man before was laid The Virgin and the Sepulchre were both undefiled And however a several Joseph were related to each yet they had not made any use of either Our Lord was miraculously born of the Virgin and raised from the dead Without the help of a man he was born at first and was raised from the grave without humane assistance and maugre all the endeavours used to prevent it He received life upon the first conception and a new life when he rose from the dead They were both effected by the H. Ghost and published by Angels Heb. 5.5 Luk. 1.35 with Rom. 1.4 chap. 8. v. 11. Luk. 23.53 But we have another prediction of the Resurrection of the Messias that cannot belong to the person of David at all viz. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption This must belong to the person of the Messias for David dyed and was buried and his flesh consumed and it is therefore an unexceptionable proof of that truth which it is brought to Confirm Ps 16.10 Act. 2.29 We have another Prophecy that assures us that the Messias after his resurrection shall dye no more viz. The promise of the sure mercies of God which we find the Apostle applying to this matter and inferring from it that Christ who rose from the dead was no more to return to corruption Isa 55.3 Act. 13.34 If what hath been said be duly considered we shall find that God hath given us sufficient assurance that Jesus did rise from the dead For what greater assurrance can we desire of this matter of fact unless we think Our Saviour should have dyed in every age and Country and risen again to satisfie our unreasonable infidelity What is there that the Jew can object against this doctrine thus confirmed will they undertake to prove a negative against so many positive proofs and witnesses what possible ways are there left them of doing this They cannot deny the possibility of the thing who believe a Resurrection to come or that God made the world Or will they say as once they did who watched his Sepulchre and were hired to say it that his Disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept Is it probable that this should gain any belief among men what temptation could they have to do this Or is it likely that they who for fear forsook him when he was living should adventure upon the Guard to retrieve his dead body which was honourably interred If these Souldiers knew this to be true why did they not hinder it if they knew it not how could they Testify what could hinder them who had power that they did not prevent it Or what reason have we to believe those Competent witnesses who confess that they were a sleep when it was done Thus having shewed that we have sufficient Evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead I shall now proceed to shew That this is an unexceptionable proof that he is the Christ and consequently of the truth of the Christian Religion I need not enlarge upon this head For it is very evident and plain and the Jews themselves cannot deny it And for that reason they who deny not that he lived and dyed do what they can to stifle the belief of the Resurrection This they do because they are sensible that his Resurrection from the dead is a proof beyond exception that he is the Messias They Endeavoured what they could to hinder his resurrection and when they could not doe that they laboured to hinder the belief of it And that which makes the Resurrection of Jesus so unexceptionable a proof that he is the Christ is this that Jesus did in his life time not onely profess himself to be the Christ the Son of God but also foretell the manner of his own death and that he should not onely rise again but rise again the third day and does referr the unbelieving Jews to his Resurrection as to the great sign and proof of his being sent from God When the Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign He answered and said unto them an Evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a Sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonas For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth Our Lord had done many miraculous works among the Jews and still they require a Sign or a more plain and clear proof that he came from God Our Saviour referrs them to his Resurrection as that which would be a most unexceptionable one and sufficient to remove any but a perverse and incurable unbelief And this he calls the Sign of the Prophet Jonas That Prophet was sent to call the Ninevites to repentance and was successfull in his undertaking and his miraculous escape from the belly of the Whale was a Competent proof that he was sent by God and very fit to gain him credit with the Ninevites And very probable it is that the fame of what had befallen the Prophet had come to the men of Nineveh and that it made way for the reception of the doctrine which he preached The Resurrection of Jesus was a greater sign and that which made way for the Entertainment of his doctrine in the World For it did confirm the truth of his Doctrine Matt. 16.21 Joh. 2.19 ch 3.14 ch 12.32 33. Matt. 12.39 40. There have been those who have been raised from the dead besides Jesus And many besides him have professed themselves to be the Christ also But none in the world but Jesus professed himself to be Christ and confirmed it by his Resurrection Maimon Epist ad Judaeos Marsilienses Maimon tells us of one who deceived the poor Jews under a pretence that he was at least the forerunner of the Messias who having boasted vainly that he would rise again after his death in token that he came from God was indeed beheaded by a certain Arabian King but returned not to life again He was not able to give the proof that Jesus did who rose from the dead And though there have been others who have been raised from the dead yet none of them ever professed to be the Christ the Son of the living God as our Jesus did This being a truth upon which the truth of the whole Christian Religion depends no wonder that the belief of this Article should be accounted for a faith in the whole Religion That is the word of faith says St. Paul which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For he that believes that Jesus rose from the dead does believe the other Articles of Religion which are all confirmed by this He that believes that Jesus is risen does at
that he should not onely die but be buried and not onely buried but honourably interred also And what was foretold of him was fulfilled in our Jesus though it were very unlikely to have come to pass That the Messias should be buried is foretold by the Psalmist Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell or in the grave neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see Corruption We have no dispute with the Jews about the burial of Jesus for they who grant that he died will not deny that he was buried it being the custome of the Jews to allow burial to all men even to the greatest malefactors whatsoever Psal 16.10 with Act. 2.31 and Chap. 13.35 But it was likewise foretold that the Messias though he were to suffer an ignominious death should be honorably buried This was foretold of the Messias and was eminently fulfilled in our Jesus Of the Messias it is said that he was cut off out of the land of the living And then it follows And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth That is his enemies designed him the burial of a malefactor and he who dies among such is likely to be buried with them also but the Messias having done no violence would be rescued by the providence of God and honourably buried Isai 53.9 We have another Eminent prophecy of the Messias which cannot be denyed to belong to him by the Jews themselves where among other things it is foretold that his rest shall be glorious which words may well be allowed to predict the honourable burial of the Messias Abravenel upon the 53. of Isaiah brings these words as a proof that what is said Isa 53.9 he made his grave with the Wicked cannot belong to the Messias because it is said that his rest shall be glorious In which he grants two things First that the 11th Chapter of Isaiah is to be understood of the Messias and we find him accordingly expound it of him Secondly that these words his rest shall be glorious may well be expounded of the honourable burial of the Messias For else what cause had he to say that these words are opposite to those if they do not belong to the same matter Isa 11.10 Abravenel on Isa 53.9 And as this Jew hath justified those Christians who understand this place of the burial of the Messias so it is very certain that the place hath been understood to belong to this matter by the Ancient Writers of the Church The Vulgar Latin renders these words his rest shall be glorious erit sepulchrum ejus gloriosum And we find the Greek interpreters elsewhere render the word rest to this sense Just Mart. pro Christian Apol 11. Erit in pace Sepultura ejus Cypr. adv Judaeos l. 2. v. Hieron Epist ad Marcell as signifying burial Thus he shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds which words Justin Martyr understands of the Messias is by the Greek rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e his burial shall be in peace And this place we find was understood of the honourable burial of the Messias by the Ancients I shall now shew that these things were fulfilled in our Jesus Though he were crucified under the Roman power yet was he buried contrary to the custome of the Romans who left those that were crucified to the injuries of the air and Voracity of the fowls Again though Jesus died between two theives and died as a malefactor and though his enemies designed nothing more but an ignoble grave with the wicked yet it was brought to pass by the providence of God that his dead body was buried with the rich and that great honour was shewed him in his burial The body of Jesus was begged by a rich man named Joseph 't was lapped in clean linen and laid in his own new Tomb. Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jews and a Master of Israel brings a mixture of Myrrh and Aloes The good Womans pretious Ointment was poured out for the burial of Jesus And when the Sabbath was past several Women brought spices that they might anoint him In a word great care was taken about his burial by the rich by the honourable and the devout It was done with care and with cost and by Persons of the greatest rank and quality Not to say that in after times the place where his body had lain was visited frequently and greatly adorned But I shall not need to insist any farther upon this but shall proceed to consider the Resurrection of the Messias Matt. 27.57 Joh. 5.1 10. with ch 19.39 Matt. 26.12 Mark 16.1 CHAP. VIII The CONTENTS Of the Resurrection of Jesus That we have sufficient evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead That we have the most unexceptionable humane Testimony Why the same number of men are called the eleven and the twelve elsewhere when they were but Ten John 21.14 Explained This confirmed by the Testimony of an Angel and by Divine Testimony That Jesus removed all cause of doubting of the truth of his Resurrection That there were a select number of Men chosen to be witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus That these witnesses as also the Evangelists are worthy of belief That it was foretold that the Messias should rise from the dead The words Ps 11.5 This day have I begotten thee are justly applyed to this matter This proved against the Jews at large That Jesus rose from the dead is an undeniable proof that he is the Messias and of the greatest importance to us Of the time when Jesus rose from the dead Why on the third day And how he could be said to rise on the third day who was but one whole day in the Sepulchre and how this agrees with Matt. 12.40 where Jesus said he should be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth The third day on which Jesus rose considered as the first day of the Week IF the sufferings and death of Jesus will afford us any arguments to prove him to be the Messias the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his exaltation to God's right hand will much more afford us pregnant and unexceptionable proofs that he was the Christ the Son of God and that his Religion which he hath taught us came from God And for the better speaking to this matter I shall First shew that we have sufficient evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead Secondly that this is an unexceptionable proof that he is the Christ Thirdly I shall consider the time when Jesus rose from the dead viz. the third day I shall shew that we have sufficient evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead By sufficient evidence I mean such as is enough to satisfie any honest and inquisitive mind as much not to say much more as we have for any matter of fact which we were not the eye-witnesses of As
A DEMONSTRATION OF THE MESSIAS In which the truth of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION is proved especially against The Jews PART I. By Richard Kidder AUGUSTIN Epistol VOLUSIANO Venit Christus complentur in ejus Ortu Vita Dictis Factis Passionibus Morte Resurrectione Ascensione omnia Praeconia Prophetarum LONDON Printed by J. Heptinstall for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill MDCLXXXIV To the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London one of the Lords of His MAJESTY's most honourable Privy Council My LORD THE following Discourse such as it is I do with all humility present to your Lordship The argument it treats of commends it self and challengeth regard from all the Disciples of Jesus The design of it is to prove our Jesus to be the Messias This is a truth of the greatest moment and as such was much insisted upon by the first preachers of the Christian Religion and deservedly placed in our ancient Creed in the head of the other Articles of our Christian faith and next after the Article in which we own the belief of a God And whatever defects there may be found in the following Tract yet as I am certain that I have chosen a most excellent Subject so I have pursued it with a sincere and honest intention If any should find fault with this well-meant Discourse and condemn me even for that for which I am not able so much as to accuse my self it shall be so far from creating me any trouble that it will not surprize me as any thing that is new and strange is wont to do Whatever my mistake or my faults may be I shall be so far from being pertinacious in either of them that no man shall be more welcome to me than he who shall assist me in discharging me from them Nor do I desire to live any longer in this world than whiles I am disposed both to find the truth and to follow it I think my self more especially obliged to give your Lordship an account how I spend my time And that consideration moved me to prefix your Lordship's name to this following Discourse But that was not the onely motive which induced me to it All that have the honour to know your Lirdship have great cause to bless God for you The Clergy of this great City are very sensible of their happiness They look upon your Lordship as a great Blessing and a good presage The Jews have a saying in their books that when the Shepherd is angry with the sheep he placeth over them a blind guide Those who are under your Lordship's care justly look upon you as bestowed upon them as a token for good they think themselves favoured greatly in your Lordship by the great Bishop and Shepherd of their Souls I was willing to take this opportunity of testifying my most unfeigned thankfulness to God for your Lordship That God would long preserve your Lordship and assist and prosper your endeavours for the good of his Church that he would pour upon you the blessings of this life and preserve you to the unspeakable glory of the next is the most hearty Prayer of My LORD Your Lordship 's most dutifull and obedient Servant Richard Kidder THE PREFACE IT is said of our blessed Saviour upon his healing a withered hand when the Jews watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath-day that they might accuse him that he looked round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3. v. 5. He looked on them with anger and with compassion at the same time Thus have all the sincere Disciples of Jesus been affected towards that people ever since our Saviour's time and very fit it is that they should imitate their great Lord and Master He that loves his Lord and his holy Religion cannot but be moved with some degree of anger when he considers how that people persecuted Jesus and his followers and have ever shewed an unplacable hatred against the incomparable Religion which they planted in the world They do in their books which we have in our hands reproach our Blessed Saviour and with great bitterness disparage and calumniate those holy writers which give us an account of our Saviour's birth of his life and Doctrine and these practices of theirs have been an occasion of many evils which have befallen them and have drawn upon them the anger of the Christian States or Kingdoms where they have lived Nor is it strange at all that Christians should be moved with some degree of indignation against those men who Scoff at that Jesus whom they worship But how excusable soever this indignation be yet it ought to be attended with pity and compassion This we may learn from the example of Jesus who was grieved for the hardness of their heart and did to the last breath pray for these men who had no pity or compassion upon him And the Apostle of the Gentiles who had been greatly persecuted by the Jews was so far from being unconcerned for them that he most solemnly professeth that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart upon their account And so great was his charity that he could wish himself accursed from Christ for their sakes Rom. 9.1 2 3. And whatever opinion Christians may have entertained concerning the conversion of the nation of the Jews it must be granted that it is our duty to doe all we can toward the gaining so good an end And whatever is done to this purpose by any Christian States or particular Persons however it may miss of its desired effect will not fail of a reward It is very well known where the Jews are obliged to hear the Sermons or Lectures of the Christians And there are those charitable persons in the Church who would much rejoice to find them under the same obligation in other States and Christian Kingdoms also A lecture for this very end and purpose might have good effects For though it be not effectual where it is used yet it is no hard thing to assign very considerable reasons how that comes to pass Thus much is certain that if we would gain the Jews it will become us to doe all in our power to that purpose And though some men have other obligations yet every Christian is obliged in his dealings with them to use them with great humanity to trade with them with exact Justice and simplicity and to adorn our Religion by an exemplary life and conversation For the following discourse I am to acquaint the Reader that I do not send it abroad as a just Tract designed onely against the Jews Had this been my design I should have taken other Methods I intended the advantage of the Christian Reader also and hope that the younger among them may receive some benefit thereby It is our common Christianity which I here defend and I have attempted to explain some difficult places of the holy Writ which have
another Saviour of the World and of my posterity That Shilo should come to whom the gathering of the people shall be Agreeable to what hath been said are these words of Zacharias who said of the Lord God of Israel that he had raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the house of his servant David Luk. 1.69 By Horn of Salvation for us is denoted the Kingdom and Power of our blessed Saviour And for the better understanding of this expression it is to be remembred that Dominion and Power is expressed by Horn among the Hebrew Writers Thus in the Prophet Daniel the ten Horns are said to be ten Kings c. 7. v. 24. Again I will make the Horn of David to bud Ps 132. v. 17. Instead of Horn the Chaldee Paraphrast hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorious King Kimchi in Psal 132. v. 17. And one of the learned Jews and a bitter enemy to Christianity confesses that that verse speaks of the Messias that was to come So that the Horn of Salvation does intimate to us the greatness of that deliverance which our Lord hath wrought Besides 't is said of Simeon that when he took Jesus into his Arms and blessed God he said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luk. 2.29 30. Which agrees well with the words of Jacob I have waited for Thy Salvation O Lord. Indeed Aben Ezra tells us from R. Isaac Aben Ezra in Gen. 49.18 that Jacob having likened Dan to an adder by the path did thereupon fall into a fear and then as fearfull men are apt to call for help and deliverance he added I have waited for thy salvation O Lord And another of the Jewish Commentators would have those words to contain the prediction that Sampson's eyes should be put out by the Philistines R. Solom in loc and then that they imply that prayer of Sampson at the last O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me I pray thee onely this once O God that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes Judg. 16.28 It is enough that I have named these opinions I shall not need refute them for besides that their authority is not great who are the Authours of them they are not backed with any reasons at all But to return As those deliverances of Joshuah and the other Worthies were but temporal whereas our Lord 's was eternal So They were but Carnal but our Lord's is Spiritual They delivered their people from thraldom and bondage the yoke of a Tyrant the tribute of an Oppressour the chains and fetters of some potent Prince But our Jesus saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 He was manifested to take away our sins 1 Joh. 3.5 And to destroy the works of the Devil v. 8. Or as Zacharias expresses it we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve God without fear In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life Luke 1. 74 75. This is the deliverance that our Lord hath wrought He sets us free from our sins and hath redeemed us from the wrath to come This Jesus does for all them that will obey him He destroyed the Devil's Kingdom stopt his mouth in his Oracles overturned his Temples dispossessed him of his Idols destroyed his Worship and baffled him in all his Designs He cast him out not of the bodies onely but of the souls and hearts of men and wrested from him that Kingdom which he had so long and so unjustly got the possession of The World was over-run with Idolatry and Superstition with violence and oppression with ignorance and prophaneness Men were proud and covetous unchast and intemperate full of envy and malice But Our Lord came and by his life and doctrine by his death and divine grace he sent away that darkness that overspread the World he knocked off those Chains in which men were shackled and restored Mankind to the Worship of the true God and to his image and likeness Let 's hear the excellent words by which the Apostle expresseth all this For we our selves says he also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward mankind appeared Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.3 Such was the deliverance which our Jesus wrought For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.11 Moses delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians he brought them from the bondage of those Infidels but he did not save them from their infidelity For we see they could not enter into the promised land because of their unbelief Heb. 3.19 Joshua brought them into Canaan but left them on this side heaven Others delivered them from the men of Midian and the Philistines but none of them delivered them from the evil men themselves They were saved from their enemies frequently but not from their sins They fell into their folly and their misery again But our blessed Redeemer saves us from our sin He gives repentance and forgivenss of sins Acts 5.31 And turns us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 This exalts him above Moses and Joshua this speaks him the great Redeemer and Shepherd of our Souls The Jews expected a Temporal Messiah one that would restore them their Kingdom and advance them to worldly splendour and greatness But our Lord came to erect a spiritual Kingdom in the hearts and minds of men He came to vanquish our lusts and destroy the power of sin in the hearts of men This was a design worthy of God and becoming our Lord Jesus And that which the greatest Kings and Princes were never able to doe Our Lord hath wrought the greatest deliverance Others have conquered their Enemies Our Lord hath done more He hath reconciled them and made them friends Others have killed the bodies of men our Lord hath done more he has saved their souls Others have gotten wealth and worldly greatness our Lord does more when he enables his followers to despise these things Others have saved their followers from dying our Lord delivers us from the fear of death He kills our pride destroys our covetousness purges away our lust plants in us the love of God and the contempt of the World
〈◊〉 LXXII si voluisses Sacrificium dedissem utique V. L. For says he thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it Psal 51.16 i. e. Thou hast allowed no sacrifice for such an high offence as mine is This agrees well with the Text the ancient Versions and the Jewish Expositors R. David Kimch in Ps 51.16 In eundem sensum R. Solom Aben Ezra in loc One of the Jewish Commentators upon this place expresses himself thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is And although God says he commanded oblations together with confession and repentance the blessed God did not command oblations unless it were for him who sinned ignorantly But he the Psalmist was a presumptuous sinner and for this sin there was no oblation but onely repentance with a broken and contrite heart But the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a pardon for all sins upon the sinners saith and repentance No sinner is excluded from hope that does not by his impenitence exclude himself This seems to be the meaning of these words of St. Paul Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Acts 13.38 39. I come now to explain what is meant by Christ Now so it is that the word Christ does denote our Saviour's office Christus non proprium nomen est Lactant. Institut l. 4. c. 7. sed nuncupatio potestatis regni Says Lactantius Christ is as much as Anointed it being but the Greek of Messias Andrew telleth Simon Peter we have found the Messias which is being interpreted the Christ Joh. 4.41 And the woman of Samaria said I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 4.25 Thus our Lord is called Ps 2.2 Dan. 9.25 Now for the better understanding of the importance of this word Christ or Anointed we shall doe well to reflect upon the usage that obtained among the Jewish People where we shall find frequent mention of the Ceremony of Anointing That which was anointed was thereby separated to some particular and special use whether it had relation to things or persons Thus was the Pillar anointed Gen. 28.18.22 And the Tabernacle and all its Utensils They being by that means set apart to the Service of God But this Ceremony of anointing had relation to persons also Thus the most publick Persons and Ministers among the Jews were by this Ceremony set apart to their publick Offices and Dignities As for example Kings were anointed whence it is that a King is expressed in the sacred Dialect by the Lord 's anointed Thus were Saul and David anointed by Samuel according to the Divine appointment 1 Sam. 10.1.15.1.16.3.13 And Zadok anoints Solomon that there might be no dispute who should succeed David 1 King 1.39 And these Kings when they were thus anointed were then God's Vice-gerents over the Jewish People who were under a Theocracy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist l. 1. c. 3. And when the Prophets did by anointing them make them Kings they made them Typical Christs as one of the ancients does express it And so indeed they were They did typifie the Messias who was to be Lord and Governour of the Church as these Kings were of the Jews Priests were anointed also Aaron and his Sons that they might minister unto God in the Priest's office Exod. 40.13.15 For Prophets the like cannot be said We have not that express Law nor the Practice upon record which we have for the other 'T is true indeed that Elijah is commanded to anoint Elisha to be a Prophet in his room 1 King 19.16 And at the same time he is commanded to anoint Hazael to be King over Syria and Jehu over Israel 'T is probable that no more is meant by that expression than this that he should constitute Elisha to be Prophet in his room and because men were set apart to great offices by the Ceremony of anointing therefore that expression is used there And that Person who is constituted and appointed by God to some great office or employment is said to be the Lord 's Anointed though he were not set apart with material oil to that office because these publick Persons were wont by the holy oil to be set apart to their Dignities and Employments Thus Cyrus is said to be Lord's anointed Isa 45.1 He being appointed by God for the destruction of Babylon and the return of the Israelites And we find that all that we reade Elijah did when he came to Elisha to perform what he was commanded was that he passed by him and cast his Mantle upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. S. B. Mel. Michal Jophi in 1 Reg. 19. R. D. Kimchi in Isa 45.1 1 Kings 19. v. 19. Upon which Elisha arose and ministred to Elijah v. 21. For Kings and Priests the Precept is plain and the practice unquestionable I shall from the Jewish writers give you a more particular account of the right of anointing Kings and Priests as well as of the reasons of it Now the reasons of it are said to be these two First this was to be a sign of the Divine election and choice He that was thus set apart was to be received as chosen of God I have exalted one chosen out of the People I have found David my servant With my holy oil have I anointed him Psal 89.19 20. This holy oil was a composition of God's prescribing wherewith certain things and persons were to be set apart and separated to holy uses and 't is expresly said whosoever compoundeth any like it or whosoever putteth any of it upon a Stranger shall even be cut off from his People Exod. 30.33 Secondly that he that was thus anointed might thereby be prepared to receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine influx And thus we read of Saul that when Samuel had anointed him and told him that the spirit of the Lord would come upon him and that he should be turned into another man That the spirit of God came upon him and that he prophesied 1 Sam. 9. We are moreover told from the Jewish writers that those that were anointed were anointed on their heads Vid. Maimon H. Melach Abravenel in Exod. 30.23 Kings with the figure of a Crown Priests with the figure of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sign of a Crown denoting the Regal dignity and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Priest denoting the Priesthood That the high Priest was anointed but not the inferiour Priests That a Son succeeding his Father in the Kingdom was not anointed Indeed Solomon was but that was because there was a competitor in the case namely his Brother Adonijah
was predicted was to doe stupendious works I Shall now pass on to the Life of Jesus and see whether that agree with what was predicted of the Messias And under this head I shall insist upon the following particulars First that the Messias was to be a Prophet like unto Moses To this purpose we read what God said unto Moses I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Deut. 18.18 This promise is deservedly applied unto Jesus Act. 3.22 7.37 Maimonides lays it down as a rule Maimon fundam leg c. 10. Sect. 9. that the Prophet of whom another Prophet hath testified is to be presumed a Prophet and needs not to be examined And then this testimony of Moses their greatest Prophet must needs be very worthy of regard since it can belong to none as will appear afterwards so peculiarly as to our Blessed Saviour who made it appear that he was that Prophet which was promised in those words And we find our Saviour appealing to the writings of Moses when he preached the things concerning himself Luk. 24.27 44. And he lets the Jews know that the writings of Moses will condemn them Do not think says he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words Joh. 5.45 46 47. It is very evident that the Jews looked for a Prophet at that time Joh. 1.21 And the woman of Samaria intimates no less Joh. 4.25 And the Jews confess that he was of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world Joh. 6.14 And this general expectation of a Prophet at that time must be grounded upon the promise of God Juchasin fol. 14. for so it was as the Jewish writers confess that after the death of Haggai Zechary and Malachy Prophecy ceased And that it should revive again among them they had no ground to believe but what they had from the divine promise And these words Deut. 18. are a very express promise of it when Prophecy had ceased so long a time yet they are assured that God would raise them up a Prophet Now our Saviour was that Prophet And he gave great proofs that he was a Prophet He taught the will of God and spake as never man spake and did mightily exceed the Scribes in his discourses who were a sort of men that came the nearest to the Prophets Mat. 7.29 We find our Lord preaching his Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5. declaring the acceptable year of the Lord Luk. 4.19 He spake to the wonder of his hearers with great authority and assurance with a mighty power and great conviction And whereas the Prophets were wont to say Thus saith the Lord Our Saviour hath it I say unto you not like an ordinary Prophet but like the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 5.4 Heb. 13.20 1 Pet. 2.25 He farther shewed himself a Prophet as he foretold things to come And this he did frequently and the things came to pass and he appeared to be a true Prophet Thus he foretold the denial of Peter Matt. 26.75 the treachery of Judas Joh. 6.70 71. his own death and resurrection Matt. 16.21 Aye and after that the destruction of the Temple and the Jewish Nation with the calamities that should go before it Mat. 24. And the false Christs that should arise of which there have been considerable numbers from time to time He tells the Jews that though they did not receive him who came in his Father's name yet says he If another shall come in his own name him ye will receive Joh. 5.43 The poor Jews have wofully experimented the truth of those words of our Saviour having been imposed upon by Impostours from time to time to their great loss and mischief as I shall have occasion to shew more at large afterwards Thus did our Saviour make it appear that he was a true Prophet in that his predictions were answered by the event of things Maimon fundam leg c. 10. Sect. 2. And Maimonides himself lays this down as the test of a true Prophet that what he foretells comes to pass But he was not onely a Prophet but a Prophet like unto Moses also whose great Anti-type he was Moses is greatly magnified by the Jewish writers Maimon fund leg c. 7. and placed above the other Prophets And it is expresly said that there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Deut. 34.10 And therefore it is a vain thing to look for this Prophet that was to be like unto Moses among the Prophets that succeeded Moses while the spirit of Prophecy continued in Israel But our blessed Saviour was like unto Moses in very many particulars If Moses were to be put to death as soon as he was born by the command of Pharaâ—h so was our Saviour by the command of Herod If he were forced to fly his countrey to save his life so was Jesus also If Moses fasted forty days and nights so did Jesus also If he were meek Jesus was meek and lowly in heart If Moses appeared when the Israelites were under the bondage of Egypt so did Jesus when they were under the Roman power If Moses gave his law from a Mountain our Saviour preached his Sermon on a Mount If Moses had his seventy Elders Jesus had his seventy Disciples If Moses were rejected and murmured at by his own people our Saviour came unto his own and his own received him not If Moses trampled on Pharaoh's Crown and despised the pleasures of his Court our Saviour refused to be made a King and despised all the glory of this world As the face of Moses did shine so did the face of Jesus Compare Ex. 34.35 with Matt. 17.2 And as Pharaoh designed the death of the males among the Hebrews that he might destroy the deliverer of that people so did Herod destroy them about Bethlehem As Moses returns into Egypt upon the death of those who sought his life so does Jesus into his Countrey upon the death of Herod But there are other things in which our Jesus was like unto Moses Viz. In his more clear and open converse with the divine Majesty Vid. Abravenel in legem fol. 417. col 3. Thus one of the Jewish writers tells us that Moses saw clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not parabolically and aenigmatically And God tells the Israelites thus If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known to him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream My servant Moses is not so with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of
and therefore could not be done by his assistance and power Mar. 5.7 Matt. 12.29 They were a torment to the Devil and when Satan was cast out it must be granted that it was done by a power superiour to that of Satan himself Our Lord cast the Devil out of the bodies of men and did by thus confirming his Religion destroy the Kingdom of Satan in the world He is forced out of his ancient possessions and no longer suffered to delude the silly world as he had done before in his Oracles and by his Idolatrous worship and superstition Our Saviour turn'd him out of his Temples and threw him out of the bodies and hearts of men 4. I come in the next place to consider with all possible care and application the works themselves which Jesus did with the circumstances and adjuncts which attended them And I perswade my self that the more we consider them the more we shall believe that they were divine and consequently a good proof that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God 1. They were most stupendious works Joh. 11. He raised the dead and one that had been dead four days and was interred He cured the most inveterate and Chronical diseases Mar. 5.25 Luk. 13.13 Joh. 5. Joh. 9. Matt. 8.3 15. ch 9.25 ch 8.6 13 16. ch 14. ch 12.13 ch 21.19 and such as were beyond the help of art A woman that laboured twelve years of an Issue of bloud that had wasted her estate upon Physicians without success he cures her with the touch of his Garment He cures another that had a Spirit of infirmity eighteen years that was bowed together and could in no wise lift up heo self He heals another with a word of his mouth who had an infirmity eight and thirty years And restores one to his Sight who was born blind He cures the Leper and Peter's Wife's Mother that was sick of a Fever and two Blind men with a touch Cures the Paralytick and dispossesseth the Demoniacks with a word of his mouth He multiplies a few loaves and Fishes to the relief of five thousand and the fragments are many when the first store was small He cures the withered hand and with a word of his mouth dryes up the barren fig-tree The Devils obey his word he treads on the Waters as on a pavement and checks and controlls the uncertain winds and the raging Sea He restores to health and raises to life with a word of his mouth or a touch of his garment The dead hear his voice and he does these mighty works without delay and without labour He did not doe as Elisha did 2 King 4.33 2. His works were various and of several kinds He might have been presumed to have had some particular skill or gift had he onely cured one disease But here 's no room left now for suspicion Matt. 4.23 24. ch 9.35 For he healed all sorts of diseases restored the blind cleansed the lepers governed the sea and winds and makes the grave give back its dead All this could not be imputed to any particular gift or skill Joh. 9.32 It was never heard that any man let him be never so great an Oculist opened the eyes of one that was born blind It must be granted that here was the hand of God 3. These were works of mercy and kindness also Plin. which speaks them to be from God The Heathen could say Deus est mortali juvare mortalem To doe good speaks a divine principle and likeness The Jews had no cause to suspect that our Saviour was assisted by the Devil the enemy of mankind He might have confirmed his Doctrine by terrible miracles he chuses to doe it by great acts of mercy and relief He might have shaken the pillars of the earth cast a veil upon the luminaries above and confirmed his Doctrine by thunder and lightning by tempest and thick darkness and other terrible effects of his power and displeasure But our Lord delighted in mercy and his miracles were so many acts of mercy and relief He confirms his words and relieves the afflicted at the same time and makes joy and gladness where-ever he comes He cleanseth the lepers restores the blind and lame and raises the dead while the poor have the gospel preached unto them What great joy must this make where-ever he comes to them who were sed and restored and dispossessed how much joy must this needs bring to the persons relieved and to all their friends and relatives He exerts his power to relieve not to grieve or afflict mankind His miracles were so many proofs of his mercy as well as of his power It was an argument of power to dispossess a Demoniack but to the possessed it was a great act of compassion 'T was a great power that multiplied the loaves and fishes but it was bounty too to doe it for the hungry multitude There is required an infinite power to raise a dead man but 't was a great act of compassion also to raise the onely Son of the widow of Naim Luk. 7. His turning water into wine was an act of mercy and relief It was a poor wedding we suppose where the provision was spent while the guests remain and in such cases men are generally ashamed that they are not able to entertain their friends He manifested his glory when he did it and his kindness also It is a God-like thing to be great and good to use power as our Lord did his to the rescue and relief of the poor and of the miserable Our Lord went about doing good 'T is the Devil the great enemy of mankind who goes about seeking whom he may devour Our Lord 's very miracles were acts of great mercy and relief It is true our Lord cursed the Fig-tree and destroyed the herd of Swine Vid. Dr. H. More Mystery of Godliness Book 4. chap. 8. But then it is to be considered that the Fig-tree was barren to say nothing of the aenigmatical meaning of that passage and the Swine which were drowned were unclean by the law of Moses Besides in both he confirmed his Doctrine and gave great assurance of his power And it appeared in the case of the Swine that the Devils had no power to hurt those creatures without his leave 4. Our Lord's miracles were done publickly and not in a corner Matt. 9.8 ch 12.22 23. Luk. 7.11 12. Joh. 5. Luk. 4.33 Joh. 11.45 Our Lord did not shun the light When the Paralytick was cured the multitude were witnesses of the cure And when the blind and dumb was healed all the people were amazed When the Widow's Son of Naim was restored to life there was much people with Jesus When the man was cured that had been 38 years under his affliction 't was done in the City of Jerusalem and at a festival when all the tribes were there The Demoniack was dispossessed in a Synagogue and when Lazarus was raised many of the Jews were
had in confirmation of it Men are not commonly so fond of truth as to confirm it with their bloud Can we imagine that men should persist in a lie to the loss of all things At the close of chap. VI. But of this matter I have discoursed before and shall not need to pursue it now 7. That the Resurrection of the Messias was foretold in the old Testament as well as typified and therefore the Evangelists are not to be rejected by the Jews for reporting this matter The first preachers of the Christian faith did confirm this truth from the holy writings which the Jews owned They proved from them that this was foretold and they do it beyond all exception because they argue from those principles which the Jews allowed To this purpose belong those words Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That that Psalm did relate to the Messias we are able to prove from the Jewish Doctors who do acknowledge it And therefore when it was alledged to this purpose they cannot say that it was an allegation out of a place which did not belong to the Messias The Apostle applies those words to this sense He assures us that God hath fulfilled his promise in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm thou art my Son c. It being confessed by the Jews themselves that the Psalm out of which these words are cited is to be understood of the Messias I need not go about to justifie and make good that it belongs to the matter for which it is alledged Psal 2.5 Act. 13.33 I shall onely consider how fitly these words are applied to the resurrection of the Messias For thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee seem rather to relate to the birth than to the Resurrection of the Messias For the clearing of this matter it is to be considered That it is no unusual thing to call the earth our Mother as well as our Parent from whom we are born it is very common to call each of these by the same name The earth out of which we are taken and to which we return is our Mother as well as our Parent from whom we spring and our grave to which we return is our Womb as well as that of our Mothers When Julius Caesar dreamed that he had offered violence to his Mother Sueton. Jul. Caesar there were those who did interpret it arbitrium orbis terrarum portendi i. e. that he should conquer the earth quae omnium parens haberetur i. e. which is the common Mother of us all Id. Tiberius And when Tiberius died the people out of hatred prayed Terram Matrem the common Mother the Earth to give him no reception but among the wicked Philo the Jew tells us that the earth seems to be a Mother Phil. Jud. de Mundi Opificio and that thence it was that among the Ancients it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a word that at once signifies the Earth and Mother and that according to Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the earth does not so much imitate a Woman as a Woman the earth He tells us farther that nature hath given her breasts viz. the chanels of rivers and fountains After this manner do the writers of the old Testament speak with whom the grave which receives the dead is called the Womb and therefore a Resurrection from thence may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a new birth Naked came I out of my Mother's womb says Job and naked shall I return thither What we render thither the Chaldee Paraphrast expresseth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the grave Again on the other hand when the Holy Scripture speaks of the Mother's womb it does it after such a manner as refers to the Earth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mother of us all When the Psalmist speaks of his being formed in the Womb he expresses the Womb by the lowest parts of the earth which the Chaldee Paraphrast on the place interprets of the Womb of his Mother And the Virgin 's Womb seems to be meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Paulum Fagium in Gen. 37.35 i. e. the lowermost parts of the earth And to my present purpose into the innermost parts of the belly in Solomon is by the Targum rendred in profundum Sepulchri i. e. into the depth of the Grave And we find among the Jewish Writers that the Mother's womb is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sepulchre Oholoth c. 7. m. 4. He that is born and dies and is buried does but pass from one Tomb to another And he that rises out of the Womb of the earth or his grave may be said to be born anew and therefore it may well be said of our Saviour when he rose from the dead that he was then begotten And when the Apostle applies those words this day have I begotten thee to our Saviour's Resurrection he does but speak the language of the Hebrew writers and the Jews who own this Psalm to belong to the Messias have no reason to complain that those words of it should be applyed to his Resurrection Job 1.21 Ps 139.15 Eph. 4.9 Pro. 18.18 And this manner of speaking is very agreeable to the type of our Saviour's Resurrection I mean the Prophet Jonas who was three days and three nights in the Whales belly to which the heart of the earth in which Jesus was and from which he rose answers Matt. 12.40 Jonas is not onely said to have been in the belly or bowels as it is in the Hebrew of the Fish Jonah 1.17 But when he prayed unto the Lord his God there and God heard him he is said to have heard him out of the belly of Hell or as the Marginal reading hath it and the Hebrew word signifies out of the belly of the grave Jon. 2.2 And when he acknowledges his deliverance he does it in these words Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God Jon. 2.6 compare Ps 16.10 Act. 2.31 Jesus came from the Virgins Womb and the Womb of the earth The first birth was natalis Imperatoris the second natalis imperii The Prince was born when the Virgin brought him forth at Bethlehem but his Resurrection was the birth day of his Kingdom and of his entrance upon his everlasting Preisthood Upon both accounts he is justly called the Son of God as he was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the Virgins Womb and as he was raised by the Holy Ghost from the grave Augustin de Tempore Serm. 133. Virgoerat adhuc terra nondum opere compressa nondum sementi subacta Tertull. de carne Christi And there is a great cognation between the Womb and the grave The Womb of the Virgin which had received none but the Holy Jesus and the Sepulchre which Joseph had provided wherein never
I shall now shew Gen. 22.4 Hosea 6.2 Mat. 12.38 39. That Jesus did rise the third day after his death Where I shall clear this relation from the Cavils of the Jews It is certain that there could be but one whole day and two nights between the death of Jesus and his Resurrection and yet Jesus had foretold that the Son of man should be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth Again he said after three days I will rise again and destroy this Temple and after three days I will raise it up And elsewhere Jesus is said to have risen again the third day Mat. 12.40 ch 27.63 Joh. 2.19 1 Cor. 15.4 The day on which he dyed is to be reckoned for one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural day and that on which he rose for another And thus the Hebrew Writers commonly reckon in other cases The Hebrew Child was to be Circumcised the eighth day but then the day of it's birth and of it's Circumcision were both counted And the Pentecost was the fiftieth day from the day of the Wave-offering but then both the one and the other are reckoned in this account This is but the Phrase of the Old Testament We have a remarkable instance to this purpose It came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah which was the seventh year of Hoshea Son of Ela King of Israel that Shalmaneser King of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it And at the end of three years they took it even in the sixth year of Hezekiah that is the ninth year of Hoshea King of Israel Samaria was taken It is evident from hence that that is said to be done at the end of three years which from it's beginning could be but two whole years distant Again the Priests in their courses were to minister one Week as is well known And yet Josephus tells us they were obliged to minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. i. e. eight days from one Sabbath to another This will justifie us when we say that the appearance of Christ mentioned Joh. 20.26 happened on the first day of the week or on that day seven-night after his first appearance on the day of his resurrection though it be thus expressed after eight days c. And this will help us with ease to reconcile St. Luke with St. Matthew and St. Mark when he says that happened about eight days after which the other express by after six days For supposing six days compleat St. Luke might well say about eight days after Luk. 1.59 ch 2.21 1 King 18.9 10. Joh. 20.26 Mat. 17.1 Mark 9.2 with Luk. 9.27 I shall consider this third day on which Jesus rose as the first day of the week Abravenel in Legem fol. 282. col 2. ad finem which was a day very famous among the Jewish writers upon twelve accounts which I do not think my self obliged to reckon up in this place It is plain that Jesus rose upon the first day of the Week The day of his death is called the Preparation because then the Jews provided what was needfull against the approaching Sabbath When the even was come because it was the Preparation that is the day before the Sabbath says Mark. St. Luke says that day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on It was a preparation to a remarkable Sabbath which fell within the solemn festivity of the Passeover The Jews therefore because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the Cross the Sabbath day for that Sabbath was an high day besought Pilate c. Mat. 27.62 Joh. 19.42 with Exod. 16.5 Mark 15.42 Luk. 23.54 Joh. 19.31 42. That Christ rose on the first day of the week is a particular which all the four Evangelists do relate and therefore the more carefully to be heeded by us Matt. 28.1 Mark 16.2 Luk. 24.1 Joh. 20.1 The Israelites were obliged when they reaped their harvest to bring a sheaf of their first fruits unto the Priest This sheaf was to be waved on the morrow after the Sabbath This sheaf hollowed all the rest and God's acceptance of this gave the Jews a title to the rest As that was waved the morrow after the Sabbath so was our Lord at that time raised to life as the first fruits of them that slept And his Resurrection infers ours and is the great reason why we instead of the Sabbath day which was buried with our Lord keep holy the first day of the Week in memory of his Resurrection Levit. 23.10 11 12. CHAP. IX The CONTENTS Of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven That the Messias was to ascend thither This proved from Psalm 68.18 which is justly applied to this matter by St. Paul Eph. 4.8 Psalm 110.1 considered The Jews grant that Psalm to belong to the Messias An eminent type of Christ's ascension That Jesus did ascend into Heaven There were eye-witnesses of it Of the distance of forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension That Christ is not a Metaphorical Priest shewed against the followers of Socinus That this ascension into Heaven was typified by the High Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies That the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews does ch 9.24 and elsewhere infer this from the avowed principles of the Jewish Writers That the High Priest was an eminent type of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is acknowledged by Philo. Three remarkable places of that Author to this purpose That the Sanctuary was a representation of the Vniverse and the Holy of Holies of the highest Heavens proved at large from the Modern Jewish Writers and from the more Ancient Of the Veil of the Temple which rent when our Saviour suffered Mat. 27.51 What Veil that was and what was imported by the renting of it Of the effects which followed upon the exaltation of Jesus Of the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost That that gift was an argument that Jesus was a true Prophet and that he had that power which he had professed to be given to him Of the success of the Religion of Jesus in the world Success barely considered is no good argument of a good Cause and truth of a Religion yet the success of the Christian Doctrine is a good argument of it's truth if it be considered what the Authour and first Preachers of this doctrine were and what is the nature of the doctrine it self and after what manner it did prevail HAving proved that Jesus rose from the dead and shewed that his Resurrection is a great proof that he is also the Christ I shall now proceed to the consideration of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven and his being concerned there on our behalf and the mighty effects following from thence as a farther proof that Jesus is the Christ And in order hereunto I shall proceed in the following method First I shall shew that the Messias was to ascend
to the Jews imply no less What nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day The giving a law to the Jews was a special dignation and favour He sheweth his word unto Jaâ—ob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them This was a great treasure which the Jews had when the neighbouring Countries were not admitted to the favour of a Divine Revelation The study of this law is frequently pressed upon them And the devout Psalmist does upon all occasions express the great esteem which he had for it It was sweeter to him than honey more valuable than Gold and Silver 't was the joy of his heart the desire of his soul the delight of his eyes and great comfort of his life Jesus himself shewed all due regard to the law of Moses He professed that he did not come to destroy the law and the Prophets he puts the people upon searching the Scriptures he was circumcised according to the law he wore such a Garment as the law of Moses prescribed he observed the Feasts which that law appointed and when he had healed the Leper he sends him to the Priest to doe according to the law of Moses The Jews had no cause to quarrel with our Lord in this matter St. Paul who was the Apostle of the Gentiles yet allows that the giving of the law to the Jews was a singular privilege and advantage He reckons it their great advantage that unto them were committed the Oracles of God and that to them pertained the covenants and the giving of the law Deut. 4.8 Ps 147.19 20. Ps 19.10 Ps 40.8 Ps 119.70 72 92 97 136. Mat. 5.17 Joh. 5.39 Luk. 2.21 Mat. 10.20 Luk. 2.41 Joh. 2.13 23. and ch 7.2 Mat. 8.4 Rom. 3.1 2. Rom. 9.4 And as the law of Moses came from God so it must also be granted that it was as it is called by the Psalmist a perfect law That is it was well fitted for that people to whom and for that time in which and for those ends for which it was given It taught them their duty to God their neighbour and themselves and laid before them such precepts as concerned them as men as members of a Body Politick and of a Church It was so full and so complete that it wanted nothing for the end it was designed to It was expressly provided that they to whom it was given should neither add to it nor diminish from it Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I commanded you It was indeed full of rites and ceremonies but it required nothing immoral and did not allow of the least shadow of Idolatry Its precepts were just they were consistent they were plainly revealed and sufficiently confirmed Indeed many rites and ceremonies were prescribed But as they were of God's own appointment so they were ordained for wise ends also viz. to keep the people from Idolatry to which they were prone and from the foppish and superstitious usages of their neighbours for a proof of their obedience to God and for the fore-shadowing of some better things to come they were many of them very instructive and were so many Sacraments or Symbols of very weighty things Ps 19.7 Deut. 4.2 Notwithstanding what hath been said it does not follow that the law of Moses was never to be altered The Jews might not add or diminish but God himself was not bound by that law It stood upon divine authority and was revealed by God but it does not thence follow that the same authority which set it up could not take it away God no where tells us that 't is his last Revelation and that he intended it should be taken as such God is not obliged to reveal his mind all at once He may make what laws he pleaseth and add to them when he will Nay God himself does expressly declare that he would make a new Covenant And it is added not according to the covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt Jer. 31.31 32. It reflects no dishonour upon God to say that he reverses some Constitutions of his own that he alters or adds to his own laws All the laws which proceed from him are not of the same importance and moment The Jews themselves will own this and the thing is very evident and plain This appears from the greater or less punishments assigned to the transgressors of these laws There were some sins so great as admitted no Sacrifice to expiate them There were others which were easily atoned for We do not call the wisedom of God in question nor disparage his law when we shew how far short it comes of the Gospel For all this while we do but compare one Divine Revelation with another God made the Heaven and the earth and all that which he made was good It is no reflexion upon his wisedom or goodness or veracity to say that God will make a new Heaven and a new earth For God who promised to make a new covenant promised to make a new Heaven and earth also Isa 66.22 These things I thought fit to premise that I might proceed in this weighty argument with the greater caution I shall now consider the law of Moses more particularly in order to the proving this that the Gospel of Christ does excell it The whole body of the law of Moses comprizeth those precepts given by him which were either Moral Ecclesiastical or civil The Moral law concerned them as men and was given at Mount Sinai in ten distinct precepts or Commandments These are called the word or words of God and the ten words and the words of the covenant word in Scripture phrase signifying at intire sentence or precept Ps 147.19 Exod. 20. 1. Deut. 4.13.10.4 Exod 34.28 Gal. 5.14 Mark 7.13 with Matth. 15.6 The other laws which Moses gave are expressed by statutes and Judgments Ps 147.19 as the Moral are by word or words in the same place For statutes the Jewish writers tell us that they are to be understood of those precepts the reason whereof is not revealed Bechai in Legem fol. 185. Abravenel fol. 177. or at least is not obvious and plain Such were the laws concerning divers kinds concerning the scape Goat and the red Heifer and the like And to these belong the ceremonial and ritual precepts which concerned the Hebrews as they were a Church Judgments are such precepts as are more agreeable to reason and such as might at least in some measure be found out by it Such are tâ—ose which relate to adultery and theft c. These have relation to a Polity or civil Society As for
is evident that where Sacrifice was allowed toward the obtaining pardon yet sometimes the pardon was not obtained by the Sacrifice For the piacular Sacrifice was but one of the conditions upon which the pardon of the offerer did depend So that supposing the Sacrifice offered up exactly according to the Law yet the sinner was not thereupon remitted In case of trespass and wrong there was required by the Law of Moses confession of the sin and restitution also of the principal and sometime the addition of a fifth part as well as sacrifice Numb 5.7 As in some cases no Sacrifice was admitted so at other times where it was allowed yet it did not restore him to favour some other things being also required necessary to his pardon as well as that The Jews themselves tell us that the day of expiation did not procure the pardon of those sins Joma cap. 8. which men committed against their brethren till they had given satisfaction to their brethren whom they had injured If they had injured them in words they were bound to appease them and to be reconciled if they had done it in their goods they were bound to make restitution Eighthly It was a very hard thing for the Jew to know whether he were pardoned or not And notwithstanding the provision made by Sacrifices yet that provision could not ease the sinner's mind We will suppose the greatest care used to obtain pardon by an expiatory Sacrifice yet the offerer would be left uneasie in his own mind In such a multitude of precepts and of that nature also which the Mosaical were it was almost impossible for a man to know whether he had transgressed or not and consequently whether he was obliged to bring his sin or trespass-offering Hence it was that the Jews appointed a trespass-offering which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a doubtfull trespass-offering which they thought themselves obliged to bring when it was a doubtfull case whether they had transgressed or not Lastly It is very certain that these Sacrifices of the Law of Moses were not to continue for ever The Jews were given to understand so much and God taught them this more ways than one He annexed them to a certain place and to a certain family who were to offer them up and when that place was no longer in the possession of the Jews they were discharged from all their obligation to offer Sacrifices at once And besides that many of them were but types and shadows of things to come and were therefore in due time to cease God did expresly foretell this to the Jews and the Jewish writers themselves are forced to confess no less Of the Messias the Prophet Daniel prophesies that he should cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease Dan. 9.27 That is all the offerings made by fire whatsoever The Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us the same of burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin Heb. 10.6 That is Sacrifices which were expiatory And there is a saying to this purpose among the Jewish writers Midrash Tillim in Psal 56.12 v. Abravenel de cap. fidei cum Vorstio c. 13. that every Corban or Sacrifice should cease but that the Sacrifice of praise should never cease And this saying of the Jews relates to the days of the Messias The Sacrifices allowed in the Law of Moses were of very little moment in their own nature They were never designed to continue longer than the City the Temple and Altar stood to which they were annexed v. Seder Tephilloth fol. 6. c. 3. Venetiis Anno 1566. The expiatory ones were shadows of an invaluable Sacrifice and the others that were Eucharistical as to the main continue still We now offer up our spiritual Sacrifices our Prayers and our Alms and our whole selves to the Great Creatour and Governour of Heaven and Earth the God and Father of Jesus Christ The holy flame upon the Altar during the Law of Moses was says Philo the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. de Victim offerent a symbol of thanksgiving Thore things were types or symbols he tells us of spiritual things and that the gratefull mind of a wise man is God's Altar Thus I have given some account of the defects of the Jewish Religion as it was delivered to them by Moses and as it stands compared with the Religion which our Jesus taught I shall now proceed to shew That these defects are made up and supplied by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that the Christian Religion is thereupon very far preferible to that of the Jews And to the making this evident I shall 1. Consider the Precepts of Christian Religion and look upon it as a rule of life and we shall find it the most accurate rule of life that ever was made known to the World There is not in any Religion whatsoever any parallel to the Christian The Precepts of this Religion are agreeable to the reason of mankind they tend to perfect humane nature and render it like the Divine They approve themselves to the Consciences of all wife and considering men and those very men who do not obey them cannot but approve of them and have an inward veneration for them who do As to that duty we owe to God we are taught to perform it becoming his Divine Majesty and his adorable perfections We are directed to believe him to fear him above all to love him with our whole heart to trust in him and depend upon him in all our straits and needs to submit quietly to his Government and to do his will To worship him with pure hearts to pray to him with great fervour and constancy To give him hearty thanks and to do what we do for his Glory And these duties are founded upon the greatest reason For if we believe his veracity we are obliged to give credit to his Revelation though we be not able to comprehend what he doth reveal He that is almighty ought to be feared above all and he who is onely good and most beneficial to us ought be loved with our whole heart Upon whom shall we trust and relye but upon him who is able and willing to help them that trust in him Is it not fit we should submit to him who is infinitely wise and who governs all things in Heaven and earth And whose will should we do but his who is without iniquity who is just and right If he be a Spirit it is fit we should worship him in Spirit and in truth And since we know that he hears it is very reasonable we should at all times and with great ardour pray unto him And since we receive all good things from him it is but just we should praise him as the Authour of all and that we should glorifie him as the ultimate end of all For the duties we owe to one another Christian Religion gives the most incomparable rules It requires a patient submission to our Superiors
and Governours even then when we suffer wrong It teaches us the most exact justice and the greatest humanity and mercy to one another It obligeth us to pray for our greatest enemies and to forgive them who do us the greatest wrong It allows us to do no wrong to another and to return none which is done to us It is so far from allowing us to kill those who are of another Religion that it permits us not to hate them There is no friendship so inviolable and sacred no Justice so impartial no charity so unfained and extended and so fervent no gentleness so exemplary as that which obtains among the genuine followers of Jesus They who are such live at perfect peace with one another they think no evil so far they are from doing it They love one another with a pure heart fervently As to our selves our holy Religion recommends to us the profoundest humility the greatest meekness under calumnies patience under sufferings contentedness in every condition it teaches the most unbroken fortitude the most unspotted chastity the most unshaken constancy it teacheth us strict temperance in eating and drinking great moderation in the use of bodily exercises painfull diligence in our several callings a singular modesty and gravity it puts us upon the greatest simplicity and candour the greatest contempt of worldly things and the greatest hunger and thirst after Spiritual This holy Religion commends to our care and to our thoughts whatsoever things are true honest or venerable just and pure lovely and of good report that have any thing of vertue and any just title to praise Phil. 4.8 There is nothing commanded that is mean and low and unbecoming the greatest rank of men the highest birth or the most refined wits Here 's nothing required of us that is unreasonable and unaccountable We must be very humble but here 's room too for the greatest fortitude and courage We must be modest but may not be sneaking and cowardly and afraid to appear for the truth We must be grave but need not be morose just but not inclement long-suffering but not stupid courteous but free from foolish affectation here we are taught true greatness of mind but not insolence poverty of Spirit without dejectedness and a contempt of the world without haughtiness fortitude is commended but not audacity constancy but not contumacy diligence but not anxious carefulness This Religion teaches us to prefer the publick good before our private to prefer what is just to what we judge commodious to abridge our selves of our own liberties for the good of others What Celsus objected of old against the Christians v. Orig. contra Celsum l. 8. that they shunned the dedication of Altars of Statues and of Temples did but import that their Religion was spiritual and so indeed it is and 't is a great perfection which belongs to it It is not charged and burthened with ceremonies 2 Col. 20. and ordinances and rudiments of the world as the law of Moses was But what was aenigmatically and symbolically taught in the law of Moses is plainly delivered in the Christian Religion We are taught to offer up fervent Prayers instead of incense to pare away all superfluity of naughtiness instead of circumcising the foreskin we have our Sacrifices of praise instead of the bloudy Sacrifices and are taught to offer up to God our souls and bodies instead of the Holocausts prescribed in that law We are required to pay a reasonable service instead of that bodily one which God required of the Jews by Moses Those things which our Religion requires are good in themselves and the practice of them makes us better and are therefore of general and universal good to mankind and the whole race of mankind is concerned in them They are not municipal or topical laws which oblige onely in one place or Countrey but they oblige every where in all times and all Persons whatsoever Origen contra Cels l. 7. The Christian says Origen looks upon every place as a part of the Vniverse and upon the Vniverse as the Temple of God and therefore prays in every place We are all united by the Religion of Jesus into one body and are all concerned in his holy Laws The difference between the Jew and Gentile is quite taken away and we are all one in Christ Jesus This difference was once very great The Jews were tyed to certain ordinances and observations which rendred them very different from the Gentile world and they thought they could not converse with them by their Religion and did despise them greatly hence it was that there was a great Enmity between the one and the other and thus things stood till Jesus came and till he suffered Eph. 2.14 15. But by cancelling those distinguishing Laws and Ordinances which he did by his Cross he abolished the Enmity and made peace He did thereby reconcile both to God having slain the Enmity 1 Cor. 12.13 Gal. 3.28 Ephes 3.6 There were some things allowed in the Law of Moses upon the account of the hardness of the Jews hearts and for the time of the Mosaical dispensation which are now by the better Law of Jesus superseded such were Polygamy and Divorces And many other things were required during that Minority of the Church which we are in no wise obliged to Our Religion is full of the most weighty principles and commends to us those things which are of the greatest and highest importance whatsoever I proceed to consider 2. The Reward annexed to our obedience of these holy Precepts and that is Eternal life The Jews were engaged to obey their Law by promise of Temporal rewards Those rewards were very suitable to that Carnal people and very proportionate to those rudiments of the World Thus we doe with Children when they goe to School to learn their first Elements we allure them with knacks and toys that we may engage them to lay the foundation of more manly wisedom pueris dant Crustula blandi Doctores elementa velint ut discere prima God did thus by the Israelites He invited them to obey those ordinances by the promise of victory and plenty and long life He designed all this while greater things and though he did not clearly promise yet he did intend to bestow the Blessing of Eternal life to his sincere and faithfull Servants But the clear promise of Eternal life was a blessing which God reserved for the times of the Gospel The good men under the Law obtained indeed a good report by faith And by the great things they did and suffered they gave proof that their faith was sincere and accompanied with an hope that extended beyond this present state But still the express promise of Eternal life was reserved for the days of the Messias And this is the clear meaning of the words of the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 11.39 40. Where speaking of the holy men of old time he adds And
been perverted by some men and scoffed at by others In all that I have done I have sincerely pursued after truth if I have any where mistaken I shall most readily and thankfully hearken to him who shall shew me my Error I do intend a second part in which I design to examine the objections which we find in the Jewish writers against the truth which I have defended in this first and against the Religion which Jesus taught I shall in that particularly consider their pretenses for their unbelief And they are such as these viz. That their law is of perpetual obligation that the promise of the Messias was conditional and the time of his coming not fixed that there are some Prophecies relating to the Messias and his times not fulfilled in Jesus c. I do very well know that there are in the Church of England a great number of men who are better sitted for such an undertaking than I am I should be so far from esteeming it a disappointment if any of them would prevent me in what I design farther that it would be matter of rejoycing to me And if what I have done already may be but an occasion to excite some other person to doe better I shall think my time well spent and be very well content that what I have here offered should be laid aside or overlooked The Contents of the several Chapters contained in this Book CHAP. I. Of the name Jesus That this name by which our Saviour was called and distinguished from other men is no objection against the Prediction Isa 7.14 The importance of the name Jesus In what sense our Lord is said to be a Saviour His Salvation compared with the deliverances mentioned in the Old Testament Of the word Christ Of anointing things and persons and the design of it Of the anointing of Jesus Some account of the Jewish constitutions about anointing with their holy Oil. pag. 5 6. CHAP. II. It is agreed between Jews and Christians I. That there was a Messias promised and II. That there was such a person as our Jesus and III. That there was at that time when Jesus lived a general expectation of the Messias That hence it was that there appeared so many Impostours about that time An account of some of them from Josephus Of the promises of the Messias and the gradual revealing of them A Passage in Maimon concerning the Afternoon-Prayer misrepresented by a late learned writer Several particulars relating to the Messias predicted pag. 42. CHAP. III. Of the birth of Jesus Of his lineage and kindred Of the place of his birth The seeming difference in the account of Bethlehem by the Prophet Micah and St. Matthew reconciled Of his being born of a Virgin A particular explication of 1. Tim. 2.15 She shall be saved in Child-bearing The time of his birth agreed with the predictions and general expectation of some great Person Several testimonies to this purpose The miserable shifts and evasions of the Jews pag. 58. CHAP. IV. That the Messias was to be a Prophet Deut. 18. v. 18. considered That our Jesus was a Prophet like unto Moses shewed in sundry particulars That the Messias was to converse much in Galilee according to the prediction Isa 9.1 2 3. That place more particularly considered That our Jesus did so Several other Characters of the Messias belonged to Jesus That the Messias as was predicted was to doe stupendious works pag. 87. CHAP. V. The works of Jesus Mat. 11.4 5. considered Of the miracles which Jesus did The vanity of the Jews in attempting to disparage them The opinion of Maimonides that the Messias would not work miracles considered and the Authour of Tractatus Theolog Polit. What a Miracle imports That the Messias was to work miracles proved against Maimonides That they are a good argument of the truth of a Doctrine That Jesus did work true miracles This proved at large pag. 105 106. CHAP. VI. The Miracles which Jesus did compared with those which were really wrought by the hands of Moses with the pretended ones of the Church of Rome and with those storied of Apollonius Tyanaeus and some other Heathens Of the sufficient assurance which we have that Jesus did those works which are reoprted of him pag. 161. CHAP. VII That the Messias according to the predictions of him was to suffer This proved against the Jews Of the vanity of their twofold Messias the Son of Joseph and the Son of David The reason why the Jews make use of this pretence That Jesus did suffer That he suffered those things which the Messias was to suffer Luk. 24.26 46. and Act. 3.18 considered Zech. 9.9 to be understood of the Messias this proved against the Jews at large Of the kind of Christ's death Crucifixion was none of the Jewish capital punishments Of the Brazen Serpent Numb 21. St. John ch 3.14 considered The Jewish Writers acknowledge that the brazen Serpent was symbolical and spiritually to be understood Of the time when Jesus suffered that it did exactly agree with the type of the sufferings of the Messias A large digression concerning this matter Exod 12.6 considered Castalio justly censured for his ill rendring that place Of the two Evenings among the Jews The ground we have for it in the Scriptures The testimony of R. Solomon Of the practice of the Jewish Nation as to the time of offering their evening Sacrifice and the Passeover This shewed from their best Authours An objection from Deut. 16. v. 6. answered Jesus died at that time when the Paschal Lamb was to be slain Of the place and many other particulars relating to the sufferings of Jesus Of the great causes and reasons of the sufferings of Jesus Of the Burial of Jesus pag. 191 192. CHAP. VIII Of the Resurrection of Jesus That we have sufficient evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead That we have the most unexceptionable humane Testimony Why the same number of men are called the eleven and the twelve elsewhere when they were but Ten John 21.14 Explained This confirmed by the Testimony of an Angel and by Divine Testimony That Jesus removed all cause of doubting of the truth of his Resurrection That there were a select number of Men chosen to be witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus That these witnesses as also the Evangelists are worthy of belief That it was foretold that the Messias should rise from the dead The words Ps 11.5 This day have I begotten thee are justly applied to this matter This proved against the Jews at large That Jesus rose from the dead is an undeniable proof that he is the Messias and of the greatest importance to us Of the time when Jesus rose from the dead Why on the third day And how he could be said to rise on the third day who was but one whole day in the Sepulchre and how this agrees with Matt. 12.40 where Jesus said he should be three days and three nights in the heart of the
Earth The third day on which Jesus rose considered as the first day of the Week pag. 264 265. CHAP. IX Of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven That the Messias was to ascend thither This proved from Psalm 68.18 which is justly applied to this matter by St. Paul Eph. 4.8 Psalm 110.1 considered The Jews grant that Psalm to belong to the Messias An eminent type of Christ's ascension That Jesus did ascend into Heaven There were eye-witnesses of it Of the distance of forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension That Christ is not a Metaphorical Priest shewed against the followers of Socinus That this ascension into Heaven was typified by the High Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies That the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews does ch 9.24 and elsewhere infer this from the avowed principles of the Jewish Writers That the High Priest was an eminent type of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is acknowledged by Philo. Three remarkable places of that Authour to this purpose That the Sanctuary was a representation of the Vniverse and the Holy of Holies of the highest Heavens proved at large from the Modern Jewish Writers and from the more Ancient Of the Veil of the Temple which rent when our Saviour suffered Mat. 27.51 What Veil that was and what was imported by the renting of it Of the effects which followed upon the exaltation of Jesus Of the mirculous gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost That that gift was an argument that Jesus was a true Prophet and that he had that power which he had professed to be given to him Of the success of the Religion of Jesus in the world Success barely considered is no good argument of a good Cause and truth of a Religion yet the success of the Christian Doctrine is a good argument of it's truth if it be considered what the Authour and first Preachers of this doctrine were and what is the nature of the Doctrine it self and after what manner it did prevail pag. 305 306 307. CHAP. X. What was predicted of the Messias was fulfilled in our Jesus This appeared in the birth of Jesus in his Office and Character in his Works in his Sufferings and Resurrection and the spreading of his doctrine The adoreable providence of God in bringing Events to pass This shewed in very many particulars This is a farther proof that Jesus is the Christ pag. 376. CHAP. XI The Christian Religion more Excellent than that given by Moses and consequently the best in the World The Pagan Religion not worthy of regard The wiser Heathens guilty of great inconsistencies and evil Principles The Stoicks upon sundry accounts very blameable The Law given by Moses came from God in what sense it was a perfect Law It was not unalterable A general distribution of the Precepts of that Law The defects of it I As a rule of life Many of its Precepts not good in their own Nature They obliged the Jews onely and were annexed to their Land or some part of it Many of them Political II The reward annexed to the Obedience of that Law was but Temporal III It was not attended with the promise of Divine assistance IV Nor was there that hope of pardon which was afterward given in the Gospel The Sacrifices allowed to that purpose very defective This shewed at large For some sins no Sacrifice was allowed Sacrifices were not pleasing to God of their own Nature The Expiation did not depend upon the value of the oblation He that brought an Expiatory sacrifice was not allowed to eat any part of it The repetition of the Sacrifices another Argument of their weakness In some cases the Sacrifice was but one of those things required in order to pardon The Legal Sacrifices were not designed to continue for ever That the defects of the Law of Moses are supplied in the Christian Religion Of the excellent Precepts of the Christian Religion Of the promise of Eternal life therein clearly revealed and of the great moment of it Of the Divine assistance attending this Religion Of the assurance of pardon from the Christian Religion and the sure foundation which it lays for the quieting the Consciences of Men. The usefulness of the foregoing discourse A more particular inquiry into the great Ends or Causes for which the Law of Moses was given The Conclusion of this Discourse pag. 394 395. THE INTRODUCTION I Do intend with God's assistance in the ensuing Discourse to prove that our Jesus is the Christ And shall by way of introduction to this weighty Argument reflect something upon the words of St. Peter to the Jews Act. 2.36 And for the better understanding those words it is to be remembred that our Jesus before he left his Disciples promised them the presence and the aid of the Holy Ghost and a little before his Ascension into Heaven he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me Act. 2.4 Nor did our Saviour fail to make good his promise but when the day of Pentecost was fully come they are filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance This happened at Jerusalem at a great solemnity and at a time when the devout and religious of several Nations were together in the City who heard the Apostles speak in the language of their several Countries the wonderfull works of God And they were all amazed and were in a doubt saying one to another what meaneth this v. 12. And there were among the rest very evil men that were so malicious as to mock and say these men are full of new wine v. 13. This calumny St. Peter disproves and lets them know that they spake by the power of the Holy Ghost And then he preaches to them the resurrection and ascension of Jesus who was approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs And he gives them to understand that as this Jesus had received of the father the promise of the Holy Ghost so he had also now bestowed this Holy Ghost upon them the effect of which gift they saw and heard And thereupon concludes as well he might that he is the Messias that was promised Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Act. 11.36 Before I proceed I shall take notice of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath made that same Jesus That is says Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath ordained or appointed Jesus to be Lord and Christ And the Greek word will well bear this sense as well as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus it is said of our Saviour Mar. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. he made twelve or ordained twelve as we translate it well He chose twelve says the Syriac version Again Gen. 41.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
a prediction afterwards Isa 7. This was fulfilled in our Jesus who was made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 And born of a Virgin Mat. 1.18 and v. 22 23. For the lineage and kindred of the Messias that is also predicted viz. That he should be of the Tribe of Judah of the Family of Jesse and the house of David Micah 5.2 Gen. 49.10 Isa 11.10 Jer. 23.5 This was also fulfilled in our Jesus Luk. 1.27 69. Mat. 1.1 The place where the Messias was to be born was Bethlehem and this was fulfilled in our Jesus Micah 5.2 with Mat. 2.5 6. Again Jesus was born at that time when the Messias was to be born according to the predictions of the old Testament Gen. 49.10 Dan. 9. Hag. 2. Mal. 3. If the Messias were to be a Prophet and like unto Moses so was Jesus also Deut. 18.18 Joh. 6.14 If he were to live in Galilee so did Jesus Isa 9.1 2 3. Mat. 2.22 23. with ch 4.14 If the Messias be described as peaceable as righteous as lowly all this agrees to our Jesus also Isa 9.6.11.5 Zech. 9.9 with Mat. 11.29 and ch 12.18 If the Messias were to appear in the second Temple so did Jesus Hag. 2.7 9. with Joh. 18.20 The very works which the Messias was to doe Jesus did Isa 35.5 6. with Mat. 11.4 5. And they were such works as none could do without the assistance of God himself If the Messias were to suffer so did Jesus He dyed after the same manner and at the same time and in the same place and under the same circumstances which were predicted of old concerning the Messias The very Person which betrayed him the price for which he was sold the company that suffered with him the usage he was to receive in his last minutes these things were foretold of the Messias and accomplished in our Jesus The very parting of his Garments the Scoffs of the multitude his behaviour and his last words the exempting his bones from being broken these things were predicted and prefigured of old and all fulfilled in Jesus and so was his honourable burial and interment as I have shewed before at large in the seventh Chapter of this discourse If the Messias was to rise from the dead so did Jesus He rose again the third day as he himself had foretold and as had been predicted of the Messias Of the truth of the matter of fact we have the utmost evidence After this he went up into Heaven and sent thence the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost and his Religion was preached to every creature And as it was universally preached so it spread universally also and that it did so is an argument that it came from God From a small and unlikely beginning it came to a very great encrease It prospered under afflictions and the severest persecutions It put to flight the Devil and his Kingdom that made head against it with Sword and Buckler without striking a stroke It prevailed upon warlike Nations without the instruments of War It triumphed over the wise without any worldly eloquence It vanquished the strong holds of the Devil by instruments that were very weak and inconsiderable It advanced by prayers and tears by patience under sufferings by meekness and gentleness Thus it conquered and grew big in spight of all the power the malice and cunning of the Devil and all his instruments No fire could consume it no enemies Sword could destroy it no proscriptions could banish it out of the world It was too strong for the powerfull Tyrant it seared neither his Rod or Axes nay it despised his greatest torments and most studied cruelties It is farther to be considered that as all which was predicted of the Messias was as hath been shewn fulfilled in our Jesus so these accomplishments came to pass by a most stupendious and adorable providence of God in such a way and such a manner through so many unlikely hoods and seeming contingences as speaks a miraculous and over-ruling Providence of God Here 's nothing of the wisedom and craft of men nothing of their power and cooperation to be acknowledged The Stone which the Builders rejected the same became the head-stone of the Corner And from thence we may very justly infer that this was the Lord's doing And if we attend to it with due application of mind it will be wonderfull in our eyes This consideration must needs strike every pious and devout Soul with a profound sense of the unspeakable wisedom as well as goodness of God in contriving our Salvation by ways that men could never have devised and in making good and accomplishing what he had promised and foretold by ways and means to humane wisedom very unlikely and very disproportionate I shall look back upon what I have said concerning the completing the predictions in our Jesus and shew the wonderfull providence of God in bringing Events to pass Christ was to be born at Bethlehem and so it must be God had foretold it the Jews expected it and the Chief Priests and Scribes when they were consulted by Herod where he was to be born tell him the same Mat. 2.4 5. It was very unlikely that Jesus should have been born there for he was conceived at Nazareth there his Mother lived when she was great with Child at a great distance from Bethlehem but removes to Bethlehem in her own Tribe upon an occasion of a decree of Augustus Caesar Luk. 2. c. Who therein though unwittingly was an occasion of fulfilling a Divine Prophecy Again the Messias was promised under the Character of the seed of the Woman that expression does not exclude the Womans relation to a man but will admit the Woman to be espoused and betrothed It was afterwards predicted that he should be born of a Virgin It was not likely indeed that this should be verified in Jesus For besides that what was foretold was against the course of nature viz. that a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a Son so it was very probable that she that was espoused to a man and in the sense of the law his wife would not continue a Virgin But God had foretold this and he will make his word good And Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin even after she was espoused unto Joseph She continued a Virgin though she were betrothed and so far had upon her the obligation of a wife Thus at once was Jesus the seed of a Woman as that word implies her betrothed to a man and the Son of a Virgin also This was a most surprising thing to the Blessed Virgin her self She said unto the Angel who told her what should come to pass How shall this be Luk. 1.34 I shall add to this head the words of a very excellent Person which he spake upon this occasion I am fully perswaded says he that if either Jew or Atheist would but search the Scriptures with hearts as devoid of prejudice and minds as free from other thoughts and cares
as most men bring to famous plays or comedies This contemplation would enforce the one to acknowledge that the prophecies in old time came not by the will of man The other that Jesus the Son of Mary was he of whom Moses and all the Prophets spake Christ was to be born of the Tribe of Judah and of the house and family of David And to that purpose that Tribe and that family must not onely continue but continue so distinct that it might be known who belonged to the one and the other It is not a common thing that any family and kindred continues so many hundred years And indeed it was not likely that they should have continued and continued distinct and separate considering the great changes that passed upon and threatened them either with utter ruine or confusion They were in great danger of one and the other in the days of Ahaz and in the captivity of Babylon And in after times the house of David lay neglected for many years but so it was they are not quite destroyed till this Son of David is born The birth of Jesus makes good what God had promised of old time And the Divine Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews does near the time when Jesus lived and to the Jews themselves who had the opportunity of knowing the truth in this matter affirm that it was Evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah Heb. 7.14 And Jesus was known to be and commonly owned to be the Son of David Mat. 1.1 What God had promised of old he and he was onely able to doe it in due time made good The Messias was to be born before the destruction of the second Temple and while the Jews were a distinct people and Polity He was to add Glory to the latter house and to appear before the Jews were quite scattered abroad This was foretold of the Messias Gen. 49.10 Hag. 2. Mal. 3. The Jews before Jesus was born were in great measure in the hands of the Romans and Herod of an Idumoean extraction had for some time lorded it over them but then he is born while the Jews continue a distinct people live by their own laws and in their own land and goes into that Temple which according to the foregoing Prophecies he was to enter into and render glorious by his presence and conversation The great deliverer comes at his appointed time viz. at the declension of the Jewish Polity and before the expiration of the times predicted of old And though the Jewish affairs were very low and their polity near to an end yet is Jesus born before their final destruction which was at hand For the Counsel of God that shall stand It was not very likely that he who was born at Bethlehem beyond the intention of his Mother and reputed Father should thence go into Egypt and at his return go into Galilee and live there but both the one and the other were predicted of the Messias and how unlikely soever they were to come to pass they were fulfilled in our Jesus He was carried into Egypt upon occasion of the cruelty of Herod and at his return thence into Galilee upon occasion of Archelaus his reign in Judaea and the warning which Joseph received from God in a dream Hosea 11.1 with Mat. 2.15 Isa 9.1 2 3. with Mat. 2.22 Who would have expected a Prophet then in Israel where prophecy had ceased ever since the days of Zechary and Malachy and there was now no such kind of men known among the Jews Or that this great Prophet who was born in Judaea and near the great City of Jerusalem should live in the remote and obscure Countrey of Galilee That he should live in a Countrey from whence there was hardly ever known any Prophet to proceed and where he was like to continue with little notice regard or observation And that he that lived in so obscure a Countrey should do so great and stupendious works to the wonder and astonishment of those that saw them That such an illustrious person should proceed from so obscure a Countrey Joh. 7.41 If we go on to consider the death of Jesus we shall find all things agree to the predictions of old and came to pass in such a manner as speaks a miraculous providence of God That he who was born should die hath nothing of wonder in it But it is very strange that he should deliver him to death who at the same time pronounced him innocent That he should dye upon a Cross whom the people were so forward to have stoned That he should be Crucified who if he had been guilty should by the law of the Countrey have been stoned That he who had so many enemies should yet be betrayed by one of his own disciples That he who had the bag and had all therefore that Jesus had should betray him for so vile a price as thirty peices of Silver That the money for which he was sold this price of bloud should be employed in a work of mercy to buy a field to Lury Strangers in That he should drink Vinegar on the Cross instead of a Narcotick potion of Myrrh-wine contrary to the constant custome and usage of the Countrey where he suffered That the Souldiers should cast lots for his Coat contrary to their constant custome when they had parted his Garments and did so by them who were Crucified with him That he should dye among thieves and malefactors who spent his time in doing good That he who lived so usefully should be scoffed and taunted at when he hung upon the Cross and that the multitude who are wont to pity the dying Criminal should put off all humanity and in a set form of words deride him in his greatest misery That Jesus should hold his peace who suffered wrongfully when his enemies were impatient and clamorous and the whole creation groaned and was disordered That when it was the custome to break the bones of the Crucified and 't was practized at that time upon them who suffered with Jesus and they who were concerned came with an intention to break his also that yet a bone of him should not be broken That he who was Crucified which was a Roman punishment Casaubon Exercitation p. 464. edit Francf 1615. and none of the Jewish capital ones should be buried also contrary to the practice of the Romans who did not bury those who dyed upon a Cross That he who dyed among malefactors should not be buried with them also That he who dyed so ignominious a death should have an honourable burial That persons of the highest rank and Character should agree together in his honourable interment These things are so strange and so surprizing so much beyond what any History besides does afford us that if we believe but the matter of fact which we have all the reason in the world to believe we cannot but find great cause to adore the all-wise God who accomplished in Jesus whatever was