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§. 110. Of the Apostles testimony from Psal. 22. 22.
Saying, I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee.
THis Text is here alleadged as a proof of that respect which Christ manifested to his sanctified ones, in acknowledging them to be his brethren. The proof is taken from a Divine testimony. Of this kinde of proof see Chap. 1. §. 46, 65.
The first word being a Participle, a 1.1 saying, sheweth a dependance of this verse on that which went immediatly before; and such a dependance as gives an evi∣dence of the truth thereof: and in that respect it is an apparent proof of it. It hath reference to Christ calling men brethren: for in this testimony he doth expresly call them so.
This testimony is taken out of Psal. 22. 22. That Psalm is a most clear Pro∣phesie of Christ. Many passages therein are directly applied to Christ in the New Testament: As
- 1. This clause in the very beginning of the Psalm, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 27. 46.
- 2. This in the seventh verse, All they that see me, laugh me to scorn: they shake the head, Matth. 27. 39.
- 3. This in the eighth verse, He trusted on the Lord, let him deliver him, Matth. 27. 43.
- 4. This in the sixteenth verse, They pierced mine hands and my feet, Joh. 19. 37. & 20. 25.
- 5. This in the eighteenth verse, They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture, Matth. 27. 35.
- 6. This in the two and twentieth verse, I will declare thy name, &c. is here in my Text.
That Psalm, as it sets out the sufferings of Christ to the full, so also his three great Offices. His sufferings are copiously described from the beginning of the Psalm to verse 22.
The Propheticall Office of Christ, from ver. 22▪ to ver. 25.
That which is foretold about his vows (ver. 25.) hath respect to his Priestly Function. In the rest of the Psalm the Kingly Office of Christ is set forth.
All the distinct points of that Psalm were accomplished in Christ. It is gathered from the title, that this Psalm was to be sung every morning in the Temple, to sup∣port the hope of Gods people in the promised Messiah.
This testimony therefore is most pertinently produced to prove the point in hand: and Christ himself is here brought in to be the utterer and publisher thereof, as an evidence that he called m•…•…n his brethren.
As this testimony proves that point in particular, so in generall it proves the main point, that Christ was man; and it points at Christs Propheticall Office, for which it was requisite that he should be man, as it was foretold, Deut. 18. 18. Thus it is a fifth argument to demonstrate that point. See §. 1.
It doth withall render a reason why it was requisite that the Son of God should be a son of man: namely, that he might declare Gods Name unto his brethren, who were sons of men.
In quoting this testimony, the Apostle holds close to the words of the Prophet. A little difference there is in our English translation: but that little is more then needed. For Congregation, here his Church: both these words intend one and the same thing. For praise, here is sing praises. The Hebrew word signifieth both.* 1.2 b 1.3 The Psalms which used to be sung, have their name from this root.* 1.4
There is in one word a difference betwixt the LXX, and the Apostle: but the word c 1.5 in the one, and d 1.6 the other, signifieth one and the same thing.