The humiliation of the Sonne of God by his becomming the Son of man, by taking the forme of a servant, and by his sufferings under Pontius Pilat, &c. Or The eighth book of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creed: continued by Thomas Jackson Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine to his Majestie in ordinarie, and president of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford. Divided into foure sections.

CHAP. XVI. Of the King of Sions comming to Ierusalem, and how the maner of his comming was for circum∣stance of time, prefigured by the Law or rite of the Paschall Lamb; and for other circumstances, ex∣presly foretold by the Prophet Zachary.

1 AN Apostle hath said it, and wee must beleeve him, that our Saviour Christ was Agnus occisus ab origine mundi; the Lamb slaine from the be∣ginning of the world. And other Scriptures abundantly testifie, that he was to bee slaughtered in time, to the end that hee might take away the sinnes of the world. About the

indefinite or illimited truth of both these pro∣positions, there is no controversie amongst good Christians. The limitation notwithstanding of both these undoubted truths require some fur∣ther disquisition; the limitation of the later a larger Treatise: The maine Quere concerning the former is briefly this. [From what begin∣ning of the world our Saviour is said to be Agnus occisus, the Lamb slaine,] as whether from the first beginning of time, or from the first day of the Creation. To stretch the beginning of the world thus farre, is more than the rules of true Theologie will warrant. For it was neither ne∣cessary or expedient, that the Sonne of God should bee slaine, or that any bloody sacrifice should have been offered, if our first Parents had preserved or retained their originall integrity. By the beginning of the world, then in our Apo∣stles meaning, wee are, I take it, to understand the sinfull world, as it is coevall or confederate with the flesh, or the first entrance of sinne into it or rather into our nature. From the fall of our first Parents, at least from their convention be∣fore their Almighty Judge and Creator; the Sonne of God was first destinated, and after∣wards consecrated to be the Lamb of God, which was to take away the sinnes of the world. And of his death and passion, or other undertakings to this purpose, as well the sacrifice which righ∣teous Abel offered out of the flock, as the bloody sacrifice of himselfe, being butchered by his un∣gracious brother Cain, were true types or sha∣dows.

So was the Paschall Lamb, which was solemnly offered every yeare, once in token, af∣terwards in memory of the Israelites miraculous delivery out of Aegypt. The first institution, and observance of this solemnity, was given as a pledge or assurance unto Gods chosen people, that the destroyer should not hurt one of them, when he smote all the first borne of Aegypt, both of man and beast. The same solemnity was af∣terwards continued in memory of that mighty deliverance, which Israel had from Pharaoh and his hoast. Howbeit even this miraculous delive∣rance was but a shadow or typicall assurance of that great deliverance which the Sonne of God in our flesh, and all Gods people, in him and by him, had from the powers of Hell and darknesse, in that great Passeover, wherein this true Lamb of God predestinated to this purpose from the beginning of this world, was actually consecra∣ted and solemnly upon his consecration, of∣fered.

2. A question there is, but soberly handled by some good sacred Antiquaries; whether the Law of the Paschall Lamb delivered by Moses, were to bee solemnized according to all the rites and circumstances, which were enjoyned, and pun∣ctually to bee observed at the time of Israels de∣parture out of Aegypt. One branch of this Law it was, that every houshold which was capable of eating it, should take it from the flock foure dayes before the offering of it. This separation was his consecration, and this rite or ceremony,

as some good Writers tell us, was observed throughout the generations, if not in the Lambs offered by every private family, yet in the Lamb designed or chosen for the publique sacrifice in that great Festivall, which was brought into the City foure dayes before the offering of it, with great pomp and solemnity. But bee it that the solemnity of bringing the Lamb foure dayes be∣fore the Passeover, was to bee observed onely in Aegypt: this will no way impaire the sweet har∣mony betweene the Legall type and the Evan∣gelicall mystery; but rather give it a better lustre: For that Passeover which was celebrated in Ae∣gypt was the most illustrious peculiar type of this great Passeover, wherein the Sonne of God was sacrificed for the sinnes of the world. Other succeeding legall Passeovers were but remem∣brances of that great deliverance whereof the first Passeover in Aegypt was the pledge, or pre-assurance. And we in like sort were once for all delivered from the powers of Hell and darknesse, by the visible blood of the new Covenant; of which deliverance, wee are more strictly enjoy∣ned to continue a memoriall, untill our Mediator and Redeemer come to judgement. Now to de∣clare unto the world, that JESUS the Sonne of God and of David, was the Lamb of God or∣dained from the beginning of the world to effect this mighty deliverance, and to fulfill the my∣steries forepictured by the Passeover in Aegypt; He came unto Jerusalem (the place appointed for this and other grand Festivalls) foure dayes be∣fore

the Passeover wherein hee was sacrificed, and was brought in with greater pompe and so∣lemnity, than any Paschall Lamb, than any Prince of Judah at any time before had been. His attendants were more, and their respects and salutations tendered in more submissive manner, and the titles given to him much loftier than ei∣ther David his father or Solomon in all his royalty had been accustomed unto. The history of his comming is very remarkable of it selfe, and the circumstances as they are variously related (yet without clashing or contradiction,) by all the foure Evangelists, most considerable.

3. For the circumstance of time, which was foure dayes before the Passeover, that is determi∣nately and punctually set downe by two Evan∣gelists, and may be evidently inferred out of all foure. The speciall occasions of a great con∣course of people out of severall Nations or Pro∣vinces, which at this last Passeover did expect his comming, or went out of Jerusalem to meet him or wait upon him, after another guise, than at any the three former Passeovers since his Bap∣tisme had been seene; are most fully exprest by S. Iohn Chap. 11. ver. 45. Then many of the Iews which came to Mary, and had seene the things which Iesus did, beleeved on him. But some of them went their wayes to the Pharisees and told them what things Iesus had done. John 12.9, 17, 18. Much people of the Iews knew therefore that he was there; and they came, not for Iesus sake onely, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom hee had raised from the

dead. The people therefore that was with him, when hee called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause also the people met him, for that they had heard, that he had done this miracle, &c. The originall occasion of this great concourse, as appeares in these passa∣ges, was the irrefragable testimony of his rai∣sing Lazarus from the grave, wherein he had laid foure dayes. The speciall occasions which mo∣ved the whole multitude of his Disciples (that is such as for the present did beleeve in him) to entertaine, and did occasion others to entertaine him with those extraordinary acclamations, or other expressions of joy & exultation, (recorded by all the Evangelists) are most punctually ex∣pressed by S. Luke, Chap. 19. ver. 37, 38. And when hee was come nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the Disciples began to rejoyce, and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seene, saying, Blessed be the King that commeth in the Name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory in the Highest. These acclamations of his followers and Disci∣ples were so loud, and their exultation (in such sinister construction, as Michal made of Davids dancing before the Ark) so lavish, that they ex∣asperated the Pharisees (who were but a small part of the multitude, who did attend or observe his approch,) unto more uncivill behaviour to∣wards this their King, than Michal did use to∣wards David her Lord and husband. Luke 19.39. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude

said unto him, Master, rebuke thy Disciples: As if they had said, Thy Disciples play the fooles: and unlesse thou inhibit their folly, they will make thee a laughing stock to wise men. But his reply unto them for this their advise, though for termes and language, more milde and gentle; yet for the matter or mystery implied, was more sharpe than Davids was to Michal: Verse 40. He answered, and said unto them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would imme∣diatly cry out. For this was the time wherein Je∣rusalem, and the daughter of Sion had been com∣manded some hundreds of yeares before, to re∣joyce after an unusuall maner. And the just oc∣casions of this extraordinary point of time above all others, did require such a solemne and publike testification, that if men, women, and children had been silent, the very stones in the street, the edifices and pavements in Jerusalem and Sion, must have supplied their defect. For these were appurtenances of the Citie, which had been pe∣remptorily injoyned to shout for joy whensoe∣ver their promised and long expected King should come unto her. As the occasions of this extraordinary concourse of people, and of their unusuall exultation, are most fully exprest by S. Iohn and S. Luke: so the finall cause of both, or sweet disposition of Divine providence in this whole businesse, is most punctually exprest by S. Matthew, Chap. 21. ver. 4, 5. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying; Tell yee the Daughter of Sion, Behold, thy

King commeth unto thee meeke, and sitting upon an Asse, and a Colt the foale of an Asse. The Prophet, or one of the Prophets at least, which did fore∣tell all that now hapned, was Zachariah, Chap. 9.9. whose words are more full than the Evangelists. Rejoyce greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout O daughter of Ierusalem: Behold thy King commeth unto thee: he is just, and having salvation * 1.1 lowly and riding upon an Asse, and upon a Colt the foale of an Asse: So our ordinary English Translations render the place, word for word: but whether this Tran∣slation or others, Greek or Latin doe fully and punctually expresse the Prophets meaning, is in the next place to be discussed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or sayed himselfe, &c.