II.

SER M. could not forbear dreaming of a kingdom, and of being grandees therein: yea, farther, even after our Lord's paffion and refurrection, this fancy ftill poffelled them; for even then they demanded of him, whether he would at that time refore the kingdom unto Ifrael; meaning fuch an external visible kingdom.

Matt. xx.

21.25.

Acts i. 6.

Hence of all things, notifying the Meffias, this feemeth to be the only particular, which in general the Jews did not, or would not, fee and acknowledge; and this caufed them to oversee all other glorious marks, how clearly foever thining in and about the person of Jefus : this cloud hindered them from difcerning the excellency of his doctrine, from regarding the fanctity of his life, from being duly affected with the wonderfulness of his works, from minding, or from crediting all the teftimonies from heaven miniftered unto him; this, as St. Paul telleth us, was the main fcandal, which obftructed their emJohn xv. bracing the Gofpel. As it was their ignorance or error in this point, which difpofed them to perfecute our Lord; (nifi enim ignoratus nihil pati poffet, as TerMarc. iii. 6. tullian faith; if they had known, they would not have 1 Cor. ii. 8. crucified the Lord of glory, faith St. Paul;) fo it was that, which maintained their obftinate hatred of his name and memory; although graced with fo illuftrious teftimonies of divine power and providence.

1 Cor. i. 23. Acts xiii.

27. iii. 17.

21.

Tert. in

We cannot therefore here, as in other particulars concerning our Lord, allege the general confent of God's people in expounding the Prophets according to our fenfe, this being one of thofe points, in refpect to which the Prophets themfelves did foresee and foretel their perverte ftupidity and incredulity; Vid. Tert. that they should look, and not fee; hear, and not underftand, yielding herein fpecial occafion to that Matt. xiii. Complaint, Who hath believed, our report? Yet not13. withstanding their affected and culpable blindness, Acts xxviii. there is no particular concerning the Meffias in the 1. liii. 1. ancient Scriptures, either more frequently in way of myftical infinuation and adumbration glanced at,

ibid.

Ifa. vi. 9.

Ezek. xii. 2.

26.

or

II.

or more clearly in direct and plain language ex-s ER M. preffed; or which alfo by reasonable deduction thence may be more strongly inferred than this.

1. I fay, first, it is frequently glanced at by mystical infinuations; for explaining the intent of which af fertion, we shall premise fomewhat, which may ferve to declare the pertinency of many citations produced out of the ancient Scripture in the New Teftament; the which, together with others connected with them, or bearing just analogy to them, we alfo, being af fured of their defign by the authority of our Lord and his Apostles, may fafely prefume after them to apply to the fame purposes.

2 i. 9.

iii. 9.

Col. i. 26.

We may then confider, that the all-wife God (who worketh all things after the counfel of his own Eph. i. 11. will, and to whom all things are prefent) having before 1 Tim. 1. eternal times (as St. Paul fpeaketh) determined in 1 Cor. ii. 7. due time to fend the Meffias, for accomplishing the Eph. i. 3. greatest design that ever was to be managed in this Rom. xvi. world, (that which fhould bring the higheft glory to himself, and procure the richest benefits to the principal of his creatures here,) did by his incomprehenfible providence fo order things, that all the special difpenfations preceding it should have a fit tendency and an advantageous reference thereto; fo that, when it came upon the ftage, it might appear that the main of the plot confifted therein; and that whatever was acted before had principally a respect thereto. As therefore from the beginning of things God did in a gradual method make real preparations towards it, by feveral fteps imparting difcoveries of his mind about it, or in order thereto, (fomewhat to Adam himself, more to Abraham and the Patriarchs, fomewhat farther to Mofes, much more yet to divers of the Prophets, among his chofen people, who not only foretold largely concerning it, but delivered divers kinds of inftruction conformable to it, and conducible to the promoting and entertainment thereof,) fo he did alfo take efpecial care by many appofite

i. 3.

II.

Ifa. xlv. 1.

SER M. reprefentations (vonra Stwerpara, intelligible fpectacles, or objects of mental fpeculation, Eufebius calleth them,) handfomely inferted into all his difpenfations, Eufeb. Hift. to fet it out, and to infinuate his meaning about it; that fo it might at length fhew itfelf with more folemnity, and lefs furprife: the moft eminent perfons therefore, whom he raifed up, and employed in his affairs, tending to that end, as they did refemble the Pfal. cv. 15 Meffias, in being inftruments of God's particular grace and providence; (being indeed inferior Chrifts, Gal. iii. 19. and Mediators, partial Saviours, and Redeemers of his Neh. ix. 27. people, as they are fometimes called,) fo they were ordered in feveral circumftances of their perfons, in divers actions they performed, in the principal accidents befalling them, to reprefent him: (becoming Eufeb. Hift. sinovixol Xpisol, Chrifts in image, as Eufebius again ftyleth them :) the rites alto and fervices of Religion inftituted by them in God's name, were adapted to the fame purpofe; they and all things about them, Heb. viii. 5. by God's efpecial direction and wife care, being fitExod. xxv. ted fo as to be congruous emblems and fhadows preRom. v. 14. figuring Chrift, and whatever appertained to him: Vid. Eufeb. thus was Adam (as St. Paul calleth him) a type of

Acts vii. 45.

j. 14.

40.

ib.

δείγματι καὶ

Chrift; and Abel, Melchifedec, Ifaac, Mofes, Joihua, David, Solomon, Zorobabel are intimated to have been fuch; the moft fignal things done by them or befalling them, having been fuited to anfwer fomewhat remarkable concerning him; fo that we may Heb. viii. 5. fay of them all, as the Apoftle to the Hebrews did OTHES U of the Jewish priests, they ferved to the fubindication Gxx λate- and shadowing of heavenly things. In David particularly this relation is fo plain, that because thereof, in the Jer. xxx. 9. prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hofea, the Meffias Hof. iii. 5. is called by his name; as if he were revived in the xxxiv. 23, Meffias. It indeed well fuited the dignity of this great Perfonage, and the importance of his bufinefs, (Heb.viii.5. that he fhould have appointed fo notable heralds Gal. iv. 24. and harbingers to go before his face; furnished with Col. ii. 17.) confpicuous enfigns and badges denoting their rela

και των επι

ρανίων

Ezek.

24. xxxvii.

24, 25.

x. I. ix. 23.

II.

tion to him. It was proper, that God fhould ap- s E R M. pear to have had always an express regard toward him it confequently doth ferve to our edification; for that we duly comparing things, and efpying this admirable correfpondency, may be inftructed thereby, and established in our faith; may be excited to the admiration of God's wifdom, fo harmonioufly connecting things, and of his goodness, fo provident for our welfare; may also be induced thereby the more highly to adore the Meffias, and to efteem his defign: fuch ufes St. Paul fignifieth, when having compared divers things concerning Mofes to things concerning Chrift, he faith, All these things happened 1 Cor. x. as types, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come.

11. 6.

1 Pet. i. 12.

It is alfo (both for illuftration and proof of these things) to be obferved, that because those eminent fervants of God were reprefentatives of Chrift, many things are spoken of them, as fuch; many things are afcribed to them, which only, or chiefly, were intended of him; their names are ufed as veils to cover divers things concerning him, which it feemed to divine wifdom not fo convenient in a more open and clear manner to difclofe promifcuoufly to all men. That this obfervation is true; that, I fay, under the names of perfons reprefenting Chrift (or of things, we may add, adumbrating his things) many things are intimated principally concerning him, and his difpentations, may be collected and confirmed from hence, that many things are attributed to perfons (and to things alto) which do not agree to them; many things were promifed, which appear never accomplished, except after an improper and hyperbolical manner of expreffion, or according to an enormous wideness of interpretation; fuch as do not well seem to fuit the nature of true histories, and serious promifes: thus, for inftance, many things are foretold concerning the large extent and profperous state of the Jewish Church; which hiftory Isa. xxv. 8,

lxxii,

SER M.and experience do teftify never (according to ftrictII. nefs of literal acceptation, yea not in any tolerable degree, near the height of what the words import) to have come to pafs: thus alfo (as the Apostle to the Heb. x. 4. Hebrews argueth) effects are attributed to the Jewifh rites and facrifices, which according to the nature of things cannot belong to them, otherwife than as fubftitutes and fhadows of things more high in substance and efficacy: thus alfo what is with foPfal. xlv, lemn oath promited to Solomon (concerning the vaft Ixxxiii, &c. extent and endless duration of his empire in rightcoufnefs, peace and profperity; together with his mighty acts, and fuccefsful atchievements) doth not appear directly in any competent measure to have been accomplished: thus alfo David (as St. Peter in the 2d. of the Acts obferveth, and groundeth his Acts ii. 29. argumentation on it) fpeaketh divers things of himself, which cannot be conceived properly and literally agrecable to him: fuch things therefore (having fome truth under them) are reasonably fuppofed to be intimations of fomewhat appertaining to the future more perfect state of things under the Rem. x. 4. Meffias; to concern him (who was to be the end of the law) and his difpenfation, which was to be the 1 Pet. i. 10, accomplishment of all things predicted and prefignified this is that which St. Auftin fignifieth, when he faith of Chrift, that Him all the promises of the Jewish nation, all their prophecies, priesthoods, facrifices, their temple, and all their facraments whatever did refound, or exprefs'.

Luke xxii.

37.

&c.

Neither are these things only faid according to fuppofitions affumed in the New Teftament; but they agree, as to their general importance, to the fenfe of the ancient Jews, who did conceive fuch myfterious references often to lie couched under the

Quem Chriftum-omnia gentis illius promiffa, omnes prophetiæ, facerdotia, facrificia, templum, et cuncta omnino facramenta fonuerunt. Aug. ad Voluf. Ep. 3.

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