1. He was typed forth sometimes by men. Adam was his type in many things, especially as he was the head and father of the first world. He was 'the figure of him that was to come' (Rom 5:14). Moses was his type as a Mediator and builder of the Tabernacle (Heb 3:2,3). Aaron was his type as a high priest, and Melchisedec before him (Heb 5:4,5, 7:1,21). Samson was his type in the effects of his death, for as Samson gave his life for the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines, Christ gave his life to deliver us from sin and devils. Joshua was his type in providing the land of Canaan to Israel, as Jesus will give the kingdom of heaven to the elect (Heb 4:8). David was his type in many things, especially in his subduing of Israel's enemies and feeding them [Israel]: hence he is sometimes called David their king, and David their shepherd (Eze 34:23,24). Solomon was his type in building the temple and his peaceable kingdom. Hence it is said, 'He shall build the temple of the Lord'; and again, 'Of his government and peace there shall be no end.'
2. Beasts were his type. For instance, some—
(1.) The paschal lamb was his type (Exo 12). In its spotlessness, Christ was 'a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Peter 1:18,19). In its being roasted, it was a figure of the cursed death of Christ; for to be roasted bespoke one accursed (Jer 29:22; Gal 3:13). In that it was to be eaten—'Whoso eat my flesh and drink my blood,' saith Christ, 'hath eternal life' (John 6:54). In that its blood was to be sprinkled upon the doors of their houses, for the destroying angel to look on; the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the elect for the justice of God to look on (Heb 9; 1 Peter 1:2). By eating the paschal lamb, the people went out of Egypt; by feeding upon Christ by faith we come from under the Egyptian darkness, tyranny of Satan, &c.
(2.) The red cow was his type (Num 19:2, &c.).[2] In that, she was to be without blemish. In that she was to be slain without the camp—' Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:12). In that her flesh was to be burnt, a type of the grievous death of Christ. Her ashes were to be carried into a clean place without the camp, a kind of clean sepulcher where the body of Jesus was laid (John 19:38-41).
There were also divers other sacrifices, as bulls, goats, and birds, which were types of him, which I here omit.
3. Insensible creatures were his types. As,
(1.) The man in the wilderness (Exo 16). And that as it came down from heaven, for so did Christ—' I came down from heaven,' saith he; and again, 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven' (John 6:51). The manna was to be eaten; so is Christ by faith—' If any man eats of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world' (John 6:51). The manna was to be gathered daily; so is Christ to be daily eaten. The manna was all the bread that Israel had in the wilderness; Christ is all the bread that believers have in this life for their souls. The manna came not by Moses' law, neither comes Christ by our merits—' Moses gave you, not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven (John 6:32).
(2.) Again, the rock that gave them water for their thirst was a type of him (Num 20). They 'did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ' (1 Cor 10:4). This rock was his type in four things—
(a.) It gave drink to the people in the wilderness when they came out of Egypt; Christ gave drink to them to forsake the world for him. (b.) The rock yielded water by being smitten by Moses' rod; Christ giveth drink, even his blood, by being stricken by Moses' law (Num 20:11; Isa 53). (c.) The water out of this rock was given to the thirsty—' I will give unto him that is athirst,' saith Christ, 'of the fountain of the water of life freely' (Rev 21:6). (d.) The water of the rock in the wilderness ran after the people; they drank of that rock that followed them—' He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a river' (Psa 110:41). Christ also is said by that type to follow us—' They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ' (1 Cor 10:4).
(3.) Again, the mount Moriah was his type. That mount stood in Jerusalem; Christ also stands in his church. Upon that rock was built the temple (2 Chron 3:1)—' And upon this rock,' said Christ, 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matt 16:18).
Other things might be urged, but these being virtually of the force of the promises, and also as a key to open them, therefore I thought good to place them here with the promises; because, as they are standing with them, so they are written to beget faith in the same Lord Jesus Christ.
THIRD. I come now to the third thing—to wit, That these promises were ground for a believing remembrance that a Saviour should one day come.
There is a remembering and a believing remembering, or such a remembering that begets and maintains faith in the heart. Jacob had a believing remembrance when he said, 'I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord' (Gen 49:18). And so had David when he cried, 'O that the salvation of Israel was come out of Zion' (Psa 53:6). These, with Simeon and Anna, had not a remembrance only, but a believing remembrance that God would send them a Saviour. They had the promise not in the book only but in their hearts; this gospel was mixed in them with faith; therefore, they, with their fellows, remembered and believed, or made the promise the ground of their belief that God would one day send them a Saviour.
Use of this Doctrine.
Here we may see how much the heart of God was set upon the salvation of sinners—he studied it, contrived it, put his heart on it, and promised, and promised, and promised to complete it, by sending one day his Son for a Saviour (2 Same 14:14; Eph 1:3; Titus 1:2). No marvel, therefore, if when he treated of the new covenant, in which the Lord Jesus is wrapped, and presented in a word of promise to the world, that he saith, I will do it 'assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul' (Jer 32:41).
Now this is of singular comfort to sensible sinners; what more excellent ground of consolation to such than to hear that the God against whom they have sinned should himself take care to provide them a Saviour. There are some poor sinners in the world that have given such way to discouragement, from the sense of the greatness of their sins, that they dare not think upon God, nor the sins which they have committed; but the reason is that they are ignorant that God's heart was wrapped up in this good work of providing and sending a Saviour. Let such hearken now to the call of God—'Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee' (Isa 44:22). Ho! turn again, hearken; the heart of God is much set upon mercy; from the beginning of the world, he resolved and promised, aye, and swore we should have a Saviour.
