father even to the death; suffered himself to be bound on the wood, and yeelds himself burnt offering unto the Lord: Even so Christ without reply was obedient unto his father unto the death, and was content to be bound, not as Isaac for himselfe alone, but for us and them; and layd down his life a whole burnt offering, and a ransome for many, Joh. 16 28. Thus were both Lamblike sufferers, both bear their Crosse, both without reply led away, both bound and fastned on the wood, both willingly obedient to the death.
III. In his offering, 1. Both sonnes, onelyonly sonnes, innocent, beloved of their fathers; Abraham did all at Gods 3. Et Isaac Christus erat & aries Christus erat. Isaac sibi ligna portabat: Christus crucem propriam bajulabat. Pro Isaac aries, &c. Aug. Act. 2. &. 4. Cervamat… tina.Commandement, and lifted up his hand: So Christ by the determinate counsel of God was delivered by wicked hands. Abraham offers his sonne freely: God more freely offers his sonne out of his bosome. 2. Abraham by Gods commission riseth early in the morning to sacrifice his sonne; and Isaac riseth as early to obey his Father: So the Jewes by Gods permission break their sleep, and early in the morning proceed to the condemning of Christ, who is called the Hinde of the morning. Psal. 22. 1. compassed with dogges that hunted his life; and Christ, as another Isaac, after his passion rose early in the morning to fullfill the work of his father. 3. Neither of them must be offered every where or any where but both in a mountaine, and such a mountaine as must typifie Christs humane nature. MountMoriah must bear the Temple built by Salomon, a type of Christs body, Joh. 2. 19. Mount Calvary must bear the body it self; and these two hills, if they be not one and the same (as Augustine thinks, and it is not unprobable but that Golgotha was the skirt of Moriah) yet could they not be farre distant, the one being within the gate of the City, and the other not farre without, the nearest to the City of all. 4. The Father layes first the wood upon both, and then both upon the wood, both must feell the weight of the wood, no small wood to burne a man, a whole burnt offering as Isaac: but the wood which Christ bore was farre heavier. 1. For the greatnesse of the burthen. 2. For the burthensomenesse of our sinnes Ob moli… magnitudinem. Ob peccatorum molem.Isai 53. 4. He bare all our diseases. And then both by Gods appointment were bound on the wood, fastned hand and foot, not that either was unwilling, but to retaine the manner appointed for a sacrifice. 5. Isaac must be offered alone, the servants must stay at the foot of the hill a farre off, little knowing th businesse and sorrow in hand: So Christ must tread the Winepresse alone, Isai. 63. 3. the Disciples fear and fly, and little consider the agony of their Master. 6. The Father carrys in his hand the sword and fire against his own sonne; the sword signifying the justice of God, the fire his burning wrath against the sinnes of men: Both bent against Christ, both sustained by this Isaac; in whom the justice of God is satisfied, and the flame of his wrath extinct and quenched.
IV. In his scape and deliverance. 1. The blow is a fetching, 4.but Abraham must hold his hand, Isaac's flesh must not be pierced or cut: The souldiers ready to break the leggs of Christ (as of the two theeves) must stay their hands; not a bone of him must be broken. 2. Isaac offered, and three dayes dead in his Fathers purpose and minde, yet dyed not, but his Father received him as from the dead: So Christ offered upon his Divinity dyed not, and his humanity dead in the belly of the earth, after three days he revived, and raysed himselfe againe to dye no more. So both were delivered from death the third day: wherein the Apostle plainly makes him a type, Heb. 11. 16. from whence he received him as in a foreign.type or resemblance, that is, to be a type or resemblance of Christs resurrection from death. 3. The Ramme that was offered for Isaac was caught by the head among the thornes, and hanged in a bush: Christ our sacrifice was hanged on a tree crowned with thornes, and so hung on the Crosse to expiate our sinnes compared to thornes and bryers, which would for ever have held us if they had not held him.
V. In his mariage. 1. Rebeckah was fair and beautyfull: 5. Similitude of Rebeckahs marriage, and the Churches.so the Church is faire in the beauty of Christ, and fair within. 2. She was of his own kindred and flesh, Gen. 24. 4. so Christs spouse is of the same flesh which himself assumed. 3. She was wooed by his Fathers servants, and brought forwards towards Isaac: so the Church is wooed by Pastors and Preachers, the servants of Christ, and so brought forwards by his friends towards the bridegroome. 4. She resolved to forsake all her friends and comforts to come to Isaac: so the Church forsakes all in affection and actually, being called to enjoy her head and husband Jesus Christ. 5. She decks her selfe with jewels and trims her self before she comes to Isaac, but covers all with a vaile: So the Church prepares her selfe as a Bride for a Bridegroome, trims her selfe with faith and grace as Jewels, but covers and vailes all with humility, modesty, shamefacenesse, as not worthy to be seen, much lesse matched to such an husband. 6. In her comming How Christ meets his Church.towards Isaac, Isaac meets her: so the Church cōming towards Christ he meets her a far off. 1. by his grace of election. 2. By his most intire love and affection. 3. By most gracious acceptation. 4. In person and Incarnation. 5. In glory and power at the last Judgement for her finall salvation.
I. In the type and truth note a pattern by which to frame Vse. 1. A pattern of obedience.our obedience. Phil. 2. 8. Let the same minde be in us that was in them. 1. To be humbly obedient unto our father as they 2. Having never so difficult a Commandement. As Abraham rose early to obey God: and Isaac as early to obey his Father, and Christ was content early in the morning to be prosecuted to death: so let us not procrastinate, but hasten to our duty, especially to our sacrifices of prayer and prayses early in the morning. Psal. 108. 2. 3. As Ahraham in offering, or Isaac in obeying consulted not with flesh and bloud, acquainted neither Sarah nor the servants, nor consulted with humane wisedome to hinder obedience: no more must we in our obedience. So Paul Gal. 1. 16. professeth of himselfe that he communicated not with flesh and bloud after he had a calling. If flesh and bloud will object any thing against obedience, and extoll it selfe against the knowledge of God, bring it captive into the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 5. 4. Obey in suffering, as well as in doing; dayly take up our crosse (as both they carryed the wood of their offering) and not repine nor reply. We must not think that by carrying our crosse we can performe the work Non ad foreign sic Christus tantum: tamen quoad foreign, etiam propter foreign.of our redemption, for to that end it was carried by Christ onelyonly; yet we must carry it so farre forth as he is a patterne for our imitation, yea, that we may be conformable to the image of Christ, Rom. 8. 29. 5. For the measure, stick not at heavy crosses and burthens, they carried heavie loads of wood. We must not love our lives to death, if God call us thercto. For both they were obedient unto death, Phil. 2. 8. Such a testimony is given of the Saints, Revel, 12. 11. they loved not their lives unto the death.
Now thus to frame our obedience are required two rules.Two rules for our obedience.
I. A change and renovation of our crooked and corrupt nature, which is ever rebelling against the law of the mind. Nothing (we say) is hard to good will: But this good will is not to be found but in such as are regenerate by the Spirit of God, who hath made it of an unwilling, a willing will. And till this change be made, every commandment is impossible, and an intolerable yoke. Let Christ give the same commandement to the young man, and to the disciples, of leaving all and following him, it is an impossible taske to the one, yet in his naturall estate, but an easie yoke to the other, who with the commandement receive some secret power to draw them to obedience. Let the word command an angry, furious, natural man to forgive his neighbour that wrongs him, and blesse him that curseth him, and doe good for evill, and recompence love for hatred: Oh this is an impossible commandment, and flesh and bloud cannot possibly brooke it; and indeed he must be more than flesh and bloud that can heare it, he must have a spirit subduing his will unto the will of God. Let God speake (as he did to Abraham) to a man unconverted: Offer me up now, not thy sonne, but thy sin, thy dear lusts; thy Usury, thy Revenge, Swearing, Lying, thy Herodias, thy Dalilah, thy Darling, thy Pride; take the knife into thy hand, and with thine own hands kill it, sacrifice it, let out the life bloud of it: Oh what grutching, gainesaying, rising up against the word, and him by whom God commandeth? Every naturall mans sinne is his Isaac, his childe, his best beloved, his joy and laughter, he cannot spare him, he cannot part with him. Though the Lord be in never so great haste and earnest, they be not so hasty to rise up with Abraham, early in the morning to offer up their sinnes; a plain evidence that as yet their nature was never changed, but they are in their sinnes.
Rule II. In dangerous, and difficult, or costly commandements, prop up thy faith with consideration of Gods power and truth. So did Abraham in this difficult commandement, when he might have considered of a thousand strong hinderances, he strengthened his faith by this, Heb. 11. 19. he considered that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, whence after a sort he received him. Thus he supported his faith in that word of promise, Rom. 4. 20, 21. he considered not Sarahs dead body, but was fully assured that God (whom he beleeved, who quickneth the dead, verse 17.) who hath promised, was also able to do it. These two props upheld him, even the full assurance of Gods truth in promises, and power in performing them. In duties of apparant danger, the casting an eye on Gods truth and power will bring them forward, else they never come on, Dan. 3. 17. Our God is able to deliver us, and he will; but if not, &c. So in the time of danger and deep distrhsse, cast thy selfe on the might and truth of God, who quickneth the dead, who can say to the dead live, and they shall live. In duties chargeable, if thy obedience must cost thee some part, or the whole of thy estate, looke on Gods power and goodnesse. So the prophet to Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. 9. what shall we do for the hundreth talents? The Lord is able to give thee more than this.
Object. But I know not whether he will.
Sol. Faith assures it self there is never any losse in obeying God. It knowes the way to keep Isaac, is to give up Isaac. It hath a promise, whosoever forsaketh house, lands, &c. for Christ, he shall have an hundreth fold.
II. In both we have a nolable type of our resurrection. Use. 2. A type of our resurrection.Isaac was raised the third day, as from the dead: but Christ indeed raised, not as Isaac for himselfe, but as an head for his body and members. Which assureth us 1. That we shall rise out of all petty deathes and dangers, for our head is above water. Though the billowes of afflictions inward and outward may rinse us, and run over us, yet they shall not drown us, because our head is aloft. They may threaten and affright us, but shall not drown and destroy us; we shall wade out well enough, because they can never go over our head any more. 2. That we shall at the last day rise from all the death of mortality and corruption; in which argument the Apostle is large to prove, that because Christ the head is risen, the members must also rise againe. For, 1. Can or will a 1 Cor. 15. 12.living and powerful head be always dismembred and sundered from the body? 2. Because Christ rose not as a private person as Isaac did, but as the first fruits of them that slept, v. 20. 3. Because Christ in his resurrection is opposed to the first Adam, v. 21. For as by the first Adam comes death on all; so by the second Adam resurrection from the dead. This is a sure prop and stay against all the miseries & occurrences of this life, & against the bitternes of death, and horror of the grave, that we are assured of a better resurrection, else were we of all men most miserable, verse 19.
III. A sweet consolation. God watched every motion Use. 3. Matter of sweet consolation.in both these Isaac's offering; how farre Abraham should go, how long, to the lifting up of the knife; and where he should stay; and when was fit to say, do the boy no hurt: So he watched the executioners, the crucifiers, how farre they should proceed with Christ, but stayed them from breaking his bones, and kept him from seeing corruption. So when Gods time and terme is come, the affliction and afflicter shall goe no farther; a voyce at length shall come, and say: Stay thy hand, do him no hurt.
IV. Both were delivered, but not till the third day; the Use. 4. Look for help, though the case be desperate. Luke 24.one when the knife was up, the other being dead and hopeles at least in the account of men, as appeared by the words of the disciples which were going to Emmaus. Hence we learn to make this use for the strengthening of our faith: Then to look for helpe and deliverance, when the case is desperate, and in humane sence we are gone. There is life in this comfort, which assureth us of life, even in death, as Hos. 6. 2. After two days he will revive us, and in the third day he will raise Gen. 22.us up, and we shall live in his sight. In all wants and extreamities let Abrahams voice to Isaac comfort thee: God will provide. Deus providebit.If Isaac see Abrahams sword in the one hand, and fire in the other ready to devoure him, yet a little while and the sword shall be put up, and the fire shall take another object. So the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham, seeing God the Fathers sword of justice drawn against them, and the fire of his fury ready to consume them, yet at length shall see by Christ the sword put up, and the fire of wrath turned againe into a flame of love and grace. Faith hath a cheerfull voyce: God will provide. Unbeleefe is full of repinings and murmurings: Oh how shall I be provided for, in this or that? I see no meanes, &c. Here the difference holds which was between the ten spies and the two, Numbers 13. If thou see not the meanes for thy deliverance, go to the Mountaine there is a Ramme for Isaac: hasten thy obedience, and God which set thee on work, will hasten thy deliverance.