A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 97 (Question 27 cont.)
SERMON XCVII.
2. TOUCHING Chriſt's Oblation. We have the Hiſtory of it, Luk. 2.22, &c. And this was done in Conformity to the Ceremonial Law, occaſioned by the memorable Preſervation of the firſt born of Iſrael, when the Angel of God flew thoſe of the Egyptians; from which time God challenged them for His, Exod. 13.12, 13. This Ceremony had a reſpect to Chriſt, and was to be fulfilled in Him, and he in Obedience complied with it. A few remarks may here ſuffice,
(1) CHRIST was Mary's Firſt born. Mat. Luk. The Queſtion is not, whether ſhe had any more Children afterwards, nor is it in words recorded in the Goſpel that ſhe had; but be was the firſt according to the Law, i. e. the Male that opened the womb, which was the meaning of the Law, Exod, 13.2. Sanctify unto me all the firſt born, whatſoever openeth the womb among the children of Iſrael, both of man and of beaſt: it is mine.
(2.) HE was the only begotten of his Father by eternal Generation. John 1.14. Though God hath many Children by Adoption, even as many as are made Believers in Chriſt, Job. 1.13. Yet He had no other but Him by natural Generation.
(3) He was the Firſt born and Heir of every Creature. Col. 1.15. The reaſon why the firſt horn Son of an Iſraelite, was by their Law to be made the Heir, and have a double Portion of his Fathers Eſtate, was a Ceremony, and typical of Chriſt, who is called the Heir of all things, Heb. 1.2.
(4) HENCE be was in dignity and preheminence above all the adopted Children of God. Col. 1.18. Believers are only Heirs by Chriſt, but he is Heir of himſelf. We are Children by vertue of his Sonſh…p. We are married to him, and ſo come to be intereſſed in his Eſtate; but he hath an Original right to the Inheritance. Rom. 8.16, 17.
(5.) IT was typical that the firſt born was to have the Kingdom and Priesthood: That they were to be the heads of their Families, on whom all that belonged to them were to depend, and to whom they were ſubjected; and who had the right of Redemption belonging to them: Theſe, and whatſoever Inſtitutions of like nature, were to point at Him, who … to be the Firſt-born, the Prieſt, Prophet, and King of His Church, on whom all the People of God are to have their dependance … life, and all good. Eph. 1.21, 22, 23.
(6.) CHRIST's being Offered intimated, … that he was h…ly, and that he was to be the gr… Price of man's Redemption. It was a Ce… nial expreſſion, to expreſs that the perſon was peculiarly ſanctified to God. Th… … many degrees of Ceremonial holineſs. A… the Lord's People were holy; but ſome … more holy than others; and the firſt … had a ſpecial conſecration to him, exp… by his offering; and God took him in…ed of the whole Family; and the reſt … freed by them. And what did this …, but that Chriſt was to be given in ex… for us, and ſo through him we ſhould be ſanctified to God? And therefore the … ſenting of the firſt born was in lieu of all.
(7) THE quality alſo of the Oblation th… offered with him, did expreſs the low & de… condition …e was in: And ſignified how and he debaſed himſelf for our ſakes. There was Law which indulged them that were p…, to preſent an oblation anſwerable, by which they declared themſelves to be ſuch. And … is therefore remarked about Chriſt, … nothing, Luk 2 24 compare, L…v 12 6, with.
USE. THIS may help to direct our F… … our dependance on Chriſt. He was offered i… our ſtead, and for us: Hereby giving … underſtand, that he is the firſt born of … Family of the faithful. Let us then … our title to him as our elder Brother; … our Redemption from him; challenge … Heirſhip through him; fetch our freedom from him; and depend on his Ato… made for all his Brethren. Let us the… his Interceſſion: Go to Him, whoſe the … Garments are, to plead for us. And re… ber, He was devoted to God from the … ning of his Life; offered in his … fancy: ſo that all his Life was for us … us then wait upon him for all the G…, whereby we may ſerve God from our Y….
3. THE laſt remarkable paſſage of his … fancy, is His Flight into Aegypt, and … from thence. We have the Hiſtory of it, … 2.13, &c. Touching which alſo, a few … ſervations may ſuffice,
(1.) THE Time of it was in his Infancy … what time preciſely none can tell; but … find it was after his Oblation, for that … performed in the time and manner appointed And it was doubtleſs before he was two … old; for Herod would take care to co… hend him within his Slaughter. And … Chriſt felt the ſorrows of a curſed Life … his Infancy; and before he can ſpeak he … perſecuted. He began, as well as ended, … Life with trouble. Job's aſſertion conce… man, was verified in him, Job 14.1, 2. … that is born of a woman, is of few days, and … of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and … out down: he flecth alſo as a ſhadow, and … …. And the reaſon was, becauſe he … born, and lived for us Iſai. 9.6. The … of death fell upon us from the conception Hence, Job 5.7. Yet man is born unto …, is the ſparks flie upward. And the Son … muſt take this upon him. And the … of this may antedore our diſ… at the early ſorrows we meet with …. The Yoke ſhould be the more eaſy to … Chriſt hath born the heavy end of … direct us to Him, to have all the … we are born to, ſanctifyed to us, by … if ſo, then may we pick Joy and …tion out of them, And have we en… any comfort in our Child-hood, and … expoſed to all miſchiefs: Let us … it to Him who bore all for us.
(2.) THE Reaſon of this Flight. Herod … his life, and he flies to ſave it, Math. … Herod was at that time King of the … and hearing of one born who hare that … and tearing that he might dethrone … his Succeſſor; ſeeks to cut him off, … defeat all the Prophecies of him, … void the Word of God: He no … hears that he is born, but he plots his …. The wicked World have ever been … to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and ſought …ert it. If Men and Devils could have …d it, our Salvation had never been … out by Chriſt. He hath ever been per… either in his Perſon or Members. And … …ach us, what meaſures to expect from …d, and not to think it a ſtrange thing. … ….24. The diſciple is not above his maſter, nor … above his lord. Herod perſecutes … ſeeks his life, and he flies to ſave … sometimes lawful to fly from Perſecu… … get out of their reach. Chriſt as … under the Law, and he did this in … to the Sixth Command. It is true, … and ought to be willing, when cal… …, to loſe our lives for Chriſt. But, as … not to ſave them ignobly; ſo neither throw them away vain-gloriouſly. …d a work to do, and he reſerves him… …. If God's Glory calls us to dye, … not refuſe it; but if our life may … his honour, we ſhould not be prodi… is. Chriſt flies to ſave his life: The … is ſo to be believed, as that we do … confidence of it, neglect to uſe the … appointed means for the obtaining … God had promiſed his Son to uphold, … him through his work, yet he doth … for a miracle in it, but ſerves God's …ce in flying away from the danger.
(3.) THE Occaſion of this flight: God's warning … Angel, Mat. 2.13. And when they … behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared … in a dream ſaying, Ariſe, and take … child, and his mother, and flee into … be thou there until I bring thee word: … will ſeek the young child to deſtroy him. … sometimes fore ſignifies to His the miſ… that is contriving againſt them and … them advantage and direction, … eſcaping of it; and it is their duty to improve it for their ſafety. Sometimes he gives them no ſuch warnings; and then he lets them know that he will have them to glorify him by Suffering. We ought therefore to eye God's Providence in this regard.
(4.) THE Place whether Chriſt fled: ver. 14. When he aroſe, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. And the reaſon, ver. 15. And was there until the death of Hered: that it might be fulfilled which was ſpoken of the Lord by the Prophet, ſaying, Out of Egypt have I called my ſon. This Text is obſcure, and hath perplexed Interpreters. Some think that the Prophecy did literally aim at him. But he that conſiders the Text and Context, (Hoſ. 11. begin.) will readily ſee this miſtake. And ſo others think the Prophet to ſpeak analogically; but that cannot ſtand: for the Evangeliſt plainly tells us that is was done, that this Prophecy might be fulfilled. Others therefore rightly judge; that this, as other Prophetical Scriptures, hath, though not a double, yet a compound ſenſe, having a reſpect both to the Type and Antertype: and to be accompliſhed more darkly in the one, more illuſtriouſly in the other. It became Chriſt to accompliſh all the Old-Teſtament Types; and the Evangeliſt to reduce the obſervable paſſages of his Life to thoſe Types; thereby to make it appear that he was the Meſſiah, in whom theſe were accompliſhed. Here obſerve, [1.] ISRAELS bondage in Egypt repreſented the ſpiritual bondage of all mankind under the Curſe. Their ſervitude expreſſed the doleful ſervitude of man by nature, under the hand of cruel task maſters: Hence their ſpiritual deliverance is thus typically ſet forth; Exod. 20.2. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the houſe of bondage. [2.] CHRIST therefore was to deſcend into this ſpiritual Egypt to fetch his People from thence. And this he was to do, by taking their place; not in reſpect of ſin, but of thoſe ſorrows which their ſin had procured them; which he was to undergo, by being made a curſe for them, Gal. 3.13. [3.] THE Type being applyed by the Prophet to Chriſt, He not only myſtically accompliſhed it in his whole ſtare of Humiliation, but literally alſo, to give one more proof that he was the Meſſiah; being the Perſon who was the Antetype of the Prophecy. [4.] HENCE, by this is appeared, that all that concerned Iſrael litterally, was to be fulfilled in him mystically. And here, 1. ISRAEL went down freely into Egypt. He was not forced; to ſhew how man of his own accord freely caſt himſelf into a ſtate of ſin and miſery. God compelled him not, the Devil forced him not, but it was his own act. Hoſ. 13.9. And Chriſt went freely down into Egypt, it was a voluntary act; to ſignify, that of his own accord, without compulſion, He took upon him the miſery he underwent, to deliver us from that which we had voluntarily hurried our solves into. Job. 10.17, 18. 2. ALL Iſraeis ſufferings in Egypt ſhadowed the miſ…ries that out ſin bad merned; ſo alſo of what Chriſt was to ſuffer. And he went down to Egypt to ratify this, that he was ſo to ſuffer: that he was to be a man of ſorrow, and acquainted with grief, that we, who were in bondage, might be brought our of thrald…m. 3. AS Iſrael after a time of bondage, were in the fulneſs of time, brought out of Egypt from the houſe of Servants; ſo Chriſt after a whiles tarriance, came up again, to fignity, that after he had Suffered for us, he ſhould overcome hell and death; be delivered from the curſe, give us freedom, and become the Captain of our Salvation; leading us to the land of Promiſe. And let all thoſe who have experienced deliverance from the t…anny of Sin and Satan, acknowledge it to Chriſt. As God ſent Moſes to them to conduct them; ſo he hath ſent his Son to us, to ranſom us, and powerfully to deliver us. Aſcribe it then wholly to him, and give him the whole praiſe of it.
(5.) HEROD's Cruelty againſt the poor Inſants of Bethlebem. ver. 16. Then Herod when he ſaw that he was mocked of the wiſe men, was exceeding woroth, and ſent forth. and ſlew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coaſts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had enquired of the wiſe men. Herod is diſappointed of his expectation: and now that he may make ſure work, he murders all the Children, that came within the compaſs of the place where Chriſt was to be born, hoping thus not to miſs of his prey; though God had prevented him. No carnal policy can outdo, or antedate the wiſdom and care of God, for the protection of his Children. No doubt but theſe Infants were Martyrs they died in Chriſt's Cauſe, and for his ſake, and he ſuffered in them. Herod ſought not their death direclly, but his, elſe they might have lived. And they that will be for Chriſt, may learn what to meet with from the World. However, here is our conſolation, if Chriſt ſuffers in us, we ſhall reign with him.
II. NOW let us proceed to obſerve how Christ bumbled himſelf in his private Life, in the more ripe Age of it. And that is mainly inſtanced in the ſubjection that he yielded to his Parents, of which Luk. 2.51. And he went down with them; and came to Nazareth, and was ſubject unto them. And the Employment or Calling which he followed, of which, Mar. 6.3. Is not this the Carpenter, &c. We may make a few glances on each of theſe.
1. TOUCHING Chriſt's Subjection to his Parents, it is obſervable, that the word uſed to expreſs it, ſignifies, to be ordered by, or under another; or a yielding ones outward actions to the government and command of another. And it implies theſe things.
(1.) A cordial acknowledgment, of the Superiority and Authority of another, to … us, and out duty to obey him. Thus … Chriſt acknowledged the Authority of … and Mary: that they bare the relation … Parents to him, and accordingly were it … with power to order his works and … The Fiſth Command enjoyns this, and … covered his approbation of the equit… righteouſneſs of that Command.
(2.) Areverend end high eſteem of … the heart, as Superiors. There is no … jection, but what begins at, and … from an hearty eſteem. Outward Comm… without it, are but mockery. Jeſus … did count them by vertue of that relation God's Command, to deſerve all boug… eſteem from him as a Child; He … feared them, and placed an high accou… them.
(3.) A reſpectful carriage or deportment … that both in words and gestures. To … before them, to how the body to them, … ſpeak to them with all ſubmiſſion; … them their titles, and keep a due di… Thus did Chriſt to his Parents; he … no duty to them, and therefore not this
(4.) AN obeying and not reſiding of … commands. The Subject takes not his … meaſures, what, when, and how to … receives. them all from his Superiour; … and goes at his hidding; and when be ſ… do this, be doth it, Mat. 8.9. He do… controle, and diſpute, much leſs refuſe … what he is commanded, he doth it wi… … readily, chearfully; and ſo did Chriſt … the ground or reaſon of this ſubjection why Chriſt thus did, is,
[1] PRIMCIPAL; that he might fu… …ort of righteouſneſs, and ſo merit for … … promiſed at firſt on account of … obe…nce, and that is not perfect exe… be un…ſal. That to Parents is one … duties to which the promiſe of life is … We are all guilty of breaking this Con… as well as any other; He therefore … that we might have that article in th… nant for us. Chriſt in his private life … publick Perſon. acting the part of a Re…
[2.] SUBORDINATE; that be might … ſet a pattern to Children for their imi… They greatly err, who think that Chriſt to be only a pattern: Wo to us if be … more. And they deceive themſelves … think to have this benefit by Chriſt, and … not imitate him; for he hath bidden … learn of him, Mat. 11.29.
NOW the eminent humility of Chriſt … this part of his Life, will appear … things,
1. THE greatneſs and gloriouſneſs … Perſon. He was the Eternal Son of … Lord of the Creation: He was David … and the Saviour of his Parents. … having taken the relation of a Child … him, he freely ſtoops to the condition … never was a Child in this world, ſo … and obſequiouſly ſubject as he.
2. THE meanneſs and Sspan…. … lived in a low and contemptible part … very poor, and deſp ſed by others. who … on them with contempt B…t he … not what they were to the W…rld, … what they were to Him. Had they been …es and great Potentates, he could not … ſhewn them greater reſpect, not paid … more. …ficious serv…ce. A Father a…d a …er, a.… a…d o…g…t to be the ſame to a …, let their ou…ward condition in the … he what it will: So did Chr…ſt eſteem … practice.
3. THE great wiſdom and anderstanding bad to dired his …; and be acted by … diſeretion. Truly Chr…ſt could have …ted his Parents, and better have told … em what was fitting to be done, than they … It is obſerva…le that …is H…ſtory is …faced with one, wherein we are told, how … diſputed with the D…ctors a laſtoniſhed … em with his wiſdom, Lak 2 45 47 And … for all that, he pract…ed this ſubmi… on. … was perfect in Grace a…d full of Wiſdom; … his Parents were ſubject to ſinful …ities, ind…tions, and paſtions; and … he bears, with all that, and takes not on … to be the…r con…, or to laugh at and eſpiſe their lawful Authority over him but …dily complies with them. Hence.
1. HOW ſeverely will this condemn…d ſ…bedi … Children another Day? As ſoon as they … up a little, they grow weary of Family …ment, and ſhake off filial ſablection, … will this preſident in Chriſt the rive … againſt them, who dwelt with, and was … to his Parents, till he was Thirty …, and was called to his publick Life.
2. LET Condren then price and im rate this …. Be not aſh…med of your Pareats, … againſt their Authority; let them … they will, yet you owe them ſub… for Conſcience ſake. Remember, no…e … more to have ſa…d againſt it then Chr…ſt …, and yet he was obedient to God in it.
3. LET Chilren t…en go to Chriſt to have … youth ſanctifyed and their ſai…ings in their … Parents covered. There is not the … obedient Child living, but if God ſhould … into Judgment with him for Sins of is kind, he would be condemned. How datiful have you been? And there is a …ful curſe againſt you for it. Got then a …e to this Obed ence of Chriſt too, that it … anſwer for you; And go to Him for race to help you to live as he did; and ſeek … Acceptance with God in Him.
4. TOUCHING the Employment or Calling … Chriſt ſollowed in his private Life. It is main that he did not ſpend that time idle… in following the labour of a particular …. And this is intimated in his being … to his Parents; it being one part of … ſubjection to attend the Calling which … …ents appoint him to. And that he did is evident in that they called him the Car…ter, Mat. 6.3. which was Joſeph's own … and Chr…ſt under him ſerved in it Thus … Lord of the whole Creation humbled him…elf to a private, mea… & deſpicable Emplorment. Here obſerve,
1. THAT in…ſmuch, as God's People … ſome in a pub…ck, ſ…me in a private Capacity, chriſt … to his a…pe … of both, took each of th…m upon him. He would lead a private life, that none of his might think it much to live to after him; and he would enter i… to a publick Employment, becauſe he was t…eter called of God. And thus Eath he …ct…ſyed each condition to thoſe who bel…eve in him; and teacheth us from hence, that G…d may be, and is to be ſerved in every ſla…e.
2. THAT in as much, as Chriſt needed not man's teaching, to fit and prepare him for his publick work, and the Law under which he was made forb d…ing him to ſpend his time in idleneſs, He therefore took upon him a lateful Cal…ng, and lab…ured in it. Labour in ſome honelt Calling is part of man's duty; commanded in the moral Law. Our firſt Parents in the ſtate fo innceancy came under it, and it was commanded to all, 1 Thiſ 4.11. Men in publick place, are to follow a publick Employment; Men in a privare ſtate, are to follow a private Calling Yea, the conſtitution of man's nature calls for it: habits are made for acts. Why was man made capable of Employment, with underſtanding of mind. and titted organs of body, but that he ſhould exereiſe himſelf in ſome vocation, and therein ſerve God? Thus then Chriſt obeyed God, and anſwered the tenor of the firſt Covenant.
3. LABOUR is neceſſary in ſubſerviency to God's Providence, for the ſupplying our ſelves with an outward Subſiſtence. God doth not ordinarily feed men with miracles. He hath obliged man to this way fo living, and made a connection in the precept between theſe two. Chriſt therefore, though the Owner of all things, humbleth himſelf to live by his hands; and thus he obeyed the Law, depending on God in his own way, joyning faith with obedience.
4. LABOUR, with ſweat and wearineſs, is a part of the Cauſe which Sin bath ſunjected ſallen man unto, and brought upon all thoſe Employments, wherein he is to exerciſe himſelf in getting his livelihood. Gen. 3.19. So that fallen man cannot labour hard without i…kſomeneſs and pain. And Jeſus Chriſt being made a curſe for us, took on him, and bare this part of the curſe alſo for us. He took on him a Calling, though honeſt, yet painful; this was a great point of himility in him; He was the Lord of Glory, whoſe were the beaſts on a thouſand hills, who could multiply bread with a word, to ſeed thouſands; to work hard for a livelihood. and have nothing to ſubſiſt on, but what he got by induſtry; for him who made the World with a word, to ſweat in a Carpenters Calling, to earn himſelf food and raiment.
5. It was a part of the dury of Children to take care for their Parents in their age & need. Chriſt's Parents were now grown into years, and were poor; and he laboured for them, and their relief. And this is one requital which the Law requires to be paid to Parents for their love and care expreſt to us in our Infancy and Childhood, 1 Tim. 3.4. Hence,
1 LEARN we of Chriſt. Though he bare the curſe, yet he took not off the obligation from us: He did not labour to procure leave for us to live in idleneſs; but procured that we might do it honourably and comfortably. Nor need any be aſhamed of a lawful Calling, ſince Chriſt hath honoured it by his example. Not do they live as he did, who abandon themſelves to idleneſs.
2. LET th…s direct and encourage us, when we find the weight and … of a h…ertous uſe, to refair to Chriſt: As to ſanctify our labours by his, and help us to glorify God by them, ſo to mi…gate the ſorrows of their, by removing the ca…e from them, and help us to ſerve our Generation chearfully, waiting upon …im to help us in our work; and ſo conduct us, as that when a ſhort & weary life is ended, we may, with him, reſt item all our labours, and have all our ſweat, and duſt and toil taken from us; having all our miſtakes and …es in our whole buſineſs pardoned through him, who did all things well: that ſo in the me…diſervice, we may be accepted through the Beloved.
[JUNE 9. 1696.]