PART I. From the fall to the flood.

THIS was a period farthest of all distant from Christ's incar­nation; yet then this great work was begun to be carried on; then was this glorious building begun, that will not be finished till the end of the world, as I would now show you how. To this purpose I would observe,

I. As soon as ever man fell, Christ entered on his mediatorial work. Then it was that Christ first took on him the work and office of a mediator. He had undertaken it before the world was made. He stood engaged with the Father to appear as man's me­diator, and to take on that office when there should be occasion, from all eternity. But now the time was come. When man fell, then the occasion came; and then Christ immediately, without fur­ther delay, entered on his work, and took on him that office that he had stood engaged to take on him from eternity. As soon as ever man fell, Christ the eternal Son of God clothed himself with the mediatorial character, and therein presented himself before the Father. He immediately stepped in between an holy, infinite, offended Majesty, and offending mankind▪ and was accepted in his interposition; and so wrath was prevented from going forth in the full execution of that amazing curse that man had brought on himself.

It is manifest that Christ began to exercise the office of mediator between God and man as soon as ever man fell, because mercy be­gan to be exercised towards man immediately. There was mercy in the forbearance of God, that he did not destroy him, as he did the angels when they fell. But there is no mercy exercised to­ward fallen man but through a mediator. If God had not in mer­cy restrained Satan, he would immediately have seized on his pr [...]y. Christ began to do the part of an intercessor for man as soon as he fell. There is no mercy exercised towards man but what is ob­tained through Christ's intercession: so that now Christ was en­tered on his work that he was to continue in throughout all ages [Page 20] of the world. From that day forward Christ took on him the ca [...]e of the church of the elect: he took on him the care of fallen man in the exercise of all his offices; he undertook thenceforward to teach mankind in the exercise of his prophetical office; and also to intercede for fallen man in his priestly office; and he took on him, as it were, the care and burden of the government of the church, and of the world of mankind, from this day forward. He from that time took upon him the care of the defence of his elect church from all their enemies. When Satan, the grand ene­my, had conquered and overthrown man, the business of refining and conquering him was committed to Christ. He thencefor­ward undertook to manage that subtle powerful adversary. He was then appointed the Captain of the Lord's hosts, and the Cap­tain of their salvation, and always acted as such thenceforward: and so he appeared from time to time, and he will continue to act as such to the end of the world. Henceforward this lower world, with all its concerns, was, as it were, d [...]volved upon the Son of God; for when man had sinned, God the Father would have no more to do with man immediately; he would no more have any immediate concern with this world of mankind, that had apostatized from and rebelled against him. He would hence­forward have no concern with man, but only through a mediator, either in teaching men, or in governing or bestowing any bene­fits on them.

Therefore, when we read in sacred history what God did from time to time towards his church and people, and what he said to them, and how he revealed himself to them, we are to understand it especially of the second person of the Trinity. When we read of God's appearing after the fall, from time to time, in some visi­ble form or outward symbol of his presence, we are ordinarily, if not universally, to understand it especially of the second person of the Trinity; which may be argued from John i.18. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." He is therefore call­ed "the image of the invisible God," Col. i.15.; intimating, that though God the Father be invisible, yet Christ is his image or [...] presentation, by which he is seen, or by which the church of God hath often had a representation of him, that is not invisible▪ and in particular that Christ has after appeared in an human form.

Yea not only was this lower world devolved on Christ, that he might have the care and government of it, and order it agreeably to his design of redemption, but also in some respect the whole u­niverse. The angels from that time were committed to him, to be subject to him in his mediatorial office, to be ministring spi­rits to him in this affair; and accordingly were so from this time forward, as is manifest by the scripture-history, wherein we have [Page 21] accounts from time to time of their acting as ministring spirits in the affairs of the church of Christ.

Therefore we may suppose, that immediately on the fall of man, it was made known in heaven among the angels, that God had a design of redemption with respect to fallen man, and that Christ had now taken upon him the office and work of a mediator be­tween God and man, that they might know their business hencefor­ward, which was to be subservient to Christ in this office. As Christ, in this office, has since that, as God-man, Mediator, been solemnly exalted and enstalled the King of heaven, and is thenceforward as God-man, Me [...]iator, the Light, and as it were, the Sun of heaven, agreeable to Rev. xxi.23. "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof;" so this revelation that was made in heaven a­mong the angels, of Christ's now having taken on him the office of a mediator between God and man, was as it were the first dawn­ing of this light in heaven. When Christ ascended into heaven after his passion, and was solemnly installed in the throne as King of heaven, then this sun rose in heaven, even the Lamb that is the light of the new Jerusalem. But the light began to dawn immedi­ately after the fall.

II. Presently upon this the gospel was first revealed on the earth, in these words, Gen. iii.15. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." We must sup­pose, that God's intention of redeeming fallen man was first sig­nified in heaven, before it was signified on earth, because the busi­ness of the angels as ministring spirits of the Mediator required it; for as soon as ever Christ had taken on him the work of a media­tor, it was requisite that the angels should be ready immediately to be subservient to him in that office; so that the light first dawn­ed in heaven; but very soon after the same was signified on earth. In those words of God there was an intimation of another surety to be appointed for man, after the first surety had failed. This was the first revelation of the covenant of grace; this was the first dawn­ing of the light of the gospel on earth.

This lower world before the fall enjoyed noon-day light; the light of the knowledge of God▪ the l [...]ght of his glory, and the light of his favour. But when man [...] all this light was at once ex­tinguished, and the world reduced back [...]g [...]in to total darkness; a worse darkness than that which was in the beginning of the world that we read of Gen. i.2 "And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness [...] upon the [...]ace of the deep." This was a darkness a thousand times more remediless than that. Neither [Page 22] man nor angels could find out any way whereby this darkness might be scattered. This darkness appeared in its blackness then, when Adam and his wife saw that they were naked, and [...]ewed fig leaves, and when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden, and hid themselves among the trees of the garden; and when God first called them to an account, and said to Adam, What is this that thou hast done? "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat?" Then we may suppose that their hearts were filled with shame and terror. But these words of God, Gen. iii.15. were the first dawning of the light of the gospel after this darkness. Now first appeared some glimmering of light after this dismal darkness, which before this was without one glimpse of light, any beam of comfort, or any the least hope. It was an obscure revelation of the gospel; and was not made to Adam or Eve directly, but it was in what God said to the serpent. But yet it was very comprehensive, as might be easily shown, would it not take up too much time.

Here was a certain intimation of a merciful design by "the seed of the woman," which was like the first glimmerings of the light of the sun in the east when the day first dawns. This intimation of mercy was given them even before sentence was pronounced on ei­ther Adam or Eve, from tenderness to them, to whom God designed mercy, lest they should be overborn with a sentence of condemna­tion, without having any thing held forth whence they could ga­ther any hope.

One of those great things that were intended to be done by the work of redemption, is more plainly intimated here than the rest, viz. God's subduing his enemies under the feet of his Son. This was threatened now, and God's design of this was now first declared, which was the work Christ had now undertaken, and which he soon began, and carried on henceforward, and will perfectly accomplish at the end of the world. Satan probably had triumphed greatly in the fall of man, as though he had defeated the design of God in the creation of man and the world in general. But in these words God gives him a plain intimation, that he should not finally tri­umph, but that a complete victory and triumph should be obtained over him by the seed of the woman.

This revelation of the gospel in this verse was the first thing that Christ did in his prophetical office. You may remember that it was said in the first of those three propositions that have been mentioned, that from the fall of man to the incarnation of Christ, God was doing those things that were preparatory to Christ's com­ing and working out redemption, and were forerunners and ear­nests of it. And one of those things which God did in this time [...] Christ's coming into the world, was to [Page 23] foretel and promise it, as he did from time to time, from age to age, till Christ came. This was the first promise that ever was gi­ven of it, the first prediction that ever was made of it on earth.

III. Soon after this, the custom of sacrificing was appointed, to be a steady type of the sacrifice of Christ till he should come, and offer up himself a sacrifice to God. Sacrificing was not a custom first established by the Levitical law of Moses; for it had been a part of God's instituted worship long before, even from the be­ginning of God's visible church on earth. We read of the patri­archs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, offering sacrifice, and before them Noah, and before him Abel. This was by divine appoint­ment; for it was part of God's worship in his church, that was of­fered up in faith, and that he accepted: which proves that it was by his institution; for sacrificing is no part of natural worship. The light of nature doth not teach to offer up beasts in sacrifice to God; and seeing it was not enjoined by the law of nature, if it was acceptable to God, it must be by some positive command or institution; for God has declared his abhorrence of such worship as is taught by the precept of men without his institution: Is. xxix.13. "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear tow [...]rds me is taught by the precept of men; therefore behold, I will preceed to do a marvellous work," &c. And such worship as hath not a warrant from divine institution, cannot be offered up in faith, because faith has no foundation where there is no divine appointment. It cannot be offered up in faith of God's acceptance; for men have no warrant to hope for God's acceptance, in that which is not of his appointment, and in that to which he hath not promised his acceptance: and therefore it fol­lows, that the custom of offering sacrifices to God was instituted soon after the fall; for the scripture teaches us, that Abel offered "the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof," Gen. iv.4.; and that he was accepted of God in his offering, Heb. xi.4. And there is nothing in the story that looks as though the institution was first given then when Abel offered up that sacrifice to God; but it appears as tho' Abel only therein complied with the custom al­ready established.

It is very probable that it was instituted immediately after God had revealed the covenant of grace, in Gen. iii.15.; which cove­nant and promise was the foundation on which the custom of sa­crificing was built. That promise was the first stone that was laid towards this glorious building, the work of redemption, which will be finished at the end of the world. And the next stone which was laid upon that, was the institution of sacrifices, to be a type of the great sacrifice.

[Page 24]The next thing that we have an account of after God had pro­nounced sentence on the serpent, on the woman and on the man, was, that God made them coats of skins and cloathed them; which by the generality of divines, are thought to be the skins of beasts slain in sacrifice; for we have no account of any thing else that should be the occasion of man's slaying beasts, but only to offer them in sacrifice, till after the flood. Men were not wont to eat the flesh of beasts for their common food till after the flood. The first food of man in paradise before the fall was the fruit of the trees of paradise; and when he was turned out of paradise after the fall then his food was the herb of the field: Gen. iii, 18. "And thou shalt eat of the herb of the field." The first grant that he had to eat flesh as his common food was after the flood: Gen. ix, 3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things." So that it is likely that these skins that Adam and Eve were clothed with, were the skins of their sacrifices. God's clothing them with these was a lively figure of their being clothed with the righteousness of Christ. This cloth­ing was no clothing of their own obtaining; but it was God that gave it them. It is said, "God made them coats of skins, and clothed them;" as the righteousness our naked souls are clothed with, is not our righteousness but the righteousness which is of God. It is he only clothes the naked soul.

Our first parents, who were naked▪ were clothed at the expence of life. Beasts were slain, and resigned up their lives a sacrifice to God, to afford clothing to them to cover their nakedness. So doth Christ, to afford clothing to our naked souls. The skin signifies the life: So Job ii.4. "Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath will he give for his life;" i. e. life for life, Thus our first parents were covered with skins of sacrifices, as the tabernacle in the wilderness, which signified the church, was, when it was covered with r [...]ms skins died red, as though they were dipped in blood, to signi­fy that Christ's righteousness was wrought out through the pains of death, under which he shed his precious blood.

We observed before, that the light that the church enjoyed from the fall of man, till Chr [...]st came, was like the light which we enjoy in the night; not the light of the sun directly▪ but as reflected from the moon and stars; which light did foreshow Christ, the Sun of righteousness that was afterwards to arise. This light of the Sun of righteousness to come they had chiefly two ways: one was by predictions of Christ to come, whereby his coming was foretold and promised; the other was by types and shadows, whereby his coming and redemption were prefigured. The first thing that was done to prepare the way for Christ in the former of these ways, was in that promise that was just taken notice of in the foregoing par­ticular; [Page 25] and the first thing of the latter kind, viz. of types, to fore [...]how Christ's c [...]ming, was that institution of sacrifices that we are now upon. As that promise in Gen. iii.1 [...]. was the first dawn of gospel-light after the fall in prophecy; so the institution of sa­crifices was the first hint of it in types. The giving of that pro­mise was the first thing that was done after the fall, in this work, in Christ's prophetical office; institution of sacrifices was the first thing that we read of after the fall, by which especially Christ ex­hibited himself in his priestly office.

The institution of sacrificer was a great thing done towards pre­paring the way for Christ's coming, and working out redemption. For the sacrifices of the Old Testament were the main of all the Old Testament types of Christ and his redemption; and it tended to esta­blish in the minds of God's visible church the necessity of a propitia­tory sacrifice, in order to the Deity's being satisfied for sin; and so prepared the way for the reception of the glorious gospel, that re­veals the great sacrifice in the visible church, and not only so, but thro' the world of mankind. For from this institution of sacrifices that was after the fall, all nations derived the custom of sacrificing. For this custom of offering up sacrifices to the gods, to atone for their sins, was common to all nations. No nation, however barbarous, was found without it any where. This is a great evidence of the truth of the Christian religion; for no nation, but only the Jews, could tell how they came by this custom, or to what purpose it was to offer sacrifices to their deities. The light of nature did not teach them any such thing. That did not teach them that the gods were hungry, and fed upon the flesh which they burnt in sacrifice; and yet they all had this custom; of which no other account can be given, but that they derived it from Noah, who had it from his ancestors, on whom God had enjoined it as a type of the great sacrifice of Christ. However, by this means all nations of the world had their minds possessed with this notion, that an atonement or sacri­fice for sin was necessary; and a way made for their more rea­dily receiving the great doctrine of the gospel of Christ, which teaches us the atonement and sacrifice of Christ.

IV. God did soon after the fall begin actually to save the souls of men through Christ's redemption. In this Christ, who had lately taken upon him the work of Mediator between God and man, did first begin that work, wherein he appeared in the exercise of his kingly office, as in the sacrifices he was represented in his priest­ly office, and in the first prediction of redemption by Christ he had appeared in the exercise of his prophetical office. In that pre­diction the light of Christ's redemption first began to dawn in the prophecies of it; in the institution of sacrifices it first began to dawn in the types of it; in this, viz. his beginning actually to save men, it first began to dawn in the fruit of it.

[Page 26]It is probable, therefore, that Adam and Eve were the first fruits of Christ's redemption; it is probable by God's manner of treating them, by his comforting them as he did, after their a­wakenings and terrors. They were awakened, and ashamed with a sense of their guilt, after their fall, when their eyes were opened, and they saw that they were naked, and sewed fig-leaves to cover their nakedness; as the sinner, under the first awakenings, is wont to endeavour to hide the nakedness of his soul, by patching up a right­eousness of his own. Then they were further terrified and awak­ened, by hearing the voice of God, as he was coming to condemn them. Their coverings of fig-leaves do not answer the purpose; but, notwithstanding these, they ran to hide themselves among the trees of the garden, because they were naked, not d [...]ring to trust to their fig leaves to hide their nakedness from God. Then they were further awakened by God's calling of them to a strict account. But while their terrors were raised to such a height, and they stood, as we may suppose, trembling and astonished before their judge, without any thing to catch hold of, whence they could gather any hope, then God took care to hold forth some encouragement to them, to keep them from the dreadful effects of dispair under their awakenings, by giving a hint of a design of mercy by a Saviour, even before he pronounced sentence against them. And when af­ter this he proceeded to pronounce sentence, whereby we may sup­pose their terrors were further raised, God soon after took c [...]re to encourage them, and to let them see, that he had not wholly cast them off, by taking a fatherly care of them in their fallen, naked, and miserable state, by making them coa [...] of skins and clothing them. Which also manifested an acceptance of those sacrifices that they offered to God for sin, that those were the skins of, which were types of what God had promised, when he said, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head:" which promise, there is reason to think, they believed and embraced. Eve seems plain­ly to express her hope in and dependence on that promise, in what she says at the birth of Cain, Gen. iv.1. "I have gotten a man from the Lord;" i. e. as God has promised, that my seed should bruise the serpent's head; so now has God given me this pledge and token of it, that I have a seed born. She plainly owns, that this her child was from God, and hoped that her promised seed was to be of this her eldest son; though she was mistaken, as Abra­ha [...] [...] with respect to Ishmael, as Jacob was with respect to Esau, [...] Samuel was with respect to her first born of Jesse. Espe­cially does what she said at the birth of Seth, express her hope and depend [...]nce on the promise of God; see ver. 25. "For God hath appointed me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

[Page 27]Thus it is exceeding probable, if not evident, that as Christ took on him the work of mediator as soon as man fell; so that he now immediately began his work of redemption in its effect, and that he immediately encountered his great enemy [...] devil, whom he had undertaken to conquer, and rescued those two first captives out of his hands; therein hassling him, soon after his triumph for the victory he had obtained over them, whereby he had made them his captives. Though he was, as it were, sure of them and all their posterity, Christ the Redeemer soon showed him, that he was mistaken, and that he was able to subdue him, and deliver fallen man. He let him see it, in delivering those first captives of his; and so soon gave him an instance of the fulfilment of that threat­ening, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head;" and in this instance a presage of the fulfilment of one great thing he had undertaken, viz. his subduing all his enemies under his feet.

After this we have another instance of redemption in one of their children, viz. in righteous Abel, as the scripture calls him, whose soul perhaps was the first that went to heaven through Christ's redemption. In him we have at least the first instance of the death of a redeemed person that is recorded in scripture. If he was the first, then as the redemption of Christ began to dawn before in the souls of men in their conversion and justification, in him it first began to dawn in glorification; and in him the angels began first to do the part of ministring spirits to Christ, in going forth to conduct the souls of the redeemed to glory. In him the el [...]ct an­gels in heaven had the first opportunity to see so wonderful a thing as the soul of one of the fallen race of mankind, that had been sunk by the fall into such an abyss of sin and misery, brought to heaven, and in the enjoyment of heavenly glory, which was a much greater thing than if they had seen him return to the earthly paradise. Thus they by this saw the glorious effect of Christ's re­demption, in the great honour and happiness that was procured for sinful, miserable creatures by it.

V. The next remarkable thing that God did in the farther carry­ing on of this great affair of redemption, that I shall take notice of, was the first remarkable pouring out of the Spirit through Christ that ever was, which was in the days of Enos. This seems to have been the next remarkable thing that was done toward erecting this glorious building that God had begun and laid the foundati­on of in Christ the Mediator. We read, Gen. iv.26. "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord." The meaning of these words has been considerably controverted among divines. We cannot suppose the meaning is, that that time was the first that ever man performed the duty of prayer. Prayer is a duty of na­tural [Page 28] religion, and a duty to which a spirit of piety does most natu­rally lead men. Prayer is as it were the very breath of a spirit of pi­ety; and we cannot suppose therefore, that those holy men that had been before for above [...] hundred years, had lived all that while with­out any prayer. Therefore some divines think that the meaning is, that then men first began to perform public worship, or to call up­on the name of the Lord in public assemblies. Whether it be so to be understood or no, yet so much must necessarily be understood by it, viz. that there was something new in the visible church of God with respect to the duty of prayer, or calling upon the name of the Lord; that there was a great addition to the performance of this duty; and that in some respect or other it was carried far be­yond what it ever had been before, which must be the consequence of a remarkable pouring out of the Spirit of God.

If it was now first that men were stirred up to get together in assemblies to help and assist one another in seeking God, so as they never had done before, it argues something extraordinary as the cause; and could be from nothing but uncommon influences of God's Spirit. We see by experience, that a remarkable pouring out of God's Spirit is always attended with such an effect, viz. a great increase of the performance of the duty of prayer. When the Spirit of God begins a work on men's hearts, it immediately sets them to calling on the name of the Lord. As it was with Paul after the Spirit of God had laid hold of him, then the next news is, "Behold, he prayeth!" so it has been in all remarkable pour­ings out of the Spirit of God that we have any particular account of in scripture; and so it is foretold it will be at the great pouring out of the Spirit of God in the latter days. It is foretold, that it will be poured out as a spirit of grace and supplication, Zech. xii 10. See also Zeph. iii, 9. "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent."

When it is said, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord," no more can be intended by it, than that this was the first remarkable season of this nature that ever was. It was the begin­ning, or the first, of such a kind of work of God, such a pouring out of the Spirit of God. After such a manner such an expression is commonly used in scripture: so, 1 Sam. xiv.35. "And Saul built an altar unto the Lord, the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord." In the Hebrew it is, as you may see in the margin, "that altar he began to build unto the Lord▪" Heb. ii.3. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which first began to be spoken by the Lord?"

It may here be observed, that from the fall of man to this day wherein we live, the work of redemption in its effect has mainly [Page 29] been carried on by remarkable pourings out of the Spirit of God. Though there be a more constant influence of God's Spirit always in some degree attending his ordinances; yet the way in which the greatest things have been done towards carrying on this work, al­ways has been by remarkable pourings out of the Spirit at special seasons of mercy, as may fully appear hereafter in our further pro­secution of the subject we are upon. This pouring out of the Spirit in the days of Enos, was the first remarkable pouring out of the Spirit of God that ever was. There had been a saving work of God on the hearts of some before; but now God was pleased to grant a more large effusion of his Spirit, for the bringing in an harvest of souls to Christ; so that in this we see that great building that is the subject of our present discourse, which God laid the foundation of immediately after the fall of man, carried on further, and built higher, than ever it had been before.

VI. The next thing I shall take notice of, is the eminently holy life of Enoch, who we have reason to think was a saint of greater eminency than any ever had been before him; so that in this res­pect the work of redemption was carried on to a greater height than ever it had been before. With respect to its effect in the visible church in general, we observed just now how it was carried higher in the days of Enos than ever it had been before. Probably Enoch was one of the saints of that harvest; for he lived all the days that he did live on earth, in the days of Enos. With respect to the degree to which this work was carried in the soul of a particular person, it was raised to a greater height in Enoch than ever before. His soul, as it was built on Christ, was built up in holiness to a greater height than there had been any instance before. He was a wonderful instance of Christ's redemption, and the efficacy of his grace.

VII. In Enoch's time, God did more expressly reveal the com­ing of Christ than he had done before, in the prophecy of Enoch that we have an account of in the 14th and 15th verses of the epistle of Jude: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" Here Enoch prophesies of the coming of Christ. It does not seem to be confined to any particular coming of Christ; but it has respect in general to Christ's coming in his kingdom, and is fulfilled in a degree in both the first and se­cond coming of Christ; and indeed in every remarkable manifesta­tion Chris [...] has made of himself in the world, for the saving of his people, and the destroying of his enemies. It is very parallel in this [Page 30] respect with many other prophecies of the coming of Christ, that were given under the Old Testament; and, in particular, it seems to be parallel with that great prophecy of Christ's coming in his kingdom that we have in the 7th chapter of Daniel, whence the Jews principally took their notion of the kingdom of heaven▪ see ver. 10. "A fiery stream issued, and came forth from before him: Thousand thousands ministred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." And ver. 13.14. "I saw in the night-visions, and behold, one like the son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Though it is not unlikely that Enoch might have a more immediate respect in this prophecy to the approaching destruction of the old world by the flood, which was a remarkable resemblance of Christ's destruction of all his enemies at his second coming, yet it doubtless looked beyond the type to the antitype.

As this prophecy of Christ's coming is more express than any had been before; so it is an instance of the increase of that gospel-light that began to dawn presently after the fall of man; and is an instance of that building that is the subject of our present discourse, being yet further carried on, and built up higher than it had been before.

Here, by the way, I would observe, that the increase of gospel-light, and the carrying on the work of redemption, as it respects the elect church in general, from the first erecting of the church to the end of the world, is very much after the same manner as the carrying on of the same work and the same light in a particular soul, from the time of its conversion, till it is perfected and crowned in glory The work in a particular soul has its ups and downs; sometimes the light shines brighter, and sometimes it is a dark [...]; sometimes grace seem [...] to prevail, at other times it seems to languish for a great while together, and corruption prevails, and then grace revives again. But in general, grace is growing: from it [...] first infusion, till it is perfected in glory, the kingdom of Christ is building up in the soul.

So it is with respect to the great affair in general, as it relates to the universal subject of it, as it is carried on from the first begin­ning of it after the fall, till it is perfected at the end of the world, as will more fully appear by a particular view of this affair from beginning to end, in the prosecution of this subject, if God give opportunity to carry▪ it through as I propose.

[Page 31]VIII. The next remarkable thing towards carrying on this work, we have an account of in scripture, is the translation of Enoch into heaven. The account we have of it is in Gen. v.24. "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." Here Moses, in giving an account of the genealogy of those that were of the line of Noah, does not say concerning Enoch, he lived so long and he died, as he does of the rest; but, he was not, for God took him; i. e. he translated him; in body and soul carried him to heaven without dying, as it is explained in Heb. xi.5. "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death." By this wonderful work of God, the work of redemption was car­ried to a greater height in several respects, than it had been before.

You may remember▪ that when I was showing what were the great things that God aimed at in the work of redemption, or what the main things were that he intended to bring to pass; I among other things mentioned (p. 12.) the perfect restoring the ruins of the fall with respect to the elect, and restoring man from that destruction that he had brought on himself, both in soul and body. Now this translation of Enoch was the first instance that ever was of restoring the ruins of the fall with respect to the body. There had been many instances of restoring the soul of man by Christ's redemption, but none of redeeming and actually saving the body till now. All the bodies of the elect are to be saved as well as their souls. At the end of the world, all the bodies of the saints shall actually be re­deemed; those that then shall have been dead, by a resurrection; and others, that then shall be living, by causing them to pass under a glorious change. There was a number of the bodies of saints [...] and glorified at the resurrection and ascension of Christ; and before that there was an instance of a body glorified in Elijah. But the first instance of all was this of Enoch, that we are now speaking of.

The work of redemption by this was carried on further that ever it had been before; as, by this wonderful work of God, there was a great increase of gospel light to the church of God, in this respect, that hereby the church had a clearer manifestation of a fu­ture state and of the glorious reward of the saints in heaven. We are told, 2 Tim. 1.10. "That life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel." And the more of this is brought to light, the more clearly does the light shine In that respect. What was said in the Old Testament of a future state, is very obscure, in com­parison with the more full, plain, and abundant revelation given of it in the New. But yet even in those early days, the church of God, in this instance, was favored with an instance of it set before their eyes, in that one of their brethren was actually taken [Page 32] up to heaven without dying; which we have all reason to think the church of God knew then, as they afterwards knew Elijah's translation. And as this was a clearer manifestation of a future state than the church had had before, so it was a pledge or earnest of that future glorification of all the saints which God intended through the redemption of Jesus Christ.

IX. The next thing that I shall observe, was the upholding the church of God in the family of which Christ was to proceed, in the time of that great and general defection of the world of man­kind that was before the flood. The church of God, in all pro­bability, was small, in comparison with the rest of the world, from the beginning of the time that mankind first began to multiply on the face of the earth, or from the time of Cain's defection, and de­parting from among the people of God; the time we read of, Gen. iv.16. "When Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod;" which being interpreted, is the land of banishment: I say, from this time of Cain's departure and separation from the church of God, it is probable that the church of God was small in comparison with the rest of the world. The church seems to have been kept up chiefly in the posterity of Seth; for this was the seed that God appointed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. But we cannot reasonably suppose, that Seth's poste­rity were one fiftieth part of the world: "For Adam was one hundred and thirty years old when Seth was born." But Cain, who seems to have been the ringleader of those that were not of the church, was Adam's eldest child, and probably was born soon after the fall, which doubtless was soon after Adam's creation; so that there was time for Cain to have many sons before Seth was born, and besides many other children, that probably Adam and Eve had before this time, agreeably to God's blessing that he gave them, when he said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth:" and many of these children might have children. The story of Cain before Seth was born, seems to represent as though there were great numbers of men on the earth: Gen. iv.14.15. "Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth: and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a vaga­bond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, "Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him." And all those that were then in being when Seth was born, must be supposed then to stand in equal capacity of mul­tiplying their posterity with him; and therefore, as I said before, Seth's posterity were but a small part of the inhabitants of the world.

[Page 33]But after the day [...] of [...] and Enoch, (for Enoch was translated before Enos died); I say, after their days, the church of God great­ly diminished, in proportion as multitudes that were of the line of Seth, and had been born in the church of God, fell away, and join­ed with the wicked world, principally by means of intermar [...]iages with them: as Gen. vi.1.2. & 4. "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose▪—There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when [...] of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old men of renown." By the sons of God here, are doubtless meant the children of the church. It is a denomination often given them in scripture. They intermarried with the wick­ed world, and so had their hearts led away from God; and there was a great and continual defection from the church. The church of God, that used to be a restraint on the wicked world, diminish­ed exceedingly, and so wickedness went on without restraint. And Satan, that old serpent the devil, that [...] our first parents, and set up himself as God of this world, raged exceedingly; and eve­ry imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil con­tinually, and the earth was filled with violence. It seemed to be deluged with wickedness now, as it was with water afterwards: and mankind in general were drowned in this deluge; almost all were swallowed up in it. Now Satan made a most violent and po­tent attempt to swallow up the church of God; and had almost done it. But yet God preserved it in the midst of all this flood of wickedness and violence. He kept it up in that line of which Christ was to proceed. He would not suffer it to be destroyed▪ for a blessing was in it. The Lord the Redeemer was in this branch of mankind, and was afterwards to proceed from it. There was a particular family that was a root in whic [...] the great Redeemer of the world was, and whence the branch [...] righteous­ness afterwards was to shoot forth. Therefore, however the branches were lopped off, and the tree seemed to destroyed: yet God in the midst of all this, kept alive this root, by his wonderful redeeming power and grace, so that the gates of hell could not prevail against it.

Thus I have shown how God carried on the great affair of re­demption; how the building went on that God began after the fall, during this first period of the times of the Old Testament, viz. from the fall of man, till God brought the flood on the earth. And I would take notice upon it, that though the history which Moses gi [...]es of the great works of God during that space be very short▪ yet it is exceeding comprehensive and instructive. It may also be [Page 34] profitable for us here to observe, the efficacy of that purchase of redemption that had such great effects even in the old world so ma­ny ages before Christ appeared himself to purchase redemption, that his blood should have such great efficacy so long before it was [...].

PART II. From the flood to the calling of Abraham.

I PROCEED now to show how the same work was carried on through the second period of the Old Testament, that from the beginning of the flood till the calling of Abraham: for though that mighty, overflowing, universal deluge of waters overthrew the world; yet it did not overthrow this building of God, the work of redemption. But this went on yet▪ and instead of being over­thrown, continued to be built up, and was carried on to a further preparation for the great Saviour's coming into the world, and working out redemption for his people. Here,

I. The flood itself was a work of God that belonged to this great affair, and tended to promote it. All the great and mighty works of God from the fall of man to the end of the world, are reducible to this great work, and, if seen in a right view of them, will appear as parts of it, and so many step [...] that God has taken in order to it, or as carrying it on; and doubtless so great a work, so remarkable and universal a catastrophe, as the deluge was, cannot be excepted. It was a work that God wrought in order to it, as thereby God removed out of the way the enemies and obstacles of [...], that were ready to overthrow it.

Satan seems to have been in a dreadful rage just before the flood, and his rage then doubtless, was, as it always has been, chiefly a­gainst the church of God to overthrow it; and he had filled the earth with violence and rage against it. He had drawn over al­most all the world to be on his side, and they listed under his ban­ner against Christ and his church. We read, that the earth "was filled with violence;" and doubtless that violence was chiefly a­gainst the church, in fulfilment of what was foretold, I will put enmity between thy [...]eed and her seed. Their enmity and violence was so great, and the enemies of the church so numerous, the whole world being against the church, that it was come to the last extremity. Noah's reproofs, and his preaching of righteous­ness, were utterly disregarded. God's spirit had striven with them an hundred and twenty years, and all in vain; and the church was almost swallowed up. It seems to have been reduced to so narrow limits, as to be confined to one family. And there was no pros­pect of any thing else but of their totally swallowing up the church, and that in a very little time; and so wholly destroying that small root that had the blessing in it, or whence the Redeemer was to pro­ceed.

[Page 35]Therefore, God's destroying those enemies of the church by the [...]ood, belongs to this affair of redemption: for it was one thing that was done in fulfilment of the covenant of grace, as it was re­vealed to Adam: "I will put enmity between thee and the wo­man, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy [...]." This destruction was only a destruction of the seed of the serpent in the midst of their violent rage against the seed of the woman, and so delivering the seed of the woman from them, when in utmost peril by them.

We read of scarce any great destruction of nations any where in Scripture, but that one main reason given for it is, their enmity and injuries against God's church; and doubtless this was one main reason of the destruction of all nations by the flood. The giants that were in those days, in all likelihood, got themselves their re­nown by their great exploits against Heaven, and against Christ and his church, the remaining sons of God that had not corrupted themselves.

We read, that just before the world shall be destroyed by fire, the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth, shall gather to­gether against the church as the sand of the sea, and shall go up on the breadth of the earth, and compass the camp of the saints about▪ and the beloved city: and then fire shall come down from God out of Heaven, and devour the [...], Rev. xx.8.9. And it seems as though there was that which was very parallel to it just before the world was destroyed by water. Therefore their destruction was a work of God that did as much belong to the work of redemption, a [...] the destruction of the Egyptians belonged to the redemption of the children of Israel out of Egypt, or as the destruction of Sen­nacherib's mighty army, that had compassed about Jerusalem to destroy it, belonged to God's redemption of that city from them.

By means of this flood, all the enemies of God's chu [...]ch, against whom that little handful had no strength, were swept off at once. God took their part, and appeared for them against their enemies, and drowned those of whom they had been afraid in the flood of water, as he drowned the enemies of Israel that pursued them in the Red sea.

Indeed God could have taken other methods to deliver his church: he could have converted all the world instead of drowning it; and so he could have taken another method than drowning the Egyptians in the Red sea. But that is no a [...]gument, that the method that he did take, was not a method to show his redeeming mercy to them.

By the wicked world's being drowned, the wicked, the enemies of God's people, were dispossessed of the earth, and the whole earth given to Noah and his family to possess in quiet: as God made [Page 36] room for the Israelites in Canaan, by casting out their enemies from before them. And God's thus taking the possession of the enemies of the church, and giving it all to his church, was agree­able to that promise of the covenant of grace: Psal. xxxvii.9.10.11. "For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be: yea thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

II. Another thing here belonging to the same work, was God's so wonderfully preserving that family of which the Redeemer was to proceed, when all the rest of the world was drowned. God's drowning the world, and saving Noah and his family, both were works reducible to this great work. The saving Noah and his family belonged to it two ways. As that family was the family of which the Redeemer was to proceed, and as that family was the church that he had redeemed, it was the mystical body of Christ that was there saved. The manner of God's saving those persons, when all the world besides was so overthrown, was very wonder­ful and remarkable. It was a wonderful and remarkable type of the redemption of Christ, of that redemption that is sealed by the baptism of water, and is so spoken of in the New Testament, as 1 Pet. iii, 20.21. "Which some time were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, [...]ut the an­swer of a good conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." That water that washed away the filth of the world, that cleared the world of wicked men, was a type of the blood of Christ, that takes away the sin of the world. That water that delivered Noah and his sons from their enemies, is a type of the blood that delivers God's church from their sins, their worst enemies▪ That water that was so plentiful and abundant, that it filled the world, and reached above the tops of the highest mountains, was a type of that blood, the sufficiency of which is so abundant, that i [...] is sufficient for the whole world; sufficient to bury the highest mountains of sin. The ark, that was the refuge and hiding-place of the church in this time of storm and flood, was a type of Christ, the true hiding plac [...] of the church from the storms and floods of God's wrath.

III. The next thing I would [...] is, the new grant of the earth God made to Noah and his family immediately after the flood, as founded on the covenant of grace. The sacrifice of Christ was represented by Noah's building an alter to the Lord and [Page 37] offering a sacrifice of every clean beast and fowl. And we have an account of God's accepting this sacrifice: and thereupon he blessed Noah, and established his covenant with him, and with his seed, promising to destroy the earth in like ma [...]ner no more; signifying how that it is by the sacrifice of Christ that God's favour is obtain­ed, and his people are in safety from God's destroying judgements, and do obtain the blessing of the Lord. And God now, on occasion of this sacrifice that Noah offered to God, gives him and his posterity a new grant of the earth; a new power of dominion over the crea­tures, as founded on that sacrifice, and so founded on the coven­ant of grace. And so it is to be looked upon as a diverse grant from that which was made to Adam, that we have, Gen. i.28. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Which grant was not founded on the covenant of grace; for it was given to Adam while he was under the covenant of works, and therefore was antiquated when that covenant ceased. The first grant of the earth to Adam was founded on the first covenant; and therefore, when that first covenant was broken, the right conveyed to him by that first covenant was forfeited and lost. Hence it came to pass, that the earth was taken away from mankind by the flood: for the first grant was forfeited; and God had never made another after that, till after the flood. If the first covenant had not been brok­en, God never would have drowned the world, and so have taken it away from mankind: for then the first grant made to mankind would have stood good. But that was broken; and so God after a while, destroyed the earth, when the wickedness of man was great.

But after the flood, on Noah's offering a sacrifice that represent­ed the sacrifice of Christ, God, in smelling a sweet savour, or ac­cepting that sacrifice, as it was a representation of the true sacrifice of Christ, which is a sweet savour indeed to God, he gives Noah a new grant of the earth, founded on that sac [...]ifice of Christ, o [...] that covenant of grace which is by that sacrifice of Christ, with a promise annexed, that now the earth should no more be destroyed, till the consummation of all things; as you may see in Gen. viii.20.21.22. and chapter ix.1.2.3.7. The reason why such a promise, that God would no more destroy the earth, was added to this grant made to Noah, and not to that made to Adam, was because this was founded on the covenant of grace, of which Christ was the surety, and therefore could not be broken. Therefore it comes to pass now, that though the wicked [...]ess of man has dread­fully raged, and the earth been filled with violence and wicked­ness thousands of times, and one age after another, and much more [Page 38] dreadful and aggravated wickedness than the world was [...] of [...] the [...]ood, being against so much greater light and mercy; especial­ly in these days of the gospel: yet God's patience holds our; God does not destroy the earth; his mercy and forbearance abides ac­cording to his promise; and his grant established with Noah and his sons abides firm and good, being founded on the covenant of grac [...].

IV. On this God renews with Noah and his sons the covenant of grace, Gen. ix.9.10. "And I, behold, I establish my co­venant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you," &c.; which was the covenant of grace; which even the brute creation have this benefit of, that is shall never be destroyed again till the consummation of all things. When we have this expression in scripture, my covenant, it com­monly is to be understood of the covenant of grace. The manner of expression, "I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you," shews plainly, that it was a covenant already in being, that had been made already, and that Noah would un­derstand what covenant it was by that denomination, viz. the covenant of grace.

V. God's disappointing the design of building the city and tower of Babel. This work of God belongs to the great work of redemption. For that building was undertaken in opposition to this great build­ing of God that we are speaking of. Mens going about to build such a city and [...]ower was an effect of the corruption that mankind were now soon fallen into. This city and tower was set up in op­position to the city of God, as the god that they built it to, was their pride. Being sunk into a disposition to forsake the true God, the first idol they set up in his room, was themselves, their own glory and fame. And as this city and tower had their foundation [...]aid in the pride and vanity of men, and the haughtiness of their minds, so it was built on a foundation exceedingly contrary to the nature of the foundation of the kingdom of Christ, and his redeemed city, which has its foundation laid in humility.

Therefore God saw that it tended to frustrate the design of that great building that was founded, not in the haughtiness of men, but Christ's blood: and therefore the thing that they did displeased the Lord, and he baffled and confounded the design, and did not suffer them to bring it to perfection; as God will frustrate and confound all other buildings, that are set up in opposition to the great building of the work of redemption.

In the second chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet is foretelling God's setting up the kingdom of Christ in the world, he foretell [...] how God will, in order to it, bring down the haughtiness of men, and how the day of the Lord shall be on every high tower, and [Page 39] upon every f [...]ed well, &c. Christ kingdom is established, by bringing down every high thing to ma [...] way for it, 2 Cor. 2.4.5. "For the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting [...]own imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against [...]he knowledge of God." What is done in a particular soul, to make way for the setting up of Christ's kingdom, is to destroy Babel in that soul.

They intended to have built Babel up to heaven. That building that is the subject we are upon, is a building that is intended to be built so high, its top shall reach to heaven indeed, as it will to the highest heavens at the end of the world, when it shall be finished: and there­fore God would not suffer the building of his enemies, that they designed to build up to heaven in opposition to it, to prosper. If they had gone on and prospered in building that city and tower, it might have kept the world of wicked men, the enemies of the church, together, as that was their design. They might have remained united in one vast, powerful city; and so they might have been too powerful for the city of God, and quite swallowed it up.

This city of Babel is the same with the city of Babylon; for Babylon in the original is Babel. But Babylon was a city that is always spoken of in scripture as chiefly opposite to the city of God. Babylon, and Jerusalem, or Zion, are opposed to each other often both in the Old Testament and New. This city was a powerful and terrible enemy to the city of God afterwards, not­withstanding this great check put to the building of it in the begin­ning. But it might have been, and probably would have been vastly more powerful, and able to vex and destroy the church of God, if it had not been thus checked.

Thus it was in kindness to his church in the world, and in prosecution of the great design of redemption, that God put a stop to the building of the city and tower of Babel.

VI. The dispersing of the nations, and dividing the earth among its inhabitants, immediately after God had caused the building of Babel to cease. This was done so as most to suit that great design of redemption. And particularly, God therein had an eye to the future propagation of the gospel among the nations. They were so placed, the bounds of their habitation so limited round about the land of Canaan, the place laid out for the habitation of God's people, as most suited the design of propagating the gospel among them: Deut. xxxii.8 "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." Acts xvii.26.27. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their [Page 40] habitations; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him." The land of Canaan was the most conveniently situated of any place in the world for the purpose of spreading the light of the gospel thence among the nations in ge­neral. The inhabited world was chiefly in the Roman empire in the times immediately after Christ, which was in the countries round about Jerusalem, and so properly situated for the purpose of diffusing the light of the gospel among them from that place. The devil seeing the advantage of this situation of the nations for promoting the great work of re [...]emption, and the disadvantage of it with respect to the interests of his kingdom, afterward led away many nations into the remotest parts of the world, to that end▪ to get them out of the way of the gospel. Thus he led some into America; and others into northern cold regions, that are almost in accessible.

VII. Another thing I would mention in this period, was God's preserving the true religion in the line of which Christ was to pro­ceed, when the world in general apostatized to idolatry, and the church were in imminent danger of being swallowed up in the ge­neral corruption. Although God had lately wrought so wonderful­ly for the deliverance of his church, and had shewn so great mercy towards it, as for its sake even to destroy all the rest of the world, and although he had lately renewed and established his covenant of grace with Noah and his sons; yet so prone is the corrupt heart of man to depart from God, and to [...]ink into the depths of wickedness, and so prone to darkness, delusion, and idolatry, as that the world soon after the flood [...]ell into gross idolatry; so that before Abra­ham the distemper was become almost universal. The earth was become very corrupt at the time of the building of Babel; and e­ven God's people themselves, even that line of which Christ was to come, were corrupted in a measure with idolatry: Josh. xxiv.2. "Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods." The other side of the flood means beyond the river Euphrates, where the ancestors of Abraham lived.

We are not to understand, that they were wholly drawn off to idolatry, to forsake the true God. For God is said to be the God of Nahor: Gen. xxxi.53. "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us." But they only partook in some measure of the general and almost universal corruption of the times; as Solomon was in a measure infected with idolatrous corruption; and as the children of Israel in Egyp [...] are said to serve other gods, though yet there was the true church of God among them; and as these were images kept for a consi­derable time in the family of Jacob; the corruption being brought from Padan-Aram, whence he fetched his wives.

[Page 41]This was the second time that the church was almost brought to nothing by the corruption and general defection of the world from true religion. But still the true religion was kept up in the fami­ly of which Christ was to proceed. Which is another instance of God's remarkably preserving his church in a time of a general de­ludge of wickedness; and wherein, although the god of this world raged, and had almost swallowed up God's church, yet God did [...]ot suffer the gates of hell to prevail against it.

PART III. From the calling of Abraham to Moses.

I PROCEED now to show how the work of redemption was carried on through the third period of the times of the O [...]d-Tes­tament, beginning with the calling of Abraham, and extending to Moses. Here,

I. It pleased God now to separate that person of whom Christ was to come▪ from the rest of the world, that his church might be upheld in his family and posterity till Christ should come; as he did in calling Abraham out of his own country, and from his kin­dred, to go into a distant country, that God should show him, and bringing him first out of Ur of the Chaldees to Charran, and then [...] the land of Canaan.

It was before observed, that the co [...]ruption of the world with ido­latry was now become general; mankind were almost wholly over­run with idolatry: God therefore saw it necessary, in order to up­hold true religion in the world, that the [...] should be a family se­parated from the rest of the wo [...]ld. It proved to be high time to take this course, lest the churc [...] of Christ should wholly be carried away with the apostasy. For the [...]hurch of God itself, that had been upheld in the line of Abraham's ancestors, was already con­siderably corrupted. Abraham's own country and kindred had most of them fallen off; and without some extraordinary interpo­sition of Providence, in all likelihood, in a generation or two more, the true religion in this line would have been extinct. Therefore God saw it to be time to call Abraham, the person in whose fa­mily he intended to uphold the true religion, out of his own coun­try, and from his kindred, to a far distant country, that his poste­rity might there remain a people separate from all the rest of the world; that so the true religion might be upheld there, while man­kind besides were swallowed up in Heathenism.

The land of the Chaldees, that Abraham was called to go out of, was the country about Babel; Babel, or Babylon, was the chief city of the land of Chaldea. Learned men suppose, by what they gather from some of the most ancient accounts of things, that it [Page 42] was in this land that idolatry first began; that Babel and Chaldea were the original and chief seat of the worship of idols, whence it spread into other nations. Therefore the land of the Chaldeans, or the country of Babylon, is in scripture called the land of graven images: as you may see, Jer. 1.35. together with ver. 38. "A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the Lord, and upon the inhabi­tants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.— A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols." God calls Abraham out of this idolatrous country, to a great dis­tance from it. And when he came there, he gave him no inheri­tance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on; but he remain­ed a stranger and a sojourner, that he and his family might be kept se [...]arate from all the world.

This was a new thing: God had never taken such a method be­fore. His church had not in this manner been separated from the rest of the world till now, but were wont to dwell with them, with­out any bar or fence to keep them separate; the mischievous con­sequences of which had been found once and again. The effect before the flood of G [...]d's people living intermingled with the wick­ed world, without any remark [...]ble wall of separation, was, that the s [...]ns of the church joined in marriage with others, and thereby almost all soon became in [...]ected, and the church was almost bro't to nothing. The method that God took then to fence the church was, to drown the wicked world, and save the church in the ark. And now the world, before Abraham was called, was become cor­rupt again. But now God took another method. He did not [...]est by the wicked world, and save Abraham, and his wife, and Lot, in an ark; but he calls these persons to go and live separate from the rest of the world.

This was a new thing, and a great thing, that God did toward the work of redemption. This thing was done now about the middle of the space of time between the fall of man and the com­ing of Christ▪ and there were about two thousand years yet to come before Christ the great Redeemer was to come. But by this calling of Abraham, the ancestor of Christ, a foundation was laid for the upholding the church of Christ in the world, till Christ should come. For the world having bec [...]me idolatrous, there was a necessity that the seed of the woman should be thus separated from the idolatrous world in order to that.

And then it was needful that there should be a particular nation separated from the rest of the world, to receive the types and pro­phecies that were needful to be given of Christ, to prepare the way for his coming; that to them might be committed the oracles of God; and that by them the history of God's great works of crea­tion [Page 43] [...] providence might be upheld; and that so Christ might be born of this nation; and that from hence the light of the gospel [...] forth to the rest of the world. These ends could not well be obtained, if God's people, through all these two thousand years, had lived intermixed with the heathen world. So that this calling of Abraham may be looked upon as a kind of a new foun­dation laid for the visible church of God, in a more distinct and re­gular state, to be upheld and built up on this foundation from hence­forward, till Christ should actually come, and then through him to be propagated to all nations. So that Abraham being the per­son [...] whom this foundation is laid, is represented in scripture as though he were the father of all the church, the father of all them that believe; a [...] i [...] were a root whence the [...] visible church thence­forward through Christ, Abraham's root and offspring, rose as a tree, distinct from all other plants; of which tree Christ was the branch of righteousness; and from which tree after Christ came, the natural branches were broken off, and the Gentiles were grafted into the same tree. So that Abraham still remain [...] the father of the church, or root of the tree, through Christ his seed. It is the same tree that flourishes from that small beginning, that was in Abraham's time, and has in these days of the gospel spread its branches over a great part of the earth, and will fill the whole earth in due time, and at the end of the world shall be transplanted from an earthly soil into the paradise of God.

II. There accompanied this a more particular and full revelati­on and confirmation of the covenant of grace than ever had been before. There had before this been, as it were, two particular and solemn editions or confirmations of this covenant; one at the be­ginning of the first period, which was that whereby the covenant of grace was revealed to our first parents, soon after the fa [...]l; the other at the beginning of the second period, whereby God solemn­ly renewed the covenant of grace with Noah and his family soon after the flood: and now there is a third at the beginning of the third period, at and after the calling of Abraham. And it now [...]e­ing much nearer the time of the coming of Christ [...]han when the covenant of grace was first revealed, it being, as it was said before, about half way between the fall and the coming of C [...]ist▪ the reve­lation of the covenant now was much more f [...]ll then any that had been before. The covenant was now more particularly revealed. It was now revealed, not only that Christ should be; but it was revealed to Abraham, that he should be his seed; and it was now promised, that all the families of the earth should be blessed in him. God was much in the promises of this to Abraham. The first promise was when he first called him, Gen. xii.2. "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing." Again the same pro­mise [Page 44] was renewed after he came into the land of Canaan, [...] 14. &c. The covenant was again renewed after Abraham and re­turned from the slaughter of the kings, chap. xv.5.6. Again after his offering up Isaac, chap. xxii.16.17.18.

In this renewal of the covenant of grace with Abraham, several particulars concerning that covenant were revealed more fully [...] ever had been before; not only that Christ was to be of Abraham's seed, but also, the calling of the Gentiles, and the bringing all nati­ons into the church, that all the families of the earth were to be blessed, was now made known. And then the great condition of the covenant of grace, which is faith, was now more fully made known. Gen. xv.5.6 "And he said unto him, So shall thy seed he. And Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Which is much taken notice of in the New Testament as that whence Abraham was called the father of them that believe.

As there was now a further revelation of the covenant of grace, so there was a further confirmation of it by seals and pledges, the [...] ever had been before; as, particularly, God did now institute a certain sacrament, to be a steady seal of this covenant in the visible church, till Christ should come▪ viz. circumcision. Circumcision was a seal of this covenant of grace, as appears by the first insti­tution, as we have an account of it in the 17th chapter of Genesis. It there appears to be a seal of that covenant by which God promised to make Abraham a father of many nations, as appears by the 5th verse, compared with the 9th and 10th verses. We are expressly taught, that it was a seal of the righteousness of faith, Rom. 4.11. Speaking of Abraham, the apostle says, "he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith."

As I observed before, God called Abraham, that his family and posterity might be kept separate from the rest of the world, till Christ should come, which God saw to be necessary on the fore­mentioned accounts. And this sacrament was the principal wall of separation; it chiefly distinguished Abraham's seed from the world, and kept up a distinction and separation more than any other particular observance whatsover.

Besides this, there were other occasional seals, pledges, and con­firmations, that Abraham had of this covenant; as, particularly, God gave Abraham a remarkable pledge of the fulfi [...]ment of the promise he had made him, in his victory over Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him. Chedorlaomer seems to have be [...] a great emperor, that reigned over a great part of the world at that day; and though he had his seat at Elam, which was not much if any thing short of a thousand miles distant from the land of Canaan, yet he extended his empire so as to reign over many parts of the land of Canaan, as appears by chap▪ xiv.4.5.6.7. It is sup­posed [Page 45] by learned men, that he was a king of the Assyrian emp [...]re at that day, which had been before begun by Nimrod at Babel. A [...] it was the honor of kings in those days to build new cities [...] be made the seat of their empire, as appears by Gen. x.10.11.12. [...] so it is conjectured, that he had gone forth and built him a city [...] Elam, and made that his seat; and that those other kings, who came with him, were his deputies in the several cities and countries where they reigned. But yet a [...] mighty an empire [...] he had, and as great an army as he now came with into the land where Abraham was, yet Abraham, only with his trained servants, that were [...] in his own house, conquered, subdued, and baffled this mighty emperor, and the kings that came with him, and all their army. This he received of God as a pledge of what he had promised, viz. The victory that Christ his seed should obtain over the nations of the earth, whereby he should possess the gates of his enemies. It is plainly spoken of as such in the 41st of Isaiah. In that chapter is foretold the future glorious victory the church shall obtain over the nations of the world; as you may see in the 1st, 10th, and 15th verses, &c. But here this victory of Abraham over such a great emperor and his mighty forces, is spoken of as a pledge and earnest of this victory of the church, as you may see in 2d and 3d verses. "Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings▪ He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that be had not gone with his feet."

Another remarkable confirmation Abraham received of the [...] of grace, was when he returned from the slaughter of the kings; when Melchisedec the king of Salem he the priest of the Most High God, that great type of Christ, met him, and blessed him, and brought forth bread and wine. The bread and wine signified the same blessings of the covenant of grace, that the bread and wine does in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. So that as Abraham had a seal of the covenant in circumcision that was equivalent to baptism, so now he had a seal of it equivalent to the Lord's supper. Melchisedec's coming to meet him with such a seal of the covenant of grace, on the occasion of this victory of his over the kings of the north, confirm [...], [...]hat the victory was a pledge of God's fulfil­ [...]nt of the same covenant; for that is the mercy that Melchisedec with his bread and wine takes notice of; as you may see by what he says in Gen. xiv.19.20.

Another confirmation that God gave Abraham of the covenant of grace, was the vision that he had in the deep sleep that fell upon him, of the smoking furnace, and burning lamp, that passed be­tween the parts of the sacrifice, as in the latter part of the 15th [Page 46] chapter of Genesis. The sacrifice, as all sacrifices do, signified the sacrifice of Christ. The smoking furnace that passed through the midst of that sacrifice first, signified the sufferings of Christ. But the burning lamp that followed, which shone with a clear bright sight, signifies the glory that followed Christ's sufferings, and was procured by them.

Another remarkable pledge that God gave Abraham of the ful­filment of the covenant of grace, was his giving of the child of whom Christ was to come, in his old age This is spoken of as such in scripture; Heb. xi.11.12. and also Rom. iv.18 &c.

Again, another remarkable pledge that God gave Abraham of the fulfilment of the covenant of grace, was his delivering Isaac, after he was laid upon the wood of the sacrifice to be slain. This was a confirmation of Abraham's faith in the promise that God had made of Christ, that he should be of Isaac's posterity; and was a representation of the resurrection of Christ; as you may see, Heb. xi.17.18.19. And because this was given as a confirmation of the covenant of grace, therefore God renewed that covenant with Abraham on this occasion, as you may see, Gen. xxiv▪ 15. &c.

Thus you see how much more fully the covenant of grace was revealed and confirmed in Abraham's time than ever it had been before; by means of which Abraham seems to have had a more clear understanding and sight of Christ the great Redeemer, and the future things that were to be accomplished by him, than any of the saints that had gone before. Therefore Christ takes notice of it, that Abraham rejoiced to see his day, and he saw it and was glad, [...]ohn viii.56. So great an advance did it please God now to make in this building, which he had been carrying on from the beginning of the world.

III. The next thing that I would take notice of here, is God's preserving the patriarchs for so long a time in the midst of the wicked inhabitants of Canaan, and from all other enemies. The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were those of whom Christ was to proceed; and they were now separated from the world, that in them his church might be upheld. Therefore, in preserving them, the great design of redemption was uph [...]ld and carrried on. He preserved them, and kept the inhabitants of the land where they so­journed from destroying them; which was a remarkable dispensa­tion of providence. For the inhabitants of the land were at that day exceeding wicked, though they grew more wicked afterwards. This appears by Gen. xv.16. "In the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Canaanites is not yet full:" As much as to say, Though it be very great, yet it is not yet full. Their great wickedness also appears by Abraham and Isaac's aversion to their child [...]en marrying any of the daughte [...]s of [Page 47] the land. Abraham, when he was old, could not be content till he had made his servant swear that he would not take a wi [...]e for his son of the daughters of the land. And Isaac and Rebecca were content to send away Jacob to so great a distance as Padan-Ara [...], to take him a wife thence. And when Esau married some of the daughters of the land, we are told, that they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecca.

Another argument of their great wickedness, is the instance we have of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which were some of the cities of Canaan though they were probably distin­guishingly wicked.

They being thus wicked, were likely to have the most bitter en­ [...]ity against these holy men: agreeable to what was declared at first, "I will put e [...]mity between thee and the woman, and be­tween thy seed and her seed." Their holy lives were a continual condemnation of their wickedness. Besides, it could not be other­wise, but that they must be much in reproving their wickedness, as we find Lot was in Sodom; who, we are told, vexed his right­eous soul with their unlawful deeds, and was a preacher of right­eousness to them.

They were the more exposed to them, being strangers and sojour­ners in the land, and having no inheritance there as yet. Men are more apt to find fault with strangers, and be irritated by any thing in them that offends them, as they were with Lot in Sodom. He very gently reproved their wickedness; and they say upon it, "This fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a ruler and a judge▪" and theatened what they would do to him.

But God wonderfully preserved Abraham and Lot, Isaac and Jacob, and their families, amongst them, though they were few in number, and they might quickly have destroyed them; which is taken notice of as a wonderful instance of God's preserving mercy towards his church, Psal. cv.12. &c. "When they were but few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people. He suff [...]red no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm."

This preservation was in some instances especially very remark­able; those instances that we have an account of, wherein the peo­ple of the land were greatly irritated and provoked; as they were by Simeon and Levi's treatment of the Shechemites, as you may see in Gen. xxxiv.30. &c. God then strangely preserved Jacob and his family, restr [...]ining the provoked people by an unusual ter­ror on their minds, as you may see in Gen. xxxv.5. "And the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the son [...] of Jacob."

[Page 48]God's preserving them, not only from the Canaanites, is [...] to be taken notice of, but his preserving them from all others that intended mischief to them; as his preserving Jacob and his com­pany, when pursued by Laban, full of rage, and [...] disposition to over­take him as an enemy: God met him, and rebuked him and said to him. "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." How wonderfully did he also preserve him from Esau his brother, when he came forth with an army, with a full design to cut him off! how did God in answer to his prayer, when he wrest­led with Christ at Penuel, wonderfully turn Esau's heart, and make him, instead of meeting him as an enemy with slaughter and de­struction, to meet him as a friend and brother, doing him no harm▪

Thus were this handful, this little root that had the blessing of the Redeemer in it, preserved in the midst of enemies and dangers, which was not unlike to the preserving the ark in the midst of the tempestuous deluge.

IV. The next thing I would mention is, the awful destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring cities. This tended to promote the great design and work that is the subject of my pre­sent undertaking, two ways. It did so, as it tended powerfully to restrain the inhabitants of the land from injuring those holy stran­gers that God had brought to sojourn amongst them. Lot was one of those strangers; he came into the land with Abraham; and Sodom was destroyed for their abusive disregard of Lot, the preach­er of righteousness, that God had sent among them. And their destruction came just upon their committing a most injurious and abominable insult on Lot, and the strangers that were come into his house, even those angels, whom they probably took to be some of Lot's former acquaintance come from the country that he came from▪ to visit him. They in a most outrageous manner beset Lot's house, intending a monstrous abuse and act of violence on those strangers that were come thither, and threatening to serve [...] worse than them.

But in the midst of this God smote them with blindness; and the next morning the city and the country about it was overthrow [...] in a most terrible storm of f [...]re and brimstone; which dreadful de­struction, as it was in the sight of the rest of the inhabitants of the land, therefore greatly tended to restrain them from hurting those holy strangers any more; doubtless struck a dread and terror on their minds, and made them afraid to hurt them, and probably was one principal means to restrain them, and preserve the patri­archs. And when that reason is given why the inhabitants of the land did not pursue after Jacob, when they were so provoked by the destruction of the Shechemites, viz. "that the terror of the Lord was upon them▪" it is very probable, that this was a terror [Page 49] that was set home upon them. They remembered the amazing de­struction of Sodom, and the cities of the slain, that came upon them, upon their abusive treatment of Lot▪ and so curst [...] hurt Jacob and his family, though they were so much provokes to it.

Another way that this awful destruction tended to promote this great affair of redemption, was, that hereby God did remarkably exhibit the terrors of this law, to make men sensible of their need of redeeming mercy. The work of redemption never was carried on without this. The law, from the beginning, is made use of as a school-master to bring men to Christ.

But under the Old Testament there was much more need of some extraordinary, visible, and sensible manifestation of God's wrath against sin, than in the days of the gospel; sine [...] a future s [...]a [...]e, and the eternal misery of hell, is more clearly revealed, and since the awful justice of God against the sins of men has been so wonderful­ly displayed in the sufferings of Christ. Therefore the revelation that G [...]d gave of himself in those days, used to be accompanied with much more terror than it is in these days of the gospel. So when God appeared at Mount Sinai to give the law, it was with thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud. But some external, awful manifestations of God's wrath against sin were on some accounts especially neces­sary before the giving of the law: and therefore, before the flood, the terrors of the law handed down by tradition from Adam served. Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years himself, to t [...]ll the church of God's awful threatenings denounced in the covenant made with him, and how dreadful the consequences of the [...], as he was an eye witness and subject; and others, that conversed with Adam, lived till the flood. And the destruction of the world by the flood served to exhibit the terrors of the law, and manifest the wrath of God against sin; and so to make men sensible of the absolute necessity of redeeming mercy. And some that s [...]w the flood were alive in Abraham's time.

But this was now in a great me [...]sure forgotten; now therefore God was pleased again, in a most amazing manner to show his wrath against sin, in the destruction of these cities; which was [...] such a manner as to be the liveliest [...]mage of hell of any thing that ever had been; and therefore the apostle J [...]de says, "They suffer the vengeance of eternal fire," Jude 7. God rained storms of fire and brimstone upon them. The way that they were destroyed pro­bably was by thick flashes of lightning. The st [...]eams of brimstone were so thick as to bu [...] up all these cities: so that they perished in the flames of divine [...]ath. By this might he seen the dread [...]ul wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness o [...] men; which tended to show men the necessity of redemption, and so to promote that great work.

[Page 50]V. God again renewed and confirmed the covenant of grace to Isaac and to Jacob. He did so to Isaac, as you may see, Gen. xxvi 3.4. "And I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." After­wards it was renewed and confirmed to Jacob; first in Isaac's bles­sing of him, wherein he acted and spoke by extraordinary divine direction. In that blessing, the blessings of the covenant of grace were established with Jacob and his seed; as Gen. xxvii.29. "Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee." Therefore Esau, in missing of this blessing, missed of being blessed as an heir of the benefits of the covenant of grace.

This covenant was again renewed and confirmed to Jacob at Bethel, in his vision of the ladder that reached to heaven; which ladder was a symbol of the way of salvation by Christ. For the stone that Jacob rested on was a tye of Christ, the stone of Israel, which the spiritual Israel or Jacob rests upon; as is evident, because this stone was on this occasion anointed, and was made use of as an alter. But we know that Christ is the anointed of God, and is the only true altar of God. While Jacob was resting on this stone, and saw this ladde [...], God appears to him as his covenant God, and re­new [...] the covenant of grace with him; as in Gen. xxviii.14. "And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Jacob had another remarkable confirmation of this covenant at Penuel, where he wre [...]tled with God, and prevailed; where Christ ap­peared to him in a human form, in the form of that nature which he was afterwards to receive into a personal union with his divine nature.

God renewed his covenant with him again, after he was come out of Padan-aram, and was come up to Bethel, to the stone that he had rested on, and where he had the vision of the ladder; as you may see in Gen xxxv.10 &c.

Thus the covenant of grace was now often renewed, much oftener than it had been before. The light of the gospel now began to shine much brighter, as the time drew nearer that Christ should come.

VI. The next thing I would observe, is God's remarkably pre­serving the family of which Christ was to proceed from perishing by famine, by the instrumentality of Joseph. When there was a seven-years famine approaching, God was pleased, by a wonderful providence, to send Joseph into Egypt, there to provide for, and feed Jacob and his family, and to keep the holy seed alive, which otherwise would have perished. Joseph was sent into Egypt for [Page 51] that end, as he observes, Gen. l. [...]0. "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to save much people alive." How often had this holy root, that had the future branch of righteousness, the glorious Redeemer, in it, been in danger of being destroyed! But God wonderfully preserved it.

This salvation of the house of Israel by the hand of Joseph, was upon some accounts very much a resemblance of the salvation of Christ. The children of Israel were saved by Joseph their kinsman and brother, from perishing by famine; as he that saves the souls of the spiritual Israel from spiritual famine is their near kinsman, and one that is not ashamed to call them brethren. Joseph was a brother, that they had hated, and sold, and as it were killed; for they had designed to kill him. So Christ is one that we naturally hate, and, by our wicked lives, have sold for the vain things of the world, and that by our sins we have slain. Joseph was first in a state of humiliation; he was a servant, as Christ appeared in the form of a servant▪ and then was cast into a dungeon, as Christ descended into the grave; and then when he rose out of the dungeon, he was in a state of great exaltation, at the king's right hand as his deputy, to reign over all his kingdom, to provide food, to preserve li [...]e; and being in this state of exaltation, he dispenses food to his brethren, and so gives them life; as Christ was exalted at God's right hand to be a prince and saviour to his brethren, and received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, and them that hated, and had sold him.

VII. After this there was a prophecy given forth of Christ, on some accounts, more particular than ever any had been before [...]ven that which was in Jacob's blessing his son Judah. This was [...] particular than ever any had been before, as it showed of whose pos­terity he was to be. When God called Abraham, it was reveal­ed that he was to be of Abraham's posterity. Before, we have no account of any revelation concerning Christ's Pedigree confined to narrower limits than the posterity of Noah: after this it was con­fined to still narrower limits; for though Abraham had many sons, yet it was revealed, that Christ was to be of Isaac's posterity. And then it was limited more still; for when Isaac had two sons it was revealed that Christ was to be of Israel's posterity. And now though Israel had twelve sons, yet it is revealed that Christ should be of Judah's Posterity: Christ in the [...] of the tribe of Judah. Respect is chiefly had to his great acts, when it is said here, Gen. xlix 8. "Judah, thou art he whom t [...]y brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whel [...]; from the prey, my son▪ thou are gone up; he [...] down, [...] couched as a lion, and as an old lion▪ who shall [...] him up?" [Page 52] And then this prediction is more particular concerning the time [...] Christ's coming▪ than any had been before: as in vers. 10. "The sc [...]pter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, u [...] till S [...]i [...]oh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." The prophecy here, of the calli [...]g of the Gentiles conse­quent on Christ's coming, seems to be more plain than any had been before▪ in the expression, to him shall the gathering of the people be.

Thus you see how that gospel-light which dawned immediately after the fall of man▪ gradually increases.

VIII. The w [...]rk of redemption was carried on in this period, in God's wonderfully preserving the children of Israel in Egypt, when the power of Egypt was engaged utterly to destroy them. They seemed to be wholly in the hands of the Egyptians; they were their servants and were subject to the power of Pharoah: and Pharoah set himself to weaken them with hard bondage. And when he saw [...] did not do, he set h [...]mself to extirp [...]te the race of them, by commanding that eve [...]y male c [...]ild should be drowned. But us [...]er all tha [...] Pharao [...] cou [...]d do G [...]d wonderf [...]lly preserved them; and not only so, but increased then exceedingly; so that instead of being exti [...]pated, they greatly multiplied.

IX. Here is to be observed, not only the preservation of the na­tion, but God's wonderfully preserving and upholding his visible church in that nation, when in danger of being overwhelmed in the idolatry of Egypt. The children of Israel being lon [...] [...]mong the Egyptians, and being servants under them, and so not under advantages to keep God's ordinances among themselves, and main­tain any public worship or public instruction, whereby the true re­ligion might be upheld, and there being now no written word of God, they, by degrees, in a great measure lost the true religion, and borrowed the idolatry of Egypt; and the greater part of the people fell away to the worship of their gods. This we learn by Ezek. xx 6 7.8 and by chap. xxiii.8.

This now was the third [...] that God's church was almost swal­lowed up [...] carried away with the wickedness of the world; once before the flood; the other time, before the calling of Abraham; and now the third time, in Egypt. But yet God did not suffer his church to be quite overwhelmed; [...]e, still saved it, like the ark in the flood, and as he saved Moses in the midst of the waters, in an ark of bulrushes, where he was in the utmost danger of being swall [...]wed up. The true religion was still kept up with some; and God had still a people among them, even in this miserable, corrupt, and dark time. The parents of Moses were true servants of God, as we may learn by Heb xi.23. "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw that he was a proper child; and they [...] not afraid of the king's com­mandment."

[Page 53]I have now gone through the third period of the Old Testament time; an [...] have shown how the work of redemption was carried on from the calling of Abraham to Moses; in which we have seen many great things done towards this work, and a great advance­ment of this building, beyond what had been before.

PART IV. From Moses to David.

I PROCEED to the fourth period, which reaches from Moses to David.—I would show how the work of redemption was carried on through this also.

I. The first thing that offers itself to be considered it the redemp­tion of the church of God out of Egypt; the most remarkable of all the Old Testament [...]edemptions of the church of God, and that which was the greatest pledge and forerunner of the redemption of Christ, of any; and is much more insisted on in scripture than any other of those redemptions. Indeed it was the greatest type of Christ's redemp­tion of any providential event whatsoever. This red [...]mption was by Jesus Christ, as is evident from this, that it was [...]rought by him that appeared to Moses in the bush; for that was the person that sent Moses to redeem that people. But that was Christ, as is evident, because he is called the angel of the Lord, Exod. iii.2.3. The bush re­presented the human nature of Christ, that is called the branch. This bush grew on mount Sinai or Horeb, which is a word that signi­fies a dry place, as the human nature of Christ was a root out of a dry ground. The bush burning with fire, represented the sufferings of Christ, in the fire of God's wrath. It burned, and was not consum­ed; so Christ, though he suffered extremely, yet perished not; but overcame at lai [...], and rose from his sufferings. Because this great mystery of thei [...] carnation and sufferings of Christ was here repre­sented, therefore, Moses says, "I will turn aside, and behold this great sight." A great sight he might well call it, when there was represented God manifest in the f [...]esh, and suffering a dreadful death, and rising from the dead.

This [...] wa [...] he that redeemed the church out of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharoah; as Christ, by his death and suffering [...], [...]deemed his people from Satan, the spiritual Pha­raoh. He redeemed them from [...] service and cruel drudgery; a [...] Christ redeem▪ his [...] f [...]m the cruel slavery of sin and Satan. He redeemed them, as it is said, from the iron furnace [...]; as Christ redeems his church from a furnace of fire and everlasting burnings. He redeemed them with a strong hand and out stretched arm, and great and terrible judgements on their enemies; as Christ with migh­ty power triumphs over principalities and powers, and executes terrible judgements on his church's enemies, bruising the serpent's head. He saved them, when others were de [...]royed, by the sprink­ling [Page 54] of the blood of the paschal lamb; as God's church is saved from death by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, when the rest of the world is destroyed. God brought forth the people sorely against the will of the Egyptians, when they could not bear to let them go; so Christ rescues his people out of the ha [...]ds of the devil, sorely against his will, when his proud heart cannot bear to be overcome.

In that redemption, Christ did not only redeem the people from the Egpytians, but he redeemed them from the devils, the gods of Egypt; for before, they had been in a state of servitude to the gods of Egypt, as well as to the men. And Christ, the seed of the wo­man, did now, in a very remarkable manner, fulfil the curse on the serpent, in b [...]uising his head▪ Exod. xii.12. "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt will I execute judgement." Hell was as much and more engaged in that affair, than Egypt was. The pride and cruelty of Satan, that old serpent, was more concerned in it than Pharaoh's. He did his utmost against the people, and to his ut­most opposed their redemption. But it is said, that when God re­deemed his people out of Egypt, he broke the heads of the dra­gons in the waters, and broke the head of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat for the people inhabiting the wilderness, Psal. lxxiv.12.13.14. God forced their enemies to let them go, that they might serve him; as also Z [...]charias observes with respect to the church under the gospel, Luke i 74.75.

The people of Israel went out with an high hand, and Christ went before them in a pillar of cloud and fire. There was a glo­riou [...] triumph over earth and hell in that deliverance. And when Pharaoh and his hosts, and Satan by them pursued the people, Christ overthrew them in the Red sea; the Lord triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he cast into the sea, and there they slept their last sleep, and never followed the children of Israel any more; as all Christ's enemies are overthrown in his blood, which by its abun­dant sufficiency, and the greatness of the sufferings with which it was shed, may well be represented by a sea. The Red sea did re­present Christ's blood, a [...] is evident, because the apostle compares the children of Israel's passage through the Red sea to baptism, 1 Cor. x.1.2. But we all know that the water of baptism repre­sents Christ's blood.

Thus Christ, the angel of God's presence, in his love and his pity, redeemed his people, and carried them in the days of old as on eagle' [...] wings, so that none of their proud and spiteful enemies, neither Egyptian [...] nor devils, could [...]ouch them.

This was quite a new thing that God did towards this great work of redemption. God never had done any thing like it before▪ Deut. iv.32.33.34. This was a great advancement of the work [Page 57] of redemption, that had been begun and carried on from the fall of man; a great step taken in divine providence towards a prepa­ration for Christ's coming into the world, and working out his great and eternal redemption: for this was the people of whom Christ was to come. Now we may see how that plant flourished that God had planted in Abraham. Though the family of which Christ was to come, had been in a degree separated from the rest of the world before, in the calling of Abraham; yet that separati­on that was then made, appeared not to be sufficient, without fur­ther separation. For though by that separation, they were kept as strangers and sojourners, kept from being united with other peo­ple in the same political societies; yet they remained mixed among them, by which means, as it had proved, they had been in danger of wholly losing the true religion, and of being overrun with the idolatry of their neighbours. God now, therefore, by this redemp­tion, separated them as a nation from all other nations, to subsist by themselves in their own political and ecclesiastical state, with­out having any concern with the Heathen nations, that they might so be kept separate till Christ should come; and so that the church of Christ might be upheld and might keep the oracles of God, till that time; that in them might be kept up those types and prophe­cies of Christ, and those histories, and other divine previous in­structions, that were necessary to prepare the way for Christ's coming.

II. As this people were separated to be God's peculiar people, so all other people upon the face of the whole earth were wholly re­jected and given over to Heathenism. This, so far as the provi­dence of God was concerned in it, belongs to the great affair of redemption that we are upon, and was one thing that God ordered in his providence to prepare the way for Christ's coming, and the great salvation he was to accomplish in the world; for it was only to prepare the way for the more glorious and signal victory and triumph of Christ's power and grace over the wicked and miserable world, and that Christ's salvation of the world of mankind might become the more sensible. This is the account the scripture itself gives us of the matter, Rom. xi.30.31.32. The apostle there speaking to the Gentiles that had formerly been Heathens, says, "As ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not be­lieved, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." i. e. It was the will of God, that the whole world, Jews, and Gentiles, should be concluded in visible and professed unbelief, that so God's mercy and Christ's salvation towards them all might be visible and sensible. For the apostle is not speaking only of that unbelief that is natural to all God's professing people as well [Page 58] as others, but that which appears, and is visible; such as the Jews fell into, when they openly rejected Christ, and ceased to be a professing people. The apostle observes, how that first the Gentiles, even the Gentile nations, were included in a professed unbelief and open opposition to the true religion, before Christ came, to prepare the way for the calling of the Gentiles, which was soon after Christ came, that God's mercy might be the more vis [...]ble to them; and that the Jews were rejected, and apostati [...]ed from the visible church, to prepare the way for the calling of the Jews, which shall be in the latter days: So that it may be seen of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, that they are visibly redeemed by Christ, from being [...]isibly aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, without hope, and without God in the world.

We cannot certainly determine precisely at what time the apo­stasy of the Gentile nations from the true God, or there being con­cluded in visible unbelief, became universal. Their falling away was a gradual thing, as we observed before. It was general in Abraham's time, but not universal; for then we find Melchizedec, one of the kings of Canaan, was priest of the most high God. Af­ter this the true religion was kept [...] for a while among some of the rest of Abraham's posterity, besides [...]he family of J [...]c [...]b; and also in some of the posterity of Nahor, as we have instances in Job, and his three friends, and Elihu. The land of Uz, where Job lived was a land possessed by the posterity of U [...], or H [...]z. the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, of whom we read, Gen. xxii.21. Bildad the Shuhire was of the offspring of S [...]u [...]b, Abraham's son by K [...]truah, Gen. xxv.1.2.: and Elihu the Buzit [...], was of [...] the son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham. So the true religion lasted among some other people, besides the Israelites, a while after Abraham. But it did not l [...]st long: and it is probable that the time of their total rejection, and giving up to idolatry, was about the time when God separated the children of Israel from Egypt to serve him; for they are often put in m [...]nd on that occasion▪ that God had now separated them to be his peculiar people; or to be distinguish­ed from all other people upon earth, to be his people alone; to be his portion, when others were rejected. This seems to hold forth thus much to us, that God now chose them in such a manner, that this visible choice of them was accompanied with a visible rejec­tion of all other nations in the world; that God visibly c [...]me, and took up his residence with them, as forsaking all other nations.

And as the first calling of the Gentiles after Christ came, was accompanied with the rejection of the Jews; so the first calling of the Jews to be God's people, when they were called out of Egypt, was accompanied with a rejection of the Gentiles.

Thus all the Gentile nations, throughout the whole world, all nations, [Page 57] but only the Israelites, and those that embodied themselves with them▪ were left and given up to idolatry; and so continued a great many ages, even from this time till Christ came, which was about fi [...]teen hundred years. They were concluded so long a time in unbelief, that there might be a thorough proof of the necessity of a saviour; that it might appear by so long a trial, past all con­tradiction, that mankind were utterly insufficient to deliver them­selves f [...]om that gross darkness and misery, and subjection to the devil, that they had fallen under; that it might appear that all the wisdom of the philosophers, and the wisest men that the Heathen had among them, could not deliver them from their darkness, for the greater glory to Jesus Christ, who, when he came, enlightened and delivered them by his glorious gospel. Herein the wonderful wisdom of God appeared, in thus preparing the way for Christ's redemption. Th [...]s the scripture teaches us, as in 1 Cor. i.21. "For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

Here I might consider as another work of God, whereby the general work of redemption was carried on, that wonderful deli­verance which he wrought for the children o [...] Israel at the Red sea, when they were pursued by the hosts of the Egyptians, and were just ready to be swallowed up by them, there being, to human ap­pearance, no possibility of an escape. But as this may be referred to their redemption out of Egypt, and considered as a part of that more general work, I shall not further enlarge upon it.

III. The next thing that I shall take notice of here, what was done towards the work of [...]edemption, is God's giving the moral law in so awful a manner at Mount Sinai. This was another new thing that God did, a new step taken in this great affair. Deut. iv.33. "Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?" And it was a great thing that God did towards this work, and that whether we consider it as delivered as a new exhibition of the covenant of works, or given as a rule of life.

The covenant of works was here exhibited to be as a school-master to lead to Christ, not only for the use of that nation in the ages of the Old Testament, but for the use of God's church through­out all ages of the world; as an instrument that the great redeemer makes use of to convince men of their sin and misery, and help­less state, and of God's awful and tremenduous majesty and justice as a lawgiver, and so to make men sensible of the necess [...]ty of Christ as a saviour. The work of redemption▪ in its saving effect on mens souls, in all the progress of it to the end of it, is not carried on without the use of this law that was now delivered at Sinai.

[Page 58]It was given in an awful manner, with a terrible voice, exceed­ing loud an awful, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled; and Moses himself, though so intimate a friend of God▪ yet said, I exceedingly fear and quake; the voice being accom­panied with thunders and lightnings, the mountain burning with fire to the midst of heaven, and the earth itself shaking and trem­bling; to make all sensible how great that authority, power, and justice was, that stood engaged to exact the fulfilment of this law, and to see it fully executed; and how strictly God would require the fulfilment: and how terrible his wrath would be against every breaker of it; that men being sensible of those things, might have a thorough trial of themselves, and might p [...]ov [...] their own hearts, and know how impossible it is for them to have salvation by the works of the law, and might see the absolute necessity they stood in of a mediat [...]r.

If we regard this law now given at Mount Sinai, not as the co­venant of works, but as a rule of life▪ so it is made use of by the Redeemer, from that time to the end of the world, as a directory to his people, to show them the way in which they must walk, as they would go to heaven: for a way of sincere and universal obe­dience to this law i [...] the narrow way that leads to life.

IV. The next thing that is observable in this period, is God's giving the typical law, in which I suppose to be included most or all those precepts that were given by Moses, that did not properly belong to the moral law; not only those laws that are commonly called ceremonial, in distinction from judicial laws, which are the laws prescribing the ceremonies and circumstances of the Jewish worship, and their ecclesiastical state; but also many, if not all those divine laws that were political, and for regulating the Jewish commonwealth▪ commonly called judicial laws; these were at best many of them typical. The giving this typical law was another great thing that God did in this period, tending to build up this glorious structure of redemption that God had been carying on from the beginni [...]g of the world. There had been many typical events of providence before, that represented Christ and his re­demption, and some typical ordinances, as particularly those two of sacrifices and circumcision: but now, instead of representing the great redeemer in a few institutions, God gives forth a law full of nothing else but various and innumerable typical represen­tations of good things to come, by which that nation were direct­ed how, every year, month, and day, in their religous actions, and in their conduct of themselves, in all that appertained to their ec­clesiastical and civil state, to show forth something of Christ; one observance showing one thing, exhibiting one doctrine, or one be­nefit; another, another: so that the whole nation by this law was, [Page 59] as it were, constituted in a typical state. Thus the gospel was abundantly held forth to that nation; so that there is scarce any doctrine of it, but is particularly taught and exhibited by some ob­servance of this law; though it was in shadows, and under a vail, as Moses put a vail on his [...]ce when it shone.

To this typical law bel [...]ng all the precepts that relate to building the tabernacle, that was set up in the wilderness, and all the form, circumstances, and utensils of it.

V. About this time was given to God's church the first written word of God that ever was enjoyed by God's people. This was a­nother great thing done towards the affair of redemption, a new and glorious advancement of the bui [...]ding Not far from this time, was the beginning of the great written rule, which God has given for the regulation of the faith, worship, and practice of his church in all ages henceforward to the end of the world; which rule gr [...]w, and was added to from that time, for many ages, till it was finished, and the canon of scripture completed by the apostle John. It is not very material, whether the first written word that ever was, was the ten commandments written on the tables of stone with the finger of God, or the book of Job; and whether the book of Job was written by Moses, as some suppose, or by Elihu, as others. If it was written by Elihu, it was written before [...] period that we are now upon; but yet could not be far from it, as appears by con­si [...]ering whose posterity the persons were that are spoken of in it, to­gether with Job's great age, that was passed before this was written.

The written word of God is the main instrument Christ has made use of to carry on his work of redemption in all ages since it was given. There was a necessity new of the word of God's be­ing committed to writing, for a steady rule of God's church. Be­fore this, the church had the word of God by tradition, either by immediate tradition from eminent men that were [...]spired, that were then living, (for it was a common thing in those days, be­fore there was a written word, for God to reveal himself immediate­ly to eminent persons, as appears by the book of Job, and many other things that might be mentioned, in the book of Genesis), or else they had it by tradition from former generations, which might be had with tolerable certainty in ages pr [...]ceeding this▪ [...] reason of the long lives of men. Noah might converse with A [...]am, and receive traditions from him; and Noah lived till about Abraham's time: and the sons of Jacob lived a considerable time to deliver the revelations made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to their posterity in Egypt. But the distance from the beginning of things was become so great, and the lives of men become so short, being brought down to the present standard about Moses's time, and God having now separated a nation to be a peculiar people, partly for that end to be the keepers of the oracles of God; God saw it to be a needful [Page 60] and convenient time now to commit his word to writing, to re­main henceforward [...]or a steady rule throughout all ages. There­fore, besides the book of Job, Christ wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone, with his own finger; and after this the whole law, as containing the substance of the five books of Moses, was by God's special command committed to writing, which was called the book of the law, and was laid in the tabernacle, to be kept there for the use of the church; as you may see, Deut. xxxi.24 25 26.

VI. God was pleased now wonderfully to represent the pro­gress of his redeemed church through the world to their eternal inheritance, by the journey of the children of Israel through the wilderness, from Egypt to Canaan. Here all the various steps of the redemption of the church by Christ were represented from the beginning to its cons [...]mmation in glory. The state they are redeemed from is represented by Egypt, and their bondage there, which they lost. The purchase of their re­demption was represented [...]y the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, which was offered up that night that God slew all the first-born of Egypt. The beginning of the application of the redemp­tion of Christ's church in their conversion, was represented by Is­rael's going out of Egypt, and passing through the Red sea in so extraordinary and miraculous a manner. The travel of the church through this evil world, and the various changes through which the church passes, in the different stages of it, was represented by the journey of the Israelite [...] through the wilderness. The manner of their being conducted by Christ, was represented by the Israelites being led by the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. The manner of the church's being supported in their pro­gress, and supplied from the beginning to the end of it, with spi­ritual food, and continual daily communications from God, was represented by God's supplying the children of Israel with bread, or man [...] from heaven, and water out of the rock. The dangers that the saints must meet with in their course through the world, were represented by the fiery s [...]ying serpents which the children of Israel met with in th [...] wilderness. The conflicts the church has with her enemies, were represented by their battle with the Amale [...]ites, and others they met with there. Innumerable other things might be mentioned, wherein the things they met with were lively ima­ges of things which the church and saints meet with in all ages of the world. That these things are typical of things that pertain to the Christian church, is manifest from 1 Cor. x.11. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensampler, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Here the apostle is speaking of those very things which we have now mentioned, and he says expressly, that they hap­pened unto them for types; so it is in the original.

[Page 61]VII. Another thing here must not be omitted, which was a great and remarkable dispensation of Providence, respecting the whole world of mankind, which was finished in this period; and that was, the shortening the days of man's life, whereby it was brought down from being between nine hundred and a thousand years, to be but about seventy or eighty. The life of man began to be shortened immediately after the flood: it was brought down the first generation to 600 years, and the next to between four and 500 years; and so the life of man gradually gr [...]w shorter and shorter, 'till a [...]out the time of the great mortality that was in the congregation of Israel, after they had murmured at the report of the spies, and their carcasses fell in the wilderness, whereby all the men of war died; and then the life of man was reduced to its present standard, as Moses observes in that psalm that he wrote on occasion of that mortality: psal. 10.10. "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow: for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

This great dispensation of God tended to promote the grand de­sign of the redemption of Christ. Man's life being cut so very short in this world, tended to prepare the way for poor, mortal, short-lived men, the more joyfully to entertain the glad tidings of everlasting life in another world, that are brought to light by the gospel; and more readily to embrace a saviour, that purchases and offers such a blessing▪ if men's lives were still commonly about nine hundred years, how much less would they have to move them to regard the proffers of a future life; how much greater temptati­on would they have to rest in the the things of this world, they be­ing of such long continuance, and to neglect any other life but this? This probably contributed greatly to the wickedness of the ante­deluvians. But now how much greater motives have men to seek redemption, and a better life than this, by the great Redeemer, since the life of man is not one twelfth part of what it used to be, and men now universally die at the age when men formerly used to be but as it were setting out in the world?

VIII. The same work was carried on in preserving that people, of whom Christ was to come, from totally perishing in the wilder­ness, by a constant miracle of forty years continuance. I observ­ed before many times, how God preserved those of whom the Re­deemer was to proceed in a very wonderful manner; as he preserved Noah and his family from the flood; and as he p [...]eserved Abra­ham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their families, from the wicked inha­bitants of Canaan; and as he preserved J [...]cob and his family from perishing by the famine, by Joseph in Egypt. But this preserva­tion [Page 62] of the children of Israel for so long a time in the wilderness, was on some accounts more remarkable than any of them; for it was by a continual miracle of so long duration. There was, as may be fairly computed, at first two millions of souls in that con­gregation, that could not subsist any better without meat and drink than other men. But if this had been with held, they must all have perished, every man, woman, and child, in less than one month's time, so there would not have been one of them left. But yet this vast multitude subsisted for forty years together, in a dry barren wilderness, without sowing or reaping, or [...]illing any land, having their bread daily rained down to them out of heaven, and being furnished with water to satisfy them all, out of a rock; and the same cloaths with which they came out of Egypt, lasting, without wearing out all that time. Never was any instance like this, of a nation being so upheld for so long a time together. Thus God upheld his church by a continual miracle, and kept alive that people in whom was the blessing, the promised seed, and great Redeemer of the world.

IX. God was pleased, in this time of the children of Israel's being in the wilderness, to give a further revelation of Christ the Redeemer in the predictions of him, than had been before. Here are three prophecies given at this time that I would take notice of. The fi [...]st is that of Balaam, Numb. xxiv.17.18.19. "I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him▪ but not nigh: There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, S [...]ir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city." This is a plainer prophecy of Christ, especially with regard to his kingly office, than any that had been before. But we have another, that God gave by Moses, that is plainer still, especially with regard to his prophetical office, in Deut. xviii.18. &c. "I will raise up a prophet from among their brethren, like thee, and will put my words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him," &c. This is a plainer pro­phecy of Christ than any that had been before, in this respect, that all the prophecies that had been before of Christ, were in figurative mystical language. The first prophecy was so, That the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "That in their seed all the families of the earth should be blessed," were also mystical; which prophecy is not so particular, because the expression, thy seed, is general, and not plainly limited to any particular person. The prophecy of Jacob in blessing Judah, Gen▪ xlix.8. is in mystical language; [Page 63] and so is [...] of Balaam, which speaks of Christ under the figu­rative expression of a star. But this is a plain prophecy, without being vailed in any mystical language at all.

There are several things contained in this prophecy of Christ. Here is hi [...] mediatorial office in general, ver. 16. Here it is re­vealed how he should be a person to stand between them and God, that was so terrible a being▪ a being of such awful majesty, holiness, and justice, that they could not have come to him▪ and have inter­course with him immediately, without a mediator to stand between them; because, if they came to such a dreadful sin-revenging God immediately, they should die; God would prove a consuming fire to them. And then here is a particular revelation of Christ with respect to his prophetical office: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee," &c. Further, it is re­vealed what kind of a prophet he should be, a prophet like Moses, who was the head and leader of all the people, and who, under God, had been their redeemer, to bring them out of the house of bondage, was as it were their shepherd by whom God led them through the Red sea and wilderness, and was an intercessor for them with God, and was both a prophet and a king in the congregation; for Moses had the power of a king among them. It is said of him, Deut. xxxiii.5. he was king in Jeshurun, and he was the prophet by whom God as it were built up his church, and delivered his in­structions of worship. Thus Christ was to be a prophet like unto Moses; so that this is both the plainest and fullest prophecy of Christ that ever had been from the beginning of the world to this time.

The next prophecy that I shall take notice of, respects only the calling of the Gentiles, which should be after Christ's coming, of which God gave a very plain prophecy by Moses in the wilderness, Deut. xxxil 21. Here is a very plain prophecy of the rejection of the Jews and calling the Gentiles. They moved God to jealousy, by that which was not a god▪ by casting him off▪ and taking other gods, that were no gods, in his room. So God declares that he will move them to jealousy in the like manner, by casting them off, and taking other people, that had not been his people, in their room. The Apostle Paul takes notice of this prophecy, as fore­telling the calling of the Gentiles, in Rom. x.19 20 "But I say, Did not Israel know? "First, Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Es [...]ias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest to them that asked not after me."

Thus you see how the light of the gospel, which first began to dawn and glimmer immediately after the fall, gradually increases the nearer we come to Christ's time.

[Page 64]X. Another thing by which God carried on [...] work in this time, was a remarkable pouring out of his spirit on the young generation in the wilderness. The generation that was grown up when they came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, was a very froward and perverse generation. They were tainted with the idolatry and wickedness of Egypt, and were not weaned from it, as the Prophet Ezekiel takes notice, Ezek. xx.6.7.8. Hence they made the golden calf in imitation of the idolatry of Egypt, that was wont to worship a bull or an ox; and therefore cattle are called the abomination of the Egyptians, i. e. their idol. This generation God was exceeding angry with, and swore in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest. But the younger generation were not so; the generation that were under twenty years old when they came out of Egypt, and those that were born in the wilderness, the generation spoken of Numb. xiv.31. "But yo [...]r little ones, whom ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in; and they shall know the land that ye have despised." This was the generation with whom the covenant was renewed, as we have an account in Deuteronomy, and that entered into the land of Canaan. This generation God was pleased to make a generation to his praise, and they were eminent for piety; as appears by many things said in scripture about them; as, particularly, Jer. ii.2.2. "I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase." Here the generation that went after God in the wilderness is spoken of with very high commendations, as eminent for holiness: Israel was holiness to the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase. Their love to God is spoken of as distin­guished like the love of a bride at her espousals. The going after God in the wilderness that is here spoken of, is not the going of the children of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness of Sinai, but their following God through that dreadful wilderness, that the congregation long w [...]ndered in, after they went back from Kadesh-Barnea, which is spoken of, Deut. viii.15. "Who led thee thro' the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water." Though this generation had a much greater trial, than the generation of their fathers had before they came to Kadesh-Barnea, yet they never murmured against God in any wise, as their fathers had done: But their trials had a contrary effect upon them, to awaken them, convince, and humble them, and fit them for great mercy. They were awakened by those awful judgments of God that he inflicted on their fathers, whereby their carcasses fell in the wilderness. And God poured out his spirit with those awakening providenc [...] [Page 65] towards their fathers, and their own travel in the wilderness, and the word preached to them by Moses; hereby they were greatly awakened, and made to see the badness of their own hearts, and were humble [...], and at length multitudes of them savingly converted; as Deut. viii 2 3. "And thou shalt remember the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, and to know what was thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, &c. A [...]d, verse 15. "Who led thee through that great and ter [...]i [...]le wildernes [...]—that he might humble thee, and that he might p [...]ove thee▪ to do thee good at thy latter end." And therefore it is said, Hos. xiii.5. "I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought." God allured them, and brought them into that wilderness, and spake c [...]mfortably to them, as it was foretold that he would do afterwards, Hos. ii.14.

Those terrible judgements that were executed in the congregation after their turning back from K [...]desh B [...]rnea, in the matter of K [...]ah, and the matter of Poor, were chiefly on the old generation▪ whom God consumed in the wilderness. Those rebellions were chiefly among the elders of the congregation, who were of the older generation, that God had given up to their hearts lust; and they walked in their own counsels, and God was grieved with their manners forty years in the wilderness.

But that this younger congregation were eminent for piety, appears by all their history. The former generation were wicked, and were followed with cu [...]ses; but this was holy, and wonderfull blessings followed them. God did great things for them; he sough [...] for them, and gave them the possession of Canaan. And it is God' [...] manner, when he hath very g [...]eat mercies to bestow on a visible peo­ple, first to fit them for them, and [...]hen to bestow them on them. So it was here: They believed in God, and by [...] overcame [...] and Og, and the giants of Canaan; and are commended for cleav­ing unto the Lord: Josh xxiii.8. Joshua says unto them, "Cleave unto the Lord, as ye have done unto this day" And so Israel did all the while that generation lived. But whe [...] J [...]shua and all that gene­ration were de [...]d, there arose another [...] that knew not the Lord. This pious generation showed [...] laudable and fervent [...] for God on s [...]veral occasions; on occasion o [...] Achan's sin; but es­pecially when they suspected the two tribes and a half had set up an altar in opposition to the altar of bur [...]t offering. There never was any generation of Israel that so much good and so little evil is mentioned of▪ as this generation. It is further observeable, that in the time of this generation was the second general circumcision▪ whereby the reproach of Israel was fully rolled away, and they became pure; [...]nd when afterwards they were polluted by Archan▪ [...]hey purged themselves again.

[Page 66]The men of the former generation being dead, and God having sanctified this younger generation to himself, he solemnly renewed his covenant with them, as we have a particular account in the 29th chapter of Deuteronomy. We find that such solemn renovations of the covenant commonly accompanied any remarkable pouring out of the Spirit, causing a general reformation: So we find it was in Hezekiah's and Josiah's times. It is questionable whether there ever was a time of so great a flourishing of religion in the Israelitis [...] church, as in that generation; and as, in the Christian church, religion was in its most flourishing circumstances in the day of its espousals, or first setting up of that church, in the days of the apostles, so it seems to have been with the Jewish church in the days of its first establishment in Moses's and Joshua's times.

Thus God at this time did gloriously advance the work of redemp­tion, both by his word and Spirit. By this pouring out of the Spirit of God, the work of redemption was promoted, not only as it was in itself a glorious instance of the carrying on of that redemption in the application of it, but as this was what God made use of as a means of the good and orderly establishment of the church of Israel at its first beginning, when it was first settled in the regular obser­vance of God's ordinances in Canaan: Even as the pouring out of the Spirit, in the beginning of the Christian church, was a great means God made use of for the well establishing the Christian church in the world in all succeeding ages.

XI. The next thing I would observe, is God's bringing the people of Israel under the hand of Joshua, and settling them in that land where Christ was to be born, and which was the great type of the heavenly Canaan, which Christ has purchased. This was done by Joshua, who was of Joseph's posterity, and was an eminent type of Christ, and is therefore called the shepherd, the stone of Israel, in Jacob's blessing of Joseph, Gen. xlix.24. Being such a type of Christ, he bore the name of Christ. Joshua and Jesus are the same name, only the one is Hebrew, the other is Greek: And therefore, in the New Testament, which was originally written in G [...]eek, Joshua is called Jesus, Acts vii.45. "Which also our fathers brought in with Jesus," i. e. Joshua; Heb. iv.8. If Jesus had given them rest▪ he would not have spoken of another day;" [...] if J [...]shua had given them rest.

God wonderfully possessed his people of this land, conquering the former inhabitants of it, and the mighty glants, as Christ con­quering the devil; first conquering the great kings of that part of the land that was on the eastern side of Jordan, Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan; and then dividing the river Jordan, as before he had done the Red sea; causing the walls of Jericho to fall down at the sound of the trumpets of the priests▪ [Page 67] that sound typifying the sound of the gospel by the preaching of gospel-ministers, the walls of the accursed city Jericho signifying the walls of Satan's kingdom; and after this wonderfully destroying the mighty host of the Amorites under the five kings, causing the sun and moon to stand still, to help the people against their enemies, at the prayer of the typical Jesus; plainly holding this forth, that God would make the whole course of nature to be subservient to the affair of redemption; so that every thing should yield to the pur­poses of that work, and give place to the welfare of God's redeem­ed people.

Thus did Christ show his great love to his elect, that he would make the course of nature, in the frame of the world, that he had made, and that he governed, to give place to their happiness and prosperity; and showed that the sun and moon, and all things, visible and invisible, were theirs by his purchase. At the same time, Christ fought as the Captain of their host, and cast down great hail stones upon their enemies, by which more were slain than by the sword of the children of Israel. After this Christ gave the people a mighty victory over a yet greater army in the northern part of the land, that were gathered together at the waters of Merom, as the sand of the sea-shore, as it is said Josh. xi.4.

Thus God gave the people whence Christ was to proceed, the land where he was to be born, and live, and preach, and work miracles, and die, and rise again, whence he was to ascend into heaven, as the land which was a great type of heaven: Which is another thing whereby a great advance was made in the affair of redemption.

XII. Another thing that God did towards carrying on this affair, was his actually setting up his stated worship among the people, as it had been before instituted in the wilderness. This worship was appointed at Mount-Sinai, wholly in subserviency to this great affair of redemption. It was to make way for the coming of Christ; and the innumerable ceremonial observance [...] of it were typical of him and his redemption. This worship was chiefly instituted at Mount Sinai; but it was gradually set up in practice. It was partly set up in the wilderness, were the tabernacle and its vessels were made; but there were many parts of their instituted worship that could not be observed in the wilderness, by reason of their unsettled▪ itineran [...] state there: and then there were many precepts that re­spect the land of Canaan, and their cities and places of habitation there: which therefore could not be put in practice, till they came into that land. But now, when this was brought to pass, God see up his tabernacle in the midst of his people▪ as he had before pro­mised them. Lev xxvi.11. "I will s [...]t up my tabernacle among you" The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh. Josh. xviii.1. and the priests and Levites had their offices appointed them, and the cities of re­fuge [Page 68] were appointed; and now [...]he people were in a condition to observe their [...] of the first-fruits, and their feasts of ingathering and to bring all their tithes and appointed offerings to the Lord: and most parts of God's wo [...]ship were set up, though there were some things that were not observed till afterwards.

XIII. The next thing I would take notice of, was God's won­derfully preserving that people, from this time forward, when all the ma [...]es went up▪ three times in the year, to the place were God's ark was. The people of Israel were generally surrounded with enemies, that sought all opportunities to destroy them, and dispos­sess them of their land; and till David's time there were great num­bers in the land of the remains of the Canaanites, and the other former inhabitants of the land, that were b [...]ter enemies to the peo­ple of Israe [...]: and these had from year to year, three times in the year, a fair opportunity of over-running their country, and getting possession of their cities, when all the ma [...]es were gone, and only the women, and those who were not able to go up, were left be­hind. Yet they were remarkably preserved throughout all gene­rations at such seasons, agreeable to the promise that God had made Exod. xxxiv 24. "Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year." So wonderfully did God order affairs, and influence the hearts of their enemies, that though they were so full of enmity against Israel, and desired to dispossess them of their land, and had so fair an opportunity so often in their hands, that the whole coun­try was left naked and empty of all that could resist them, and it would have been only for them to have gone and taken possession, and they could have had it without opposition, and they were so eager to take other opportunities against them; yet we never read, in all their history, of any of their enemies taking these oppor­tunities against them: which could be no less than a continual miracle, th [...] God, for the pr [...]servation of his church, kept up for so many generations even throughout the ages of the Old Tes­tament. It was surely a wonderful dispensation of divine provi­dence to maintain and promote God's great design of redemption.

XIV. God's preserving his church and the true religion from being wholly extinct in the frequent apostasies of the Israelites in the time of the judges. How prone was that people to forsake the true God, that had done such wonderful things for them, and to fall into idolatry▪ and how did the land, from time to time, seem to be almost over run with idolatry! But yet God never suffered his true worship to be totally rooted out: his tabernacle stood, the ark was p [...]eserved the book of the law was kept from being des­troyed, God's priesthood was upheld, and God still had a church [...]ong the people; and time after time, when religion seemed to [Page 69] be almost gone, and it was come to the last extremity, then God granted a revival, and sent some angel or prophet, or raised up some eminent person, to be an instrument of their reformation.

XV. God's preserving that nation from being destroyed, and delivering them from time to time, although they were so often subdued and b [...]ought under the dominion of their enemies. It is a wonder, not on [...]y that the true religion was not wholly rooted out, and so the church destroyed that way; but also that the very na­tion in which that church was, was not utterly destroyed; they were so often brought under the power of their enemies. One while they were subdued by [...] rishataim king of Mesopota­mia, another while they were brought under the Moabites; and then they were sold into the hand of J [...]bin king of Canaan; and then they were under the dominion of the Midianites; and then were sorely distressed by the children of Ammon; and then by the Philistines. But yet God, in all these dangers, preserved them, and kept them from being wholly overthrown; and from time to time, when it was come to extremity, and God saw that they were upon the very brink of ruin, then God raised up a deliverer, a­greeable to Deut. xxxii, 36. "For the Lord shall judge his peo­ple, and repent himself for his servants; when he [...]eeth their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left."

Those remarkable despensations of Providence are very livelily and elegantly set forth by the Psalmist, Psal. cvi.34. &c.

These deliverers that God raised up from time to time were all types of Christ, the great redeemer and deliverer of his church; and some of them very remarkably so; as, particularly, Barak, Jepht [...]ah, Gideon, and Samson, in very many particulars; and above all in the act [...] of Samson, as might be shown, were it not that this would take up too much time.

XVI. It is observable, that when Christ appeared to manage the affairs of his church in this period, he often appeared in the form of that nature that he took upon him in his incarnation. So he seems to have appeared to Moses from time to time, and particularly at that time when God spake to him face to face, as a man speak­eth to his friend, and he beh [...]ld the similitude of the Lord (Numb. xii.8.), after he had besought him to show him his glory; which was the most remarkable vision that ever he had of Christ. There was a twofold discovery that Moses had of Christ: one was spiri­tual, made to his mind, by the word that was proclaimed, when he proclaimed his name, saying, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens [Page 70] children, unto the third and to the fourth generation," Exod. xxxiv.6. &c. Another was external; which was that which Moses saw, when Christ passed by, and put him in a cleft of the rock, and covered him with his hand, so that Moses saw his back parts. What he saw was doubtless the back parts of a glorious human form, in which Christ appeared to him, and in all likehood the form of his glorified human nature, in which he should afterwards appear. He saw not his face; for it is not to be supposed that any man could subsist un­der a fight of the glory of Christ's human nature as it now appears.

So it was an human form in which Christ appeared to the seventy elders, of which we have an account. Exod. xxiv.9 10.11. "Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel: and there was un­der his feet, as it were a paved work of a sapphire-stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink." So Christ appeared afterwards to J [...]shua in the form of the human nature▪ J [...]sh. v.13.14, "And it came to pass when J [...]shua was by Jericho, he lift up his eyes, and look­ed, and behold, there stood a man over against him, with a sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And he said Nay, but a [...] captain or the host of the Lord am I now come" And so he appeared to Gideon, Judg. vi.11. &c. and so also to Manoah Judg. xiii.17.—21. Here Christ appeared to Manoah in a repre­sentation both of his incarnation and death; of his incarnation, [...] that he appeared in a human form; and of his death and suffer­ings, represented by the sacrifice of a kid, and by his ascending up in the flame of the sacrifice; intimating that it was he that was the great sacrifice, that must be offered up to God for a sweet sa­vour, in the fire of his wrath, as that kid was burned and ascended up in the flame. Christ thus appeared, time after time, in the form or that nature he was afterwards to take upon him; because he now appeared on the same design, and to carry on the same work, that he was to appear in that nature to work out and carry on.

XVII. Another thing I would mention, done in this period to­wards the work of redemption, is the beginning of a succession of prophets, and erecting a school of the prophets, in Samuel's time. There was something of this spirit of prophecy in Israel after Moses, before Samuel. Joshua and many of the Judges had a degree of it. Deborah was a prophetess; and some of the high priests were informed with this spirit; particularly Eli: and that space of time was not wholly without instances of those that were set app [...] of God especially to this office, and so were called prophets. Such on one we read of, Judg. vi.8. "The Lord sent a porphet unto the [Page 71] children of Israel, which said unto them," &c. Such an one it seems to have been that we read of, 1 Sam. ii.27. "and there came a man of God to Eli," &c.

But there was no such order of men upheld in Israel for any con­stancy, before Samuel; the want of it is taken notice of in 2 Sam. iii 1. "And the word of the Lord was precious in those days▪ there was no open vision." But in Samuel there was begun a suc­cession of prophets, that was maintained continually from that time, at least with very little interruption, till this spirit of pro­phecy ocased, about Malachi's time: and therefore Samuel is spok­en in the New Testament as the beginning of the succession of pro­phets. Acts iii.24. And all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have foretold of these days." After Samuel was Nathan, and Gad and Iddo, and He­man, and Asaph, and others. And afterwards, in the latter and of Solomon's reign, we read of Ahijah; and in Jeroboam and Re­hoboam's time we read of prophets; and so continually one pro­phet succeeded another, till the captivity: We read in the wri­tings of those prophets that are inserted into the canon of the scip­tures, of prophets as being a constant order of men uph [...]ld in the land in those days: and in the time of the captivity there were prophets still, as Ezekiel and Daniel; and after the captivity there were prophets, as Zechariah, Higgai, and Malachi.

Because God intended a constant succession of prophets from Samuel's time, therefore in his time was begun a school of the pro­phets; that is, a school of young men, that were trained up under some great prophet, who was their master and teacher in the study of divine things, and the practice of holiness, to fit them for this office as God should call them to it. Those young men that be­longed to these schools, were called the sons of the prophets; and oftentimes they are called prophets. These at first were under the tuition of Samuel. Thus we read of Samuel's being appointed over them, 1 Sam. xix.20. "And when they saw the company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them." The company of prophets that we read of 1 Sam. x.5. were the same▪ Afterwards we read of their being under Elijah. Elisha was one of his sons; but he desired to have a double portion of his spirit, as his successor, as his first-born, as the eldest son was wont to have a double portion of the estate of his father; and therefore the sons of the prophets, when they perceived that the spirit of Elijah re [...]ted on Elisha, submitted themselves to him, and owned him for their master, as they had done Elijah before him; as you may see, 2 Kings ii.15. "And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah [...]oth rest on Elisha. And they bowed themselves to the ground before him."

[Page 72]After this Elisha was their master or teacher; he had the care and instruction of them; as you may see, 2 Kings iv.38. "And Eli­sha came again to Gilgal, and there was a dearth in the land, and the sons of the prophets were [...]i [...]ting before him: and he sai [...] unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets." In Elijah's and Elisha's time, there were seve­ral places where there resided companies of these sons of the p [...]o­phets; as there was one at Bethel, and another at Jericho, and a­nother at Gilgal, unless that at Gilgal and Jericho were the same: and possibly that which is called the college, where the prophetess Huldah resided, was another at Jerusalem; see 2 Kings xxii.14. It is there said of Huldah the prophetess, that "she dwelt in Jeru­salem, in "the college." They had houses built, where they used to dwell together; and therefore those at Jericho bing multiplied, and finding their house too little for them, desired leave of their master and teacher Elisha, that they might go and he [...] timber [...] build a bigger; as you may see, 2 Kings vi.1.2.

At some times there were numbers of these sons of the prophets in Israel; for when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, it is said, that Obadiah took an hundred of them, and hid them by [...] in a cave, 1 Kings xviii.4.

These schools of the prophets being set up by Samuel, and after­wards kept up by such great prophets as Elijah and Elisha, must be of divine appointment; and accordingly we find, that those sons of the prophets were often favoured with a degree of inspira­tion, while they continued under tuition in the schools of the pro­phets; and God commonly, when he called any prophet to the constant exercise of the prophetical office, and to some extraordi­nary service, took them out of these schools,—though not univer­sally. Hence the prophet [...], speaking of his being called to the prophetical office, says, that he was one that had not been edu­cated in the schools of the prophets, and was not one of the sons of the prophets. Amos vii.14 15. But Amos's taking notice of it as remarkable, that he should be called to be a prophet that had not been educated at the schools of the prophets, shows that it was God's ordinary manner to take his prophets out of these schools; for therein he did but bless his own institution.

Now this remarkable dispensation of Providence that we are upon, viz. God's beginning a constant succession of prophets in in Samuel's time, that was to last many ages; and to that end▪ esta­blishing a school of the prophets under Samuel, thenceforward to be continued in Israel, was a step that God took in that great affair of redemption that we are upon. For the main business of this suc­cession of prophets was, to foreshow Christ, and the glorious re­demption that he was to accomplish, and so to prepare the way [Page 73] for his coming; as appea [...]s by that forementioned place, Acts iii.24. and by Acts x.43. "To him give all the prophets witness [...]" and by Acts iii.18. "But those things which God before [...] sh [...]wed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

As I observed before, the Old Testament time was like a time of night, wherein the church was not wholly without light, but had not the light of the sun di [...]ectly, but as reflected from the stars. N [...]w th [...]s [...] proph [...]ts were the stars that reflected the light of the sun; on ac [...]ordingly th [...]y spoke abundantly of Jesus Christ, as appears by what we have of their prophecies in writing. And they made i [...] very much their business, when they studied in their schools or col­leg [...]s, and elsewhere, to search out the work of redemption; agree­able to what the apostle Peter says of them, 1 Pet. i.10.11. "Of which salvation the prophets have en [...]ired, and searched diligent­ly, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; search­ing what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." We are told, that the church of the Redeemer is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, the Redeemer himself being the chief corner stone, Eph. ii.20.

This was the first thing of the nature that ever was done in the world; and it was a great thing that God did towards further ad­vancing this great building of redemption. There had been before occasional prophecies of Christ, as was shown; but now the time drawing nearer when the Redeemer should come, it pleased God to appoint a certain order of men, in constant succession, whose main business it should be, to foreshow Christ and his redemption, and as his forerunners to prepare the way for his coming; and God established schools, wherein multitudes were ins [...]ructed and t [...]ained up to that end, Rev. xix.10 "I am thy fellow-servant, and of t [...]y brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

PART V. From David to the Babylonish captivity.

I COME now to the fifth period of the times of the Old Testament, beginning with David, and extending to the Babylonish captivity; and would now proceed to show how the work of redemption was carried on through this period also.—And here,

I. The first thing to be taken notice of, is God's anointing that person that was to be the ancestor of Christ, to be king over his people. The dispensations of Pro [...]idence that have been taken notice of through the last period, from Moses to this time, respect the people whence Christ was to proceed. But now the scripture [...] [Page 74] history leads us to consider God's providence towards that particular [...]rson whence Christ was to proceed, viz. David. It pleased God [...] this time remarkably to select out that person of whom Christ was to come, from all the thousands of Israel, and to put a most honorable mark of distinction upon him, by anointing him to be king over his people. It was only God that could find him out. His father's house is spoken of as being little in Israel, and he was the youngest of all the sons of his father, and was least expected to be the man that God had chosen▪ by Samuel. God had before, in the former ages of the world, remarkably distinguished the persons from whom Christ was to come; as he did Seth, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. But the last we have any account of God's marking out in any notable manner, the very person of whom Christ was to come, was in Jacob's blessing his son Judah; unless we reckon Nahshon's advancement in the wilderness to be the [...] of the tribe of Judah. But this distinction of the person of whom Christ was to come, in David, was very honorable; for it was God's anointing him to be king over his people. There was something further denoted by David's anointing, than was in the anointing of Saul. God anointed Saul to be king personally; but God intended something further by sending Samuel to anoint David, viz. to establish the crown of Israel in him and in his family, as long as Israel continued to be a kingdom; and not only so, but what was infinitely more still, establishing the crown of his universal church, his spiritual Israel, in his seed, to the end of the world, and throughout all eternity.

This was a great dispensation of God, and a great step taken towards a further advancing of the work of redemption, accord­ing as the time drew near wherein Christ was to come. David, as he was the ancestor of Christ, so he was the greatest personal type of Christ of all under the Old Testament. The types of Christ were of three sorts; types of institution, or instituted types, and provi­dential and personal types. The ordinance of sacrificing was the greatest of the instituted types; and the redemption out of Egypt was the greatest of the providential types; and David the greatest of the personal types. Hence Christ is often called David in the prophecies of scripture; as Ezek. xxxiv.23.24. "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David;—My servant David a prince among them" and so in many other places: and he is very often spoken of as the seed of David, and the son of David.

David being the ancestor and great type of Christ, his being so­lemnly anointed by God to be king over his people, that the kingdom of his church might be continued in his family for ever, may in some respects be looked on as an anointing of Christ himself. [Page 75] Christ was as it were anointed in him; and therefore Christ's an­ointing and David's anointing, are spoken of under one in scrip­ture, as Psal. lxxxix.20. "I have found David my servant; wi [...] my holy oil have I anointed him." And David's throne and Christ's are spoken of as one: Luke i▪ 32. "And the Lord shall give him the throne of his father David▪" Acts li, 30. "David—knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to set on his throne." Thus God's beginning of the kingdom of his church in the house of David, was, as it were, a new establish­ing of the kingdom of Christ; the beginning of it in a state of such visibility as it thenceforward continued in. It was as it were God's planting the root, whence that branch of righteousness was afterwards to spring up, that was to be the everlasting king of his church; and therefore this everlasting king is called the branch from the stem of Jesse. Is. xi.1. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." Jer. xxiii.5, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper." So chap. xxxiii.15, "In those d [...]ys, and at that [...] ▪ I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up to David, and he shall execute judgement and righteousness in the land." So Christ in the New Testament, is called the root and offspring of David, Rev. xxii.1 [...].

It is observable, that God anointed David after Saul to reign in his room. He took away the crown from him and his family, who was higher in stature then any of his people, and was in their eyes fittest to bear rule, to give it to David, who was low of sta­ture, and in comparison, of despicable appearance: so God was pleased to show how Christ, who appeared despicable, without form or comeliness, and was despised and rejected of men, should take the kingdom from the great ones of the earth. And also it is observable, that David was the youngest of Jesse's sons, as Jacob the younger brother supplanted Esau, and got the birthright and blessing from him: and as Pharez, another of Christ's ancestors, sup­planted Zarah in the birth; and as Isaac, another of the ancestors of Christ, cast out his elder brother Ishmael; thus was that frequent saying of Christ fulfilled, "The last shall be first, and the first last."

II. The next thing I would observe, is God's so preserving Da­vid's life, by a series of wonderful providences, till Saul's death. I before took notice of the wonderful preservation of other parti­cular persons that were the ancestors of Christ; as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; and have observed how, in that Christ the great Re­deemer was to proceed from them, that in their preservation, the work of redemption itself may be looked upon as preserved from [Page 76] being defeated, and the whole church, which is redeemed through [...] from being overthrown. But the preservation of David was no [...] remarkable than that of any others that have been already taken notice of. How often was it so, that there was but a step between [...]im and death. The first instance of it we have in his encounter­ing a lion and a bear, when they had caught a lamb out of his flock, which, without miraculous assistance, could at once have [...]ent this young stripling in pieces, as they could the lamb that he delivered from them: so afterwards the root and offspring of David was preserved from the roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour, and conquered him, and rescued the poor souls of men, that were as lambs in the mouth of this lion. Another re­markable instance was, in preserving him from that mighty giant Goliath, who was strong enough to have taken him, and picked him to pieces with his fingers, and given his flesh to the beasts of the field, and to the [...]owl [...] of the air, as he threatened him: but God preserved him from him, and gave him the victory over him, so that he cut off his head with his own sword, and made him there­in the deliverer of his people; as Christ slew the spiritual Goliath with his own weapon, the cross, and so delivered his people. And how remarkably did God preserve him from being slain by Saul, when he first sought his life, by giving him his daughter to be a snare to him, that the hand of the Philistines might be upon him, requiring him to pay for her by an hundred foreskins of the Phi­listines, that so his life might be exposed to them; and in preserv­ing him afterwards, when Saul spake to Jonathan, and to all his servants, to kill David; and in inclining Jonathan, instead of his killing him, as his father bade him, to love him as his own soul, and to be a great instrument of his preservation, even so as to ex­pose his own life to preserve David; though one would have thought that none would have been more willing to have David killed than Jonathan, seeing that he was competitor with him for his father's crown; and again saving him, when Saul threw a javelin at him, to smite him even to the wall; and again preserving him when he [...]ent messengers to his house, to watch him, when Michal Saul's daughter let him down through a window; and when he afterwards sent messengers to his house, to watch him, and to kill him▪ when Michal Saul's daughter let him down thro' a window▪ and when he afterwards sent messengers, once & again, to Naioth in Ramah, to take him, and they were remarkably prevented time after time, by being seized with miraculous impressions of the spirit of God; and afterwards when Saul, being resolute in the affair, went himself, he also was among the prophets: and after this, how wonderfully was David's life preserved at Gath among the Phi­listines, when he w [...]nt to Achish the king of Gath, and was there in the hands of the Philistines, who, one would have thought, would [Page 77] have dispatched him at once, he having so much provoked them by his exploits against them [...] was [...]gain wonderfully [...] re­served at Keilah, when he had entered into [...] town, where Saul thought he was sure of him. How wonderfully was he pre­served from Saul, when he pursued and hunted him in the moun­tains? How remarkably did God deliver him in the wilderness of Maon, when Saul and his army were compassing David about? How was he delivered in the cave of Engedi, when, instead of Saul's killing David, God delivered Saul into his hands in the cave, and he cut off his skirt, and might as easily have cut off his head; and afterwards delivering him in like manner in the wil­derness of Ziph; and afterwards again preserving him in the land of the Philistines, though David had fought against the Philistines, and conquered them at Keilah, since he was last among them; which one would think, would have been sufficient warning to them not to trust him, or let him escape a second time, if ever they had him in their hands again; but yet now, when they had a second opportunity, God wonderfully turned their hearts to him to be friend and protect him, instead of destroying him.

Thus was the precious seed that virtually contained the Redeem­er, and all the blessings of his redemption, wonderfully preserved, when hell and earth were conspired against it to destroy it. How often does David himself take notice of this, with praise and ad­miration, in the book of Psalms?

III. About this time, the written word of God, or the cannon of scripture, was added to by Samuel. I have before observed, how that the canon of scripture was begun, and the first written word of God, the first written rule of faith and manners that ever was, was given to the church about Moses's time: and many, and I know not but most divines, think it was added to by Joshua, and that he wrote the last chapter of Deuteronomy, and most of the book of Joshua. Others think that Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and part of the first book of Samuel, were writen by Samuel. However that was, this we have good evidence of, that Samuel made an ad­dition to the canon of scripture; for Samuel is manifestly men­tioned in the New Testament, as one of the prophets whose writ­ings we have in the scriptures, in that forementioned Acts iii.24. "Yea and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow af­ter, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of those days." By that expression, "as many as have spoken," cannot be meant, as many as have spoken by word of mouth; for never was any prophet but what did that: but the meaning must be, as many as have spoken by writing, so that what they have spoken has come down to us, that we may see what it is.

The way that Samuel spoke of these times of Christ and the gos­pel, [Page 78] was by giving the history of those thing▪ that typified them, an [...] pointed to them, particularly the things concerning David that he wrote. The Spirit of God moved him to commit those things to writing, chiefly for that reason, because they pointed to Christ, and the times of the gospel; and, as was said before, this was the main business of all that succession of prophets, that began in Samuel, to foreshow those times.

That Samuel added to the canon of the scriptures seems further to appear from 1 Chron. xxix.29. "Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer."

Whether the book of Joshua was written by Samuel or not, yet it is the general opinion of divines, that the books of Judges, and Ruth, and part of the first book of Samuel, were penned by him. The book of Ruth was penned for that reason, because though it seemed to treat of private affairs, yet the persons chiefly spoken of in that book were of the family whence David and Christ proceed­ed, and so pointed to what the apostle Peter observed of Sa­muel and the other prophets, in the 3d chapter of Acts. The thus adding to the canon of the scriptutes, the great and main instrument of the application of redemption, is to be looked upon [...] a further carrying on of that work, and an addition made to that great building.

IV. Another thing God did towards this work, at that time, was his inspiring David to show forth Christ and his redemption, in divine songs, which should be for the use of the church, in pub­lic worship, throughout all ages. David was himself endued with the spirit of prophecy. He is called a prophet, Acts ii.29.30. "Let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepluchre is with us unto this day: therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God [...]ad sworn with an oath," &c. So that herein he was a type of Christ, that he was both a prophet and king. We have no certain account of the time when David was first endued with the spirit of prophecy; but it is manifest, that it either was at the time that Samuel anoi [...]ted him, or very soon after; for he appears soon after acted by this spirit, in the affair of Goliath: and then great part of the psalms were penned in the time of his troubles, before he came to the crown; as might be made manifest by an induction of particulars.

The oil that was used in anointing David was a type of the spirit of God; and the type and the antetype were given both together; as we are told, 1 Sam. xvi.13. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of the Lord came down upon David from that day forward:" and it is probable, that it now came upon him in its prophetical influ­ences.

[Page 79]The way that this spirit influenced him was, to inspire him to show forth [...], [...]nd the glorious things of his redemption, in divine songs, sweetly expressing the breathings of a pious [...], fu [...]l of admiration of the glorious things of the Redeemer, inflam­ed with divine love, and lifted up with praise; and therefore he is called the sweet psalmist of Israel. 2 Sam. xxiii.1. "Now th [...]se be the last words of David: David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sw [...]et psalmist of Israel." The main subjects of these sweet songs were the glorious things of the gospel; as is evi­dent by the interpretation that is often put upon them, and the use that is made of them in the New Testament; for there is no one book of the Old Testament that is so often quoted in the New, as the book of Psalms. Joyfully did this holy man sing of those great things of Christ's redemption, that had been the hope and expecta­tion of God's church and people from the beginning of the church of God on earth; a [...]d joyfully did others follow him in it, as A­saph. Heman, Ethan, and others; for the book of Psalms was not all penned by D [...]vid, though the greater part of it was. Hereby the canon of scripture was further added to; and an excellent por­tion of divine writ was it that was added.

This was a great advancement that God made in this building; and the light of the gospel, which had been gradually growing from the fall, was exceedingly increased by it: for whereas before there was but here and there a prophecy given of Christ in a great many ages, now here Christ is spoken of by his ancestor David abundant­ly, in multitudes of songs, speaking of his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, his satisfaction, intercession; his prophetical, kingly, and priestly office; his glorious benefits in this life and that which is to come; [...]is union with the church, and blessedness of the church in him; the calling of the Gentiles, the future glory of the church near the end of the world, and Christ's coming to the final judgement. All these things, and many more, concerning Christ and his redemption, are abundantly spoken of in the book of Psalms.

This was also a glorious advancement of the affair of redemption, as God hereby gave his church a book of divine songs for their use in that part of their public worship, viz. singing his praises, throughout all ages to the end of the world. It is manifest the book of Psalms was given of God for this end. It was used in the church of Israel by God's appointment: this is manifest by the title of many of the psalms, in which they are inscribed to the chief musician. i. e. to the man that was appointed to be the leader of divine songs in the temple, in the public worship of Israel. So David is called, the sweet psalmist of Israel, because he penned [Page 80] psalms for the use of the church of Israel; and accordingly we have an account that they were actually made use of in the church of Is­rael for that end, even ages after David was dead; as [...] Chron. xxix.30. "Moreover, Hezekiah the king, and the princes, com­manded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord, with the wo [...]ds of David, and of Asaph the seer." And we find that the same are appointed in the New-Testament to be made use of in the Christian church, in their worship: Eph. v.19. "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." Col. iii.16. "Admonish­ing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." And so they have been, and will to the end of the world be made use of in the church to celebrate the praises of God. The people of God were wont sometimes to worship God by singing songs to his praise before; as they did at the Red sea; and they had Moses's prophe­tical song, in the [...] chapter of Deuteronomy, committed to them [...], and Barak, and Hannah, sung praises to God: but now first did God commit to his church a book of di­vine songs for their constant use.

V. The next thing I would take notice of, is God's actually ex­alting David to the throne of Israel, notwithstanding all the oppo­sition made to it. God was determined to do it, and he made every thing give place that stood in the way of it. He removed Saul and his [...]ons out of the way; and first set David over the tribe of Judah; and then, having removed [...], set him over all Israel. Thus did God fulfil his word to David. He took him from the sheep cote, and made him king over his people Israel, Psal. lxxxiii.70.71. And now the throne of Israel was establish­ed in that family in which it was to continue for ever, even for ever and ever.

VI. Now first it was that God proceeded to chuse a particular city out of all the tribes of Israel to place his name there. There is several times mention made in the law of Moses, of the chil­dren of Israel's bringing their oblations to the place which God should chuse; as Deut. xii.5.6.7. and so in many other places; but God had never proceeded to do it till now. The ta­bernacle and ark were never fixed, but sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; but now God proceeded to chuse Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was never thoroughly conquered, or taken out of the hands of the Jebusites, till David's time. It is said in Joshua xv.63. "As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day." But now David wholly subdued it, as we have an account in 2 Sam. v. And now God proceeded to chuse that city to place his name there, [Page 81] as appears by David's bringing up the ark thither soon after; and therefore this is mentioned afterwards [...] the first time God pro­ceeded to chuse a city to place his name there, 2 Chron. vi.5.6. and chap. xii.13 Afterwards God proceeded to show David the [...] he would have his temple built, viz. [...] the Je [...]u [...]ite.

This city of Jerusalem is therefore called the holy city; and it was the greatest type of the church of Christ in all the Old Testament. It was redeemed by David, the captain of the hosts of Israel, out of the hands of the Jebuzites, to be God's city, the holy place of his rest forever, where he would dwell; as Christ, the captain of his people's salvation, redeems his church out of the hands of devils, to be his holy and beloved city. Therefore how often does the scripture, [...] speaking of Christ's redemption of his church, call it by the names of Zion and Jerusalem? This was the city that God had appointed to be the place of the first gathering and erecting of the Christian church after Christ's resurrection, of that remark­able pouring out of the Spirit of God on the apostles and pri­mitive Christians, and the place whence the gospel was to sound forth into all the world; the place of the first Christian church, that was to be, as it were, the mother of all other churches through the world; agreeable to that prophecy, Is. ii.3.4. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem: and he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people," &c.

Thus God chose Mount Sion when the gospel was to be sounded forth, as the law had been from Mount Sinai.

VII. The next thing to be observed here, is God's solemnly re­newing the covenant of grace with David, and promising that the Messiah should be of his seed. We have an account of it in the 7th chapter of the second book of Samuel. It was done on occasion of the thoughts David entertained of building God an house. On this occasion God sends Nathan the prophet to him, with the glorious promises of the covenant of grace. It is especially contained in these words in the 16th verse: "And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever." Which promise has respect to Christ, the seed of David, and is fulfilled in him only: for the kingdom of David has long since ceased, any otherwise than as it is upheld in Christ. The temporal kingdom of the house of David has now ceased for a great many ages; much longer than ever it stood.

That this covenant that God now established with David by Nathan the prophet, was the covenant of grace, is evident by the plain testimony of scripture, in Is. lv.1.2.3. There we have Christ inviting sinners to come to the waters, &c. And in the 3d verse, he says, "Incline your ear, come unto me; hear, and your souls [Page 82] shall live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, [...] the sure mercies of David." Here Christ offers to poor [...] they will come to him, to give them an interest in the same [...] covenant that he had made with David, conveying to them [...] [...]me sure mercies. But what is that covenant that sinners obtain an interest in, when they come to Christ, but the covenant of grace?

This was the fifth solemn establishment of the covenant of grace with the church after the fall. The covenant of grace was revealed and established all along. But there had been particular seasons, wherein God had in a very solemn manner renewed this covenant with his church, giving forth a new edition and establishment of it, revealing it in a new manner. This was now the fifth solemn establishment of that covenant. The first was with Adam, the second was with Noah, the third was wi [...]h the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the fourth was in the wilderness by Moses, and now the fifth is this made to David.

This establishment of the covenant of grace with David, David always esteemed the greatest smile of God upon him, the greatest honor of all that God had put upon him; he prized it, and rejoiced in it above all the other blessings of his reign. You may see how joyfully and thankfully he received it, when Nathan came to him with the glorious message. in 1▪ Sam. vii.18. &c. And so David, in his last words, declares this to be all his salvation, and all his desire; as you may see, 2 Sam. xxiii.5. "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: For this i [...] all my salvation, and all my desire."

VIII. It was by David that God first gave his people Israel the possession of the whole promised land. I have before shown, how God's giving the possession of the promised land belonged to the covenant of grace. This was done in a great measure by Joshua, but not fully. Joshua did not wholly subdue that part of the pro­mised land that was strictly called the land of Canaan, and that was divided by lot to the several tribes; but there were great numbers of the old inhabitants lest unsubdued, as we read in the books of Joshua and Judges; and there were many left to prove Israel, and to be thorns in their sides, and pricks in their eyes. There were the Jeb [...]sites in Jerusalem, and many of the Canaanites, and the whole nation of the Philistines, who all dwelt in that part of the land that was d [...]vided by lot, and chiefly in that part of the land that belonged to the tribes of Judah and Ephraim.

Thus these remains of the old inhabitants of Canaan continued unsubdued till David's time; but he wholly subdued them all. Which is agreeable to what St. Stephen observes, Acts vii.45. "Which also our fathers brought in with Jesus ( i. e. Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers▪ [Page 83] unto the days of David." They were till the days of David in driv­ing them out, before they had wholly subdued them. But D [...]vid [...]tirely brought them under. He subdued the Jebusites, and he sub­dued the whole nation of the Philistines, and all the rest of the re­mains of the seven nations of Canaan: 1 Chron. xviii.1. "Now after [...] [...]ame to pass, that David [...] the Philistines, and subdued [...] and took Gath and her towers out of the hands of the Philistines."

After this, all the remains of the former inhabitants of Canaan were made bond-servants to the Israelites. The posterity of the Gibeonites became servants before, [...]e were of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of God. But Solomon, David's son and successor, put all the other remains of the seven nations of Canaan to bond-service; at least made them pay a tribute of bond-service, as you may see. 1 Kings ix.20.21.22. And hence we read of the children [...] Solomon's servants, after the return from the Babylonish captiv [...]y. Ezra ii.55. and Neh. xi.3. They were the children or posterity of the seven nations of Canaan, that Solomon had subjected to bond-service.

Thus David subdued the whole land of Canaan, strictly so called. But then that was not one half, nor quarter, of the land God had promised to their fathers. The land that God had often promised to their fathers, included all the countries from the river o [...] Egypt to the river Euphrates. These were the bounds of the land promised to Abraham, Gen. xv.18. "In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, [...] river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates▪ So again God promised at Mount Sinai, Exod. xxiii.31. "And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deli­ver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee." [...]o again. Deut. xi.24. "Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall [...]read, shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea, shall your coast be." Again, the same promise is made to Joshua: Josh. i.3.4. "Every place that the soul of your feet shall tread upon, have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses; from the wilderness and this Lebanon, even or to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the [...], and unto the great sea, towards the going down of the sun, shall be your coast." But the land that Joshua gave the people the possession of, was but a little part of this land. And the people never had had the possession of it, till now when God gave it them by David.

This large country did not only include that Canaan that was divided by lot to those who came in with Joshua, but the land of [Page 84] the Moabites and Ammonites, the land of the Amal [...]es, and the rest of the Edomites, and the country of Z [...]bah. All these nati­ons were subdued and brought under the children of Israel by David. And he put garrisons in the several countries, and they became David's servants, as we have a particular account in the 8th chapter of 2d Samuel: and David extended their border to the river Eu­phrates, as was promised; see the 3d verse: "And David smo [...] also H [...]dadeger the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates." Accordingly we read, that Solomon his son reigned over all the region on this [...] the river, 1 Kings iv.24. "For he had dominion over all the re­gion on this side the river, from Tiphsah even unto Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river." This Artaxerxes king of Per­sia takes notice of long after: Ezra iv.20. "There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and tol [...], tribute, and custom was paid unto them."

So that Joshua, that type of Christ, did but begin the work of giving Israel the possession of the promised land; but left it to be finished by that much greater type and ancestor of Christ, even David, who subdued far more of that land than ever Joshua had done. In this extent of his and Solomon's dominion was some resemblance of the great extent of Christ's kingdom; and therefore the extent of Christ's kingdom is set forth by this very thing, of its being over all lands from the Red sea, to the sea of the Philistines, and over all lands from thence to the river Euphrates; as Psal. lxxii.8. "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." See also 1 Kings viii.56.

IX. God by David perfected the Jewish worship, and added to it several new institutions. The law was given by Moses, but yet all the institutions of the Jewish worship were not given by Moses; some we [...]e a [...]ed by divine direction. So this greatest of all per­sonal types of Christ did not only perfect Joshua's work, in giving Israel the possession of the promised land, but he also finished Moses's work, in perfecting the instituted worship of Israel. Thus there must be a number of typical prophets, pri [...]e, and princes, to com­plete one figure or shadow of Christ the antetype, he being the sub­stance of all the types and shadows. Of so much more glory was Christ accounted worthy, than Moses, Joshua, David, and Solo­mon, and all the great prophets, priests, and princes, judges, and saviours of the Old Testaments put together.

The ordinances of David are mentioned as of parallel validity with those of Moses, 2 Chron. xxiii.18. "Also Jehoiada appoint­ed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt-offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law [Page 85] of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David." The worship of Israel was perfected by David, by the addition that he made to the ceremonial law, which we have an account of in the 23d, 24th, 25th, and 26th chapters of the first book of Chronicles, consisting in the several orders and courses in­to which David divided the Levites, and the work and business to which he appointed them, different from what Moses had appoint­ed them to; and also in the divisions of the priests the sons of Aaron into four and twenty courses, assigning to every course their busi­ness in the house of the Lord, and their particular [...] times of attendance there; and appointing some of the Levites to a new of­fice, that had not been appointed before; and that was the office of fingers, and particularly ordering and regulating of them in that office, as you may see in the 25th chapter of 1st Chronicles; and appointing others of the [...]vites by law to the several services of porters, treasurers, officers, and judges: and [...]hese ordinances of David were kept up henceforth in the church of [...] as long as the Jewish church lasted. Thus we find the several orders of [...]riests and the Levites, the porters, and fingers, after the [...]. So we find the courses of the priests appointed by David still conti­nuing in the New-Testament; so Zacharias the father of John the Baptist was a priest of the course of Abia; which [...] wi [...]h the course of Abijah appointed by David, that we rea [...] [...] 1 Chron. xxiv.10.

Thus David as well as Moses was made like to Christ the [...] of David, in this respect, that by him God gave a new ecc [...]esiasti­cal establishment, and new institutions of worship. David did not only add to the institutions of Moses, but by those additions he abolished some of the old [...]onstitutions of Moses that had been in force till that time; particularly those laws of Moses that appoint­ed the business of the Levites, which we have in the 3d and 4th chapters of Numbers, which very much consisted in their charge of the several parts and utensils of the tabernacle, there assign'd them, and in carrying those several parts of the tabernacle. But those laws were now abolished by David; and they were no more to carry those things, as they had been used to do till David's time. But David appointed them to other work instead of it; see 1 Chron. xxiii.26. "And also unto the Levites, they shall no more carry the ta­bernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof:" A sure evidence that [...] c [...]monial law given by Moses is not perpetual, as the Jews supposed: but might be wholly abolished by Christ: for i [...] David, a type of the Messiah, might abolish the law of Mo­ses in part, much more might the Messiah himself abolish the whole.

David, by God's appointment, aboli [...]ed all use of the taberna­cle, that was built by Moses, and of which he had the pattern from [Page 86] God: for God now revealed it to David to be his will, that a tem­ple should be built▪ that should be instead of the tabernacle: A great presage of what Christ, the son of David, should do, when he should come, viz. abolish the whole Jewish ecclesiastical constitu­tion, which was but as a moveable tabernacle, to set up the spiritual gospel-temple, which was to be far more glorious, and greate [...] extent, and was to last for ever. David had the pattern of all things pertaining to the temple showed him, even in like man [...]er as Moses had the pattern of the tabernacle: and Solomon built the temple according to that pattern which he had from his father David, which he received from God. 1 Chron. xxviii.11▪ 12. "Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat, and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasu [...]ies of the dedicate things." And, ver. 19. "All this, s [...]id David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand up [...]n me, even all the works of this pattern."

X The canon of scripture seems at or after the close of David's reign to be added to by the prophets Nathan and God. It appears pro [...]ble by the scriptures, that they carried on [...] history of the two books of Samuel from the place where Samuel left it, and finished it. These two books of Samuel seem to be the book that in scripture is called the book of Samuel the seer, and Nathan the prophet, and G [...]d the seer, as in 1 Chron. xxix 2 [...] "N [...]w the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer."

XI. The next thing I w [...]uld take notice of, is God's wonderfully continuing the kingdom of his vis [...]ble people in the line of Christ's legal ancestors, as long as they remained an independent kingdom. Thus it was without any inte [...]ruption worth taking notice. Indeed the kingdom of all the tribes of Israel was not kept in that line; but the dominion of that part of Israel in which the true worsh [...]p of God was upheld, and so of that part that were God's visible people, was always kept in the family of David, as long as there was any such thing▪ as an independent king of Israel; according to his pro­mise to David: And not only in the family of David but always in that part of David's posterity that was the li [...]e whence Christ was legally descended; so that the very person th [...] was Christ's legal ancestor was always in the throne, excepting J [...]hoa [...]az▪ who reigned three months, and Zedekiah; as you may see in Matthew's genealogy of Christ.

[Page 87]Christ was legally descended from the kings of Judah, though he was not naturally descended from them. He was both legally and naturally descended [...]rom David. He was naturally descended from N [...]than the son of D [...]vid; for Mary his mother was one of the posterity of David by Nathan, as you may see in Luke's genealogy [...] but Joseph, the reputed and leg [...]l father of Christ, was naturally descended of Solomon and his successo [...] as we have an account [...] Matthew's genealogy. J [...]sus Christ, though he was not the natural son of Joseph, yet, by the law and constitution of the Jews, he was Joseph's heir; because he was the lawful son of Joseph's lawful wife, conceived while she was his legally espoused wife. The Holy Ghost raised up seed to him. A person, by the law of Moses, might be the legal son and heir of another, whose natural son he was not; as sometimes a man raised up seed to his brother: A brother, in some cases, was to build up a brother's house; so the H [...]ly Ghost built up Joseph's house.

Joseph being in the direct line of the kings of Judah, of the house of David, he was the legal heir of the crown of David; and Christ being legally his first-born son, he was his heir; and so Christ, by the law, was the proper heir of the crown of David, and is there­fore said to fit upon the throne of his father David.

The crown of God's people was wonderfully kept in the line of Christ's legal ancestors. When David was old, and not able any longer to mannage the affairs of the kingdom, Adonijah, one of his sons, set up to be king, and seemed to have obtained his purpose; all things for a while seemed fair on his side, and he thought himself strong; the thing he aimed at seemed to be accomplished. But so it was, Adonijah was not the son of David that was the ancestor of Joseph, the legal father of Christ; and therefore how wonderfully did Providence work here! what a strange and sudden revolution! all Adonijah's kingdom and glory vanished away as soon as it was begun; and Solomon, the legal ancestor of Christ, was established in the throne.

After Solomon's death, when Jeroboam had conspired against the family, and Rehoboa [...] carried h [...]mself so that it was a wonder all Israel was not provok [...]d to fo [...]sake him, and ten tribes did actually forsake him▪ and [...] up Jeroboam in opposition to him; and tho' he was a wicked man, who deserved to have been rejected altogether from being king; yet he [...]eing the legal ancestor of Christ▪ God kept the kingdom of [...] two [...], in which the true religion was upheld, in his possess [...]o [...]: An [...] though he had been wicked, and his son Abijam was another [...]; yet they being legal an­cestors of Christ, God still [...] crown in the family, and gave it to Abijam's son Asa. A [...] though many of the kings of Judah were very wicked men, and horridly provoked God, as [Page 88] particularly Jeho [...]am, Ahazaiah, Ahaz, Manassah, and Amon; yet God did not take away the crown from their family, but gave it to their sons, because they were the ancestors of Christ. God's re­membering his covenant that he had established with David, is given [...] the reason why God did thus, notwithstanding their wicked lives; [...] 1 Kings xv 4. speaking there of Abijam's wickedness, it is said, "Nevertheless, for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:" So, Chron. xxi.7. speaking there of Jehoram's great wickedness, it is said, "Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light unto him, and to his sons forever."

The crown of the ten tribes was changed from one family to another continually. First, Jeroboam took it; but the crown re­mained in his family but for one generation after his death; it only descended to his son Nadab: and then Baasha, that was of a­nother family, [...]ook it; and it remained in his posterity but one generation after his death: and then Z [...]mri, that was his servant, and not of his posterity, took it; and then, without descending at all to his posterity, Omri, that was of another family, took it; and the crown continued in his family for three successions: and then Jehu, that was of another family, took it; and the crown continued in his family for three or four successions: and then Shall [...], that was of another family, took it: and the crown did not descend at all to his posterity; but Menahem, that was of ano­ther family, took it; and it remained in his family but one gene­ration after him: and then Pekah, that was of another family, took it; and after him Hoshea, that was still of another family, took it: so great a difference was there between the crown of Israel, and the crown of Judah; the one was continued evermore in the same family, and with very little interruption, in one right line; the other was continually tossed about from one family to another, as if it were the sport of fortune. The reason was not, because the kings of Judah, many of them, were better than the kings of Isra­el; but the one had the blessing in them; they were the ancestors of Christ, whose right it was to sit on the throne of Israel. But with the kings of Israel it was not so; and therefore divine Pro­vidence exercised a continual care, through all the changes that hap­pened through so many generations, and such a long space of time, to keep the crown of Judah in one direct line, in fulfilment of the everlasting covenant he had made with David, the mercies of which covenant were sure mercies; but in the other case there was no such covenant, and so no such care of Providence.

Here it must not be omitted, that there was once a very strong conspiracy of the kings of Syria and Israel, in the time of that [Page 89] wicked king of Judah, Ahaz, to dispossess Ahaz and his family of the throne of Judah, and to set one of another family, even the son of Tabeal, on it; as you may see in Is. vii.6. "Let us go up against Judah, and v [...]x it, and let us make a breach therein for u [...], and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal." And they seemed very likely to accomplish their purpose. There seemed to be so great a likelihood of it, that the hearts of the peo­ple sunk within them▪ they gave up the cause. It is said, "The heart of Ahaz and his people was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind." On this occasion God sent the pro­phet Isaiah to encourage the people, and tell them that it should not come to pass. And because it looked so much like a gone cause, that Ahaz and the people would very difficulty believe that it would not be, therefore God directs the p [...]phet to give them, this sign of it, viz. that Christ should be born of the legal seed of Ahaz; as Is. vii.14. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ This was a good sign, and a great confirma­tion of the truth of [...]: God promised by Isaiah, viz. that the kings of Syria and Israel should never accomplish their purpose of dispossessing the family of Ahaz of the crown of Judah, and setting up the son of Tabeal; for Christ the Immanuel was to be of them.

I have mentioned this dispensation of Providence in this place, because though it was continued for so long a time, yet it began in Solomon's succession to the throne of his father David.

XII. The next thing I would take notice of is, the building of the temple: a great type of three things, viz. of Christ, especially the human nature of Christ; of the church of Christ; and of heaven. The tabernacle seemed rather to represent the church in its moveable, changeable state, here in this world. But that beautiful, glorious, costly structure of the temple, that succeeded the tabernacle, and was a fixed, and not a moveable thing, seems especially to repre­sent the church in its glorified [...] in heaven. This temple was built according to the pattern shown by the Holy Ghost to David, and by divine dir [...]tion given to David, in the place where was the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusi [...]e, in Mount Moriah, 2 Chron. iii.1. in the same mountain, and doubtless in the very same place, where Abraham offered up his son Isaac; for that is said to be a mountain in the land of Moriah, Gen. xx [...]i.2 which mountain was called the mountain of the Lord, as this mountain of the temple was, Gen. xxii.14. "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-ji [...]eh; as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen."

This was the house where Christ dwelt, till he came to dwell in the temple of his body, or human nature, which was the antetype [Page 90] of this temple; as appears, because Christ, on occasion of showing him the temple of Jerusalem, says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days will I raise it up," speaking of the temple of his body, John ii.19.20. This house, or an house built in this place, con­tinued to be the house of God, the place of the worship of his church, till Christ came. Here was the place that God chose, where all their sacrifices were offered up, till the great sacrifice came, and made the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Into his temple in this place the Lord came, even the messenger of the covenant. Here he often delivered his heavenly doctrine, and wrought miracles; here his church was gathered by the pouring out of the Spirit, after his ascension. Luke xxiv.53. speaking of the disciples, after Christ's ascension, it is said, "And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God." And, Acts ii.46. speaking of the multitudes that were converted by that great outpouring of the Spirit that was on the day of Pentecost, it is said, "And they continued daily with one accord in the temple." And, Acts v.42. speaking of the apostles, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Hence the sound of the gospel went forth, and the church spread into all the world.

XIII. It is here worthy to be observed, that at this time, in Solomon's reign, after the temple was finished, the Jewish church was risen to its highest external glory. The Jewish church, or the ordinances and constitution of it, is compared to the moon, in Rev. xii.1. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." As this church was like the moon in many other respects, so it was in this, that it waxed and waned like the moon. From the first foundation of it, that was laid in the covenant made with Abraham, when this moon was now beginning to appear, it had to this time been gradually in­creasing in its glory. This time, wherein the temple was finished and dedicated, was about the middle between the calling of Abraham and the coming of Christ, and now it was full moon. After this the glory of the Jewish church gradually decreased, till Christ came; as I shall have occasion more particularly to observe afterwards.

Now the church of Israel was in its highest external glory: Now Israel was multiplied exceedingly, so that they seemed to have be­come like the sand on the sea shore, 1 Kings iv.20. Now the kingdom of Israel was firmly established in the right family, the family of which Christ was to come: Now God had chosen the city where he would place his name: Now God had fully given his people the possession of the promised land; and they now possessed the domi­nion of it all in quietness and peace, even from the river of Egypt▪ [Page 91] to the great river Euphrates; all those nations that had formerly been their enemies, quietly submitted to them; none pretended to rebel against them:—Now the Jewish worship in all its ordinances was fully settled:—Now, instead of a moveable tent and taber­nacle, they had a glorious temple; the most magnificent, beauti­ful, and costly structure, that there was then, ever had been, or ever has been since: Now, the people enjoyed peace and plenty, and every man sat under his vine and fig-tree, eating and drinking, and making merry as 1 Kings iv 20.:—Now they were in the highest pitch of earthly prosperity, silver being as plenty as stones, and the land full of gold and precious stones, and other precious foreign commodities, which were brought by Solomon's ships from Ophir, and which came from other parts of the world:—Now they had a king reigning over them that was the wisest of men, and probably the greatest earthly prince that ever was:—Now their fame went abroad into all the earth, so that they came from the utmost parts of the earth to see their glory and their happiness.

Thus God was pleased, in one of the ancestors of Christ, remark­ably to shadow forth the kingdom of Christ reigning in his glory. David, that was a man of war, a man who had shed much blood, and whose life was full of troubles and conflicts, was more of a representation of Christ in his state of humiliation, his militant state, wherein he was conflicting with his enemies. But Solomon, that was a man of peace, was a representation more especially of Christ exalted, triumphing, and reigning in his kingdom of peace. And the happy glorious state of the Jewish church at that time, did re­markably represent two things: 1. That glorious state of the church on earth, [...] shall be in the latter ages of the world; those days of peace, when nation shall not lift sword against nation, nor learn war any more. 2. The future glorified state of the church in heaven. The earthly Canaan never was so lively a type of the heavenly Canaan, as it was then, when the happy people of Israel did indeed enjoy it as a land flowing with milk and honey.

XIV. After this the glory of the Jewish church gradually declined more and more till Christ came; yet not so but that the work of redemption still went on. Whatever failed or declined, God still carried on this work from age to age; this building was still ad­vancing higher and higher. Things still went on, during the de­cline of the Jewish church, towards a further preparation of things for the coming of Christ, as well as during its increase; for so wonderfully were things ordered by the infinitely wise governor of the world, that whatever happened was ordered for good to this ge­neral design, and made a means of promoting it. When the people of the Jews flourished, and were in prosperity, he made that to contribute to the promoting this design; and when they were in adversity, God [...] that also to contribute to the carrying on of the same desig [...] ▪ [Page 92] While the Jewish church was in its increasing [...], the work of redemption was carried on by their increase; and when they came to their declining state, which they were in from Solomon's time till Christ, God carried on the work of redemption by that. That decline itself was one thing that God made use of as a further preparation for Christ's coming.

As the moon, from the time of its full, is approaching nearer and nearer to her conjunction with the sun; so her light is still more and more decreasing, till at length, when the conjunction comes, it is wholly swallowed up in the light of the sun. So it was with the Jewish church f [...]m the time of its highest glory in Solomon's time. In the latter end of Solomon's reign, the state of things began to darken, by Solomon's corrupting himself with idolatry, which much o [...]scured the glory of this mighty and wise prince; and withall troubles began to arise in his kingdom; and after his death the kingdom was divided, and ten tribes revolved, and withdrew their subjection from the house of David, withal falling away from the true worship of God in the temple at Jeru­salem, and setting up the golden c [...]lves of Bethel and Dan. Pre­sently after this the number of the ten tribes was greatly diminished in the battle of Jeroboam with Abij [...], wherein there [...]ell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men; which loss the kingdom of Israel probably never in any measure recovered.

The ten tribes fi [...]ally apostatised from the true God under Jero­boam, and the kingdom of Judah was greatly corrupted, and from that time forward were more generally in a corrupt state than o­therwise. In Ahab's time the kingdom of Israel did not only wor­ship the calves of Bethel and Dan, but the worship of Baal was in­troduced. Before they pretended to worship the true God by these images, the calves of Jeroboam; but now Ahab introduced gross idolatry, and the direct worship of false gods in the room of the true God; and [...] after the worship of Baal was introduced into the kingdom of Judah, viz. in Jehoram's reign, by his marrying Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. After this God began to cut Israel short, by finally destroying and sending into captivity that part of the land that was beyond Jordan, as you may see in 2 Kings x.32 &c. And then after this Tigl [...]th-Pilezer subdued and captivated all the nort [...]ern parts of the land; 2 Kings xv.29. and then at last all the land of the ten tribes was subdued by Salmaneser, and they were [...] carried captive out of their own land. After this also the kingdom of Judah was carried captive into Babylon, and a great part of the nation never returned. Those that returned were but a sm [...]ll number, compared with what had been carried captive: and for the most part after this they were dependant on the power of other state [...], being subject one while to the kings of Persia, the [Page 93] [...]o the monarchy of the Grecians, and then to the Romans. And before Christ's time, the church of the Jews was become exceeding corrupt, over-run with superstition and self-righteousness. How small a flock was the church of Christ in the days of his incarnation!

God, by this gradual decline of the Jewish state and church from Solomon's time, prepared the way for the coming of Christ several ways.

1. The decline of the glory of this legal dispensation, made way for the introduction of the more glorious dispensation of the gospel. The decline of the glory of the legal dispensation, was to make way for the introduction of the evangelical dispensation, that was so much more glorious, that the legal dispensation had no glory in comparison with it. The glory of the ancient dispensa­tion, such as it was in Solomon's time, consisting so much in ex­ternal glory, was but a childish glory, compared with the spiritual glory of the dispensation introduced by Christ. The church, under the Old Testament, was a child under tutors and governors, and God dealt with it as a child. Those pompous externals are called by the apostle, weak and beggarly elements. It was fit that those things should be diminished as Christ approached; as John the Baptist, the fore-runner of Christ, speaking of Christ, says, "He must increase, but I must decrease." John iii.30. It is fit that the twinkling stars should gradually withdraw their glory, when the sun is approaching towards his rising. The glory of the Jewish dispensation must be gradually diminished, to prepare the way for the more joyful reception of the spiritual glory of the gos­pel. If the Jewish church, when Christ came, had been in the same external glory that it was in, in the reign of Solomon, men would have had their eyes so daz [...]led with it, that they would not have been likely joyfully to exchange such great external glory, for only the spiritual glory of the poor despised Jesus. Again▪

2. This gradual decline of the glory of the Jewish state, tended to prepare the way for Christ's coming another way, viz. as it tended to make the glory of God's power, in the great effects of Christ's redemption, the more conspicuous. God's people's being so diminished and weakened by one step after another, till Christ came, was very much like the diminishing Gideon's army. God told Gideon, that the people that was with him, was too many for him to deliver the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel should vaunt themselves against him, saying, "My own hand hath saved me." Therefore all that were fearful were commanded to return; and there returned twenty and two thousand, and there remained ten thousand. But still they were too many; and then, by trying the people at the water, they were reduced to three hundred men. So the people in Solomon's time were too many, and mighty and [Page 94] glorous for Christ▪ therefore he diminished them; first, by send­ing off the ten tribes; and then he diminished them again by the captivity into Babylon; and then they were further diminished by the great and general corruption that there was when Christ came; so that Christ found very [...] godly persons among them: and with a small handful of discip [...]es, Christ con [...]uered the world. Thus high things were brought down, that Christ might be exalted.

3▪ This prepared the way for Christ's coming, as it made the salvation of those Jews that were saved by Christ, to be more sen­sible and visible Though the g [...]eater part of the nation of the Jews was rejected, and the Gentiles called in their room; yet there were a great many thousand of the Jews that were saved by Christ after his resurrection, Acts xxi.20 They being taken from so low a state under temporal calamity in their bondage to the Romans, and from a state of great superstition and wickedness, that the Jewish nation was then fallen into; it made their redemption the more sensibly and visibly glorious.

I have taken notice of this dispensation of providence in the gradual decline of the Jewish church in this place, because it began in the reign of Solomon.

XV. I would here take notice of the additions that were made to the canon of scripture in or soon after the reign of Solomon. There were considerable additions made by Solomon himself, who wrote the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, probably near the close of his reign. His writing the Song of Songs, as it is called, is what is especially here to be taken notice of, which is wholly on the subject that we are upon, viz Christ and his redemption, representing the high and glorious relation, and union, and love, that is between Christ and his redeemed church. And the history of the scripture seems, in Solomon's reign, and some of the next succeeding reigns, to have been added to by the pro­phets Nathan and A [...]ijah, and Shemaiah and [...]. It is proba­ble that part of the history which we have in the first of Kings, was writen by them, by what is said 2 Chron. lx.29. and in chap. xli.15. and in chap. xiii. [...]2.

XVI. God's wonderfully upholding his church and the true re­ligion through this period. It was very wonderful, considering the many and great apostasies that there were of that [...] to ido­latry. When the ten tribes had generally and finally forsaken the true worship of God, God kept up the true religion in the kingdom of Judah; and when they corrupted themselves, as they very often did exceedingly, and idolatry was ready totally to swallow all up, yet God kept the lamp alive, and was often pleased when things seemed to be come to an extremity, and religion at its last gasp, to grant blessed revivals by remarkable out pourings of his Spirit, particularly in Hezekiah's and Jos [...]h's time.

[Page 95]XVII. God remarkably kept the book of the law from being lost in times of gene [...]al and long continued neglect of and enmity against it. The most remarkable instance of this kind that we have, was the preservation of the book of the law in the time of the great apostasy during the greatest part of the long reign of Manassah, which lasted fifty-five years, and then after that the reign of Am [...] his son. This while the book of the law was so much neglected, and such a careless and profane managment of the affairs of the temple prevailed, that the book of the law, that use to be laid up by the side of the a [...]k in the Holy of Holies, was lost for a long time; no body knew where it was. But yet God preserved it from being finally lost. In Josiah's time, when they came to repair the temple, it was found buried in rubbish, after it had been lost so long that Josiah himself seems to have been much a stranger to it till now. See 2 Kings xxii.8. &c.

XVIII. God's remarkably preserving the tribe of which Christ was to proceed, [...] being ruined through the many and great dan­gers of this perio [...]. The visible church of Christ from Solomon's reign, was mainly in the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin, that was annexed to them, was but a very small tribe, and the tribe of Judah exceeding large; and as Judah took Benjamin under his covert when he went into Egypt to bring corn, so the tribe of Benja­min seemed to be under the covert of Judah ever after: and though▪ on occasion of Jeroboam's setting up the calves at Bethel and Dan, the Levites resorted to Judah out of all the tribes of Israel, (2 Chron xi.13.); yet they were also small, and not reckoned among the tribes: and though many of the ten tribes did also on that occasion, for the sake of the worship of God in the temple, leave their inheri­tances in their several tribes, and removed and settled in Judah, and so were incorporated with them, as we have account in the chapter just quoted, and 16th verse; yet the tribe of Judah was so much the prevailing part, that they were called by one name, they were called Judah ▪ therefore God said to Solomon, 1 Kings xi.13. "I will not re [...]d away all the kingdom: but will give one [...] to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen," and so ver. 32.36. So when the ten tribes were carried captive, it is said, there was none left but the tribe of Judah only: 2 Kings xvii.18 "Therefore the Lord was very wroth with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only" Whence they were all called Jews, which i [...] a word that comes from Judah.

This was the tribe of which Christ was to c [...]me; and in this chiefly did God's visible church consist, from Solomon's time: and this was the people over whom the kings that were legal ancestors of Christ, and were of the house of David, [...]igned. This people [Page 96] was wonderfully preserved from destruction during this period, when they often seemed to be upon the brink of ruin, and just rea­dy to be swallowed up. So it was in Rehoboam's time, when [...]hishak king of Egypt came against Judah with such a v [...]st force; yet then God manifestly preserved them from being destroyed. Of this we read in the beginning of the 12th chapter of 2 Chron. So it was again in Abijah's time, when Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men; a mighty army indeed. We read of it, 2 Chron. xiii.3. Then God wrought deliverance to Judah, out of regard to the covenant of grace estab­lished with David, as is evident by ver 4. and 5.; and the victory they abtained was because the Lord was on their side, as you may see, ver. 12 So it was again in Asa's time, when Z [...]rah the Ethio­pian came against him with a yet larger army of a thousand thou­sand and three hundred chariots, 2 Chron. xiv.9. On this occasion Asa cried to the Lord, and tru [...]ted in him, being sensible that it was nothing with him to help those that had no power; ver. 11. "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is no­thing with thee to help, whether with many, or with those that have no power." Accordingly God gave them a glorious victory over this mighty host.

So again it was in Jehoshaphat's time, when the children of Mo­ab, and the children of Ammon, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, combined together against Judah with a mighty army, a force vast­ [...]y superior to any that Jehoshaphat could raise; and Jehoshaphat and his people were greatly afraid: yet they set themselves to seek God on this occasion, and trusted in him; and God told them by one of his prophets, that they need not fear them, nor should they have any occasion to f [...]ight this battle, they should only stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. According to his direction▪ they only stood still, and sang praises to God, and God made their enemies do the work themselves, and set them to killing one ano­ther; and the children of Judah had nothing to do, but to gather the spell, which was more than they could carry away. We have the story in 2 Chron. xx.

So it was again in Ahaz's time, when Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, conspired a­gainst Judah, and seemed to be sure of their purpose; of which we have spoken already. So it was again in Hezekiah's time, when Sennacherib, that great king of Assyria, and head of the greatest monarchy that was then in the world, came up against all the fenced cities of Judah, after he had conquered most of the neighbouring countries, and sent Rabshakeh, the captain of his host, against Jerusalem, who came, and in a very proud and scornful manner insulted Hezekiah and his people, as being sure of victory; and [Page 97] the people were trembling for fear, like lambs before a lion. Then God sent Isaiah the prophet to comfort them, and assure them that they should not prevail; as a token of which he gave them this sign, viz that the earth, for two years successively, should bring forth food of itself, from the roots of the old stalks, without their plowing or sowing; and then the third year they should sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them, and live on the fruits of their labour, as they were wont to do before. See a Kings xix.29. This is mentioned as a type of what is promised in ver. 30.31. "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah, shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit up­ward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape, out of Mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this." The corn's springing again after it had been cut off with the fickle, and bringing forth another crop from the roots, that seemed to be dead, and so once and again, represents the church's reviving again, as it were out of its own ashes, and flourishing like a plant after i [...] had seemingly been cut down past recovery. When the enemies of the church have done their utmost, and seem to have gained their point, and to have overthrown the church, so that the being of it is scarcely visible, but like a living root hid under ground; yet there is a secret life in it that will cause it to flourish again, and to take root downward, and bear fruit upward. This was fulfille [...] now at this time: For the king of A [...]syria had already taken and carried captive the ten tribes; and Sennacherib had also taken all the fenced cities of Judah, and ranged the country round about, and Jerusalem only remai [...]ed▪ and R [...]shakeh had in his own imagination already swallowed that up as he had also in the fearful apprehensio [...] [...] themselve [...] But yet God wrought a wonderful deliverance. [...], [...]hat in one night smote an hundred fou [...]score and fi [...]e t [...]ousand in the enemy's camp.

XIX. In the reign of Uzz [...]h, and the following reigns, God was pleased to raise up a set of eminen [...] p [...]ophets, who should com­mit their prophecies to writing, and leave them for the use of his church in a [...] ages We before observed, how that God began a constant succession of prophets in Israel in Samuel's time, and ma­ny of these prophets wrote by divine inspiration, and so added to the canon of scripture before U [...]ziah's time. But none of them are supposed to have written books of prophecies till now. Several of them wrote histories of the wonderful dispensations of God to­wards his church. This we have observed already of Samuel, who is supposed to have written Judges and Ruth, and part of the first of Samuel. [...]f not the book of Joshua. And Nathan and G [...]d [...] to have written the [...]est of [...]he tw [...] books of Samuel: and Na­than, with Ahijah and I [...]do, wrote the history of Solomon, which [Page 98] is probably that which we have in the first book of Kings. The history of Israel seems to have been further carried on by Iddo and Shemaiah: 2 Chron. xii.15. "Now the acts of Rhehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and Iddo the seer, concerning genealogies?" And after that the history seems to have been further carried on by the pro­phet Jehu, the son of Hanani: 2 Chron. xx.34. "Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel," as we find him to be 1 Kings xvi.1.7. And then it was further continued by the prophet Isaiah: 2 Chron. xxvi.22. "Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet the son of Amos write." He probably did it as well in the second book of Kings, as in the book of his prophecy. And the history was carried on and finished by other prophets after him.

Thus the prophets, even from Samuel's time, had from time to time been adding to the cannon of scripture by their historical writings. But now, in the days of Uzziah, did God first raise up a set of great prophets, not only to write histories, but to write books of their prophecies. The first of these is thought to be Ho­sea the son of Beeri, and therefore his prophecy, or the word of the Lord by him, is called the beginning of the word of the Lord; as Hos. i.2. "The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea;" that is, the beginning, or the first part, of the written word of that kind, viz. that which is written in books of prophecy. He pro­phesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel. There were many other witnesses for God raised up about the same time to commit their prophecies to writing, Isaiah, and Amos, and Jonah, and Micah, and Nahum, and probably some others; and so from that time forward God seemed to continue a succession of writing prophets.

This was a great dispensation of Providence, and a great advance made in the affair of redemption, which appears, if we consider what was said before, that the main business of the prophets was to foreshew Christ and his redemption. They were all forerunners of the great prophet. The main and why the spirit of prophecy was given them was, that they might give testimony to Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer, that was to come; and therefore the testimony of Jesus, and the spirit of prophecy, are spoken of as the same thing: Rev. xix.10. "And I f [...]ll at his feet to worship him: and he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Therefore we [Page 99] find, that the great and main thing that the most of the prophets in their written prophecies insisted upon, is Christ and his redemp­tion, and the glorious times of the gospel, which should be in the latter days, according to their manner of expression. Though many other things were spoken of in their prophecies, yet it seems to be only as introductory to their prophecy of these great things. Whatever they prophesy of, here their prophecies commonly ter­minate, as you may see by a careful perusal of their writings.

These prophets were set to writing their prophecies by the Spirit of Christ that was in them, chiefly for that end, to foreshow and prepare the way for the coming of Christ, and the glory that should follow. In what an exalted strain do they all speak of those things! Many other things they speak of in men's usual language. But when they come upon this subject, what a joyful heaven sublimity is there in the language they use about it! Some of them are very particular and full in their predictions of these things, and above all the Prophet Isaiah, who is therefore deservedly called the evan­gelical prophet. He seems to teach the glorious doctrines of the gospel almost as plainly as the Apostles did, who preached after Christ was actually come. The Apostle Paul therefore takes notice, that the Prophet Esai [...] is very bold, Rom. x.20. i. e. as the mean­ing of the word, as used in the New Testament, is very plain, he speaks out very plainly and fully; so being "very bold" is used 2 Cor. iii.12. we use "great plainness of speech," or "boldness," as it is in the margin.

How plainly and fully does the Prophet Isaiah describe the manner and circumstances, the nature and end, o [...] the sufferings and sacrifice of Christ, in the 53d chapter of his prophecy. There is scarce a chapter in the New Testament itself which is more full on it! and how much, and in what a glorious strain, does the same prophet speak from time to time of the glorious benefits of Christ, the unspeakable blessings which shall redound to his church through his redemption! Jesus Christ, the person that this prophet spoke so much of, once appeared to Isaiah in the form of the hu­man nature, the nature that he should afterwards take upon him. We have an account of it in the 6th chapter of his prophecy at the beginning: "I saw also the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple," &c. This was Christ that Isaiah now saw, as we are expressly told in the New Testa­ment. See John xii.39.40.41.

If we consider the abundant prophecies of this and the other pro­phets, what a great increase is there of the light of the gospel, which had been growing from the fall of man to this day? How plentiful are the revelations and prophecies of Christ now, to what they were in the first period of the Old Testament, from Adam to Noah? or [Page 100] to what they were in the second, from Noah to Abraham? or to what they were before Moses▪ or in the time of Moses, Joshua, and the Judges? This dispensation that we are now speaking of, was also a glorious advance of the work of redemption by the great additions that were made to the canon of scripture. Great part of the Old Testament was written now from the days of Uzziah to the captivity into Babylon. And how [...]llent are those portions of it? What a precious treasure have those prophets committed to the church of God, tending greatly to con [...]m the gospel of Christ? and which has been of great comfort and benefit to God's church in all ages since, and doubtless will be to the end of the world.

PART VI. From the Babylonish captivity to the coming of Christ.

I COME now to the last period of the Old Testament, viz. that which begins with the Babylonish captivity ▪ and extends to the coming of Christ, being the greatest part of six hundred years, to show how the work of redemption was carried on thro' this period.

BUT before I enter upon particulars, I would observe in three things wherein this period is distinguished from the prec [...]ding periods of the times of the Old Testament.

1. Though we have no account of a great part of this period in the scripture-history, yet the events of this period are more the subject of scripture-prophecy, than any of the preceding periods. There are two ways wherein the scripture gives account of the events by which the work of redemption is carried on; one is by history, and another is by prophecy: and in one or the other of these way [...] we have contained in the scriptures an account how the work of redemption is carried on from the beginning to the end. Although the [...] do not contain a p [...]per history of the whole, yet there is contained the whole chain of great events by which this aff [...] hath been carried on from the foundation, soon after the [...] of man to the finishing [...] it at the end of the world, either in histo [...]y or prophecy.

It is to be observed, that were the scripture is wanting in one of these ways, it is made up in the other. Where scripture-history fails, the [...]e prophecy takes place: so that the account is still car­ried on, and the chain is not broken, till we come to the very last link of it in the consummation of all things.

Accordingly it is observable of this period or space of time that we are upon, that though it is so much less the subject of scripture-history, than most of the preceding periods, so that there is above [...]our hundred years of it that the scriptures gives us no history of; [Page 101] yet the events of this period are more the subject of scripture-pro­phecy, than the events of all the preceding periods put together. Most of those remarkable prophecies of the book of Daniel do re­fer to events that were accomplished in this period: so most of those prophecies of Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, against Babylon, and Tyrus, and against Egypt, and many other nations, were fulfilled in this period.

So that the reason why the scripture gives us no history of so great a part of this period, is not because the events of this period were not so important, or less worthy to be taken notice of, than the events of the foregoing periods? for I shall hereafter show how great and distingushedly remarkable the events of this period were. But there are several other reasons which may be given of it. One is, that it was the will of God that the spirit of prophecy should cease in this period, (for reasons that may be given hereafter); so that there were no prophets to write the history of these times; and therefore God designing this, took care that the great events of this period should not be without mention in his word; and so ordered it, that the prophecies of scripture should be more full h [...]re, than in the preceding periods. It is observable, that that set of writing prophets that God raised up in Israel, were raised up [...]at the latter end of the foregoing period, and at the beginning of this; which it is likely was partly for that reason, that the time was now ap­proaching, of which the spirit of prophecy having ceased, there was to be no scripture-history, and therefore no other scripture-account but what was given in prophecy.

Another reason that may be given why there was so great a part of this period left without an historical account in scripture, is, that God in [...]is providence took care, that there should be authentic and full accounts of the events of this period preserved in profane history. It is remarkable, and very worthy to be taken notice of, that with respect to the events of the five preceding periods, of which the scriptures give the history, profane history gives us no account, or at least of but very few of them. There are many fa­bulous and uncertain accounts of things that happened before; but the beginning of the times of authentic profane history is judged to be but a little before Nebuchadnezzar's time, about an hundred years before. The learned men among the Greeks and Romans, used to call the ages before that the fabulous age; but the times after that they called the historical age. From about that time to the coming of Christ, we have undoubted accounts in profane history of the principal events; accounts that wonderfully agree with the many prophecies that we have in scripture of those times.

Thus did the great God, that disposes all things, order it. He took care to give an historical account of things from the beginning [Page 102] of the world, though all those former ages which profane history does not reach, and ceased not till he came to those later ages in which profane history related things with some certainty: and concerning those times, he gives us abundant account in prophecy, that by comparing profane history with those prophecies, we might see the agreement.

2. This period being the last period of the Old Testament, and the next to the coming of Christ, seems to have been remarkably distinguished from all others in the great revolutions that were a­mong the nations of the earth, to make way for the kingdom of Christ. The time now drawing [...]igh, wherein Christ, the great King and Saviour of the world, was to come, great and mighty were the changes that were brought to pass in order to it. The way had been preparing for the coming of Christ from the [...] of man, through all the foregoing periods: but now the time drawing nigh, things began to rip [...]n apace for Christ's coming; and there­fore divine providence wrought wonderfully now. The greatest revolutions that any history whatsoever gives an account of, that ever had been from the flood, fell out in this period. Almost all the then known world, i. e. all the nations that were [...]ound about the land of Canaan, far and near, that were within the reach of their knowledge, were overturned again and again. All lands were in their turns subdued, captivated, and as it were emptied, and turned upside down, and that most of them repeatedly▪ in this period; agreeable to that prophecy, Is. xxiv.1. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty; he maketh it wasts, and turneth is up­side down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

This emptying, and turning upside down, began with God's vi­sible church, in their captivity by the king of Babylon. Then the cup from them went round to all other nations, agreeable to what God revealed to the Prophet Jeremiah, xxv.15.—27. Here spe­cial respect seems to be had to the great revolutions that there were on the face of the earth in the times of the Babylonish empire. But after that there were three general overturnings of the world before Christ came, in the succession of the three great monarchies of the world that were after the Babylonish empire. The king of Babylon is represented in scripture as overturning of the world; but after that, the Babylonish empire was overthrown by Cyrus; who founded the Persian empire in the room of it; which was of much greater ex­tent than the Babylonish empire in its greatest glory. Thus the world was overturned the second time. After that, the Persian empire was overthrown by Alexander, and the Grecian empire was set up upon the ruins of it; which was still of much greater extent than the Persian empire: and thus there was a general overturning of the world a third time. After that, the Grecian empire was over­thrown [Page 103] by the Romans, and the Roman empire was established; which vastly exceeded all the foregoing empires in power and extent of dominion. And so the world was overturned the fourth time.

These several monarchies, and the great revolutions of the world under them, are abundantly spoken of in the prophecies of Daniel. They are represented in Nebuchadnezzer's image of gold, silver, brass, and iron, and Daniel's interpretation of it in the second chapter of Daniel; and then in Daniel's vision of the four beasts, and the angel's interpretation of it in the seventh chapter of Daniel. And the succession of the Persian and Grecian monarchies is more particularly represented in the eighth chapter in Daniel's vision of the ram and the he-goat, and again in the 11th chapter of Daniel.

Besides these four general overturnings of the world, the world was kept in a constant tumult between whiles: and indeed the world was as it were in a continual convulsion through the whole period till Christ came. Before this period, the face of the earth was comparatively in quietness: though they were many great wars among the nations, yet we read of no such mighty and uni­versal convulsions and overturnings as there were in this period. The nations of the world, most of them, had long remained on their lees as it were, without being empted from vessel to vessel, as is said of Moab, Jer. xlviii.11. Now these great overturnings were because the time of the great Messiah draw nigh. That they were to prepare the way for Christ's coming, is evident by scripture particularly by Ez [...]k. xxi.22. "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him." The prophet, by repeating the word overturn three times, has respect to the three overturnings, as in the Reve­lation, viii.13 The repetition of the word wo three times, signifies three distinct woes; as appears by what follows, ix.12. "One wo is past;" and xi.14. "The second wo is past, and behold the third wo cometh [...]ckly."

It must be noted, that the Prophet Ezekiel prophesied in the time of the Babylonish captivity; and therefore there were three great and general overturnings of the world to come after this prophecy, before Christ came; the first by the Persians, the second by the Grecians, the third by the Romans; and then after that Christ, whose right it was to take the diadem, and reign, should come. Here these great overturnings are evidently spoken of as preparatory to the coming and kingdom of Christ But to understand the words aright, we must note the particular expression, "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it ▪" i. e. the diadem and crown of Israel, or the supreme temporal dominion over God's visible people. This God said should be no more, i. e. the crown should be taken off, and the diadem removed, as it is said in the foregoing verse. The [Page 104] supreme power over Israel should be no more in the royal line of David, to which it properly belonged, but should be removed away, and given to others, and overturned from one to another: First the supreme power over Israel should be in the hands of the Persians; and then it should be overturned again; and then it should be in the hands of the Grecians; and then it should be overturned again, and come into the hands of the Romans, and should be no more in the line of David, till that very person should come, that was the son of David, whose proper right it was, and then God would give it to him.

That those great shakings and revolutions of the nations of the world, were all to prepare the way for Christ's coming, and setting up his kingdom in the world, is further manifest by Haggai, ii.6.7. "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts▪" And again, verse 21.22. and 23. It is evident by this, that these great revolutions and shakings of the nations, whereby the thrones of kingdoms and armies were overthrown, and every one came down by the sword of his brother, were to prepare the way for the coming of him who is the desire of all nations.

The great changes and troubles that have sometimes been in the visible church of Christ, are in Rev. xii.2. compared to the church's being in travail to bring forth Christ: So these great troubles and mighty revolutions that were in the world before Christ was born, were, as it were, the world's being in travail to bring forth the Son of God. The Apostle, in the 8th of Romans, represents the whole creation as groaning and travailing in pain together until now, to bring forth the liberty and manifestation of the children of God. So the world as it were travailed in pain, and was in continu [...]l convulsions, for several hundred years together, to bring forth the first-born child, and the only begotten Son of God. And those mighty revolutions were as so many pangs and throes in or­der to it, The world being so long a time kept in a state of war and bloodshed, prepared the way for the coming of the Prince of peace, as it showed a great need the world stood in of such a prince to deliver the world from its miseries.

It pleased God to order it in his providence, that earthly power and dominion should be raised to its greatest height, and appear in its utmost glory, in those four great monarchies that succeeded one another, and that every one should be greater and more glorious than the preceding, before he set up the kingdom of his Son. By this it appear how much more glorious his spiritual kingdom was than the most glorious temporal kingdom. The strength and glo­ry of Satan's kingdom in these four mighty monarchies, appeared [Page 105] in its greatest height: for these monarchies were the monarchies of the Heathen world, and so the strength of them was the strength of Satan's kingdom. God suffered Satan's kingdom to rise to so great a height of power and magnificence before his Son came to overthrow it, to prepare the way for the more glorious triumph of his Son. Goliath must have on all his splendid armour when the stripling David comes against him with a [...]ing and a stone, for the greater glory of Davids victory. God suffered one of those great monarchies to subdue another, and erect itself on the other's rui [...], appearing still in greater strength, and the last to be the strongest and mightiest of all; that so Christ, in overthrowing that, might as it were overthrow them all at once; as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, is represented as destroying the whole image, the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, and the clay; so that all became as the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

These mighty empires were suffered thus to overthrow the world, and might destroy one another: and though their power was so great, yet they could not uphold themselves, but fell one after another, and came to nothing, even the last of them, that was the strongest, and had swallowed up the earth. It pleased God thus to show in them the instability and vanity of all earthly power and greatness; which served as a foil to set forth the glory of the kingdom of his Son, which never shall be destroyed, as appears by Dan. ii.44▪ "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." So great­ly does this kingdom differ from all those kingdoms: they vanish away, and are le [...]t to other people; but this shall not be left to other people, but shall stand for ever. God suffered the devil to do his utmost, and to establish his interest, by setting up the greatest, strongest, and most glorious kingdoms in the world that he could, before the despised Jesus overthrew him and his empire. Christ came into the world to bring down the high things of Satan's king­dom, that the hand of the Lord might be on every one that is proud and lofty, and every high tower, and every lofty mountain; as the Prophet Isaiah says, chap. ii.12. &c. Therefore these things were suffered to rise very high, that Christ might appear so much the more glorious in being above them.

Thus wonderfully did the great and wise governor of the world prepare the way for the erecting of the glorious kingdom of his be­loved son Jesus.

3. Another thing for which this last period or space of time be­fore Christ was particularly remarkable, was the wonderful pre­servation of the church through all those overturnings. The pre­servation [Page 106] of the church was on some accounts more remarkable through this period, than through any of the foregoing. It was very wonderful that the church, which in this period was so weak and in so low a state, and mostly subject to the dominion of Heathen mo­narchies, should be preserved for five or six hundred years together, while the world was so often overturned, and the earth was [...] in pieces, and made so often empty and waste, and the inhabitants of it came down so often every one by the sword of his brother. I say it was wonderful that the church in its weak and [...] state, being but a little handful of men▪ should be preserved in all these great convulsions; especially considering that the land of Judea, the chief place of the church's residence, lay in the midst of them, as it were in the middle between the contending parties, and was very much the fear of war amongst them, and was often over-run and subdued, and sometimes in the hands of one people, and sometimes another, and very much the object of the envy and hatred of [...] Heathen nations, and often almost ruined by them, often grea [...] multitudes of its inhabitants being slain, and the land in a great measure depopulated; and those who had them in their power, often intended the utter destruction of the whole nation. Yet they were upheld; they were preserved in their captivity in Babylon, and they were upheld again under all the dangers they passed through, under the kings of Persia, and the much greater dangers they were liable to under the empire of the Greeks, and afterwards when the world was trodden down by the Romans.

Their preservation through this period was also distinguishingly remarkable, in that we never read of the church's suffering per­secution in any former period in any measure to such a degree as they did in this, under Antiochus Epiphanes, of which more after­wards. This wonderful preservation of the church through all these overturnings of the world, gives light and confirmation to what we read in the beginning of the 46th Psalm: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar, and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof."

THUS I have taken notice of some general things wherein this last period of the Old Testament times was distinguished. I come now to consider how the work of redemption was carried on in par­ticulars.

I. The first thing that here offers is the captivity of the Jews in­to Babylon. This was a great dispensation of providence, and such as never was before. The children of Israel in the time of the judges, had often been brought under their enemies; and many [Page 107] particular persons were carried captive at other times. But never had there been any such thing as destroying the whole land, the sanctuary, and the city of Jerusalem, and all the cities and villages of the land, and carrying the whole body of the people out of their own land into a country many hundred miles distant, and leaving the land of Canaan empty of God's visible people. The ark had once forsaken the tabernacle of Shiloh, and was carried captive into the land of the Philistines: but never had there been any such thing as the burning the sanctuary, and utterly destroying the ark, and carrying away all the sacred vessels and utensils, and breaking up all their stated worship in the land, and the land's lying waste and empty for so many years together. How lively are those things set forth in the Lamentations of Jeremiah!

The work of redemption was promoted [...]y this remarkable dis­pensation in these following ways.

1. It finally cured that nation of their itch after idolatry. The Prophet Isaiah, speaking of the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, chap. ii.18. speaks of the abolishing idolatry as one thing that should be done to this end: "And the idols he shall utterly abolish." When the time was drawing near, that God would abolish Heathen idolatry, through the greater part of the known world, as he did by the preaching of the gospel after Christ came, it pleased him first to abolish Heathenism among his own people; and he did it now by their captivity into Babylon; a presage of that abolishing of idols▪ that God was about to bring to pass by Christ through so great a part of the Heathen world.

This nation that was addicted to idolatry before for so many ages, and that nothing would cure them of, not all the reproofs, and warnings, and corrections, that they had, and all the judge­ments God inflicted on them for it; yet now were finally cured: so that however some might fall into this sin afterwards, as they did about the time of Antiochus's persecution, yet the nation, as a nation, never shewed any hankering after this sin any more. This was a remarkable and wonderful change in that people, and what directly promoted the work of redemption, as it was a great ad­vancement of the interest of religion.

2. It was one thing that prepared the way for Christ's coming, and setting up the glorious dispensation of the gospel, as it took away many of those things wherein consisted the glory of the Jewish dispensation. In order to introduce the glorious dispen­sation of the gospel, the external glory of the Jewish church must be diminished, as we observed before. This the Babylonish cap­tivity did many ways; it brought the people very low.

First, it removed the temporal diadem of the house of David a­way from them, i. e. the supreme and independent government of [Page 108] themselves. It took away the crown and diadem from the nation. The time now approaching when Christ, the great and everlasting king of his church, was to reign, it was time for the typical kings to withdraw. As God said by Ezekiel, ch. xxi.26. "He re­moved the crown and diadem, that is might be no more, till he should come whose right it was." The Jews henceforward were always dependent on the governing power of other nations, until Christ came, for near six hundred years, excepting about 90 years, during which space they maintained a sort of independence, by con­tinual wars under the dominion of the Maccabees and their posterity.

Again, by the captivity, the glory and magnificence of the tem­ple was taken away, and the temple that was built afterwards, was nothing in comparison with it. Thus it was meet, that when the time dr [...]w nigh that the glorious antetype of the temple should ap­pear, that the typical temple should have in glory withdrawn.

Again, another thing that they lost by the captivity, was the two tables of the testimony delivered to Moses, written with the finger of God; the two tables on which God with his own finger wrote the ten commandments on Mount Sinai. These seem to have been preserved in the ark till the captivity. These were in the ark when Solomon placed the ark in the temple, 1 Kings viii.9. There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb. And we have no reason to suppose any other, but that they remained there as long as that temple stood. But the Jews speak of these as finally lost at that time; though the same commandm [...]n [...] were preserved in the book of the law. Th [...]se tables also were withdrawn on the approach of their antetype.

Again, another thing that was lost that the Jews had before, was the Urim and Thummim. This is evident by Ezra, ii.63. "And the Ti [...]shat [...] said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there should stand up a priest with Urim and Thummim." we have no account that this was ever restored; but the ancient writings of the Jews say the contrary. What this Urim and Thum­mim was, I shall not now enquire; but only observe, that it was something by which the high priest enquired of God, and received immediate [...] from him, or by which God gave forth imme­diate oracles on particular occasions. This was now withdrawn, the time approaching when Christ, the antetype of the Urim and Thummim, the great word and oracle of God, was to come.

Another t [...]ing that the ancient Jews say was wanting in the second temple, was the Sh [...]chinah, or cloud of glory over the mer­cy-seat. This was promised to be in the tabernacle: Levit. xvi.2. "For I will appear in the tabernacle upon the mercy-seat." We read elsewhere of the cloud of glory descending into the tabernacle, Exod. xl.35; and so we do likewise with respect to Solomon's [Page 109] temple. But we have no account that this cloud of glory was in the second temple. And the ancient accounts of the Jews say, that there was no such thing in the second temple. This was needless in the second temple, considering that God had promised that he would fill this temple with glory another way, viz. by Christ's coming into it; which was afterwards fulfilled. See Haggai, ii.7. "I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts."

Another thing, that the Jews in their ancient writings mention as being now withdrawn, was the fire from heaven on the altar. When Moses built the tabernacle and altar in the wilderness, and the first sacrifices were offered on it, fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering, as in Levit. ix.24.; and so again, when Solomon built the temple, and offered the first sacrifices, as you may see in 2 Chron. vii.1. And this fire was never to go out, but with the greatest care to be kept alive, as God commanded, Levit. vi.13. "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar: It shall never go out." And there is no reason to suppose the fire in Solomon's time ever went out till the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. But then it was extinguished, and never was restored. We have no account of its being given on the building of the second temple, as we have at the building of the tabernacle and first temple. But the Jews, after their return, were forced to make use of their common fire instead of it, according to the an­cient tradition of the Jews. Thus the lights of the Old Testament go out on the approach of the glorious Sun of righteousness.

3. The captivity into Babylon was the occasion of another thing which did afterwards much promote the setting up of Christ's king­dom in the world, and that was the dispersion of the Jews through the greater part of the known world, before the coming of Christ. For the whole nation being carried away far out of their own land, and continuing in a state of captivity for so long a time, they got them possessions, and built them houses, and settled themselves in the land of their captivity, agreeable to the direction that Jeremiah gave them, in the letter he wrote to them in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah. Therefore, when Cyrus gave them liberty to return to the land where they had formerly dwelt, many of them never re­turned; they were not willing to leave their settlements and pos­sessions there, to go into a desolate country, many hundred miles distant, which none but the old men among them had ever seen; and therefore they were but few, but a small number, that return­ed, as we see in the accounts we have in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Great numbers tarried behind, though they still re­tained the same religion with those that returned, so far as it could be practised in a foreign land. Those messengers that we read of in [Page 110] the 7th chapter of Zechariah, that came to enquire of the priests and prophets in Jerusalem, Sherezer and R [...]gem [...]m [...]lech, are supposed to be messengers sent from the Jews that remained still in Babylon.

Those Jews that remained still in that country were soon, by the great changes that happened in the world, dispersed thence in­to all the adjacent countries. Hence we find, that in Esther's time, which was after the return from the captivity, the Jews were a people that were dispersed throughout all parts of the vast Persian empire, that extended from India to Ethiopia; as you may see, Esth. iii.8. "And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom," &c. And so they continued dispersed till Christ came, and till the apostles went forth to preach the pospel. But yet these dispersed Jews retained their religion in this dispersion. Their captivity, as I said before, thoroughly cured them of their idolatry; and it was their manner, for as many of them as could from time to time to go up to the land of Judea to Jerusalem at their great feasts. Hence we read in the 2d chapter of Acts, that at the time of the great feast of Pentecost, there were Jews abiding at Jerusalem out of every nation under heaven. These were Jews come up from all countries where they were dispersed, to worship at that feast. Hence we had, in the history of the Acts of the Apostles, that wherever the Apostles went preaching through the world, they found Jews. They came to such a city, and to such a city, and went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Antiochus the Great, about two hundred years before Christ, on a certain occasion, transplanted two thousand families of Jews from the country about Babylon into Asia the Less; and so they and their post [...]ty, many of them, settled in Pontus, Galatia, Phrygia, Pamphylla, and in Ephesus, and from thence settled in Athens, Corinth, and Rome. Whence came those synagogues in those places that the Apostle Paul preached in.

Now, this dispersion of the Jews through the world before Christ came, did many ways prepare the way for his coming, and setting up his kingdom in the world.

One was, that this was a means of raising a general expectation of the Messiah through the world about the time that he actually came. For the Jews, where-ever they were dispersed, carried the holy scriptures with them, and so the prophecies of the Messiah; and being conversant with the nations among whom they lived, they, by that means, became acquainted with these prophecies, and with the expectations of the Jews of their glorious Messiah; and by this means, the birth of such a glorious person in Judea about that time began to be the general expectation of the nations of the world, as appears by the writings of the learned men of the Heathen [Page 111] that lived about that time, which are still extant; particularly Virgil, the famous [...]et that lived in Italy a little before Christ was born, has a p [...]em about the expectation of a great prince that was to be born, and the happy times of righteousness and peace that he was to introduce; some of it very much in the language of the prophet Isaiah.

Another way that this dispersed state of the Jews prepared the way for Christ was, that it showed the necessity of abol [...]hing the Jewish dispentation, and introducing a new dispensation of the covenant of grace. It showed the necessity of abolishing the cere­monial law, and the old Jewish worship: For, by this means, the observance of that ceremonial law became impracticable even by the Jews themselves; for the ceremonial law was adapted to the state of a people dwelling together in the same land, where was the city that God had chosen; where was the temple, the only place where they might offer sacrifices; and where it was lawful for their priests and Levites to officiate, where they were to bring their first fruits, and where they were their cities of refuge, and the like. But the Jews, by this dispersion, lived, many of them, in other lands, more than a thousand miles distant, when Christ came; which made the observation of their laws of sacrifices, and the like, impracticable. Though their forefathers might be to blame in not going up to the land of Judea when they were permitted by Cyrus, yet the case was now, as to many of them at least, become im­practicable; which shewed the necessity of introducing a new dis­pensation, that should be fitted, not only to one particular land, but to the general circumstances and use of all nations of the world.

Again, another way that this dispersion of the Jews through the world prepared the way for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ in the world, was, that it contributed to the making the facts con­cerning Jesus Christ publicly known thro' the world. For, as I observed before, the Jews that lived in other countries, used fre­quently to go up to Jerusalem at their three great feasts, which were from year to year; and so, by this means, they could not but become acquainted with the news of the wonderful things that Christ did in that land. We find that they were present at, and took great notice of, that great miracle of raising Lazarus, which excited the curiosity of those foreign Jews that come up to the feast of the Passover to see Jesus; as you may see in John xii.19.20.21. These Greeks were foreign Jews and proselytes, as is evident by their coming to worship at the feast of the Passover. The Jews that lived abroad among the Greeks, and spoke their language, were called Greeks or Hellenists: so they are called Grecians, Acts vi.1. These Grecians here spoken of were not Gentile Christians; for this was before the calling of the Gentiles.

[Page 112]By the same means, the Jews that went up from other countries became acquainted with Christ's crucifixion. Thus the disciples, going to Emmaus, say to Christ, when they did not know him, Luke, xxiv.18. "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which have come to pass there in these days?" plainly intimating, that the things concerning Jesus were so publicly known to all men, that it was wonderful to find any man unacquainted with them. And so afterwards they became acquaint­ed with the news of his resurection; and when they went home a­gain into their own countries, they carried the news with them, and so made these facts public through the world, as they had made the prophecies of them public before.

After this, those foreign Jews that came to Jerusalem, took great notice of the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the won­derful effects of it; and many of them were converted by it, viz. Parthians, Medes, El [...]mites, and the dwellers in Mesapotamia, and in Egypt, and the parts of Libyia about Cyrene, and the stran­gers of Rome, Jews and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. And so they did not only carry back the news of the facts of Christia­nity, but Christianity itself, into their own countries with them; which contributed much to the spreading of it through the world.

Again, another way that the dispersion of the Jews contributed to the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world was, that it opened a door for the introduction of the apostles in all place, where they came to preach the gospel. For almost in all places where they came to preach the gospel, they found Jews, and sy­nagogues of the Jews, where the holy scriptures were wont to be read, and the true God worshipped; which was a great advantage to the apostles in their spreading the gospel through the world. For their way was, into whatever city they came, first to go into the synagogue of the Jews, (they being people of the same nation), and there to preach the gospel unto them. And hereby their com­ing, and their new doctrine, was taken notice of by their Gentile neighbours, whose curiosity excited them to hear what they had to say; which became a fair occasion to the apostles to preach the gospel to them. It appears that it was thus▪ by the account we have of things in the Acts of the Apostles. These Gentiles hav­ing been before, many of them, prepared in some measure, by the knowledge they had of the Jews religion, and of their worship of one God, and of their prophecies, and expectation of a Messiah; which knowledge they derived from the Jews, who had long been their neighbours; this opened the door for the gospel to have ac­cess to them. And the work of the apostles with them was doubt­less much easier than if they never had heard any thing before of any expectation of such a person as the apostles preached, or any thing about the worship of one only true God.

[Page 113]So many ways did the Babylonish captivity greatly prepare the way for Christ's coming.

II. The next particular that I would take notice of is, the ad­dition made to the cannon of scripture in the time of the captivi­ty, in those two remarkable portions of scripture, the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel. Christ appeared to each of these prophets in the form of that nature which he was afterwards to take upon him. The prophet Ezekiel gives an account of his thus appearing to him repeatedly, as Ezek. i.26▪ "And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne as the ap­pearance of a sapphire-stone, and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." And so chap. viii.1 2. So Christ appeared to the prophet Daniel [...] Dan. viii.15.16. "There stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision." There are several things that make it evident, that this was Christ, that I cannot now stand to mention particularly. So Christ appeared again as a man to this prophet, chap. x.5.6. "Then I lift up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Comparing this vision with that of the Apostle John in the 1st chapter of Revelation, makes it manifest that it was Christ. And the prophet Daniel, in the historical part of his book, gives an account of a very remarkable appearance of Christ in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We have the account of it in the 3d chapter. In the 25th verse, Christ is said to be like the Son of God; and it is ma­nifest that he appeared in the form of man: "Lo, I see four [...] loose,—and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Christ did not only here appear in the form of the human nature, but he appeared in a furnace, saving those persons who believed on him from that furnace; by which is represented to us, how Christ, by coming himself into the furnace of God's wrath, saves those that believe in him from that furnace, so that he has no power on them; and the wrath of God never reaches or touches them, so much as to singe the hair of their heads.

These two prophets, in many respects, were more particular con­cerning the coming of Christ, and his glorious gospel kingdom, than any of the prophets had been before. They both of them mention those three great overturnings of the world that should be before he came. Ezekiel is particular in several places concern­ing [Page 114] the coming of Christ. The prophet Daniel is more particular in foretelling the time of the coming of Christ than ever any pro­phet had been before, in the 9th chap. of his prophecy; who fore­told, that it should be seventy weeks, i. e. seventy weeks of years, or seventy times seven years, or four hundred and ninety years, from the decree to rebuild and restore the state of the Jews, till the M [...]ssiah should be crucified; which must be reckoned from the com­mission given to Ezra by Artaxerxes that we have an account of in the 7th chap. of Ezra; whereby the very particular time of Christ's crucifix on was pointed out, which never had been before.

The p [...]ophe [...] [...]zekiel is very particular in the mystical description of the gospel church, in his account of his vision of the temple and city, in the latter part of his prophecy. The prophet Daniel points out the order of particular events that should come [...] pass relating [...]o the Christian church after Christ was come, as the rise of Antichrist, and the continuance of his reign, and his fall, and the glory that should follow.

Thus does gospel-light still increase, the nearer we come to the time of Christ's birth.

III The next particular I would mention is, the destruction of Babylon, and the overthrow of the Chaldean empire by Cyrus. The destruction of Babylon was in that night in which B [...]lshazzar the king, and the city in general, was drowned in a drunken festival, which they kept to their gods, when Daniel was called to read the hand-writing on the wall, Dan. v.30. and it was brought about in such a manner, as wonderfully to show the hand of God, and remarkably to fulfil his word by his prophets, which I cannot now stand particularly to relate. Now that great city, which had long been an enemy to the city of God, his Jerusalem, was destroyed▪ after it had stood ever since the first building of Babel, which was about seventeen hundred years. If the check that was put to the building this city at its beginning, whereby they were prevented from carrying of it to that extent and magnificence that they intended; I say, if this promoted the work of redemption, as I have before shown it did, much more did this destruction of it.

It was a remarkable instance of God's vengeance on the enemies of his redeemed church; for God brought this destruction on Babylon for the injuries they did to God's children, as is often set forth in the prophets. It also promoted the work of redemption, as thereby God's people, that were held captive by them, were set at liberty to return to their own land to rebuild Jerusalem; and therefore Cyru [...], who did it, is called God's shepherd therein, Is. xliv. latter end; and xlv.1. And these are over and above those ways wherein the setting up and overthrowing the four monarchies of the world promote the work of redemption, which have been before observed.

IV. What next followed this was, the return of the Jews to their [Page 115] own land, and rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. Cyrus, as soon as he had destroyed the Babylonish empire, and had erected the Persian empire on its ruins, made a decree in favour of the Jews, that they might return to their own land, and rebuild their city and temple. This return of the Jews out of the Babylonish [...], next to the redemption out of Egypt, the most remarkable of all the Old Testament redemptions, and most insisted on in scripture, as a type of the great redemption of Jesus Christ. It was under the hand of one of the legal ancestors of Christ, viz. Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, whose Babylonish name was S [...]eshbazzar. He was the governor of the J [...]ws, and their leader in their first return out of captivity; and, together with Joshua the son of Josedek the high priest, had the chief hand in rebuilding the temple. This redemption was bro't about by the hand of Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, as the redemption out of Egypt was brought about by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The return out of captivity was a remarkable dispensation of Providence. It was remarkable, that the heart of a Heathen prince, as Cyrus was, should be so inclined to favour such a design as he did, not only in giving the people liberty to return, and rebuild the city and temple, but in giving charge that they should be helped with silver and gold, and with goods, and with beasts, as we read in Ezra, i.4. And afterwards God wonderfully inclined the heart of Darius to further the building of the house of God with his own tribute money, and by commanding their bitter enemies, the Samaritans, who had been striving to hinder them to help them without fail, by furnish­ing them with all that they needed in order to it, and to supply them day by day; making a decree, that whosoever failed of it, timber should be pulled down out of his house, and he hanged thereon, and his house made a dunghill; as we have an account in the 6th chapter of Ezra. And after this God inclined the heart of Artaxerxes, another king of Persia, to promote the work of restoring the state of the Jews, by his ample commission to Ezra, which we have an account of in the 7th chapter of Ezra; helping them abundantly with silver and gold of his own bounty, and offering more, as should be needful, out of the King's treasure-house, and commanding his treasurers beyond the river Euphrates to give more, as should be needed, unto an hundred talents of silver, and an hundred measures of wheat, an hundred baths of wine, and an hundred baths of oil, and salt, without prescribing how much; and giving leave to es­tablish magistrates in the land; and freeing the priests of [...]oll, tribute, and custom, and other things, which render this [...]ecree and commission by Artaxerxes the most full and ample in the Jews favour of any that, at any time, had been given for the restoring of Jerusalem: And therefore, in Daniel's prophecy, this is called A decree for restoring and building Jerusalem; and hence the [...]eventy weeks are dated.

[Page 116]After this, another favourable commission was granted by the King of Persia to Nehemiah, which we have an account of in the second chapter of Nehemiah.

It was remar [...]able, that the hearts of Heathen princes should be so inclined. It was the effect of his power, who hath the hearts of kings in his hands, and turneth them whithersoever he wit [...]; and it was a rema [...]kable instance of his favour to his people.

Another remarkable circumstance of this restitution of the state of the Jews to their own land was that it was accomplished against so much o [...]p [...]sition of their bitter indefatigable enemies the Samaritans, who, for a long time together, with all the malice and craft they could exercise, opposed the Jews in this affair, and [...]ought their destruction; one while by Bishlam, Mithridath, Tabeal, Rehum, and Shimshai, as in Ezra iv, and then by Tatnai, Shetharboznai, and their companions, as in chap. v and afterwards by S [...]nballat and Tobiah, as we read in the book of Nehemiah.

We have shewed before how the settlement of the people in this land in Joshua's time promoted the work of redemption. On the same account does their restitution [...]elong to the same work. The resettlement of the Jews in the land of Canaan belongs to this work, as it was a necessary means of preserving the Jewish church and dispensation in being, till Christ should come. If it had not been for this restoration of the Jewish church, and temple, and worship, the people had remained without any temple, and land of their own, that would be as it were their head-quarters, a place of worship, habitation, and resort; the whole constitution, which God had done so much to establish, would have been in danger of utterly fail­ing, long before that six hundred years had been out, which was from about the time of the captivity till Christ. And so all that preparation which God had been making for the coming of Christ, from the time of Abraham, would have been in vain. Now that very temple was built that God would fill with glory by Christ's coming into it, as the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah told the Jews to encourage them in building it.

V. The next particular I would observe, is the addition made to the canon of the scriptures soon after the captivity by the Pro­phets H [...]ggai and Zechariah, who were prophets sent to encourage the people in their work of rebuilding the city and temple; and the main argument they made use of to that end, is the approach of the time of the coming of Christ. Haggai foretold that Christ should be of Zerubbabel's legal posterity, last chap. last verse. This seems to be the last and most particular revelation of the descent of Christ, [...]oll the angel Gabriel was sent to reveal it to his mother Mary.

VI. The next thing I would take notice of, was the pouring out of the Spirit of God that accompanied the ministry of Ezra [...]he [Page 117] priest after the captivity. That there was such a pouring out of the Spirit of God that accompanied Ezra's ministry, is manifest by many things in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Presently after Ezra came up from Babylon, with the ample commission which Artaxerxes gave him, whence Daniel's seventy weeks began, [...] set himself to reform the vices and corruptions he found among the Jews; and his great success in it we have an account of in the 10th chapter of Ez [...]a; so that there appeared a very general and great mourning of the congregation of Israel for their sins, which was accompanied with a solemn covenant that the people entered into with God; and this was followed with a great and general reformation, as we have there an account. The people about the same time, with great zeal, and earnestness, and reverence, gather­ed themselves together to hear the word of God rea [...] by Ezra; and gave diligent attention, while Ezra and the other priests preached to them, by reading and expounding the law, and were greatly af­fected in the hearing of it. They wept when they heard the words of the law, and set themselves to observe the law, and kept the feast of tabernacles, as the scripture observes, after such a manner as it had not been kept since the days of Joshua the son of Nun; as we have account in the 8th chapter of Nehemiah: after this, hav­ing separated themselves from all strangers, they solemnly observ­ed a fast, by hearing the word of God, confessing their sins, and renewing their covenant with God; and manifested their sincerity in that transaction, by actually reforming many abuses in religion and morals; as we learn from the 9th and following chapters of Nehemiah.

It is observable, that it has been God's manner in every remar­kable new establishment of the [...]tate of his visible church, to give a remarkable outpouring of his spirit. So it was on the first estab­lishment of the church of the Jews at their first coming into Ca­naan under Joshua, as has been observed; and so it was now in this second settlement of the church in the same land in the time of Ezra; and so it was on the first establishment of the Christian church after Christ's resurrection; God wisely and graciously lay­ing the foundation of those establishments in a work of his holy Spirit, for the lasting benefit of the state of his church, thencefor­ward continued in those establishments. This pouring out of the Spirit of God, was a final cure of that nation of that particular sin which just before they especially run into, viz. intermarrying with the Gentiles; for however inclined to it they were before, they e­ver after shewed an aversion to it.

VII. Ezra added to the cannon of the scriptures. He wrote the book of Ezra; and he is supposed to have written the book of Chronicles, at least of compiling them, if he was not the author of [Page 118] the materials, or all the parts of these writings. That these [...] were written, or compiled and completed, after the captivity, the the things contained in the books themselves make manifest; [...] the genealogies contained therein, are brought down below the captivity; as 1 Chron. iii.17. &c. We have there an account of the posterity of Jehoiach [...]n for several successive generations And there is mention in these books of this captivity into Babylon, as of a thing past, and of things that were done on the return of the Jews after the captivity; as you may see in the 9th chapter of [...] Chron. The chapter is mostly filled up with an account of things that came to pass after the captivity into Babylon, as you may see by comparing it with what is said in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. That Ezra was the person that compi [...]ed these books, i [...] probable by this, because they conclude with words that we know are the words of Ezra's history. The two last verses are Ezra's words in the history he gives in the the two fi [...]st verses of the book of Ezra.

VIII. Ezra is supposed to have collected all the books of which the holy scriptures did then consist, and disposed them in their pro­per order. Ezra is often spoken of as a noted and eminent scribe of the law of God, and the canon of scripture in his time was ma­nifestly under his special care; and the Jews, from the first accounts we have from them have always held, that the canon of scripture, so much of it as was then extant, was collected, and orderly dis­posed and settled by Ezra; and that from him they have delivered it down in the order in which he disposed it, [...] Christ's time▪ when the Christian church received it from them, and have deli­vered it down to our times. The truth of this is allowed as un­doubted by divines in general.

IX The work of redemption was carried on and promoted in this period, by greatly multiplying the copies of the law, and ap­pointing the constant public reading of them in all the cities of Israel in their synagogues. It is evident, that before the captivi­ty, there were but few copies of the law. There was the orig [...]al, laid up beside the ark; and the kings were requi [...]ed to wr [...]te out a copy of the law for their use, and the law was required to be read to the whole congregation of Israel o [...]ce every seventh year. We have no account of any other state▪ public reading of the law before the captivity but this. And it is manifest by several thi [...]g [...] that might be mentioned, that copies of the law were exceeding rare before the captivity But after the [...], the constant reading of the law was set up in every synag [...]gue throughout th [...] land. First, they began with readi [...] the law, and then they proceeded to establish the co [...]stant readi [...] [...] the othe [...] books of the Old Testament. Lessons were read out of the Old Testament, as [Page 119] made up of both the law and the other parts of the scripture then extant, in all the synagogues, which were set up in every city, and every where, where-ever the Jews in any considerable number dwelt, as our meeting-houses are. Thus we find it was in Christ's and the apostles time, Acts xv.21. "Moses of old time hath in eve­ry city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day." This custom is universally supposed, both by Jews and Christians, to be begun by Ezra. There were doubtless pub­lic [...]ssemblies before the captivity into Babylon. They used to as­semble at the temple at their great feasts, and were directed, when they were at a loss ab [...]ut any thing in the law, to go to the priest for inst [...]uction; and they used also to resort to the prophet's houses: and we read of synagogues in the land before. Psal lxxiv. [...]. But it is not supposed that they had copies of the law for con­stant public reading and expounding through the land before, as afterwards. This was one great means of their being preserved from idolatry.

X. The next thing I would mention, is God's remarkably preserving the church and natio [...] of the Jews, when they were in imminent danger of being universally destroyed by Haman. We have the story in the book of Esther, with which you are ac [...]uaint­ed This series of providence, was very wonderful in preventing this destruction. Esther was doubtless born for this end to be the instrument of this remarkable preservation.

XI. After this the canon of scripture was further added to in the books of Nehemiah and Esther; the one by Nehemiah himself; and when the others was written by Nehemiah, or Mordecai, or Malachi, is not of importance for us to know, so long as it is one of those books that were always admitted and received as a part of their canon by the Jews, and was among those books that the Jews called their sc [...]iptures in Christ's time, and as such was ap­proved by him: For Christ does often in his speeches to the Jews manifestly approve and confirm those books, which amongst them went by the name of the scriptures, as might easily be shown, if there were time for it.

XII. After this the canon of the Old Testament was compleat­ed and sealed by Malachi. The manner of his concluding his pro­phecy seems to imply, that they were to expect no more prophecies, and no more written revelations from God, till Christ should come. For in the last chapter he prophecies of Christ's coming; ver. 2 3. "But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts." Then we read in ver. [Page 120] 4. "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I com­manded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgements," i. e. Remember and improve what ye have; keep close to that written rule you have, as expecting no more additi­ons to it, till the night of the Old Testament is over, and the Sun of righteousness shall at length arise.

XIII. Soon after this, the spirit of prophecy ceased among that people till the time of the New Testament. Thus the Old Testa­ment light, the stars of the long night, began space to hide their heads, the time of the Sun of righteousness now drawing nigh. We before observed, how the Kings of the house of David ceased before the true King and head of the church came; and how the cloud of glory withdrew, before Christ, the brightness of the Fa­ther's glory, appeared; and so as to several other things. And now at last the spirit of prophecy ceased. The time of the great Prophet of God was now so nigh, it was time for their typical pro­phets to be silent, and shut their mouths.

WE have now gone through with the time that we have any hi­storical account of in the writings of the Old Testament, and the last thing that was mentioned, by which the work of redemption was promoted, was the ceasing of the spirit of prophecy.

I now proceed to show how the work of redemption was carried on through the remaining time that were before Christ: in which we have not that thread of scripture history to guide us that we have had hitherto; but have these three things to guide us, viz. the prophe­cies of the Old Testament, human histories of those times, and some occasional mention made, and some [...]idence given, of some things which happend in those times, in the New Testament. Therefore,

XIV. The next particular that I shall mention under this period, is the destruction of the Pers [...]an empire, and sitting up of the Gre­cian empire by Alexander. This came to pass about sixty or se­venty years after the times wherein the prophet Malachi is supposed to have prophesied, and about three hundred and thirty years before Christ. This was the third overturning of the world that came to pass in this period, and was greater and more remarkable than either of the foregoing. It was very remarkable on account of the suddenness of that conquest of the world which Alexander made, and the greatness [...]f the empire which he set up, which much ex­ceeded all the fo [...]egoing in its extent.

This event is [...]uch spoken of in the prophecies of Daniel. This empire is repr [...]ented by the third kingdom of brass in Daniel's interpretation [...]f Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as in Dan. ii.; and in Daniel's visio [...] of the four beasts, is represented by the third beast that was like [...] leopard, that had on his back four wings of a fowl, to represent the swiftness of its conquest, chap. vii.▪ and is more [Page 121] particularly represented by the he goat in the 8 [...]h chapter, that came from the west on the face of the whole earth, [...]nd touched not the ground, to represent how swiftly Alexander over-ran the world. The angel himself does expressly interpret this he-goat to signify the king of Grecia, ver. 21. The rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king, i. e. Alexander himself.

After Alexa [...]der had conquered the world, he soon died; and his dominion did not descend to his posterity, but four of his principal captains divided his empire between them, as it there fol­lows. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power; so you may see in the 11th chap. of Daniel. The angel, after foretelling of the Persian empire, then proceeds to foretel of Alex­ander, ver. 3. "And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will." And then he foretels, in the 4th verse, of the dividing of his kingdom between his four captains: "And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of hea­ven; and not to his posterity nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up even so▪ others be­sides those." Two of these four capt [...]ins, whose kingdoms we [...]e next to Judea, the one had Egypt and the neighbouring countries on the south of Judea, and the other had Syria and the neighbour­ing countries north of Judea▪ and these two are those that are called the kings of the north and of the south in the 11th chapter of Daniel.

Now this setting up of the Grecian empire did greatly prepare the way for the coming of Christ and setting up his kingdom in the world. Besides these ways common to the o [...]her overturnings of the world in this period, that have been already mentioned, there is one peculiar to th [...]s rev [...]ution which I [...] take notice of, which did remarkably promote the w [...]rk of redemption; and that was, that it made the Greek language [...] in the world. To have one common language understood and used through the greater part of the world, was a thing that [...] prepare the way for the setting up of Christ's kingdom This gave advantage for spread­ing the gospel from one nation to another, and so through all na­tions, with vastly greater ease, than if every nation had a distinct language, and did not understand each other. For though some of the first preachers of the gospel had the gift of languages so that they could preach in any language; [...] all had not this particular gift; and they that had, could not exercise it when they would, but only at special seasons, when the spirit of God was pleased to inspire them in this way. The church, in different parts of the [Page 122] world, as the churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, and others, which were in countries distant one from another, could not have had that communication one with another, which we have an account of in the book of Acts, if they had had no common lan­guage. So it was before the Grecian empire was set up. But af­ter this, many in all those countries well understood the same lan­guage, viz the Greek language; which wonderfully opened the door for mutual communication between those churches, so far separated one from another. Again, the making the Greek lan­guage common through so great a part of the world, did wonder­fully make way for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, because it was the language in which the New Testament was to be origi­nally written. The apostles propogated the gospel through many scores of nations; and if they could not have understood the Bible any otherwise than as it was translated into so many languages, it would have rendered the spreading of the gospel vastly more diffi­cult. But by the Greek language being made common to all, they all understood the New Testament of Jesus Christ in their lan­guage in which the apostles and evangelists originally wrote it: so that as soon as ever it was written by its original penmen, it im­mediately lay open to the world in a language that was commonly understood every where, as there was no language that was so com­monly understood in the world in Christ's and the apostles times as the Greek; the cause of which was the setting up of the Grecian empire in the world.

XV. The next thing I shall take notice of is, the translation of the scriptures of the Old Testament into a language that was com­monly understood by the Gentiles. The translation that I here speak of is that into the G [...]eek language, that is commonly called the Septuagint, or the tra [...]slation of the Seventy. This is supposed to have been made about fifty or sixty years after Alexander's con­quering the world. This is the first translation that ever was made of the scriptures that we have any credible account of. The canon of the Old Test [...]ment had been compleated by the prophet Malachi but about an hundred and twenty years before in its original; and hitherto the scriptures had remained locked up from all other nati­ons but the Jews, in the Hebrew tongue, which was understood by no other nation. But now it was translated into the Greek lan­guage, which, as we observed before, was a language that was commonly understood by the nations of the world.

This translation of the Old Testament is still extant, and is com­monly in the hands of learned men in these days, and is made great use of by them. The Jews have many fables about the occa­sion and manner of this translation; but the truth of the case is supposed to be this, that multitudes of the Jews living in other [Page 123] parts of the world besides Judea, and being born and bred among the Greeks, the Greek became their common language, and they did not understand the original Hebrew; and therefore they pro­ [...]ed the scriptures to be translated for their use into the Greek language: and so henceforward the Jews, in all countries, except Judea, were wont in their synagogues to make use of this transla­tion instead of the Hebrew.

This translation of the scriptures into a language commonly understood through the world, prepared the way for Christ's com­ing, and setting up his kingdom in the world, and afterwards did greatly promote it. For as the apostles went preaching through the world, they made great use of the scriptures of the Old Testa­ment, and especially of the prophecies concerning Christ that were contained in them. By means of this translation, and by the Jews being scattered every where, they had the scriptures at hand in a language that was understood by the Gentiles: and they did princi­pally make use of this translation in their preaching and writings where-ever they went; as is evident by this, that in all the innu­merable quotations that are made out of the Old Testament in their writings in the New-Testament, they are almost every where in the very words of the Septuagint. The sense is the same as it is in the original Hebrew; but very often the words are different, as all that are acquainted with their Bibles know. When the apostles in their epistles, and the evangelists in their histories, cite passages out of the Old Testament, it is very often in different words from what we have in the Old Testament, as all know. But yet these citations are almost universally in the very words of the Septuagint version; for that may be seen by comparing them together, they being both written in the same language. This makes it evident, that the apostles, in their preaching and writings, commonly made use of this translation. So this very translation was that which was principally used in Christian churches through most nations of the world for several hundred years after Christ.

XVI. The next thing is the wonderful preservation of the church when it was imminently threatened and persecuted under the Gre­cian empire.

The first time they were threatened was by Alexander himself. When he was besieging the c [...]ty of Tyre, sending to the Jews for assistance and supplies for his army, and they refusing, out of a con­scientious regard to their oath to the king of Persia, he being a man of a very furious spirit, agreeable to the scripture representa­tion of the rough he goa [...], marched against them, with a design to cut them off. But the priests going out to meet him in their priest­ly garments, when he met them, God wonderfully turned his [...]ear to spare them, and favour them, much as he did the heart of Esau when he met Jacob.

[Page 124]After this, one of the kings of Egypt, a successor of one Alexan­der's four captains, entertained a design of destroying the nation of the Jews; but was remarkably and wonderfully prevented by a stronger interposition of Heaven for their preservation.

But the most wonderful preservation of them all in this period was under the cruel persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, and successor of another of Alexander's four captains. The Jews were at that time subject to the power of Antiochus; and he being enraged against them, long strove to his utmost utterly to destroy them, and root them out; at least all of them that would not forsake their religion, and worship his idols: and he did in­deed in a great measure waste the country, and depopulate the ci­ty of Jerusalem; and profaned the temple, by setting up his idols in some parts of it; and persecuted the people with insatiable cru­elty; so that we have no account of any persecution like his before. Many of the particular circumstances of this persecution would be very affecting, if I had time to insist on them. This cruel persecu­tion began about an hundred and seventy years before Christ It is much spoken of in the prophecy of Daniel, as you may see, Dan. viii.9 —25.; xi, 3 [...].—38. These persecutions are also spoken of in the New Testament, as, Heb xi.36.37.38.

Antiochus intended not only to extirpate the Jewish religion, but, as far as in him lay, the very nation; and particularly labor­ed to the utmost to destroy all copies of the law. And considering how weak they were, in comparison with a king of such vast do­minion, the providence of God appears very wonderful in defeat­ing his design. Many tim [...]s the Jews seemed to be on the very b [...]ink of ruin, [...] just ready to be wholly swallowed up: their e­nemies often thought themse [...]ves sure of obtaining their purpose. They once came against the people with a mighty army, and with a design of killi [...]g all, except the women and children, and of sel­ling these for sl [...]ves; and they were so confident of obtaining their purpose, and others of purchasing, that above a thousand merchants came with the army, wi [...]h money in their hands, to buy the slaves that should be sold▪ But God wonderfully stirred up and assisted one Judas, and others his successors, that were called the Macca­bees, who, with a small handful in comparison, vanquished their enemies time after time, and delivered their nation; which was foretold by Daniel. xi.32. Speaking of Antiochus's persecution, he says, "And such as do wickedly against the covenant, shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God, shall be strong, and do exploits."

God afterwards brought this Antiochus to a fearful, miserable and, by a loathsome disease, under dreadful torments of body, and horrors of mind; which was foetold, Dan. xi.45. in these words, "Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him."

[Page 125]After his death, there were attempts still to destroy the church of God; but God baffled them all.

XVII. The next thing to be taken notice of is the destruction of the Grecian empire, and setting up of the Roman empire. This was the fourth overturning of the world that was in this period. And though it was brought to pass more gradually than the setting up of the Grecian empire, yet it far exceeded that, and was much the greatest and largest temporal monarchy that every was in the world; so that the Roman empire was commonly called all the world; as it is in Luke ii.1. "And there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed;" i. e. all the Roman empire.

This empire is spoken of as much the strongest and greatest of any of the four: Dan. ii.40. "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces, and bruise." So also Daniel vii.7.19.23.

The time that the Romans first conquered and brought under the land of Judea, was between sixty and seventy years before Christ was born. Soon after this, the Roman empire was established in its greatest extent; and the world continued subject to this empire henceforward till Christ came, and many hundred years afterwards.

The nations of the world being united in one monarchy when Christ came, and when the apostles went forth to preach the gospel, did greatly prepare the way for the spreading of the gospel, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world. For the world being thus subject to one government, it opened a communication from nation to nation, and so opportunity was given for the more swiftly propagating the gospel through the world. Thus we find it to be now; as if any thing prevail [...] in the English nation, the communication is quick from one part of the nation to another, throughout all parts that are subject to the English government, much easier and quicker than to other nations, which are not subject to the English government, and have little to do with them. There are innumerable difficulties in travelling through different nations, that are under different independent governments, which there are not in travelling through different parts of the same realm, or different dominions of the same prince. So the world being under one government, the government of the Romans, in Christ's and the apostles times, facilitated the apostles travelling, and the gospel's spreading through the world.

XVIII. About the same time learning and philosophy were risen to their greatest height in in the Heathen would. The time of learning's flourishing in the Heathen world was principally in this period. Almost all the famous philosophers that we have an [Page 126] account of among the Heathen, were after the captivity into Ba­bylon. Almost all the wise men of Greece and Rome flourish­ed in this time. These philosophers, many of them, were indeed men of great temporal wisdom; and that which they in [...] chiefly professed to make their business, was to inquire wherein man's chief happiness lay, and the way in which men might obtain happiness. They seemed earnestly [...]o busy themselves in this in­quiry, and wrote multitudes of books about it, many of which are still extant. And they were exceedingly divi [...]d in their opinions about it. There have been reckoned up several hundreds of differ­ent opinions that they had concerning it. Thus they wearied themselves in vain, wandered in the dark, not having the glorious gospel to guide them. God was ple [...]sed to suffer men to do the utmost that they could with human wisdom, and to try the extent of their own understandings to find out the way to happiness, be­fore the true light came to enlighten the world; before he sent the great Prophet to lead men in the right way to happiness. God suffered these great philosophers to try what they could do for six hundred years together; and then it proved, by the events of so long a time, that all they could do was in vain; the world not be­coming wiser, better, or happier under their instructions, but grow­ing more and more foolish, wicked, and miserable. He suffered their wisdom a [...]d philos [...]phy to come to the greatest height before Christ came, that it might be seen how far reason and philosophy could go in their highest ascent, that the necessity of a divine teacher might appear before Christ came. And God was pleased to make foolish the wisdom of this world, to shew men the folly of their best wisdom, by the doctrines of his glorious gospel which were above the reach of all their philosophy. See 1 Cor. i.19 20.21▪

After God had shewed the vanity of human learning, when set up in the room of the gospel, God was pleased to make it subser­vient to the purposes of Christ's kingdom, as an handmaid to di­vine revelation; and so the prevailing of learning in the world be­fore Christ came, made way for his coming both these ways, viz. as thereby the vanity of human wisdom was shown, and the neces­sity of the gospel appeared; and also as hereby an handmaid was prepared to the gospel: for so it was made use of in the Apostle Paul, who was famed for his much learning, as you may see Acts xxvi.24. and was skilled not only in the learning of the Jews, but also of the philosophers; and improved it to the purposes of the gospel; as you may see he did in disputing with the philosophers at Athens, Acts xvii.22. &c. He by his learning knew how to ac­commodate himself in his discourses to learned men, as appears by this discourse of his; and he knew well how to improve what he had r [...]ad in their writings; and he here cites their own poets. Now [Page 127] Dionysius [...], that was a philosopher, was converted by him, and as ecclesiastical history gives us an account, made a great instrument of promoting the gospel. And there were many others in that and the following age [...], who were eminently useful by their human learning in promoting the interests of Christ's kingdom.

XIX Just before Christ was born, the Roman empire was rais­ed to its greatest height, and also settled in peace. About four and twenty years before Christ was born, Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, began to rule as emperor of the world. Till then the Roman empire had of a long time been a commonwealth under the government of the senate: but then it became an absolute mo­narchy. This Augustus Caesar, as he was the first, so he was the greatest of all the Roman emperors: he reigned in the greatest glory. Thus the power of the Heathen world, which was Sa­tan's visible kingdom, was raised to its greatest height, after it had been rising higher and higher, and strengthening itself more and more from the days of Solomon to this day, which was about a thousand years. Now it appeared at a greater height than ever it appeared from th [...] first beginning of Satan's Heathenish kingdom, which was probably about the time of the building of Babel. Now the Heathen world was in its greatest glory for strength, wealth, and learning.

God did two things to prepare the way for Christ's coming, wherein he took a contrary method from that which human wisdom would have taken. He brought his own visible people very low, and made them weak; but the Heathen, that were his enemies, he exalted to the greatest height, for the more glorious triumph of the cross of Christ. With a small number in their greatest weakness, he conquered his enemies in their greatest glory. Thus Christ tri­umphed over principalities and powers in his cross.

Augustus Caesar had been for many years establishing the state of the Roman empire, subduing his enemies in one part and ano­ther, till the very year that Christ was born; when all his enemies being subdued, and his dominion over the world seemed to be set­tled in its greatest glory. All was established in peace; in token whereof the Romans shut the temple of Janus, which was an estab­lished symbol among them of there being universal peace through­out the Roman empire. This universal peace, which was begun that year that Christ was born, lasted twelve years, till the year that Christ disputed with doctors in the temple.

Thus the world, after it had been, as it were, in a continual con­vulsion for so many hundred years together, like the four winds striving together on the tumultuous raging ocean, whence arose those four great monarchies, being now established in the greatest height of the fourth and last monarchy, and settled in quietness▪ [Page 128] now all things are ready for the birth of Christ. This remarkable universal peace, after so many ages of tumult and war, was a fi [...] pre­lude for the ushering of the glorious Prince of peace into the world.

Thus I have gone through the first grand period of the whole space between the fall of man and the end of the world, vi.z that from the fall to the time of the incarnation of Christ; and have shown the truth of the first proposition, viz. That from the fall of man to the incarnation of Christ, God was doing those things that were preparatory to Christ's coming, and were forerunners of it.

PART I.

FIRST, I would consider Christ's coming into the world, or his taking upon him our nature to put himself in a capacity to purchase redemption for us.—Christ became incarnate, or, which is the same thing, became man, to put himself in a ca­pacity for working out our redemption: for though Christ, as God, was infinitely sufficient for the work, yet to his being in an imme­diate capacity for it, it was needful that he should not only be God but man. If Christ had remained only in the divine nature, he would not have been in a capacity to have purchased our salvation; not from any imperfection of the divine nature, but by reason of it [...] absolute and infinite perfection: for Christ, merely as God, was not capable either of that obedience or suffering that was needful. The divine nature is not capable of suffering: for it is infinitely above all suffering. Neither is it capable of obedience to that law that was given to man. It is as impossible that one who is only God, should obey the law that was given to man, as it is that he should suffer man's punishment.

It was necessary not only that Christ should take upon him a created nature, but that he should [...]ke upon him our nature. It would not have sufficed for us for Christ to have become an angel, and to have obeyed and suffered in the angelic nature. But it was necessary that he should become a man, and that upon three accounts.

1. It was needful to answer the law, that that nature should obey the law, to which the law was given. Man's law could not be answered, but by being obeyed by man. God insisted upon it, that the law which he had given to man should be honoured and submitted to, and fulfilled by the nature of man, otherwise the law could not be answered for men. The words that were spoken, Thou shalt not eat thereof, Thou shalt, or Thou shalt not do thu [...] or thus, were spoken to the race of mankind, to the human nature; and therefore the human nature must fulfil them.

2. It was needful to answer the law that the nature that sinned [Page 139] should die. These words, "Thou shalt surely die," respect the human nature, the same nature to which the command was given, was the nature to which the threatening was directed.

3 God saw [...] ▪ that the same world which was the stage of man's fail and ruin▪ should also be the stage of his redemption. We re [...]d often of his coming into the world to save sinners, and of God's sending him into the world for this purpose. It was needful that he should come into this sinful, miserable undone world, to restore and save it. In order to man's recovery it was needful that he should come down to man, to the world that was man's proper habitation, and that he should tabernacle with us: John i.14, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

CONCERNING the incarnation of Christ, I would observe these following things.

I. The incarnation itself; in which especially two things are to be considered, viz.

1. His conception, which was in the womb of one of the race of mankind, whereby he became truly the Son of man, as he was often called. He was one of the posterity of Adam, and a child of Abraham, and a son of David according to God's promise. But his conception was not in the way of ordinary generation, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ was formed in the womb of the Virgin, of the substance of her body, by the power of the Spirit of God▪ so that he was the immediate son of the woman, but not the immediate son of any male whatsoever; and so was the seed of the woman, and the son of a Virgin, one that had never known man.

2. His birth —Though the conception of Christ was supernatural, yet after he was conceived, and so the incarnation of Christ begun, his human nature was gradually perfected in the womb of the virgin, in a way of natural progress; and so his birth was in a way of natu [...]e But his conception being supernatural, by the power of the Holy Ghost, he was both conceived and born without sin.

II. The second thing I would observe concerning the incarna­tion of Christ, is the fulness of the time in which it was acomplish­ed. It was after things had been preparing for it from the very first fall of mankind, and when all things were ready It came to pass at a time, which in infinite wisdom was the most fit and pro­per: Gal. iv.4. "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."

It was now the most proper time on every account. Any time before the flood would not have been so fit a time. For then the mischief and ruin that the fall brought on mankind, was not so fully seen. The curse did not so fully come on the earth before the flood, as it did afterwards: for though the ground was cursed [Page 140] in a great measure before, yet it pleased God that the curse should once, before the [...]oration by Christ, be executed in an universal destruction, as it were, of the very form of the earth, that the dire effects of the fall might once in such a way be seen before the re­covery by Christ. Though mankind were mortal before the flood, yet their lives were the greater part of a thousand years in length, a kind of immortality in comparison with what the li [...]e of man is now. It ple [...]sed God, that that curse, "D [...]st thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return," should have its full accomplishment, and be executed in its greatest degree on mankind, before the Redeemer came to purchase a never-ending life for man.

It would not have been so fi [...] a time for Christ to come, after the flood, before Moses's time: for till then mankind were not so uni­versally apostatized from the true God: they were not fallen uni­versally into Heathenish darkness; and so the need of Christ, the light of the world was not so evident: and the woful consequence of the fall with respect to man's mortality, was not so fully mani­fest till then; for man's life was not so shortned as to be reduced to the present standard till about Moses's time.

It was most fit that the time of the Messiah's coming should not be till many ages after Moses's time; till all nations, but the chil­dren of Israel, had lain long in Heathenish darkness; that the re­medilessness of their disease might by long experience be seen, and so the absolute necessity of the heavenly physician, before he came.

Another reason why Christ did not come soon after the flood pro­bably was, that the earth might be full of people, that Christ might have the more extensive kingdom, and that the effects of his light, and power, and grace, might be glorified, and that his victory over Satan might be attended with the more glory in the multitude of his conquests. It was also needful that the coming of Christ should be many ages after Moses, that the church might be prepar­ed which was formed by Moses for his coming, by the Messiah's being long prefigured, by his being many ways foretold, and by his being long expected. It was not proper that Christ should come before the Babylonish captivity, because Satan's kingdom was not then come to the height. The Heathen world before that con [...]i [...]ed of lesser kingdoms. But God saw meet that the Messiah should come in the time of one of the four great monarchies of the world. Nor was it proper that he should come in the time of the Babylonish monarchy; for it was God's will, that several general monarchies should follow one another, and that the coming of the M [...]ssiah should be in the time of the last, which appeared above them all. The Persian monarchy, by overcoming the Babylonian, appeared above it: and so the Grecian, by overcoming the Persian, appeared above that: and for the same reason, the Roman above [Page 141] the Grecian. Now it was the will of God, that his Son should make his appearance in the world in the time of this greatest and strongest monarchy, which was Satan's visible kingdom in the world; that, by overcoming this, he might visibly overcome Sa­tan's kingdom in its greatest strength and glory, and so obtain the more complete triumph over Satan himself.

It was not proper that Christ should come before the Babylonish captivity. For, before that, we have not histories of the state of the Heathen world, to give us an idea of the need of a saviour. And besides, before that, learning did not much flourish, and so there had not been an opportunity to show the insufficiency of hu­man learning and wisdom to reform and save mankind. Again, before that, the Jews were not dispersed over the world, as they were afterwards; and so things were not prepared in this respect for the coming of Christ. The necessity of abolishing the Jewish dispensation was not then so apparent as it was afterwards, by rea­son of the dispersion of the Jews; neither was the way prepared for the propagation of the gospel, as it was afterwards, by the same dispersion. Many other things might be mentioned, by which it would appear, that no other time before that very time in which Christ did come, would have been proper for his appearing in the world to purchase the redemption of men.

III. The next thing that I would observe concerning the incar­nation of Christ, i [...] the greatness of this event. Christ's incarnati­on was a greater and more wonderful thing than ever had come to pass; and there has been but one that has ever come to pass which was greater, and that was the death of Christ, which was afterwards. But Christ's incarnation was a greater thing than had ever come to pass before. The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great a thing as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for God, a [...] for the creator himself, to become a creature. We have spoken of many great things that were accomplished from one age to ano­ther, in the ages between the fall of man and [...]he incarnation of Christ: but God's becoming man was a greater th [...]g than they all. When Christ was born, the greatest person was born that ever was, or ever will be born.

IV. What I would next observe concerning the incarnation of Christ, are the remarkable circumstances of it; such as his being born of a poor virgin, that was a pious holy person, but poor, as appeared by her offering at her purification: Luke ii.24. "And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves▪ or two young pigeons." Which re­fers to Lev. v.7. "And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons." And this poor [Page 142] virgin was espoused to an husband who was a poor man. Though they were [...] [...]oyal [...]amily o [...] David, the most honourable fam [...]ly, and Joseph was the righ [...]ful h [...]ir to the crown; yet the fa­mily was reduced to a very low state▪ which is represented by the tabernacle of D [...]vid's being fallen or broken down, Amos ix 11. "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up [...]is ruin [...], and I will build it as in the days of old."

He was born in the town of Bethlehem, as was foretold: and there was a very remarkable providence of God to bring about the fulfilment of this prophecy, the taxing of all the world by Augus­tus Caesar▪ as in Luke ii▪ He was born in a very low condition▪ even in a stable, and laid in a manger.

V. I would observe the concomitants of this great event, or the remarkable events with which it was attended — And,

1. The first thing I would take notice of that attended the in­carnation of Christ, was the return of the Spirit; which indeed be­gan a little before the incarnation of Christ; but yet was given on occasion of that, as it was to reveal either his birth, or the birth of his fore-runner John the Baptist. I have before observed how the spirit of prophecy ceased not long after the book of M [...]lachi was written. From about the same time visions and immediate reve­lations ceased also. But now, on this occasion, they are granted anew, and the Spirit in these operations returns again. The first in­stance of its restoration that we have any account of is in the vision of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, which we read of in the 1st chapter of Luke. The next is in the vision which the Virgin Mary had, of which we read also in the same chapter. The third is in the vision which Joseph had, of which we read in the 1st chapter of Matthew. In the next place, the Spirit was given to Elisabeth, Luke i.41. N [...]xt, it was given to Mary, as appears by her song, Luke i 46. &c. Then to Zachariah again, ibid. ver 64. Then it was sent to [...] shepherds▪ of which we have an account in Luke ii.9▪ Then it was given to Simeon, Luke ii.25. Then to An▪ 2, ver. 36▪ Then to the wise men in the [...]st. Then to Joseph again, directing him to flee into Egypt, and after that directing his return.

2 The [...] concomi [...]a [...]t of Christ's incarnation that I would obs [...]ve [...] [...]hat was taken of it in heaven, and on earth. Ho [...] it was not [...]ed by the glorious inhabitants of the hea­venly [...] joyful songs on this occasion, heard by the shepherds in the night This was the greatest event of Pro­vidence that ever the [...]ng [...]ls had beheld. We read of their singing praises when they s [...]w the formation of this lower world: Job xxxviii.7 "When [...] morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." And as they sang praise [...] then, so they [...] much [...]eater occasion, of the birth of the Son of God, who is the creator of the world.

[Page 143]The glorious angels had all [...] expected this event. They had taken great notice of the prophecies and promises of these things all along: for we are told, that the angels desire to look into the affairs of redemption, 1 Pet. i.12. They had all along been the ministers of Christ in this affair of redemption, in all the several steps of it down from the very fall of man. So we read, that they were employed in God's dealings with Abraham, and in his dealings with Jacob, and in his dealings with the Israelites from time to time. And doubtless they had long joyfully expected the coming of Christ; but now they see it accomplished, and therefore greatly rejoice, and sing praises on this occasion.

Notice was taken of it by some among the Jews; as particularly by Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary before the birth of Christ; not to say by John the Baptist before he was born, when he leaped in his mother's womb as it were for joy, at the voice of the salutation of Mary. But Elizabeth and Mary do most joyfully praise God together, when they meet with Christ and his forerunner in their wombs, and the Holy Spirit in their souls. And afterwards what joyful notice is taken of this event by the shepherds, and by those holy persons Zacharias, and Simeon, and Anna! How do they praise God on this occasion! Thus the church of God in heaven, and the church on earth, do as it were unite in their joy and praise on this occasion.

Notice was taken of it by the Gentiles, which appeared in the wise men of the east. Great part of the universe does as it were take a joyful notice of the incarnation of Christ. Heaven takes notice of it, and the inhabitant [...] si [...]g for joy. This lower world, the world of mankind, does also take notice of it in both parts of it, Jews and Gentiles. I [...] pleased God to put honor on his Son, by wonderfully stirring up some of the wisest of the Gentiles to come a long journey to see and worship the Son of God at his birth, being led by a miracu [...]us sta [...], [...] the [...] glorious person, who is the bright and [...]ning st [...]r▪ goi [...] before and lead­ing them to the very pl [...]ce where the you [...] child was. Some think they were instructed by the proph [...]y of [...] ▪ who [...] in the eastern parts, and foretold Christ [...] coming as [...] that should rise ou [...] of Jacob. Or they might be instruct [...] by that general expec­tation there was of the M [...]siah's coming [...] ou [...] [...] before spoken of, from the notice [...] the prop [...]e [...]ies the Jews had of him in their dispersion [...] [...] all [...] of the word that time.

3. The next [...] of [...] Christ was his circum­cision. But this may [...]ore properly [...] of under another head, and so I will not [...] upon it now.

4. The next concomitan [...] was his first coming into the second [...]mple, which was his being brought thither [...]han an infant, on [Page 144] occasion of the purification of the blessed Virgin. We read, Hagg. ii.7. "The desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house (or temple) with glory." And in Mal. iii.1. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the mes­senger of the covenant." And now was the first instance of the fulfilment of these prophecies.

5. The last concomitant I shall mention is the sceptre's depart­ing from Judah, in the death of Herod the Great. The sceptre had never totally departed from Judah till now. Judah's sceptre was greatly diminished in the revolt of the ten tribes in Jeroboam's time; and the sceptre departed from Israel or Ephraim at the time of the captivity of the ten tribes by Shalmaneser. But yet the sceptre remained in the tribe of Judah, under the kings of the house of David. And when the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar▪ the sceptre of Judah ceased for a little while, till the return from the captivity under Cyrus: and then, though they were not an independent government, as they had been before, but owed [...]alty to the kings of Persia: yet their governor was of themselves, who had the power of life and death, and they were governed by their own laws; and so Judah had a lawgiver from between his feet during the Persian and Grecian monarchies. Towards the latter part of the Grecian monarchy, the people were governed by kings of their own, of the race of the Maccabees, for the greater part of an hundred years; and after that they were sub­dued by the Romans. But yet the Romans suffered them to be governed by their own laws, and to have a king of their own. Herod the Great, who reigned about forty years, and governed with proper [...] authority, only paying homage to the Romans. But presently after Christ was born he died, as we have an account▪ Matth. ii.19. and Archelaus succeeded him; but was soon put down by the Roman Emperor; and then the sceptre depart­ed from Judah. There were no more temporal kings of Judah after that, neither had that people their governors from the midst of themselves after that, but were ruled by a Roman governor sent among them; and they ceased any more to have the power of life and death among themselves. Hence the Jews say to Pilate, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death," John xviii.31. Thus the sceptre departed from Judah when [...]iloh came.

PART II.

HAVING thus considered Christ's coming into the world, and his taking on him our nature, to put himself in a capacity for the purchase of redemption, I come now, SECONDLY, to speak of the purchase itself. — And in speaking of this, I would,

1. Show what is intended by the purchase of redemption.

[Page 145]2. Observe some things in general concerning those things by which this purchase was made.

3. I would orderly consider those things which Christ did and suffered, by which that purchase was made.

PART I.

I WOULD take notice, first, of those things by which Christ was put into a capacity for accomplishing the end of his purchase. They are two things, viz. his resurrection, and his ascension. As we observed before, the incarnation of Christ was necessary in order to Christ's being in a near capacity for the purchase of redemption▪ so the [...] and ascension of Christ were requisite in order to his acc [...]plishing the [...] of his purchase.

I. His resurrection. It was [...]cessary in order to Christ's ob­taining the end and effect of his purchase of redemption, that he should rise from the dead. For God the Father had committed the whole affair of redemption, not only the purchasing of it, but the bestowing of the blessings purchased, to his Son, that he should not only purchase it as priest, but actually bring it about as king; and that he should do this as God man. For God the Father would have nothing to do with fallen man in a way of mercy but by a mediator. But in order that Christ might carry on the work of redemption, and accomplish the success of his own purpose as God man, it was necessary that he should be alive, and so that he should rise from the dead. Therefore Chris [...], after he had finished this purchase by death, and by continuing for a time under the power of death, rises from the dead, to fulfil the end of his purchase, and himself to bring about that for which he died: For this matter God the Father had committed unto him, that he might, as Lord of all, manage all to his own purposes: Rom. xiv.9. ‘For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.’

Indeed Christ's resurrection, and so his ascension, was part of the success of what Christ did and suffered in his humiliation. For though Christ did not properly purchase redemption for him­self, yet he purchased eternal life and glory for himself by what he did and suffered; and this eternal life and glory was given him as a reward of what he did and suffered, Phil. ii.8.9. "He humbled himself, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly ex­alted him." It may be looked upon as part of the success of Christ's [Page 182] purchase, if it be so considered, that Christ did not rise as a pri­vate person, but as the head of the elect church; so that they did, as it were, all rise with him. Christ was justified in his resurrec­tion, i. e. God acquited and discharged him hereby, as having done and suffered enough for the sins of all the elect: Rom. iv.25. "Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." And God put him in possession of eternal life, as the head of the church, as a sure earnest that they should [...]ollow. For when Christ rose from the dead, that was the beginning of eternal life in him. His life before his death was a mortal life, a temporal life; but his life after his resurrection was an eternal life: Rom. vi.9. "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." Rev. i.18. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen,"—But he was put in possession of this eternal life, as the head of the body; and took possession of it, not only to enjoy himself, but to bestow on all who belive in him; so that the whole church, as it were, rises in him. And now he who lately suffered so much, after this is to suffer no more for ever, but to enter into eternal glory. God the Father neither expects nor desires any more suffering.

This resurrection of Christ is the most joyful event that ever came no pass; because hereby Christ rested from the great and difficult work of purchasing redemption, and received God's testimony, that it was finished. The death of Christ was the greatest and most wonderful event that ever came to pass; but that has a great deal in it that is sorrowful. But by the resurrection of Christ, that sorrow is turned into joy. The head of the whole church, in that great event, enters on the possession of eternal life; and the whole church is, as it were, "begotten again to a lively hope," 1 Pet. i.3. Weeping had continued for a night, but now joy-cometh in the morning, the most joyful morning that ever was. This is the day of the reigning of the head of the church, and all the church reigns with him. This is spoken of as a day which was worthy to be commemorated with the greatest joy of all days: Psal. cxviii.24. "This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." And therefore this above all other days is appointed for the day of the church's spiritual rejoicing to the end of the world, to be weekly sanctified, as their day of holy rest and joy, that the church therein may rest and rejoice with her head. And as the 3d chapter of Genesis is the most sorrowful chapter in the Bible; so those chapters in the evangelists that give an account of the resurrection of Christ, may be looked upon as the most joy­ful chapters in all the Bible: for those chapters give an account of the finishing of the purchase of redemption, and the beginning of the glory of the head of the church, as the greatest seal and earnest [Page 183] of the eternal glory of all the rest.

It is further to be observed, that the day of the gospel most pro­perly begins with the resurrection of Christ.—Till Christ rose from the dead, the Old-Testament dispensation remained▪ but now it ceases, all being fulfilled that was shadowed forth in the typical ordinances of that dispensation; so that here most properly is the end of the Old-Testament night, and Christ rising from the grave with joy and glory, was as the joyful bride groom of the church, as a glorious conqueror to subdue their enemies under their feet; or was like the sun rising as it were from under the earth, after a long night of darkness▪ and coming forth as a bride groom, pre­pared as a strong man to run his race, appearing in joyful light to enlighten the world. Now that joyful and excellent dispensation begins, that glorious dispensation, of which the prophets prophe­sied so much; now the gospel sun is risen in glory, "and with healing in his wings," that those who fear God's name, may go forth, and g [...]ow up as calves of the stall.

II. Christ's ascension into heaven. In this I would include his sitting at the right hand of God. For Christ's ascension, and sit­ting at the right hand of God, can scarcely be looked upon as two distinct things: for Christ's ascension was nothing else, but ascend­ing to God's right hand; it was coming to sit down at his Father's right hand in glory. This was another thing whereby Christ was put into a capacity for the accomplishing the effect of his purchas [...] as one that comes to be a deliverer of a people as their king, in or­der to it, and that he may be under the best capacity for it, is first installed in his throne. We are told, that Christ was exalted for this end, that he might accomplish the success of his redemption: Acts v.31. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, for to give repentance unto Israel, and the remission of sins."

Christ's ascension into heaven was, as it were, his solemn enthro­nization, whereby the Father did set him upon the throne, and in­vest him with the glory of his kingdom which he had purchased for himself, that he might thereby obtain the success of his redempti­on in conquering all his enemies: Psal. cx.1. "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Christ en­tered into heaven, in order to obtain the success of his purchase, as the high priest of old, after he had offered sacrifice, entered in­to the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifice, in order to ob­tain the success of the sacrifice which he had offered. See Heb. ix.12. He entered into heaven, the [...]e to make intercession for his people, to plead the sacrifice which he had made in order to the success of it, Heb. vii.25.

As he ascended into heaven, God the Father did in a visible man­ner set him on the throne as king of the universe. He then put [Page 184] the angels all under him, and subjected heaven and earth under him. that he might govern them for the good of the people for whom he had die [...], E [...]h i 20 21.22

As Christ rose from the dead, so he ascended into heaven as the head of the holy and [...]ore [...]unner of all the church; and so they, as it were, ascend with [...]im, as well as rise with him: so that we are both raised up together, and made to fit together in heavenly places in Christ, E [...]h ii 6

The d [...]y of Christ's ascension into heaven was doubtless a joyful, glorious day in heaven. As heaven received Christ, God-man, as its king, so doubtless it rec [...]ived a great accession of glory and happiness, far beyond what it had before. So that the times in both parts of the church both that part w [...]ich is in heaven, and al [...]o that which is on earth, are become more [...] since Christ's humiliation than before.

So much for those things whereby Christ was put into the best capacity for obtaining the success of redemption.

PART II.

I Now proceed to show how he accomplished this success. Here I would observe, that this success consists in two things, viz ei­ther in grace, or in glory. That success which consists in the for­mer, is to be seen in those work [...] of God which are wrought dur­ing those ages of the church wherein the church is continued under the outward means of grace. That success which consists in the latter of these, v [...]z glory: has its chief accomplishment at the day of judgement.