Sermon III
ON THE GENEALOGY, OR PEDIGREE OF CHRIST
Matt. 1:1–16.—The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, &c.
1. MATTHEW beginneth his book with a title or inscription, by which the believer is provoked with great pleasure to hear and read it. For he saith thus much in effect: Whom the law and prophets have hitherto promised and preached, Jesus, that is, a Saviour, and Christ, that is an eternal king; that he, according to the promise of God, should spring and come of the seed of Abraham and David, even him do I describe in this book, viz., that he is now born, and made man, and already come into the world. This I handle through this whole book.
2. Three lines or degrees are here rehearsed. In the first is contained the stock of the fathers, in the second of the kings, in the third is contained the decaying stock of David; after the decay whereof, it behoved that Christ should come. For so the goodness of God is wont
to do, when all things seem even past hope and recovery, then at the last he cometh.
3. Matthew omitted one in his rehearsal, but that maketh no matter, seeing that he observeth this one thing, that he counteth by the right line from David, by Solomon, to Joseph the husband of Mary. Luke counteth otherwise, and useth another order.
When Adam our first father, having fallen by a great offence, was guilty of death with all his children, as well in body as in soul, it was notwithstanding promised unto him, although obscurely, that both he and his posterity should be delivered, in those words, which God spake to the serpent, Gen. 3:15: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Of these words Adam took comfort, that a woman should come, by whose fruit such guile and subtilty of the serpent should be amended, and Adam redeemed: this comfort upheld Adam, with his posterity, until Noah; for then the promise was renewed, when God made a covenant with the sons of Noah, and set the rainbow for a sign of the covenant, whereby men might conceive a trust and confidence, that God is yet favourable unto them, and doth not purpose their destruction; whereby mankind was again upheld and comforted, even until Abraham.
In the time of Abraham God did somewhat shew forth his mercy, he declared that he would send a Saviour, who should deliver us again from death, both of body and soul; for although the body should die, yet it should not always remain in death, but rise again with the Lord Christ: the words which God spake to Abraham, Gen. 22:18, are thus, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Here miserable men had a cause to hope and look for a saviour, which should deliver them. From that time all the prophets did diversely foretel of this above measure flowing fountain of all mercy, that is, of this seed, of the Lord Christ, how that he at the last should come, that all who believe in him might obtain salvation by that promise which cannot be revoked. If men would now open their eyes, they
must needs confess and say, that a strange and incredible thing is done with us; that man being in state of damnation, cursed, and desperate, should be restored by the nativity of one man. Hereupon the prophets cried out with ardent prayers and unspeakable groaning, that God would vouchsafe to send the Saviour whom he had promised. By faith in this Saviour the Israelites afterward obtained the law, and this honour before all people, that they were called the elect people of God. By which ordinances, written of Moses, the anointed was plainly figured and signified, whom this text which we have now in hand, setteth forth; what he is, from whence he is, and by faith all obtained salvation, from Abraham unto David, even as many as were saved. In the time of David God made the coming of the Messiah to be more manifestly declared, that it might be certainly known of what stock he should come, namely, of the stock of David, as when God said unto David, 2 Sam. 7:12: "When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son." And yet more plainly in Psalm 132:11: "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from it, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." Here Christ is described, that he shall be a king, and an eternal king, as it is mentioned of him in another Psalm; Psalm 45:6: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre." Howbeit he is a spiritual king, which ruleth the world by his word; and whosoever receiveth his word, pertaineth to his kingdom; but he that is not under this sceptre, neither heareth his word, is not of God, neither pertaineth to his kingdom, but is subject to the kingdom of Satan, under whose tyranny we all are, until the Lord doth deliver us from it, and defend us with this sceptre, which is then done when we believe in him.
Forasmuch therefore as our salvation doth come merely by the promise of God, let every one assuredly persuade himself, that he shall never obtain salvation without this promise: although he should
do the works of all saints, yet they should profit him nothing hereunto. On the contrary, if we lay hold on the sceptre of this king, that is, of the promise of God, we shall not perish, although the sins of the whole world should lie upon us; they shall be all swallowed up in him, notwithstanding no good work be done of us; as we see in the thief which hung by the Lord on the cross, who laid hold on the word of God, and believed in Christ, and therefore he obtained the promised paradise. Here is no doubt left, let us only believe that it is so, and it is so indeed; all things which men teach, or which we have done or can do, being set aside. Here all things must give place, at the coming of this new King, that he alone may rule and reign in us. Let a man intermeddle with those things that are written of this King, as being his own matters and as pertaining all unto him; for whatsoever is written any where of Christ, it is written for our comfort, that we may thereby feed and cherish our faith. To the establishing such faith, God hath mercifully left unto us his promise written, and hath suffered to be published, that he will perform that which he hath promised. Whosoever apprehendeth this in his heart, it must needs be that with sighing he thirst for such scripture and promise of God, who of his grace being not provoked of us, offereth unto us, and bestoweth upon us such goodness and mercy.
But let us now come to our present text, which not with words only, but also with a certain force pierceth the heart, and poureth into it love, pleasure, joy, gladness, &c., as if an angel should now come from heaven, and say unto us miserable and condemned wretches, after this manner: Behold, O man, thou hast sinned, wherefore thou hast deserved to be condemned for ever: (this being heard, the heart must needs tremble.) Now although all this be true, yet nevertheless God of his grace hath mercy upon thee, and sendeth to thee a Saviour, as he promised to Abraham, and his seed; be of good cheer, and give thanks to God, lo! here is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, who is the son of David, the son of Abraham, so that this is not only done, but also written, that thou mayest be certain thereof; neither will he, neither can he, deceive; believe only and thou shalt have all things. Now it is to be noted, that Matthew setteth
David before Abraham, although the promise was first made to Abraham, and came afterward to David; which promise made to David, the prophets afterward published more abroad, and did by it comfort the people, as in the 11th chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet saith thus; "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a plant shall grow out of his roots." Jeremiah likewise saith thus, chap. 23:5, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." And many other such prophecies there are to be found in the writings of the prophets, which foretold of David, that his kingdom should be raised up; as the Angel also declared unto Mary, when he said, Luke 1:32, "The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Wherefore Matthew thought good here to set David first, as the better known, and next unto him, Abraham, unto whom the promise was first made, as Mary in her song saith, Luke 1:54, "He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." And that promise is now performed, and in this our text described, as we shall see hereafter.
St. Matthew maketh a triple difference of fathers, of whom Christ came, fourteen patriarchs, fourteen kings, and fourteen princes. For it behoved that the sceptre and kingdom should be taken from Judah, according to the prophecy of Jacob, which is thus, Gen. 49:10: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Here all things must be fulfilled; and there are thrice fourteen generations, even as Matthew rehearsed them: From Abraham to David fourteen generations, from David till they were carried away into Babylon, likewise fourteen generations. However, there is a person omitted in Matthew, that is, Jakim; and it ought thus to be written: Josias begat Jakim, and Jakim begat Jeconias, and his brethren; this the Chronicles witness. And after they were carried away into Babylon, until Christ, fourteen
generations. Which triple distinction hath a great mystery, as we shall see. The Jews, among other laws, were commanded to observe these three precepts, namely, to worship that God whom their fathers had worshipped; secondly, to choose no priest of any other stock than of their own, that is, of the tribe of Levi; thirdly, to choose no king but of their own people. These three precepts did very well agree in our Lord Christ, viz., that he is that one God, that he is an eternal Priest, of our flesh and blood, and a King, our brother, who hath taken our nature upon him; who by his Divine power is able to help and save us, and being an eternal Priest, continually maketh intercession for us: he is a King also, that he may defend and preserve us, who is not to be feared of us, since he is a man as we are, yea, and was made a most contemptible man, that our heart might be wholly quieted and appeased in him our Saviour, who can never forsake us. Who are able to stand in the sight of God, and not be terrified, if that Priest did not stand before God? Who should defend us, if he were not a King? Who should save us, if he were not God? How should he have care of us, if he were not a man, and our brother? with whom we may speak, as well as we may one with another among ourselves.
O most gracious Saviour, how wisely hast thou done all things? I know that thou art my brother, as it is in Psalm 22:22. "I will declare thy Name unto my brethren," as it is alledged in the epistle to the Hebrews, although thou art God, my Lord Christ, and King of heaven and earth, yet I cannot be afraid of thee, for thou art my friend and brother; this is no hindrance unto me, that I am a sinner, and thou holy; for if I had not been a sinner, there had been no need that thou shouldest suffer punishment for me. I see also in thy genealogy, that both good and evil are rehearsed, of whose posterity thou wouldest come, that thou mightest comfort timorous and weak consciences; that they should confidently and cheerfully put their trust in thee, which hast taken away our sin: and that we might be certain hereof, thou hast left us thy word, which assuredly declareth it unto us. Among the kings and princes which Matthew rehearseth, some were exceeding evil, as we may read in the books of the Kings; yet God
suffereth them to be mentioned in his genealogy, as if they were worthy, that he should come to them; but he suffered not so much as one honest woman to be named therein. Four women are named, which all had an evil report, and were counted lewd; as Tamar, Gen. 38:15, of whom Judah, the father of her husband, begat Pharez and Zarah, as in the first book of Moses it is mentioned. Rahab is called a harlot, in the book of Joshua, 2:1. Ruth was an heathen woman, of whom although we read no evil, yet forasmuch as she was a heathen, she was despised of the Jews as a dog, and was detested of them. Bathshebah, the wife of Uriah, was an adultress before she was married to David, and of her he begat Solomon. Which women are undoubtedly thereof rehearsed, that we may see how God hath set forth, as it were a certain glass unto all sinners, wherein they may see, that he would be born of the posterity of sinners, that the greater sinners we be, so much more certain and greater refuge we might have in so gracious a God, Priest, and King, who is our brother; in whom only, and in none other, we are able to fulfil the law, and obtain the grace of God: He came down from heaven therefore, neither doth he require any thing of us, but that we assuredly believe that he is our God, Priest, and King, and then all things shall be well with us; by him alone we become the sons of God, and heirs of the heavenly kingdom, as St. Paul saith to the Galatians, "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus:" Gal. 3:26. Here the hearts of all sinners may leap for joy, that they are counted worthy of such a Saviour. Must not he needs be regenerate whose heart understandeth and feeleth this? Yea, he is carried with a most ardent love to lead a new life, for he is inspired with the grace of God, inasmuch as he layeth hold of the promise of remission of all his sins.
If we will count upon our fingers the persons named in this text, we shall find them to be forty-two, which were in time past figured by the two-and-forty mansion places, which the children of Israel had, before they came into the promised land, as it is written in the fourth book of Moses; if we also will come into the promised land, which the Lord Jesus Christ hath prepared for us by his nativity, we must also occupy two-and-forty mansion places, that is, we must cease from
our own purpose, and be regenerate man by man, until we come to Mary and Jesus; there at the last we shall find rest unto our souls. But this nativity is hard, for our evil and corrupt nature is very loth to leave her own will and purpose; and again, the case of nature is such, that no nativity can be without grief, yet one hath more grief, temptation, and affliction than another. The thief on the cross leapt at one leap two-and-forty degrees, and came suddenly to Christ; so did many martyrs also, and other holy men. Notwithstanding none can go so great a journey with small grief, unless he be carried with a great wind, that is, by the Holy Ghost.
We must go fair and softly from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, and so forth. But we must begin at Abraham, that we may be found endued with like faith as he was, and obtain the blessing promised unto him; then we shall more easily and cheerfully go from one patriarch to another. That is, we shall pass over one affliction after another, until we be called out of this travel and journey unto our rest; for a man must be so long exercised with afflictions, and so oft renounce his own will, until at the last he be brought under, and his flesh by this means be subdued, that it may obey the Spirit, and walk joyfully in the will and obedience of God. Wherefore let no man purpose with himself to come unto heaven by leading a quiet life, and following pleasure; thus Christ saith to Luke, "It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God:" Luke 18:25. And in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul teacheth, "That we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God:" Acts 14:22. Again, in Luke, Abraham said to the rich glutton, "Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented:" Luke 16:25. So it behoved Christ also to suffer, and by the cross to enter into his glory. And St. Paul saith, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. 3:12. Hence we may learn, that all is poison which is according to the lust of the flesh; wherefore Paul saith to the Romans, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," Rom. 8:13.
The Spirit which is of God, is ready to suffer, but the flesh resisteth; this Jesus signified by his answer unto Peter, when he shewed unto his disciples, "That he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men," Matt. 16:21. Here it is manifest, that the reason of man doth flatly strive against the will of God; God will have us enter into glory by the cross and persecution, but the flesh resisteth, and is troubled in affliction. Moreover, they that are endued with the Spirit of God, rejoice, if they be afflicted for God's sake, as it is written of the apostles; "They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name," Acts 5:41. Wherefore James saith in his epistle, 1:2, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." O how necessary is patience for a Christian man! that in your patience ye may possess your souls, as Christ saith in Luke 21:19, otherwise we shall lose them.
Wherefore we must enter into a new kind of life; and if, at any time, calamity cometh, we must not burst forth into evil speeches, and take it impatiently, but we must always lift up our heart to God, and bear his will with a patient mind; he will deliver us in his time, when it seemeth good to him, and we must always think that he beareth a fatherly affection toward us, even when he sendeth persecutions, anguishes, afflictions, and adversities, as the epistle to the Hebrews saith, 12:5–8, "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you, as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." God give us his divine grace, that we may courageously pass these two-and-forty degrees, and with the Lord Christ be regenerate into a new life. Amen.