ON THE GLORY OF CHRIST. 41 Of the same nature was his glorious appearance on Mount Sinai, at thegiving ofthe law, Exodus xix: for the description thereof by the psalmist, Ps. lxviii. 17, 18. is applied by the apostle unto the ascension of Christ after his resurrection, Eph. iv. 8. Wherefore hesaith, when he ascendedup high, he led captivity cap- tive, andgavegifts unto men. Only as it was then full of outward terror, because of the giving of the fiery law, it was referred unto by the psalmist, as full of mercy, with respect unto his accomplishment of the same law. His giving ofit was as death unto them con- cerned, because of its holiness, and the severity of the curse wherewith it was attended; his fulfilling of it was life by the pardon and righteousness which issued from thence. 5. The doctrine of his incarnation whereby be be- came the subject of all that glory which we inquire af- ter, was revealed, although not so clearly as by the gospel after the actual accomplishment of the thing it- self. In how many places this is done in the Old Tes- tament, I have elsewhere declared; at least I have ex- plained and vindicated many of them (for no than can presume to know them all) Vindic. Evangel. One in- stance therefore shall here suffice, and this is that of the same prophet Isaiah, chap. ix. 6, 7. " Unto no "'a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the gov- "ernment shall be on his shoulder, and his name shall "be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, " the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the " increase of his government and peace there shall be "no end, upon the throne of Davidand upon his kinb "' dom to order it and to establish it with judgment and "with justice from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of it the Lord of Hosts will perform this." This one tes- timony is sufficient to confound all Jews, Socinians, and other enemies of theglory of Christ. 1 do acknowledge, that notwithstanding this declaration of the glory of Christ in his future incarnation and rule, there remain- ed much darkness in the minds of them unto whom it was then made. For although they might and did ac- quiesce in the truth of the revelation, yet they could frame to themselves no notions of the way or manner of its accomplishment. But now when every word of it is explained, declared, and its mystical sense visibly laid open unto us in the gospel, and by the accomplish- ment exactly answering every expression in it, it is ju- dicial blindness not to receive it. Nothing but the 'satanical pride of the hearts of men, which will admit of no effects of infinite wisdom, but what they suppose they can comprehend, can shut their eyes against the light of this truth. 6. Promises, prophecies, predictions concerning his person, his coming, his office, his kingdom, and his glory in them all, with the wisdom, grace, and love of God to the church in hint, are the line of life, as was said, which runs through all the writings of the Old Testament, and take up a groat portion of them. Those were the things which he expounded unto his disciples out of Moses and all the prophets. Concern- ing these things he appealed to the scriptures against all his adversaries. Search the scriptures,fòr they are they that testjfy ofme. And if we find them not, if we dis- cern them not therein, it is because a veil of blindness is over our minds. Nor can we read, study, or medi- tate on the writings of the Old Testament untoany ad- vantage, unless we design to find out and behold the glory of Christ declared and represented in them. For want hereofthey are a sealed book to many unto this day. 7. It is usual in the Old Testament to set ont the glory of Christ under metaphorical expressions; yea, it aboundeth therein. For such allusions are exceedingly suited to let in a sense-into our minds of those things which we cannot distinctly comprehend. And there is an infinite condescension of divine wisdom in their way of instruction, representing unto us the power of things spiritual, in what we naturally discern. Instances of this kind in calling the Lord Christ by the names of those creatures which unto our senses represent that ex- cellency which is spiritually in him are innumerable. So he is called the rose, for the sweet savour of his love, grace, and obedience; the lily for his gracious .beauty and amiableness: the pearl of price, for his worth, for to them that believe he is precious; the vine, for his fruitfulness; the lion, for his power; the lamb, for his meekness and fitness for sacrifice, with other things of the like kind almost innumerable. These things have I mentioned, not with any design to search into the depth of this treasury of those divine truths concerning the glory of Christ; but only togive 11
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