grace; they searched what, and what manner time, and the Spirit did manifestly foretel it them.

of

They sought to know what manner of time it should come to pass, viz. in a time of great distress, and bad estate of the people, as all the prophets testify, and particularly that place, gives an express character of the time, though there be some diversity of exposition of the particular words, yet the main sense is agreed on by all sound interpreters, and the Chaldee paraphrase hath it expressly, that that Shiloh, is the Messiah.

And of his sufferings, and after-glories they prophecied very clearly. And our Saviour himself makes use of their testimony in both these points.

III. There is the benefit of their search and finding, in the extent of it, to the believers in the apostles times, and to the succeeding christian church, and so to us in these days; but in some peculiar sense the prophets ministred to the people of those times, wherein Christ did suffer, and enter into glory; for that they were the first that enjoyed the accomplishment of those prophecies, they being fulfilled in their own days.

The prophets knew well that the things they prophesied were not to be fulfilled in their own times, and therefore in their prophecying concerning them, though both themselves, and people of God that were contemporary with them did reap the comfort of that doctrine, and were by faith partakers of the same salvation, and so it was to themselves as well as of us, yet in regard of the accomplishment, they knew it was not to themselves, it was not to be brought to pass in their days; and therefore speaking of the glory of Christ's kingdom, they often foretel it for the latter days, as their phrase is. And as we have the things they prophesied of, so we have this peculiar benefit of their prophecies, that their suiting so perfectly with the event, and performance, serves much to confirm our christian faith.

a Gen. xlix. 10. b Psm. xxii. Isa. liii. &c. c Luke xxiv. 25-27.

d

verse 12.

There is a foolish, and miserable way of verifying this, men ministring the doctrine of salvation to others and not to themselves, carrying it all in their heads and tongues, and none of it in their hearts; not hearing it even while they preach it, reaching the bread of life to others, and eating none of it themselves. And this the apostle says, that he was most careful to avoid, and therefore dealt severely with his body, that it might not this way endanger his soul, I beat down my body, says he, and keep it in subjection, lest when I have preached to others I myself should be a cast-away. It is not in this sense, that the prophets ministered to others, and not to themselves. No, they had joy and comfort in the very hopes of the Redeemer to come, and the belief of the things that any others had spoke, and that themselves spoke concerning him. And thus the true preachers of the gospel, though their ministerial gifts are for the use of others, yet that salvation they preach, they lay hold on, and partake of themselves, as your boxes wherein perfumes are kept for garments, and other uses, are themselves perfumed by keeping them.

We see how the prophets ministred it, as the neverfailing consolation of the church in those days, in all their distresses; it is a wonder when they are foretelling either the sorrows and afflictions, or temporal restorement, and deliverances of that people of the Jews, what sudden outleaps they will make to speak of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the days of the gospel, insomuch that he who considers not the spirit they were moved by, would think it were incoherence, and impertinency; but they knew well what they meant, that those news were never unseasonable, nor besides the purpose, that the sweetness of those thoughts, viz. the consideration of the Messiah, was able (to such as believed) to allay the bitterest distresses, and that the great deliverance he was to work, was the top and sum of all deliverances. Thus their prophecies of him were present comfort to themselves, and other believers then; and further, d 1 Cor. ix. 27.

were to serve for a clear evidence of the divine truth of those mysteries in the days of the gospel, in and after their fulfilling.

This sweet stream of their doctrine did, as the rivers, make its own barks fertile, and pleasant as it ran by, and flowed still forward to after ages, and by the confluence of more such prophecies, grew greater as it went, till it fell in with the main current of the gospel in the New Testament, both acted, and preached by the great prophet himself, (whom they foretold to come), and recorded by his apostles and evangelists, and thus united into one river, clear as crystal. This doctrine of salvation in the scriptures, hath still refreshed the city of God, his church under the gospel, and still shall do so, till it empty itself into the ocean of eternity.

The first discovery we have of this stream nearest its source, the eternal purpose of divine mercy, is in that promise which the Lord himself preached in few words, to our first parents, that had newly made themselves and their race miserable, The seed of the woman shall break the head of the serpent.

The agreement of their predictions with the things themselves, and the preaching of the apostles following, the other kind of men employed in this salvation make up one organ or great instrument, tuned by the same hand, and sounding by the same breath of the Spirit of God, and that is exprest here, as the common authority of the doctrine in both, and the cause of their harmony and agreement in it.

All these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, the calling of prophets and apostles and evangelists, and the ordinary ministry of the gospel by pastors and teachers, tends to that great design that God hath in building his church, making up that great assembly of all the elect, to enjoy and praise him for all eternity. For this end sent he his Son out of his bosom, and for this end sends he forth his messengers to divulge that salvation that his Son hath f Eph. iv. 11.

e Gen. iii. 15.

wrought, and sends down his Spirit upon them, that they may be fitted for so high a service. Those cherubim wonder how guilty man escapes their flaming swords, and re-enters paradise. The angels see that their companions that fell are not restored, but their room filled up with the spirits of just men, and they envy it not; which mystery the angels desire to look into; and this is added in the close of these words for the extolling of it.

The angels look upon what they have seen already fulfilled with delight and admiration, and what remains, namely, the full accomplishment of this great work in the end of time, they look upon, with desire to see it finished; it is not a slight glance they take of it, but they fix their eye, and look stedfastly on it, viz. That mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh; and it is added, seen of angels.

The word made flesh, draws the eyes of those glorious spirits, and possesses them with wonder to see the Almighty Godhead joined with the weakness of a man, yea, of an infant. He that stretcheth forth the heavens, bound up in swadling cloaths! and to pass all the wonders of his life, this is beyond all admiration, that the Lord of life was subject to death, and that his love to rebellious mankind, moved him both to take on, and lay down that life.

It is no wonder the angels admire those things, and delight to look upon them; but it is strange that we do not so. They view them stedfastly, and we neglect them, either we consider them not at all, or give them but a transient look, half an eye. That which was the great business of the prophets and apostles both for their own times, and to convey them to us, we regard not; and turn our eyes to foolish wandering thoughts, which angels are ashamed at. They are not so concerned in this great mystery as we are; they are but mere beholders in comparison of us, yea, they seem rather to be losers some way, that our nature, in itself inferior to theirs, is in Jesus Christ exalted above theirs". We bow down to the

g 1 Tim. iii. 16.

b Heb. ii. 16.

earth, and study, and grovel in it, rake into the very bowels of it, and content ourselves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ, and look not within it; but they having no will nor desire, but for the glory of God, being pure flames of fire, burning only in love to him, are no less delighted than amazed with the bottomless wonders of his wisdom and goodness shining in the work of our redemption.

It is our shame and our folly that we lose ourselves and our thoughts in poor childish things, and trifle away our days we know not how, and let these rich mysteries lie unregarded. They look upon the deity in itself with continual admiration; but then they look down to this mystery as another wonder. We give them an ear in public, and in a cold formal way stop conscience's mouth, with some religious performances in private and no more: but to have deep and frequent thoughts, and to be ravished in the meditation of our Lord Jesus, once on the cross, and now in glory, how few of us are acquainted with this?

We see here excellent company, and examples not only of the best of men that have been, but we have them fellow servants, and fellow-students, if that can persuade us, we may all study the same lesson with the very angels, and have the same thoughts with them. This the soul doth that often entertains itself with the delightful admiration of Jesus Christ, and the redemption he hath wrought for us.

Ver. 13. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

THE great error of man's mind, and the cause of all his errors of life, is the diverting of the soul from God, and turning downward to inferior confidences and comforts; and this mischoice is the very root of all our miseries: therefore the main end of the holy word of God, is to untie the hearts of men from the